So this morning I'm on the FZ, doing my usual long commute on the 405 through SoCal traffic Not really a very fun ride, but hey it's seat time and I get to work much faster than in a cage. I regularly see a lot of people doing crazy shit while driving -- reading a book, working on a laptop, shaving, putting on makeup, and it seems about 50% are doing something with their phones. :o
Well today I saw something I thought I'd never see. It was a little after 8am and traffic was actually moving and not the usual stop-and-go or gridlock. I was in the carpool lane and as I came up on a Tesla S (they're everywhere here and I can't stand them) in the fast lane, I noticed that the guy driving (sole occupant) didn't have his hands on the wheel. Not a big deal as many owners abuse the self-driving feature and mistake it for auto-pilot. However, as I passed the driver's side window I noticed the guy was not only hands-off but he was sound asleep with his head tipped over to the side and his chin on his chest. ! I rode next to him for a little while just to be sure he really was sleeping and he didn't move or open his eyes. Just cruising along in rush hour traffic doing about 40-45mph while catching up on some much needed sleep. :jaw:
I've heard stories and seen videos but I never thought I'd witness this myself. It friggen nuts and endangering everyone else on the road. I quickly speed up to get as far away from him as I could. Knucklehead!
WOW, that is totally insane. :eek: :eek:
Wait...what!? How was he not crashing?
Did the car have a red LED strip at the front of the hood?
How about those autonomous semi rigs?
80K Lbs. No driver.
Pretty cool, huh?
No, just no.
Don't worry Russ, it won't be long you'll be commuting on this every day. :vroom:
So this week I saw more bizarre stuff on the same section of I-405.
I passed a guy on a motorcycle going the other way with a bicycle rack on the back. He had a full-sized mtn bike on it that was completely assembled with both wheels still mounted. The bike was suspended vertically, over the rear wheel and passenger area, and off to one side slightly. It looked really crazy – very top-heavy, sticking up high and off the back.
And 3 days in a row I saw I guy on a Grom...on the FREEWAY! Saw him once in the AM and twice in the PM
Luckily, I didn't see anyone sleeping while driving though ;D
How are the fires impacting the traffic down there Russ?
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Evidently that bike on bike stuff is pretty common.
I drive professionally. I really need to mount a camera in the truck.
1: ive seen the bike on bike thing a lot. 2: my grom would sustain at 75 all day long with the 4v head, lots of guys rode em on the freeway, i did. :twocents:
Quote from: Seizer on October 12, 2019, 12:59:19 AM
How are the fires impacting the traffic down there Russ?
Not impacting me at all, although from work I could see the smoke plume off in the distance being blown out to sea. The Saddleridge fire is north of LA up by Granada Hills, Sylmar, & Hansen Dam. I'm south of LA by about 30-40 miles and ride the 405 through the Long Beach/Carson area.
Quote from: Redbird on October 12, 2019, 07:23:17 AM
I drive professionally. I really need to mount a camera in the truck.
Probably a really good idea, especially if you spend so much time on the road. I've been thinking I really need to start using my GoPro again. Traffic here is nuts -- 5 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic each direction, drivers on their phones, aggressive bad drivers, no one seems to know what a turn signal is for, and bikes lane splitting. I see a bike down almost every day and at least 2-3 accidents each direction on my commute.
Quote from: SoCal250 on October 12, 2019, 11:31:19 AM
Quote from: Redbird on October 12, 2019, 07:23:17 AM
I drive professionally. I really need to mount a camera in the truck.
Probably a really good idea, especially if you spend so much time on the road. I've been thinking I really need to start using my GoPro again. Traffic here is nuts -- 5 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic each direction, drivers on their phones, aggressive bad drivers, no one seems to know what a turn signal is for, and bikes lane splitting. I see a bike down almost every day and at least 2-3 accidents each direction on my commute.
Caught in a So-Cal traffic jam about 20 years ago. I'm stopped & looking around at the vehicles/drivers around me. One is reading a book, gal doing her make-up, etc. The only driver paying attention, was the guy smoking a joint.
Quote from: SoCal250 on October 12, 2019, 11:31:19 AM
Quote from: Redbird on October 12, 2019, 07:23:17 AM
I drive professionally. I really need to mount a camera in the truck.
Probably a really good idea, especially if you spend so much time on the road. I've been thinking I really need to start using my GoPro again. Traffic here is nuts -- 5 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic each direction, drivers on their phones, aggressive bad drivers, no one seems to know what a turn signal is for, and bikes lane splitting. I see a bike down almost every day and at least 2-3 accidents each direction on my commute.
I live a little north of LA. I can't STAND driving/riding in LA. I seriously avoid it AT ALL COSTS! I used to ride into LA every day for construction work 11 or so years ago. I was hit once in the back of the head by a construction truck mirror, luckily I stayed up. Another day, I saw a poor dude on a bike get smushed between two semis at the 101/405. Not to mention now days you can't go a mile without smelling a car with a group getting ripped on marijuana while cruising around.
If you don't want to mess with your GoPro turning it on and off and such and worrying about it getting stolen. Dragontouch (crappy FauxPro) makes a camera that is about 40 bucks and has a dashcam feature where it writes over video data over a certain amount of time. It also mounts in the same mounts as a GoPro. The video quality ain't bad either. I bought one as a place holder until I got a new GoPro. It ain't near the same quality, but mine has worked a few years without a hitch and even survived a crash or two.