Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

snakeweasel · January 2013

It's not an excuse for bad behavior, but, I don't see many people weaving in and out of traffic for the "FUN" of it. Most people are lazy, so if people properly yielded to faster traffic in the left lane, weaving would be entirely 100% unnecessary.

Weaving is always 100% unnecessary.

About the only times I see weaving is either in very heavy moving traffic where all lanes are filled or where the weaver is driving way to fast. In both cases it boils down to "I'm more important than you, how dare you be in my way". Those people are going to kill themselves.

snakeweasel · January 2013

I am not the one who is scared to drive at a reasonable speed, I am not the one causing congestion.

No drop of water thinks it is responsible for the flood.

What is a reasonable speed? "Reasonable" is very subjective. What you consider reasonable others would consider unreasonable and vise versa. While you say that drivers driving at an unreasonable speed (to slow) are causing the congestion those drivers are likely saying that drivers driving at an unreasonable speed (to fast) are responsible.

True if the slower drivers drove faster there would not be the congestion, but then again that congestion would be avoided if the faster drivers drove slowly.

snakeweasel · January 2013

Really? What's the benefit of going slower than is necessary?

Try it sometime. Next time you are driving some distance in more open area let your foot off the gas, go a little slower, arrive a few minutes later. It's magical.

snakeweasel · January 2013

Just wait until Geico learns of your credit score & the reports they get from their independent field investigators that converse with your neighbors and co workers.

Are you kidding? Just wait until Geico reads his posts here.

snakeweasel · January 2013

Or you could be financially responsible with your own money, and not spend it on insurance companies (which I find financially irresponsible and financially negligent), save and invest your money, and when you have one claim 25 years down the road, you'll come out way ahead

Yes unless that one claim is because you hit someone so bad it put them in the hospital for 3 months and they incurred $200K in hospital bills. Then you're [word I don't think Edmunds would let me use].

snakeweasel · January 2013

Who said anything about speeding? 90%+ of the LLCs I see are going under the limit.

I would say that the vast majority of those LLCer's that I see are goint at least the SL. That is unless traffic is already to heavy to do SL.

stickguy · January 2013

snake, that is something that bugs me about a lot of insurance, or the way people use it.

In a lot of cases, it really should just be more "catastrophic" coverage. So in 25 years you can handle a fender bender, but if it is a major claim, then insurance steps in.

snakeweasel · January 2013

I have witnessed the speeding up while being passed ideal numerous times around here, on highways and surface streets both. It fits in with the local passive aggressive attitude. They will almost always give up and slow back down once you've moved past.

My guess is that there is a physcological reason for this in may cases. I would bet that alot of drivers don't realize they do it. It's just a natural reaction to match speeds with the "group". I know I have done it without even thinking, but when I have realized it I try to get back to my old speed.

Passing on the right is fine in WA anyway, here's the law:

I am pretty sure it is legal in every state as long as you don't leave the road i.e. you are in a designated lane.

snakeweasel · January 2013

But in my experience the smokies have gotten so lazy that they will pull over the vehicle in back because it takes too much energy and time to chase down the fastest car in front.

More than one state trooper has told me that the rational for getting the last one in the group is that they had at one time had to be going faster than the rest and would be going faster than the first if the first one wasn't blocking them.

fintail · January 2013

Regarding the looking, what is it that's taught in driver's ed - "right, left, right" or something? Sadly, it seems many around here can't even be bothered to look both ways, or sometimes, even one way.

Regarding reasonable speeds, the often woefully underposted limits are usually all I ask for. Come to my area, you'll find highways where too many timid inept drivers get white knuckled when they hit 50 in a 60 (405 was the context of the post you replied to). These people simply need to stick to secondary roads.

Hmmm...I see that one way street share the road ideal again. Shocking. Everyone slowing down to a rate that is even more dumbed down than what exists already is not a solution. The thought that going slower is "magical" proves there is some real devolution going on. This has to be the only semi-developed nearly-first world place on the planet with such a mindset.

snakeweasel · January 2013

In a lot of cases, it really should just be more "catastrophic" coverage.

Thats one of the reasons you have deductables, to cover the small stuff. But what may be small stuff for you might be catastrophic for another. Let's say for the fender bender, those can cost some bucks to fix. Last one I had the damage was just north of $2K (IIRC). Two years ago I would haven't blink an eye. Now with the wife having just gotten off of two years of unemployment $2K is a bit more money (but still doable). My kid who is just finishing up college $2K is a big chunck of money and would put him in a terrible bind.

snakeweasel · January 2013

Regarding reasonable speeds,

The thing is is that "reasonable" is rather subjective. What one considers "reasonable" another may not. Also someone may consider something "unreasonable" then may consider it "reasonable" once they learn more facts on the subject.

