Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

fintail

Yesterday's winner - a gigantic semi with a huge moving-truck style trailer, one of those really low slung ones. He was pulling out of a parking lot, didn't guess the uphill part of the lot correctly, and bottomed out as he was entering the street. He was completely stuck, blocking 3 lanes (plus center turn lane) of a major 4 lane arterial. That created a nice case of gridlock. It was pouring rain, too. I will give credit to the cops for doing as decent a job as I can imagine getting cars to squeeze by.

Today's winner (so far): 0530 this morning, saw a minivan taxi ahead, on a 40mph arterial road. It would change lanes now and then, suggesting it was lost (don't these things have navi yet?). As luck would have it, the thing veered into my lane which became a highway on-ramp, and I had to jam on my brakes. The guy then went about 24 on a twisty ramp posted at 35 (meaning a 1952 London bus could take it at 70). The ramp splits to go to two different roads...he was in my lane, then veered over again to go the other way. I pity the poor souls who got stuck behind him on that busier road.

xwesx

Hahaha, fin, I pity any poor soul who lives in Seattle and has to deal with that traffic on a daily basis. Well, except yours of course. :P

I had to laugh regarding that stuck semi. I could not get home one day a few years ago because a pair of huge flat beds had come down my lane to deliver construction materials to a neighboring property. The driveways on that property had too steep of an incline, and as the truck navigated the slope, the weight would lift off the rear axle and it would spin out. The first truck in line kept backing out, taking a run at it, not make it, and then back down to repeat. The other truck was forced to wait in the roadway (not wide enough a road to get around it) while the first attempted.

I eventually got fed up, and went over to the driver to make a suggestion. At first, he blew me off, stating that "he knew how to handle his truck." "Okay," I said, "but the builder has a large front-end loader on the property at the top of the hill. Perhaps you should have him chain up to your truck and pull you up the drive." He would have none of it, so I made the same suggestion to the waiting driver, who, not so frustrated, went up to the site and asked the builder to assist. He did, they both made it up, and I finally, after about 45 minutes, made it home. :shades:

the_big_al

ha - I ran into a similar situation today. One of the towns (well the entire area actually) has roads and connector roads that are all weird and loopy. The road infrastructure here is a nightmare.

Anyway, I was on one of these connector roads to get from one "highway" to another and right in the middle of the road stretched across both lanes (this was a 2 lane road with houses on one side and a park on the other) was a Chevy truck. At first I thought the driver was going to back into the driveway, but nope. He just sat there. I figured he must have backed out of the driveway to go somewhere and then his truck died. I was the second car there and it wasn't till I tried to go around him that I realized what must have happened. As it was I had about 3 cars behind me and no real place to park to help push him out of the road. Then I looked down the road and saw a cop coming up and decided that I would just be a hindrance so I continued on my way...

fintail

Driving here is as passive-aggressive as the local personality in general. Either it's a breeze or the 10th level of hell.

I'd hate to drive a truck, I'd mess up a lot I am sure...but these professionals don't seem very professional sometimes.

fintail

At least the cops came!

I have seen blocking fender benders here that took eons for traffic control to arrive. My office overlooks I-90, and it is very busy in this area...when there is an incident, sometimes it takes awhile to get things going again.

fintail

Distraction yesterday evening - a Jetta with two huge dogs in it. These must have been St. Bernards or something. They completely filled the car, when they would jump around the car would actually bounce up and down a little. I shudder to think what would happen to them if the undoubtedly distracted driver smashed into something. A couple huge dogs barking all the time (I could hear them with my windows rolled up), one stuck its head out the sunroof when the car was going about 45 etc...tell me that's not going to impair driving.

the_big_al

over the past several days I have noticed an unusual amount of vehicles with dogs in them. Usually they are the small yippers that the owners seem to think it's okay to drive with them on their lap. Or sitting between their shoulders and headrest. Or some other place that is just as insecure and dangerous. I can only imaging the carnage that would ensue if the driver ever got into any kind of accident. Isn't there some law that is supposed to make this illegal?? Not only is it unsafe for the animal, it's almost as distracting as a cell phone.

jensad

What I really hate to see is a pick up driving along with their dog in the bed of the truck. My wife and I were driving along a city steet when we observed a Boxer dog fall out of the back of a pick up and another car ran it over.

