I've been told everything's larger than life in Dubai, but Jesus, this is horrible.
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Sad records
03 May 2008 10:05 am
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After some reflection, let me apologize for the above post. I am in such a cynical mood of late. I was expecting more death though the accident itself was quite bad with many injured. They are fortunate that thus far the death count is low and let's hope it stays that way. I don't want to be someone who always has a sarcastic or dismissive response to everything.
Shutting up now
Horrible, but not without precedent. There was an accident on Interstate 5 in California in 1969 and another in 1991 that were of similar magnitude and (if I am not mistaken) had higher death tolls.
Not funny and not at all unique. I've been stuck behind a 40 to 80 car pile up after a flash snow on 81 (or perhaps 78 forget if it was begfore or after the merge) in PA. Shortly after that a fog over in the South created an accident with over 100 cars.
Also, large amounts of destruction and injury AREN'T FUNNY, or haven't you learned that from the responses to your flippancy about the war?
This pretty much proves what I figured about glibertarians all along—they are insensitive conceited pricks who lack normal human emotions.
Good going, Megs.
I hope Muslims don't look at this post and turn it into another Danish cartoon-type thing. There's enough here to offend every one on many levels and foment endless rage.
Ms McArdle, you need more coffee before posting. That sort of accident occurs every couple of years in the central valley of California. Google for "tule fog" and "accident".
Finn, you're not the one who should be apologizing.
Megan,
That actually happened while I was over here. (Deployed.)
Traffic is absolutely HORRIBLE here.
And IIRC, there were 200 cars involved in that wreck. It was a foggy day, VERY foggy, with limited visibility... but that didn't seem to slow people down.
As others have noted, this is quite common in California's central valley, which can get thick fog occasionally. Both the I-5 and the 99 freeway are major north-south arteries but run through rural farming regions, so people are used to driving very fast (speed limit is 65, up to 70 in places).
When fog settles in and people continue to drive relatively quickly, accidents like this are bound to happen. People have been known to drive into the pileup minutes and minutes after the initial accident occurs. They drive head on into an accident scene but have no way of knowing it until its too late.
It should serve as a reminder to anyone driving in fog that you if you can't stop in the distance that you can see, you are driving too fast to avoid one of these pileups.
I agree with the posters above that Megan's comments seem a little too glib given the tragedy described. Or put another way, would you have found the comments in good taste if the accident had happened in Texas instead of Dubai? ("I've been told everything's larger than life in Texas, but...")
We get accidents of this sort now and then in Colorado's high country due to either a mix of fog, icy conditions, or a mix thereof. Usually people have the sense to slow down even if they don't stop tailgating, though, so although 20-30 cars can become involved very quickly, they generally don't catch fire and casualties are reduced.
On a tangentially-related note, the pictures illustrate something that makes sense in a desert climate, but which I hadn't anticipated: a majority of those cars are white or silver. Other colors seem to be few and far between.
So, how do you know when you live in a country with no free press? When the following two sentences are printed without challenge:
Police said 25 vehicles caught fire following the accidents caused by poor visibility due to the thick fog and lack of attention by motorists.
Lieutenant General Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior, said coordination by officials contributed to limiting the fatalities.
Blame the people, praise the government!
Freddy,
Honestly... people drive horribly. That's probably not a lie.
Freddy,
Honestly... people here drive horribly. That's probably not a lie.
It should serve as a reminder to anyone driving in fog that you if you can't stop in the distance that you can see, you are driving too fast to avoid one of these pileups.
Of course you'll probably still be going fast enough to get smushed by an 18-wheeler running up behind you at 80 mph. Some conditions just aren't safe for driving, better to stay home if you can.
Honestly... people drive horribly. That's probably not a lie.
It's a universal truth. Most people are horrific drivers, no matter where you go. Driving is the most dangerous form of transportation for a reason, that reason is drivers.
