Minor things that bother you

[Max Rockatansky]

People posting off-topic stuff in Facebook groups like "There is NO way that is MUTCD-compliant."

Canadian signs -- The MUTCD is a USA-specific document. It doesn't apply to our evil top hat, a/k/a our northern neighbors.

Sign errors -- there's a group for that.

Faded/peeled/other older or damaged signs.

Signs that aren't located on public roads and therefore the MUTCD isn't applicable. (Think parking lots or even signs inside buildings).

Things that aren't traffic control devices (like Flock cameras where people complain about them not being mounted on breakaway posts).

Basically, both of those groups (there are two identically-named groups) are catch-all for road-related stuff where the posters appear to be too lazy to seek out the right group.

Being real, how much more convincing do you need that said MUTCD compliance group is trash?  Just drop out, you'll be happier in the long run.

[Rothman]

87% ain't 100%

I am aware.  I've also experienced nighttime.  A couple of minutes of midday darkness is not something I'd plan a vacation around.

You have no idea what you're talking about or missing when it comes to a total solar eclipse.

[formulanone]

Signs that aren't located on public roads and therefore the MUTCD isn't applicable. (Think parking lots or even signs inside buildings).

Some people want to post anything to get some attention, no matter how meaningless or trivial. It appears to get more posts than any of the other road-related related groups (I have no interest in the single-route groups).

They can call it a group, but a heap is more apt.

[vdeane]

Eclipses are not that hard to see if you're willing to travel a bit.  Google for a list, find one with totality somewhere where the weather is fairly dependable for that time of year and go there.

I saw the Augusgt 21, 2017, eclipse from eastern Oregon.  It was a kick.  Yes, it required driving away from my home town.  Also have other things to do on the trip that will be fun even if the eclipse is not observable - roads to clinch, maybe?

I wouldn't bother with a partial.  It's not the same experience

Do bring eclipse glasses, or a dark film rated for solar observing.

That's the rub.  I don't have the mental flexibility necessary for flying.  And even then, what if you book everything and it's cloudy?  The 2024 eclipse was supposed to be reliably sunny for Mexico and Texas and it wasn't.  At that point, one guide I read said you need to be willing to abandon your plans, drive hundreds of miles, and camp in the car.  There's that flexibility issue again.  And, of course, that means you need to be willing to deal with traffic - not just wait it out in a hotel booked a year or two earlier.  Not to mention how, leading up to the eclipse, r/Albany was full of posts saying "if you leave after sunrise on the day of the eclipse, you won't make it to the path of totality in time".  I'm not sure if that was true, but I'm not sure if it wasn't, either.

Canadian signs -- The MUTCD is a USA-specific document. It doesn't apply to our evil top hat, a/k/a our northern neighbors.

Canada has their own MUTCD.  It's even called the same thing, except for appending "for Canada" to the title.

[Rothman]

Eclipses are not that hard to see if you're willing to travel a bit.  Google for a list, find one with totality somewhere where the weather is fairly dependable for that time of year and go there.

I saw the Augusgt 21, 2017, eclipse from eastern Oregon.  It was a kick.  Yes, it required driving away from my home town.  Also have other things to do on the trip that will be fun even if the eclipse is not observable - roads to clinch, maybe?

I wouldn't bother with a partial.  It's not the same experience

Do bring eclipse glasses, or a dark film rated for solar observing.

That's the rub.  I don't have the mental flexibility necessary for flying.  And even then, what if you book everything and it's cloudy?  The 2024 eclipse was supposed to be reliably sunny for Mexico and Texas and it wasn't.  At that point, one guide I read said you need to be willing to abandon your plans, drive hundreds of miles, and camp in the car.  There's that flexibility issue again.  And, of course, that means you need to be willing to deal with traffic - not just wait it out in a hotel booked a year or two earlier.  Not to mention how, leading up to the eclipse, r/Albany was full of posts saying "if you leave after sunrise on the day of the eclipse, you won't make it to the path of totality in time".  I'm not sure if that was true, but I'm not sure if it wasn't, either.

We were in Rocksprings, TX and the forecast took a turn for the worse the morning of the eclipse.  Drove 170 miles up to Goldthwaite, TX to see it from there in a local cemetery.  So yep, flexibility is needed.  That said, traffic wasn't horrible, though.  Just a couple of bad backups in a couple of towns in Hill Country.  Stopping and eating a decent meal helped as well in that regard.

[kphoger]

87% ain't 100%

I am aware.  I've also experienced nighttime.  A couple of minutes of midday darkness is not something I'd plan a vacation around.

You have no idea what you're talking about or missing when it comes to a total solar eclipse.

So...  It isn't a couple of minutes of midday darkness?  Or it is something I'd plan a vacation around?  Which part do I have no idea about?

[Rothman]

87% ain't 100%

I am aware.  I've also experienced nighttime.  A couple of minutes of midday darkness is not something I'd plan a vacation around.

You have no idea what you're talking about or missing when it comes to a total solar eclipse.

So...  It isn't a couple of minutes of midday darkness?  Or it is something I'd plan a vacation around?  Which part do I have no idea about?