Also seen dogs with some kind of restrain in the back of a pick up. When the driver made a quick stop, the leather restraint snapped the dog's neck. Made me very sad in that I love dogs and that time my wife cried as we drove on.

I am a softie for animals. On the job it really saddened me whe I say a car hit an animal. Had to do an accident report of a horse hitting a car on the freeway. The horse was dead, and the car was totalled. Driver escaped ith moderate injury.

Good luck to all and stay (and drive) safe.

jensad

davethecarnut

Call me old-fashioned, but when my past vehicles would die out on me, I opened the door, put my feet on the ground, one hand on the A-pillar, one hand on the steering wheel and started pushing to the side of the road. No big deal, maybe 30 seconds of blocking other people, then they would be on their way. No cops. Most often, not even a tow truck.
Nowadays I see "big men" just sitting there with a certain digit lodged in their nether regions and a stupid look on their face. Get out and push ya panty waists!!
Seriously...unless your wheels fell off or you broke an axle, you can push your vehicle off the road.
Oh yeah...my past vehicles were pickups. :P

fintail

I'd rather have someone yapping through a phone to me than a dog in my car barking, running around, eating interior trim, relieving itself, etc.

Just another distraction that falls to the sidelines when lower hanging fruit receive all the attention.

the_big_al

that reminds me of when I was in high school driving a beat up old farm truck. The poor thing had been run on propane for most of it's life, but when I got a hold of it, I switched back to gas. I had also blown the old motor in it and so some buddies of mine had dropped in a junkyard motor, but ended up using a lot of parts from the original motor included the carb. Since the carb hadn't been used for several years a lot of the seals were dried and worn and it would never run right. Plus we had the vacuums all switched around which made the problem worse. The thing ran so rich you could physically see the black unburnt fuel spewing from the tail pipe. (well from under the truck anyway since the mufflers and tailpipe were long gone)

Anyway, it would always fire right up and in warm weather, didn't have a problem running albeit very loud and rough. In cold weather however, it was a VERY different story. It would stall at every intersection and refuse to start back up. There were some mornings that I just couldn't get it to start on its own. After the first several cold mornings of this, I finally found a can of starting fluid ran the truck with the air cleaner off. At every intersection the truck would die, I would pop the hood, jump out, squirt starting fluid into the carb, jump back in the truck, roar it to life and then jerk it into drive across the intersection. It was pretty embarrassing to say in the least...

I never did learn though. Luckily the cold mornings only last a couple of weeks and I soon learned which intersections were the best to die at or to completely run. After the weather warmed up I never had a problem. I also never had a problem in the afternoon. Just in the cold morning when the temp was around freezing. Even warming the truck up for a few minutes didn't work either. It just wouldn't stay running at idle or power braked. It would just die. But it would fire right up after a shot of starting fluid and then I would have to jerk it into gear to keep it running.

Once I finally graduated (I was a senior the year I drove that truck), I finally took the truck to a good mechanic and half a day and $200 later, I had a perfectly running, never dieing, always starting, quiet running (relatively considering it still didn't have mufflers) truck. Why I didn't do that in the first place I'll never know, but oh well...

snakeweasel

I had a friend in high school that had an old beat up Volvo. The car was fine in all respects except that it would die whenever you stopped. My friend as he would stop would put the car in neutral as he came to a stop giving it a little gas to keep it from stalling. Well one day when I was riding with him we were coming to a stop and he overshot nuetral and put it into park at about 30 MPH. :surprise:

davethecarnut

I bet you guys wished he had a push button trans like Chrysler did in the old days :P

euphonium

Not me. '57 Belvedere Torque Flyte came with a faulty govenor & I thought the noise was the speedometer cable. In seeking factory support of repairs,Chrysler, Terminal Sales Bldg;, Portland told me to go to H__l so I traded it for a Corvair and Walter has never seen another $ out of my pocket. What a POS after the con rod scored the crankshaft. All of the above before 20,000 miles.

