Driving/Traffic rant

[Evil D]

What is wrong with people? Why do people become so selfish and hateful when they drive? I refuse to believe everyone I encounter while driving is just an a-hole, but they sure do a lot of a-hole crap while behind the wheel.

1. If you're that guy who races way out to the very very end of an on ramp to the point that you're into the emergency lane trying to squeeze in front of every last car you can manage, you're an idiot. You are not getting anywhere any faster than the rest of us, and in fact you are making traffic slower by forcing that person to brake and let you in, which forces everyone behind them to brake back for hundreds of cars. If you're passing perfectly fine gaps you could easily merge into just to try to get 5 cars further ahead, you're an idiot.

2. This may come as a shock, but when switching lanes, it is not necessary to cut off someone. In fact it's entirely possible to just slow down a bit and slip right in behind them. I know that sounds crazy but it's true. I know you can't think 2 thoughts ahead of yourself and didn't have the common sense to get into the lane you needed to be in 5 miles back, likely because you're the a-hole who was weaving in and out of every gap you could find trying to get 5 cars ahead. Really though, if your exit is coming up, just slow a bit and tuck behind the guy in that lane and then take your exit. If you're cutting people off and then stabbing your brakes, you're an idiot.

3. Speaking of weaving in and out of traffic, it has been proven that this doesn't get you anywhere any faster. You're just slowing everyone down. Idiot.

4. Stop cutting off semis. Do you want to die? Because that's how you get ran over and killed. Those guys are also working their butts off trying to maintain their speed and get up hills, so they don't need your stupid arse cutting them off and then standing on the brakes, killing their momentum. Then a mile later some other idiots are complaining at how slow that guy is getting up a hill and he's slowing everyone down. Well I wonder why.

5. If you're not going above the speed limit, get yourself the **** out of the fast lane. Let the maniacs who want to go 20 over the speed limit have that lane. If they were allowed to drive 20 over in that lane unhindered, the rest of us wouldn't have to deal with them weaving in and out of traffic. If you don't understand the concept of slow lane/cruising lane/passing lane, you have no business driving. Get a bus ticket.

6. Speaking of slow lane, the guy in the slow lane is there for a reason. Riding his bumper will get you nowhere. It's called the slow lane for a reason, if you don't wanna go slow, why are you there?

7. Turn signals. If you insist on being a prick and cutting me off, at least give me a little warning first.

8. This one is a bit off topic but applies to all driving, FFS stop flicking your cig butts out the window. How the **** is this OK with anyone? Not only is it littering, not only is every curb of every street everywhere covered in butts, but when your butt flies out and hits my car, you make me want to throat punch you.

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuggghhh.

[Fred Sanford]

Dude I so agree with you. I'm 43 and in the last 5 years bad driving (at least what I've seen) has gotten so bad. Here are a few things I hate. Some echo your feelings as well.


~~People that ride in the left lane as if that is OK. No, even if you're not speeding, forcing people to go around you on the right is dangerous, as well as illegal in most states.

~~People that cannot merge. Did nobody teach their kids how to merge properly? You don't get on a highway going 42 at the end of an on-ramp when the rest of the traffic is going 65+ MPH.

~~People that mess with their phone. For the sake of all that is holy, please just drive your car. Driving is a serious thing and just because you want to text a buddy or check your instagram or your company email doesn't give you the right to put other lives in danger. I work in IT and I love my smartphone, but it sits in the passenger seat while I drive. I don't check it. I don't text. If a call comes in, I may take it but it goes through my car via bluetooth.

~~People that sit at traffic lights and only allow a few cars to get through because they were sitting playing with their phone and not paying attention. The world doesn't revolve around you toolbox. Move.

[wrdwrght]

Great thread! The idea of the "common good" has so fundamentally disappeared from the US (and perhaps elsewhere). But, to ask why is to get political.

[awa54]

Yep, the driving discourtesy level has been increasing steadily in the last ten years or so... even in the sleepy little state of Vermont.

Just a few:

Jerks who go exactly 2 mph below the posted limit *until* a passing lane, where they suddenly speed up to 10 mph *over* posted so that you can't get by them without speeding by almost 20 mph over.

The cousin of the previous jackass, who passes you then slows down to the speed limit or just below once they're in front.

Another annoying driving incompetence is the person who won't follow right of way rules and tries to get you to go out of turn at a 4 way stop or other intersection...

So many more I could list, but what's the point...

[jmh58]

Driving under the posted speed limit drives me nuts.. The posted limit is slow to begin with so don't go any slower.. John :)

[holeshot]

Evil D, don't move to San Francisco or you'd be going postal EVERYDAY! I've been riding a motorcycle around here for over 30 years and the things I've seen and experienced would blow your mind.

[Evil D]

Evil D, don't move to San Francisco or you'd be going postal EVERYDAY! I've been riding a motorcycle around here for over 30 years and the things I've seen and experienced would blow your mind.

Oh I did live there once lol. I was only there a month though and I got all I could stand. It was a chore just to walk from place to place let alone ride and forget about driving.

