I know I have talked about Utah drivers and my disdain for them in the past, but I just couldn't pass up talking about them again after last week. I had several stories that needed to be shared.
First, I saw a report on the news about train accidents. There have been lots of additions and "improvements" around the area and in Salt Lake with adding UTA trains all over. Unfortunately, that has also increased the amount of train accidents there have been. They reported that in the year 2011, there were a total of 13 accidents involving a train and either a car or a pedestrian. Thirteen people have either tried to beat that train when the rails come down, or not heard the train coming because their i-pods were too loud and their focus was lost on what they were doing, or who knows what other reason there is. I myself have always thought getting hit by a train would be a pretty easy thing to avoid, seeing as how trains stay on its fixed path, without veering, at a steady speed, and most crossings have big bars and flashing lights, not to mention that the train has to honk as it goes through and rattles you to your bones. But maybe some people miss that part.
Then the report went on to say that THIS year, since January all the way through the end of March (3 whole months) there had been ELEVEN train accidents. ELEVEN!?!? Two less than the previous YEAR?! Almost 1 per WEEK!!! What is WRONG with these people?
Story number two. The other day Jarom and I were driving around doing a few errands, and we saw THREE separate instances where an accident should have occurred, but only one of them actually ended up happening. These were things like people turning left from the straight through lane, cutting off the actual turning left lane, and pulling a U-turn where there was a clear No U-turn sign, almost not making it and hitting the cars that had a protected right turn, and then driving way too fast up to a red stop light, forcing themselves to slam on the breaks to avoid hitting the car turning across their lane that both the other lanes have stopped for, but then failing and hitting the car, right in front of us. It was a minor accident, but after seeing all the other crap happen in a 20 minute period, both of us were thinking "Finally! Someone who deserves to get in an accident, did."
And the last story. I was driving up State Street where an accident had occurred just barely before I got there. Ambulances and cops were rushing in while I was approaching. Luckily I was able to snatch my camera and take a few shots, as only a picture can describe this perfectly.
I don't even understand how that could have happened.
Now I really don't want to go on a tirade here, even though that is what I feel like doing every time I even think about the driving that goes on here. I think the stories and pictures speak for themselves, and that was only one week's worth of stories. I literally see things like this all the time, every week, almost every day. I heard a quote that I really liked and agree with that I will summarize. It went something like "Living with Utahn's is nice, the people are kind and nice and generous, until you meet them behind the wheel of a car."
I just don't understand the mentality. People here, at least the LDS ones, are taught specific standards and are supposed to be loving and kind and law-abiding, and all that good stuff. But it really seems that once they get behind the wheel of a car, all that goes out the window and their second persona comes out. The laws are disregarded on every turn (especially red lights), the inconsideration, jerkiness, and danger of the lack of paying attention all comes out. This really is the one thing I HATE about living in Utah.
First, I saw a report on the news about train accidents. There have been lots of additions and "improvements" around the area and in Salt Lake with adding UTA trains all over. Unfortunately, that has also increased the amount of train accidents there have been. They reported that in the year 2011, there were a total of 13 accidents involving a train and either a car or a pedestrian. Thirteen people have either tried to beat that train when the rails come down, or not heard the train coming because their i-pods were too loud and their focus was lost on what they were doing, or who knows what other reason there is. I myself have always thought getting hit by a train would be a pretty easy thing to avoid, seeing as how trains stay on its fixed path, without veering, at a steady speed, and most crossings have big bars and flashing lights, not to mention that the train has to honk as it goes through and rattles you to your bones. But maybe some people miss that part.
Then the report went on to say that THIS year, since January all the way through the end of March (3 whole months) there had been ELEVEN train accidents. ELEVEN!?!? Two less than the previous YEAR?! Almost 1 per WEEK!!! What is WRONG with these people?
Story number two. The other day Jarom and I were driving around doing a few errands, and we saw THREE separate instances where an accident should have occurred, but only one of them actually ended up happening. These were things like people turning left from the straight through lane, cutting off the actual turning left lane, and pulling a U-turn where there was a clear No U-turn sign, almost not making it and hitting the cars that had a protected right turn, and then driving way too fast up to a red stop light, forcing themselves to slam on the breaks to avoid hitting the car turning across their lane that both the other lanes have stopped for, but then failing and hitting the car, right in front of us. It was a minor accident, but after seeing all the other crap happen in a 20 minute period, both of us were thinking "Finally! Someone who deserves to get in an accident, did."
And the last story. I was driving up State Street where an accident had occurred just barely before I got there. Ambulances and cops were rushing in while I was approaching. Luckily I was able to snatch my camera and take a few shots, as only a picture can describe this perfectly.
I don't even understand how that could have happened.
Now I really don't want to go on a tirade here, even though that is what I feel like doing every time I even think about the driving that goes on here. I think the stories and pictures speak for themselves, and that was only one week's worth of stories. I literally see things like this all the time, every week, almost every day. I heard a quote that I really liked and agree with that I will summarize. It went something like "Living with Utahn's is nice, the people are kind and nice and generous, until you meet them behind the wheel of a car."
I just don't understand the mentality. People here, at least the LDS ones, are taught specific standards and are supposed to be loving and kind and law-abiding, and all that good stuff. But it really seems that once they get behind the wheel of a car, all that goes out the window and their second persona comes out. The laws are disregarded on every turn (especially red lights), the inconsideration, jerkiness, and danger of the lack of paying attention all comes out. This really is the one thing I HATE about living in Utah.
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