traffic class sucks

[jesse]

thankfully I have an iPhone

 

[markb5900]

Is the guy behind you throwing stuff at you?

 

[jesse]

Not yet; just watching the instructor try and figure out how to operate a projector...

 

[vontresc]

I'm convinced traffic school isn't there to teach you anything. It's just there to waste 4-8 hours of your evening as punishment.

 

[jesse]

Two times four hours

 

[RJM62]

Actually, when I was young and stupid, I had to take traffic class to keep my license after getting a bunch of tickets. I opted for the National Safety Council class because it was the one closest to where I lived back then, and I found it quite interesting and helpful.

This was back in 1985, give or take a year. I've had a perfect driving record ever since.

-Rich

 

[jesse]

Here we go with questionable statistics

 

[sba55]

I liked it. Took it online, didn't move my mouse once and just kept hitting the "continue" button to go through the lessons. Took 8 10-question quizzes that I could retake as often as necessary, and was done in 40 minutes (not 10 hours, as advertised). $20 well spent!

-Felix

 

[jesse]

I liked it. Took it online, didn't move my mouse once and just kept hitting the "continue" button to go through the lessons. Took 8 10-question quizzes that I could retake as often as necessary, and was done in 40 minutes (not 10 hours, as advertised). $20 well spent!

-Felix

Dear felix,

You suck

 

[jesse]

1/8 through

 

[Geico266]

Not yet; just watching the instructor try and figure out how to operate a projector...

I've been to traffic school 5 times, so often the instructor recognizes me. Jesse, I know the instructor well. Pay attention or I'll iPod him and let him know you are goofin off.

 

[SkyHog]

Remember Jesse:

You can not pull a U-Turn anywhere where two roads cross, there is a stopsign or stoplight on any side of the u-turn, or where it marked prohibited.

I've done my time in that class (3 times to date). I don't envy you.

 

[jesse]

I've been to traffic school 5 times, so often the instructor recognizes me. Jesse, I know the instructor well. Pay attention or I'll iPod him and let him know you are goofin off.

many different instructors

Remember Jesse:

You can not pull a U-Turn anywhere where two roads cross, there is a stopsign or stoplight on any side of the u-turn, or where it marked prohibited.

I've done my time in that class (3 times to date). I don't envy you.

that varies dramatically per state

 

[SCCutler]

I liked it. Took it online, didn't move my mouse once and just kept hitting the "continue" button to go through the lessons. Took 8 10-question quizzes that I could retake as often as necessary, and was done in 40 minutes (not 10 hours, as advertised). $20 well spent!

-Felix

Man.

Every online Defensive Driving class I have ever seen (approved for Texas) has mandatory minimum times for each module, and will not allow you to take the test for each module until the appropriate length of time has passed since the last one.

What's worse is, they have validation questions, to make sure you were watching, like "During the segment about stoplights, what color was the car that hit the pedestrian?" If you miss too many questions, then they make you go back and review material, It sucks.

One time, Celia needed to take traffic school, and we thought it wouyld be convenient to watch it in the car while driving home from Austin; turns out that , even when you have the DVD, you have to take the tests, in the proper sequence and timing, between DVD segments. So, every time she finished a module, we had to exit from th ehighway and find an open WiFi connection (usually McDonalds, but occasionally, the Universal ISP, Linksys).

Since I got my Valentine One Threat Warning Receiver, I have much fewer encounters with speed-limit revenue collectors. Well, I also changed to flying for all my long trips!

With you, Jesse. Too bad the Chast won't work with an iPhone...

 

[sba55]

Man.

Every online Defensive Driving class I have ever seen (approved for Texas) has mandatory minimum times for each module, and will not allow you to take the test for each module until the appropriate length of time has passed since the last one.

What's worse is, they have validation questions, to make sure you were watching, like "During the segment about stoplights, what color was the car that hit the pedestrian?" If you miss too many questions, then they make you go back and review material, It sucks.

One time, Celia needed to take traffic school, and we thought it wouyld be convenient to watch it in the car while driving home from Austin; turns out that , even when you have the DVD, you have to take the tests, in the proper sequence and timing, between DVD segments. So, every time she finished a module, we had to exit from th ehighway and find an open WiFi connection (usually McDonalds, but occasionally, the Universal ISP, Linksys).

Since I got my Valentine One Threat Warning Receiver, I have much fewer encounters with speed-limit revenue collectors. Well, I also changed to flying for all my long trips!

With you, Jesse. Too bad the Chast won't work with an iPhone...

Oh, I remember that from when I lived in Austin. I took a traffic school class online and had to just sit and wait and watch TV until the time had elapsed and I could move on.

I expected the same here, but apparently there are no time limits. Best of all, I got my ticket almost exactly one year ago, and am just now doing traffic school. What a waste of time.

-Felix

...oddly enough, I don't have a single item on my record since I started driving. No idea how that's possible with my driving habits

 

[sba55]

Remember Jesse:

You can not pull a U-Turn anywhere where two roads cross, there is a stopsign or stoplight on any side of the u-turn, or where it marked prohibited.

I've done my time in that class (3 times to date). I don't envy you.