Let me ask you this; is it reasonable to have 9 speed bumps in about 4/5ths of a mile of a residential street?

Hmmm...I see that one way street share the road ideal again.

What "one way share the road ideal"?

snakeweasel · January 2013

Traveling on a divided road with two lanes in each direction approaching a point where the road narrows to one lane in each direction. Only traffic in front of me is an SUV and the nearest traffic behind is a block or two back.

Both the SUV and myself are in the left lane (right lane ends a bit ahead of us) and the SUV is doing just under 50 in a 45, no big deal for me so I just settle in behind him (her?). All of a sudden they start slowing down, fast enough to make me think they took their foot off the gas. So I figured that maybe they were about to turn so I merged into the right lane and started to pass maintaining my speed of about +/-50. As soon as I start getting a little in front of him he starts to gun it. :confuse:

andre1969 · January 2013

Would it be possible for a car to hit a telephone pole, snap it completely, and be able to drive away?

Reason I'm asking is that, around 7:30 this morning, I was aroused by the rumble of a big-rig type engine. Looked outside, and saw a couple fire engines blocking the road up the street. Then, I noticed that the top of one of the telephone poles, about 300 feet from my house, was at about half its normal height. I couldn't see the lower part of it, because it was partially blocked by evergreens that I've planted around the perimeter of my yard, to give me some seclusion.

But, I went down and looked, and near as I can tell, someone coming towards my house had veered onto the wrong side of the road, took out the neighbor's mailbox, and then went into the telephone pole hard enough to snap it in several places. There was a little bit of plastic debris scattered, but not too much. And, no vehicle to be seen, by the time I went out there.

I really hope that whoever did this wasn't able to drive off and get away, scott free. Plus, it did some minor damage to my place. There are two poles between my house and the one that snapped, but I guess there was enough vibration that it pulled the Verizon FIOS cable loose from where it attaches to the house. So, nothing irreparable, but it still annoys me.

One of the neighbors said he heard a noise around 5:00 in the morning, so that's when it happened I guess.

backy · January 2013

A car? I doubt it. But possible for some kinds of vehicles with "big rig" kinds of engines, for example...

snakeweasel · January 2013

Would it be possible for a car to hit a telephone pole, snap it completely, and be able to drive away?

I would say yes. It all depends on force, speed, angle of the collision, how well the car is built and the condition of the telephone pole.

It is also possible that the car was towed away before you saw what was happening (and most likely).

andre1969 · January 2013

It is also possible that the car was towed away before you saw what was happening (and most likely).

Yeah, that's my guess. Last time a telephone pole was actually snapped in my neighborhood, was back in 1987. It was the one right in front of my house. A drunk in an early 70's Ford pickup hit it, snapped it, and the impact was bad enough that it pulled the pole behind it down into my neighbor's pine tree, setting it on fire. That truck was destroyed, though.

Also back in the 80's, an early 70's Pontiac Ventura had hit the same pole, but didn't hurt it. Took out our mailbox as well. There was a scrape mark on the road, and out of curiosity, we followed it, about two miles. That's where we saw this horribly smashed Ventura sitting in someone's driveway and figured they'd been punished enough, no need to bring up the mailbox! Also back then, someone in a '78-79 Magnum hit a telephone pole about 600 feet up the road. No damage to the pole, but the passenger, who wasn't wearing her seatbelt, broke the windshield and left a horrible bloody spot on it. And that car wasn't driveable, as the wheel well pushed into the tire.

A few months ago, someone hit a telephone near my job, in a Mustang. Here's the result:

Sorry about the fence being in the way...

snakeweasel · January 2013

I seem to recall many decades ago a telephone pole near where I lived was snapped by something that you wouldn't think would break a telephone pole. IIRC a large piece of debre during a rather violent windstorm (possible tornado). However the pole was struck by a truck a year or so earlier which may have done a lot on damage that wasn't noticed and the windstorm was just the straw that broke the camels back.

snakeweasel · January 2013

Oh and talking about telephone poles winter is here and the roads are getting slippery. Right down the block from me the road curves with a slight down hill slope. At the end or the curve along the road on the outside of the curve is a fire hydrant. It's in a perfect location for someone to hit if they take the curve a little to fast when it's slippery. About once every other winter someone takes that hydrant out. It remained unassaulted the last two winters so we are due.

fintail · January 2013

There's nothing subjective about reasonable speeds on the road in question, pointless silly circular argument distractions included. It's unreasonable to go 45 on a road when 60 and most cars are able and more than willing to go within 5mph of that limit.