I share your sentiment that it was horrible, Megan. Surprised at those who took your comment to mean otherwise.
I share your sentiment that it was horrible, Megan. Surprised at those who took your comment to mean otherwise.
I don't understand these comments. Megan said it was "horrible".
Does "horrible" mean "good" or "funny" now in some subcultures? (The way "bad" or "bitching" somehow transformed into approval.)
I grew up in California's Central Valley and I remember, as a child, that we were never promised trips out to the coast during certain times of the year. If they happened, great, but my parents kept a close eye on the conditions and flat-out refused to drive if the fog was present.
After yet another of those big accidents in the late 90s (I-5 over the Yolo Bypass, a two-mile wide, sixty-mile long artificial floodplain (read: damp)), a local news station dug up a study by the California Highway Patrol that showed that drivers actually speed up in foggy conditions. I'm not sure why— it may be a subconscious attempt to get to somewhere the driver can see. But it's not a conscious thing and it seems to be pretty well across the board.
If you encounter dense fog, the safest thing to do is pull off. The people ahead of you are far less scary than those behind.
Freddy Hill:
Having lived in Dubai, I can provide a better data point than two quotes - Dubai does indeed have a free press, but not a terribly mature one. This makes sense - it is a country that was essentially a tiny finishing village in a forgotten corner of the world 40 years ago. It probably experienced 200 years of development in that 40 year span. I look at what they've done with amazement and respect. We could learn something from their example.
Second, the quotes themselves make it clear that the explanation being offered comes directly from the police. If the police officers did say those quotes, why not report them accurately?
Hi doctorpat:
My point was only that opening the sentence with "I've been told everything's larger than life in Dubai" sounds pretty tone deaf to me. If your fast-driving friend had died in a car crash, I'm guessing it wouldn't be considered polite to tell her spouse "I've been told Elizabeth drives everywhere fast, but..."
Charles Johnson and his followers just had a group orgasm.
B. Durbin wrote: If you encounter dense fog, the safest thing to do is pull off.
Not necessarily. Dense fog is extremely disorienting, and people tend to follow the tailights of the car ahead of them, since they have no other visual reference points. If you try to pull off, you may be at the front end of the chain accident.
Often, all you can do is to keep moving forward, but let your speed fall off progressively. First, if you end up running into something, you don't want to hit it at high speed; and second, if you do have to stop, the twenty cars tailgaiting you will collide at a speed where crumple zones, seatbelts, and airbags will be sufficient to prevent fatalities and a fire is unlikely.
I don't understand these comments. Megan said it was "horrible".
Well, interpretation is in the eye of the beholder, as always; Megan's mode of expression won't rub everyone the same way. It did seem inappropriately glib, but it doesn't bother me terribly much, for two reasons.
First, there is such a thing as a 'mirthless chuckle', the reaction that some people automatically have when absurdity cranks the instinctive mechanisms of humor, but without the merriment to lighten the spirit. It doesn't translate well into prose, especially when dealing with near-strangers who are, perhaps, a bit self-unaware of their own natural quirks. Second, it was clear that she wasn't celebrating the deaths but was feeling necessarily detached from them by virtue of being 7000 miles away from a place she's never visited and evidently not having any friends or relations directly affected.
Oh Mousie, just propose already.
Oh Mousie, just propose already.
A mouse and a six-foot-tall human female? Good grief, man, if that's ever anything other than platonic, I don't want to know about it.
Besides, I happened to look in a rarely-used email account and found that cupid called, and said that six new members have signed on "in my area". They all looked kind of spooky, though, and seemed to be lacking the necessary tail.
Oh Mousie, just propose already.
Resistance is futile, Nutella, for you like everyone else here.
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Moses, Veganoya, Buddha, Allah combined into one massive swear word that's a big crash. As of now, 60 cars and over 2 people dead! Makes our Minnesota bridge accident look like, well...oh nevermind.
Posted by Finn | May 3, 2008 11:09 AM