Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

stickguy

they can't possibly be as bad as they are around Philly, especially with the amount of snow and freezing this year.

you don't just lose your tire, you can use your whole car!

now this, is a pothole.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=7940857

fintail

We don't have the temperature expansion issues, just moisture and road surfaces that seem to be of questionable quality even when new. The highways are usually OK save for expansion joints, but so many city streets are deplorable. And the poorly sited manholes really irk me.

My fave pothole video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3-r22od-zI

oregonboy

I believe that the siting of manholes has more to do with what is beneath the street than their impact on traffic.

:P "impact on traffic" :P

fintail

Yeah...but I don't know if that explains their location in the apex of corners around here, or recessed 4" below the road surface. Sometimes I get to weave around like a drunk to avoid them.

fintail

Today's winners. First, one of those beloved blue-shirt-and-beige-dockers wearing drones in a Mountaineer leaving from my office complex almost hit me...I don't know what he was doing, but he then drove very aggressively, weaving in and out of traffic (but gaining little ground). If I see this guy again it will be hard to keep my mouth shut. Second, a "new resident" in a Venza who went 30 in a 40 for a stretch, creating a nice bottleneck, then made the slowest right turn I've ever seen. Three cheers for easy drivers licensing! Lastly, woman in an Exploder tailgating me with a phone in hand. I was tempted to brake check her, but I knew I'd stop much faster.

oregonboy

Yeah, and you would probably cause her to spill her coffee as well. :sick:

tjc78

I was tempted to brake check her, but I knew I'd stop much faster

That happened to me yesterday too. I pull out from a side street (a legal right on red). Proceed to about 5 over, and a Bronco (who turned out of the same street) comes flying up my rear and flashes his lights. I couldn't help myself and took my foot off the accelerator and threw it in manual and dropped down two gears. He got the message.

fintail

What gets me is that there were cars in front of me, and she still followed too close. She probably didn't even realize it, yapping on the phone and all - it's not like that "law" is enforced. I know my car is cool, but it can't go through cars in front of me :shades:

fintail

I've seen women eating a salad and a bowl of ice cream while driving...those would make hilarious spills. Men shaving while driving could be fun too :shades:

isellhondas

Tell me about it.

Some of these "new residents" would scare the hell out of me driving our cars. It got to the point, I wouldn't let them drive on the freeway. They would head out our driveway up the wrong side of the street.

I had to grab the steering wheel on several ocassions and two or three times, I had them pull over and I drove back.

Yet, they had driver's licenses! How they ever passed is beyond me?

Some had International Driver's Licenses and they were the worst drivers of all.

Part of the business I REALLY don't miss!

fintail

I had a friend in college who was from Taiwan. He wanted a car...got his license on like the 4th try, and then went and test drove cars. It was an experience, to say the least. He ended up buying an Accord V6...for the first couple weeks he had it, he was scared of it...I actually drove him in it a few times.

One can see some pretty insane stuff on the eastside. There are a few in my building who fare very poorly in the parking garage.

There should be special testing for those from places which have different traffic flows. What's also crazy is that if I moved to most places in Europe, I wouldn't have to take any kind of test either - just paperwork and a vision check. But I haven't seen the ineptitude there I see here.

fintail

Today's winners - First: woman in a Saturn brushing her teeth while driving. I'm not kidding...brushing her teeth while driving 30mph, and brushing pretty vigorously as well. That's a new one for me. Second: Driver who I won't stereotype who approached a cross street on a 30mph 4 lane road, crawled to a stop, sat there, then hit their signal, then crawled through - blocking traffic of course. Third: my place looks over a busy street - I don't mind it as I like the activity and car watching. I'm making dinner, have a window open, and hear a large crash, sounded like a manhole cover got dropped from a truck. What really happened was a late 90s Cherokee slammed into the back of a similar age 7-series. Jeep looked to have more damage, at least cosmetic, and was making that lovely metal fanblade hitting a radiator noise. Both cars were able to drive away, but the Jeep sounded terrible.

jimbres

What's also crazy is that if I moved to most places in Europe, I wouldn't have to take any kind of test either - just paperwork and a vision check.

Are you sure? During the Cold War, U.S. personnel assigned to West Germany who wanted a German DL had to take a road test. This was a watered-down version of the test that Germans had to pass, but something like 75% of American applicants flunked it the 1st time they took it, even though they were licensed to drive in their home states.

That was 30 years ago, though, so perhaps Germany no longer requires a road test.

fintail

Yep...every now and then I get an itch to move to Europe, so I looked into it...my state has full reciprocity with Germany.

jwilliams2

When I served in West Germany there was a written test for those with a POV. It was pretty simple as I recall, once you learned the road signs. No road test at all. This was in 1963-65.

jimbres

Interesting.

