Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

imidazol97

http://www.platewire.com/

Online license plate comment line. State by state.

You can even send a postcard to the registered owner of the car telling them they're listen online...

Wonder how long this will last? Is it legal? They have the ability to send postcards to owners of vehicles in Ohio but if I understand correctly I can't write or go to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and get the registration info for a fee because that was taken away by some carrot-stick legislation during the Clinton era. People used to be able to get info on plates in Ohio.

Kirstie_H

This is fabulous - if it's anonymous, I may just have a postcard sent to some folks that I know.

Continuing the theme of not moving vehicles involved in minor accidents out of traffic flow, how about traffic stops? Around here, you'll quite frequently see someone pulled over for an offense such as speeding, and the cop behind them is partially blocking the right lane - not a lot, maybe hanging over the shoulder by a foot or so, but just enough to make the right lane unusable and force drivers to merge, very suddenly, into the left lane.

Which is more dangerous - the offender who was travelling 7 miles over the speed limit, or the police car protruding into a traffic lane?

Kirstie_H

Those giant, brightly colored, revolving lights on top of the vehicle generally serve as sufficient warning to avoid running straight into the back of a car parked on the shoulder. By attempting to prevent that unlikely accident, they're creating a far greater hazard, IMO.

But I agree - unless you have a reason to believe that the "offender" is a prison escapee, on the 10 Most Wanted list, or at risk of creating a high-speed chase as he attempts to evade capture, I don't see the issue with pulling off at the next exit, rest area, or scenic overlook.

xrunner2

Around here, you'll quite frequently see someone pulled over for an offense such as speeding, and the cop behind them is partially blocking the right lane - not a lot, maybe hanging over the shoulder by a foot or so, but just enough to make the right lane unusable and force drivers to merge, very suddenly, into the left lane.

There are some 2-lane roads (including a US numbered highway) in my rural area that have very narrow shoulders. On these, you can perhaps get one-half of your car off on the shoulder and the other half will be on the pavement. If you tried to get completely off the pavement, the right side of your car would bog down and most likely get stuck needing a tow truck or tractor to be pulled out.

The solution to not hitting a stopped police car with its butt sticking out is to slow WAYYY down as soon as stopped police car and flashing lights are spotted whether on your side of road or the other. Then, if on your side, proceed ahead and then move partially into opposing lane as necessary when safe to do so. Most folks around here are pretty good at doing that. I guess that the minority who don't slow down enough are in a hurry and are so self-important that they can't spend a little extra time for safety.

Kirstie_H

The solution to not hitting a stopped police car with its butt sticking out is to slow WAYYY down as soon as stopped police car and flashing lights are spotted whether on your side of road or the other.

Yes, I am fairly au fait with the mechanics & practicality of safely maneuvering to avoid an accident, thank you.

What I'm talking about is the unnecessary disruption of traffic on the interstate. I travel in to work on a 4-lane interstate with generous shoulders. During rush hour, one can frequently find a stopped vehicle with a police car behind it protruding into one of the 4 lanes. It's not that people don't want to avoid hitting the police car, but it forces a large volume of traffic to go from the prevailing speed of 65 MPH to near zero in a very short time in order to merge, and creates traffic congestion.

xrunner2

And, being Alaska where everyone owns a truck and everyone who owns a truck MUST have a ball hitch attached (even though 80% might tow a trailer once every other blue moon), the car typically ends up with a kaput grille, radiator, and (sometimes) engine due to the bumper height differential.

Some of the biggest jerks are those driving around with a ball hitch and no trailer. There are various varieties of these, the worst being the jacked-up pickups and with what seems an extended hitch and ball. I try not to park anywhere near these inconsiderates. If I absolutely have to park near one (no other spots), I will write down make, model, color of vehicle and license plate number before I go into store or other building. Then, coming back to car, I will look to see that all is OK with my car. So far, no problems.

