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Inconsiderate Drivers II (share your stories, etc.)
The original Inconsiderate Drivers suffered some sort of system error that caused new posts to not reflect in the "unread" portion of followers' lists. As such, this thread is no longer visible to most regular users. Having an outlet to vent frustration about those other drivers on the road who just don't seem to appreciate the "live and let live" or "shared use" aspect of our public roads is important for us to keep our sanity (and, at times, keep the rage manageable!).
What sorts of crazy antics have you seen lately?
From the original Inconsiderate Drivers' thread description (from 2002):
Now that we have Inconsiderate Buyers, Salespeople and Service Deparement threads on the Smart Shoppers board, here's where you share your stories, and voice your aggravations, about idiot drivers.
What sorts of crazy antics have you seen lately?
From the original Inconsiderate Drivers' thread description (from 2002):
Now that we have Inconsiderate Buyers, Salespeople and Service Deparement threads on the Smart Shoppers board, here's where you share your stories, and voice your aggravations, about idiot drivers.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
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2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
I wanted to launch this thing off with a story of my own, but I drove a whole twenty miles today so far, and everyone is behaving themselves.
Leaving there I went to a large supermarket/drugstore complex down the road. It was busy but I was proceeding along in a line of vehicles in front of the supermarket when it came to a stop. We were waiting for maybe 5 minutes. Finally I saw why: a clown in an Equinox was holding everyone else up while someone took their time exiting a primo parking spot next to the laneway. There were plenty of other spots available, but nooo, he had to get that one.
Being in polite Canada, not a horn was sounded. That seems to be felt as a rude action here.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
A couple of months ago, after dropping my daughter off at her school, I was heading down a residential street when a school bus coming the opposite direction activates the flashing red lights. We all stop... no children anywhere... , and after about two minutes I finally tooted my horn and gave a "what's up?!" gesture to the bus driver. A moment later, the driver's assistant gets out of the bus and casually walks over to an apartment about twenty yards from the road. The person knocks, waits.... waits.... at this point, another three minutes has passed. I honked a couple of times now, and was just about to go around. About that time, a young woman comes out of the apartment leading a child that was probably three, maybe four years old. The women chatted as they walked along ahead of the child, who is very slowly walking after them.
I finally had enough and just laid on the horn to intentionally be obnoxious (at this point, I didn't mind being rude). However, nothing was moving these dawdlers this morning. All told, it was more than ten minutes that I sat there. There must have been more than twenty vehicles total queued up because of that bus (sadly, most were behind it!). When we finally were clear, I jotted down the bus number and called the barn after I arrived at work. The poor lady on the phone, I blasted her about this driver and requested that she remind her that red flashing was only allowable when children were present, etc., etc.
Had the old car out today. On a virtually deserted residential street (in a very tony area), a Cayenne Turbo S pulls out in front of me, then goes 5 under the limit until it eventually turns. Not a single car behind me in the entire line of sight, and it is a straight road, so a decent line. Must be nice to be rich and oblivious, bootstrapper no doubt.
Horn honking is seen as rude and some kind of social faux pas here, too - so I do it when I can. It shocks the timid and inept who make up so many "drivers" here. I honked a few times in the fintail, mostly at people spacing out at lights. The loud horn wakes em up.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
But still much louder than a modern car. Some newer cars have sad horns. I think I saw a late model CRV or similar with a horn note that was kind of embarrassing.
Funny, though, I saw him pull into his workplace (next door to mine) this morning calm as a kitten. Amazingly, the chewing I gave his supervisor about his antics seems to have been passed on to him and made at least somewhat of an effect (even if not entirely removing his obnoxious antics, it at least calmed them near his employer's business!).
For reference, here's the video I captured of him via dashcam when he belligerently ran a red light a couple months ago:
On the road today, got stuck at a light in a left turn lane because distracted dawdlers - nary a horn was honked. Then while on foot saw a dope in a Cherokee make a hilariously illegal and poorly planned (multiple point) U turn on a busy downtown street. Nobody honked. I also saw a delivery truck blocking the exit of a highrise, and causing a queue. People honked.
And here's a fun story of inconsiderate behavior. IMO the settlement funds should come from the undoubtedly insane pension of the offender, but that line will never be crossed, oh our tax dollars at work
I remember you or someone posting about that incident when it was fresh. Definitely excessive force, though the part that isn't mentioned is where and how fast the biker was that initiated the incident. I can also see why the officer could view him as a clear and present danger when he first approached. Not that he should have had is weapon trained on the driver, but ready to draw? Not a bad call.
That settlement should come out of the LEO's pension, IMO. The guy seems to have issues, it'd be interesting to see his history. More reason everyone should have a cam, both police and civilians. Without it, the brave warrior would walk away without accountability, he almost dodged it even with footage. And he'll still retire with compensation that far exceeds what the average wage earner will enjoy.
I know that stretch of road fairly well, and the apparent claim of 100 mph at that time of day is an outright lie, even if the biker was skilled and on a superbike. Simply too much traffic. Of course, in these days of alternative facts, anyone can say anything. That there were no charges against the biker says it all.
For the first time this winter, I came upon a driver in the ditch. The stars were aligned it seems, because he genuinely needed assistance (most drivers nowadays waive me off saying they already called a tow truck and are just waiting for them to arrive). Not only was he in the ditch, but he had his son with him who needed to get to school, the angle of his vehicle and the amount of fuel in his tank resulted in his engine running short on gas, and neither he nor his son were anywhere close to dressed for the weather.
It wasn't too cold this morning, about ten degrees with a slight breeze. That slight breeze, though.... BRR!!!