What I posted earlier about the need for a road test was based on a conversation with a co-worker who served there in the mid-70s. Perhaps I misunderstood him.

oregonboy

POV???? "Point of View"? That doesn't work.

"Privately Owned Vehicle" or "Power Operated Vehicle", probably. "Pressure Operated Valve", probably not. :sick:

jwilliams2

POV????

Sorry, POV means Privately Owned Vehicle, in government speak.

euphonium

And in civilian speak - POS means???

jwilliams2

It could mean different things to different people. To me, it might mean any car made in the far east. Why don't you enlighten us as to what it means to you?

snakeweasel

To me, it might mean any car made in the far east.

Like Toyota or Honda?

fintail

Today's winners: White ML driven by someone I won't describe who made a left turn. 4 lane road with a turn lane in the middle. But the turn wasn't made from the turn lane, it was a slam on the brakes turn from the right lane. Nice. Second place - old Plymouth Gran Fury - pre 1986 as no 3rd brakelight. Varied speed between 30-45 in a 40, weaving around all over the place. I initially thought it might have been just worn steering components, but when the driver braked hard because a car approached on a side street, I began to think it was a drunk. Also had a close call with a woman in a Pathfinder while I was jogging in a crosswalk.

fintail

Got behind a "new resident" who straddled a turn lane and a normal lane for some time, not knowing where to turn. Got a few horns from that one. In a Camry, of course.

Almost got hit in a crosswalk this evening by an old [non-permissible content removed] in a big new Tundra flying through a grocery store parking lot...yes, those lines on the road mean you stop, or I own your truck and house.

backy

A big new Tundra? You mean your heirs own the guy's truck and house. Or get to sit through the vehicular manslaughter trial.

fintail

Nah, I'm sure I could survive a 15-20mph bump. :shades:

snakeweasel

You would be surprised at what small things can kill a person.

backy

I almost got broadsided by an old guy in a '03 DeVille who was pulling out of a parking lot while I was going down the road in my Sonata. Fortunately he stopped just in time. My wife said a few choice words in his direction (which unless he can read lips, he didn't notice). So I drove a block up, turn right. Drove to the next intersection, which has a dedicated right-turn lane, went into the turn lane, but had to stop because of cars turning left into the lane I'm heading into. (And they're turning left directly into the right lane on an four-lane road.) One-thousand one, one-thousand two... WHAM! The same guy in the DeVille is turning right also, doesn't notice I am stopped in front of him. I direct him to go into the Walgreens lot right on that corner, to get out of traffic (turns out he's headed there anyway). We get out and look things over, and to my surprise the Sonata's bumper appears unscathed. I figured in 5 degree weather, there would at least be a crack in the plastic. DeVille also looked fine. Probably was no more than 5 mph, although it sounded worse than that.

The guy didn't say "sorry" or anything like that. We exchanged information. My wife complained of back pain--not surprising, she has a bad back to begin with; my back felt a little stiff also. Hopefully no further damage was done. I called my insurance company when I got home, will have the car inspected next week to make sure there's no hidden damage and we'll see what my wife feels like on Monday.

So, if this is what a low-speed bump can do... just think of what a Tundra clobbering a pedestrian at 15-20 mph could do! :sick:

fintail

And the crazy intense things from which a person can survive :P

fintail

White Sonata? Those are invisible cars.

Whiplash has to be worth a few grand at least :shades:

backy

Grey Sonata. Shows up pretty good against white snow. Especially since my lights were on (not quite dusk, but close enough).

Whiplash? Heck, a lower-back/spinal injury's gotta be good for a big pile of cash. Then my 15-year-old daughter shrieks, "Oooh, my head hurts!", and I go pale and swing around to look at her, and she says "I'm kidding!" Then I strangle her. Guaranteed acquittal. Probation maybe.

fintail

Grey sounds pretty invisible too. I've noticed that driving with lights on (I do 100% of the time I drive my modern car) doesn't seem to stop people from pulling blindly in front of me - it's an epidemic in my area, especially among minivan drivers and young women.

My brother was rear ended in an 07 Corolla 2 years ago. He got about 3 grand for his pain and suffering, which I don't believe was much...and he didn't even fight it, he just took the settlement as offered.

euphonium

"she has a bad back to begin with"
What percentage of reduction for payment of bodily injury is due to a "previous existing condition"?

ruking1

While they say it makes a difference, it seems to make little practical operative difference.

backy

Moot point. Probably no permanent damage done.

