Category: driving

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15 Funny Tweets About the DMV That Hopefully Won’t Make You Miserable

The DMV is a special kind of hell, isn’t it? The employees are often…unpleasant, the other people waiting are in a bad mood, and overall it’s just a miserable endeavor.

But, since we’ve all been there and it’s a shared human experience, let’s laugh at these funny tweets about spending time at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

1. Gee, thanks a lot.

2. Hahahaha. Amazing.

3. Time to throw in the towel.

4. All worn out.

5. Sir, you need that as well.

6. It’s been a long year.

7. Not a good vibe.

8. God doesn’t go in there.

9. I don’t think she got it.

10. Not off to a good start.

11. That makes a lot of sense.

12. You did what you had to do.

13. The man was a legend.

14. Let’s play a game.

15. That’s about the worst thing you could ever hear.

Share your worst DMV experience with us in the comments!

Let’s compare notes!

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A Teenage Girl Invented a Simple and Innovative Way to Get Rid of Your Car’s Blind Spots

The creative spirit and innovation of young people is so refreshing! Sometimes, they have the best ideas because they’re thinking forward while a lot of us older folks are set in our ways. In other words, when a young person has an idea about something, listen up, because it might turn out to be a game-changer.

That’s what happened with a 14-year-old named Alaina Gassler, who came up with a project called “Improving Automobile Safety by Removing Blind Spots” for the Broadcom MASTERS competition, which features science and engineering projects from middle schoolers.

Gassler built the system with a webcam, a projector, and other 3D-printed materials, and together it all works to fill in the space that a car’s frame blocks from drivers’ view.

Gassler hails from West Grove, Pennsylvania, and she took first place in the competition and won the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize. Her invention works like this: she mounted a webcam outside the passenger side of the car, which steams a live video onto the inside pillar of the passenger side from a projector attached to the sunroof above the driver’s seat.

Gassler also resurfaced the interior frame with a retro reflective fabric to make the projection clear. She said the material “only reflects light back to the light source, which is the projector in this case. Since the driver’s eyes are next to the projector, the driver can see a crisp, clear image, and the passengers only see a black piece of fabric.”

Take a look at the video below to see it in action.

This is quite impressive, I must say. Great work, Ms. Gassler, and we’ll be looking for more work from you in the future.

These kids today, I’ll tell ya…

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Google Maps Is Adding Alerts for Speed Traps and Other Road Incidents

Are you one of the drivers out there who sticks to Waze for navigation purposes because it lets you know other useful info, such as where police cars are hiding in wait to give you a speeding ticket? Well, you can soon switch to Google Maps and enjoy the same perks.

Google Maps is finally adding this feature to its own navigation system. Users will be able to report speed traps, crashes, road closures, construction, slowdowns, disabled vehicles and objects on the road. Some of those updates are already available on Android devices, but they’re now being rolled out globally to Apple users as well.

Photo Credit: iStock

“This feature has been one of our most popular on Android, and we’re excited to expand it to iOS,” Google Product Manager Sandra Tseng wrote in a recent blog post.

“Google Maps has always helped people get from point A to B in the easiest way possible. Today, we’re adding more tools that reflect real-time contributions from the community so you can stay even more informed when you’re behind the wheel.”

Photo Credit: Google

Submitting a report through Google Maps is simple and streamlined. You simply tap on the + sign and then click “Add a report.”

Unlike on Waze, there’s no option to add comments or photos to your report, so there’s less detail available — but also less clutter.

This is exactly the sort of thing I like in an update. It’s easy, it’s useful, and it makes me actually want to bother to go through with downloading new software.

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Tailgating the Car Ahead of You Through Endless Lights Won’t Help You at All

Gridlock is the worst, isn’t it? You’ve already sat though one light cycle, and with this long line of cars also waiting to get through, it looks like you may be sitting through another one. But although it’s tempting to ride the guy’s bumper in front of you through the light, science says that won’t help you at all.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Tailgating is never a good idea. But when you’re desperate to make it through a red light, doesn’t it make sense to minimize the space between you and the next car?

With all the collisions that happen at intersections, researchers from Duke University and Virginia Tech wanted to put the desire to squeeze through a traffic light on someone else’s tail to the test. Their study, which wound up showing some surprising results, was published in the Journal of Physics in November of 2017.

For the test, researchers had volunteers sit in 10 Chevrolet Impalas lined up at a red traffic light on a test road. The cars were at varying distances from each other. When the light turned green, drivers were told to accelerate at a “normal and comfortable fashion.” Meanwhile, a drone recorded their speeds.

