What’s the Craziest Thing You’ve Seen Someone Do While Driving?

Brad Neese
Jul 22, 2009 12:56 PM CST

Putting on make-up or shaving while driving.

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BC
Jul 22, 2009 1:27 PM CST

I once had a driver fly past me on the interstate doing about 80-85 mph while reading a paperback novel. 

I slowed down and let him get FAR ahead of me.

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Rob
Jul 22, 2009 2:54 PM CST

what Steve said.

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Roger
Jul 22, 2009 3:59 PM CST

Less than a week ago a car passed me going the wrong way on I-29. I was going South and they were going north, on the same side of the median. Scared me half to death.

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ana
Jul 22, 2009 5:50 PM CST

I live in Miami so I’ve seen a few crazy things while driving so I’m only going to say my top two.
1-) A police officer drving on the highway in reverse.
2-) A male passenger searching for something he apparently lost in pants of the male driver.

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Alyx
Jul 23, 2009 9:51 AM CST

This morning I saw a man in his car eating cereal in a bowl with milk.  I kept staring at him in disbelief until we stopped at a traffic light.  He opened the door and poured out the excess milk.  So, he can do that and I am going to get a ticket if it looks like I’m checking e-mail or texting while driving?

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Dr Phun
Jul 23, 2009 10:22 AM CST

Clearly the craziest thing is the sheer quantity of people driving like they are drunk because they are talking on their phones or texting.  It wasn’t that long ago that that I wondered why there were so many drunk drivers on the road at 5 pm - they hadn’t even had time to go to happy hour - now I understand that they just drive like they are drunk because they are on their phones.  5 pm is the new bar time. 

Yesterday, the lady in front of me was going 35 in the left lane of a 4 lane interstate, and when I finally got past, she was on her phone.  This is an everyday occurance.  The same people who are repeatedly looking down and to the side that are driving 5 or 10 miles under the speed limit and going 2 ft onto the shoulder every time they look down.   

If you think you can drive and talk on the phone/text at the same time, you are in denial.  Maybe AA can help you.

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Paul the Magyar
Jul 23, 2009 10:50 AM CST

I saw a guy reading THE NEWSPAPER on the interstate.  The paper was spread all over the dash and steering wheel. 

Now, my state leads the way in special license plates (or at least did so when I saw the driver).  It so happened that the driver had one of the specialty plates and that plate indicated that the driver was a trustee for a certain public university.  Clearly, this driver was conveying an impression about the public university as well as an impression about his intelligence and judgment.

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I'm not proud of this but...
Jul 23, 2009 3:48 PM CST

I once fell asleep during a traffic jam.

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Dale B
Jul 23, 2009 10:49 PM CST

The craziest thing I’ve ever seen was on the interstate in Houston in a driving rain.  I passed a driver who had the driver’s side window down.  HIs windshield wipers didn’t work so he had his left arm out of the car and was using a squeegee to go back and forth on the windshield so he could see to drive.

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Debbie Chong
Jul 24, 2009 4:44 AM CST

Wear a SPUDS (the Budweiser dog) suit (2 of them in a VW Beetle), driving down the street and drinking beer (it was Halloween).

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Alex
Jul 24, 2009 5:26 AM CST

I’ve seen a lot of the above (reading, eating, texting, etc.)  Almost too common, so not crazy anyore.  But the absolute craziest I saw was a woman breast feeding a baby while driving on I-270 in suburban Maryland.  How did she get kid into position?  Why??  Talk about recklessness and unfit to raise a kid.

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Bush One
Jul 24, 2009 5:48 AM CST

#24 -  Is his name Steve?

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Lawyer X
Jul 24, 2009 6:12 AM CST

In my spare time, I spend a lot of time driving cars on the track.  Lots of Steves cycle through the scene.  They roar in like Lightning McQueen, convinced of their innate talent and speed and dismissive of the old codgers (and their dowdy cars).  Then the old codgers blow their doors off on the track.

Some of them figure out that driving well at speed takes concentration and skill.  They stick around and eventually become fast old codgers.  The Steves, however, are quickly frustrated.  At the end of the day, they drive off steering with their needs, nursing a latte in one hand and clutching a cell in the other, never to be seen again.  Until the evening news, that is.

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Andy
Jul 24, 2009 6:15 AM CST

I once saw someone brushing their teeth but their stupidity was recently overtaken by someone on the NJ Turnpike. I saw someone trying to balance their laptop on the steering wheel of their car as they drove.

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Beth
Jul 24, 2009 6:25 AM CST

I saw a guy on a motorcycle texting with both hands while smoking a cigarette.

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jones
Jul 24, 2009 6:59 AM CST

Either shaving or eating a bowl of cereal.  The bowl of cereal one was more baffling to me, but it was by someone who was stopped behind me on a small subdivision road.  I noticed the shaver after I passed him when he was going about 75-80 and occassionally veering into my lane.

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Bill
Jul 24, 2009 7:09 AM CST

Comment removed by moderator.

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David D
Jul 24, 2009 7:10 AM CST

Playing the trumpet!!  On my way back to Champaign, IL, two years ago, I saw a man practicing the trumpet while he was driving on 57 South.  We immediately took out a camera and snapped a pic.

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Dennis M
Jul 24, 2009 7:20 AM CST

To Steve,  When you are finished multi-tasking, you might read the stories about the hundreds in your generations who die in car crashes each year while texting and dirving.  The fact of the matter, you THINK you can multi-task while driving.  Are you dumb enough to bet your life on that?  My only hope is when you do lose control of your car (and you most cetainly will), you don’t kill yourself and worse yet someone else, like a passenger -  maybe a wife or a child, or another driver.

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Jeff
Jul 24, 2009 7:26 AM CST

I was driving from Cincinnati to Columbus and a driver passed me in the high speed lane while working on a crossword puzzle.  Anyone know a seven letter word for ‘idiot”?

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RAF
Jul 24, 2009 7:29 AM CST

In Milwaukee recently an acquaintance was killed while driving a motorcycle by a couple in an SUV who were having an argument.

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MaryM
Jul 24, 2009 7:40 AM CST

Here in Las Vegas, you see all kinds of idiots driving around while multi-tasking.  I’ve seen people texting, applying mascara, reading a book or newspaper, eating with a bowl & spoon, eating raman noodles from a cup with a fork, sleeping, drinking alcohol, etc., etc.  I think the one that takes the cake is the police officer in his patrol car.  While driving 50 mph on a busy city street, he was typing on his laptop computer with one hand and steering with the other.  His eyes were more on the laptop screen than the road!

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common courtesy
Jul 24, 2009 7:48 AM CST

CraI have seen (and been in a car with) someone who drives with their knees so their hands are free for other tasks.

#14 - Agreed; I am absolutely flabergasted when someone actually uses a turnsignal.  I spend much of my time driving cursing others in my head who expect me to read their minds and know exactly when they are going to turn.  I always use my turn signal - I feel like it is common courtesty.  Thanks to those out there who do the same

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Joy
Jul 24, 2009 7:51 AM CST

Driving with their sunscreen in place - it was on I-70 in Kansas on a scorching summer day, and the driver was pulling down a corner of the sunscreen to peer over it.

I have also observed a woman putting on eyeliner while driving.

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