Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

kdshapiro

I agree with your assessment. The issue with absolute vs relative number of fatalities is the way one looks at it. If I'm a percentage every mile I drive without getting killed lowers the fatalities per 100million driven.

It's all how it's reported.

fintail

I once saw a big fat elderly driven W140 S class going 40mph on I5 in Tacoma WA doing the same thing you descrive, imad. I shot by it in my ancient fintail at about 75! These cars are perhaps the best large cars in the world at higher crusing speeds, there's no excuse to be a lane blocker.

Yesterday I got behind some granola girl (my term for a teenage hippie type) in a neglected old Volvo who would barely touch the speed limit on a city street, then she'd let off the gas. Then at a red light ahead, she flew right through, like she didn't even look! It was kinda sad she didn't get t-boned by some 30 year old pickup. On the passenger side, of course, just to shake her up a bit.

imidazol97

I read that cell phone jammers are in use in some other countries, the latest drudgereport being in churches.

Anybody got a location for a kit to build your own or purchase a cheap jammer, it might reduce the danger from those cell phone users who are oblivious to all around them while they talk. At least they'd look up when their call dropped out!!!

capitano

Cell Phone jammers are technically illegal in that they are broadcast devices on frequencies managed by the FCC. I don't know that you could ever get caught, but the legal issue is clear.

From what I've read the jammers that are available have 50ft and 100ft jamming radii. I thought it would be cool to have one in my car. I am unsure that cell phones addicts would suddenly become attentive drivers because I jammed their phones. I think perhaps that they would be more likely to have an accident because they focus on the malfunctioning phone even more than they did on the call itself.

PF_Flyer

Seems like it would be counter-productive and draw MORE attention away from the road. Think about what you do when yu get a bad connection or the connection goes fuzzy on a regular phone. The tendency is to take the phone away from your ear and look at the receiver... as if looking at it is going to reveal the source of the problem...LOL

I can see the same thing happening in the car!

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imidazol97

it would be if a large percentage of the cars had cell phone jammers. The drivers with the phone to their ear dowdling along at the speed limit, making left turns by waiting until traffic is clear for 1/4 mile because they're concentating on their call, wouldn't be able to make calls near the 1 out of 10 cars with a rolling jammer.

Oh well. Nice postulating. The jammers would probably get tickets for jamming, and the bad drivers get nothing because they're not speeding ina radar trap.

PF_Flyer

What if it wasn't a cell phone jammer as in stopping other people from making in car calls, but a cell phone jammer from the manufacturer to prevent people from possible accident-causing cell phone calls that MIGHT be blamed on some "vehicle defect"

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carlisimo

Dunno, there are situations where you want your cell phone to work. Like just after an accident.

And I'll admit to using them when I need directions, which is bad, but not as bad as how I drive when all my focus is on reading itty bitty street signs in bad lighting.

grbeck

Jamming cell phones in certain areas would last until the first person had to make an emergency call and couldn't get through.

Which is to say, about a week - at the most.

imidazol97

about a week - at the most.

In this litigious, self-centered society where I can do anything I want to do and others don'thave any right to expect any responsibility to be considerate of others' rights, or I yell loudly and the media softies take up my cause...
I'm sorry to say grbeck is right!!!

But I'm really tired of the distracted cell phone users floating around like zombies. There is a group of usually men, businessmen, who are more alert on the phone and are very careful to be out of the way, but many others are dangerous.

gambit293

I don't know about that. To me, the most distracting part of cellphones is making the call itself.

So imagine if random SUV mom is plowing along in her Excursion, yacking away, and then her phone dies because she comes within range of a jammer. What is she going to do? Look AWAY from the road, look at the phone to push buttons, squint to check her service bars, swerve all over, and maybe run me over. I know plenty of people who, if the call drops AGAIN, would simply dial out repeatedly until it connects.

Now for something totally different...