Oh really? So a U-Turn at an intersection where there's a sign that says "No U-Turn" is out of the question then? Ooops

 

[jesse]

There is a severe lack of understanding of basic physics....I guess you will always eject towards the center of gravity.

 

[mikea]

Meh. In Illinois yuse just trow $200(? maybe more now. It's been a while.) at your lawyer. Nobody who didn't do nuttin' serious wit' a lawyer gets nuttin'.

 

[flyersfan31]

All I can say is,

(in Nelson's voice)

Ah-Hah!!

 

[jesse]

The public is scary stupid, sigh....

 

[RJM62]

Meh. In Illinois yuse just trow $200(? maybe more now. It's been a while.) at your lawyer. Nobody who didn't do nuttin' serious wit' a lawyer gets nuttin'.

That's how I took care of my last ticket, many moons ago. I was ticketed for, I think, going 55 in a 35 in Casenovia, New York. It was a speed trap, with a 55 becoming a 35 as you turned the corner, the signs about 50 feet from each other, but the second hidden by the curve.

But I had a driving record from hell; and speed trap or not, I was about to lose my license. So I asked a guy in a gas station who the crookedest lawyer in town was. He gave me a name and I called that lawyer, but it turned out that he was also the town's prosecuting attorney, so he couldn't take my case.

He was, however, good enough (or crooked enough, depending on your perspective) to refer me to the second crookedest lawyer in town, who took my money and told me he'd call me when the case was disposed of. He wound up pleading me out to some obscure, zero-point offense that I think exists solely for the purpose of plea-bargaining more serious traffic offenses.

The judge, however, did add on the traffic school after reviewing my record. I also took it a few times since then when I was driving trucks part-time. The quality does vary from course to course.

-Rich

 

[Areeda]

In Los Angeles we have a lot of weird traffic schools. There's one at the Laugh Factory that is a comedy traffic school.

I say an ad once for a topless one with pictures of pretty girls but i think that might have been a joke. Haven't had to go since I saw it.

Joe

 

[jesse]

I wonder if there is an iPhone app to mute someone....

 

[Speed]

I actually took traffic school when I was in Texas several times, as my insurance co would give a one year 15% discount afterwards. Not so in Ohio.

 

[Ted]

Amazingly, I haven't had to go despite the couple thousand dollars worth of speeding tickets I've had to pay over the years.

All they care about is your money. So, they make sure to have the lesser charges in place so they can "do you a favor" and charge you the same amount of money without the points on your license. That way, you can go back out, do the same thing, and give them more money. It's a cycle that keeps them happy.

I once had someone say that it was physically impossible to safely travel above 70 mph, period. I asked him how airplanes did it, and got no response.

 

[steingar]

Oh come on! I drive either a sports car or a racing motorcycle, and I don't get tickets like you guys! Quit speeding! (or at least, don't get caught)

 

[vontresc]

Yeah I remember doing the online traffic school in IL. It was set up so you couldn't minimise the screen, and you had to sith through the guy reading all of the text on the screen although you could read all of that stuff way faster.

Most useless factoid that I remember from that was that if you pass another car on a two lane road, you should not go faster than the speed limit while passing. Yeah that's a REALLY good idea there.

 

[Everskyward]

One time, Celia needed to take traffic school, and we thought it wouyld be convenient to watch it in the car while driving home from Austin;

So, every time she finished a module, we had to exit from th ehighway and find an open WiFi connection (usually McDonalds, but occasionally, the Universal ISP, Linksys).

Ohhh I get it. She wasn't the one driving.

 

[wsuffa]

Yeah I remember doing the online traffic school in IL. It was set up so you couldn't minimise the screen, and you had to sith through the guy reading all of the text on the screen although you could read all of that stuff way faster.

there are some *boring* required corporate training classes like that....

 

[Bob Noel]

If ya'll think traffic school is a huge waste of time, you do NOT want to sit through the mandatory "security" training needed for SIDA access at KBED (required when renewing the $75 badge every two years).

 

[Ted]

Most useless factoid that I remember from that was that if you pass another car on a two lane road, you should not go faster than the speed limit while passing. Yeah that's a REALLY good idea there.

I'll remember that next time I have a head-on with a semi.

 

[silver-eagle]

...SNIP...
Most useless factoid that I remember from that was that if you pass another car on a two lane road, you should not go faster than the speed limit while passing. Yeah that's a REALLY good idea there.

Which means unless the car in front is doing 15 miles an hour UNDER the speed limit, you shouldn't be passing.
That'll work most places.

 

[SkyHog]

there are some *boring* required corporate training classes like that....

T-Mobile and Comcast were both horrible for those training classes, except that I learned how to bypass most of their stupid classes and just take the tests.

Then I'd get an extra 15 minute break.

 

[mikea]

...
I once had someone say that it was physically impossible to safely travel above 70 mph, period. I asked him how airplanes did it, and got no response.

Ask how Formula 1 and NASCAR and NHRA dragsters can do 200 MPH+ and drivers survive.

The problem isn't high performance cars. It's low performance drivers.

 

[Ghery]

Most useless factoid that I remember from that was that if you pass another car on a two lane road, you should not go faster than the speed limit while passing. Yeah that's a REALLY good idea there.

Try that on roads I drive in eastern Washington state. No way! Peddle to the metal and get around that sucker. It's the only way.