The above is the first reason I have for not caring to have my money spent on the retired UAW benefit obligations. Why reward poor craftsmanship?

m6vx

My friend as he would stop would put the car in neutral as he came to a stop giving it a little gas to keep it from stalling.

Many years ago, a friend of my brother always had cars that would stall, so he always drove with the left foot on the brake and right foot on the gas. At stops, he would give it a little gas to keep it from stalling (it's OK, gas was cheap then). After many years, he bought a new car with a manual transmission. The 2nd day he had it, someone pulled out in front of him and he slammed on the brakes. The only problem -- he engaged the clutch with his left (brake) foot -- and totaled the car.

snakeweasel

The Tollway here has open road tolling which means that if you have an I-Pass (transponder) you don't even go through a tollboth. You can drive from one end to the other and its just like driving on a freeway, no stops. Where tolls are collected there is and area where cash paying customers basically exit to an area off to the side pay their toll and then re-enter the tollway.

So where I get on the tollway going to work the entrance ramp feeds right into that area where cash paying travelers have to go through so I have to go through that gate. But in the far left side there is a lane for the I-pass. Well I am in a line of cars that move over to that far left lane for the I-Pass and I am following an Acura. Well the Acura decides to leave that lane and go through one of the manual lanes. So after he leaves the lane I start to close the gap between me and the car infront of me. As I do that the Acura decides to get back into the I-Pass lane and almost clips me. :surprise:

Later on a few miles up the road I am in the far left lane following a Mustang. Traffic infront of the Mustang was open and the Mustang was being a LLC. Traffic couldn't go around as traffic was in the right lanes just infront of the Mustang with no real room to pass the Mustang. Well after a very short time the Mustang merges over behind the car in the lane to the right of us and I start to overtake them both. As I am passing the Mustang he starts to merge back into the left lane. :surprise:

oregonboy

Obviously, you are driving an invisable car. :P

So, I have to ask, do you honk at the inattentive or just let it go?

snakeweasel

well the first all I needed to do was slow down and swerve a bit. The second my front bumper was past his front door when he started to merge back. For him I did lay on the horn moved to the shoulder and gunned it.

xwesx

Hahah, well, if you are still driving that black Elantra, snakeweasel, I suspect invisibility must be the case! :sick:

fintail

This was in the Hyundai, right? :P

snakeweasel

yeah I was on the way to work so I was in the Hyundai.

Just one question I have, since this was technically where I work could I claim workers comp if I got injured?

euphonium

No, it would have to be in the performance of your job duties, not just getting to the job.

oldfarmer50

Why do so many drivers in Florida tailgate?

I spent the weekend in the Tampa area and everywhere I went I was tailgated. Left lane, right lane, turning lane, parking lot, tailgaters everywhere. I am no slow-poke driver either.

Could it be the lack of snow and ice that makes these southerners so fearless?

snakeweasel

Well it has to be work related, say if I am walking to the lunch room for lunch and slip and fall then workers comp would cover it since I was on the employers property, but going to lunch is not "in the performance of my duties".

The workers comp was jokingly brought up since it is my employers property.

snakeweasel

Its Florida, the great retirement state. People there are old and can't see well so they have to get close to see whats in front of them.

jipster

You seem to have an awful lot of "run ins" with inconsiderate drivers snakie... a lot of close calls. You're not gunning it a little too quickly, to prevent other motorist from getting in front of you, are you?

ponderpoint

"Why do so many drivers in Florida tailgate?"

