driving on your side of the road

I've been here long enough to remember when a car was known as a mash-it-go. Sorry you had this incident, and very glad it was so minor.

Please drive defensively and remember that, where there are stripes, they mean nothing. Any pothole, obstruction or slow vehicle in the oncoming lane means that you must assume traffic will take your lane, and you must be prepared to dive on the brakes or head for the weeds. In the VI, the sanctity of your lane is no more ordained by the traffic gods than the other fellow's perceived "right" to get where he's going by whatever tactics.

I can parallel park perfect with no mirrors now.

" Mash and Go" or "Two Pedal" referred to automatic transmissions in the car - not to the style of driving.

One has to be a very defensive an offensive driver. Not only here on the islands, but in the states.
You almost have to read the other driver's mind as to what they their next move is going to be.
Or you are going to have a lot of mash ups or get lashed by another car.

You even have to watch out for pedestrians, who aren't paying attention or walking on the side of the road so you don't lash them. I saw a man get lashed by a side view mirror from a car as he was walking to Red Hook from the Sapphire area. There is no area to walk safely from that area to Red Hook. Get a taxi or rent a car.
Risking your life is not worth it, just to save a few dollars.

thanks for the words of wisdom, i feel better about the situation. jamison, i can't even parallel park with two mirrors. not since i took my driving test back when i was a kid.

Two near misses in the last week alone. One was someone avoiding a pothole. If you have to cross the yellow line (or where the yellow line should be), yield. Good reminder.

On your regular routes, you have to memorize where the potholes are, so you know where to avoid them. And if the potholes are on the other side of the road, more than likely that driver is going to end up in your lane to avoid it, if they have no other place to go to avoid it.
I must say I am guilty of it. I'm not busting my tire, ruining my rims, or other damage to my car. But I make sure I watch out for on coming traffic, to avoid a mash up. Otherwise I slow down, not stopping traffic. I'm not driving fast anyway.

i would not expect people to bust their tire, just wait their turn. if the obstruction is in your lane and you use the other persons lane, you are in the wrong.

i would not expect people to bust their tire, just wait their turn. if the obstruction is in your lane and you use the other persons lane, you are in the wrong.

I agree but the mistake is in applying logic to this and other similar scenarios. Doing so will only drive you very mad very fast!

lol, so no logic used while living here. now i get it. thanks.

i would not expect people to bust their tire, just wait their turn. if the obstruction is in your lane and you use the other persons lane, you are in the wrong.

I was referring to the watruw8ing4 pothole situation, not when there is an obstruction on the road. If there is a vehicle parked on the side of the road(or other obstructions) and I don't have room to pass because of oncoming traffic. I am going to stop & let the oncoming traffic go because the obstruction is on my side. When it is clear, then I go. If the obstruction is on the other side of the road, you just have to see what the other side is doing and go with it. There might be courteous drivers that will let you pass or not.

I was in a real precarious postion today on a 2 way busy street with parking on one side and only one lane can be used to drive. You have to move to an empty area on the side where the parked cars are to let the oncoming cars pass. We were all reversing to get into spaces to let the oncoming mini school bus and other vehicles pass. Then when it is clear, you step on the gas and hope no one comes out a side street to ruin your straight shoot to the street you're headed for.
(Horns were beeping & hand gestures flying.(including me on both) Cars could've been lashed. One better know how to back up good or they could be in trouble.)

i would not expect people to bust their tire, just wait their turn. if the obstruction is in your lane and you use the other persons lane, you are in the wrong.

I was referring to the watruw8ing4 pothole situation, not when there is an obstruction on the road. If there is a vehicle parked on the side of the road(or other obstructions) and I don't have room to pass because of oncoming traffic. I am going to stop & let the oncoming traffic go because the obstruction is on my side. When it is clear, then I go. If the obstruction is on the other side of the road, you just have to see what the other side is doing and go with it. There might be courteous drivers that will let you pass or not.

I was in a real precarious postion today on a 2 way busy street with parking on one side and only one lane can be used to drive. You have to move to an empty area on the side where the parked cars are to let the oncoming cars pass. We were all reversing to get into spaces to let the oncoming mini school bus and other vehicles pass. Then when it is clear, you step on the gas and hope no one comes out a side street to ruin your straight shoot to the street you're headed for.
(Horns were beeping & hand gestures flying.(including me on both) Cars could've been lashed. One better know how to back up good or they could be in trouble.)

To me, and by statute in the 3 states I've lived in before, pothole = obstruction. I drive into the other lane or on shoulders to get around them too. But not when cars are coming in the other direction. I like my car and my life too much. 🙂

On your regular routes, you have to memorize where the potholes are, so you know where to avoid them. And if the potholes are on the other side of the road, more than likely that driver is going to end up in your lane to avoid it, if they have no other place to go to avoid it.
I must say I am guilty of it. I'm not busting my tire, ruining my rims, or other damage to my car. But I make sure I watch out for on coming traffic, to avoid a mash up. Otherwise I slow down, not stopping traffic. I'm not driving fast anyway.

To me, and by statute in the 3 states I've lived in before, pothole = obstruction. I drive into the other lane or on shoulders to get around them too. But not when cars are coming in the other direction. I like my car and my life too much. happy

I did say, I do NOT swerve into the other lane when there is oncoming traffic, in so many words. Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of having shoulders here on island. So, we sometimes end up in the other lane a little to avoid a pothole or two.
The moral of the story, one shouldn't go into the other lane if there is oncoming traffic. Some people think they can fit and it ends up they don't and lash a car, like they did to spee1dy's car. Sorry that it happened to you!

I love my life and like my car 🙂

beachcomber, i am sorry. i hope i did not mean to offend. driving here is tricky and the moral of the story.... bet that the other drivers don't know what they are doing and act accordingly. also, glad you made it out of your driving mess ok. i also use gestures from time to time.

Speed1y, no offense taken.

It is very tricky driving on island and some people just don't know how to drive and don't care what happens to their car or other people's cars. You got to roll with the punches.

Thanks, I and others did get out of that driving mess with some tricky maneuvering, because there was some close calls with everyone involved. A large pickup truck a few cars in front of me was wedged between the mini bus and parked cars. He had no where to go. They both thought they were going to fit or one was going to out race the other. I was a couple inches away from parked cars/SUVs & had to back up without lashing my car and the parked cars before I could find an open spot and that is with others backing up were trying to do also.
My driving skills came into effect. Lol

Usually that road is not that busy, like it was yesterday, and it usually has more spaces to move into to let oncoming traffic through. I have driven both ways on that road as a shortcut to avoid another busy street, . Now more drivers have found that road to use (td)

is that the same roda and time that the taxi driver assaulted a taxi fare?

Beachcomber: Ditto Speedy from me. Was just pointing out that in most places "obstruction" refers to more than physical objects and potholes should be handled like that car sticking out in the road. I do realize I'm not in Kansas anymore. But would think the same would apply here. ( I'm thinking about getting a hold of a VI driving manual and actually reading it one of these days. I need to get my VI license soon.)