Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

euphonium · November 2014

Maybe he was unhappy with the election results?

Again we are reminded that politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other.(Euphonium)

xwesx · November 2014

Well said, sir; well said!

fintail · November 2014

Just heard a crunch outside my window - 00-05 style Impala rear-ended a soft roader, maybe an Escape. Couldn't see any damage, but it is dark out. Traffic was moving at maybe 15mph with random slowing, so I bet a phone was involved.

And another day that has me thinking that if phone usage, signal, and crosswalk laws - ones already on the book - were enforced, budget deficits would vanish, roads could be brought up to truly developed world standards, and enforcement sector benefits could be funded in full.

backy · November 2014

Today's winner: a red Highlander following the "Stop signs are for other people" principle. I'm driving down a suburban street, the Highlander is coming out of a parking lot on my right, there's a Stop sign at the exit. He blows right through the sign and onto the street. At least he kept his foot on the accelerator so with that and my slowing down there was no accident. Good thing there was no one on the sidewalk to his right, as he was looking left while turning onto the road and the view of the sidewalk was blocked by a brick wall, such that you'd need to stop and look right to see if anyone was there.

xwesx · November 2014

They say that luck favors the prepared; sometimes the careless benefit from it as well.

fintail · November 2014

Speaking not looking right and left - I see that all the time while on foot. Some seem more prone to it than others, via my anecdotal observations anyway, and I'll say nothing more on that.

Today saw lots of phone yappers, BMW keeping the stereotype alive, Tesla going really fast in a 30, intersection blockers in traffic - it's all just fine.

Mr_Shiftright · November 2014

In many ways, new technology enables bad behavior.

ruking1 · November 2014

Mr_Shiftright said:
In many ways, new technology enables bad behavior.

Head scratcher on this ISSUE. We literally STUFF all this modern connectivity into this MOBILE vehicle emphasizing MOBILE and we are shocked it gets used distracting and by distracted folks while MOBILE, taking attention from the first priority: proper care and attention to the task of being MOBILE. . Use CAN be deadly. Truly IF one hurts kills somebody while using these devices, it should be held to a criminal standard rather than a tragic accident, starting with treble the damages.

euphonium · November 2014

xwesx · November 2014

It's a step along a path. We get people addicted to their tethers, then find myriad ways to tether them and distract them from the world around them, then, we create mass transportation (e.g., you don't drive it) that can take you to and from any point on the map.

Finally, outlaw human-operated vehicles on "public roads."

Welcome to the new world! Did you see that? Nobody even noticed the difference - they were too busy being tethered!

Michaell · November 2014

xwesx said:
It's a step along a path. We get people addicted to their tethers, then find myriad ways to tether them and distract them from the world around them, then, we create mass transportation (e.g., you don't drive it) that can take you to and from any point on the map.

Finally, outlaw human-operated vehicles on "public roads."

Welcome to the new world! Did you see that? Nobody even noticed the difference - they were too busy being tethered!

On my reading list is a new book entitled "The Glass Cage: Automation and Us" by Nicholas Carr. Talks about the infusion of technology into our everyday lives, including autonomous vehicles.

fintail · November 2014

I had two people today I swear looked right at me and pulled right out in front of me. Time to get that dashcam.

elias · November 2014

i'm tempted to get a dashcam too, but can't really justify since it just adds a distraction with no benefit to driving safety.

?why a dashcam? ?to record hours of video of people texting while commuting?

btw, what difference does a video make if the other driver looks at you before pulling in front of you to be t-boned or not t-boned?! you've gotta slam on the brakes and turn away from the collision camera or no camera.

Mr_Shiftright · November 2014

Heard this on the radio today: A woman in Berlin struck a lamp post and knocked it down in the city center. Why? She was eating while driving. What's so strange about that? Well it was a bowl of milk and granola.

fintail · November 2014

So I can start my "baddriversofbellevue" channel on youtube, publicly shame the idiots, become a youtube partner, and make $20/month. But maybe it's just me - about once a week sit back and catch up on Russian dashcams, better than anything on TV. And if something bad does happen, a camera can be good evidence.

I think it's much worse to actually look directly at something and be an idiot, than to obliviously wander out - at least the latter can use their lack of ability as an excuse.

elias said:
i'm tempted to get a dashcam too, but can't really justify since it just adds a distraction with no benefit to driving safety.

?why a dashcam? ?to record hours of video of people texting while commuting?

btw, what difference does a video make if the other driver looks at you before pulling in front of you to be t-boned or not t-boned?! you've gotta slam on the brakes and turn away from the collision camera or no camera.

fintail · November 2014

I swear I saw a woman eating a salad out of a bowl while "driving" once, she was in a SUV too, maybe a Lexus GX. That granola bit doesn't surprise me at all.