One other thought about those gigantic protruding hitches. Hood ornaments were largely eliminated from cars because of danger posed to pedestrian. Think that protruding hitches pose similar danger.

Wonder what are state laws about having an unused hitch attached to truck/suv.

hammerhead

Officers do indeed offset their vehicles to, quite literally, protect their backsides while they contact the violator. Some agencies have their officers angle the parked patrol car so the front of it is more offset than the rear. Reason? If the bad guy starts shooting, the officer can retreat to his car & has the engine block between him & the shooter. Motorcycle officers will frequently use the passenger side of the car to make contact, since they don't have a car to use as protection.

Cheers!
Paul

xwesx

I do have a hitch and I do tow trailers on occasion, but if that trailer is not attached, the hitch and ball are under the seat in my cab. Granted, that was a learned habit because I used it at least a couple times a week the first summer I installed the hitch receiver and I never took the hitch out. Then I cracked my shin on it one day when I was walking around the truck in a crowded parking lot and, after a few choice words, decided it was a very simple task to pull the pin and put the hitch in the truck.

So, maybe these other drivers have yet to do that.

nightvzn

However to ticket someone who pulls over onto the shoulder to make a right turn so you don't block traffic is a bit extreme.

Indeed, I can't think of a practical justification for that, other than a mooing cash cow. Kinda like how I can't think of a practical justification for ticketing people for driving 80-85 in a 65 zone on open highways in good weather

ruking1

In CA there is literally no relief in sight!

CA recently passed a law that when there is an accident, or more operatively some one's off to the side of the road, that one change lanes. (the obvious intent is to give a bigger space cushion).

Makes one wonder how they will handle the inevitable fatalities (courts) due to this new law.

imidazol97

Ohio passed a similar law a few years back because people refuse to slow down on interstates, and other roads, for a problem. Some of these "my right to drive fast" speeders wouldn't slow down on an icy morning on I675 and one slid into officers working a wreck in the median. I believe she killed an office and a fireman. But she wasn't going to slow down that SUV to a safe speed for a black ice morning until she had to do so. Flashing lights weren't enough for this lady... If she wasn't in the wreck, she wasn't slowing down.

There have been a few others where people hit patrolmen alongside of the road-or at least their cars. So the legislators were pushed by grief-stricken friends and politicians to act. Is that an oxymoron to have grief-stricken and politician in the same sentence? :grin.

Kirstie_H

No. I am often grief-stricken when I dwell on politicians.

ruking1

I used to be sure that unintended consequences used to be well...unintended. However looking at how the MANDATORY insurance in CA works, I am not so sure.

CA past a MANDATORY (english translation; mandatory) car insurance (bond also) not too long ago. I t was passed due to a projected epidemic 25% non compliance. Now that the law is passed, ie mandatory insurance; there is still app 25% and growing non compliance, but there has been an interesting court translation: an at fault NON insured driver can sue some other INSURED driver.

I am swag ging the change lanes laws face a similar fate.

imidazol97

On two lanes interstates the traffic slows down because of a stopped vehicle anyhow. On multilane roads the slowdown should be minimal if the officer has room to move the victim and his car to the berm completely out of the traveled lane. That's usually the case here.

I've been on St.Louis interstates when visiting relatives in St. Charles. I can imagine the quick lane shifts coming over a rise and finding a police car in your lane during high traffic times.

It's really the officer's job to move things off the road completely to keep all lanes free. Anything else is inconsiderate (what's new though).

I saw a county sheriff on the median of 3 lane I75 with victim's car sticking out 1/4 of the fast lane; his car was completely off the road onto the berm and grass. It didn't look like he had just made the stop and hadn't yet had time to request the driver to move over further; it looked like he was writing the ticket.