Both.

[jakeroot]

The saga and rescue of Cybertruck on the Rubicon Trail was something that I got more entertainment out of than I should have.  It is a vanity vehicle that doesn't have much utility or the capabilities of an overland truck.  It is hard to feel sympathetic when some goober from the Bay Area gets in over their head on an overlanding trail in the Sierra Nevada with one.

I think I'm more bothered by people who have no clue how to off-road, buy something genuinely capable, take it off road successfully, and then suddenly become experts in off-roading. Your car being good at off-roading doesn't mean you are.

[Max Rockatansky]

The saga and rescue of Cybertruck on the Rubicon Trail was something that I got more entertainment out of than I should have.  It is a vanity vehicle that doesn't have much utility or the capabilities of an overland truck.  It is hard to feel sympathetic when some goober from the Bay Area gets in over their head on an overlanding trail in the Sierra Nevada with one.

I think I'm more bothered by people who have no clue how to off-road, buy something genuinely capable, take it off road successfully, and then suddenly become experts in off-roading.

In this case I'm referring to said CyberTruck was equipped with a lot of off road suspension parts that were custom made.  If it was a normal Forest Road I'm sure it would have went fine.  The problem was that the driver picked one of the most difficult OHV trails in California.  I've heard all sorts of horror stories about serious Rock Crawling Jeep people getting stuck out there on Rubicon.

Much of the time you don't even really need a serious vehicle to go overlanding in.  I get a lot done with a simple base model Forester and sometimes even my Corolla.  Having patience and having a good feel for when to stop can get you through a lot of ungraded dirt roads. 

[SSOWorld]

87% ain't 100%

I am aware.  I've also experienced nighttime.  A couple of minutes of midday darkness is not something I'd plan a vacation around.

You have no idea what you're talking about or missing when it comes to a total solar eclipse.

So...  It isn't a couple of minutes of midday darkness?  Or it is something I'd plan a vacation around?  Which part do I have no idea about?

Both.

Yeah no kidding - 99% ain't 100% in solar eclipses. having seen 2 totals, I must emphasize you must be IN the path. It is worth the experience. (Even if clouds get in the way - but part for some time - makes it even more haunting due to that added darkness caused by the clouds that make it look like you're under a thunderstorm - without the lighting and rain.

[kphoger]

This is like arguing about whether someone should like raisins or not.  A bunch of you think an eclipse is so cool that it's worth planning a vacation around.  That doesn't mean I do.

For me, eclipses are like, —Hey, look, an eclipse is happening.  That's kind of neat.—  And then I just go on about my day.  For the recent one in 2024, I thought it was kind of nifty while driving home from work, but then I just went inside when I got home.

[wxfree]

I appreciate nature probably more than the average person, and I've witnessed several partial eclipses and the total one in 2024.  A partial eclipse is neat, but it doesn't compare with a total one.  Before the total eclipse, I read descriptions about them, and some people are more affected by them than I was.  To me, it was awe-inspiring, but not life-changing.  I wouldn't plan a vacation around one, because I've seen one.  I'm glad I got to see it, and I'd love to see another if it's convenient.  I'd drive a few hundred miles for it (I've driven that far to look at much less impressive things.)  It's the kind of thing you don't really understand until you see it.  I'd read all about them and knew what to look for, but while it was happening I was just in awe.  The moment I looked up and saw it without glasses my mind stopped for a few seconds.  Most of the people I know thought it was neat, they didn't appreciate it as much as I did.

Different people like different things, and I'm a big fan of nature.  To me, the main point wasn't the few minutes of darkness, which wasn't like night, it was like a time after sunset all around the horizon, and the sky was darker up high near the sun.  The main event was the big disc in the sky blocking the sun.  I've seen the moon before, but this wasn't really the moon with its familiar features, it was something invisible and unimaginably large floating in the sky and blocking the sun.  I can understand how it would inspire religion among the ancients who didn't know what was happening.  One of the absolute forces of nature just suddenly disappeared for no apparent reason.

You can't know how it would affect you unless you experience it.  To you, it might be life-changing, there are lots of stories like that.  You might appreciate it more than average, standing in awe of it, like I did.  Or you might think it's neat, or really neat, and then vaguely remember it whenever an eclipse is mentioned.  I don't think you can know how much it would be worth to you, and you certainly can't know how much it would be worth to someone else.  It affected me more than I expected, but I didn't become obsessed with them.  I would recommend it, but I wouldn't want to pressure or be overbearing about it.

[Max Rockatansky]

I appreciate nature also.  In 2017 it meant more to me to get to Isle Royale as it was the second to last National Park in the continental United States that I hadn't been to.  Considering that boat ride from Copper Harbor isn't exactly short (about 3 hours one-way) I planned much of the trip around it.  I got about 10 miles of hiking that day since I ran most of it.  The eclipse was nice, but nowhere close to what I was focusing on.

[ski12616]

I was fortunate to see both the 2017 and 2024 total eclipses.