Think about this, is it reasonable to ask tangental questions?

The one way share the road ideal is that everyone should make way for the slow/timid/scared/inept, not that those slow people ever have to make way for those actually driving. Sharing needs to be a two way street.

fintail · January 2013

I guess it would be on a local news site if someone was hurt.

MB W140 or G-wagen could probably do that kind of damage and drive away :shades:

fintail · January 2013

Went down to Portland - not a bad drive. Lots of very early/dawn speedtraps on I5, but they seemed to be going for those at 10+ over. Hardly any LLCs, but not zero either, bless their souls, they know not what they do. Portland drivers are just like Seattle - texters and yappers everywhere, fun mix of slowpokes and speeders, and saw an Infiniti FX come within an inch of hitting a woman in a crosswalk - she even screamed, it was that close. Something about some vehicles seems to isolate the "driver".

xwesx · January 2013

Don't mind them; a text just came in. :P

xwesx · January 2013

I was in the Portland area today, too. I probably saw a dozen OSP officers monitoring speeds. What an insanely wasteful use of time....

Unlike you, LLCs were rampant while I was out. It is mind-boggling how inconsistently many drivers' speeds can be on straight, flat roads. :confuse:

backy · January 2013

The one way share the road ideal is that everyone should make way for the slow/timid/scared/inept, not that those slow people ever have to make way for those actually driving. Sharing needs to be a two way street.

Yes. The slower drivers "make way" for those driving faster by keeping right. Then those going faster keep left and don't abuse (tailgate, honk, fingers, flash lights etc.) those going slower. It's not brain surgery here, folks.

fintail · January 2013

They keep right? Maybe in Yourup. Here in "share the road" land, I see a lot more LLCers than people tailgating, flashing, etc. Mostly, people who at least wanted to proceed at the limit would just pass on the right - even though they really shouldn't have to. For so many, lane discipline is indeed rocket surgery :shades:

fintail · January 2013

I only experienced 5 and 405 for small journeys in and out of the city, most of my time was on surface streets. The worst LLCs seemed to be N of Olympia or S of Chehalis. In between is there the speeders congregated - got passed by a later model Suburban that must have been going 90.

The speedtrap mentality is indeed incredibly wasteful. Target that while other issues go unchecked.

Oh, another thing is there like here - slow mergers. So fun merging onto a lightly populated 60mph highway at 41mph.

jjackson12 · January 2013

So fun merging onto a lightly populated 60mph highway at 41mph.

Not 40 or 42, but 41?

What type of radar are you using to measure this?

fintail · January 2013

Well, I was in a car with a digital speedometer. We hit 42, eventually :shades:

backy · January 2013

Well, I didn't say everyone shares the road as they should, did I? If so, there wouldn't be over 20,000 posts here I bet.

imidazol97 · January 2013

Had an LLD'er today flash his delivery style van lights 10 times or because I was in the left lane doing 7 miles per hour over the speed limit in a construction zone. I was hoping he would get zapped by the suburban police where the freeway goes to 55 and everyone acts like it's already 65--or the occasionaly Ohio State Highway patrol car that will hide in the same area. Odd that he was so impatient because the right two lanes had just opened clear as the 4th lane went off. No keep right signs folks, and I was hurrying to a doctor appointment.

I know he's a left lane dominator because for the next 6 miles he didn't leave the left lane even when the two right lanes were open. The middle lane was open about 70% of the time. I was laughing to myself because I was hoping he'd have a business logo on the van when he passed. His plate number doesn't come up when I searched the public records.

We were still in the high accident 45 mph zone where I was in the left lane to avoid the trucks that cause part of the accidents. Driver must have a neurotic need for power. I've enjoyed the speeding through the construction for the last 5 years in downtown Dayton. Because of the crossovers to handle traffic, there have been many rough areas. Early in construction on we had a pair of large dips northbound right after the 45 zone was posted. Of course most wanted to drive 65 or more. I saw an older (but agile) BMW leave the ground ahead of me when he went down and came back up out of the dip. High accident areas. Some city patrols for speed when they're not busy passing out speeding tickets near the donut shops.

Why not just slow down and share the road?

fintail · January 2013

Nor did I say you said that. Once again making an argument out of something that isn't there. Did you graduate from Strawman High School? :shades:

Out this morning, nothing bad while on foot, but when driving saw a woman in a Corolla pull out directly in front of a Quest moving at ~35mph. People like that deserve to be t-boned hard right at the driver's door.

fintail · January 2013

Box trucks are notoriously aggressive in my area. They seldom wear any identification, either. Independent "businessmen" I guess. Probably drives a lifted 4x4 as a personal vehicle (but also with commercial plates, for a "business friendly" scam) and operates it in the same manner.