Mr_Shiftright said:
Heard this on the radio today: A woman in Berlin struck a lamp post and knocked it down in the city center. Why? She was eating while driving. What's so strange about that? Well it was a bowl of milk and granola.

Mr_Shiftright · November 2014

Scary. And then what? You're driving along, whistling a happy tune and somebody drifts into your lane and slams into you, and that's it for you. Seems terribly unfair somehow.

fintail said:
I swear I saw a woman eating a salad out of a bowl while "driving" once, she was in a SUV too, maybe a Lexus GX. That granola bit doesn't surprise me at all.

Mr_Shiftright said:
Heard this on the radio today: A woman in Berlin struck a lamp post and knocked it down in the city center. Why? She was eating while driving. What's so strange about that? Well it was a bowl of milk and granola.

stever · November 2014

Mr_Shiftright said:
Heard this on the radio today: A woman in Berlin struck a lamp post and knocked it down in the city center. Why? She was eating while driving. What's so strange about that? Well it was a bowl of milk and granola.

Berlin Wisconsin?

Surely it couldn't have happened in the Berlin, home of well trained and disciplined German drivers.

Or was she an ex-pat?

Had one tailgater going down the hill to town today, but I was going the speed limit so just ignored 'em. Otherwise fun afternoon running errands - the grocer shook my hand. Still can't get over that friendly custom here.

fintail · November 2014

I was considerate yesterday, at the gas station - a guy in a CRV almost drove off with the nozzle still attached. I pointed and shouted and he stopped before it was too late.

Otherwise, same old around here, LLCs, speed demons, no signals, phone yapping, poor lane tracking, it goes on.

xwesx · November 2014

Wow. I've never seen that happen before, but for some reason this event does not surprise me.

Nice work!

qbrozen · November 2014

housemate of mine in college came home once with a gas hose hanging out of his borrowed Suburban. Good times.

fintail · November 2014

I figured I should say something, or with my luck, it would have caused an explosion.

euphonium · November 2014

I left my SeaRay's gas cap on top of a gas pump because I was distracted by a person trying to add a quart of oil down the dip stick tube, but have never driven off with the pump handle.

jjackson12 · December 2014

Thanksgiving afternoon, driving on a two lane road, coming up to a side street I see a car that I was sure was going to roll the stop and pull out in front of me. He stops hard, then accelerates hard until he is within a few feet of my rear bumper. I can see his wife/girlfriend hanging on and yelling at him while he's glued to my bumper for the next 3 miles until he turns off.

Perhaps he was late for dinner?

roadburner · December 2014

I had a guy in a '90s Trans Am try to keep up with my Club Sport on a long and very fast on-ramp. He got his sled seriously sideways and once we merged onto the interstate he performed a "Loser Fly-By" while his girlfriend/wife beat on his shoulder and chewed him a new one.

jjackson12 · December 2014

roadburner said:
1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica

Not knowing what this was a replica of, I cut/pasted that into google.
The first couple of hits were from the Edmunds forums. Of course.

It also returned a couple of good images of a motorcycle. Question answered.

roadburner · December 2014

It's not a 100% accurate replica; it does have the seat cowl, the Sebring 3-into-1 exhaust, and Alcon/Triumph 6 piston front brake calipers.

xwesx · December 2014

Poseur!

roadburner · December 2014

xwesx said:
Poseur!

Guilty as charged.

The real Challenge Cup bikes were fitted with a steering stabilizer and a slightly different 3-into-1 exhaust- and those are just the things that are readily visible:

Mr_Shiftright · December 2014

Why on earth would someone tailgate you when you are behind a big truck climbing a long hill on a two lane road with a double yellow line? Please, tell me what is going inside that brain.... :@

euphonium · December 2014

Mr_Shiftright said:
Why on earth would someone tailgate you when you are behind a big truck climbing a long hill on a two lane road with a double yellow line? Please, tell me what is going inside that brain.... :@

Nothing!

Mr_Shiftright · December 2014

You mean an utterly mindless, empty form of consciousness? No motive, no hopes, no rationalizing?

roadburner · December 2014

Mr_Shiftright said:
You mean an utterly mindless, empty form of consciousness? No motive, no hopes, no rationalizing?

You have essentially described the typical American vehicle operator- "driver" is far too generous a term...

Mr_Shiftright · December 2014

how did we come to this? They don't license small aircraft pilots this way.

Case in point---I recently took the Mature Driver's Training Course so that I could get a discount on my insurance.

And you know, there was a lot to remember and study. It wasn't a breeze of a test.

