285 to Buena Vista almost ended me and my son

[Jon]

Brian, you are the kind of driver all drivers should be. Unfortunately the thought process you use is alien to the general driving public because if they were thinking they would not drive as they do. When you combine that lack of awareness with the ever present cell phones we have more risk than ever.

[luvrbus]

Just remember in your travels in Nevada they will nail you for using a hand held cell phone while driving and they don't care where you are from you are going to be ticketed   

[Jon]

NY is the same. However, how much attention are you paying to the highway if you have to look at your phone to dial a number, and if you are engaged in a conversation what is the difference between how much attention you pay to driving whether you hold the phone or use hands free devices?

I watch people with hands free devices moving their hands all over the place. Instead of holding the phone they are gesturing and their driving still sucks.

[Oonrahnjay]

A number of years ago I went to see BK in Union City in my bus.  Not far from his place I almost hit a car that pulled out at high speed right in front of me just so they wouldn't have to be behind a "slow" bus.

When I drive my car I think about what I've experienced driving my bus.  I won't pull out in front of a bus or truck because I know they can't stop fast and I would rather not get hit.  I also won't pull in front of a truck in heavy traffic as I know the driver was leaving that space for safety.

     Unfortunately, few drivers have those good habits, Brian.

[RickB]

Well I found that driving without my family in the bus takes a lot of the stress out of this for me, I've lived a good life and I care a lot less about what folks do that's dangerous when my kids are safe. Geoff the blue smoke stops after a mile or two and the black smoke was minimal except when I turned on the jakes. I saved that little trick for the especially obnoxious drivers I encoubtered. Once again someone suggested that slowing down and taking it easy is the answer. I completely disagree with that idea and suggest that either folks haven't done this in the last decade or they are just uninformed as to the reality of the level of recklessness that is actually taking place in America on the mountain highways. The bus ran great from Buena Vista to Twin Lakes and we are heading south to Pueblo and avoiding the mountains completely for the rest of the trip. RB