[The Deacon]

Agree 100% with both Davids. :)

Then there's parking, another lost skill. :rolleyes:

Handicapped spaces are for handicapped people. If you don't have a handicap tag or plate, park elsewhere.

They put lines in parking lots for a reason, if you can't park between the lines, at least have the decency to park at the far end of the lot.

And as for motorcyle riders...

No vehicle made in the last half century needs to be warmed up for 20 minutes, definitely not on a day when most folks are walking around in shorts and t-shirts, and definitely not by repeatedly blipping the throttle wide open.

Along those same lines, **** near every motorcycle on the road today has an electric starter. There's really no need for three or four of you buddies to sit on their bikes, engines running and reving up every minute or so, while the riders chat in front of your house.

Just because you can fit between lanes of traffic doesn't mean you should. Some would say it suggests a death wish.

Wheelies are fine on a track or deserted road. Doing them in traffic on a major highway may make for a great GoPro video, but it once again suggests a death wish.

[Bugs]

Agree but apparently it is a losing battle. Have to be a defensive driver because there is a whole lot of stupid out there. When I was a CDL it never ceased to amaze me at the idiots who would cut in front of me; apparently they do not understand how long it takes to bring 16 tons to a stop.

[chuck_roxas45]

Where I am, if you don't drive like a j**k, you'll never get anywhere from all the people cutting in in front of you. Even if you wait, you'll eventually going to have to cut someone off. Nobody gives way here, everybody parks anywhere. Most people just stop just a bit off the middle and put on hazards. God help you if you blow your horn at these guys. The only time the popo are there is if there's an accident.

[Evil D]

Where I am, if you don't drive like a j**k, you'll never get anywhere from all the people cutting in in front of you. Nobody gives way here, everybody parks anywhere. The only time the popo are there is if there's an accident.

Yep, I'm probably being a bit harsh about it because that's the reality of it. There are people who don't give a crap about anyone but themselves and then there are everyone else who has to fight fire with fire.

The problem is the entire mess is self perpetuating. There's a real science behind traffic and why jam ups happen, and unless there's a wreck it is entirely because of how people drive and because of things like road rage and cutting each other off. Traffic tends to move like a caterpillar, it inches forward and then brakes, and from the sky you can actually see that caterpillar movement. All the braking that's causing that movement is due to someone doing something stupid, possibly miles ahead. It literally ripples through traffic because people are bumper to bumper. If people would even change that one thing, stop tailgating, traffic would move smoother.

[chuck_roxas45]

Yep, I'm probably being a bit harsh about it because that's the reality of it. There are people who don't give a crap about anyone but themselves and then there are everyone else who has to fight fire with fire.

The problem is the entire mess is self perpetuating. There's a real science behind traffic and why jam ups happen, and unless there's a wreck it is entirely because of how people drive and because of things like road rage and cutting each other off. Traffic tends to move like a caterpillar, it inches forward and then brakes, and from the sky you can actually see that caterpillar movement. All the braking that's causing that movement is due to someone doing something stupid, possibly miles ahead. It literally ripples through traffic because people are bumper to bumper. If people would even change that one thing, stop tailgating, traffic would move smoother.

My sister drives with no problems in Cali. She can't drive here haha. There are no rules. Especially with the small roads(which is why discipline is even more necessary), when traffic slows down a bit, the guys at back immediately drive up the wrong side of the road counterflowing and making traffic even worse.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Since we're on this discussion, have any of you here had to face "road rage" incidents or seen them happen? I saw a road rage incident where two people were trying to pass each other, more like cut the other off, to get down a narrow street. Both screeched to a halt, with windows rolled down, cursing cussing shouting and yelling as loud as they can. Then one of them actually got OUT of his car, went to the other guy's car, and started POUNDING on the guy's hood, as hard as he can, screaming and hollering every thing you can imagine. I really thought, and thank God it did not happen, that blood was going to be spilled. Some bystanders got involved to my surprise, and got both guys to calm down and chill out. They got back in their cars and took off, the end of that.

And now I've read about road rage incidents which did turn violent, sadly, and in some, horribly enough, people were murdered. All just so one person could get a few inches or feet ahead of another on a road. Insane, isn't it friends?

Question: Depending on the nation, state, providence, area, etc, where such things happen, can someone be arrested or given a ticket for physically striking another person's vehicle, as if they were vandalizing a home, or attacking the person's body? And what do you do if you are driving, and a PEDESTRIAN on foot cuts you off, running in front of you as you have the right of way, and then they, in a moment of anger, physically attack your car (such as try to scratch it with a key or dent it with their fist or an object)? I ask because I have read and heard of these types of things happening. What would you do if someone on foot attempted to damage your vehicle in such a situation?

[chuck_roxas45]

Since we're on this discussion, have any of you here had to face "road rage" incidents or seen them happen? I saw a road rage incident where two people were trying to pass each other, more like cut the other off, to get down a narrow street. Both screeched to a halt, with windows rolled down, cursing cussing shouting and yelling as loud as they can. Then one of them actually got OUT of his car, went to the other guy's car, and started POUNDING on the guy's hood, as hard as he can, screaming and hollering every thing you can imagine. I really thought, and thank God it did not happen, that blood was going to be spilled. Some bystanders got involved to my surprise, and got both guys to calm down and chill out. They got back in their cars and took off, the end of that.

