Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

fintail

I don't know - I live in the world of reality, not hypothesis - so a distracting game of "what if" doesn't work for me. I'd wager an awful lot of gold that 99.99%+ of people who panic for a late exit lane change aren't visitors who lack the ability to plan ahead, but are simply distracted locals who spaced out and didn't realize where they are. IMO no excuse for either, but the latter is especially ridiculous, and is only encouraged by enabling such behavior. Sign of devolving standards, I guess.

On the inconsiderate driver topic, took a short holiday road trip to the south end yesterday, and amazingly it was one of the best little drives in memory . Light traffic, nice weather, only one LLC (middle aged guy in an early 00s Malibu averaging about 54 in the left lane of a 60), and almost nothing else worth mentioning. No tailgaters, no speedtraps, no bad lane changers, didn't even see any yappers once I was off the surface streets. Nighttime traffic was very light, was able to use an open carpool lane as my own private lane for more than 10 miles, not a single car in it, straight shot cruise set at 65. I enjoyed it, as I know it is atypical.

backy

I'd wager an awful lot of gold that 99.99%+ of people who panic for a late exit lane change aren't visitors who lack the ability to plan ahead, but are simply distracted locals who spaced out and didn't realize where they are.

That's possible of course. So... why not be courteous and give them a break? Everyone makes a mistake once in awhile.

fintail

Nothing wrong with giving a break...and I've done it countless times too. But it's not all good in and of itself. If it can be encouraged to simply pay attention and be responsible, there will be less need and less problems on the road of every type.

And on another note, a classic skit about drivers in old time Seattle:

http://youtu.be/KBgIvH0tu6Y

tjc78

Here is a good one. My Fiance and I were walking up to the local diner where we frequently have lunch and watch an older man in a Mercury Milan (while backing out of a parking spot) scrape a pickup truck in the spot over. It was merely a graze and didn't do much damage. I tried to flag him down and explain he hit the truck but he started to drive off oblivious to what he had done. I snapped a picture of his plate with my phone and went into the diner.

We told the hostess what happened and they found the owner of the truck. He went out and looked and didn't know if the damage was there prior or not. He thanked me and went on his way. The truck was fairly new and didn't look bad. I guess the owner couldn't be bothered or it was a company truck. :confuse:

xwesx

That isn't all that uncommon (on either count). On the part of the older gent, I find it a little scary how oblivious people really can be. As for the other owner, hey, it's his car - his choice!

Last summer, I was at my local Sam's Club (a bastion of incompetent parking!) with my little ones, parked in the exact center of my parking space, with two pickups to the left of me (both of which were parked well in their spaces). When I came back, about an hour later, the middle truck (between my space and the second truck to the left) had vacated and was replaced by a Toyota Sienna minivan - brand new (no plates). The van was parked over the yellow line separating my space from the next. There was, perhaps, 10" of space between our vehicles.

Thankfully, I had backed into my space so I could still access my door, but I had to pull out of the space in order to load the kids.

ruking1

When these "small" things are estimated at the auto body shop, the costs for relatively "minor" things climbs amazingly high and fast !

andres3

Evidence derived from video equipment that is being directly operated by a human being is -in my mind- readily distinguishable from being convicted by uncorroborated data from a machine. What about the right to confront the prosecuting witness?

_______________)))))

Exactly. Couldn't of said it better myself. If the gov't wants to hire RedFlex to have their employees camp out with self-controlled and operated cameras and prosecute, have at it. At least then I can question the camera operator. When the system is automated and run by machines on auto pilot, is where I have the problem, because the system is corruptible and flawed.

andres3

and then taking roughly 30-60 seconds to get up to highway speeds afterwards.

Anyone else noticing that nowadays?

(IE: get onto the ramp, take it at 35-45 mph, straighten out for the merge... and then slow down to 30-35 mph before merging. Despite the highway traffic moving at 60-70 mph.)
)___________>>>

Those kinds of drivers deserve a death sentence by way of torture.

andres3

also, this is going to be very hard to prove in court I think. too many variables, and very subjective.
_______________>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Unfortunately, most traffic court judges care little to none about law, the truth, honesty, justice, or "proving guilt" in court. If the officer shows up, your guilty in 95% of cases.... I'm sure it'd be the same regardless of the enforcement. Add to that the fact that 95% of defendants choose to plead guilty thanks to the court's efficient method of being purposely innefficient in order to waste maximum time and productivity from those seeking justice in court.