This blockage caused a burp in the late "heading south to Cincy" morning drive traffic as the left laners darted over into the middle lane.

redmaxx

Actually seems to be the reverse here. I-10 you can have a car pulled over getting a ticket and traffic slows down to 10 under, and that is a 4 lane highway. Then on the two lane in each direction highway I take, if there is a car pulled over where there is barely room to get out of the car when you're on the shoulder, traffic keeps going at 80, 15 MPH over.

redmaxx

Haha, CA has nothing on AZ's 40% uninsured rate.

redmaxx

I believe that that is illegal in every state, you cannot pass on the shoulder. However to ticket someone who pulls over onto the shoulder to make a right turn so you don't block traffic is a bit extreme.

AZ would make a fortune if they ticketed for that. On highways without dedicated exit only lanes, it is not uncommon to see cars using it as a regular lane.

What really burns me though are the cars that use it when the highway is stopped for an accident. I literally see cars going for miles on the shoulder because their time is more important than everyone else's.

redmaxx

It's unclear whether this was the result of an "I'm a hybrid driver so I have an immutable right to the left lane" attitude, or an "I'm a California driver so I have an immutable right to do whatever the heck I feel like regardless of anybody else on the road" one. But ya gotta wonder.

It's the latter. I find that of all of the out of state drivers in AZ, the CA ones are the worst, by far. And since most of the people coming to our state are from CA, it is no wonder our highways are getting to be clogged with such awful drivers.

redmaxx

I understand it's different in CA, but in AZ you can move in and out of the lane freely. As long as it's not carpool hours, the carpool lane becomes the #1 lane.

redmaxx

Same in AZ. And, if the highway does not have a physical barrier, the entire highway gets shut down.

snakeweasel

Kinda like how I can't think of a practical justification for ticketing people for driving 80-85 in a 65 zone on open highways in good weather

I can its called speeding. :P

div2

Kinda like how I can't think of a practical justification for ticketing people for driving 80-85 in a 65 zone on open highways in good weather

It's called revenue enhancement.

nightvzn

Hmm, network effects/domino effect maybe? You get a few people seeing the pullover tapping their brakes to bask in the morbidity of the scene, and over four lanes of dense traffic, it spreads and amplifies, creating this viscous, gelatinous blob of slowed-down traffic.

On two-lane highways, though, there just aren't that many cars, so people can do their quick rubbernecking and keep roaring by. And if drivers have to process brake lights in front of them, at least the lights are only to the front and not to all sides.

As we all know, unknown disruptions in crowds produce paranoia.

nightvzn

It's the latter. I find that of all of the out of state drivers in AZ, the CA ones are the worst, by far. And since most of the people coming to our state are from CA, it is no wonder our highways are getting to be clogged with such awful drivers.

A few nights ago, with a passenger in my car, I was faced with making a right turn onto a major road and getting over to the left lane relatively quickly. (There wasn't too much traffic, so this was at least feasible.) I turned on my signal, checked my blind spot, and merged left. I repeated this three times in rapid succession until I was in my target lane. My passenger said "wow! That was so un-California-like of you! I never check my blind spot, I just blast into the lane."

I'll just leave that one alone. It speaks for itself in so many ways.

snakeweasel

I would hate to see the condition of their car and their insurance bill.

xwesx

I'll just leave that one alone. It speaks for itself in so many ways.

Was the passenger still in your car when you arrived at your destination? If not, you would have done us all an immeasurable favor! :P

nightvzn

Was the passenger still in your car when you arrived at your destination? If not, you would have done us all an immeasurable favor!

I think it went under the "futility of going after individual ants when you have a more central infestation" category :P

I'm still baffled that he's aware of this heinous behavior (as being very "California-like"), but just does it anyway. When in Rome...?

redmaxx

Not to get into an argument about speeding, but nightvzn said "practical" not "legal". There certainly exist roads and conditions that are conducive to 80-85 in a 65 without harm to others. The real crime is law enforcement going after these blocks of fast but safe moving traffic, instead of those that have the potential to cause more mayhem, people pulling out, running lights and stop signs, etc.

imidazol97

We had a driver who felt he could speed above the 50 mph limit or 55. He even was better than the typical speed of 65 in the 3 lane 75 corridor through the edge of the city. Changing lanes so he could make speed as he wanted to do.

