Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

euphonium

A radar device to detect following too close has yet to be developed & nothing is in the works for sorting out vehicles with trailers in the 3rd lane. LLC are against the law in WA, but endured as well.

snakeweasel

Lots of effort seems to be put into enforcing speed limits.

Oh thats why I can drive for hours doing 5-10 over the speed limit being passed by three to four cars for every car I pass and not see one car pulled over. Thanks for explaining that to me.

snakeweasel

A radar device to detect following too close has yet to be developed

I remember when I lived in Nashville back when the earth was cooling there was a sign on I-40 just east of the downtown area that would warn you if you were following to close. It was triggered by a sensor that would judge the distance between vehicles.

Also I would like to add that I have been in cars that were pulled over for aggressive driving many times (of course not as the driver, ok once as a driver as the cop thought I was following to close, but I was getting ready to pass a slower vehicle).

euphonium

Perhaps the cop preferred "Sling shot passing"!

That's when you draw back and then hit the passing gear.

fintail

I am sure you remember when WSDOT and WSP combined their room-temperature traffic management IQs and had huge dots installed on I5 south of Tacoma at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars to allow people to space their vehicles...people paid more attention to the dots than to driving, and it created both gridlock and crashes. The dots were promptly removed, and I suspect no reprimand was given for approving such an asinine idea.

hammerhead

There's a couple spots on SR 290 (aka Trent Ave) over here that have some sort of striping on the pavement to illustrate the same thing. One stripe = 1 second at the limit (50).

It's been my observation on multi-lane highways, as soon as anyone tries to maintain following distance, other cars just fill in the space. Keep slowing down to allow sufficient space, and pretty soon you'd be going backwards!

Cheers!
Paul

jensad

I was told at the CHP Academy back in the insane days of the 1960s, that clocking speeders was one of the most dangerous event as a CHP officer. We could not use radar because of the politics of that day.

I would clock at 75 in a 65, but I had to each day what was said here, "Sling shot passing". Start from zero, accelerate to about 95, slow down and clock a car for about 1/2 mile or more, then make the stop and cite and avoid cars that ran over some of the unfortuate officers. I believe the CHP last year lost about 13 members in and around No. Calif.

Crazy but we all did it. High speed stuff is over for me but it is still dangerous except today the Patrol uses radar. Good or bad it saved officers lives and many people probably disliked getting the old ticket, but maybe it saved a life.

And yes there were always some officers although a distinct minority of them who gave tickets for 5 over, while most of us started at 10+. And it not uncommon of me to stop and cite drivers for 110 mph on the midnight shift. A freeway at 2 am is a race track, even in the rain.

Sorry if I am rambling, I hope all of us on this excellent board stays safe, and have an excellent holiday experience no matter where you live in the good old USA.

Good luck to all and stay safe.

jensad

stever

If "Left-Lane Campers" Don't Get the Message, They Could Get a Ticket

ruking1

PROMISES ! PROMISES !!! :P Till then, the slower lanes are maybe only 2-5 car lengths slower and without the aggravation.

snakeweasel

Most likely an inconsiderate driver who can't wait the few seconds it takes you to pass that car and/or truck who thinks that he is so important that you should get out of their way the instant you see them.

imidazol97

As long as the car in the left lane is going the speed liimit and above and is making an effort to pass in a reasonable time, the problem is the aggressive driver in the car speeding that's coming up from behind. I can just imagine the thrill someone with that plastered on their windshield will get running up behind someone very close, riding their rear bumper, all in an attempt to "force" them to "get out of my way."

Maybe we can analyze some of these behaviors from a Freudian point of view.

ruking1

Well to me yes and no. I was in the passing lane when I see a black MB coming up fairly fast. I move right, timing it so he does not have to slow/brake and JUST as he passes me, he SEEMS to slow!!?? By this time, I am looking to go to either the right or EXTREME right lane and sure as shooting a couple of miles down the road I am maybe 3 car lengths behind him.

fintail

And then analyze the fine citizenry who can't handle lane discipline or wish to act as deputized speed enforcers

imidazol97

The LLCs are there because they don't realize they're not going fast enough (the speed limit and higher) to stay in the left lane.

Some are distracted by their cell phones and sound equipment in the car. They tend to just be self-centered.

