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Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

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  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    when a black Civic coupe comes screaming past me on the wrong side of the road (its a double yellow line, near a traffic light, meeting an uphill curve) blowing her horn and yelling out her window...something about "you slow b$%&*rd"...you get the idea.

    There is something about Civic drivers for some reason. To many Speed Racer wannabes in them.

    There is this stretch of road (maybe 3.5 miles long) that I take at least once a week where a lot of people do 50+, When I drive it I do about 40 (SL is 35 and it has residential areas on one side and wooded parks on the other) and often I get those idiots running up on my rear.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,423
    ROFL that was a great story....it never fails to please me when I end up right beside a guy who was weaving in and out of traffic a mile before.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    I was amused too, thats why i thought y'all would enjoy it! At least nothing bad came of it!
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    I was in a parking lot the other day, headed back to my car (this was my college campus) and when I got to my car (I park way out to avoid door-dings on the new car) there was a 90s model Taurus Wagon practically on top of my Accord. I couldn't fit between the two cars, and frankly I'm amazed the bozo didn't hit it! To leave a little it of annoyance back, I went around the car and lifted all three windshield wipers (it was a wagon) into the "car wash" position. It was lightly raining at the time, and I didn't mind getting wet, but I sure hope the driver of the Taurusaurus got mad, b/c doing that made me feel better, and didn't harm anyone.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Oh, I thought cops were always honest. ;)

    Reminds me of the lying cop who was moonlighting for our next-door neighbors to build a privacy fence. He said my wife stepped over the property line, when she didn't. The idiot neighbors pressed charges, and guess who the judge believed? My wife, who's never broken any laws, got convicted (30 days suspended) for trespassing!
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,423
    That's what they invented hitmen for...

    The driving habits are changing here. Instead of driving over-cautionsly in the rain in an area where it rains about 600 days per year, now the sun is out and it has fried some peoples brains. I guess dodging the idiots is safer in the dry vs wet.
  • whahappanwhahappan Member Posts: 69
    Or at least who the judge PRETENDED to believe...
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    That's what they invented hitmen for...

    Believe me, we've thought of that. Also, dumping a load of nails at their driveway entrance, calling their trash service to stop their weekly pickup, driving my company's water truck (sans license plates) all over their property late at night and dumping a load... you get the idea.

    The travesty at the trial was that the cop showed up in full dress uniform; never mind that he was just Joe Fencebuilder at the time of the alleged transgression.

    Also, he had been disciplined by the department before and required to have a psychiatric evaluation! I have learned that he has since "retired."
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,676
    An attorney acquaintance where I used to live talked about the judges really are skeptical of policemen's testimony because they are so eloquent on how to twist the amount/type of information they will give to make things work out their way. The judges are very open to letting any little crack in consistency of testimoney reduce the truth factor in the policeman's testimoney. The policemen feel it's their responsibility to do anything it takes to get someone convicted whom they believe should be convicted.

    About that same time policemen were being caught for drug-dealing, one stabbed his wife 30-40 times, and many more. It was a mess in the greater metro area because of the dishonest ones among the cops.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Unfortunately in my wife's case, it was a "he said/she said" situation, because there were no other witnesses.

    Also the judge appeared bored and distracted by the whole proceeding (this is General District Court in Virginia, the lowest level, where the judge hears a whole series of cases during the day typically without juries). He even talked about his upcoming retirement, as if he couldn't wait.

    So the judge went with the cop's testimony and not my wife's.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    ...Judges really are skeptical of policemen's testimony because they are so eloquent on how to twist the amount/type of information they will give to make things work out their way.

    You reminded me that this cop and our paranoid neighbors must really have spun a yarn to the local magistrate, who decided to proceed with pressing charges.

    My wife was not simply served with a warrant to appear in court; she was arrested in our home, handcuffed, and taken in the back of a police car a week after the alleged crime to the local jail. There she was patted down, booked, and ultimately released on her own recognizance.

    We learned later it was the magistrate who has the power to determine whether someone is served or arrested.

    I couldn't ride in the police car but had to follow in my own car. In the jail waiting room, I was like a caged jackal, pacing around and desperately figuring out what to do.