Kirstie_H

Not sure which annoys me more... the drivers who don't use the ramp to get up to flow-of-traffic speed, or this new "line break" style you've developed. It's really... odd and hard to read. Just use quotes, or italicize the text you're quoting. Our handy formatting buttons make that easy!

andres3

I was going to wave, but then I might REALLY get on HIS radar.

I am also hesitant to say, as I neither recommend or do this, but at those speeds, you can literally be doing a host of other distracting things.

_______>>>>>>>>>

With the new Escort Live Service.... you can turn a cops "hidden" hideout location into a known pinpoint location and beam it out to the rest of the world that have the service and technology instantaneously. It'll tell you exactly at what time (how long ago) and what location (using GPS) when you get near a known "cop location."

I love being a tattletale on traffic cops. Something very satisfying about it.

Sorry about the line break odd style.. my browser is malfunctioning... (or the website is incompatible with IE 9?

andres3

So, the driver might feel more comfortable writing that text message because they know if the car gets too close to another in front, it will slow down on its own!
_____________>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I don't know why anyone would want these phoney baloney nanny driver takeovers from the vehicle in their own vehicle, unless the manufacturer is willing to be 100% liable for malfunctions and errors. For instance, if my Lexus parks itself and bumps/scratches somebodies fender in the process of doing so, isn't Mr. Engineer at Lexus at fault for the accident, and not the driver? I can't wait for Insurance companies to deny claims on the basis of "our insured driver wasn't at fault, it was the parking assist that was at fault; claim denied!"

andres3

A good example of "Minnesota nice", which is a dying art in recent years on the highways.

---->>>

That kind of niceness that contradicts good driving (which follows right-of-way rules), makes the 100 drivers right behind her irked, angry, and possibly raged. Why should 100 drivers have to slow down when they have the right of way, for one merger that can't merge at comparable speed?

backy

That kind of niceness that contradicts good driving (which follows right-of-way rules), makes the 100 drivers right behind her irked, angry, and possibly raged.

I guess you didn't read the whole conversation. There was NO ONE behind the other driver. Also NO ONE behind me. NO ONE was inconvenienced... thus no one was irked, angry, or possibly raged.

Also, this was not the case of a merger who could not merge at comparable speed. Again, I don't think you read the whole conversation. This was a case of a merger who was prepared to slide into the right lane behind the car approaching in the right lane. That driver decided to courteously allow me to merge in front of her by slowing a bit and flashing her high beams to let me know it was OK to go in front of her.

How does that contradict "good driving"? Why do you have a problem with someone acting courteously to another driver when absolutely no one is inconvenienced? If anyone was inconvenienced, it was the other driver, who lost maybe a second on her trip time. And it was her choice to do that.

ruking1

I think you did the right things under the conditions you outlined.

andres3

You are right, after further review, I can't argue with you.

Change my previous statement to apply only to terms and situations of GENERAL practice, where usually there is lots of other traffic.

andre1969

today during lunch, I stopped off at the gas station to top off and get cigarettes. As I was inside paying for the cigarettes, this vertically challenges, horizontally-endowed, middle-aged blonde woman came in, with a bunch of quarters in a sandwich baggie. I heard her say she wanted a pack of some off-brand cigarette, and then to use the rest for gas.

Now, this is gonna make me sound snobby, and a bit out-of-touch a'la Mitt Romney, but I actually thought to myself Lord I'm glad I'm not poor like that! For one thing, cigs are usually more expensive when you buy them by the pack rather than the carton, and the thought of using a bunch of coins to get a meager couple gallons of gas just seemed sad, as I'm used to just filling up. So, anyway, I apologize for that elitist, one-percenty-sounding thought.

So, a couple minutes later I'm out filling up the Buick, and she waddles on over to a purple late 90's/early '00s Cavalier coupe with gray plastic bumpers and starts putting gas in it. Then I hear her mumble something like "Yeeeaaaahhhh...Hoodlums be lookin at my car!!" And then "Ya little heffer!"

I tried to sneak a look without being obvious, to see who she was looking at, and she was looking straight at ME!! :surprise:

I just tried my best not to make direct eye contact, finished filling up, wrote down my mileage numbers, and drove off. As I left the gas station, I noticed that there was not a single hoodlum on the premises. Just one older guy with a Tundra who was filling up gas cans, and a couple of middle-aged office-professional types.

tjc78

Thanks for giving me a good laugh...... Ya little heffer!"

Too funny, I wonder what she was thinking.

imidazol97

>a bit out-of-touch a'la Mitt Romney,

We probably diagree but sounds like the Palinization of Romney in the press is working. On the other hand, I have the opinion Obama is totally more out-of-touch with working US citizens in the Heartland. I just finished my taxes and still have a 1040X to file for last year to garner a notably refund check.