Cell Phone user: Sir. The phone, sir. It appears to be ... Jammed!
Passenger: Jammed. ... Raspberry.
Cell Phone user: There's only one man who would dare give me the raspberry.
Cell Phone user: LONE STAR...

bryan

I returned from a weekend away and someome had parked an Acura CL in front of my driveway. Since I live across the street from a Hospice, I went there thinking someone had been called to come by quickly, and had just parked haphazardly in their haste. The folks there announced the car and tag number over their PA system; after an hour and no one moved the car, I called the nonemergency police number to have the car towed so I could access my driveway. That's when I looked closely at the car. It was pretty beat up--someone had keyed "Don't do this again" in the driver's side hood of the car in about four-inch tall letters--down to the metal. The right front bumper was scraped real bad and the passengar side hood was scuffed like something had been hit. It was obvious this car had not been taken care of--the interior was a disaster too.

Police showed up about an hour later--ran the tag, etc., came back clean. He then asked me if I had keyed the car, and I replied "Not my style", which is true--I did not do it. And I reminded him I had called the police.

While waiting for the tow truck, a beautiful young black female with an intricate head wrap came by asking the policeman if everything was all right. Seems she had parked there Saturday morning, and did not understand (spoke broken English) what was wrong. Apparently she is a caretaker for an elderly neighbor that lives next to the Hospice. Anyway, the policeman asked her to get her driver's license, registration, keys, etc., and come back and move the car.

After everything checked out, she moved her car--to a NO PARKING zone around the corner! Not two hours later the police were back again. She still did not understand what was wrong--she was not blocking a driveway this time! She saw the No Parking sign with an arrow, and thought the arrow meant it was okay for her to park there as she did not understand the sign's wording.

We agreed she is "parking challenged" and when she was asked about the keying, she said it had been there awhile but did not understand what it meant!

gee35coupe

I didn't key THAT car.

imidazol97

to require English proficiency for citizenship, etc.. Doesn't the state require English to read signs before passing out a license?

tazereli

My philosophy on people like that is as follows. Park in front of my driveway and I utilize the pushbar. Doesnt matter to me if its an AMC Gremlin or a Maybach, its getting moved. I cant rely on the cops in my town as Ive seen a car sit in the same spot for up to 2 months with expired tags and inspection before the cops put an abandoned sticker on it.

Has anyone had somone actually park in your driveway let alone block it? That to me is not only rude but trespassing.

Regards,
Kyle

ed_scott0013

Those are the kind of people who make me wish I carried a racing jack with me in the car.

andyman73

Years ago, my father lost a 56 Chevy 210(does that sound right?) because some donkey butt didn't like college kids. Dad was at a friend's house, blocking friend's drive, many cars there, parking was limited. They were staying the night. So neighbor called Police, and they towed car, before asking who it belonged to. Homeowner was pissed, because it was his drive, and he didn't care. Police wanted more to release car from impound than Dad paid for it. So Police had to cover the cost, and did what ever they do with impounded cars that aren't retrieved.

I don't know what I personnally would do, but in my mind, I would let the air out of the tires, then call the Police. Once someone parked a broke down car in front of my house. I said it was okay, for 24 hours. 30 hours later( gave them extra time) I called Police. 2 hours later, owner was there with a roll back, said he forgot about car. Yeah right. Police called me back and said he had 4 hours, before they would impound it, told them it was gone.

On one of the bases Dad was stationed at, one of the neighbors had friends over regularly. They drove a conversion van, and would habitually park it with back end partially blocking our driveway, after several incidents MPs told moron that next time it would be towed, and then not be allowed on base anymore. That was it for that.

bolivar

We live near a grade school. Parents are a constant problem to us. (We actually are a block away. The city has posted NO PARKING signs near the school, which only 'pushes' the problems further from the school.)

Almost DAILY using our drive for turnarounds, which with the huge stream of cars picking up Buffy/Eric, blocking the drive before they can back out. Returning home, we have been blocked out of our garage several times because of this.

And yes, about half of a large SUV extended across our driveway one afternoon. Once was enough, any unattended car actually across the driveway will be towed in the future.