But suppose one person has poor muscle tone in her lower back, and someone else in the same car has a strong back. They get rear-ended. The guy with the stronger back comes out ok, but the woman suffers a back injury. Are they going to tell the woman, "Sorry, you should have been exercising that back better, so we're not going to pay for your injury (or pay less)"? I doubt that would hold up. Or say the woman has a degenerative disc condition, which makes her more susceptible to lower back injuries. Again, I don't think paying less just because someone is more prone to injury will hold up. It's not their fault they were rear-ended. It would be like an insurance company denying a claim because the guy hit while crossing the intersection was blind. "Sorry, you should have seen the car coming!" :P

fintail

Newsworthy driving skill in my fair city

snakeweasel

The sign there does say open. I guess she just wanted to make sure.

The woman was parking and told police her car just started accelerating.

It appears the car was a Lexus, now who makes Lexus?

fintail

Pot of bland at the end of the rainbow

By what I read about the driver and what I see about the car, I'd wager a lot that someone hit the wrong pedal. I haven't seen those barges indicted in the recent hysteria.

snakeweasel

The article did mention that the police think she did hit the wrong pedal. its just that this happened in a Toyota (a glorified one but till a toyota) that makes it interesting.

fintail

I'm sure there's a lawyer or three talking to her right now :shades: :sick:

shrifty

Lately I have been noticing more people driving with their lights turned completely off in darkness (not in lit up shopping plazas, but on the highway). I am not referring to people who drive at night with only their parking lights on, but COMPLETELY off! How can people not notice this? I almost changed lanes into someone like this a few nights ago.

DRLs cause the same issue, I see dozens of people a day without their rear lights on. Can't you tell by looking at your dashboard that your lights aren't turned on?

backy

You can, but it's harder on some cars than others. An example is my Sentra. The instrument cluster is illuminated all the time. When you turn the headlights on, the dash lights dim a bit and a little green emblem appears in the lower right corner of the instrument cluster. It took me a little while to get used to it. But if someone were renting or borrowing a car like that (and I see a lot of Sentras in rental fleets), it could throw them for a loop ("instruments are illuminated, so headlights must be on").

the_big_al

saw a car getting pulled over last night for that very thing. no lights, FULL on dark. hardly any street lights either. It was a rattle-trap of a car too. I couldn't really tell what it was since it was indeed dark and on the other side of the highway, but he was being chased down by flashing red and blue...

the_big_al

not that we need one more automatic thing to make us lazier, but all cars should come equipped with auto lights. All my cars have them and it's quiet convenient. Every once in a while I'll have to physically turn the lights on during rainy days, but they will usually pop on at the slightest darkening of the ambient light.

If GM can do make it standard on even their most basic models (at least it was that way a few years ago), especially when cost cutting was at it's highest, then I would think that it's not too big an expense.

ruking1

To me, the opposite. Cars (like mine) should come WITHOUT DRL's. If I wanted to put the lamp group on, trust me I would do it. It is NOT rocket science.

snakeweasel

The instrument cluster is illuminated all the time. When you turn the headlights on, the dash lights dim a bit and a little green emblem appears in the lower right corner of the instrument cluster.

I have that on one car, The problem is that I don't like a bright instrument while driving at night. It tends to bother me so I have the dash lights turned pretty low, so if the lights are off the dash is way to bright for me.

snakeweasel

but they will usually pop on at the slightest darkening of the ambient light.

Now I have to ask, do they tend to flash oncoming cars when you drive under a bridge?

fintail

Today's winner - woman in a big 3/4 ton looking Suburban who was weaving in and out of her lane, like a drunk. Why? Phone to the ear. Virtually no enforcement of this now primary "law" around here. Not enough money in it I guess.

210delray

Now I have to ask, do they tend to flash oncoming cars when you drive under a bridge?

No, there's a built-in delay, so the lights don't turn on and off quickly.

And in reply to ruking, auto headlights aren't the same thing as DRLs. With DRLs, typically only the headlights turn on at reduced intensity whenever the car is put in gear, regardless of ambient light. With auto headlights, ALL lights, including the regular low-beams, turn on when the ambient light is low (as in twilight or full darkness, as well as in tunnels and parking garages).

IMO, both DRLs and auto headlights should be standard and nondefeatable, except for the single-use disable feature GM cars have (you can turn off all lights for one ignition cycle -- the next time you start the car, the DRLs and auto headlights function again).

ruking1

Yes I am totally familar with what they are and how they operate. Now that you understand that I understand, it really doesn't change the logic for my post. DRL's have been unenforceable and a waste, and so are auto headlights.

It is simple for ANY LEO to enforce the current laws as they are written, which if the posters are correct are not anywhere even close to being enforced when they are CLEAR. We do not need MORE unenforceable and capricious laws.

jwilliams2

Put me in the camp that doesn't want DRL's, Auto Dim, or Auto Lights of any kind. I am fully capable of turning on my own lights, thank you very much.