Although I have to say, I think "slower traffic keep right" applies perpetually, signed or not. Still, he should have passed on the right rather than dangerously tailgating.

backy · January 2013

Nope. Nor from your alma mater, Making-Much-Ado-About-Nothing Academy.

Someone deserves to be killed or seriously injured in an auto accident because they made a mistake? Wow.

fintail · January 2013

Sometimes, people only wise up after a harsh experience. Yes, they deserve it. Wow, yourself, valedictorian of Strawman Academy.

xrunner2 · January 2013

I know he's a left lane dominator because for the next 6 miles he didn't leave the left lane even when the two right lanes were open. The middle lane was open about 70% of the time.

OK. So we all encounter these guys from time to time. Maybe just let it go. Move over into the one of the two "open"right lanes and let the guy go. That was easy.

imidazol97 · January 2013

> Move over into the one of the two "open"right lanes

That's right. That's all he needed to do rather than flash his headlights at someone going over the speed limit in a construction zone and high accident area because the interstate has a high truck load. When someone doesn't seem to think their truck has a steering wheel to turn right and change lanes, who knows what kind of crazed things that person will do if I try to make a legal lane change and use my turn signals and all that obeying the laws about lane changes. He can't even follow speed limits.

I was traveling at and above the posted speed limit in an area with no signs for "Slower traffic keep right."

xrunner2 · January 2013

I was traveling at and above the posted speed limit in an area with no signs for "Slower traffic keep right."

I think that the important thing here is to not challenge someone who might be going over the limit and wants to go even faster and wants to pass. Should someone be a traffic and speed limit enforcer? Don't think so. How difficult is it to just LET IT GO. Move over. Let them go faster if they want. What is so hard about that?

gogogodzilla · January 2013

Odd that he was so impatient because the right two lanes had just opened clear as the 4th lane went off.

Odd that you'd stay in the left lane, knowing full well that you were not passing or the faster car on the road.

What I see are two dominators on the road... fighting for dominance over each other, regardless of consequence.

imidazol97 · January 2013

>What I see are two dominators on the road... fighting for dominance over each other,

Odd that you, once again, would try to paint me as at fault for being in the left lane of 3 (4) lanes. Remember I had just come through a dangerous, narrowed lane, and uneven construction area where the speed limit is and should be 45 and the traffic is moved to the temporary opposing lanes. The truck came out of nowhere, most likely having sped through the construction at 65 and was coming up catching me just as I was speeding above the limit by 5 or so. The limit have just risen back to 55 on a completed area of the construction.

When someone starts in being a dominator, I just wait for them to leave the area so it's safe to merge to the right more lanes. Note, that in 6 more miles after he passed on the right without spending 1/2 mile trying to push me out of his lane, he didn't leave the left lane once even though both right lanes of 3 were open and the middle lane was open for driving at his 5 or so over 65. Never moved over once. A big clue for the LLD status.

You'll be happy to know I drove 80 or so miles to OSU campus yesterday on a mostly 3 lane interstate and I was in the right hand lane 99% of the distance. Hardly a left lane cruiser.

I did get to see a couple of potential LLD's get stopped by the OSP. I was watching the OSP plane making tight circles and was feeling sorry for the people in the plane probably getting dizy, but I knew they were probably following a target for the ground car to stop. There was one OSP car active on the opposite side of the interstate with a violator on the side already. Lo and behold here came 2 OSP cars merging into traffic and each singled out an SUV and their lights came on. Two more violators slowed. They were caught in the left lane and actually pulled onto the median berm rather than to the right hand berm for their traffic stops.

The OSP still had the plane out on my return trip an hours or so later, but only had one active car making stops that I could spot.

backy · January 2013

I'm currently taking the online National Safety Council Defensive Driving course, to shave 10% off my insurance (can do that if 55+). Based on what they teach there re defensive driving... both you and the truck driver were in the wrong.

The truck driver should not have driven in a "dominating" way in the left lane.

However, you should have done everything reasonable to get out of the way of the dominating driver... just let him get by you so you could get to a safer position on the road, one with less stress and risk of an accident. You say you wait for dominators to leave the area. Instead, YOU should be the one to "leave the area" as soon as it's safe for you to do so. You have control over your actions. You can't control what other drivers will do.