Some are not good enough or not capable due to disability to drive the speed limit in the left lane. Those don't realize they're not sharp at driving anymore either because of personal characteristics or age..

Some stay in the left lane as a way to show control over aggressive drivers. Perhaps they've had bad experiences with people cutting them off while getting around them, so they can affect that person's speed even though it may not be the person who affected them in the past.

Some drivers do it intentionally just because they are stupid and don't realize the danger from aggravating someone behind them.

snakeweasel

Thats the reason I made the comment, often when I am going above the SL and quickly passing cars I get that inconsiderate driver who gets on my tail and rides it until I complete the pass. Many even flash their lights. :confuse:

They just have to have a little patience and let the gut infront complete the pass and move over when its safe to do so.

imidazol97

>that inconsiderate driver who gets on my tail and rides it until I complete the pass. Many even flash their lights

I call that the NASCAR syndrome. It's a few people's lifetime need to be a racecar driver. It used to occur in two categories when traveling the Midwest's I-75 corridor Ohio - Tennessee. One category was a pickup truck with a "3" license plate on the front and NASCAR stickers for their favorite driver. The second was cars with flash-to-pass high beams and mostly foreign made jobbies from Bavaria. :shades: Somehow it fulfilled a need on the part of those drivers. This changed during the last 15 years to include a lot more people using aggressive driving methods. :confuse:

snakeweasel

Well to me yes and no.

To me its strictly yes. I have been in situations like you described and for me to get out of their way so they don't hit the brakes would require me to speed up greatly to complete a pass or to hit my brakes to slow down enough to move into traffic that I am passing. So either way one of us has to change their driving drastically. Sorry but in that situation he waits the short time for me to complete the pass. Now if I can move over and let them pass without greatly slowing down or speeding up I will.

imidazol97

Another aggressive pattern is the amateur who acts like they want to go somewhere fast as they come up behind, staying in the left lane for miles rather than using both lanes. Then when you tuck between two semis where's there's enough space for you to spend some time in the right lane while the speeder behind makes their pass through, they get beside you and slow down. Apparently they do that because they don't want to be first in the left lane because it exposes them to being clocked by the Patrol. But they block you into the right lane so you can't just pull into the left lane behind them and continue without interrupting your legal speed.

My favorite speeders :shades: are the ones who use the right lane when it's open as they drive instead of staying in the left lane for all the miles because THEY don't feel they should have to make lane changes, but everyone else should to get out of their way.
As these drivers come up and I happen to be in the left lane passing someone myself, they don't run up to 10 feet; instead they move up to a safe following distance slowing as they get closer. Usually I've speeded up a few mph and when I get around what I'm passing, I pull over into a space where I can maintain my desired speed. They pass and go merrily on their way. Typically they move over into the right lane at the first chance.

emmanuelchoke

Move over! Back off! Lead, follow or get out of the way.......I'm kinda running out of options here.

elias

those speeders using the right lane are actually selecting the correct lane, according to the laws around here...

ruking1

Indeed, you can come to no other conclusion. As you probably might agree, the left lanes are or have become the defacto "slow" lanes.

snakeweasel

Then when you tuck between two semis where's there's enough space for you to spend some time in the right lane

Nope not always, I have a friend who lives downstate and I go see him once a month or so. Just about every time I go see him, either going or returning, I pass a string of trucks in a defacto convoy. 6 +/- trucks all following at a safe distance between them but not to far apart. Tucking in between them would usually create a situation where I am following one truck to closely and the other truck is following me to closely, not a safe situation.

Usually in these cases I can complete the pass in a minute.

My favorite speeders are the ones who use the right lane when it's open as they drive instead of staying in the left lane for all the miles because THEY don't feel they should have to make lane changes, but everyone else should to get out of their way.

I usually stay in the right lane going into the left lane only as needed. However in my daily commute all bets are off as there is always someone in front of me and in front of him and in front of him...... :sick:

ruking1

Lots of press TV/CABLE, and other wise! Not sure why they don't do this more often as the government agencies say also DUI is involved in 40% of ALL accident and fatalities statistics. Another spin off is a DUI can cause the DUI'er up to 10,000 per recognition incident. Anyway you cut it that spells REVENUE !! Beats that cruddy little speeding ticket exponentially.

oldfarmer50

"...Anyway you cut it that spells REVENUE..."

