Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

stever

After the blueberry farmer had weighted our two buckets and we paid, he asked if we had out own containers. I grabbed our two buckets and he dumped the berries in.

There were a dozen berries left in the bottom of the two farm-supplied buckets.

The farmer ate those.

snakeweasel

Yikes! And you wonder why all the farmers are going out of business. What you describe is called "stealing" and is generally frowned upon.

We are going apple picking this weekend and all the places we go to do allow you to eat as you pick.

People would steal so much that he would have to inspect in the trunk and under the hood of every car as they left.

The places we go to parking is completely seperated from the picking area and the "check out" is between the groves and the parking. No way will you get anything in your car before you pay for them.

All that being said the pumpkin place less than a mile away opened up today so "she who must be obeyed" and I are now going to walk over there and look around.

slorenzen

"she who must be obeyed"

HILARIOUS!

I've borrowed this, BTW...hope you don't mind... :shades:

snakeweasel

You mean steal it.

Thats OK, I stole it from someone else.

My guess is that they stole it from someone else.

And it's not the only thing you "borrowed" from me. :P

stever

I was gonna say the line was stolen from Rumpole of the Bailey, but the author of those books was a lawyer, and Wiki says he stole it from She: A History of Adventure :P

whahappan

Yeah, parking lots can be nuts. One time in, also in a Walmart parking lot I was pulling into a parking space when a lady who had just finished loading up her car pushed her cart directly in front of me, completely blocking the space. I was dumbfounded. What is it with Walmart?

the_big_al

In that instance I would be half-tempted to bump into the car hoping it would ricochet off her car. With her watching me do it hopefully. Not that I would, but it would be just desserts for such an act. Especially right as you are trying to pull into the space

andres3

I hate the Interstate 8 innerchange going onto Interstate 5 in San Diego. The ramp is a gentle mild sweeping turn, perfectly banked so that even a double decker bus can maintain 65 MPH safely going onto the 5 north from the 8 West, but San Diegans insist on slowing to 35-40 MPH for no reason whatsoever.

fintail

This morning saw a woman, maybe 500 years old or so, in an immaculate 90-93 Accord making a left turn. From a straight-only lane beside the left turn lane, which had maybe a dozen cars in it. She didn't even look. It was a close call, and generated some horns.

In another 20 years or so, I fear this menace will be 200x worse, as the boomers won't be able to admit their diminishing capacities. Time for age related testing.

backy

Driving towards downtown Dallas today on 114/183/I-35E. Following a truck in the center lane. It's morning rush hour so all lanes are congested, but not flowing too badly, just a little under the limit. Suddenly a current-gen Altima swoops in from the right, between me and the truck. No signal, and now there's not nearly enough clearance between all 3 vehicles. A few seconds later, he does the same trick to get into the left lane--no signal, almost clips the front fender of the car he squeezes in front of. Then I lose him in the blind spot of the truck. About a mile or so later I take my exit. Guess who's waiting there at the end of the exit? The Altima. Right in front of me. These inconsiderate, and dangerous, maneuvers saved him all of... one second?

From the lane we're in, we can turn left or go straight. We both turn left. He doesn't signal--of course. (And I know that a turn signal is standard equipment on these Altimas, I've driven them. And this one looks pretty new.) Then he pulls the same trick as he did on the freeway, cuts in front of a car that's to his left (no signal, of course), nearly clips him AND almost side-swipes a Focus that was trying to change lanes at the same time. Then he speeds off to get to what must have been a very very important meeting.

Not done yet though... I park in the lot for my meeting. I'm beside my car when a G37 pulls into the space next to me. I start walking towards the building, which necessitates walking behind the G. And he starts backing up! Rather fast. I'm directly behind the G as he backs up. I shout as loud as I can "Watch out!" and jump, and he stops and just looks at me and gives a little wave.

Fortunately, nothing eventful the rest of the day. That was enough for one day.

fintail

Today's winners - middle aged guy in a sable colored RX, texting while he was going 10 under, high beams on. Then saw a middle aged woman in an IS, phone to her ear, high beams on. Hard to turn on the lights properly and phone yap in those things? Also saw someone I won't stereotype, in a Range Rover, make a hilariously bad curb scraping illegal U-turn, then veered off and turned off the road with no signal. The responsible class at work. I would estimate at least 25% of drivers I noticed today were holding a phone.

xwesx

Quite a day! I was almost run over today in the parking lot as well. I'm glad we both made it.

stever

I would estimate at least 25% of drivers I noticed today were holding a phone.