We also have a 'circle' drive that cuts across the corner. Many, many parents have driven through our circle drive - either to 'jump' traffic backing up at the corner, or to turn around to go back to the school to retrieve something the little darling forgot.

My wife and I have talked to many, many drivers about their rude and disrespectful driving. Most are as seemingly ignorant about causing any problem or being disrespectful as the language and culturaly limited female in the previous messages.

A few days ago my wife was standing in our driveway. A mom wanting to back into our drive spoke to her daughter in the passenger's seat. The young child then said 'Move' to my wife, obviously at her mother's direction.

It's the me, me, me approach of people. It's not my fault, get out of my way, let me do what I want to do.....

ANT14

Bolivar, I have a friend who had the same issue. What they did is they installed the cement "pyramids" on the grass area, between the street and the sidewalk. And planted palm trees on there. So that killed that issue.

As for people parking in the driveway, they placed a simple chain across both entries to prevent anyone from entering. And there were a few cars who not realizing it, stormed right thru and messed up their cars hood/paintjob.... Granted, it works for them because 10 minutes before school let's out, their maid goes out and places the chain and such. Things got so bad they would purposely scatter the driveway with screws which didn't bother them because again "the maid" would sweap it off for the next days use.

andyman73

don't suppose you could park one of your own cars, or some lawn equipment in the drive, during crucial times, maybe a mower or tractor. Maybe lay out spike strips, that would send a message. Perhaps this is an issue that can be addressed by the school board, since it's tied in with the children, and so on.

ed_scott0013

Mmmm... Spike Strips...

andyman73

That's pretty cool! Just put up a sign saying "Beware of spike strip!" That should cover the legalities. The sign alone maybe enough to keep them out of the driveway. Atleast you wouldn't have to worry about the lawnmower picking up any of those screws or nails. Boy, I can see it now, try to explain how you got 2 or more flats by trespassing on someones property.

bolivar

Well, you have some interesting suggestions, most we've considered.

I like to keep my home nice looking, so I keep 2 cars inside the garage all the time. I have recently gone up to 3 cars, so my beloved Ranger pickup does now sit in the circle drive, stopping the cut-throught. (Sob! My little truck truck has to live outside because my wife wanted another damnable Cadillac!) Anyway, I hate to 'litter' my property because of other people misbehaving.

I've surely considered spike strips. I don't have a maid to deploy and secure them. And have worried about the liability potential if one of the little dears would come onto the drive and jump on the spikes (the ones inside the solid cardboard containers), impaling their little footsie with a few spikes. Maybe consider asking a lawyer about this....

We've talked to the school principal about this. He nodded his head and said hummmmmm a lot. One year they did put a 'be friendly to the neighborhood' article in the PTO flyer.

ANT14

I was discussing this with a lawyer friend over dinner tonight actually (since it was his brother who had this issue)... He stated that IF you have a police dept. that really has nothing better to do (all depends upon the city your in), you could contact them about the issue, and what they could do is send someone there for a few days and ticket cars as they park and block driveways. Granted, I live in Miami and such a thing would be next to impossible because of the lack of officer's/vacancies of jobs, and corrupt city government. But in smaller surburban townships, they would be willing to do the above stated. Think of that venue.

andyman73

Maybe if you know someone with a big pick-up and trailer combo, or motorhome, or travel trailer, they could come over and park in front, for a while, taking up 3-5 car lengths. Let them soccor mommies try to get a spot then!

andre1969

about people turning around in your driveway, unless you specifically put up a sign that says "No Trespassing", and put up something obvious like a big chain or a gate.

Anything that's not blatantly obvious that you set out, that someone drives up in and runs into, like a thin wire, a spike strip, etc, something obviously designed to damage vehicles, could come back and bite you on the butt with a lawsuit.

