Strange thing is, most of the time these things don't have kids in them...just an aimless suburbanite yapping on the phone or eating while driving, and driving like they have a car full of unboxed Lalique crystal and Faberge eggs.
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 in front of on coming traffic.
I'll admit I have done this before. But, only if the car in the opposing lane hesitates and the intersection is "loose" enough to permit this maneuver... only for the experienced driver.
OH MY GOSH, I SEE SOME CRAZY STUFF LIKE THAT HERE IN OKLAHOMA, I DRIVE A DELIVERY TRUCK AND LET ME TELL YOU ,I SEE SOME CRAZY STUFF OUT HERE !!!! :surprise:
Unfortunately around here it is not uncommon to see some idiot floor it and make a left turn infront of oncoming traffic the second the light turns green.
For my guy of the day, I am at a light in the left lane, the right lane ends about 100 feet after the intersection. The car in the right land keeps inching out further and further until he is almost completely in the intersection when the light turns green. Ok so the light turns green and I start to go but not to fast (RPM's never went above 3K) and the guy who wanted to get ahead of me just sits there. :confuse:
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I saw the opposite of this not long ago. Waiting at a light where there are 2 lanes going straight and 1 lane for left-turners in each direction. The left-turners on both sides get a green arrow while all other lanes have red. Green arrow lights and someone going straight in front of me takes off across the intersection. Luckily the left turner facing us hesitated.
It is quite often someone in this situation takes their foot off the brake at the sight of the green arrow, only to realize their mistake and reapply the brake. This was the first time I saw someone not give it a second thought and just drive right through.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I watch for the drivers with the "death grip" on the wheel. Usually their head is tilted forward towards the wheel, why I have no clue.
But their death grip tells me to steer far away as they many times turn w/o signals, and not withstanding the car in front of them is 50 yards ahead, they will abruptly apply their brakes and slow down to an even slower speed then they were just traveling.
And it seems that this time of year, people are concerned with other things and forget to drive courteously. Me too. But I catch myself and try to adjust MY driving too.
I always hated to work the mid night shift when there was a full moon, and it was raining. But then working the 10 pm to 6 am was usually busy and strange. Especially so with full moon and rain.
Seems like all of us are experiencing strange driving in the states we live in. Or maybe its "normal".
I have seen that many times. Hands superglued at 10 and 2, driver sitting too close to the wheel, head straight ahead (tunnel vision no doubt), and tapping the brakes each time they touch the speed limit. These are the people who freeze up in merge situations and at 4-way stops, too.
Some times I wonder why the instinctive first reaction is for folks to step on the brakes when really it is NOT needed. Sure I can appreciate when the GIF (guy/gurl in front) is signalling for a real reason (debris, traffic slow down, etc), Higher speeds are hardly a factor in that lower speeds seem to go along with increase use of "non essential" use of brakes.
Seems like all of us are experiencing strange driving in the states we live in. Or maybe its "normal".
I agree with that - Strange is normal! That said, though, I have noticed very little odd-ball behavior lately and even less dangerous behavior. One consistent annoyance I encounter is the road sheriff who feels compelled to leave high beams on after being passed, likely due to feeling resentment for one reason or another. Perhaps there is a feeling that the other driver is going too fast, or perhaps it is because that driver owns that particular road. Not sure, but I do not know it is not usually cluelessness, since those same drivers will quickly dim lights for oncoming traffic, then light them back up after the other traffic is gone.
It is truly amazing how selfish people can be, and you know these same folks will be the first to raise hell if another driver did that to them. :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
It seems that some people think that dimming high-beams is only necessary for oncoming traffic. Perhaps their mirrors are so far out of adjustment that bright lights behind them don't annoy, so they don't understand that it's a problem. :sick:
Some drivers seem to use their brights constantly on divided highways. They don't dim for oncoming traffic OR leading traffic, (plus, they usually camp in the left lane). This wasn't such a big deal in the days of dim sealed-beams, but with today's uber bright lights, it can be painful. :mad:
Today, as I was driving my school bus, I was cut off by a car pulling out from a side road. The guy was yacking on his cell phone (illegal in NY) and had a dog in his lap. From the looks of him he wasn't even aware of the bright yellow, 35 foot long, 10 ton object that almost killed him.
Then again, maybe the dog was driving. :confuse:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I see people braking randomly often, especially on freeways. Just the other day I was being tortured by a drive on 405, and I noticed a Volvo that would tap its brakes every 20 seconds or so, on flat ground or down the slightest incline. It was barely touching the speed limit, if that. People touching the brakes for no reason slows down the entire flow and adds to the chance of backups.