Bet you'll love this:

"Anchorage Police Chief Mark Mew says he has been reprimanded by a city official but not given a ticket for a two-vehicle collision that a police report blames on the chief's inattention at the wheel.

Mew said he was manipulating his iPhone, clearing an alert message or messages from his screen, before he rear-ended another vehicle at an East Anchorage intersection."

Police chief reprimanded after 'bumper cruncher' at stoplight (Anchorage Daily News)

xwesx

Haha; I read that earlier tonight. A reprimand... Nice. :sick:

ruking1

A person fleeing in an SUV from the police, allegedly ran into and killed a motorcyclist (probably will be charged with vehicular homicide). While trying to negotiate the situational chaos a teacher ran into a 7 year old girl who probably was crossing the street in the aftermath of the first incident. Definitely not a good day.

fintail

If I was actually surprised at those hijinks, they'd irritate me, but now they only make me even more cynical. That kind of crap happens everywhere, without a doubt. Do as we say, not as we do - could be a LEO credo.

andres3

I think someone or some group was trying to get first offense cell phone fines upped to like $350 here in CA. I think Governor Brown vetoed it.

As much as I hate drivers who use the cell phone (almost always catch them after I notice them driving poorly in some way - always, an AHAH, that's why you are driving unacceptably moment), I'm glad the high fine got vetoed.

We do not need to be pumping more money into traffic enforcment with the corrupt way it is currently ran. Frankly, I'm afraid one of these days I'll get falsely accused of using a cell phone when all I was doing was touching my Garmin Navigator, and I don't need a $300+ fine to fight in court.

fintail

Had a young woman in a Prius pull right in front of me from a side street onto a 40mph road. I think she didn't even look, as she noticed me gaining on her (I didn't slow down) and laid into it to get up to speed - I could hear that thing working. I just went around her, and as I was doing so she gave up and dropped way back. Keep your eyes on the road, not on the mpg display.

backy

Woman in mid-late 30s driving a RAV-4, suddenly swerves and almost hits my car broadside on driver's side, then swerves back into her lane. She is fumbling with something in her hands--can't tell if it's a phone or food or makeup or whatever. But her hands are definitely not gripping the wheel. This is during morning rush hour on a main freeway. Did I mention she was blond? I am sure that had nothing to do with it, though... probably not a natural blonde.

Anyway, I sped up so I could put some distance between me and "Look no hands / brains, Ma!" in the RAV-4. I moved into her lane, with one car between us as a buffer.

snakeweasel

SUV in a left turn lane at a red light suddenly turns on it's right turn signal. Burns up a left turn arrow waiting for the through traffic to clear so they can get into the through lanes and go straight (through lanes had a red light) blocking traffic behind them from making the turn.

backy

Entering the freeway, I see the car in the right lane coming on pretty fast, and I calculate the best approach is to maintain my speed and slide in behind him. Car behind me on the entrance ramp has other ideas--probably has a fire to get to as he floors it to push past me (forcing me onto the shoulder to avoid getting hit) and nearly sideswipes the car in the right lane as he forces his way onto the freeway. Then he does a quick lane change (but almost unbelievably signals, maybe the blast from my horn woke him up a bit) and nearly clips the front fender of the car in the left lane as he pushes his way into that lane.

Yep, must be something very urgent going on on a Saturday morning...

Sandman6472

Stupid stuff like that and the post before make me less inclined to drive much anymore. Unbelievable how many folks down here are talking on their cells or just plain not paying attention. Makes me hate to drive anymore so I usually let the others in the household do it for me. The few times a week I get to the supermarket have been using the Accent, as it's a/c is freezing. The poor Civic has taken up it's hibernation in the garage for the time being. Do miss it's more powerful engine and mpg's but it's still real hot down south here and a/c is a must.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

isellhondas

I worked a booth today for the Food Bank where I volunteer during our annual Salmon Days event and almost got hit twice getting there.

Tomorrow, I cook salmon for the Kiwanis and can't wait to fight the traffic.

I don't like to stereotype either but some people certainly deserve their reputation as bad drivers!!

Come on down, fintail. I work the early shift!

fintail

Bellevue is a real cluster today with the 405 closure, surface streets are packed for a weekend day, and full of that stereotype you hint at.

