Share Animal Pictures: For Animal Lovers

DennisN · Nov 2, 2023

fresh_42 said:

Now that I think of it, your 3 second rule wouldn't work on our highways. No chance.

My memory of the German Autobahn is that there are three lanes:

Right lane: Pretty chill, but still quite fast.
Edit: The lane for trucks, busses and older drivers.

Center lane: Faster.
Edit: The usual lane for most cars.

Left lane: Are you kidding me? Where's the fire?
Edit: In this lane we find occasional appearances of police cars and ambulances going at high speeds. And people with fast cars and/or in a real hurry. And the occasional mad scientist who tries to reach an orbit around the Earth by car.

That is, if my memory serves me; @fresh_42 maybe can correct me if I remember wrong.

fresh_42 · Nov 2, 2023

DennisN said:

My memory of the German Autobahn is that there are three lanes:

Right lane: Pretty chill, but still quite fast.

You have another kind of stress on the right lane. It is meanwhile so full of trucks, bumper to bumper, all at their allowed maximal speed (plus minus 1km/h which drives you mad when they overtake each other), that you have to plan exits miles ahead!

DennisN said:

Center lane: Faster.

Here is where war starts. Some feel the need to "educate" others. I can tell you: 2 meters at 180 km/h is really close. And that was only to signal me that I had to leave the left lane earlier in the other one's mind.

DennisN said:

Left lane: Are you kidding me? Where's the fire?

This is as long as no problem until some idiot from the center lane crawls over ignoring the fire alarm.

In the US, you become a squinter because you have to read hundreds of texts all the time instead of following international traffic sign conventions. They write and write and write. Either you learn to squint or pay a lot of tickets.

In Germany, you have to squint if you use the left lane because you constantly have to watch the idiots on the right, and the guy with the headlight flasher behind you.

Ibix · Nov 3, 2023

berkeman said:

2 seconds of stopping distance is more practical.

I learned "Only a fool breaks the two second rule". It takes about two seconds to say, so doubles as a check that you're sticking to it.

Borg · Nov 3, 2023

morrobay said:

You really are better off programing your self to hit the deer. https://www.thesilverlining.com/safety-tips/deer-vs.-car-collisions

I'm aware that generally you shouldn't swerve. I'm probably a bit differently wired than most drivers because I'm constantly thinking about where my escape points are when I'm driving. Swerving off the road or into oncoming traffic doesn't qualify as an escape point. :oldwink:

I'm also aware of the torque forces that would occur if I did impact something during a swerve which is why I keep my speed down in the early morning. It's also why I am less likely to swerve when I'm in traffic.

fresh_42 · Nov 3, 2023

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berkeman · Nov 3, 2023

Quiz Question: When you see a cute baby animal, of a large and dangerous animal, running toward you, what should you do?

berkeman · Nov 3, 2023

For reference, the only animals I've ever run away from in the woods (I usually am armed) are a skunk and a baby bear...

fresh_42 · Nov 3, 2023

berkeman said:

For reference, the only animals I've ever run away from in the woods (I usually am armed) are a skunk and a baby bear...

Well, bear cubs are rarely alone and mama bear is definitely dangerous, and - unfortunately - skunks haven't signed the Geneva Protocol that forbids chemical weapons. The chances to meet a baby elephant in the US are pretty manageable.

BillTre · Nov 3, 2023

Moose and ~~Squirrel~~ Bison babies would also be good to avoid.

fresh_42 · Nov 3, 2023

BillTre said:

Moose and ~~Squirrel~~ Bison babies would also be good to avoid.

And white bunnies as we all know.

strangerep · Nov 3, 2023

fresh_42 said:

Come on over and practice! I have heard that there are travel agencies that offer visits to Germany only to drive on our highways.

I remember when I came back from the US, I tried to drive the same way and obeyed the rules - for two days. I was a moving obstacle. On day three I decided to become a comoving observer again.

Most drivers on the M1 near where I live do indeed keep roughly to the speed limit, since there are many radar traps. The problem is more about large trucks that insist on driving ridiculously close behind me. I wish someone would invent radar devices that could detect such people not maintaining a reasonable gap.

Ibix · Nov 4, 2023

berkeman said:

Quiz Question: When you see a cute baby animal, of a large and dangerous animal, running toward you, what should you do?

Look around for its mum. And/or whatever it's running away from.

strangerep · Nov 4, 2023

Ibix said:

Look around for its mum. And/or whatever it's running away from.

But what if its mum is a short distance behind you, and the baby is actually running towards her ?

I'd say get your weapon ready to fire -- you might only get one chance... :oldfrown:

(Have you seen "The Revenant"?)

DennisN · Nov 5, 2023

strangerep said:

I'd say get your weapon ready to fire -- you might only get one chance...
(Have you seen "The Revenant"?)

I know exactly what you mean

.
I loved the movie. Occasionally very bloody and violent, but a great movie.

BillTre · Nov 5, 2023

Esox is the group of fish that contains pikes and pike-like fish.
These are teeth in the mouth, but not on the jaws.

berkeman · Nov 5, 2023

Ibix said:

Look around for its mum. And/or whatever it's running away from.

Move sideways quickly. That gives you the best chance of not encountering mama bear, and keeping the little bearlet from still heading at you. Keep your head on a swivel...