Think about it...an armed gunman could break into your house, rob you at gunpoint, but if you hit him with a baseball bat or shot him, YOU could get sued! So obviously if you set out a trap (and I'm sure a spike strip or similar device would be considered a trap) it's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Also, in many neighborhoods, the right-of-way actually extends beyond the curb, so there could be 20 feet or more of county property that's actually beyond the paved surface of the road. I've turned around in people's driveways before, but what I'll do is pull in just as far as I need to to back out and turn around. I'm not going to pull all the way up to their house, go around their circular driveway, turn around on their grass, etc!

Now in some neighborhoods it's not like that. For instance, where I'm at, the road only has a 30 foot right-of-way, and in some areas the asphalt has actually spilled over onto private property! No sidewalks either. But then the road goes out to a 60 foot right-of-way, or something like that, in front of the property to my left. And all of that additional 30 feet, according to the map, is on our side of the road...it's not like they branched out 15 feet on either side.

So in that case, the first 30 feet of his driveway is actually on county property!

Now it IS illegal to block in a private driveway. I don't know if you'd be allowed to do it with your own car or not, or if the police would ticket for something like that, or if you'd have to call them. It's also illegal to park in a driveway and block a sidewalk. I got a ticket for doing that once. It was only $20, and it was fairly late at night. Considering the neighbhorhood, you'd think the police would have more pressing concerns than a Dart blocking the sidewalk, but there's money to be paid in motor vehicle violations. The old addage "Crime doesn't pay" is true. It's more profitable to go after motor vehicle offenses that bring in revenue than it is to go after criminals.

I think they should start giving out tickets for crimes, then maybe they'd be enforced more. For example, if you get a ticket for speeding, blocking a sidewalk, etc, then you should also get an appropriate ticket for burglary, vandalism, armed robbery, animal abuse, murder, etc.

grbeck

Certainly a property owner can place a heavy chain across a driveway entrance, even without a "No Trespassing" sign. That is the same as erecting a fence around a property.

A spike strip is no more convenient or effective than a chain link across the driveway entrance. Both must be removed before the property owner can leave the property.

If a trespasser hits the spike strip, he or she will damage the tires. Contact with the chain will damage the vehicle itself, which is more expensive to repair. Plus, the driver would have NO case whatsoever for running through a heavy chain, anymore than he or she would have a case for running through a fence to take a shortcut through a yard.

imidazol97

If you live in an area with zoning, you may be restricted as to what you can put up. Our city does not allow fences across the front of the property, other than carefully worded allowances for ornamental fencing.

Ask your city leaders for help if you live in an incorporated area. That's what they're paid for. The police should help by watching for violators at the appropriate times.

I remember a guy I used to work with had kids doing lawn cut throughs. He put angle iron in a way that it stuck up in his yard; he had something built by a local welder... One morning there was a car a few hundred feet down the road with all four tires flat. Do not try this at home.

grbeck

A neighbor with a corner lot had problems with children using his yard as a shortcut on their bikes. He erected an ornamental chain (painted black, so that it was visible, and complete with "horsehead" posts) across that corner. Pretty much solved the problem.

bryan

Anyone else see this phenom? Today, I got behind two different people on two different off ramps with stop signs. About 10-12 cars in front of me at each exit. Got to where I was one car from the stop sign to make my right hand turn. Of course, that's when both drivers decided it was time to dial up their cell phones, and just sit there. Horns behind me started, and I get the one-finger salute! I used to have a late 78 Chevy Impala--sure could have used that one today to "prod" the dialers through the sign! Argh!

shiphro

To be honest, I've been exposed to every form of inconsiderate driver listed in the previous posts. It's frustrating to be sure... but if you want real craziness, you need to head south.

There's a 2 lane highway that runs from Miami to Key West. It's been in a ton of commercials and movies, it might even be the southernmost part of I-95, but I might be mistaken.

The highway is two lanes and they REALLY don't want you to pass. Forget double-yellow, this thing has 6' wide, quadruple-yellow with raised reflector strips and signs saying "In the name of all things holy, do not pass. $1,000,000 fine!" iirc. Every few miles, there'd be a 4-lane passing section. A quarter-mile or so stretch of road dedicated to passing slower drivers.

