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I actually bring this up because I had someone LET me in today, and I was struck by just how rare that is. Thanks to you out there, whoever you are!
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
even though i don't know who you are
you let me change lanes
while i was driving in my car'...
Kev, I totally agree. I don't mind letting one person in, but I hate when the line of cars behind assumes they're free to muscle in as well.
Along the same lines, I can't stand when I'm behind a driver turning left who decides to be 'courteous' and let the exiting driver pull out in front of us (we have no stop sign, I'm moving along until I have to slam on the brakes because the schmo in front of me stops traffic to let traffic with a stop sign pull out in front of me).
Guaranteed to happen when there is no one behind you!
TB
TB
The trouble is, a lot of folks don't recognize any difference between the drivers seat in their car and the La-Z-boy in their den. They don't think twice about talking on the phone, enjoying a delcious burger or taco, or playing with the latest in electronic gadgetry (Nav systems, etc.) They've never had an accident in their den, have they? Nevermind that this "den" is on wheels and is crusising down the boulevard at 30,40,50 or 80 miles per hour. They've got the "right" to talk on the phone, they've got the "right" to eat their dinner, and they've got the "right" to use the toys at their disposal. The problem comes for all the OTHER people on the roads - they may be proceeding thru the green light, only to bit hit broadside by someone who's phone rings in the middle of their Big Mac bite and who finds that their priorities have now become:
1). Answering the phone
2). Avoid dripping the special sauce on their shirt
3). Driving the car.
Rather misplaced, don't you think? Given that, it's flat out mental overload to do little things like turning on the headlights at dusk or when it rains. So, we have laws that allow the innocent victims families to sue the daylights out of these idiots and hopefully teach them that the priorities while driving are:
1). Drive the car
2). Drive the car
3). Drive the car.
A guy in a brand new Maxima decides that he wants to merge in front of me too, even though there's tons of room behind me. I stood my ground, neither braking nor accelerating, and he almost hit my rear. I couldn't pull into to the left lane because a) there were cars already there and b) I couldn't get around the semi in time to reach my exit.
I want an APC next. That'll teach them!
People REALLY have no idea how to merge onto a freeway. My favorites are the people who will just come up the ramp and stop at the end of it with their signal on, as traffic zooms by at 65 mph. Do they really expect someone to stop?? This would be more funny if it was not so dangerous.
But in general, people do not look at the merge lane as they come onto the freeway, they just go whatever speed they feel like doing, and I guess they figure it should be 100% the responsibility of the person who is already on the freeway to match speeds and let them in or get out of the way, when this should be a joint responsibility of both parties.
And BTW, I agree with an earlier post: slowing down really will improve your frustration level when you drive - I am living proof - but if you also assume that everyone else out there has no idea what they are doing and thinks they are the only person on the entire road, and drive accordingly, you will improve traffic safety a lot. It is never worth "getting revenge" or "schooling someone" when this might cause an accident. And it is never worth it to insist on your ten feet of asphalt, even if the other person is in the wrong. If you yield to others and compensate for their poor driving, you will be improving your own safety substantially, as well as that of others.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I now have an inkling as to why some CA drivers seemed to be so bad at freeways...they were probably imports from other states.
Got onto I-696 last weekend at night into a traffic mess in the right lanes... signals on, as usually, working over lane by lane and finally punching the throttle fully after I got into the left lane. A textbook 'Detroit merge'.
VA drivers are among the most clueless in the U.S. They can't drive rural roads, they can't drive Interstates
93N approaching 95 just north of Boston. 2 right hand lanes clogged with traffic heading onto and off the ramps. About 300 yards before the cloverleaf, car in 3rd lane realizes he can't changes lanes to take the exit. He slows down to from about 65 mph to less than 20 mph waiting for an opportunity to change lanes.
I don't know if he made it.
What's dangerous to me about NY/NJ is the sheer number of cars and drivers, their wild variety and very close proximity. You have the kind of driver we agreed on, as well as true sociopaths, 16 year olds without enough experience to realize their own mortality (and their car's limits), self-important asses, cabs, frightened elderly, bewildered out-of-towners, people who *must* be high (it's the only explanation for the way they drive) all sharing the same way-too-small strip of asphalt.
I can deal with idiots just fine, or sociopaths, or soccer moms (often the same), or frightened (don't make me leave the left lane and have to interact with other drivers) old people... it's the unpredictability that makes me nervous.
Was cruising 95 north on Thursday takin my family home after I graduated. Doing 75 in the middle lane not bothering anybody with a clear left lane next to me. So Mr. White Bimmer 740 decides rather than passing me the safe way to come flying up on my right and then barge in between me and the car in the right lane Im closing on with literally about half a foot to spare. I wont even bother to get into the obvious fact that I think only a total retard pulls those types of stunts in a 50 thousand dollar luxury car that would probably cost my truck's book value to be repainted. To top it off, I honk at him and give him a bewildered look and shout at him, so what does he do? Makes an extra effort to get next to me again just to he can give me a dirty look right back as if Im in the wrong.
"THe Most common reason given for road rage? People driving too slowly in, or blocking the passing lane"
Keep stirring the pot and enraging everyone else Kinley...
