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As a driver of a big white service van with ladders on top, cars always assume I’m slow and there’s nothing in front of me while I’m going the same 120km/hr in a 100km/hr speed limit just like everyone else, but gasp following the vehicle in front of me at a safe 3 second distance.

They LOOOOOVE getting around me just to fill up my safe distance cushion and stay right there just to be one vehicle ahead. If anything THAT is what slows me down, trying to put 3 seconds back inf front of myself again.

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Agent641@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I loved driving a van because it was fairly slow and had no rearview mirror visibility so I could not give two fricks about the dude tailgating me with 17 manometer following distance. If I brake suddenly, their radiator eats my tow ball and I barely notice.

Also because you’re up so high, visibility is really great, but everyone around me assumes I can’t see shi, so when I indicate and start to come across, they GTFO of the way.

I drive a small car now and I point the rearview at the ceiling so I never have to look at the guy following me, stresses me out.

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JackbyDev@programming.dev ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
It’s so funny the lengths people will go through to get just one car ahead. Even ignoring that everyone comes to a stop at a redlight and you lose the progress, you genuinely only save three seconds of time, like you said.

Conversely, people who refuse to let people merge in front of them are doing the same thing. Like really? You’re not gonna let me in? My lane is ending. You’re gonna lose like three seconds. Run me off the road for your precious three seconds. (What you’re describing is different though. This isn’t me attacking your behavior.)

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- forrgott@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  No, he didn’t say you save any time, because you don’t.
  
  He specifically was taking about 3-second follow distance.
  
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  - JackbyDev@programming.dev ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Presumably the person saved a whopping three whole seconds.
    
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- humorlessrepost@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  Even ignoring that everyone comes to a stop at a redlight and you lose the progress, you genuinely only save three seconds of time, like you said.
  
  Devil’s advocate: sometimes those three seconds mean they make it through the light and you don’t. And that lead stacks with more and more intersections along the trip.
  
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  - forrgott@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Reality check: there is no three seconds. You don’t get anywhere appreciably faster, you just put everyone around you in danger because of the foolish and reckless need to be “one car ahead”.
    
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  - JackbyDev@programming.dev ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    It doesn’t stack with additional red lights. If you assume you have an equal chance of hitting all red lights and all red lights have the same delay then it doesn’t change anything more than the delay of redlight.
    
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- CoolMatt@lemmy.ca ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Hahah yeah I get what you mean there.
  
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Obi@sopuli.xyz ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I got confused for a second by the use of km/h because here in Europe everyone knows the white vans with ladders on top (or work vans in general) are driving at warp speed and do not give a fuck. You might be flying down the autobahns at 200km/h there’s still gonna be a van behind you flashing its lights telling you to move over so they can pass.

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- IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  those ladders are there because they are actually warp drive nacelles
  
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- CoolMatt@lemmy.ca ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Lol nice. I don’t know if people often call the phone number on the back or side of the van and complain for every little inconvenience to try to get the driver in trouble, but they do here. Companies do appreciate calls if the driver did something dangerous rude or aggressive, but some people abuse it.
  
  So I myself try to drive respectfully and be polite to other drivers, and wouldn’t flash my lights at anyone who’s already at a high enough rate of speed
  
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  - IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    i assume those calls are used to keep track of their speed records.
    
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    CoolMatt@lemmy.ca ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Probably, but also it’s the equivalent to speaking to the manager of a retail employee so they get in trouble.
    
    I once got brake checked by another trade van driver who failed to yield to me at a yield sign. Called the number of the company on the back to let them know they brake checked me, and the dispatcher on the other end of the line was very appreciative and said they’d have a talk with the driver.
    
    About 3 months ago I got called in by someone for the first time in my 6 years on the job, from a dude bro in an Audi SUV who honked and flashed their lights at me for 5 minutes yelling at me out his window because I changed lanes in front of them 10 car lengths ahead. Used dictate to send a txt to my boss saying “heads up I think you’re gonna get a call”. Few minutes later my boss called me saying “yeeeaahh he called me but he sounded like the alpha male entitled type and I’m sure your driving is fine as this is the first call I’ve ever got about you, just be careful out there”
    
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