Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The Hours


It wasn't that great of a book.


Anyway, I have an observation to make regarding the sanity and insanity of drivers in Hartford. From what I can tell, it all depends on when you're on the road.

  • Before 8:25am, people are ok.
  • 8:25am to 8:50am everyone is insane.
  • 8:50am to 2:30pm everyone is ok.
  • During the school year 2:30pm to 4:30pm everyone is insane (very, very insane!)
  • 4:30pm to 7:30pm everyone is ok.
  • after 7:30pm Thursday through Saturday everyone is crazy
I have some theories on this, but they aren't very scientific. Bullet point number two doesn't actually seem to have much to do with people running late to work. That just seems to be when people who drive like assholes go to work (or where ever it is they go in the morning). Bullet point number four's craziness is ascribed to people with kids being crazy, or maybe crazy elementary school kids are driving the cars. The last bullet point is because drivers are on their way to go get drunk or are already drunk.

The strange thing about inter-town commuters is that they get worse when they get further out of Hartford. I think this is because they just spent some terrible time on the highway and by 6:00pm when they're in their town, they're angry.

As a whole, as I've said before, Hartford drivers are amongst the best when interacting with bikes (knock on wood). They seem to be used to weird things on the road.

10 comments:

Interstatement said...

I've had an unusual amount of drivers stop and wave for me to turn or go ahead of them in the past few weeks- didn't make note of the time of day for any of them, but they varied. Strange, but refreshing!

Schleppi Longstocking said...

2:30 in the morning is ideal biking time. The drivers are few and far between, so it's easier to get up and out of the way if necessary.

I avoid drivers who have kids in the car because I assume the kids are (1) screaming out they lungs (2) putting their slimy hands over the driver's eyes (3) causing the driver to turn completely around to deliver food/pacifiers/punches to child passenger (4) fighting with siblings.

Anonymous said...

Funny... I'd say that my safety directly correlates to the area's affluence level. Same principle applies to when I'm in the car.

Brendan said...

So, the poorer the neighborhood, the less safely you drive?

Good to know.

Schleppi "Eat the Rich" Longstocking said...

The poorer the neighborhood, the greater the number of bicycles!

Anonymous said...

Yes, the poorer the neighborhood the quicker I join all the other bicyclist by taking off my helmet and riding in the middle of the road. Sometimes I like to mix it up by riding on the sidewalks or even going on the road the wrong way. I try to do this so the people sitting on the side of the street listening to blaring music would invite me to sit with them, but alas they never do.

Schleppi Longstocking said...

Wow, anonymous, you don't live off of stereotypes at all.

Here's something for you to consider when traveling safely through a more affluent area: http://www.courant.com/community/cromwell/hc-cromwell-accident-0728-20100727,0,5401516.story

Interstatement said...

Anonymous=Troll
If someone lacks the integrity to identify themselves, their words are stripped of relevance and credibility.

I'd also be perfectly fine with ignorant cowards of this sort never setting foot or wheel in my non-affluent neighborhood.

Identify yourself and think before you type or do us a favor and bugger off and stop wasting our time.

kanishka said...

hartford metro area is pretty good for drivers respecting bikers. mostly, if someone doesn't scream at me out of their window to try to shock me, i rate the area at least "pretty good"

Anonymous said...

you forgot looking out for current or former los solidos driving in their cars with the sound at full blast, especially any where near Park St.