Another mefite on Jeopardy December 30, 2011 4:58 PM Subscribe
When I tuned in to Jeopardy tonight one of the contestants was talking about his best-selling book, which was apparently based in part on this AskMe. Not a very prolific member, but still has an account.
people were a lot more sensitive to being called geeks in 09.
posted by Think_Long at 5:16 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by Think_Long at 5:16 PM on December 30, 2011
He did lose. He did quite poorly, as a matter of fact.
posted by jgirl at 5:23 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by jgirl at 5:23 PM on December 30, 2011
This guy knows more about traffic than I can possibly imagine!
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:21 PM on December 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:21 PM on December 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
Was his opponent a traffic computer?
Because that would be ironic.
posted by subbes at 6:30 PM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
Because that would be ironic.
posted by subbes at 6:30 PM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
I have personally broken up traffic jams by putting 5-10 car lengths ahead of me in the merge lane, and never braking, only coasting. I relish the merges, because I let the last-second jerks merge in a way that allows no-one to lose face. The traffic... just. breaks. up. It's amazing, I feel like superman. Works even better in generally congested traffic, especially as other people see what you're doing, and start doing it, too, in all lanes.
Let Mr. Psycho play lane-change games to "beat the system" - just let him go. He's a problem you're solving, and being the better human being gets you to work on time.
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:36 PM on December 30, 2011 [20 favorites]
Let Mr. Psycho play lane-change games to "beat the system" - just let him go. He's a problem you're solving, and being the better human being gets you to work on time.
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:36 PM on December 30, 2011 [20 favorites]
I found the three color filters a little pretentious, but on the other hand Steve Winwood had a great voice.
posted by drjimmy11 at 7:03 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by drjimmy11 at 7:03 PM on December 30, 2011
As holder of a professional driving licence for 30 years, and a driver-trainer, I salute you, Slap*Happy. You are one out of (perhaps) a thousand drivers who "gets" the concept of shared vehicular movement.
I did find it just a bit odd that someone who so obviously profoundly misunderstood the entire driving process then wrote a best-selling book about it. I'm assuming that his understanding of the dynamics involved has improved dramatically since his AskMe question. From looking at his blog just now, it seems that this is so. It's pretty cool then, if his curiosity about something that the vast majority of drivers takes so completely and erroneously for granted has now resulted in a net increase in the driving-skill of for some of the dipsticks clogging my byways. I have put a hold on this book at my local library.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 7:14 PM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
I did find it just a bit odd that someone who so obviously profoundly misunderstood the entire driving process then wrote a best-selling book about it. I'm assuming that his understanding of the dynamics involved has improved dramatically since his AskMe question. From looking at his blog just now, it seems that this is so. It's pretty cool then, if his curiosity about something that the vast majority of drivers takes so completely and erroneously for granted has now resulted in a net increase in the driving-skill of for some of the dipsticks clogging my byways. I have put a hold on this book at my local library.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 7:14 PM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
R.I.P. J. G. Ballard.
That may be the highest period-to-letter ratio sentence I've ever written
posted by Panjandrum at 8:28 PM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
That may be the highest period-to-letter ratio sentence I've ever written
posted by Panjandrum at 8:28 PM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
Was his opponent a traffic computer?
I think it would have been amusing if his opponent was the parking expert recently profiled on the blue.
posted by mannequito at 10:28 PM on December 30, 2011
I think it would have been amusing if his opponent was the parking expert recently profiled on the blue.
posted by mannequito at 10:28 PM on December 30, 2011
I have personally broken up traffic jams by putting 5-10 car lengths ahead of me in the merge lane, and never braking, only coasting. I relish the merges, because I let the last-second jerks merge in a way that allows no-one to lose face. The traffic... just. breaks. up. It's amazing, I feel like superman. Works even better in generally congested traffic, especially as other people see what you're doing, and start doing it, too, in all lanes.
It breaks up because you have reduced the flow of cars in front of you. What you are doing is moving the traffic jam to behind you. I've seen the effects of this when truckers block lanes, and in the most extreme case, changed a single backup into three separate backups extending for about 10 miles.
posted by gjc at 2:51 PM on December 31, 2011
It breaks up because you have reduced the flow of cars in front of you. What you are doing is moving the traffic jam to behind you. I've seen the effects of this when truckers block lanes, and in the most extreme case, changed a single backup into three separate backups extending for about 10 miles.
posted by gjc at 2:51 PM on December 31, 2011
Every once and a while I notice the odd new favorite pop up on my 7 year old traffic anecdote and think "somebody talked about that book again."
posted by nanojath at 3:35 PM on December 31, 2011
posted by nanojath at 3:35 PM on December 31, 2011
Actually, nanojath, that comment is a lot like the reason I am not an aggressive driver. When I was a small child--long before I ever learned to drive my senior year of high school--my mom always pointed out the right-lane-passing, exit-only-lane-exploiting, cutting-off, speeding, aggressive drivers and always pointed them out when they were only one or two cars ahead of us at the stop light or the railway crossing or pulling into the parking lot. By the time I learned how to drive, I had completely internalized the idea that the small gains from aggressive driving were totally not worth the stress or risk. When I would give into the urge to drive like an asshole, I was the meanest person alive and really pissed off at myself. Probably why it's been my number one priority since graduating from college that I never live anywhere where I have no choice but to drive. Passenger, driver, pedestrian, I fucking hate cars.