I think it's getting worse everywhere... I admit I drive like a geezer and tend to be a slower than the "pack" but for the first time ever, on the interstate (I-83 north of Baltimore), I had somebody do that "autobahn high beam flicker" because I was apparently not driving a speed to their liking.

So what's the problem? I was in the RIGHT lane!

I guess we turned into Britain overnight and I was not told.

Even more pathetic was the traffic was relatively light and the driver that was confused as to what country he was in simply couldn't wait for the car that was passing me (making progress, not "camping out") to complete the pass. When the "autobahn head lamp flicker" didn't work with the car passing me, he simply tried me.

Tailgaters are trying to control your vehicle plain and simple. It is belligerent and menacing activity and speaking of the autobahn, it is NOT tolerated in Germany - it's a serious offense with steep fines and penalties - any international drivers chime in here....

I wish America had the same viewpoint on it.

ruking1

I would also hope this is not happening for the edification of this august board, either consciously or unconsciously. :lemon: :shades:

fintail

That's bad...if you are in the right lane...it's his responsibility to simply go around if he wants to go faster. I hope you slowed down a little more.

Flashing high beams on the Autobahn is now discouraged and is debatably illegal, enforced at the will of German revenuers. Some speed demons on those roads simply leave the high beams on to catch the attention of dawdlers (also illegal but not enforced with any regularity). Another Autobahn practice is to leave your left signal on to encourage slower cars to move...I suspect over here nobody would get that. Of course, the LLC problem there is virtually nonexistant.

fintail

The car is the problem. My sister had a similar car, a dark purple Ford Contour (yeah, yuck)...in 2 years 3 people changed lanes into her, it was cursed. The car was replaced by a black Focus ZX5 which hasn't received a scratch from other cars.

ruking1

I generally stay in the far right (two) lanes. It usually surprizes the #1 lane (far left) LLC's to whatever "roger ram jets", that given a longer journey; I am normally app 2 to 10 car lengths behind. (at the most and a majority of times, ahead).

So for example, given 4 lanes in one direction, the only one who is not compelled to keep right (by that law-keep right except to pass) is the vehicle occupying the #4 or far right lane.

So.... when I find somebody in the #4 or far right lane, ( a tractor trailer driver with the hair on fire or whomever), I generally will change lanes to accomodate and if and when safe go back to the #4 or far right lane.

jensad

Hi snakeweaslel

In Calif. workman's Comp case law, there was/is has an interesting case law "in the course of business".

Many years ago I read a case of a comany representative was overseas "representing his company" and at the same time was, as delicately can be stated, was in the middle of a secual encounter while in that country.

A fire started killing him and his date. Anyway the wife sued and won a settlement due to her husband was doing his job, "in the course of his employment'.

Court said basically since he was performing his duties and his wife in the USA got a settlement.

I don't know if that situation would yield the same result, but then I read that in my case book in 1982.

Hey, I can understand what snakeweasel is saying. "It's a jungle out there with people driving their 4000 lb "toys", and have no clue as to courtesy, understanding that there is a rhythem to the flow of traffic

And at least in Ca., er,Disneyland, that there is probably millions of drivers that are driving with a suspensed, revoked, or no license at all.

I stopped drivers with licenses dated from 1950s, no license at all, fake ones ect...And I have been retired in 1980! Nothing changes except change. And probably nothing has changed.

One last thought. If you are driving about 65 mph, and a car that is behind you is honking his horn, or a patrol car is on your tail and using their siren, there is a very good chance that you will NOT hear them.

Snakeweasel take care of yourself, as I consider you and many others to be valued members, as Ruking mentioned" of this this august board".

Good luck to all and stay safe. And have a great week end.

jensad

snakeweasel

You seem to have an awful lot of "run ins" with inconsiderate drivers snakie.

Well I am in Chicago. :sick:

You're not gunning it a little too quickly, to prevent other motorist from getting in front of you, are you?