Yeah, but the government doesn't get most of the money so why should they care? Unless, of course, you count the politically connected lawyers who go to court, wink at their golf buddy judge, turn the drunks loose and collect $6K.

Here in NY we have a well established free concert program in the capital city of Albany. They serve all the beer a person can hold and then send them home on the highway. All the surrounding towns set up DWI check points at every exit to the city on concert night. They lose their money and their license courtesy of the government sponsored beer blast.

How's that for getting money from the taxpayers on both ends?

oregonboy

Hey, it works just like the lottery... a tax on stupidity. Only with alcohol, it's different, in that the public is put at risk. I would think that it's only a matter of time before a smart lawyer files a suite against the alcohol provider. :mad:

euphonium

Sue the provider??? Take away the individual's personal responsibility for adverse results of his chosing to drink? No way! Personal responsibility & accountability is on the line, not the provider.

stever

If the alcohol provider knowingly serves booze to someone who's visibly intoxicated, they may be on the hook. Insurance companies are always touting bartender training to try to avoid injury suits from a customer leaving a bar and running into someone. One common recommendation for a venue serving booze is to cut off sales an hour before the event ends. Personal responsibility extends to the people running the venue too.

Anybody got any stories today?

snakeweasel

Sue especially if you can link over serving someone to the DUI checkpoints. If you can provide reasonable proof that it was a set up where they purposely over served then set up the road block to catch people.

snakeweasel

Sure I have one. Stopping to get gas yesterday and as I drive by all the pumps they all have cars filling up on the side that I needed to pull next to. So I get to the very end which the outside side of the pump is empty but my gas cap is on the other side so I have to turn around. But since I see someone coming towards me I wait sitting right at the gas pump as the guy passes me turns and then passes me and the pump. Now the area infront of me is clear so I pull out do a quick u-turn and pull up to the pump with the gas cap next to the pump. Well the guy who just passed me had turned around and now was starting to yell and scream at me for pulling into a pump that he was turning around to go into. Now mind you I was sitting at that pump when he pulled into the station and was still sitting at it when he passed it.

snakeweasel

Ok another story from yesterday, we were going up to see a friend driving on the interstate. Doing 70-75 in the right lane, road ahead was somewhat clear with traffic closing in on us from the rear. I noticed that the first car to pass us in the left lane slowed down and matched our speed a few car lengths behind us (I was using cruise control so I know I didn't change my speed) and just stood there blocking traffic. This driver stayed in that position for a good five miles or so. I was even able to pass traffic during this Finally he fell back and moved into the right lane. Again all this time I had cruise control on and never touched the gas nor the cruise.

ruking1

Scary isnt it ! ? It would be interesting to know how many of the 40% DUI yearly fatality toll (let alone accident toll) were caused by repeat DUI offenders, i.e, known to the system due to prior DUI and DUI related issues.

euphonium

"Overserving" is a different and other issue, not mentioned or brought up in the original post. However, as to this issue, "Overserving" should be held responsible.

stever

It would make an interesting defense if the local cop busted you for being over the limit leaving the event, and you then blamed the state or county hosting the event for letting you get snockered, as evidenced by your failure to pass a breath test.

the_big_al

Well here anyway. Some of you are probably already experiencing it, but it's that time of year to be driving around with a foot of snow on top of your car creating that instant snow storm on the high way. Not to mention the non-defrosted rear window and mirrors too. We had a light snowfall over the past couple of days and those in the higher elevations that come into town are the biggest culprits. I saw several vehicles with several inches of snow on top of their cars as well as a half defrosted rear window.

xwesx

Yeah, I never get the deal with leaving snow on the car. I keep a shop broom in front of my house in the winter months so I can quickly clear my vehicles.