Something went wrong. He bumped something. He ended up going off the right side off the 20 foot drop to a street below. And ended upside down.

He probably felt he was a safer driver and didn't need to follow suggested safe speeds. Oh, and none of the three wore seat belts. One dead, one seriously injured, and one walked away.

Sometimes people's judgement of their driving ability isn't reality. Luckily this guy didn't take anyone other than his friends with him.

redmaxx

Sometimes people's judgement of their driving ability isn't reality. Luckily this guy didn't take anyone other than his friends with him.

Correct. Some people can't even safely drive the speed limit.

nightvzn

Still, that's a bit different from what I was talking about..

When the traffic is dense and going a certain speed, there's no point in trying to get around them to go faster. This results in very bad things.

But on open highways that are pretty straight and flat with good weather? The speed limit often seems a bit silly and geared towards revenue, not safety.

I don't think I even really need to draw this distinction here ... I feel I'm preaching to the choir.

fintail

Indeed.

The limits don't seem to be directed at revenue generation...they ARE.

nightvzn

I understand it's different in CA, but in AZ you can move in and out of the lane freely. As long as it's not carpool hours, the carpool lane becomes the #1 lane.

Oh, same here (norcal at least). What I (and I think fintail) was referring to was quickly hopping into the carpool lane, during carpool hours, to get around one person who's cluelessly going slow and clogging the leftmost non-carpool lane.

I would never knowingly abuse the carpool lane just to cheat and get ahead of dense traffic, but if it's one person with a huge gap in front of him, refusing to yield the implicit left lane, I've been known to briefly compromise my principles. It's a personal judgment call that would never hold up in court, of course, and some people might vehemently disagree with it. I have accepted that.

snakeweasel

But that is a practical reason, a speed limit.

kapbot

Last week we had a pretty good ice & snow event in my area. I could rant forever about having to drive in those conditions, but yesterday I came up on an inconderate that really ground my gears.

The ice & snow came last Wednesday & Thursday. Aside from the obvious, it wasn't really that bad. But my car was absolutely filthy. I went to a self serve type place and the automatic bays were backed up quite a ways. I decided to wait behind someone else, and do it myself. All the bays were full, so I pulled in line behind a young man with a Scion Xa. To my left are two oversized bays for large vehicles, and the city salt/snowplow trucks were lined up over there.

Anyway, the Scion kid first soaks his car with the prewash. After a thorough soaking, he washes it off, then rinses. I thought he was about done, then he fires up the foaming brush and goes over the entire car again. Guess what, followed up with another wash cycle. Then the rinse. Then the spot free rinse. Took almost 20 minutes.

Please note that the ice & snow is melting, and you aren't going to get very far before your car is dirty again. Everyone else is doing a quicky job to get rid of the worst. However, I am now physically stuck in this line.

Once Scion boy leaves, I do the quicky job I planned from the start, takes about 5 minutes, max. As I start to leave, a suburban stops in front of my bay and camps there. Soon, I noticed that he was blocked by one of the salt trucks that require a 3600 point turn to exit the wash bay. So that took a good 5 minutes, and then another few to wait for the line that backed up behind the Suburban. AArrgh!

OK, now that I wrote this it wasn't so bad, but I really wanted to get out and go berzerk on the Scion kid!!

Edit: this occured the next Monday, several days after the "storm".

xrunner2

After a thorough soaking, he washes it off, then rinses. I thought he was about done, then he fires up the foaming brush and goes over the entire car again. Guess what, followed up with another wash cycle. Then the rinse. Then the spot free rinse. Took almost 20 minutes.