Photo Credit: Needpix

When researchers analyzed the film, they found the tailgating cars took as long to get through the light as the cars stopped up to 25 feet behind the car in front. How does that work?

To explain, the researchers compared the findings to melting ice. The extra energy, or “latent heat,” it takes to get ice to begin melting is like the amount of time it takes a car to accelerate from a full stop. Cars close to the bumper of the car in front of them have to wait until the entire line of cars begins to melt to accelerate safely.

In the words of the researchers, “the ‘temperature’ (kinetic energy) of the vehicles cannot increase until the traffic ‘melts’ into the liquid phase.”

Photo Credit: Flickr

Which means that it takes more time for a tailgater to accelerate, while a driver who stops further back can accelerate faster – and they both wind up moving at the same pace.

Who knew? So stop tailgating and enjoy the ride. We’ll all get to where we’re going eventually.

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Avoid These 10 Driving Mistakes to Keep from Getting a Ticket

There are the tons of ways to catch the attention of the police on the road – speeding, driving recklessly, having expired tags or broken lights – but did you know there are other driving behaviors that can shine a spotlight on your car, as far as cops are concerned?

There totally are, so if you’re looking to keep your driving record clean and your bank account fuller, you might want to think about following these 10 rules of the road.

10. Turning right on red.

Don’t assume that it’s always a legal maneuver because in some states it definitely isn’t.

“In some areas, such as New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Nebraska, Minnesota, and California, a traffic light might also feature a red right arrow,” points out one attorney.

9. Driving in the lefthand lane.

We all know (or we should) that the far left lane is meant to be a space for passing, not driving, but in many states it’s actually illegal to drive in the left lane when you’re not actively passing another car.

“Most drivers know that going above the posted speed limit is against the law, but not all drivers realize they can be ticketed even when driving at the posted speed limit – that is, if you’re in the left lane,” explains Jake McKenzie of Auto Accessories Garage.

If you live in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and West Virginia, you especially want to take note.

8. Not yielding properly.

Some states, like Arizona, have specific rules when it comes to yielding – and because over 7400 crashes in 2017 were due to improper execution, they have good reason to enforce them, says attorney Chris Goodnow.

“Oftentimes, drivers have different levels of comfort for the flow of traffic they feel safe merging into.”

7. Cutting through the corner gas station.

It might be a clever time saver, but it’s illegal in most states, says traffic defense attorney Matt Pinsker.

“For starters, when persons cut through the gas stations they are often going at high speeds and might hit someone…it defeats the purpose of having a traffic light in that area at all.”

6. Not dimming your brights.

We all know we’re supposed to dim our high beams if another car approaches, but did you know it’s actually illegal to leave them on if you’re within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle?

Have been pulled over for this, can confirm.

5. Too much noise.

In 43 states, police can pull you over and ticket you for having a car that’s too loud. It’s illegal to have mufflers that make “excessive or unusual noise,” so whether your car is just old or you enjoy annoying everyone around you with a loud vehicle, beware.

Most states and municipalities also have noise ordinances on the books that cover blasting stereo music over a certain decibel, as well, and you can be fined for violating them.

4. Driving a lifted truck or SUV.

Whether you’ve had your truck or SUV lifted because you like the way it looks or you’re keen on off-roading, the trick could make your vehicle suspicious in the eyes of the police.

“Many people in lifted trucks or SUVs may be susceptible to a ticket and not realize a violation,” says Goodnow. “In many states when a truck is lifted, the lights must also be adjusted to point at a downward angle to avoid blinding the driver in front of them.”

Long and short, you’ll probably want to do plenty of research before installing that lift kit.

3. Tinting your windows.

“There are many modifications that may get a motorist pulled over in certain states,” notes personal injury lawyer Chris Goodnow.

This includes having window tint that’s too dark, but since laws vary from state to state, it can be difficult to make sure your shade is legal everywhere.

Best keep it light because better safe than sorry!

2. Taking a joyride.

If your friend has a cool old car that’s not totally road-worthy, it’s a good idea to let it set in the garage until it is – if you’re driving, you’re liable for any issues with the vehicle.

1. Crossing into the shoulder.

Defense attorney Derek Andrews wants to remind everyone that not only are you required to stay in your lane, you’re also required to stay within the confines of the road.