My wife and I flew into Miami, rented a convertible and drove to Key West at sunset. I was so happy to be out of the Philly weather that I really didn't pay much attention to traffic.

On the way back however, we got a late start and so I was paying attention to the clock as we headed back north. That's when I noticed the most despicable behavior I've ever seen on the road.

The speed limit hovers around 50mpg and moves up and down depending on population density and local whims. Generally, I'd set the CC at 58mph... good velocity, but too small of a fish to reel in. Consistently, I'd catch up to a line of 4 or 5 cars all going 45mph . Then, we'd all get to one of the passing sections.

At that point, the [insert adjective here] driver at the head of the line would stay in the left lane and drop the hammer. The person behind him would move right and speed up as well. The entire crowd would get up to 65-95 depending on vehicle capabilities before the road merged back into two lanes. At which point whomever was in front would generally slow down to 45mph or so.

It wasn't a coordinated effort among multiple drivers, it was just consistent expression of the lowest common denominator when it comes to human behavior behind the wheel. It was the avatar of Inconsiderate Driver.

ANT14

That would be the OverSeas Highway you were discussing, routed off US1. Now you understand what I must deal with daily, and explains why we here in Miami rate #3 in bad traffic, and #1 in rudest driver's.

And if it rains, heh... Talk about FUN !!

gambit293

I just got back from a 1500 mile trek from Ohio to Boston and back again. Throughout New England, I was astounded by how many drivers didn't know how to merge. About a dozen times, people would completely stop to wait.

Then I realized this was a sympton of another problem: poorly designed onramps. It seems that Boston onramps are way too short for such high-speed freeways. Consequently, people get used to having to stop when trying to merge even when driving in areas with adequate onramps. In effect the onramp merges become stop signs.

On another note, I saw a psycho bus driver driving through NY. He was driving fast, but hey so do I. But he wouldn't let anyone pass. Anytime a car tried to pass, he would speed up and stradle both lanes to block traffic. I pulled up behind him and called his license plate in to the NY state patrol, but I doubt they did anything.

eharri3

I struggle to understand this phenomenon. I'll be merging on a highway and watch the car in front of me. They'll merge with 70-75 mph traffic doing 60. OK, bad enough. But then rather than stay in that far right merging lane while gathering speed, they immediately start looking to move one lane over into much faster traffic. The cars in that lane could be flying by at a 25 mph speed differential, but this merging vehicle just HAS to move over one lane as soon as they're on the highway. There's nobody in front of them so it's not like they're passing a slower vehicle. There's no other merging lanes visible for the next mile or so.

I see this every day on the way to work. The merging lane I use actually turns into a new far right lane on I-95. I used to move immediately to the left lane and get stuck behind LLBs, then I realized it made more sense just to stay in the far right lane. Why? For some reason, as soon as people entered the highway they vacated that lane like it was the plague, moving one lane over and forcing other drivers to jam on their brakes. If they would just stay where they are they would see a couple miles of empty lane in front of them, but for some reason rather than do that they want to move one lane over and force everybody else to slow down suddenly. Meanwhile this leaves the far right lane 100% empty for me for the first couple miles or so.

It seems like people might have this natural aversion to being perceived as going slow or something. Like even though they're not driving fast, they still have to be among the fast cars rather than in that right lane. It's the same kind of principal that will often cause the far right lane on many highways to move along more quickly than the passing lane. Everybody wants to where the fast people are but many of them don't want to actually go fast.

ruking1

I think you hit it on the head! Each time you see this presents an opportunity. Since you see this happening a lot, you have "a lot" of opportunities to pass on the right!

derekgdw

My neice is 17 years old and just got into her first accident.

She was being tailgated by someone and decided to brake check them. Of course she must've just stood on the brakes and they slammed right into her.