> purple late 90's/early '00s Cavalier coupe with gray plastic bumpers

Wow

>heifer

I wonder if that's her name for her car?

>the thought of using a bunch of coins to get a meager couple gallons of gas just seemed sad

In the past I occasionally did my Scout good deed and added cash to the gas purchase for someone who seemed actually in dire financial straits at the pay first stores. If they were buying cigarettes, I wouldn't have done it since I dislike the spending on cigs if they have a little kid or more with then and are having trouble finding gas money but still want to smoke.

xwesx

That has to be one of the more interesting fuel stops in a while....

Heck, with most of mine, the primary source of drama comes from betting whether or not the machine is going to print a receipt! :P

-------------

PS.... What's going on with this website? I miss my "Emotorcons."

andre1969

We probably diagree but sounds like the Palinization of Romney in the press is working. On the other hand, I have the opinion Obama is totally more out-of-touch with working US citizens in the Heartland. I just finished my taxes and still have a 1040X to file for last year to garner a notably refund check.

Well, I was just thinking about what Romney said when he tried to relate to the NASCAR crowd...something along the lines of "I know a few owners and a couple of my wife's cars are Cadillacs". Truth be told, ANY politician, most rich people, and a goodly amount of government employees who have the same job security as the Pope are probably just as out-of-touch when it comes to reality! :P

>heifer

Thanks...I didn't know how to spell it, and all of the ways I tried it showed up as wrong...

xwesx

Thanks...I didn't know how to spell it, and all of the ways I tried it showed up as wrong...

Don't worry about it, Andre. I doubt she spelled it right when she said it, anyway!

Kirstie_H

I'm not particularly farm-savvy, but as near as I can tell, a heifer is a young female cow, so I'm not sure what she was insinuating unless andre was looking particularly ladylike... and furry.

imidazol97

>>heifer

I was reared on a farm! One of few times that has been of use in my life.

I just can't get over the strange lady. I do know that 20 years ago or so the State of Ohio closed a lot of mental health institutions under the premise it was unfair to the occupants to be locked away like that. A lot of people with problems showed up in a lot of places. Many talked to themselves.

andres3

The most courteous thing that could happen to the late lane changer is for them to give it up and go for the NEXT exit and make a u-turn rather than hold up thousands of cars in traffic in a domino effect if they force others to slow down for their unplanned lane change.

gogogodzilla

I'd go for that. Endangering my life for their stupidity/inability to drive definitely warrants something harsh.

andres3

The pretend you are oblivious routine works wonders for avoiding hit and run charges. All you have to do is pretend you didn't realize you hit someone, when you commit hit and run, and then the cops will never charge you with hit and run. It works. Someone did it to me.... Luckily, it just was a scuff of my back bumper in a car wash. She just drove off like nothing happened before I could flag her down. The Police said I would need witnesses to do anything.

So from that experience I've learned, if you want to commit hit & run, you can get away with it easily and fully, all you have to do is just act oblivious.

backy

Meaning I guess, don't ever let ANYONE get in front of you as it might slow you down a bit.

Somehow I don't see the Armageddon scenarios being painted here if someone were to allow a lane changer to change lanes in front of them vs. the typical behavior, which is to speed up to narrow the gap to the point where a lane change is unsafe.

If it's gridlock and everyone is creeping along anyway, letting someone in won't hold up anyone more than they already are.

If letting someone in will cause a massive chain reaction holding up thousands of cars in traffic in a domino effect, then the "courteous" driver wasn't being very courteous, was he/she? If this "courteous" driver is paying attention, as fintail pointed out, they wouldn't slow down for the lane changer if doing so would cause a chain reaction that will hold up thousands of cars.

Courtesy involves common sense, too.

snakeweasel

With the new Escort Live Service.... you can turn a cops "hidden" hideout location into a known pinpoint location and beam it out to the rest of the world

Back when I was in the service CB's were real big and we monitored the CB bands as well as the Marine bands. Well every now and again we would hear that the local police set up a speed trap at such and such a location over the CB. A few minutes after that we would always hear the voice of one of our local police offers on the CB reporting that the police had gone and moved much further down the road.

I wonder if the police will mess with this too.

fintail

I'd agree with the mental health theory - probably a lot of people like that out there these days, with the tough and uncertain economy combined with the wholesale gutting of the mental health system, instead passing it off to jails and some low wage jobs or welfare. Wonderful.