As for defrosting the rear window... bah. Pointless. The only thing a defroster accomplishes, at least in moderately cold temperatures, is to create copious amounts of ice on the rear window as the snow dust blows up on it and freezes because the window is *just* warm enough for the dust to melt, then freeze. Of course, I grew up driving cargo vans and work vehicles, so I never had rear windows (or they were obscured) - I learned to use mirrors, so it is frustrating when those fog/frost up, but they tend to behave since they are not subjected to the dual climate environment of the windows (warm on the inside, cold on the outside).

euphonium

It is a "hick" contest to see who lives the furthest from Mayberry by the depth of snow on the roof, deck lid, & hood. "Redneck esteem" with recognition in the local taverns.

fintail

It's that way around here too, you can tell the vehicles that live a ways out to the northeast or southeast by the depth of snow on the roof and often windows, especially on overcompensating trucks and SUVs that are pretty inbred to begin with,

It's also a good way to see some maybe living above their means, seeing a late model 7 series covered in snow....you blow a fortune on a car and you apparently don't have a garage.

euphonium

Or when there is a garage it is filled with $50 worth of junk while the expensive car sits outside, "only in America", but on the other hand when it sits out, it is a lot easier to repossess.

damnit1

I just don't understand why people in the LL slow or match speed, I drive for a living and see some weird driving, also when I am behind a vehicle in the LL and we are passing a big truck, the car in front slows down and matches the speed of the big truck ! :confuse: and stares at me through their rear view mirror :confuse: and then a mile or two they speed up a little and get in the RL ! when I pass a slower car , I speed up and complete the pass without a bunch of slowing down nonsense !!! :shades:

xwesx

This one was fantastically stupid. It was a perfect example of normal driving behavior in Fairbanks, Alaska, where most drivers conveniently forget where lanes are located as soon as the lines are covered with snow. While I was frustrated initially, I sure had a good laugh about it later on....

I turned onto a divided two lane (one lane each direction with left turn lanes at the intersections) road to be greeted by a long (approximately 15) queue of vehicles waiting at the next intersection. I was surprised by this, as traffic on this road was otherwise fairly light, especially for the time of day (~1730). So, I obediently fall into line and wait. The left turn arrows turn green. The small amount of traffic waiting for them goes. Then the green illuminates for oncoming traffic (this is the point where normally my lane would get a green as well). The lights turn red. Traffic on the intersecting road receives green. Lights turn red. Repeat.

At this point, I am quite certain that the lead car is not well situated on the road and is therefore not triggering the traffic signal. I initially decided that I would head to the front, in the actual lane, to trigger the green. But, upon approaching, I see that not only the first car, but the first many cars have drivers who are either engaged on cell phones, with passengers, or both. The lead car was afflicted with both. They seemed perfectly content in their distraction, so I saved myself the headache of dealing with clueless drivers that would likely swear at me as soon as they did get a green even though I was the one being helpful. Instead, I took the left lane, went with the arrow, spun a U after crossing onto the intersecting road, then took another left with the arrow (all the while the traffic in that first lane was *still* waiting, yet another cycle gone by), and went on my way.

I have to wonder how long those fools sat there. I sat there for about two minutes through two cycles, and being 15 cars back, I suspect the lead vehicle(s) was there for at least three prior to my arriving.

The truly funny (ironic) part is that I should not have taken that road at all. I actually missed my exit about a mile prior to turning onto that road because I was on auto-pilot and forgot which errand I was actually running. So, taking the road I did was merely a way to get back to where I wanted to go, two miles removed from the most direct route. That sure taught me to take the most direct path! :P

stever

on auto-pilot

Tell the truth, you had a brain freeze. :shades:

damnit1

fintail

Not terribly inconsiderate, but fun

snakeweasel

It could be worse, actually this looks like fun.

oregonboy

If you liked that...
RIPSAW
:shades:

oregonboy

and you are right, it could be worse. I think that this was in Portland, OR last winter.

Icy road

snakeweasel

Thats all and well but where is the ordinance and will it withstand a mortar attack?

snakeweasel

Monday morning our temperatures dropped faster than our governors approval rating and we ended up with an ice storm. Salt trucks were stuck on on ramps, they couldn't get up them.

fintail

Yep I am pretty sure that was Portland, they usually get ice pretty bad, as I am sure you know.

4WD = 0 Wheel Stop

the_big_al

Funny thing... that was me yesterday in a similar situation. RWD van, no studs or chains, just all seasons and limited slip dif. Was in a town that is built into the side of the mountain and had snow and ice on the roads and I made it about halfway up the side of the hill before I couldn't go any further. The hills in this town are plenty steep and there was no way I was making it with out some sort of aid... I gave up after barely making up a short half way level section when the road inclined several more degrees. Not sure what percentage grade it was, but it was probably at least 9% (I think, but it was steeper than the any freeway grade ever will be)