Well if you read my post you would know that both of these drivers were already infront of me them moved out of the lane.

jensad

Sorry about the typos. like seual, I meant sexual, and others. I am leaving to go to the movies with my grandson, and family.

jensad

stever

After posting, you may edit your post for 30 minutes. There's also a Spell Check button. We're all pretty fluent in chat typo these days though, especially so since texting became popular. :shades:

I remember reading about a similar workers comp case somewhere involving a game warden and an overnight stake-out.

oregonboy

Another Autobahn practice is to leave your left signal on to encourage slower cars to move...I suspect over here nobody would get that.

Actually, I have used that method and found it to be nearly as successful as the high-beam flash, (meaning it works about 15% of the time). HOWEVER, the turn signal technique has the benefit of not inciting road rage.

I posted a long story on this very board (a long time ago) about attempting both methods on a LLCing VW bus, with no success. :mad:

oldfarmer50

"...Sorry about the typos, like seual..."

No problem. I just assumed it was something REALLY dirty and kinky that I was not familiar with. Now I feel kind of let down.

oregonboy

I found it!

Driving south on I-5 between Eugene and Roseburg Oregon... nightime, moderate-to-light traffic... two lanes (each direction)... 65 mph posted limit, most traffic traveling 70-75.

I overtake a group of cars: 4 in the right lane with moderate spacing between, and an orange and white VW microbus in the left lane. The VW is passing the rear-most of the group at a glacial rate. I wait behind in the left lane. Traffic starts to pile up behind me.

Eventually, the VW clears the first of the cars in the right-hand group. There is plenty of room to pull over to let traffic by, but it continues, apparently intent on passing the entire group. At this rate it could take hundreds of miles.

I give two quick bursts of high-beams... no response. I put on my left blinker an drift two feet to the left, so that the blinker is clearly flashing in the VW's driver's side mirror. A minute later... the VW solders on. I don't think he's gaining on the other cars at all. In fact, he's lost ground and it looks ok to pass on the right... as long as he doesn't speed up to pin me in.

I decide to give it a shot, so I signal a right lane change, move over and pass deliberately (as opposed to "with extreme prejudice"). The VW doesn't appear to have changed speed.

I signal and move left. I pass the second car of the 4-car group in the right lane and as I approach the third vehicle, a newish white Ford pickup, I notice a decal on the driver's door: "Oregon State Police". I check my speed... under 74 (should be ok).

I slide on by, watching in my mirror for a reaction. The OSP pickup signals and pulls into the left lane behind me.

to be continued...

oregonboy

So after the OSP pickup pulls out behind me, I pass the last remaining car in the group, signal and move to the right lane. When the cop-truck signals and squeezes in behind me, I know I'm going to be stopped. Sure enough, flashing blue and red lights come on behind his front grill. I signal and pull over.

The trooper comes up to my window and says, "You probably thought I stopped you for passing on the right, but that was ok. No, the reason I stopped you was for following too close." I was surprised at this and said that, while I was a little closer than I would normally follow (because I wanted the VW to "Keep Right Except to Pass"), I didn't think that I was tailgating or driving unsafely.

He proceeded to warn me of the dangers of inciting road rage in others by driving too aggressively, cautioned me to be careful, and wished me a good evening. He went back to his truck and I went on my way.

A few miles down the road, I caught up with the VW bus again. This time he was all alone on the road... still cruising in the left lane. So I plowed into the back of the bus sending it tumbling off the road. It hit a boulder in the median and burst into flames. (Just kidding, I motored on by in the right lane). I would guess that the VW driver was pleased that he had been instrumental in my receiving a ticket. Or maybe he was "brain-dead in the fast lane" and was totally oblivious to the entire incident.

It wasn't until I had replayed the events in my mind that it occurred to me why the cop had stopped me.

Remember, he was many car lengths ahead of me when I was following the VW... there was room for me to safely pass on the right before I overtook the group of cars that he was cruising among. He was judging my following distance in his rear-view mirror, in the dark, while driving(!?).