On the bad driver topic, really didn't see any while commuting or jogging today, maybe I stepped into an alternate universe.

fintail

Palinization = making stupid comments without forethought and then playing the victim when they come home to roost, right? It's kind of like daring to call out the bad driver for driving badly. Especially if they are in a Cadillac :shades:

I once got begged out of a few bucks while gassing up, they looked like harmless kids on a road trip that went awry, seemed harmless.

hammerhead

Nice thing about your speed traps is that they're portable.
Not always where you think they are, or where they used to be.
Hope you find some new ones. The hard, expensive way.

xwesx

That it does, and it works, too! Unfortunately, such sense is all too rare. In my opinion, a constant speed and reasonable gap will allow folks to merge ahead or behind as warranted, and let them make the choice (as it should be).

I remember Columbus, Ohio, in particular, where many a vehicle merged ahead of me while we all traveled along at about 35-40 mph in afternoon semi-gridlock. The driver behind was tailgating and honked every single time somebody merged in front of me, yet he didn't gain or lose an inch on the highway. Incredible.

Later on that same trip, I drove through Chicago during rush hour at a steady five miles per hour for three hours. It was excruciating, but much better than every other vehicle around me. Those vehicles varied between zero and whatever it took to catch up to the vehicle in front... it was a constant start-stop, start-stop.

There were more than a few drivers eager to jump into the gap that would sometimes open up in front of me (depending on how traffic was moving at any given moment), yet I still managed to make my exit (decided enough was enough and found a different, more scenic route through/around the city) ahead of most of the yahoos that were playing bumper cars all around me. The best part was that I never once hit the brakes. Sometimes there was a gap of two car lengths ahead, other times there might be fifty. I doubt sunlight could have penetrated the gaps between the many thousands of vehicles that were also on the road that day, and much of the time they were not moving at all.

backy

Ah, the gap-jumpers!

One of my smile-inducers is having someone blast past me going way over the limit on the freeway only to swerve over to take the next exit. Which I take also... and glide up behind them as they're sitting at the red light at the end of the exit ramp. I suppose they make a few green lights that way too. I wonder if it evens out... time-wise, fuel wise.

andres3

The Escort Live System is lightyears better than the CB radio notification system.

For one, it is instantaneous and it is recorded. If I turn on my system at 10:01, and a notification cam in at 9:59, it'll be right there showing a cop was spotted 2 minutes ago. If you turned on your CB radio at 10:01, unless the person kept repeating themselves over and over for a few hours (and coordinates are hard to transmit on open highways (nowhere near an intersection perhaps?)

I seriously doubt the police will mess with this system.

Two, they'd have to buy an Escort Radar detector to get into the system (expensive). Three, they'd have to buy a smartphone and get the Escort Live App. Four, they'd have to spend time creating false alarms, which, Escort could probably figure out and track down and then sue them for damages and have them arrested for sabotage.

andres3

Nice thing about your speed traps is that they're portable.
Not always where you think they are, or where they used to be.
Hope you find some new ones. The hard, expensive way.

___________ )))

Yes, but you can count on Police to be one thing, lazy! Therefore, the speed traps won't move far... maybe a mile... the warnings beep in at a bit more then that distance even if your not looking at the map screen, giving you plenty of time to be extra cautious in the surrounding area. Furthermore, you have your own radar detector working in conjunction with 1,000's of other radar detectors as well. The more you know.... knowledge is power.

It is just a nice add-on for radar detectors to increase range to infinity, which is useful given the initiation of laser technology by the CHP lately.

backy

I was in the middle lane on the freeway this morning during rush hour. Overhead advisory signs warned of an accident ahead (about half a mile away). Still, traffic was flowing just over the posted. Suddenly a CX-7 zips past me in left lane, estimated speed about 20 over posted, cuts in front of me (almost takes off my left front fender)--no signal of course--then immediately cuts in front of a car in the right lane, almost hitting it (still no signal) and keeps going in the right lane at high speed, right into the accident zone... past a State Patrol car, lights flashing, on the shoulder near a disabled vehicle. Then they exit!

All that just to get to an exit a few seconds sooner. :sick:

fintail

I had a CX-7 behind me yesterday pre-dawn, with one dead headlight. So what do you do? Turn the other on high beam, of course.

gogogodzilla

I've come to the realization that it's not about saving a few seconds of time... but more about their unwillingness to apply the brake.

backy

That... and also total lack of consideration for the safety of others.