    I think if my older son (then 21) hadn't been home at the time to calm things down, I may have been hauled to the clink myself for obstructing my wife's arrest.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,423
    I don't think a profession exists where the bad guys ruin the rep of the good guys like it does for cops.

    Some people deserve less than legal justice.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    I don't think a profession exists where the bad guys ruin the rep of the good guys like it does for cops.

    Yeah, gotta agree, just look at the LAPD. OTOH, there's another profession that's become the butt of so many jokes -- lawyers. And of course, to get back on topic, there are car salesmen. ;)
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,423
    Someone was inconsiderate...today I saw what happens when a TSX and a first gen Avalon get in a fight. Believe it or not, the TSX fared much better.

    Here it's been a lovely sunny day, so all the CPAs and pharmacists who drive beige Camrys on weekdays are out on their Harleys. Maybe not inconsiderate, just annoying.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,676
    To help swing back to inconsiderate drivers some of the ones who are worst are ones with FOP badges or plates on their car. In crime 10-15% feel they are above the law and do things improper; in the car about the same drive that way--of it's their spouses driving that way.

    Special plates or badges on policemen's cars (or wannabes) should be outlawed. Let them get stopped and cited like everyone else.

    A new friend of our family is a policeman. I'll have to ask him about that problem. Spent day Saturday at an event with our kids; never though to hear what he says about FOP badges on cars. His doesn't have one.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • carlisimocarlisimo Member Posts: 1,280
    Odd one here. My sister was driving, and we were looking for a spot in a busy shopping center's parking lot. She saw one, but there was a car outside of it, in a position to turn into it (behind it, and perpendicular). No turn signals, and it wasn't moving, but my sister passed it and started circling around, looking for more.

    After a full circle, we saw the same car there, but this time it was in front of the spot. Maybe it was going to back into it? There was a second car behind the spot (where the first car was, when we first saw it), and it looked like a standoff.

    My sister thought that spot might be free, and there weren't any other spaces close to the store, so we made a third circle. The two cars were still there. No movement, no blinkers, nothing. So my sister went in between the cars, into the parking space. The lady in the first car came out fuming and shouted at her for taking "her spot." Okaaaaaaay... my sister said "next time signal and get in!" and left the spot, and found a good one shortly after.

    I feel like these weirdos are part of a big in-joke that I'm not privy too. They confuse me...
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,688
    Hahah.... no, they ARE the joke. :P
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • 1racefan1racefan Member Posts: 932
    One thing I never understood is getting into it with someone in a parking lot over a parking space. Even if I "win" and get the spot, I am leaving my car unattended in the parking lot while I am shopping, and open for the other party to possibly damage/vandalize it (you never know who you are dealing with these days). Dealing with a crowd at a busy mall/shopping center is bad enough in and of itself - no way do I want to come back to my car and find slashed tires, or keyed paint.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,423
    I usually park a little ways out, with nobody beside me. Usually by the time I am done shopping, other cars magically appear next to mine.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    I usually park far away too. I figure I could use the exercise. From the looks of some of those people in the mall they could also stand a little more exercise.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,423
    Exactly. I also don't like door dings, as I know how careless and irresponsible the lowest common denominator shopper usually acts.

    Many times it is also faster to park and walk than troll for a spot, too.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    Usually I drop the wife off at the entrance and park the car and meet her inside. One day many years ago during the heavy Christmas shopping season as I was dropping her off I noticed the closest space was being vacated. I thought what the hey and took it.

    Since this space was so close to the entrance I decided that when we bought something instead of lugging it around while we shopped for other things, I would let my wife shop as I put the stuff in the trunk. You should have seen the looks I got from people waiting as I closed the trunk and went back into the mall. :shades:

    I was tempted to tell my wife when we were done to take some more time and "look around, I'll wait for you in the car" just to see how long people would wait for me to move.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,423
    I used to do that all the time when I was in school...I would go to my car during long breaks between classes to drop stuff off etc, and the trollers would always look disgusted when I just turned around and went back. I bet it's a dangerous thing to do in Christmas parking lots!
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,688
    Well that, and the fact that more time was spent arguing or jockeying over the space than would have been spent walking to the building from 3x as far out! Even "circling" for a close spot is a waste of effort, as it yields the same result (minus, hopefully, the slashed tires!).
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,688
    Doh! Fin beat me to it by a good clip..... I guess I will just take that other open spot a bit farther out.... (the peanut gallery!) :blush:
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • black_tulipblack_tulip Member Posts: 435
    I saw what happens when a TSX and a first gen Avalon get in a fight. Believe it or not, the TSX fared much better.