And now I've read about road rage incidents which did turn violent, sadly, and in some, horribly enough, people were murdered. All just so one person could get a few inches or feet ahead of another on a road. Insane, isn't it friends?

Question: Depending on the nation, state, providence, area, etc, where such things happen, can someone be arrested or given a ticket for physically striking another person's vehicle, as if they were vandalizing a home, or attacking the person's body? And what do you do if you are driving, and a PEDESTRIAN on foot cuts you off, running in front of you as you have the right of way, and then they, in a moment of anger, physically attack your car (such as try to scratch it with a key or dent it with their fist or an object)? I ask because I have read and heard of these types of things happening. What would you do if someone on foot attempted to damage your vehicle in such a situation?

Road rage is quite common here. I've had two experiences with it. One a guy came at me with a crappy rambo knife and the other time, the guy came at me with a meter long GI pipe. Both times, me and my wife were on my motorbike and my bike was stalled or I would just have motored away.

[holeshot]

"Just because you can fit between lanes of traffic doesn't mean you should. Some would say it suggests a death wish."
I've been splitting lanes for many years and this technique has saved my butt on more than one occasion. Coming off the Bay Bridge into SF one day the traffic in front of me suddenly stopped. There were two cars behind me so I moved into the center between cars. Sure enough a cage monkey going way too fast slammed into the second car pushing it forward into the space I had been occupying so I was able to avoid getting crushed between the cars. :)

[bdblue]

Where I am, if you don't drive like a j**k, you'll never get anywhere from all the people cutting in in front of you. Even if you wait, you'll eventually going to have to cut someone off. Nobody gives way here

Same here- nobody gives way. I can't force myself to drive like a jerk so I get stuck sometimes where lanes merge and people zipping by in the fast lane won't let you in. Tonight I got stuck in a construction zone where one lane was blocked and nobody would let me pull into the other lane.

You guys have covered most of the good rants. Here is another- I see this frequently on the interstate where a big truck is driving 5-10 mph under the speed limit. Lets say truck A is driving 60 mph in a 70 zone, with truck B behind him. You come up on the pretty fast because you're driving the 70mph speed limit. Well truck B decides they are driving 60.1 mph so they should pass truck A and they pull out to pass just as you get there. And you drive along behind them for 10 miles or more while truck B discovers that maybe he can't pass truck A after all. If you can't make up 1 truck length in 10 miles by driving a little faster, it probably wouldn't hurt you to just stay behind truck A and drive that way to your destination.

[chuck_roxas45]

Here's another rant. We have these public utility tricycles here. I don't want to paint with a broad brush but MOST of the drivers are idiots. They are underpowered, have poor brakes and are really unstable. There's a lot of them here. Now I find that they are usually slow on the road but do try to overtake and they speed up. Since they are undepowered, it's just an inconvenience(especially if there's oncoming traffic) but you just need to poke your accelerator. Once you're past, they slow back down to how slow they were driving at before. Real nice, right? :D

[farnorthdan]

Cell phones + driving = my rant :mad:

[Sharp Guy]

Great thread! I agree with it all!

Cell phones + driving = my rant :mad:

This is a biggie for me! I get especially annoyed when I'm behind some idiot in a turn lane at a stop light. The lane gets the green arrow to turn and they're too busy looking at their phone to notice. Then someone honks their horn and they go but there's not enough time left for me to get through. Ugh!!!

Things have only become worse with cell phones. It's amazing how many people you see that are swerving or driving too slow (or both) because they're texting or looking at Facebook while behind the wheel.

Women doing their make up while driving? Ugh!!

People reading a book or newspaper while driving? Ugh!!

I've seen some other crazy stuff but, since this is a family show, I won't go there.

[awa54]

SEF I had a rager who wanted a piece of me a few years back, he cut me off at a passing lane merge when we were the only two cars on the road and I had my turn signal on to merge back to single lane, it's a good thing I was driving a car with excellent brakes or I would have had to hit him or wind up in a six foot deep ditch! I blew the horn as the "event" occurred, then the A-hole slowed back down to the speed limit, so to display my continued displeasure with his driving style I turned on my high-beams (always drive with low beams on)... that was it! he started "gesturing" and pulled off at the next parking area, apparently expecting me to join him. When I didn't, he gassed it back on to the road and tailgated me five miles to town, where he continued to "gesture" and tailgate, I drove around the center of town three times with him still following, then drove to the police station... he drove on by at that point.


The opposite of this thread is driving in Austria, a friend let me drive his Alfa Romeo 156 turbo diesel on the autobahn (130 kph limit in AT, but just over the border in Germany there is only advisory/weather/traffic limit). It was an amazing experience, the average level of driver attentiveness and skill was exceptional, but even with a perfect road surface (and lane banking) and excellent drivers all around you it's quite draining to go 220 kph/130 mph in traffic for any distance!