I am hoping in this case there was some logical reason why they were acting the way they did, and it wasn't normal behavior for them. For example, being late to work. Not a good reason, but at least a reason.

fintail

Sunny day here, winners out in force. Highlights were a couple of centenarian looking types going painfully slow - one in a Fit, the other in a fishface Malibu. Both going maybe 20 in 30-35 areas. Also saw a late model CR-V creeping along at about the same rate on a very busy 35, tiny driver who I won't describe further (isell probably sold her the car after a white knuckle test drive) peering over the wheel like someone looking out of a tank. Dorky greybeard on a Harley revving it at a light topped it off. If loud pipes save lives, imagine what learning to ride that thing could do.

slorenzen

Never understood the appeal of the Harley...rattles your teeth, and doesn't handle.

i'll take a BMW R-bike ANY day over a Harley...no comparison...

ruking1

..."If loud pipes save lives, imagine what learning to ride that thing could do."...

It does not for the first premise and yes it is VERY helpful for the second part of the sentence.

There was a fleet (55-70 swag) of Harley's going in the number ONE lane of 4 across a local well known (local) bridge. No matter what speed they were going, they were LLC ing. So anyone can imagine the vertical line that was blocking anyone that wanted to get by, ... in the PASSING lane, not to mention the deafening sound of ZERO mufflers. on 55 to 70 bikes, albeit "saving lives". As I was traveling in the #2 lane, all of a sudden a two rider bike with no look, no signal, no hear, no care, almost quick as a bunny, no how, tries to change lanes into my left front drivers fender. Lucky, I knew that lanes 3 and 4( where I had to go to) were vacant. As I cranked the wheel hard right to change lanes, I leaned on the horn. I do not think he even heard the horn for I was in lane 4 when he finally woke up in lane 3. Keep in mind this bike had two people and not just one.

fintail

I'd take just about any bike over one of those. I just can't stand the noise, it sounds terrible. I can deal with loud if it doesn't sound like hell.

I've read about 2 Harley related fatalities in my region over the past 2 days - greybeards are going to snatch organ donor victory from the squid sportbiker set.

fintail

That's what you need a G-wagen for, just blast through them, then find a car wash to hose off the mess when you are done :shades:

And you see them wearing either no gear (we all get to pay for the skin grafts), or thousands in ostentatious fresh boutique gear from the local dealer, which sometimes looks like a social club for the middle aged.

Fun drivers today - someone I won't describe in a freshly plated Sienna XLE doesn't signal to get into a turn lane, then once stopped, signals for the turn...must work that way in other places. Saw a granny going about 45 in a beige 90s Regal on 405 - but she was in the second to rightmost lane, so she gets a pass. And the lights today were ridiculous - I just stopped and went at one red after it cycled through and didn't give my turn lane an arrow, and stopped for no reason at a few other un-synchronized lights. When one becomes a public sector "traffic engineer", do they get a lobotomy before or after accepting the job? Scratch that...sadly, I am certain none of it is accidental.

snakeweasel

unless the person kept repeating themselves over and over for a few hours (and coordinates are hard to transmit on open highways (nowhere near an intersection perhaps?)

Speed traps are rarely up for hours on end. Plus it is easy to identify a particular point on a road.

I seriously doubt the police will mess with this system.

You must not know very many police officers. Just about every officer I know would love to screw up any system that would prevent them from doing their jobs.

the_big_al

I can remember several years ago when I was in a better financial situation I did a similar thing. At a gas station a decidedly dilapidated car pulled up next to me and the driver got out and tried to get gas. When his card was declined I hopped over and slid my gas card for him and told him to fill up. At that time gas was only like $1.50 or so and fillups were generally about $30. Didn't hurt me none and the guy had a full tank. Definitely made his day and I didn't have any qualms doing it.

roadburner

Dorky greybeard on a Harley revving it at a light topped it off. If loud pipes save lives, imagine what learning to ride that thing could do.

I had that guys twin brother pull up beside me when I was riding my Speed Triple; he looked over, smirked, and cranked open the throttle. I followed suit and pulled away like he was stuck in neutral.
Moron.

andre1969

Never understood the appeal of the Harley...rattles your teeth, and doesn't handle.

i'll take a BMW R-bike ANY day over a Harley...no comparison...

I'm guessing a Harley has a higher payload capacity? At least, judging from many of the Harley riders I tend to see... :P

fintail

They aren't fast, they aren't refined, they don't handle...I just don't see the attraction. Even an old big block hotrod is fast in a straight line. It's all for show, or people stuck in a 1972 definition of cool.

I wonder if any stats exist for the casualty rates on these things by bike type - as the boomers age and make more purchases, they have to be up there with 20 year old irresponsible sportbikers. Of course, you expect it from youth and inexperience, but from people who are supposedly responsible and had the ability to make the money to afford toys as they approach retirement, not so much.

The newbie driver population in my area is too high to make me want to ride, at least on weekdays.