I would love to administer it cold to a sampling of American drivers. I'm willing to bet a 65% failure rate, based on a score of 80/100 to pass.

stever · December 2014

If calculated by distance, planes are 62 times safer than cars and trucks. However, if calculated by journey, planes are three times more dangerous than cars. Half of all plane accidents are caused by pilot error. (link)

I'm sure you have stories from your Talkeetna days.

fintail · December 2014

On foot today, saw an airhead in a white Jetta pull out directly in front of a guy in a mid 90s T-Bird. It's like she thought she had the right of way, and he was obligated to stop. Almost kind of a shame he did - some people might only learn the hard way. And even then, it'd probably still be someone else's fault. At least he honked.

Lots of cops out today, on the road and on foot - but none seemed to be doing anything in particular, certainly not attending to turn signal or phone laws. Maybe defending the inherited empire in downtown Bellevue from possible protests, in this militarized paranoid new world.

fintail · December 2014

Another fun day in the diverse local driving environment. Winner is a tie between the 90s Corolla with a broken taillight going about 18-20 in a 30, and an old yuppie in a red late model 6er who dawdled at a light, sped off and made the car behind him miss the light, then abruptly changed lanes with no signal, then turned and did signal - at the last second when he was starting to turn. Stereotypes don't come from thin air. A lot less cops out today vs yesterday.

stever · December 2014

Went back to El Paso today, halfway on the freeway, half on a nice shortcut behind Fort Bliss that the shuttle driver clued me into yesterday. The closest thing to an inconsiderate driver was a younger woman in a small sedan driving a bit timidly in the middle lane as we were leaving the airport on the "shortcut". Chihuahua plates, so my guess is that she wasn't used to driving in the US yet. This time tomorrow she'll be cruising 10 over the speed limit like the rest of us were.

fintail · December 2014

On foot this morning, saw an X5 use signals twice, I thought "that's nice". Not 5 minutes later, I saw another X5 make a quick left turn with no signal, and the "driver" had a phone to their ear. Finally, back to normal.

hammerhead · December 2014

fintail said:
I had two people today I swear looked right at me and pulled right out in front of me. Time to get that dashcam.

Happens here. Every. Bleeping. Day.

Mr_Shiftright · December 2014

Very little that people do truly enrages me, but here's one that really cranks me up:

Red light. I'm the second car in line. There is no "left turn arrow".

First Car waiting. Light turns green, and their left turn blinker is on.

Car just sits there waiting for traffic in opposite direction to clear.

Car does not move into intersection.

Light turns red again.

I'm still second in line.

Light turns green

Car STILL just sitting there.

Finally, JUST as light is about to turn red again, they turn left, leaving me at the red light once again.

MAKES ME NUTS! (and no honking doesn't work, they just say...but I'm WAITING...)

fintail · December 2014

I am sure they waited until there was no oncoming traffic for several blocks, too.

The meek will not inherit the Earth, nor do they help with traffic flow.

But hey, at least they used the signal. Seems to be a dying art. Of course, when it's an unenforced law...

isellhondas · December 2014

The other morning I learned two things.

1. My reflexes are still pretty good.
.
2. My 2003 CRV can stop very quickly.

I was driving probably 25 MPH through a woodsy residential neighborhood when I saw "something" about to cross in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and watched a large
deer, a buck leap right in front of me!

I think I missed it by maybe six feet.

Talk about inconsiderate!

stever · December 2014

Nice reflexes.

Up in the UP the buck would have zigged and run into you!

fintail · December 2014

It's that time of year again - well after sunset, dark, sometimes raining, several cars with no headlights. Can it be dumbed down more? I've also tried to pin down when turn signal use became uncool, as it seems to be avoided.

fintail · December 2014

Rain, after sunset, 4 cars without lights tonight (all modern, wouldn't something like a new style Highlander have automatic lights?), better than 6 the other day. It's also easier to see phone users in the dark, due to the screens. No enforcement, so why not.

Today I got behind a BMW "driver" that was probably texting - would slowly meander to the right, get close to the curb, then correct, then drift back again.

gogogodzilla · December 2014

I'm noticing that Maryland drivers are having more and more difficulty with the concept of driving *within* one's own lane. Nowadays, it seems as if at least 1 out of every 10-20 cars straddles the lane stripes... with about a foot of their car's width in another lane.

But, on the bright side, they do jerk their steering wheel and straighten up when you lay on your horn.

I'm just tired of having to honk (for that behavior) about 4-5 times each time I get on the road.

xwesx · December 2014

They're all trying to bide their time while we all anxiously await self-driving cars. LOL

The devolution is nearly complete!

Mr_Shiftright · December 2014

Ah, yes, --autonomous cars---one more instance of the Iron Fist of Technology squeezing the juice out of the sweet plum of life.

(I thought that was rather good, actually, if a bit overwrought)

stever · December 2014

Hm, if you squeeze a plum you get prune juice. I think I see where you're going with this traffic analogy....

Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

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