Even worse on the 405 ( LA LA land) ! I am sure you would agree with me (or should I say I agree with you) that such faster (in general) moving compact traffic really depends on folks' (overall) cooperation It is not a good place to act like a D.A. :lemon:
The relentlessly timid should keep to the side roads. I wasn't directly behind this Volvo either...it wasn't brake-checking anyone...it just was afraid of hitting that dangerous 60mph on a nice Sunday afternoon. I think I yelled to myself "stop that!" after the 4th or 5th brake application. It annoys me, like the creeper-uppers at long stop lights. One dope hits their brakes for no reason, everyone behind him notices and slows down, and then suddenly everyone is going 50 in a 60 on a wide open road, and tempers are getting hot.
Folks may be surprised, but one (many) can move along at a good clip on LA LA land freeways. That kind of seemingly random brake use really messes with the orderly flow.
An interesting thing I saw (coming out of Santa Barbara toward LA ) on a Sunday morning, was app 35-40 cars back, I saw what seemed to be a large van with flashing lights in the number one lane heading in my direction at a fairly good clip. As it passed the signs on the vehicle said County bomb squad. He floated on by me at 85 mph and the interesting thing was he didnt break stride as EVERYONE in the #1 lane pulled to the number two lane to let him by. As soon as he passed, most everyone got back behind him into the number 1 lane.
As long as someone doesn't change lanes in front of me and slow down or brake checks, (like its my fault he cuts in 2 feet in front of me) then I am ok. I guess one clue that I am a "foreigner".... I still signal.... even in LA LA land traffic..
I am sure you will know the Caldecott Tunnel that separates Oakland and Orinda.
I was going to an accident ont the Oakland side one day and I actually had my red light and siren on. (Most of the time its faster to not use either to get thru traffic but this day I was driving in "style".)
As I entered the tunnel, a very slow driver stopped in the right lane. Since there is only two lanes in the tunnel, I locked up and stopped behind her. She then drove on through the tunnel and I finally got her stopped on the right shoulder.
Another unit went to the accident as I was tied up with this sweet lady. She told me she was told to stop on the right for a red light and/or siren and I commended her for her due diligence.
But I then "suggested" that next time she consider driving through the tunnel and THEN stopping on the right shoulder.
She learned something new, and I learned something new. I.e. turn off your red ligth and siren in tunnels.
Good ending and no one was hurt.
Good luck to all and stay safe.
jensad
PS. It seems like whether its in the mide west, east, north, south, and/or Disneyland, er... Cal the same discourteousness and lack of common sense prevails. But there is also good drivers that post on this distinguished board!
A bit scary and glad you were "on your toes" and prepared for literally anything.
I think even folks who have driven for "a long time" and probably safely, I might add, should re-read the DMV pamphlets and make appropriate adjustments to their driving styles consistent with safety AND updated DMV laws. In the example you gave of that lady, stopping was probably the absolutely WRONG thing to do!? It is further oxymoronic that she was probably following the spirit, intent AND letter of the law!?
I was almost forced to re-read the DMV pamphlets, when both my daughters were getting their leaners permits AND licenses. A clue to those who are going through that experience read the codes BEFORE you put them behind the wheel. You may be inadvertently giving faulty advice.
Here are some easy ones.
1. I was taught if you drink- dont drive. If you drive dont drink. Pretty simple stuff. However that is NOT the law. You actually can drink and then drive or drive and then drink. It all now depends... probably has been true all along! How much do you weigh? How much did you drink? What did you drink? Depends if you are caught. If you are caught, do you come under the figures, etc.
2. I was taught do NOT change lanes in an intersection. Again latest laws says you can
3. I was taught signal !!!! Now a days who does? Who cares? Who actually enforces?
4. I was taught give "ample" lead time for signalling (hopefully obvious reasons), Ample has given way to 100 ft. So if it is 100 ft, i.e.,@ 60-65 mph.... why bother!!????? :lemon:
Traffic could move along here too, if people could stay in the correct lane, pay attention, and brake only when needed. No need to tap the brakes if you are approaching 1mph over the limit.
Today I got behind a brain addled trophy wife in a Q7 with ugly aftermarket wheels. I couldn't see what was going on as it had tinted windows, but I am pretty sure she was eating. She'd go 24-30 in the left lane of a 30-35, and hit her brakes when the road jogged half a car length to allow a turn lane.