They're both ok but I'm sure she won't be brake checking anyone any time soon. I wonder what she said to the police when they asked how it happened . . .

scotian

"#3516 of 3576 Re: Another Saint Paul Pioneer Press letter [scotian] by tpat3 Oct 14, 2004 (11:14 am)

You and imadope must get a big kick out of irritating your fellow drivers and posters. I just hope that when your obnoxious behavior causes an accident, the only casualty is your self righteousness."

You do realize that I didn't write any of those letters, right? Or is merely posting the contents of the letters the obnoxious behavior to which you refer?

grbeck

It's my understanding that if you "brake check" a tailgater, you will bear at least partial blame for any resulting accident.

derekgdw

I see that every so often. People like to feel like they have power on the road by holding everyone back. My story from last night is along the same lines though not quite.

Yesterday evening driving I-90 from Rockford to Chicago I came up behind this guy in a Dodge Magnum doing about 60 in a 65. I wanted to do 70 so I went to the left lane to pass. When I pass I usually try to pass quickly so it's over with (none of this I'll go to the left lane simply to drive along side of you)

So I go faster . . . And faster . . . And faster. A little bit later I realize I'm doing 95 and I'm still not passing this joker meaning that he's speeding up along with me. At which point he floors it and starts going probably about 110 - 115 (I say that because he *REALLY* took off from me) just so I couldn't pass. I just dropped my speed back to 70 (nobody was blocking me now so I was happy). I ended up passing him later. For whatever reason he decided he didn't need to keep me from passing by that point.

avs007

If you have a phone jammer in your car (or if manufacturers installed them), then:

1.) None of your passengers could use a cell phone.

2.) None of the people in the vicinity of your car can use a cell phone. Such as pedestrians, people on the bus next to you, people seated outside of a nice restaurant, etc.

imidazol97

My vision of phone jammer availability in my vehicle's range is to have a device to turn on when a phone dominator or cruiser is observed. That interrupts their distraction of using the cellphone while pulling out in front of me, using the cellphone while riding in the left lane at 63 when the speed limit is 65, while turning left in front of me but waiting until all traffic is clear instead of turning during substantial gaps in on-coming cars, etc.

Your concepts of problems are moot.

carlisimo

Big leap of faith, thinking that they'll keep control of their vehicle while tilting their head, tilting the phone to see if that works better, shaking it, staring at it in disbelief, redialing... =]

imidazol97

genetic cleansing will occur. Those who are smart enough to realize the phone ain't working and drive the car will survive; those who are the couch potato level of intelligence and thrive on phone social life will.... not.

oregonboy

Clearly the Magnum driver was power-trippin'. He had his shiny new hemi toy and wanted you to know that he could "blow you off the road", "suck your doors off", or (to paraphrase the "Little Old Lady form Pasadena")... give you a length and shut you down.

Once he had demonstrate the dominance of his ride, it was no longer necessary to stay ahead of you and he let you pass.

Sometimes you just gotta laugh.

james

ruking1

Yup, the situation was tailor made for a LLC in front of the Dodge, then you could have passed in the right lane and trap him behind!!

capitano

The commercial for the magnum must be having an effect. That not letting the other guy pass is the whole idea of the ad.

ruking1

So fantasy is now the new reality, eh?

eharri3

If you have a phone jammer in your car (or if manufacturers installed them), then:

1.) None of your passengers could use a cell phone.

2.) None of the people in the vicinity of your car can use a cell phone. Such as pedestrians, people on the bus next to you, people seated outside of a nice restaurant, etc.
--------------------

Nor could a phone be used if there were an actual genuine emergency occuring in the viscinity of your car. Someone watching a robbery in progress or having a heart attack might loose crucial minutes dialing 911 because you want to get even with the guy who pulled out in front of you suddenly while talking on the phone.

imidazol97

The car is moving. That makes moot most of your concerns. And the unit turns off. Only turned on when a cellphone dominator is present.

A lot of what-ifs, but most are paper tigers to the problem of cell phone abusers.

gambit293

Derek, just wondering what car you were driving at the time?

Sounds to me that the Magnum driver, for some reason, was in a race mentality. Was your car remotely sporty?