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Bad Driving & Jackrabbit Encounters

It has been a few days since I shared the jackrabbit post with you. After reading it over, I thought to myself… boy oh boy did I write a lot in that post! Hopefully you got a chance to read through it. Here are some of my recent jackrabbit encounters on the roads of Vancouver.

Posted above is my route of choice to and from Lord Byng everyday. It’s a nice ‘n simple drive and usually takes about 20 minutes. I meet most of the jackrabbits on the way back from school (point A –> b), Sunday-drivers in their big SUVs.

Point A to Point Gray Road is downhill all the way (I like!). Point Gray Road and Cornwall Ave. is a narrow, single lane stretch with a 30 km/h speed limit. To save gas, I usually coast at 40 km/h. Yet, there are always these jackrabbits who think that 60 km/h isn’t even fast enough for them.

Over the past few days, I meet quite a few jackrabbits. Interestingly enough, they tend to tailgate and speed in the 30 km/h zone. That’s a smart and safe thing to do eh (sarcasm!). Well… one time, there’s a lady behind me in her gas-burning SUV. As if tailgating isn’t enough (traveling at 40 km/h in the 30 km/h zone), she honks and tries to push me forward. I stayed cool. Riding on my brakes to warn her to back off would be a bad idea. Not only would that waste my brakes, it would also create a safety hazard ( you’d think tailgaters have brains.. but no). After a bit, she passes me from the right, WHOOMING her engine (and draining her fuel) as she went. Funny thing, a kept on coasting at 40 km/h and passed her a while later as she was stuck at an intersection trying to make a left-hand turn. Get my point?

Another encounter. Same route. This jackrabbit isn’t as retarded as the last one. He/she was tailgating, but wasn’t honking like the last one. This one too, pulled an illegal right-hand pass. Two seconds later, we hit a red light. The jackrabbit brakes hard while I slowly coast to a stop from behind. Point proven yet?

A few more common jackrabbit sightings. Going up the Burrard Street bridge, I usually keep my engine at max 2000 RPM to save fuel consumption (you know that the best way to burn up fuel is to WHOOMM your engine going uphill?). I always accelerate slowly and reach up to 50 km/h. I’d stay in the right lane and watch… erm… drivers speed up the bridge and pass me. Funny thing is, they always brake going down the hill, while I coast. At the bottom of the bridge, they always stop dead (if there’s traffic building up) and go at zero miles/gallon while I coast to a stop. I think you get my point.

That’s it for now. Keep updated through the Vancouver Driving category on my blog.