I couldn't agree more, Fin. Braking causes accidents. Not accelerating. Those people who brake for no reason drive me nuts. And I'm NOT behind them. NOBODY is is in front of them! As I'm passing them, I'll mouth the words "Why are you braking?" I'm gonna have one of those magnetic signs printed with "Why Are You Braking?" backwards so I can put it on the front of my hood where it meets the grill. Or even one that says "The More You Brake, The Closer I Get" :P
Oh I don't know about that, just about everyone that has hit me was accelerating at the time and at no time was I braking (although a few times I was stopped). FWIW if you run into someone who is braking it wasn't their braking that caused the accident, it was your following to close.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I will agree with you on that one, most of the time.
So, I experienced a classic yesterday on the way home. No, not a classic car, a classic "I own the road" type. I must have set myself up for this, as I was just saying to jensad a few days ago that everything had been smooth as butter for many weeks.
I was headed home at about 1745 last night (gets dark here now about 1600), driving on a two lane, 50 mph road about 4 seconds behind another car. It was just the two of us within a half-mile ahead or behind. As we approach an uncontrolled intersection with a left turn lane, the car ahead signals left. About this time, a pickup pulls up to the road from a drive on the right.
As the car ahead of me begins to pass the drive, the pickup pulls out, turning right, in front of me! I was completely shocked, as I expect folks to pull in front of me when it is perhaps questionable whether they will slow me down or not, but I was only a few seconds back from the first car! Since the car leading me had pulled into the left turn lane just ahead, I could not swerve around the truck without risking a collision with the car (and I would prefer the truck collision, as that was the instigator). I slammed on the brakes and hoped that eff'n truck was going to accelerate with some gusto. Otherwise, I would not be able to stop in time. Well, he did, just barely, and he started pulling away when I was about 10 feet from his rear quarter. I should note that we have snow here, and have for probably six weeks, so evasive maneuvers outside of driven lanes can be tricky, especially with a crappy old FWD Ford Escort.
Well, I now had time to get a good look at this yahoo, and he was definitely one of those A-types. His truck was lime green with all sorts of obnoxious graphics, neon "underglow," and personalized plates. To top it off, he had those bright blue headlamps that everyone hates so much, and he had on his brights to boot. While I sauntered along behind, I counted five amongst the many vehicles that passed the other way who flashed him, yet he never turned down his lights.
To top it off, the other car and I were going about 55 mph before we encountered this fella, and he was in such a hurry that he nearly caused a collision, yet after getting on the road and up to speed, he never broke 50. :sick:
All said and done, though, I still made it home in one piece.
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
Somebody got in a snit because they couldn't pass..... In the right lane?
Last I checked, the left lane (or lanes in some cases) are for passing, not the right. I'm already doing "at least" the speed limit in the right lane.
If "Flash Bazbo" can't realize that the left lanes are for passing and faster traffic, he/she is going to have a short miserable little life probably ending in an auto accident.
Hopefully he'll end up with some of the trashy tack ons on his rig being inoperational soon...
I once had an old man pull right out in front of me like that...he was in a Lincoln or Caddy or some other barge. I then got pissed, floored it, and passed him...and he laid on his horn as I shot by. Yeah, like it's my fault you pulled out in front of me so hard I had to dive to slow down, and then you wouldn't even go the speed limit.
Speaking of dark, it is dark here by 1700 now, and pretty dark even at 1630 - yet today in 15 minutes I saw 4 or 5 cars with no lights on at all. People are absolutely oblivious.
We have a ton of those down here at the Jersey shore. There are loads of retirement communities full of big cars that get driven slowly except for that one moment of pulling on to the road. They'll zip right in and then go 20 under the speed limit.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
I enjoyed your post as you made it easy for me to picture what was happening. You were most fortunate not to have an accident. Just a wild guess here, it sounds like the other driver may had had a few drinks before he/she hit the road. Glad you were ok.
"...If "Flash Bazbo" can't realize that the left lanes are for passing..."
Have you considered that it was a beautiful young woman who was trying to get you to pull over so she could give you her phone number?
On a more serious note I was traveling on a state road today with two lanes in both directions. A crash had occurred blocking both opposite lanes requiring the two lanes of oncoming traffic to merge into the median/turn lane in the middle of the road. As we passed we could see at least one person laying on the pavement being worked on so we knew it was serious.
About a mile down the road as people realized that the lanes ahead were blocked they were merging from two lanes into the one middle lane. Stuck in the middle of all this was a paramedic truck with lights flashing unable to move forward because of any number of inconsiderate boobs cutting it off in their race to merge.
I just wonder how these clueless dolts would have felt if upon being first to pass the accident scene they discovered that it was one of THEIR loved ones being denied medical assistance because of their selfishness.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Stuck in the middle of all this was a paramedic truck with lights flashing unable to move forward because of any number of inconsiderate boobs cutting it off in their race to merge.