In 2017, I was in central Missouri with about 2 minutes 15 seconds of totality. There was a lot of cloud cover making the overall sky more white than blue, but it was still somewhat sunny. There was a thicker cloud blocking the view for about the first minute of totality, but we were able to move a hundred feet or so and see the corona for the rest of the time. It was definitely a cool experience, though I remember being a bit underwhelmed that afternoon as we were waiting to give time for traffic to clear off I-70 before heading home, as the clouds made it seem not much different than how it can get temporarily darker under thick cloud cover.

In 2024, I was in southeast Missouri with just over 4 minutes of totality. In contrast to the first one, we had amazing visibility with nothing more than barely noticeable thin high clouds. Being able to safely look toward the sun without eye protection and seeing just how vivid the corona was for that entire time was incredible. The lack of cloud cover and extended duration compared to 2017 made a huge difference. I was in awe for multiple days after that one.

Someone under even 99.999% coverage won't witness anything compared to totality.

[GaryV]

My grandmother's funeral was on the day of an eclipse that went along the east coast; we might have been about 75% in Grand Rapids. The eclipse that is immortalized in "You're So Vain". We were distracted enough by the funeral that we didn't remember about the eclipse. Later we heard about it, and remembered that the light in the cemetery was a little weird, but we had just thought it was the clouds.

[Rothman]

2017, I was outside of Crossville, TN.  Saw it and the cows nearby didn't like the unexpected darkness and started mooing.  My parents were at Ground Zero in KY.  Took them something like 8 hours to get to Winchester for a subsequent family get-together, but I was only delayed by a half an hour or so.  Figured out that the difference in totality was only a matter of seconds between the two places.

2024 was spectacular in TX. 

Was near cemeteries for both.  Not sure if that meant anything.  First to die if the zombies started coming up, I suppose.

[The_Ginger]

I was able to see the 2024 eclipse from here (we were at 85% or something). It was fairly cloudy, but I did have the glasses and it was fairly interesting, looking at the sun from the school bus window. I don't know if I'd ever travel internationally to see one, but I'd potentially travel domestically.

[Rothman]

I was able to see the 2024 eclipse from here (we were at 85% or something). It was fairly cloudy, but I did have the glasses and it was fairly interesting, looking at the sun from the school bus window. I don't know if I'd ever travel internationally to see one, but I'd potentially travel domestically.

85% is not 100%

[The_Ginger]

I was able to see the 2024 eclipse from here (we were at 85% or something). It was fairly cloudy, but I did have the glasses and it was fairly interesting, looking at the sun from the school bus window. I don't know if I'd ever travel internationally to see one, but I'd potentially travel domestically.

85% is not 100%

Yes, that is very true. I have looked at numerous photos of the total eclipses and if I were to travel to see one, it would be in the path of totality.

[Scott5114]

I was able to see the 2024 eclipse from here (we were at 85% or something). It was fairly cloudy, but I did have the glasses and it was fairly interesting, looking at the sun from the school bus window. I don't know if I'd ever travel internationally to see one, but I'd potentially travel domestically.

85% is not 100%

.85 is greater than .5 so it rounds up. This is logic Americans use for the "PENNY"

[DenverBrian]

There was one that reached about 87% in Wichita several years ago.  I admit that it was kind of cool, but I wouldn't even think of planning a vacation around an eclipse.

There is only one kind of solar eclipse that counts as a solar eclipse - a 100% totality, lasting 2-8 minutes.

The difference between 87% totality and 0% totality is essentially nothing.

The difference between 99% totality and 0% totality is virtually nothing.

When you actually see the corona surrounding the incredible black of the moon...when you look all around you in a 360-degree circle and see a twilight that all your life you have only seen in one direction...when you hear the incredible quiet, because even the animals know this is something extremely rare and unique and awe-inspiring...then you can talk to me about "seeing" a solar eclipse.

I've seen two - 2017 and 2024 - and it gives me goosebumps just remembering now.

Harumph. 

[hbelkins]

Something that bothers me is when people constantly end what should be declarative statements with a question that requires an answer or acknowledgement.

"I think that should take care of it" becomes "I think that should take care of it. What do you think?"

"I'm not going to let that bother me anymore" becomes "I'm not going to let that bother me anymore, right?"

I have to deal with that Every. Single. Day. It's rapidly becoming a major thing that bothers me.

Come to think of it, sentences that consist of one word (such as the above Every. Single. Day. example) for emphasis is also something that bothers me.

[Scott5114]

Something that bothers me is when people constantly end what should be declarative statements with a question that requires an answer or acknowledgement.

"I think that should take care of it" becomes "I think that should take care of it. What do you think?"

People do this because they care about your opinion...

[formulanone]

Something that bothers me is when people constantly end what should be declarative statements with a question that requires an answer or acknowledgement.

"I think that should take care of it" becomes "I think that should take care of it. What do you think?"

People do this because they care about your opinion...

...or stats brought about by engagement.

[tchafe1978]

The words "bro" or "bruh" when calling someone out on an action. I just find those terms annoying. Whatever happened to saying "C'mon, man?"