    By that do you mean the TSX looked less banged up than the Avalon after the crash? I would rather have my car totaled than receive any injuries. Better the car absorb all the KE than me.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,423
    Well, the car that is the most damaged isn't necessarily the one with the best design.

    The Avalon's front bumper and grille/lights were completely gone - torn off. The hood was also jammed up a little. The TSX had very light damage to the rear and was certainly driveable, I don't even think the lights were broken.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Oh, it was a rear-ender then? Not surprising then that the frontal-damaged car got the worst of it.

    In this situation, it's common for the driver of the striking car to brake, which causes the front end to dive under the car in front of it. So, you end up with the classic damage -- grille and lights busted out and the arched hood. The rear-ended car usually ends up with only lower bumper scrapes and maybe some tailpipe or muffler damage.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,423
    It was kind of a rear corner impact...but I am still surprised at the damage. The Avalon wasn't just dented
    in, the front end and bumper was on the ground!

    Now that we are in a cold snap here, the idiots are out in the morning. It was pretty frosty here, and on the way to work I saw a Caravan with maybe a 4" x 8" viewing hole scraped out of the windshield. That was it.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,688
    Well, if it makes you any more comfortable, those same idiots are on the road every day..... they just aren't quite as visible (stealth idiots?)! :surprise:
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    A 4" X 8" hole is better than some I have seen. I even have seen people just turn on the defrosters and drive off as soon as the smallest hole appeared in the frost. :confuse:

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • smittynycsmittynyc Member Posts: 289
    Heck, as far as I'm concerned, we could make "Inconsiderate Parking" its own topic!

    Granted, my experiences are a little skewed as we don't drive during the week and mostly use the car from Friday night to Sunday night -- prime errand-running and "my weekend is more important than your weekend" hours. But it seems to me that I see at least one act of inconsiderate parking every single time I go somewhere.

    I saw a Valentine's Day traffic jam, of all things, walking home from the subway last night! Double-parkers in front of florists on both sides of a busy street had traffic at a complete standstill as they were preventing those big articulated city buses from getting through. I don't think there's a punishment stiff enough for that sort of behavior -- $1000 fines, automatic 6-month license suspension, you name it.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,688
    I cannot vouch for other drivers, but my car likes to "stealth frost" on me... especially after a light snowfall. I will sweep off the entire car, allow the thing to warm up, and with all windows clear, will head out. Then, 3-4 miles down the road, the heater will suddenly vaporize a bunch of snow that must get caught up in the intake somewhere and *Poof!* Instantly fogged up windshield. How fast it clears up depends entirely upon the ambient temperature, but it sure makes for interesting driving.... :sick:
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,688
    I am sure that anyone, in even a modestly sized city, would very much agree with you! Thankfully I have had very limited experience with city drivers, but I have found them (in general) to be the most *me* oriented drivers on the road. The irony of it is that they complain to no end about traffic jams, etc., but their selfish driving (or parking!) is the root cause of the vast majority of traffic delays. It is said that irony has an inherent humor.... ;)
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    Gee I never heard of that before. I know that certain times when I get back into my car after scrapping off the frost from all 8 windows my windows will suddenly fog up (I guess its from my breath) but they defrost almost as fast.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,688
    Yeah, I don't know.... this is the first car I have had that does it, but also the only "modern" car I have ever driven up here in Fairbanks. I am sure that in warmer areas, the ambient temperatures might not be cold enough to cause the moist air to condense/freeze on the windshield even if it does happen. Very strange though. On very cold days, maybe less than -10F, I have to pull off the road and wait for it to clear up before continuing. Otherwise, the air movement on the windshield keeps it cold enough that the defrost has little effect beyond the first 8" or so at the bottom of the glass. Warmer days allow it to clear quickly even while moving.