My wife is filipino and she says that in the Phillipines no one moves over to lights and sirens.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I watched a Sheriff's truck about get creamed by cross traffic last night as he was trying to cross an intersection. Of course he was trying to cross against the red, but he had full lights and sirens and horn blasting trying to get through, but the far lanes wouldn't stop for whatever reason. As he kept trying to get across (he was right in front of me. If I had decided to gun it I would have T-boned him - not that I was even thinking that, but I say it to give you the visual of where he was trying to get to and where he was at in the road) but each time he would inch forward another car would zoom across the intersection.
The show "COPS" was on last night and if you've been the victim of a road rager this episode is for you.
I think it was Broward County/South Florida and the exact phraseology was "Sir you cut off two other cars and then started tailgating me" The road rager then turned out to have illegal drugs which is a good bust but I was more satisfied that this road rager was caught right in the act.
Urban and expressway areas need more unmarked police activity and "shame penalty" which means you post the little %$#%#'s faces and names after convicted of road rage activity. Start with the internet and then maybe the local news could run a segment for a minute.... call it "Road Rage Losers" or something like that...
Need to get these cowards out from behind the cloak of their tinted windows and splash their loser-ville/get-a-life faces on the internet.....
"...The road rager then turned out to have illegal drugs..."
I saw that show. The dope also had a shotgun next to him in the seat. Turns out he was a felon with a long rap sheet which included everything from robbery to child molestation. :mad:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Yes indeed ruking1, it sicken's me also to "catch and release". I used to do that when I was young with FISH, not freeway slugs and/or drug/alcohol slugs.
I remember reading where England sent many of their convicts to Australia. Now its a great couintry. Maybe we could here in Disneyland, send our group to the moon. Or mars. Oh well I am glad that the COPS epidsode sent the arrestees to jail and he/she did not collect $ 200 and get a get out of jail card.
I busted a intoxicated driver, observed him convicted, and the judge took away his license for six months.
The next week as I am driving my car to work, guess who I saw pass me on the freeday? You guessed it, the same goof ball I had bagged several weeks before.
Res Judicata....
Good luck to all and stay safe, and have a beautifull Sunday.
If this is not an appropriate place to discuss this, I will take my lumps and apologize, but I have read in passing (in the process of researching other things) so no links saved; that every situation as you had described was preceded by almost 2000 acts of that same person DUI . (I know I am not using the professional lingo here) I was at first stunned in an episodic sense. On reflection, it makes sense as it is more of a lifestyle choice. It is just that someone like you noticed and were able to (under color of authority) do something about it.
Today I am driving down a major 6 lane road, 30mph commercial area, moderate traffic. I am in the right lane as I will be turning soon. Suddenly a car veers over from the far left, cutting sharply across the middle lane and cutting me off, then hitting the brakes (luckily I had already slowed down) and turning into a Whole Foods parking lot. The car was a Lexus ES, and I won't say anything about the driver, but I bet some people here can guess some of the demographics,
I also saw a guy in a pseudo hot rod late 70s Malibu having a road rage incident with a Taurus. He was revving his smallblock V8, flipping the guy off, then tried (and failed) to pass him in the middle turn lane...then when he tried to pass on the left, Taurus guy floored it, and surprisingly was faster than the old Chevy. Pretty lame.
Yeah Fintail, that late 70's Malibu you described had to be running a 305 which cranked out during that period about 145-150 horse. Absolutely no chance against a V6 Taurus or Chevy of fairly recent vintage. Amazing.
The real point of this is I am delighted the idiot got blown off thinking himself a hot shot and in control of his entire road. Love to see that.
"moderate traffic. I am in the right lane as I will be turning soon. Suddenly a car veers over from the far left, cutting sharply across the middle lane and cutting me off, then hitting the brakes "
See it all the time. My wife calls them "swoopers"; drivers that stay in the center left or far left lanes until their exit or turn.
Do they know they have to exit/turn there? Sure, been turning/exiting there for the past g-zillion years.
Do they ever get over to the right lane early as to not tie up traffic and be a complete pain in the #@$ to every other driver? Of course not! They're WAY too important to be hanging behind Mildred in the right lane for a measly half mile or so... That slows them up for a whole seven-tenths of a second.
Do they ever use the directional signal? Of course not! That would give away their "super-secret stealth driving pattern" that is only known to the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency and individuals that have upper level/need to know requirement. Obama was just informed of this driving pattern in his top secret security briefing along with the mundane items like frozen aliens at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and that time warp device out in Nevada somewhere.
In reality, all they see is a doughnut-size hole in the right lane they squeeze into, they DON'T see the chain reaction of brake lights behind them in rush hour traffic creating..... YOU GUESSED IT! - the first traffic jam for the afternoon on the Baltimore Inner loop 695 at about 4:30 pm.