“New York vehicle and traffic laws require that drivers maneuver their vehicles entirely within a single lane…Police officers have been known to pull drivers over when their vehicles, even just a portion like a tire, crosses the fog line.”

 

The more you know!

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A Billionaire Created a Fake Driveway to Score His Own Private Parking Spot in New York

Have you ever tried parking in New York City?

Wellllllll, parking in New York is a nightmare, so one billionaire took desperate measures to get his very own ‘permanent’ spot.

Noah Gottesman, a very wealthy hedge fund honcho, created the illusion of a driveway on his property where none exists. He now hands out parking violations to anyone who tries to park in front of it.

Noah lives in the West Village in Manhattan, in a corner compound on Jane and Washington Streets that he built himself over 10 years ago.

During a renovation, he illegally added a curb cut to the sidewalk outside his home to make it appear as if there’s a driveway at 777 Washington St.

He also added “No Parking” and “Active Driveway” signs to the large black door at the entrance to his complex.

Neighbors who have tried to use the spot have received parking tickets and even had their vehicles towed by Noah’s employees.

Obviously, Noah is not well-liked in the neighborhood.

“It’s all a scam. He doesn’t have a freaking driveway,” neighbor Eyal Levin told the NY Daily News. “He just has fake signs on it. He knows it, everybody knows it and still they try to intimidate everybody about it. I found it to be outrageous.”

Noah received a violation over the illegal curb cut earlier this year, and the Department of Buildings has stepped in to investigate the issue.

“This is a shameful abuse of public space that we won’t tolerate,” Mayor de Blasio spokeswoman Marcy Miranda told NY Daily news.

“The building owner needs to play by the same rules as everyone else, no matter how deep his pockets are, which is why we’ve instructed the Buildings Department to investigate further and take whatever enforcement actions are needed.”

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Boston Elementary School Tries Out New, 3D Crosswalk

Young students in Medford, Massachusetts, have come up with a brand new innovation for the area: 3D crosswalks. Not only do they look way cooler than regular ol’ 2D crosswalks, but they also make the intersection safer.

The 3D crosswalk is at the intersection of a parking lot and Allston Street at Brooks Elementary School, and it was two students at the school who came up with the idea. Fourth-grader Isa and fifth-grader Eric worked with their teacher and the Brooks Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility to make it happen.

Painters added additional shaded shapes around the normal white stripes of the crosswalk, creating an optical illusion for drivers approaching the intersection. Instead of obviously lying flat on the ground, the white lines appear to be blocks on the street, which prompts drivers to slow down and pay more attention.

“It’s been really well received and there’s a lot of excitement about it,” teacher Michael Coates told The Boston Globe.

Posted by Vegamálun GÍH on Monday, September 25, 2017

Boston artist Nate Swain, well-known for his photo murals around the city, designed the crosswalk. Medford plans to install three more of the same crosswalks in the near future, also outside elementary schools.

3D crosswalks are a first for Medford, and for the Boston area in general, but they’re not a brand new concept. They’re also known as “Iceland crosswalks,” as that country started the trend. They also exist in other cities around the world, including Chicago.

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This ‘Driving In’ Meme Is an Instant, Hilarious Classic

Every now and then, a meme hits the internet and instantly becomes a classic. The “Driving In” meme is the latest example of this. The premise is simple enough: use emojis and fake billboards to show what it’s like driving in your city or state.

This is why Twitter was invented, people.

1. Gators!

Photo Credit: Twitter

2. I don’t like the looks of this one

Photo Credit: Twitter

3. Strippers!

Photo Credit: Twitter

4. Now I need a hot dog

Photo Credit: Twitter

5. You better go to church…or else

Photo Credit: Twitter

6. Very true

Photo Credit: Twitter

7. The Bible Belt

Photo Credit: Twitter

8. Cold…and lots of deer

Photo Credit: Twitter

9. Pull over for Dunkies

Photo Credit: Twitter

10. Twisters and Toby Keith

Photo Credit: Twitter

11. The worst

Photo Credit: Twitter

12. Pretty much

Photo Credit: Twitter

13. Gridlock

Photo Credit: Twitter

14. Wait a second…

Photo Credit: Twitter

15. On point

Photo Credit: Twitter

16. Ears of corn everywhere

Photo Credit: Twitter

17. Lots of activity

Photo Credit: Twitter

18. Mormon influence

Photo Credit: Twitter

19. Such an odd state

Photo Credit: Twitter

20. Nice and quiet

Photo Credit: Twitter

You got one of your own you can share?

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