The driver says he has "a Lyft" on the way for his son to get to school, and that he is contacting friends to see if he can get assistance. However, he makes a couple of phone calls while I am in earshot, and it does not sound promising for him! After a little persuading, I convinced him to stay warm and just come along with me. He was nervous to leave his vehicle (a genuine Alaska "beater with a heater" first generation Explorer with some serious needs!), but I assured him we would be gone less than an hour.
I took him to the nearby gas station a couple miles down the road, where they let him borrow a can and he bought a couple gallons of fuel. He also bought some cigarettes, which seemed like a waste of money to me, but what are you going to do? It's not my life! I then dropped my daughter off at school and took him back to his car.
Surprisingly, the Troopers showed up at some point while we were gone, put out a couple of flares, and tagged his vehicle with warning tape. One of the flares was nearly spent, so I replaced it with another, put the fuel in his tank, shoveled some snow out around one side of his vehicle so it would start moving easier, then hooked him up to the Q7 with my tow straps. After explaining how I was going to pull him out and what he needed to do, I went back to my vehicle, waited for a pair of commuters to drive by, then yanked him right back up onto the road!
All told, very simple, though the road was so slick that I ended up on my keester *twice* as I tried to walk down to detach my straps so he could move his vehicle to the side of the road to let traffic by. Once everything was put away, I bid him good day and went on my way.
After arriving at work, I found his new pack of cigarettes in the rear footwell of my car. Oops!!!
Glad it worked out well for you and your mother (as well as the blue Ford?)!
This morning I was behind a Rav4 that had nary a light to be found (other than the DRLs). Flashed the fool multiple times, the driver went by the main Alaska State Trooper building, and TWO trooper vehicles were queued to exit the driveway there... but you think they would pull him over? Nope.
After a half-mile or so, the driver stops in the left go-straight lane (of two, with a dedicated right and left turn lane also present). When the light turns green, he puts on his left signal, waits for a while for the left lane to clear, then moves into that lane before taking a left turn.
I guess the obliviousness was not limited only to lighting. The driver never did turn on the lights. And, mind you, it was full-on dark at about 0900 this morning.
So, lack of lights was definitely a driver choice there, and inability to turn them on, even after repeat flashes from me (I wasn't at all subtle about it), is just indicative of someone who truly needs to NOT be on the road.
I've given a flash with no results as well, people aren't even in the same galaxy.
I’ve never liked all the choices. One should be able switch on lights outside and the inside cabin lights.
I suspect we'd have more no-lighters if so many modern cars didn't have automatic lights. Disabling them should be deep down in a submenu somewhere, so the unwashed won't mess it up.
So I was reading that testing agencies such as Consumer Reports indicate the current lighting standards are easily seventy years old. They are not even met or exceeded by today’s lighting “instruments”. To upgrade even a fraction of USA’s 288 M passenger vehicles are daunting @ best? In passing, I have also read that the lighting is adjusted for 55 mph and less on/FOR dark rural roads. So for me this explains why oncoming tractor ( USA, app 300,000) -trailer rigs really do not elicit a negative reaction.
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It goes without saying that what should’ve been @ most a two car accident, can be 4, 5, 6, etc. very easily.
I finally took the time last night to set up my timers for the vehicles' block heaters. The unit for my wife's car seemed to work just fine, but the one for my Q7 did not turn on. So, fifteen below zero, I started that poor thing and it was NOT happy with me.
You might not think that a few heating pads for an hour or two would make that much difference, but my fuel economy when I arrived at work was a full four mpg lower than on Friday (when temps weren't a whole lot different). Ouch!
Plus, it took several miles of the trip to my daughter's school before the engine was warmed enough that we were getting reasonable heat inside.
I am going to have a little heart-to-heart with that timer tonight when I get home....
Funny thing, though... it worked just fine when I tested it inside, so apparently it just doesn't work when it is cold. How useful!
She took my son to the bus stop out on the main road at about 0650. There were two other cars sitting in the pull out that they use for the bus stop, one with its lights on (and pointed at her as she waited at the stop sign on the main road). She needed to turn left onto the main road, then loop around back into the pull out.
She stops, looks to the left, then goes.... and wouldn't you know it... there was a car coming in the right lane! It had one headlight out (driver side) and, according to her, the passenger side light was "extremely dim," so she didn't notice the car there just to the right of the stationary car in the pullout with all its lights shining on her.
So, basically a person driving to work in the dark using only parking lights. In. Sane. Thankfully, they did not collide, though I have to suspect it was darn close. Sadly, she doesn't bother clearing her rear window, so the rear camera view is mostly useless for this event. The front camera did capture the other vehicle for a brief moment, but the angle on that one (being out the front) was fairly poor, too.
I'll see if I can pull a clip on it tonight - the entire sequence might be five seconds long!
Wasn't out during the dark today, no lightless sightings, but I did see a red light sitter get honked at pretty hard, which always pleases me.
In slow lane on highway, with an exit lane to our right. Seems like folks like to use that exit lane for passing traffic, then swoop to the left at the last minute to continue on the highway.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4
They loved to do it right when the lane exited from the highway, and the lane stripe changed from dashed to solid.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
We chose to avoid toll roads, so went through Houston proper. Something like 4 or 5 different highways. The only good thing was that the bulk of the travel was mid-day, so didn't experience a lot of rush hour traffic.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4
We had no issues leaving the metro area, though. To me, it seemed no different than any other urban landscape.
Yes, the last time I had driven Houston Metro was when Hurricane Katrina hit landfall. I’m really glad I had GPS during that horrid rainstorm.
I’m very glad you had a near miss, better that a definite accident.