They happily careen in and out of lanes impressed with their own wonderful driving prowess and cunning, oblivious to consideration of other traffic.
Don't be fooled, this is not a driver with out-of-state plates, unfamiliar with the area and needs other drivers to cut some slack, this is an idiot that does this every day, same place, same time and can't see a pattern past a junior high school hallway..... Whoops, didn't mean to insult junior high kids there... some are pretty intelligent, unlike our "swooper".
The ones that sort of make me say HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ????? are the ones that kill themselves hitting the one lone tree, telephone pole or concrete whatever, etc., etc,. :lemon: out in the middle of NOWHERE. The US military pays TOP $'s for that kind of accuracy!!! There must be some way to marry that combo up for missions :shades:
We have a nice Darwin test here in Dayton. Southbound the left of 3 lanes continues to the straight ramp down, under and to the east. I75 goes to the right as two lanes. Guess which lane many of the left lane dominators end up in and ignore the large green signs saying the right two lanes are I75.
I quickly learned about the swoop method of pulling into the fast moving center lane at the last minute from the left lane so they could go south on I75. So I pace my driving to make it more difficult to speed up slightly and cut in front of me; these folk never want to use a slight braking and turn signals. Many of them have ended up in the large striped dividing area of pavement, sitting looking for an opening to pull back into the travel lanes.
I lack sympathy because this has been well marked for decades; it's strictly a technique of being inconsiderate.
When I am "passing through" I tend to run in the second-to left lane of the highway in order to leave the right lane(s) open for those using the exits; I am keeping pace with traffic in that lane, of course. If I am in an area where I do need to exit or merge onto another highway, but am unfamiliar with it, I tend to run in the second to right lane (or right if only two lanes, but there are *always* more than two lanes) until I see the signs telling me where to go. I find that if I stay on either extreme, I tend to need to get to the *other* extreme to get where I need to go, and traffic rarely allows me such luxury without pulling the "swooper" move.
Early in my driving days, I did end up missing an exit a couple times because of this, and I always found that it was not too difficult to get back onto the correct path, even if it was frustrating to have happen.
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
Indeed !! The rest of your desciption is a very wise plan and tactic I might add.
I am finding the use of the GPS takes a certain amount of the "white knuckle ness" out of the equation, once you get used to how your particular GPS "leads" you.
The slamming on the brakes is exactly what creates traffic jams. Idiotic braking for no reason is a key cause of congestion, especially on highways, where these swoopers are at least as prevalent.
What really irks me is if I had hit the simp, I would have probably been found at fault , even though I was cut off and then inadvertently brake checked. I was also in my old car, which brakes very well for a 1960 car, but not so well for a 2008 car. I am glad I was going slow and already slowing down more.
Road rage needs to be pinned as much on those who cause it as those who catch it.
I wish I could have seen what made the guy so mad. I think the Taurus cut him off or something. Still, if you are going to race someone, make sure you can win and not be embarrassed by a Taurus.
I see that Malibu all the time too, it's actually in nice condition and it catches my eye. I am going to keep an eye out.
Oh, that reminds me...I had my fintail out yesterday, and twice when passing people on 4 lane 40mph suburban arterials, the person I was passing sped up! Is being passed by an old car somehow intolerable for people? They don't realize I am a lunatic, and I think nothing of flooring it and completing my pass. The old car is not any slower in passing situations than the typical 8 year old Camcord that thinks it shouldn't be passed.
Comments
I am sure some PC whiners will call me a bigot, but the headscarf crowd around here is to be avoided on the roads as well.
What, and send the sippy cups and soccer balls flying all over the place?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I'll admit I have done this before. But, only if the car in the opposing lane hesitates and the intersection is "loose" enough to permit this maneuver... only for the experienced driver.
For my guy of the day, I am at a light in the left lane, the right lane ends about 100 feet after the intersection. The car in the right land keeps inching out further and further until he is almost completely in the intersection when the light turns green. Ok so the light turns green and I start to go but not to fast (RPM's never went above 3K) and the guy who wanted to get ahead of me just sits there. :confuse:
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
It is quite often someone in this situation takes their foot off the brake at the sight of the green arrow, only to realize their mistake and reapply the brake. This was the first time I saw someone not give it a second thought and just drive right through.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I watch for the drivers with the "death grip" on the wheel. Usually their head is tilted forward towards the wheel, why I have no clue.
But their death grip tells me to steer far away as they many times turn w/o signals, and not withstanding the car in front of them is 50 yards ahead, they will abruptly apply their brakes and slow down to an even slower speed then they were just traveling.