Winners this afternoon - woman in an Equinox who wouldn't go more than about 5 under, had a nice line behind her by the time she pulled off. Then I got behind a guy in an old Golf who wouldn't take a left turn until he got a turn arrow - the fact that there was no oncoming traffic didn't matter. Then he went 5mph and was transfixed by a pizza place. I revved my engine at him once he pulled off (far from the pizza place, he wasn't going there, just amazed by it) and he looked at me like I kicked a nun...should have kicked him. Got behind an old man in a S-10 with whitewall tires who seemed to not have turn signals. Then the cherry on top was when I finally got home, a driver I won't describe was obliviously blocking the entrance to the garage in a new unplated Elantra, waiting to pick up someone...no idea in their empty little head that people might be coming or leaving. Funny seeing them have to back up. It's too easy to get a license in this country.

Not a seafood fan, if you had pizza or a breakfast buffet on tap, you might tempt me :shades:

oldfarmer50

"...for the Food Bank where I volunteer during our annual Salmon Days..."

Wow! You cook Salmon for the poor? That's some pretty high class poor you got out there. What's next, Steak and Lobster Days for the underprivledged?

How's your classic BMW running? No more lights i hope.

tryan123

You would think people might slow down a little on the lords day!

Sandman6472

I did drive very carefully yesterday on the sabbath and it was pretty quiet around town. And trust me, South Florida has some very crazy drivers

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

isellhondas

No, my volunteer work at out Food Bank and my involvement with the Kiwanis are two different things.

We have a salmon hatchery here and this is the time of year when the salmon return. The creek is full of salmon. To selebrate we have Salmon Days the first weekend of every October. A lot of vendor booths selling artsy crafty items, food booths, a parade or two, marching bands and the annual Kiwanis Salmon Bar-b-que. I just got back and I am tired as can be not to mentioned smoked out. It'll be three or four beers, a half hour shower and early to bed.

Tomorrow I'm there at 8:30 tearing down the tents etc. Talk about HARD physical work! Good thing I'm so tough!

gogogodzilla

It's natural to accelerate when exiting an on-ramp. As you didn't and the car behind you did, it created a problem.

That said, the driver should have paid attention to the road situation in front of him. It's pretty easy to see if the car in front of you in blocked by others preventing a merge.

Well, unless you've got one of those giant, 7-passenger, 8,000 pound super-ultra-mega SUVs.

gogogodzilla

That they do. That's where I learned to drive.

And learned how to pass, as every single geezer on the road has the uncanny ability to lose control of their vehicle right as you are next to them in your pass. So if you want to minimize your chances of being sideswiped, you've got to pass lightening-quick.

backy

It's not natural to floor your car and force the car ahead of you on the entrance ramp onto the shoulder and nearly hit a car having the right of way on the freeway. At least I hope that is not considered "natural". But maybe that's the problem... maybe too many people think that is acceptable driving behavior.

I suppose it's also "natural" to nearly clip another car while changing lanes in front of it, as this driver did after entering the freeway.

Yes, drivers need to PAY ATTENTION to the situation around them and drive accordingly. Often it's best to accelerate smoothly when merging onto the freeway. But sometimes it's clear that doing that could cause a collision or close call with a car in the right lane, so it's better to ease in behind them. And it's not like I was puttering along at 25 mph. I was nearly up to posted speed when the jerk behind me forced me onto the shoulder.

People are just in too big a hurry. There can't be that many life-threatening emergencies requiring that kind of driving.

fintail

Sometimes "too big a hurry" and "nearly clip" are subjective. :P

Slow mergers are a terrible disease in the Seattle area, some will hit the highway at 40mph and then begin to slowly acccelerate (to 5 under, of course), no matter the traffic volume.

Maybe you should have let the guy hit you if he really was so close - whiplash has to be worth 5K these days :shades:

lemko

Now dig this:

9 year-old's Joyride Ends Badly

backy

Someone thinking someone else is an idiot or a jerk (or both) are subjective also. But often correct.

stickguy

saw that on the news.

NE Philly. what a place!

that was on roosevelt blvd, right? That road is unnerviing evenif you know how to drive.

fintail

No more correct than others being too slow or overcautious or oblivious.