Bill
As she approached the plaza, everyone is jockeying for position. The speed limit is 35, but everyone drives 55+ right up to the gate. It's a real melee at rush hour. She goes on through the plaza and is in the left lane going over the mile-long bridge. Of course, it's bumper-to-bumper all the way. She eventually gets over right so she can make the right-hand turn at the intersection on the other side of the bridge. Well, there's this guy stuck to her bumper all the way (not uncommon). He's very agitated because she's driving the speed limit. She can tell because he's making all sorts of gestures and yelling out the window. She ignores him (the best thing to do?). The intersection where she needs to turn right has a dedicated right turn lane that becomes the far right lane of three on the northbound road. Normally, you can make the turn without stopping, unless the oncoming traffic has the turn arrow to go left, then you *should* stop. This is the case, and she stops. By now, the fellow behind her is so incredibly angry at her stopping, that HE RAMS THE BACK-END OF HER CAR !!!!
WOW! ... my wife thinks! She looks around to see if the kids are OK. The jerk is now honking his horn wildly and HITS HER AGAIN !!! My wife thinks, "I better get going here or this guy's going to kill us". She makes the turn and gets in the middle lane. The idiot pulls up beside her, rolls his window down, and proceeds to shout every explicative known to mankind while flying his middle fingers.
Fortunately, my family suffered no harm and the car had only a couple scratches. But probably the worst part of the whole thing was that he had his own two kids in the back seat of his car! What a lovely example he set for the next generation of inconsiderate drivers!
I mean, it would be totally legal to walk into my Temple with a Hitler T-Shirt on (freedom of expression as defined by the Bill of Rights), and totally illegal for me to punch someone for wearing one (Assault/Battery).
By your definition, the person who punches needs anger management classes and the person wearing the T-Shirt did no wrong.
Bill
idiots who either don't notice they're in the EZ pass lane until the last minute or don't care and are just trying to jump to the front of the line without having to wait. I'll let one or two in, but then another comes, and another, and another, and all of a sudden the people who did the right thing by waiting patiently in line aren't moving anywhere because self-centered line jumpers who probly did the same thing in the lunch line at highschool keep butting in at the front and going before anyone else. The other day I sat still for about 7-8 minutes maybe 10 feet from the toll booth because the idiot in front of me let about 8-9 line jumpers in front of him with a wave and a smile, and least a couple of them needed directions. So I usually limit it to letting one in and leave it to those behind me to give the rest a break.
I was approaching a booth at one point slowing down as I approached and some idiot soccermom behind me in her minivan actually accelerated and swerved around very suddenly to pass me at the last minute and go through before me. Wow, heck of alot of time THAT little move saved her. Sometimes I really don't think people even realize how stupid and obnoxious their driving makes them look. Heck, Im sure ive probably looked like this too at some point without realizing it.
Then on the other side, everybody wants to race and nobody wants anybody else getting in front of them because they think it might delay their getting into the fast lane by a minute or two. Ive had people accelerate from behind me gunning for the same lane and stay right next to me as two lanes become one, refusing to cut me any slack whatsoever. A manual transmission certainly comes in handy.
You are definitely expecting way too much of your fellow drivers. You should be happy for any two of the above.
It's tough to maintain one's temper at such obvious sign of stupidity and/or ignorance.
Anyone else notice that many of the maniacs on the road tends to be idiots as well? I guess it doesn't enter into their mind that someone else might want to go faster than them.
Funny thing though - I see it all the time northbound but almost never southbound - and I have no clue why that is.
Also, I picture zippering up as when people can smoothly and efficiently merge with traffic during continuous forward motion. At tool booths you're basically driving like a maniac just so you can come to a stop faster.
The two instances are different different because at least in normal zippering traffic is still moving somewhat. In toll booths, Ill be moving forward maybe 5 miles per hours when someone out of nowhere will actually stick their nose in front of my car and barge their way in while we're almost at a standstill. At such low, almost non moving speeds barging in line can cause much more of a backup than zippering when a lane is ending. And it requires actually forcing another car to stop suddenly while you butt in, whereas effective zippering can be done without slowing anyone down. You let 2 line jumpers in and thats maybe 60 seconds saved for them but probably double that amount of time everyone else in line has to sit there and wait for things to start moving again. Everyone else is not stupid for waiting in line. Those individuals are inconsiderate for not doing so.
Isn't that the official motto of drivers in the Philadelphia region?
'no lines, no divisions, no signals, and no insurance.'
verozahl: The main artery into Philadelphia is the Schuylkill Expressway. Between the road design and driving habits of residents, it has earned the nickname of the "Sure Kill Expressway." Enough said.
Actually, I have to wonder if poor road design doesn't play a part the driving habits of Philadelphians (and in other areas, as well). The aforementioned Schuylkill Expressway was outdated the moment they cut the ribbon in the 1950s, and it hasn't been updated significantly since, despite a tremendous increase in traffic volume. The area around the University of Pennsylvania is especially scary. (Nothing like having oncoming cars trying to merge into the PASSING lane, especially when there is NO room for them to get a running start.) And Roosevelt Boulevard - well, let's just say that I avoid it whenever I visit the city!
And eharri3, hasn't the Route 202 interchange near King of Prussia been under constant construction for a few years now? Every time I visit Philadelphia it seems as though PennDOT is STILL working on it.
Harrisburg is dull and provincial in a lot of ways, but at least the few gray hairs I'm starting to see were NOT caused by the driving habits of the residents.