And it seems that this time of year, people are concerned with other things and forget to drive courteously. Me too. But I catch myself and try to adjust MY driving too.
I always hated to work the mid night shift when there was a full moon, and it was raining. But then working the 10 pm to 6 am was usually busy and strange. Especially so with full moon and rain.
Seems like all of us are experiencing strange driving in the states we live in. Or maybe its "normal".
Good luck to all and stay safe.
I agree with that - Strange is normal! That said, though, I have noticed very little odd-ball behavior lately and even less dangerous behavior. One consistent annoyance I encounter is the road sheriff who feels compelled to leave high beams on after being passed, likely due to feeling resentment for one reason or another. Perhaps there is a feeling that the other driver is going too fast, or perhaps it is because that driver owns that particular road. Not sure, but I do not know it is not usually cluelessness, since those same drivers will quickly dim lights for oncoming traffic, then light them back up after the other traffic is gone.
It is truly amazing how selfish people can be, and you know these same folks will be the first to raise hell if another driver did that to them. :sick:
Some drivers seem to use their brights constantly on divided highways. They don't dim for oncoming traffic OR leading traffic, (plus, they usually camp in the left lane). This wasn't such a big deal in the days of dim sealed-beams, but with today's uber bright lights, it can be painful. :mad:
Then again, maybe the dog was driving. :confuse:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
An interesting thing I saw (coming out of Santa Barbara toward LA ) on a Sunday morning, was app 35-40 cars back, I saw what seemed to be a large van with flashing lights in the number one lane heading in my direction at a fairly good clip. As it passed the signs on the vehicle said County bomb squad. He floated on by me at 85 mph and the interesting thing was he didnt break stride as EVERYONE in the #1 lane pulled to the number two lane to let him by. As soon as he passed, most everyone got back behind him into the number 1 lane.
As long as someone doesn't change lanes in front of me and slow down or brake checks, (like its my fault he cuts in 2 feet in front of me) then I am ok. I guess one clue that I am a "foreigner".... I still signal.... even in LA LA land traffic..
I am sure you will know the Caldecott Tunnel that separates Oakland and Orinda.
I was going to an accident ont the Oakland side one day and I actually had my red light and siren on. (Most of the time its faster to not use either to get thru traffic but this day I was driving in "style".)
As I entered the tunnel, a very slow driver stopped in the right lane. Since there is only two lanes in the tunnel, I locked up and stopped behind her. She then drove on through the tunnel and I finally got her stopped on the right shoulder.
Another unit went to the accident as I was tied up with this sweet lady. She told me she was told to stop on the right for a red light and/or siren and I commended her for her due diligence.
But I then "suggested" that next time she consider driving through the tunnel and THEN stopping on the right shoulder.
She learned something new, and I learned something new. I.e. turn off your red ligth and siren in tunnels.
Good ending and no one was hurt.
Good luck to all and stay safe.
jensad
PS. It seems like whether its in the mide west, east, north, south, and/or Disneyland, er... Cal the same discourteousness and lack of common sense prevails. But there is also good drivers that post on this distinguished board!
A bit scary and glad you were "on your toes" and prepared for literally anything.
I think even folks who have driven for "a long time" and probably safely, I might add, should re-read the DMV pamphlets and make appropriate adjustments to their driving styles consistent with safety AND updated DMV laws. In the example you gave of that lady, stopping was probably the absolutely WRONG thing to do!? It is further oxymoronic that she was probably following the spirit, intent AND letter of the law!?
I was almost forced to re-read the DMV pamphlets, when both my daughters were getting their leaners permits AND licenses. A clue to those who are going through that experience read the codes BEFORE you put them behind the wheel. You may be inadvertently giving faulty advice.
Here are some easy ones.
1. I was taught if you drink- dont drive. If you drive dont drink. Pretty simple stuff. However that is NOT the law. You actually can drink and then drive or drive and then drink. It all now depends... probably has been true all along! How much do you weigh? How much did you drink? What did you drink? Depends if you are caught. If you are caught, do you come under the figures, etc.
2. I was taught do NOT change lanes in an intersection. Again latest laws says you can
3. I was taught signal !!!! Now a days who does? Who cares? Who actually enforces?
4. I was taught give "ample" lead time for signalling (hopefully obvious reasons), Ample has given way to 100 ft. So if it is 100 ft, i.e.,@ 60-65 mph.... why bother!!?????
Today I got behind a brain addled trophy wife in a Q7 with ugly aftermarket wheels. I couldn't see what was going on as it had tinted windows, but I am pretty sure she was eating. She'd go 24-30 in the left lane of a 30-35, and hit her brakes when the road jogged half a car length to allow a turn lane.
