I have noticed a recent phenomona... drivers that do not dim their high beams regardless of where they are driving or if there is oncoming traffic. The absolute worst offenders are those obviously night-blind fucktards that can't see shit without driving with their high beams on the interstate, blinding drivers ahead of them as well as in the opposite lanes. This evening I had to run out for a gallon of milk and a pizza. 16 miles round trip and countless morons that refuse to dim their lights. Now I know we were taught in drivers ed to dim your lights anyway so only one driver is blinded. Fuck that! You get one, maybe two flashes and then its in your face, asshole! There are those that do get the message and turn them down at the last second, but its too late for me to bother to reach for the lever.
Don't get me started on those idiots running off-road LED light bars on the road. Those clowns I aim for.
I wonder if part of it is that people get used to automatic light dimmers. I bought a new pickup last year and its high beams are programmed to automatically dim when a car approaches. It works well. The only problem is that it sometimes thinks a light on a mailbox or by a driveway is a car light. I got into the habit of not thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteA couple of months later, I started driving my old pickup again, which doesn't have any of the new gewgaws. I completely forgot about manually dimming my lights until a couple of people flashed me... My bad, of course, but habits are habits.
Sorry I am posting this here, but I just saw a few days back that your carry gun is a Ruger SR9c. That is my primary carry gun as well. It is one of the nicest shooting guns that I have owned. The only gun that I ever owned that I shot better is a Commander length 1911. A Tisas, I found that the 1911 is the gun that I shot the best of any pistol that I have ever shot. Alas, I decided that I had to standardize my ammo to only one caliber, mostly due to economics. And I had a lot of 9mm, while I didn't have that much .45 ACP.
ReplyDeleteI ended up selling the 1911, but I did buy a Ruger Mark IV, 22/45. I have a red dot sight on it, just a cheap one, but it does work remarkably well, for a 30$ sight. And I have around 4K rounds of .22LR, and a Mossberg 702 Plinkster rifle, with a 2.5x-7x scope on it.
I also have the same problem with high beam drivers here in Michigan. I think that it is because of auto headlights, and idiots don't think about where the hi/lo switch is on their control. They just count on the car to do everything for them. I was born in 1960, so I learned when the switch was on the floor.
@pigpen51: The SR9c is one of five of my carry guns. Living in the coastal state of Kommiectict, we have four distinct seasons and a 110 degree normal temperature swing between them. I also have many different carry situations, from soft target areas to deep in state forests with bears, large cats, and coyotes. For me to follow the advice of a gun guru like Massad Ayoob and have only one carry gun to be proficient with, would be impractical. The SR9c is also currently my only 9mm, for which I do reload. Since we're limited (for the time being) to ten round mags, one in the gun and two spares in a carrier; the SR9c offers me the greatest ammo capacity of Hornady Critical Defense in a compact and concealed package. A flashlight and EDC knife may also complete my load out.
DeleteI too, learned to drive in the days of the foot switch dimmer, as well as the foot switch starter.
One neat thing I've discovered about driving an ex-cop car is the spotlight.
ReplyDeleteThey ignore you flashing your brights at them a couple of times, they find Jesus when you light up the spot in their face!
The lifted trucks with the blue lights are retina scorchers even If they deign to dim.
ReplyDeleteI just bought a S&W 3913 from my son. It is one of the first semi auto's that police went to when they switched from revolvers. This one he got from his MIL, who was in California, who bought it for home defense, and is probably has less than 200 rounds through it.
ReplyDeleteA satin stainless finish, it appears, it is a much smaller gun, a single stack, DA/SA, with a decent SA pull, and a typical DA pull. I plan on using it some next summer, when I get some rounds through it, and pick up a 3rd magazine. And replace the old springs with new ones, as well.
I did drive a truck of my dad's that had the starter on the dashboard, a push button, on a 1961 Ford, that he only used on occasion, and just changed the plates on when he wanted to use it. A much different age and time, here in Michigan. Looking back at those simpler times, I miss much about them, while I do like much of the technology that today offers. For example, I love the internet, for the information that is at your fingertips. I also have a love/hate relationship with social media, in that I can keep in touch with relatives all over the country, but also can see the view points of idiots. And sadly, I am often unable to keep from responding to them, which is my own fault, but I am learning to stay in my own lane.
One other thing about the internet, is that I see new guns that are coming out, such as the Tisas M1911 in 9mm, called the Stingray, which looks to be a winner. With Novak "inspired" sights, a bobtailed grip, other nice features, and a MSRP of somewhere around 500$, I might be interested in looking at one. I would consider selling my S&W and buying one of the Stingrays, as a second carry gun, with it's aluminum frame. Based on what my Model 3913 is worth, it would be an almost even up trade.
I live up in the mountains...narrow roads, no lights. So I hooked up a pair of 150W off road driving lights in tandem with the brights.
ReplyDeleteIt only takes one flash.
For me, the big Aholes are the jacked up pickups that have their brights on behind me !!!!
ReplyDeleteWish I had a laser mounted on the back for them
I used to be in NJ and folks at night were pretty good about dimming the high beams because the courtesy rule was with your high beams on as you approach a curve in the road or are about to crest a hill (yeah, I was in the northwest part of NJ where there are actual hills) you would flash or dim your lights to warn oncoming traffic even though you could not see them.
ReplyDeleteNow here in the flatlands of Palm Bach County Florida, the roads are 98% flat and straight. Straight as an arrow. And often 3 lanes in each direction.
Last night I encountered a few nitwits despite very low traffic, high beams on until they noticed my furious flashing - usually almost too late to undo the damage of imparting my night vision.
I chalk it up here to people engrossed in talking on their cell phones, texting or otherwise just being oblivious because the senior citizens generally don't drive at night.
Steve the Engineer