This guy who was on jeopardy, I have no opinion of him.
posted by crush-onastick at 3:52 PM on December 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
This guy who was on jeopardy, I have no opinion of him.
posted by crush-onastick at 3:52 PM on December 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
So for some reason I bought the book, but never got around to reading it. Should I bother, or should I just sell it and move on?
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:14 PM on December 31, 2011
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:14 PM on December 31, 2011
It breaks up because you have reduced the flow of cars in front of you.
And if the people behind me also drove as to break up the traffic in front of them...?
posted by Slap*Happy at 10:53 PM on December 31, 2011
And if the people behind me also drove as to break up the traffic in front of them...?
posted by Slap*Happy at 10:53 PM on December 31, 2011
@crush-onastick, I've always felt that aggressive/bad drivers internalized their habits from parents that were the same way.
posted by SillyShepherd at 6:32 AM on January 1, 2012
posted by SillyShepherd at 6:32 AM on January 1, 2012
Back when I was a young man, in the Boston area of course (where driving is essentially a mixed martial arts event) the rule was "ugliest car has right of way." That's because you knew that if you were in a banged up monkeyshit brown '72 Cutlass 440 you could pretty much cut in anywhere you wanted because people would see your car and assume you had nothing to lose from impact.
Still works, I'm sure.
posted by spitbull at 9:11 AM on January 1, 2012
Still works, I'm sure.
posted by spitbull at 9:11 AM on January 1, 2012
So for some reason I bought the book, but never got around to reading it. Should I bother, or should I just sell it and move on?
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:14 PM on December 31 [+] [!]
I picked it up from the library and read it last night, and was very impressed. As mentioned, I was intrigued that someone who clearly was pretty clueless about driving would then write a book about it. He even gives us a shout-out, and mentions in the introduction that it actually was the debate in Ask which inspired his research into the whole issue of traffic and driving. As a direct result of his subsequent research he reevaluated his own driving, and now he has switched from being an early to a late merger.
This is his characterization of the site, BTW ...
Looking for an answer, I posted an anonymous inquiry on Ask Metafilter, a Web site one can visit to ask random questions and tap into the "hive mind" of an anonymous audience of over-educated and over-opinionated geeks.
In the book he shows how game theory, self image, road engineering, urban myth, and cultural conditioning (among other complex factors) all interact with each other to create the chaos that is the modern traffic nightmare. Most importantly, he evaluates many of the problems created by our car-centric society, and summarizes current research and solutions, including what can be done on the personal level to improve traffic flow and one's everyday driving experience.
Suffice it to say, that some of the commenters in this thread would benefit immensely from reading his book. In fact, not only is it well worth reading, but were I Emperor it would be required reading before anyone was allowed to even get behind the wheel, never mind getting one's licence.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 6:20 PM on January 4, 2012
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:14 PM on December 31 [+] [!]
I picked it up from the library and read it last night, and was very impressed. As mentioned, I was intrigued that someone who clearly was pretty clueless about driving would then write a book about it. He even gives us a shout-out, and mentions in the introduction that it actually was the debate in Ask which inspired his research into the whole issue of traffic and driving. As a direct result of his subsequent research he reevaluated his own driving, and now he has switched from being an early to a late merger.
This is his characterization of the site, BTW ...
Looking for an answer, I posted an anonymous inquiry on Ask Metafilter, a Web site one can visit to ask random questions and tap into the "hive mind" of an anonymous audience of over-educated and over-opinionated geeks.
In the book he shows how game theory, self image, road engineering, urban myth, and cultural conditioning (among other complex factors) all interact with each other to create the chaos that is the modern traffic nightmare. Most importantly, he evaluates many of the problems created by our car-centric society, and summarizes current research and solutions, including what can be done on the personal level to improve traffic flow and one's everyday driving experience.
Suffice it to say, that some of the commenters in this thread would benefit immensely from reading his book. In fact, not only is it well worth reading, but were I Emperor it would be required reading before anyone was allowed to even get behind the wheel, never mind getting one's licence.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 6:20 PM on January 4, 2012
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I'm glad he's not a prolific member. I'd rather not read any of this other comments or opinions.
and I hope he lost!
posted by royalsong at 5:11 PM on December 30, 2011