I'm gonna have one of those magnetic signs printed with "Why Are You Braking?" backwards so I can put it on the front of my hood where it meets the grill.
Or even one that says "The More You Brake, The Closer I Get" :P
Oh I don't know about that, just about everyone that has hit me was accelerating at the time and at no time was I braking (although a few times I was stopped). FWIW if you run into someone who is braking it wasn't their braking that caused the accident, it was your following to close.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
So, I experienced a classic yesterday on the way home. No, not a classic car, a classic "I own the road" type. I must have set myself up for this, as I was just saying to jensad a few days ago that everything had been smooth as butter for many weeks.
I was headed home at about 1745 last night (gets dark here now about 1600), driving on a two lane, 50 mph road about 4 seconds behind another car. It was just the two of us within a half-mile ahead or behind. As we approach an uncontrolled intersection with a left turn lane, the car ahead signals left. About this time, a pickup pulls up to the road from a drive on the right.
As the car ahead of me begins to pass the drive, the pickup pulls out, turning right, in front of me! I was completely shocked, as I expect folks to pull in front of me when it is perhaps questionable whether they will slow me down or not, but I was only a few seconds back from the first car! Since the car leading me had pulled into the left turn lane just ahead, I could not swerve around the truck without risking a collision with the car (and I would prefer the truck collision, as that was the instigator). I slammed on the brakes and hoped that eff'n truck was going to accelerate with some gusto. Otherwise, I would not be able to stop in time. Well, he did, just barely, and he started pulling away when I was about 10 feet from his rear quarter. I should note that we have snow here, and have for probably six weeks, so evasive maneuvers outside of driven lanes can be tricky, especially with a crappy old FWD Ford Escort.
Well, I now had time to get a good look at this yahoo, and he was definitely one of those A-types. His truck was lime green with all sorts of obnoxious graphics, neon "underglow," and personalized plates. To top it off, he had those bright blue headlamps that everyone hates so much, and he had on his brights to boot. While I sauntered along behind, I counted five amongst the many vehicles that passed the other way who flashed him, yet he never turned down his lights.
To top it off, the other car and I were going about 55 mph before we encountered this fella, and he was in such a hurry that he nearly caused a collision, yet after getting on the road and up to speed, he never broke 50. :sick:
All said and done, though, I still made it home in one piece.
Somebody got in a snit because they couldn't pass..... In the right lane?
Last I checked, the left lane (or lanes in some cases) are for passing, not the right. I'm already doing "at least" the speed limit in the right lane.
If "Flash Bazbo" can't realize that the left lanes are for passing and faster traffic, he/she is going to have a short miserable little life probably ending in an auto accident.
Maybe they'll be re-incarnated as a Yugo.
I once had an old man pull right out in front of me like that...he was in a Lincoln or Caddy or some other barge. I then got pissed, floored it, and passed him...and he laid on his horn as I shot by. Yeah, like it's my fault you pulled out in front of me so hard I had to dive to slow down, and then you wouldn't even go the speed limit.
Speaking of dark, it is dark here by 1700 now, and pretty dark even at 1630 - yet today in 15 minutes I saw 4 or 5 cars with no lights on at all. People are absolutely oblivious.
I enjoyed your post as you made it easy for me to picture what was happening. You were most fortunate not to have an accident. Just a wild guess here, it sounds like the other driver may had had a few drinks before he/she hit the road. Glad you were ok.
Good luck to all and stay safe.
Have you considered that it was a beautiful young woman who was trying to get you to pull over so she could give you her phone number?
On a more serious note I was traveling on a state road today with two lanes in both directions. A crash had occurred blocking both opposite lanes requiring the two lanes of oncoming traffic to merge into the median/turn lane in the middle of the road. As we passed we could see at least one person laying on the pavement being worked on so we knew it was serious.
About a mile down the road as people realized that the lanes ahead were blocked they were merging from two lanes into the one middle lane. Stuck in the middle of all this was a paramedic truck with lights flashing unable to move forward because of any number of inconsiderate boobs cutting it off in their race to merge.
I just wonder how these clueless dolts would have felt if upon being first to pass the accident scene they discovered that it was one of THEIR loved ones being denied medical assistance because of their selfishness.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My wife is filipino and she says that in the Phillipines no one moves over to lights and sirens.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
The show "COPS" was on last night and if you've been the victim of a road rager this episode is for you.
I think it was Broward County/South Florida and the exact phraseology was "Sir you cut off two other cars and then started tailgating me" The road rager then turned out to have illegal drugs which is a good bust but I was more satisfied that this road rager was caught right in the act.