But you did the right thing, let the speed demon by...if more people did that and then let the other vehicle go on its own way, there'd be less flared temper out there.

andres3

I'm sure those 3 wrecks had nothing to do with their speed and everything to do with driver error, distraction, and incompetence.

andres3

At a large multilane 4 way intersection. In front of me are 2 lanes dedicated to the left turn signal light along with 2 straight lanes, and one right turn lane.

I am turning left, and the signal has your typical sign which graphically shows complete with arrows that the far left lane can be used to make a left turn or at driver's option a U-Turn. The 2nd left turn lane on the right side is clearly shown to be a left turn only lane (as is typical).

Big white domestic SUV in the right-hand left turn lane decides they want to take a U-turn with a long line of cars waiting behind them. Guess they didn't consider that if the car to their left turns left; rather than pulling a U their could be a wreck. They didn't crash but they both stopped just in time and no one moved for about 5 seconds. They completed their U-turn and of course the light goes red before I can get to it.

snakeweasel

And you know this how?

ghstudio

I live in a retirement city in Florida where our major streets are three lanes in each direction. Hardly a day goes by when I don't see a car in the middle lane slowing to almost a stop at a cross street....just in case this is the street they are looking for....and if it is, they just turn to the right or left across the other lane. We have often commented that our ambulances should just patrol the major roads and they probably would not complete a loop without finding some business.

Our other problem is that our keys have two lane roads with no passing areas. We have the combination of vistors who want to sightsee, older folks who feel that 10mph is just fine...they are moving and those who are lost, looking for a street or house. No one pulls to the side to let anyone pass. None of these folks have the slightest care or clue that there is a long line of cars behind them that actually want to get somewhere.

backy

Solution: move to Minnesota. There, people are afraid if they pause at each intersection they'll get stuck in snow/ice. At least during the snow season... which is, technically and sometimes actually, September through May. :sick:

fintail

Noticed three phone yappers this morning. All of a specific demographic, one in a Cayenne (tailgating no less), one in a Range Rover, one slumming it in a QX. Local LEO groups spent a fortune of taxpayer dollars on commercials about this supposed crisis, yet don't seem to be doing any enforcing, especially amongst the overprivileged. I think we need penalties like exist in Sweden and Switzerland that are based on wealth. If money is acquired via being smarter, then this shouldn't be an issue.

isellhondas

I continue to see people yakking on their cellphones every day even though the cops around here are having a field day handing out 125.00 tickets.

Makes me wonder how these people got through life before cell phones were invented.

fintail

I wonder how much primary enforcement is really going on, especially in some neighborhoods or among certain demographics. I swear, in downtown Bellevue sometimes easily a third of drivers are holding a phone. Seldom a cop to be seen.

andres3

I know it thanks to statistics. I keep telling my wife she'll never win the lottery, and I'm always right, thus far. It is a good bet to declare facts as truths where you will be right 99%+ of the time.

andres3

Makes me wonder how these people got through life before cell phones were invented. ]

If you got back into sales, and you ever pointed out that someone has choices in how they apply their budget so that they can afford something, and you happened to point out the cell phone they were carrying, you'd be surprised at how many people would tell you that it is a necessity (but I NEED my cell phone!). I suppose they'd look puzzled if you pointed out cell phones haven't existed for that long in human history.

andres3

You should lobby Apple to invent an APP whereby the phone doesn't work or turn on when the vehicle is in motion. Of course, then the phone wouldn't work even if your a passenger, on a train, bus, or other moving object.

xwesx

Ah, a cell-phone interlock device. Brilliant! :shades:

A couple years ago, I was at a conference with about 450 attendees. The speaker said, "I don't have a cell phone because I know I would quickly become addicted. How many of you don't own a cell phone?" I raised my hand, oblivious to those around me. A moment later, she came back with, "one?! Well, that's disappointing. The last three times I asked that question, nobody raised their hand."

I was wondering, "so, how is that different than this time?" :P

Last spring my son, who was nearly seven at the time, asked if he could have a phone because he had many classmates with them. He was in first grade at the time. I told him that I would be happy to get him one the same day I get one for myself.

snakeweasel

Remember that there are three types of lies. Lies, damn lies and statistics.

I would tell you what my statistics professor used to say but my guess is that the hosts may not like it.

The fact of the matter is that speed is a contributing factor in many accidents.

snakeweasel

The speaker said, "I don't have a cell phone because I know I would quickly become addicted.

That really doesn't speak much for the speaker. Just because you have one doesn't mean you will be addicted to it.

I have a cell phone and no landline.