It has nothing to do with being a "left lane cruiser" or not. It has to do with driving defensively, and taking whatever actions are prudent to lessen the risk of an accident or violation.

fintail · January 2013

Clear evening, a little light in the sky, so about 100 cars with no lights. I don't understand.

Not a bad drive, saw 2 turners from the wrong lane - jerky middle aged exec type in a late model Range Rover, phone to ear, right turn from left lane on a 4 lane arterial. Prime candidate for fines based on finances. Then someone I won't describe in an Odyssey (if you are local, I bet you can guess), left turn from the right lane of a similar road. Saw a few other phone users, no crosswalk crowders.

jjackson12 · January 2013

On the way into work this morning - I was in the left lane of a four lane divided highway (two in each direction) moving at about 50mph (SL 55). Traffic was heavy, but moving nicely. Approaching a side street, I see a WRX getting ready to pull into traffic. I see him jump into a tiny hole in traffic, and hear him accelerate hard. The car he pulled in front of had to hit the brakes a little.

A couple seconds later, he's in the left lane two cards behind me.
Then in the right, then left, right, left.....

I counted 18 lane changes in 3.5 miles which placed him in the right lane barely ahead of me, at which time he turned into the parking lot of an office building. All those lane changes to advance three positions and get to work five seconds earlier!

fintail · January 2013

I had a Hummer H2 makes about 6 lane changes in a mile on a 40mph 4 lane road behind me, yesterday. When I exited, he had gained maybe a car length. Just the kind of vehicle I expect that from (WRX too).

xwesx · January 2013

No harm, no foul. At least the driver kept himself busy on the task of driving. I daresay that's better than texting, makeup application, or other distractions that many "drivers" busy themselves with over that same distance.

slorenzen · January 2013

Like you, I see TONS of drivers with cell phones to their ears, yet I never hear of anyone being stopped for this primary offense.

What's up with that?

They always are crying for more money, yet this is a great source of revenue....

:confuse:

fintail · January 2013

It's too much work, I think. Far less effort involved in sitting with a radar gun and a cuppa, or setting up cameras.

I swear, at any given moment here, at least a quarter of the "drivers" on the road are not really driving.

What's worst is that they waste effort with public information campaigns about "laws", then do a negligent job with enforcement.

backy · January 2013

Maybe because it's really tough for LEs to determine who's illegally using a phone, or not. One example of an attempt to crack down on cell phone users... specifically re texting:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/01/15/west-bridgewater-crack- s-down-texting-while-driving-police-discuss-challenges-enforcement/FK5GRdkS4WIIY- d3lMu1i8M/story.html

And a little more positive news on this front...

http://www.distraction.gov/content/dot-action/enforcement.html

fintail · January 2013

I don't know if I can buy that. It's easy - phone to ear = violation = ticket. Patrol cars all have cameras now, install some more, and let the proof be in the pictures.

Make any phone inputs/holding while in motion a violation. Syncing to bluetooth, using speakerphone, anything. And again enter the cameras. Make refusing to use integrated bluetooth an additional fine. And implement wealth based fine scales.

And really, give the fines more teeth.

It might be difficult, but that's life - some parts of all of our jobs are more difficult than others.

Or if revenue enforcers refuse to do this because it isn't easy, let them enforce turn signal and crosswalk regulations, which also seem to go ignored.

Driving home tonight: 400 year old woman in a Prius, getting dark out, no lights, going 30-35 in a 40 where everyone goes 45, so every car was zooming by, and she was a pylon. I didn't know whether to feel sorry or annoyed. Then got behind a typical older suit in a LS460AWD - slowly takes off at green, one lane left turn onto 2 lane road, he swings wide into the far right lane with no signal, crawls, gets into left lane, crawls. I think he was holding something. Local car too, so no lost excuse.

Only saw 1 other no lights car, an Edge with some senior ladies in it, parking lights only. Maybe those were the automatic lights?

While jogging, I am in a crosswalk on green, grey 08-10 or so Accord cuts in without looking, misses me by a small margin, I throw up my arms in an Italian palms-up style gesture, and the driver yells at me :confuse: . Ah passive-aggressive Seattle. He then drives slow, yaps some more, but quietly - couldn't understand him. I was going to say something funny like "I'm not interested in a date, sorry", but I was short on breath and not feeling it. So I said "go away", and slowly, he did. In Florida, that would probably get you shot.

stever · January 2013

Careful, you'll wind up with a Starbucks latte in your face. Probably a double shot. :shades:

All the comments about people driving without their lights on makes me think that'll be the next NHTSA requirement. Auto headlights in all cars, including a rain sensor. The auto lights and auto wipers are pretty nice in the in-law's Buick.

Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

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