Urban and expressway areas need more unmarked police activity and "shame penalty" which means you post the little %$#%#'s faces and names after convicted of road rage activity. Start with the internet and then maybe the local news could run a segment for a minute.... call it "Road Rage Losers" or something like that...
Need to get these cowards out from behind the cloak of their tinted windows and splash their loser-ville/get-a-life faces on the internet.....
I saw that show. The dope also had a shotgun next to him in the seat. Turns out he was a felon with a long rap sheet which included everything from robbery to child molestation. :mad:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I remember reading where England sent many of their convicts to Australia. Now its a great couintry. Maybe we could here in Disneyland, send our group to the moon. Or mars. Oh well I am glad that the COPS epidsode sent the arrestees to jail and he/she did not collect $ 200 and get a get out of jail card.
I busted a intoxicated driver, observed him convicted, and the judge took away his license for six months.
The next week as I am driving my car to work, guess who I saw pass me on the freeday? You guessed it, the same goof ball I had bagged several weeks before.
Res Judicata....
Good luck to all and stay safe, and have a beautifull Sunday.
jensad
I also saw a guy in a pseudo hot rod late 70s Malibu having a road rage incident with a Taurus. He was revving his smallblock V8, flipping the guy off, then tried (and failed) to pass him in the middle turn lane...then when he tried to pass on the left, Taurus guy floored it, and surprisingly was faster than the old Chevy. Pretty lame.
The real point of this is I am delighted the idiot got blown off thinking himself a hot shot and in control of his entire road. Love to see that.
Even that doesn't cause accidents, if an accident occurs its due to following to closely.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
See it all the time. My wife calls them "swoopers"; drivers that stay in the center left or far left lanes until their exit or turn.
Do they know they have to exit/turn there? Sure, been turning/exiting there for the past g-zillion years.
Do they ever get over to the right lane early as to not tie up traffic and be a complete pain in the #@$ to every other driver? Of course not! They're WAY too important to be hanging behind Mildred in the right lane for a measly half mile or so... That slows them up for a whole seven-tenths of a second.
Do they ever use the directional signal? Of course not! That would give away their "super-secret stealth driving pattern" that is only known to the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency and individuals that have upper level/need to know requirement. Obama was just informed of this driving pattern in his top secret security briefing along with the mundane items like frozen aliens at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and that time warp device out in Nevada somewhere.
In reality, all they see is a doughnut-size hole in the right lane they squeeze into, they DON'T see the chain reaction of brake lights behind them in rush hour traffic creating..... YOU GUESSED IT! - the first traffic jam for the afternoon on the Baltimore Inner loop 695 at about 4:30 pm.
They happily careen in and out of lanes impressed with their own wonderful driving prowess and cunning, oblivious to consideration of other traffic.
Don't be fooled, this is not a driver with out-of-state plates, unfamiliar with the area and needs other drivers to cut some slack, this is an idiot that does this every day, same place, same time and can't see a pattern past a junior high school hallway..... Whoops, didn't mean to insult junior high kids there... some are pretty intelligent, unlike our "swooper".
Just another form of road rage....
Well, I almost did.... in my shorts! :P
I quickly learned about the swoop method of pulling into the fast moving center lane at the last minute from the left lane so they could go south on I75. So I pace my driving to make it more difficult to speed up slightly and cut in front of me; these folk never want to use a slight braking and turn signals. Many of them have ended up in the large striped dividing area of pavement, sitting looking for an opening to pull back into the travel lanes.
I lack sympathy because this has been well marked for decades; it's strictly a technique of being inconsiderate.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Early in my driving days, I did end up missing an exit a couple times because of this, and I always found that it was not too difficult to get back onto the correct path, even if it was frustrating to have happen.
Indeed !! The rest of your desciption is a very wise plan and tactic I might add.
I am finding the use of the GPS takes a certain amount of the "white knuckle ness" out of the equation, once you get used to how your particular GPS "leads" you.
What really irks me is if I had hit the simp, I would have probably been found at fault , even though I was cut off and then inadvertently brake checked. I was also in my old car, which brakes very well for a 1960 car, but not so well for a 2008 car. I am glad I was going slow and already slowing down more.
Road rage needs to be pinned as much on those who cause it as those who catch it.
I see that Malibu all the time too, it's actually in nice condition and it catches my eye. I am going to keep an eye out.
Oh, that reminds me...I had my fintail out yesterday, and twice when passing people on 4 lane 40mph suburban arterials, the person I was passing sped up! Is being passed by an old car somehow intolerable for people? They don't realize I am a lunatic, and I think nothing of flooring it and completing my pass. The old car is not any slower in passing situations than the typical 8 year old Camcord that thinks it shouldn't be passed.