While time was the inconvenience, would guess that he probably left the car wash bay usable by next person. Every once in a while I see a jacked-up pickup with multiple lights on the roof, rollbar and loaded with mud - wheel wells, body, etc. either in the stall or waiting to get into one. Don't get in line behind one of these inconsiderates. They will leave piles of mud all over the car wash floor and you will end up stepping in it.

kapbot

Very good point.
What really hacked me off was the obvious fact that no one was going to get even a mile away without driving through melting muck. Why spend all that time & money when your girlfriend is still going to have to deal with the filthy lower third.
In my (perfectly logical) mind, the only point of a car wash in this weather is to remove the worst of the crud, and clean out the door sills.
I have managed to be a recipient of the inconsiderate mud washer.

v_lad

my friend was driving middle lane of almost empty hiway when a light truck in right lane overtook him and cut off. Rapid reaction to brake and steer left (left lane empty) prevented collision with "a couple of inches left between front right corner of my car and rear-left wheel of the truck". Truck belongs to an auto-repair business.
Now I wonder: was it "inconsiderate" or done on purpose?

euphonium

We will be in your area this weekend with our Green Geezer Racer making no quick moves, cruising at the speed limit, signaling lane changes, using the HOV lanes, and driving sober. Let your patience with us be developed. Thank you.

Euphonium

P.S. We'll return Christmas to do the same.

fintail

LOL...merge at a rate comparable to the flow of traffic, don't camp out in the left lane, and don't pull out blindly in front of oncoming cars on city streets, and I'm happy. I suspect you don't do those anyway...but so many around here do.

I got pull out in front of this morning about 5:45, woman in an older Acura, I was going about 40 in a 40, xenons and fog lights on, so she shouldn't have missed me. She dawdled out in front of me, forcing me to brake, and then went about 20. She was rifling for her purse. For phone, makeup, or food?

andre1969

in passing in the subcompact car thread, but thought it would be a bit more appropriate here. Last Friday, I got rear-ended in my '85 Silverado...AGAIN!! :mad: The last time was back on October 13.

I was stopped in gridlocked rush hour traffic in DC, in the center lane of three lanes. Traffic started to edge up, so I let my foot off the brake, and then when I couldn't go any further, stopped again, and felt a little tap to the rear. Looked back to see a Hyundai Elantra (not Snakeweasel's :P ) with its passenger-side fender wedged up under my bumper! The girl driving tried to cut over into the left lane, which had fewer cars in it, but misjudged and cut it too close, clipping my bumper.

Damage was quite minor...just bent the left side of my bumper down a bit, and punched in her fender pretty deeply. What I really love is the attitude of people, though! The first thing she wanted to know was why did I stop?! She thought that since I started to go, I should have kept on going!! Nevermind the fact that I can only do what the cars in front of me do. :confuse:

I ended up talking to her mother on the phone, because it was her mother's car and the daughter didn't have the insurance info in the car. And the mother asked me the same thing?! The mother made a comment about how I probably stopped too short when I should have kept going, but she understands that since they did the hitting, it's their fault. I love it though, the way people try to twist things around.

No, lady, the accident happened because your daughter was too close and not paying attention. NOT because I stopped my truck!

xwesx

Hahaha... that's classic. Were you sure to apologize? Sheesh, the inconsiderates we have around here. :P

ruking1

Those comments repeated twice ought to rate you renting a truck for the duration of the time your's is in the shop. You probably ought to go to the back doctor and also the chiropracter. This 200 gig should probably turn into a 3,000 dollar gig to their insurance company, easy.

xwesx

Had a similar situation this morning. I was in a merge lane behind a large white Dodge pickup, merging onto a small 4-lane road with light traffic. There was no traffic coming up on us from behind, and this Dodge jumps out from the merge early, driving all the way into the left lane without signaling. Okay, no big deal. I continued down the merge to take the right lane, driving between 35-40 in a 35. As I am entering the right lane, the driver of the Dodge (driving at about 30) jumps back into the right lane - again without signaling - and forces me nearly off the road until I can slow enough to dodge in behind and over to the left lane (after a signal, of course). I had little choice but to brake as I was only up to about mid-cab on this pickup when the move was made, but I sure am glad there was nobody using the sidewalk on my right and that traffic was light, as it could have been messy. Turns out this driver wanted to make a right turn only two blocks down the road, but there were two problems here: 1. cutting straight into the left lane (and sans signal, no less), then 2. changing back into the right lane while it was occupied and failing to signal while doing so. Had a signal come on, I would have at least had time to react by either slowing or accelerating to provide the other driver with a clear path. Amazingly, when this driver did turn right, a signal was used. :confuse:

andre1969

Those comments repeated twice ought to rate you renting a truck for the duration of the time your's is in the shop. You probably ought to go to the back doctor and also the chiropracter. This 200 gig should probably turn into a 3,000 dollar gig to their insurance company, easy.

Y'know, I actually thought about that. Well, at least getting a rental car out of the deal, not the part about the back doctor, chiropractor, etc. But I just wouldn't feel right about it.

About 14 years ago, a good friend of mine was in a car accident that, as far as I'm concerned, was his own fault. He had just gotten his license (he took the test using my Dart, in fact) and one night he was out driving late with his girlfriend and was lost. When he suddenly saw that his exit was coming up, he tried to cut right at the last second...from the left lane of a 4 lane divided road! He cut someone off and got hit, but because they did the hitting, they were found at fault.

Worse, his father helped him milk the insurance company to the tune of roughly $5,000! The 1987 Escort he was driving got totaled, and they worked in some bogus medical bills as well. After I found out about that, it just changed my whole perception of my friend...and his father!

In the end, the insurance company is no worse for wear, though. They just turn around and milk the rest of us! :mad:

ruking1

No good turn goes unpunished, eh?

kapbot

This morning, I took a quick trip to the local Quick Trip convenience store. (Sorry!!). I approached a four way stop intersection to make a right turn onto the road leading to my destination. I made a complete stop, noticed a Honda Insight coming up on my left to the stop sign. In other words, I'm making a right turn onto the road the Insight is on, going the same direction. I was there first, by a long shot. The thing is, the Honda had no intention of actually coming to a stop. I believe this is known as a California stop.

Anyway, I already made the turn, and immediately noticed the Honda on my bumper. In no way, shape or form did I cut this guy off. He's just being impatient. I'm going about ~ 32 in a 30, just because this guy is trying to mate with my rear bumper. I mean I can only see the roof of his car in the rearview!

Even though my highly developed immature side was begging for a quick check if the ABS is working properly, I just continued on at a steady speed, just over the speed limit.

The Honda never relented, and remained glued to my rear for about a mile, until the road widened into a four lane. This is a residential area, by the way. I stayed in the middle as long as I could, but eventually got over to the right, as my destination is a right turn just after an intersection, witch is where the road gains the extra lane.

The extra lane begins about a 1/4 block before a lighted intersection. He see-sawed several times and flew into the left lane once he realized I was taking the right lane. Of course, we both had to stop for the red, and my store is just past the intersection to the right.

When the light changed, he took off as quickly as possible, and I did the right thing, and just did my thing. As soon as his rear bumper passed me he swerved into my lane, but who cares, as I'm already on the brakes to make my turn into the parking lot.

I'm glad I just really brushed it off and tried not to let the jerk bother me, my immature side really wanted to pace him on the right, making it impossible to ever pass me.

The whole point of this is:
If you are the tailgater, why not just make the illegal pass on the double yellow, and go about your moronic way? Clearly getting busted for traffic infractions isn't a concern for you!!

Rant over, I feel better now.

fintail

I was an Insight...it could have hit you (or you could have ran him off the road or brake checked him into ICU) and barely left a scratch. You show great restraint...

nightvzn

You probably frustrated him more by not reacting to his antics anyway.

xwesx

Indeed. Excellent use of restraint. It is sometimes very difficult to overrule the "highly developed immature side," especially when the other person is relentlessly begging for a reaction.

It always turns out better, though, when behaving as you did in this situation.