    Thankfully, it does not usually snow very often here, so the experience is infrequent and predictable (but not preventable!). Maybe.. I wonder if it would help for me to cover the intake vents with something while it is parked?
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    The problem with many cities is that there are to many people/cars and not enough space. It gets to be very impractical to own a car in many cities. My sister used to live in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, could never find parking anywhere near her. Half the time going to her house was spent looking for a parking space within reasonable walking distance (say 2 or 3 blocks).

    I kind of like living away from all that, where it is impossible to stand between two houses and touch both at the same time, where more than two people can stand in the front yard, where you can actually put lawn furniture in the back yard with plenty of room to spare.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    I wonder if it would help for me to cover the intake vents with something while it is parked?

    Moving to Hawaii would also work. ;)

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,688
    Hahahah.... see your previous post to answer that suggestion!
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    Oh I don't know, we were in Maui a few years ago, some of the areas there were pretty much devoid of human life. Hawaii is more than 28 times the land area of Chicago but has less than half the population. Hawaii's population density is 1.48% of Chicagos (or 0.7% of NYC's), even adding in the tourist population the population density still doesn't come close to a major American city.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    I have experienced something like that on my daily commute in cold weather. There's a spot on top of a hill (not particularly steep or high) where the outside mirrors will sometimes start to fog up (no heated mirrors except in my newest car). This is while moving at highway speeds. As I continue on, the fogging goes away. Must be some kind of scientific explanation.
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,296
    ...don't wave(thank you) when you let them out/ pull in front of you, from a side street.
    2021 Honda Passport EX-L, 2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    To be honest here sometimes in circumstances like that it gets to be a bit of a tight turn to make without drifting into another lane that has a car in it. It gets very hard to wave thank you when you have to have both hands on the wheel to make the turn.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,688
    Prompt action by the driver is thanks enough for me! When I do that, I am just trying to do my part to ensure we all get where we are going as quickly and safely as possible.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,688
    Well sure, it just has to do with relative humidity (this is probably a bad explanation!):

    At any given temperature, air has a finite capacity for holding water vapor. So, as air cools, assuming the water vapor in the air stays constant, the relative humidity goes up. The point at which relative humidity = 100%, any drop in temperature results in condensation (the classic example is morning dew!). Water tends to condense on surfaces first because it gives the molecules a nucleus (trigger) around which to form. Without that trigger, it is possible to have a super-saturated liquid (gas) in which saturation exceeds 100%, but I digress.

    So, if the surface is colder than the ambient air temperature, and the relative humidity is close to 100%, the cold surface will cool the surrounding air and condensation will result - your mirrors, facing the opposite direction you are going, have a pocket of low-pressure, slow moving air on their surface and high-speed air on their backs. As you go up this hill, the air is probably somewhat cooler (higher relative humidity), chilling your mirror as it sweeps past. The cold mirror contacts the somewhat warmer pocket (higher water holding capacity) on the other side and condensation results. As you go back down, the opposite happens, and it evaporates!

    The same thing happens with the foggy window, except that the air is artificially warmed by the heater and then contacts the cold glass (kept colder by the outside air sweeping over it). My question is, where is the pocket of snow that gets sucked into the heater only to be vaporized and then condense (and FREEZE!) on my windshield? ;)

    How's that for more than you wanted to know? :P
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,296
    "...sometimes in circumstances like that..."

    Yeah, I was thinking about certain circumstances like that where it would be dangerous or difficult to wave thank you.
    But, if I am right behind the person...how difficult would it be to raise your hand after the turn is completed. Just common courtesy.
    2021 Honda Passport EX-L, 2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere.
  • grandaddygrandaddy Member Posts: 66
    I was driving to work the other day and I noticed this car beside me was moving closer and closer to my lane. I glanced over and there was this woman driving along and putting on her make-up! She scared me so bad that I dropped my cell phone that I had cradled on my shoulder, it knocked the donut out of my other hand, which fell into the cup of coffee between my legs. Luckily I wasn't hurt too bad!!
  • black_tulipblack_tulip Member Posts: 435
    ...it knocked the donut out of my other hand...

    Ah, so you were done shaving by then!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,676
    And he had a paperback book propped up in the windshield...

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Thanks for the detailed explanation!

    So, it's like bringing a cold beer out from the house into a humid Virginia summer night.

    Speaking of beer, you sound like a fine fellow to have one with!

    Now, back to idiots on the road!
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