Men load mattresses on a 1954 Chevrolet in Havana in 2010.Reuters
Last week senior Globe Drive writer Peter Cheney compiled his list of 10 signs of trouble on the road. "If you spot these tried, tested and true indicators of road risk, steer clear," he wrote.
We asked readers to share their thoughts on the topic. Here are their comments:
Dan_Theman: A 5000W amplifier at the trunk. If I can't hear my radio stopped 3 cars behind the portable disco, how can he hear anything (he is probably legally deaf by now anyways).
Kitty2008: Don't forget the turn signal that has been turned on for an eternity. And my dad always said, avoid anyone wearing a hat. It is the hat sign, the sign of a dotty driver. Verrrrry funny and well written article though, I enjoyed this.
kjg1: I live in Alberta so it's obvious--jacked-up pick up tracks with battering rams bolted to their grills
MMackinnon: ...Here I was going to be literal.... The guy ahead whose brake lights pop on frequently for no apparent reason...clearly because he's tailgating and trying to push the car in front of him (and it is always a him) to go faster. Stay the heck back so you can swerve and avoid the eventual accident...
John E: once upon a time... vans with mis-matched mag wheels, murals on the side and too much shag carpet inside...
Old Geezer from Markham: I love the Sleep Country specials where they tie a mattress on the roof with twine thru the doors - the front of the mattress bends upward in the wind as they accelerate - the mattress is probably ruined by the time they get it home - IF they get it home.
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Vickido: Forgot the most dangerous one, the rental moving truck, someone who seldom drives anything bigger than a car handling a 24' long truck. Stay clear of anything with U-Haul, Penske or the like written on it.
RM1: Too true. Go to the 11foot8.com website to see the video results of a railway bridge in Durham N.C. that lowers the roofs of unwary rental trucks on a regular basis. Educational and very entertaining.
Mark Shore: 11foot8, the can-opener: "The train trestle prominently featured in all the videos here has earned a reputation for its unrelenting enforcement of the laws of physics."
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Do The Math: Cellphone socializers. These unguided missles need to hang up and drive. And the rest of us should steer clear.
Rock Doctor: How about the the older slow moving van belching blue smoke with the rear end plastered with "Save the Earth" and "Gaia" stickers?
tpl3: Any Jeep that has the tires protruding outside the bodywork. This is illegal in Ontario but the cops ignore it. Do not follow one in the rain as it will be like driving into a Tsunami.
AFAIK fender extenders are available for Jeeps of any year.
Pickups that are jacked up, especially if they are festooned with extra lights. Another illegal thing in Ontario which is ignored.
in the garden: Love the article - recognized all the vehicles identified! Great comments as well.
I would add, if not already mentioned, beware the black pick-up truck driven by the teenage male whose girlfriend is cuddled up next to him. I was almost side-swiped by one such a driver, first by accident, then, the second time, he rode into my lane deliberately, and laughed derisively, to impress the girlfriend, I suppose.
As fate would have it, my memory is good for licence plates, and when the police spoke with him later that day, he apparently was not quite as cocky as he had been on the highway.
Dave Nixon: I concur. In my opinion, this is award-winning material. Easily the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on.
DaveNz: I don't like getting close to big black Dodge 4 X4 pick ups ... especially those with the fake bull testicles hanging from the trailer hitch.
I have problems with those used imports from Japan where the steering wheel is on the right. They are Japanese muscle cars past their prime. At least these are driven rather slow as the driver can't see where he is going.
KevinAM: I try to avoid those who appear in the rear view mirror as a lane-changing jet airplane. A new lane every second, the only constant is their speed at 149km/hr.
Rick Taves1: Add cars sporting those eyeball searing blue lights. Why are they legal?
Guitardist: What about people who drive with headphones or earbuds on... and another extremely annoying one, people who drive with little dogs on their laps. I don't want to be anywhere near you when that mutt starts freaking out...
Forty-Niner: Here is one more to add. Cut springs. You've seen the cars, lowered way beyond what is sensible, not by using lowering springs and a bump steer correction kit, but simply by cutting the stock springs. The cars bounce down the road on their bump stops, with their suspension geometry so out of whack they've only got the ability to suggest the path the car takes. Usually accompanied by tinted windows, a home made spoiler, and an obnoxious exhaust. Steer clear, because they can't!
Puck: A car covered with glued-on objects or sculptures denotes a driver who could care less about aerodynamics, not to mention the reality of moving traffic.
Loulaf10: Ah yes, the homemade spoiler on a 2002 Chevy Cavalier, installed on the car with Home Depot-bought screws. Very classy, indeed.
LynnC2: Where do the stick people families stickers fit in? Cause they are really starting to get on my nerves.
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Twitter: Peter Cheney@cheneydrive
E-mail: pcheney@globeandmail.com
Globe and Mail Road Rush archive: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/cheney/