And I had intentionally NOT driven directly behind the VW. My vehicle was two feet farther to the left, so that my left blinker would be unavoidably visible to the driver of the VW. The cop was watching the relative position of our headlights in his mirrors. He probably couldn't even see mine. He must have thought I was right on the other guy's bumper. Small wonder that he stopped me!

-james

euphonium

And the Krautkan was never pulled over for LLC? Amazing! :confuse:

ruking1

LLCing or "failure to keep right except to pass" is rarely if EVER enforced. The only place that I have seen that hints they might enforce this is on I 40 in Texas.

damnit1

I agree with you , these inconsiderate drivers are morons, with an " it's all about me " attitude !!!! they can go suck an egg !! :mad:

fintail

Wow, did you contest that ticket or at least think about it?

That he didn't go after the VW dawdler proves the inconsistency and irrelevance of many traffic law enforcement methods.

oregonboy

He just gave me a verbal warning. There is no way that a ticket would stand up in court, considering that he was (mis)judging the distance between the two cars in his mirror, in the dark. :P

Besides, my experience is that Oregon State cops in pickup trucks are usually not really interested in writing traffic tickets.

elias

I've seen/known-ofMA state troopers enforce left-lane stuff a couple times in recent years.
1: coworker was 80 mph in left lane, middle lane was clear, he didn't notice trooper on his tail at 80. trooper wanted to pass, but dude didn't move right. so trooper cited him for failure-to-keep-right as well as 80 in a 65. I had to laugh!
2: same road, 495S in MA. Dude in left lane was tailgating a semi-marked state-trooper! no bubblegum machine on the roof, but semi-faded/painted letters STATE TROOPER visible on the trunk. dude was gatoring 3 inches off the troopers bumpe at 80mph, the typical speed on that road. I go 74 in right lane so I can watch the entertainment. Trooper moves to middle lane, tailgator moves past him, and trooper moves to left lane instantly and lights up the hidden trooper-lights.
Moronic driver then attempts to pull over to the LEFT where there's no shoulder, and trooper starts shouting at him over the PA to MOVE RIGHT. At that point I zoomed past on the right to get out of the way. In rearview I saw that the idiot tailgator had pulled over on *left* partially blocking the highspeed lane. Insane!

ruking1

Too bad you didnt get this on video. !

oregonboy

I have often thought that it would be really interesting to have video running at all times in my vehicle. Of course, you would need at least 4 cameras, then the recordings would need to be reviewed and edited... dang, that would turn into a full-time job! :P

Still, it seems like every time that I take a long trip, I experience some sort of weirdness that would be fun to share. :shades:

fintail

A few fun people today. First was a Buick Lucerne LLCing on I90 about 20 miles east of Seattle. He did eventually move over after a mile or two. The driver was 80 at the very least, and I am pretty sure his dad was the passenger.

Got behind a pristine older 5er in a roundabout with a license plate frame that suggested he was a car enthusiast. Well, he couldn't handle the roundabout. He had some panic and abruptly stopped in it (it was empty, thankfully) then made a wobbly lane change and exited.

Then I was out at a 4 way stop, a young woman in a Civic hybrid was directly across from me, having arrived there first. She started to move directly forward, so I start to pull out and turn right. Then she guns it and abruptly turns left, so I was able to stop and let her past. No signal, no acknowledgment. A few blocks later she turned again, no signal of course.

Oh, and can Siennas and Odysseys go around corners at more than 8mph?

snakeweasel

Was a few cars behind someone at a stop light, light turns green with NO left turn arrow and the first cars just starts out and makes the left turn right infront of on coming traffic.

The great thing about this is that my sister was driving the car, it was our nieces wedding and we were going to the reception. I gave her grief over it the whole night. :shades:

euphonium

wear some form of head covering. Most common are ball caps and cowboy hats.
The cautious are ladies wearing hats and gentlemen wearing fedoras.

Other Goof Balls are those driving fast while applying their lipstick & cell phoning. :mad: