# Top things that other drivers do that annoy you



## billski (Aug 5, 2011)

Tom and Ray Magliozzi,came up with this list.  

1. Talking on Cell phone
2. Driving too fast for road conditions
3. Not cleaning snow off their cars
4. Not signaling when turning or changing lanes, or leaving signal on
5. Leaving on high beams
6. Faulty equipment
7. Taking two spaces in the parking lot.
8. Staying in the far left lane
9. Not acknowledging making a mistake or overreacting to an honest mistake
10. Dangerous loads improperly secured
11. Picking your nose

What's yours?


----------



## wa-loaf (Aug 5, 2011)

Drivers who whine about other drivers ...


----------



## deadheadskier (Aug 5, 2011)

:lol:


my only major complaint are people who cruise in the left lane and don't let others pass.  I come across more Maine drivers going 65 in the left lane than any other state in New England.  I swear they teach it in driver's ed up there.


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 5, 2011)

Left laners, to be sure.

Though, I have to agree with them on #11. It really annoys me when other drivers pick my nose.


----------



## makimono (Aug 5, 2011)

Biggest thing that bothers me, especially when on the motorcycle - and I'm surprised it's not on that list because it happens to me every single day - is people coming from side streets that cruise right through stop signs and even partially into the lane of traffic before stopping.


----------



## Nick (Aug 5, 2011)

I want to freak out when people drive in the left lane. Like completely go apeshit. :lol:


----------



## billski (Aug 5, 2011)

Right lane - exit or entry lane only.  Enter at 30mph, exit at 80mph.
Middle lane(s) - travel lane
Left lane - Minimum speed limit Warp III


----------



## andrec10 (Aug 5, 2011)

When people do 30 in a 55 and the road conditions are fine. Get the F**K off the road! :uzi:


----------



## bvibert (Aug 5, 2011)

People who hang out in the left lane for sure.  Makes me crazy every single day.


----------



## bvibert (Aug 5, 2011)

billski said:


> Enter at 30mph



People who attempt to enter the highway at anything less than the speed limit.


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 5, 2011)

Also, people who use the combo entry to exit lanes as a way to pass slow traffic, especially when they then block the end of the exit because the people in the right lane aren't (rightfully) letting them in.

Hey dumbass, it's maneuvers like that that help cause traffic jams, you fricking moron. Which part of "mind you manners" didn't you learn in kindergarten? Did it ever occur to you that your stupid selfishness is 90% of what causes traffic jams like this in the first place? Yeah, buddy. I'm talking to you. Yes, you asshole, with your cell phone glued to your head and your utter disregard for anyone else in the world. Pay some attention, and realize it's not all about you. Asshat.


----------



## TheBEast (Aug 5, 2011)

bvibert said:


> People who attempt to enter the highway at anything less than the speed limit.



This is what the entrance ramp is for, TO GET UP TO SPEED PEOPLE!!!  Merging onto a highway at 35 miles per hour is just down right dangerous, especially when those behind you know how to drive and are coming up on your A$$!!

This and the left hand lane thing kill me.


----------



## mondeo (Aug 5, 2011)

Old people that think I'm driving too fast for conditions when I'm not even using half of my car's capability
People who refuse to use more than 10% of their car's capability
People who leave space between cars in congested traffic (want to know why I'm weaving through traffic? It's because of assholes like you that leave 500 foot gaps, which is what causes traffic jams in the first place.)
People who don't move into the empty left lane when others are merging.


----------



## Edd (Aug 5, 2011)

Tailgating.  This is particularly annoying since I'm always driving 5 - 10 over the limit on 2 lane roads.  It's often an unconscious habit I'm sure, by drivers who don't understand physics.


----------



## AdironRider (Aug 5, 2011)

I feel tailgating is subjective. I get tons of heat for it out here in Wyoming, but everyone drives below the speed limit, etc etc. 

If I drove like that back East Id be dead right now. Tailgating is a necessary measure. Anyone try to drive in or out of Boston without tailgating someone before? It impossible not to unless to want to cause a standstill on the Tobin.


----------



## Edd (Aug 5, 2011)

Again, I'm talking more on 2 lane roads....when I'm already speeding.  I live in NH.  Not talking Mass. freeways or the Tobin.


----------



## wa-loaf (Aug 5, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> Anyone try to drive in or out of Boston without tailgating someone before? It impossible not to unless to want to cause a standstill on the Tobin.



It's a fine art keeping close enough to the car in front of you so no one can cut you off and having enough space to switch lanes if yours slows down.


----------



## AdironRider (Aug 5, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> It's a fine art keeping close enough to the car in front of you so no one can cut you off and having enough space to switch lanes if yours slows down.



Exactly. Not that this is a problem out here, but it was how I was classically trained to drive. Hah.


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 5, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> It's a fine art keeping close enough to the car in front of you so no one can cut you off and having enough space to switch lanes if yours slows down.



And to avoid hitting your brakes to slow down 5 mph, which causes the guy behind you so slow down 10, and the guy behind them to slow down 15, and the guy behind that to slow down 20, and the one behind him to stop.

It's not a properly managed gap that causes traffic jams. It's improperly managed brakes.


----------



## Glenn (Aug 5, 2011)

Left lane drivers slowing down traffic. 
Old farts In the diamond lane going 53. 
People who never check their rearview mirrors for traffic behind them.


----------



## Geoff (Aug 6, 2011)

*  The most annoying is morons pulling onto the highway and ignoring the YIELD sign.   It makes for some interesting encounters when you're towing 30 feet of boat and trailer.   They're on my door and think they're going to zip in on my rear bumper.

*  When you're towing and have crap braking distances, the most dangerous is morons who slow to 30 mph in the right lane before getting to the exit ramp.    I don't understand why these Darwin Awards candidates don't die a firey death doing that in front of 18-wheelers.

*  Everybody has already covered left lane bandits.   90% of the time, they're on a cell phone or texting.

*   When I'm in my VW, I get really annoyed when I'm being tailgated by a massive pickup or Suburban/Denali/Escalade.   All I see in my mirror is that huge grille.   If something happens, I'm dead.   I should carry a dozen eggs as my defensive weapon.

I go exactly the speed limit (by the GPS) on Vermont secondary roads.   Once you've experienced all the speed traps and risk losing your licence as you approach 10 points for moving violations, there is really no choice.   This almost always provokes flatlander tailgating behavior.


----------



## Nick (Aug 6, 2011)

Geoff said:


> *  The most annoying is morons pulling onto the highway and ignoring the YIELD sign.
> 
> .



The flip side is people pulling onto the highway and yielding for no one. They come to a complete stop on the on ramp.


----------



## mattm59 (Aug 7, 2011)

my commute involves time on Rt. 6 which goes from 1 to 2 lanes and back several times. Pet peeve is the idjits who tailgate so they can bully their way 1 spot ahead as the rt. goes to 1 lane, then head right to the left when it opens, and hang on the guys rear quarter so no-one can pass, but then try passing right where the merge occurs again. Looks like the Christmas lights in constipation plaza as the pile heads down the mountain, blinking brake lights filling in for Rudolphs nose.

Other than that, having another vehicle on the road annoys me, unless they drive exactly like me. 5-10 over...leave space...use signals.


----------



## Edd (Aug 7, 2011)

mattm59 said:


> Other than that, having another vehicle on the road annoys me, unless they drive exactly like me. 5-10 over...leave space...use signals.



Brother I could not agree with you more.  

What I don't see enough of on the road is manners and patience.  Just drive chill...


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 8, 2011)

Mty wife and I were discussing this yesterday- Europeans really do drive better- sure, they're fast and reckless and crazy, but they're consistently so and signal their intentions well in advance, and then people make way for the maneuver. In the US, using your signal is a sign of weakness, and just gives the guy behind you a chance to close the gap you were going to exploit in an attempt to get in position to take an exit in a mile or so.


----------



## Geoff (Aug 8, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Mty wife and I were discussing this yesterday- Europeans really do drive better- sure, they're fast and reckless and crazy, but they're consistently so and signal their intentions well in advance, and then people make way for the maneuver. In the US, using your signal is a sign of weakness, and just gives the guy behind you a chance to close the gap you were going to exploit in an attempt to get in position to take an exit in a mile or so.



This isn't true.   There is a huge national variance in driving skill.   If you had said "Germans really do drive better", I would agree with you.   Their driver training is about at the level it takes to get a private pilot license in the US.   Germans do things by the book, follow rules, and obey laws.   However, former East Germans do not have the same level of training and they're awful.   Try Belgium.   They require very little training.   They're all over the place.    Greece is kinda-sorta Europe.   It's downright nutty there.


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 8, 2011)

Geoff said:


> This isn't true.   There is a huge national variance in driving skill.   If you had said "Germans really do drive better", I would agree with you.   Their driver training is about at the level it takes to get a private pilot license in the US.   Germans do things by the book, follow rules, and obey laws.   However, former East Germans do not have the same level of training and they're awful.   Try Belgium.   They require very little training.   They're all over the place.    Greece is kinda-sorta Europe.   It's downright nutty there.



Probably true-  my statements are based on driving in Ireland, Spain, Italy, and Poland.


----------



## WakeboardMom (Aug 8, 2011)

Geoff said:


> *  *   When I'm in my VW, I get really annoyed when I'm being tailgated by a massive pickup or Suburban/Denali/Escalade.   All I see in my mirror is that huge grille.   If something happens, I'm dead.   I should carry a dozen eggs as my defensive weapon.



*WHAT* is up with that?  I set my cruise at about 72 from Concord, NH to exit 23on 93 and inevitably some dipsh*t on a powertrip in one of those vehicles climbs up my a$$.  It's usually not someone with your plain-Jane, utilitarian Suburban.  It's usually someone who thinks they're the schizzle in their Escalade with those big, honkin' Cadillac medallions and chrome and that obnoxious grill.  (It's a Rolex on wheels.)

You struck a nerve with that one.  Sorry for the rant.


----------



## hammer (Aug 8, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Mty wife and I were discussing this yesterday- Europeans really do drive better- sure, they're fast and reckless and crazy, but they're consistently so and signal their intentions well in advance, and then people make way for the maneuver. In the US, using your signal is a sign of weakness, and just gives the guy behind you a chance to close the gap you were going to exploit in an attempt to get in position to take an exit in a mile or so.



Based on my limited experience in and around the Frankfurt area, Germans are aggressive but capable drivers, and yes they do follow the rules better than any driver in the US would.

I have problems when visiting family in South Jersey...the locals don't expect drivers to be as aggressive as we all are here in New England, and I worry that someone will plow into me if I cut them off.

If you really want additional excitement, try driving in the Clearwater FL area with all of the retirees and tourists...:roll:


----------



## Nick (Aug 8, 2011)

Geoff said:


> This isn't true.   There is a huge national variance in driving skill.   If you had said "Germans really do drive better", I would agree with you.   Their driver training is about at the level it takes to get a private pilot license in the US.   Germans do things by the book, follow rules, and obey laws.   However, former East Germans do not have the same level of training and they're awful.   Try Belgium.   They require very little training.   They're all over the place.    Greece is kinda-sorta Europe.   It's downright nutty there.



It's so annoying to me when I'm on the Autobahn doing 200 km/h and some douchebag from Holland with his annoying canary yellow plates pulls out into mein High Speed Lane with his ridiculous trailer going 80 km/h und I need to slam on my brakes. 

Das idiot is just driving through Germany to get to the beaches and campgrounds in Italy, ja?

Scheissekopf.


----------



## AngryHugo (Aug 8, 2011)

The whole merging in traffic situation is pretty infuriating.  People who speed up to not let you in and/or piggyback on another car merging.  People around here are nutso whenever there is a merge.


----------



## twinplanx (Aug 8, 2011)

Left  lane abuse & non-signalers have been covered, I just want to add people who refuse to inch up when making a left at tight intersections... Has the art of "taking control of the intersection" been lost? I got places to go Ass Clown grrrr


----------



## bigbog (Aug 8, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> And to avoid hitting your brakes to slow down 5 mph, which causes the guy behind you so slow down 10, and the guy behind them to slow down 15, and the guy behind that to slow down 20, and the one behind him to stop.
> 
> It's not a properly managed gap that causes traffic jams. It's improperly managed brakes.



The car _in front_, just like in skiing...has the right of way.  He can do any friggin thing he wants!   Whether it's lawful is up to an officer or a judge...not you!    Either signal, then pass or back off...    Too many urban/suburban drivers spend wayyy too much time sitting on their butts, cursing...when they should be driving...ie looking for _safe_ clearance to pass...and getting on in life.


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 8, 2011)

bigbog said:


> The car _in front_, just like in skiing...has the right of way.  He can do any friggin thing he wants!   Whether it's lawful is up to an officer or a judge...not you!    Either signal, then pass or back off...    Too many urban/suburban drivers spend wayyy too much time sitting on their butts, cursing...when they should be driving...ie looking for _safe_ clearance to pass...and getting on in life.



I don't think the question of lawfulness comes into it. If you're not paying attention to what's going on in front of you, and you use your brakes too much, causing the traffic behind you to slow down or stop, then you are doing it wrong.


----------



## Geoff (Aug 8, 2011)

twinplanx said:


> Left  lane abuse & non-signalers have been covered,



Turn signals are a sign of weakness.


----------



## Nick (Aug 8, 2011)

Ha, like jigger pouring a drink


----------



## Northernflight (Aug 8, 2011)

> Turn signals are a sign of weakness



I must be lucky or something because Ive used my signals in Boston and had people make room for me to turn or merge in, and they had mass plates. If you give people a chance generally you can get to were you need to go without the threat of crashing if you give it one more second and let all the idiots go but if that doesn't work...all bets are off.....

One thing that annoys me is when someone is going 65 in a 55 but when the speed limit changes to 65 they don't speed up. Make up your mind if your going to speed or not so I don't have to pass you twice! The only other thing that annoys me is when people decide its a good idea to tailgate when theirs a lot of traffic on the highway. No I am not intentionally choosing to go 15 below the speed limit and I don't feel like having you ram me into the car in front of me if they start breaking. Also using breaks too much on highways, anyone ever consider the notion of taking their foot off the accelerator if the car in front of you is slowing down? 

And lastly passing a snowplow on the left hand side on 93 at 6 in the morning during a 2 inch a hour snowstorm is not suicidal, it is a right of passage.


----------



## drjeff (Aug 9, 2011)

The "I'll tailgate you if you're in the lead, but won't speed up to pass when I move right person" 

This pisses me off so much!!  If I'm cruising down highway in light traffic at my usual cruise control speed limit +10 and see a car closing up on me, I'll get right as soon as I have an opening, and then the car that was cruising up on me (when I was in the lead) refuses to continue at their "close up" speed and take the lead when I give them the opportunity!   If you want me to keep the lead spot and potentially be the first to get hit with the police radar trap, and therefore have NO intentions of maintaining that speed that you used to close up on me, then once you catch up to me at speed limit +10, stay at a reasonable distance behind me!!


----------



## JimG. (Aug 9, 2011)

I see alot about tailgating, so I'll throw one in here...

People who tailgate during snowstorms. I just don't get that. I like to drive fast and I like to get where I'm going, but I also prefer to avoid hitting things and other drivers. Snowstorm tailgaters don't seem to mind the potential worst accident scenario, rear-ending a car in front of them. And I seem to find them in my rearview mirror mostly when I'm travelling on a downhill slope. 

I downshift to avoid using brakes, and then I get some moron who zooms up behind my car, then slams on their brakes. Then they camp there, 2 inches off my bumper. In the right lane. With an open left lane. And they refuse to pass.

Dumb.


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 9, 2011)

drjeff said:


> The "I'll tailgate you if you're in the lead, but won't speed up to pass when I move right person"



I hate this guy- he's usually the one who will sit right off your rear quarterpanel, and slow down to match speed when you catch up to the center lane guy travelling the speed limit. The only way to avoid him is to floor it right before you get to the center lane guy, cut off the hiphugger, and blow by the center lane guy, which annoys the center lane guy who thinks you're an asshole, scares the hiphugger because he wasn't paying any attention anyway and you suddenly cut him off, and will always, without a doubt, every single time ellicit a comment from your wife along the lines of "Why are you in such a hurry?" or, "Slow down, you just cut that guy off" or something similar. It's useless to try to explain the situation to her, and for the next 100 miles she'll be surreptitiously checking the speedometer, ready to comment as soon as you break 10 over.

/as much as I love driving, man it annoys me sometimes...


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 9, 2011)

JimG. said:


> I downshift to avoid using brakes, and then I get some moron who zooms up behind my car, then slams on their brakes. Then they camp there, 2 inches off my bumper. In the right lane. With an open left lane. And they refuse to pass.
> 
> Dumb.



2 words for you: Brake Check


----------



## bvibert (Aug 9, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> I hate this guy- he's usually the one who will sit right off your rear quarterpanel, and slow down to match speed when you catch up to the center lane guy travelling the speed limit. The only way to avoid him is to floor it right before you get to the center lane guy, cut off the hiphugger, and blow by the center lane guy, which annoys the center lane guy who thinks you're an asshole, scares the hiphugger because he wasn't paying any attention anyway and you suddenly cut him off, and will always, without a doubt, every single time ellicit a comment from your wife along the lines of "Why are you in such a hurry?" or, "Slow down, you just cut that guy off" or something similar. It's useless to try to explain the situation to her, and for the next 100 miles she'll be surreptitiously checking the speedometer, ready to comment as soon as you break 10 over.
> 
> /as much as I love driving, man it annoys me sometimes...



Been in that same exact situation more times than I care to count!


----------



## JimG. (Aug 9, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> 2 words for you: Brake Check



Snowstorm tailgaters don't seem to respond to the famous "brake check". I find it annoys them more than anything, and they don't back off. Maybe that's a NY thing.

I had a guy snowstorm tailgate me years back on 87 up around New Paltz. It was snowing hard and there was already about 6" down on the road. I was in the right lane going about 50 and he zooms up behind me and starts flashing his brights. Some knucklehead in a BMW. So instead of passing me the chicken sh*t just camps there with his brights on. So I try a brake check and it doesn't work. He finally got pissed off enough to move left and pass. 

Now the guy is about 3 car lengths ahead of me behind a tractor trailer going the same speed as me in the left lane and he does the brights thing with the truck driver. The trucker ignored him, so he darts back into the right lane to pass the truck. That's about the time the BMW let loose and started fishtailing in front of the truck. That turned into a full 360 into the center median. Car was buried up to the tops of the wheel wells.

Idiot.


----------



## drjeff (Aug 9, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> I hate this guy- he's usually the one who will sit right off your rear quarterpanel, and slow down to match speed when you catch up to the center lane guy travelling the speed limit. The only way to avoid him is to floor it right before you get to the center lane guy, cut off the hiphugger, and blow by the center lane guy, which annoys the center lane guy who thinks you're an asshole, scares the hiphugger because he wasn't paying any attention anyway and you suddenly cut him off, and will always, without a doubt, every single time ellicit a comment from your wife along the lines of "Why are you in such a hurry?" or, "Slow down, you just cut that guy off" or something similar. It's useless to try to explain the situation to her, and for the next 100 miles she'll be surreptitiously checking the speedometer, ready to comment as soon as you break 10 over.
> 
> /as much as I love driving, man it annoys me sometimes...



LMFAO!!  Cten this statement is SO true in my car!!


----------



## Geoff (Aug 9, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> 2 words for you: Brake Check



3 words for you (requires rental car):   Emergency Brake Check   


Another thing that annoys me when I'm driving the VW GTI:

In heavy traffic when I'm in the left lane, it really pisses me off when some asshat in a huge SUV barges in front of me from the lane to the right.   I normally try to follow cars I can see over, through, or around.   I can't see over, through, or around an Escalade.


----------



## kickstand (Aug 9, 2011)

WakeboardMom said:


> *WHAT* is up with that?  I set my cruise at about 72 from Concord, NH to exit 23on 93 and inevitably some dipsh*t on a powertrip in one of those vehicles climbs up my a$$.  It's usually not someone with your plain-Jane, utilitarian Suburban.  It's usually someone who thinks they're the schizzle in their Escalade with those big, honkin' Cadillac medallions and chrome and that obnoxious grill.  (It's a Rolex on wheels.)



And that's when I drop the cruise control to 71.  Give it a few more minutes, if they're still there....70.  Still there in another 3 minutes?  69.  And it drops 1 mph every few minutes.  Mind you, the whole time, I'm in the middle lane and there is no one to my left.  They just refuse to move.  If they do move, I'm right back up to 72, maybe even 73.  Make them hit 80+ if they want to pass quickly.  If there's any justice, there's a statie not far away.  I don't travel it often, but I remember that stretch of 93 being particularly brutal for speed traps.

The one that gets me - and I see this a lot on 16 going to Conway - is the person who does exactly the speed limit when it's one lane, but jumps 10-12 mph when it opens up to 2 lanes and you have a chance to pass.  You can't get past them, unless you jump to 75 or so, and they drop right back to the speed limit when the lane drops.


----------



## Nick (Aug 9, 2011)

I remember when I was in Hawaii on my honeymoon, I was so typical new england. everyone else is just chilling out and enjoying the ocean views and I'm all wound up about sitting at a red light. The thing turns green and if the guy in front of me doensn't hit the gas in 5 nanoseconds I'm pounding on the horn. 

My wife looks at me and goes, "Seriously?". We both laughed and from then on I slowed down a bit. At least on vacation while she is in the car :evil:


----------



## bvibert (Aug 9, 2011)

I was behind a guy yesterday who wouldn't go even 1MPH over the 50MPH zone we were in (most people travel this lonely stretch at 60+).  As soon as we turned onto a different road, a fairly densely populated residential street with a speed limit of 40MPH, he started going 55MPH. :blink:


----------



## spring_mountain_high (Aug 9, 2011)

Honourable Mention: The jackass who speeds up after he moves out of the left lane on the highway...refuses to go 60 in the left lane, moves right and speeds up to 75...extend this one to anybody who speeds up when you have a chance to pass and slows down when you are stuck behind them

#1 assbag on the road is the moran who is in enough of a hurry to pull out in front of you, causing you to have to slam on your brakes, but not in enough of a hurry to go the speed limit once they've pulled out in front of you...these people should be forced to walk everywhere for the rest of their lives


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 9, 2011)

People who pull out in front of you when there's no one behind you, and then stop to make the next left turn. Wait 15 seconds, douche, and let me get by.

People who honk at you to go on a green light despite there being 50 pedestrians in the crosswalk.

Guy today was in the right lane as I was getting on the highway, and sped up to sit just of my front left, blocking my entrance, so I had to slow down to pull in behind him. The on ramp switches to an off ramp, and dipshit put on his brakes to take the slot I departed so he could make the exit. Easier would have been to not be an ass and let me in front of him so he could slide out behind me. But no, he got 1 space forward, and then converted some precious gasoline into wasted heat with his brakes.


----------



## billski (Aug 9, 2011)

*Flashing lights*

Tailgating as a communications method to get you to move over.   

This I don't get.  Back in the day, when FDR was in office, the custom in other states was to flash your lights keeping a safe distance.  That way s/he gets to communicate their impatience without endangering anyone.

Someone told me that in these parts, flashing your lights is considered obnoxious.  Educate me please.


----------



## Edd (Aug 9, 2011)

billski said:


> Tailgating as a communications method to get you to move over.



Bingo.  This is a stupid move.


----------



## drjeff (Aug 9, 2011)

billski said:


> Tailgating as a communications method to get you to move over.
> 
> This I don't get.  Back in the day, when FDR was in office, the custom in other states was to flash your lights keeping a safe distance.  That way s/he gets to communicate their impatience without endangering anyone.
> 
> Someone told me that in these parts, flashing your lights is considered obnoxious.  Educate me please.



My theory, pretty simple.  If the person behind me is closer to me than I am to the person infront of me, then I get out of the way :idea:


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 9, 2011)

drjeff said:


> My theory, pretty simple.  If the person behind me is closer to me than I am to the person infront of me, then I get out of the way :idea:



My rule- if the person ahead of you is getting further ahead, move over.


----------



## bigbog (Aug 9, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> I don't think the question of lawfulness comes into it. If you're not paying attention to what's going on in front of you, and you use your brakes too much, causing the traffic behind you to slow down or stop, then you are doing it wrong.



Often you have No idea what's going on.  Often he's watching a problem driver in front of him, he's not watching you...  This creating a two-way battle...is what can get one into trouble...it's not just him and you, you're not even in his equation if the driver in front of him is doing strange stuff.  The car in front of you may be mimicking what's going on in front of him...  
Example:
____________
I once rear-ended a car in Boston suburbs in evening..late winter...rain, fog..etc..after a 3-hr drive from SundayRiver and skiing for hours = I was going too fast without noticing it & hydroplaned into him.  I'll tell ya' after trailing him for ~100yds...I was at the boiling point...cuz I thought he was dogging it...well..the car in front of him was the culprit.....goes to show you...often times you really don't know.... 

$.01..fwiw


----------



## drjeff (Aug 9, 2011)

bigbog said:


> Often you have No idea what's going on.  Often he's watching a problem driver in front of him, he's not watching you...  This creating a two-way battle...is what can get one into trouble...it's not just him and you, you're not even in his equation if the driver in front of him is doing strange stuff.  The car in front of you may be mimicking what's going on in front of him...
> Example:
> ____________
> I once rear-ended a car in Boston suburbs in evening..late winter...rain, fog..etc..after a 3-hr drive from SundayRiver and skiing for hours = I was going too fast without noticing it & hydroplaned into him.  I'll tell ya' after trailing him for ~100yds...I was at the boiling point...cuz I thought he was dogging it...well..the car in front of him was the culprit.....goes to show you...often times you really don't know....
> ...



Dare I say that it's a sign of maturity (I KNOW my wife would argue that one! :lol: ) but I'm way more likely nowadays, when I feel my blood starting to boil over the actions of the F%^&ing A$$h(*$ idiot behind the wheel of the culprit car, to just pull off the next exit/convience store/rest area and just chill out for a minute or 2, especially if my kids are in the car.  I hope that's not a sign of weakness for my keeping of my man card! :lol:


----------



## billski (Aug 9, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> My rule- if the person ahead of you is getting further ahead, move over.


  I don't get this "rule by intimidation" thinking.  Entirely selfish.


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 9, 2011)

billski said:


> I don't get this "rule by intimidation" thinking.  Entirely selfish.



What's intimidating about that? If the car ahead of me is getting further away (ie, going faster than me) then I move over so that those behind me can go as fast as the car in front. That's not selfish. If the car in front of you is going slower than you, then you can move to the left, just move back right to clear the lane if there are faster people behind you.

Driving slower than the people behind you want to and refusing to acknowledge they are there by moving over a lane is selfish, in my book. Not recognizing that there are other people on the road is selfish.

On the watching the guy ahead of you point- it's not the car in front of you that you should be focused on- it's the four cars ahead of him, as well as the activity at the next curve, and what's going on in the lane next to you and at the upcoming on ramp that you should be paying attention to. There's a curve on my way in to work that always slows down. You can see it coming about 1/2 a mile away, and if you moderate your speed correclty you can get there as it clears, which means the people behind you don't have to slow down when they get there, either, thereby clearing traffic.


----------



## Edd (Aug 9, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> My rule- if the person ahead of you is getting further ahead, move over.





billski said:


> I don't get this "rule by intimidation" thinking.  Entirely selfish.



I think there's a communication problem somewhere.


----------



## billski (Aug 9, 2011)

Edd said:


> I think there's a communication problem somewhere.



I'm strictly talking about tailgating.


----------



## bvibert (Aug 9, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> What's intimidating about that? If the car ahead of me is getting further away (ie, going faster than me) then I move over so that those behind me can go as fast as the car in front. That's not selfish. If the car in front of you is going slower than you, then you can move to the left, just move back right to clear the lane *[strike]if there are faster people behind you.[/strike]*
> 
> Driving slower than the people behind you want to and refusing to acknowledge they are there by moving over a lane is selfish, in my book. Not recognizing that there are other people on the road is selfish.



Agreed, with a modification.  No need to wait until there's people coming up behind you, just move over to the right if it's clear.  The left lane is for passing, if there's no one near you in the right lane then you're not passing...  So get the eff back to the right before you're blocking the left lane for someone else.


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 9, 2011)

bvibert said:


> Agreed, with a modification.  No need to wait until there's people coming up behind you, just move over to the right if it's clear.  The left lane is for passing, if there's no one near you in the right lane then you're not passing...  So get the eff back to the right before you're blocking the left lane for someone else.



I can accept that modification. I will, htough, sometimes stay in a clear left lane- especially on 95 in SoCo the middle and right lanes ae so rutted up from the trucks that it really sucks driving on them. There are a couple of joints in the center lane that make the whole frame of my car go BOING, and that's not fun.


----------



## bvibert (Aug 9, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> I can accept that modification. I will, htough, sometimes stay in a clear left lane- especially on 95 in SoCo the middle and right lanes ae so rutted up from the trucks that it really sucks driving on them. There are a couple of joints in the center lane that make the whole frame of my car go BOING, and that's not fun.



I'll accept that exception to the modification..


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 10, 2011)

bvibert said:


> I'll accept that exception to the modification..



I'd like to propose an amendment to the motion to amend the proposed amendment that is currently under debate.

/that request should be dragged out back and shot


----------



## kickstand (Aug 10, 2011)

spring_mountain_high said:


> #1 assbag on the road is the moran who is in enough of a hurry to pull out in front of you, causing you to have to slam on your brakes, but not in enough of a hurry to go the speed limit once they've pulled out in front of you...these people should be forced to walk everywhere for the rest of their lives



Yes, yes and another yes!!!  And they always do this when there is no one behind you for another half mile.  Like waiting another 5 seconds for you to pass would cause them to be late to wherever they're going.  Frickin morons.....


----------



## billski (Aug 10, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> I'd like to propose an amendment to the motion to amend the proposed amendment that is currently under debate.
> 
> /that request should be dragged out back and shot



I'd suggest we move this proposal to a sub-committee for investigation and return it's report no later than the day before elections.


----------



## drjeff (Aug 10, 2011)

I'm calling the question!


----------



## billski (Aug 10, 2011)

The Patriot Ledger
Posted Aug 10, 2011 @ 02:24 AM


HINGHAM —
If you don’t want your commute to put you in the hospital, Hingham police recommend giving a little extra space to the guy in front of you.
A recent review of Hingham traffic data from 2010 showed that tailgating was the most common cause of crashes involving injuries in town. It sent more people to the hospital than even speeding or drunken driving.
Sgt. Steven Dearth, head of Hingham’s traffic division, dug into the data recently so he could educate patrol officers on the most common causes of serious accidents. He expected that tailgating – called “following too close” in police parlance – would register, but he didn’t expect it to top the list.
“I was surprised it was No. 1,” he said.
Eight hundred and fifty-one crashes were reported in Hingham last year, including 93 that resulted in one or more injuries. Of those accidents, Dearth found that 30 were caused by tailgating, while 23 were blamed on drivers who crossed into another marked lane or went off the road) and 10 occurred when a driver failed to stop for a stop sign.
Speeding accounted for six crashes and drunken driving was blamed for another four, while the rest were attributed to failure to yield and a variety of other violations.
Dearth said the prevalence of tailgating-related crashes is likely tied to an increase in so-called “distracted driving.” When drivers are following too closely, they’re more likely to have an accident if they allow themselves to become distracted by a cell phone, GPS device or some other gadget, he said.


Read more: http://www.patriotledger.com/archiv...-of-injury-accidents-in-Hingham#ixzz1UeHPWRx4


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 10, 2011)

Hingham Police need to review their statistics coursework. 4% of crashes were caused by the "#1 cause," while 91% are calssified as "Other." If my math is correct, asidde from tailgating, speeding, running off the road or across lanes, failure to stop, or being hammered, there are at least 778 other ways to classify the cause of an accident.

I can think of a few likely candidates, but how many can there really be? And how many of those really fall into the category of "Distracted Driving" or "Moron" (which are really very closely related)?

Jerry, is your car up a pole again?
/I think Jessica is kinda hot


----------



## billski (Sep 12, 2011)

True colors are revealed.  I moved here 31 years ago. I have always been puzzled by the bizarre driver behavior.   The indigenous drivers propensity for speed, aggression and impatience are extraordinary.  Some very interesting rationale.  After 31 years of not doing as the Romans do (can you say "yield"?)  Nothing changes.


----------



## Black Phantom (Sep 12, 2011)

billski said:


> True colors are revealed.  I moved here 31 years ago. I have always been puzzled by the bizarre driver behavior.   The indigenous drivers propensity for speed, aggression and impatience are extraordinary.  Some very interesting rationale.  After 31 years of not doing as the Romans do (can you say "yield"?)  Nothing changes.



Yielding is for the weak


----------



## wa-loaf (Sep 12, 2011)

billski said:


> True colors are revealed.  I moved here 31 years ago. I have always been puzzled by the bizarre driver behavior.   The indigenous drivers propensity for speed, aggression and impatience are extraordinary.  Some very interesting rationale.  After 31 years of not doing as the Romans do (can you say "yield"?)  Nothing changes.





Black Phantom said:


> Yielding is for the weak



I'm trying to get to work in the morning on my shitty commute. I have no patience for people who hesitate, can't pay attention to what's going on, or don't know where they are going. I give out of state plates a break ... sometimes.


----------



## ctenidae (Sep 12, 2011)

billski said:


> True colors are revealed.  I moved here 31 years ago. I have always been puzzled by the bizarre driver behavior.   The indigenous drivers propensity for speed, aggression and impatience are extraordinary.  Some very interesting rationale.  After 31 years of not doing as the Romans do (can you say "yield"?)  Nothing changes.



"Yield" as a good way of going about things translates into so many parts of life. If people would just wait their turn, things would go much smoother, whether it's driving, at the grocery store, standing in line, whatever. Drives me nuts.


----------



## ctenidae (Sep 12, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> I'm trying to get to work in the morning on my shitty commute. I have no patience for people who hesitate, can't pay attention to what's going on, or don't know where they are going. I give out of state plates a break ... sometimes.



I don't qualify getting annoyed at stupid people as rude, aggressive, or uncalled for.


----------



## hammer (Sep 12, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> "Yield" as a good way of going about things translates into so many parts of life. If people would just wait their turn, things would go much smoother, whether it's driving, at the grocery store, standing in line, whatever. Drives me nuts.


Also, if people would take their turn when it's time instead of waiting or being oblivious, that would help as well.

One example is that I read or heard some time ago that the best way to handle merges is to "let one in then go".  Unfortunately, there are a number of drivers who either let 10 in (the Rt. 128 south to Rt. 3 north off ramp is a prime example) or they tend to cut in before it's their turn.  Messes thing up for the rest of us...


----------



## ctenidae (Sep 12, 2011)

hammer said:


> Also, if people would take their turn when it's time instead of waiting or being oblivious, that would help as well.
> 
> One example is that I read or heard some time ago that the best way to handle merges is to "let one in then go".  Unfortunately, there are a number of drivers who either let 10 in (the Rt. 128 south to Rt. 3 north off ramp is a prime example) or they tend to cut in before it's their turn.  Messes thing up for the rest of us...



Also theones who run up to the very end of the merge lane and then use half the shoulder before moving in. You haven't gotten much further, and you've slowed the rest of us down. Thanks for that.


----------



## wa-loaf (Sep 12, 2011)

My new commute takes me from the 495/90 area to Alewife in Cambridge. The "shortest" driving route is 90>128>rt2. Getting onto 128 from 90 has got to be the most f-ed up exchange in the world. It's 1/2hr at least from getting on the ramp to the tolls until you are heading north on 128. I skipped it this morning and took the pike all the way into Cambridge to Storrow and reverse commuted from there out to Alewife. It was faster. There is a spot in hell for the a-hole(s) that devised that exchange.


----------



## Geoff (Sep 12, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> My new commute takes me from the 495/90 area to Alewife in Cambridge. The "shortest" driving route is 90>128>rt2. Getting onto 128 from 90 has got to be the most f-ed up exchange in the world. It's 1/2hr at least from getting on the ramp to the tolls until you are heading north on 128. I skipped it this morning and took the pike all the way into Cambridge to Storrow and reverse commuted from there out to Alewife. It was faster. There is a spot in hell for the a-hole(s) that devised that exchange.



I worked for BBN Labs for 90 days and had exactly that commute.    That's a "you can't get there from here" commute.


----------



## darent (Sep 12, 2011)

Geoff said:


> This isn't true.   There is a huge national variance in driving skill.   If you had said "Germans really do drive better", I would agree with you.   Their driver training is about at the level it takes to get a private pilot license in the US.   Germans do things by the book, follow rules, and obey laws.   However, former East Germans do not have the same level of training and they're awful.   Try Belgium.   They require very little training.   They're all over the place.    Greece is kinda-sorta Europe.   It's downright nutty there.



yea germans are great drivers,like the german that t-boned that school bus when I was in greece, going like he was on the autobahn on a narrow two lane greek road. he blew past me and when I drove over the rise in the road i saw  the bus  in two pieces . poor school bus full of kids was coming out of a well marked side road.


----------



## billski (Sep 19, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> I have no patience for people who hesitate, can't pay attention to what's going on, or don't know where they are going.sometimes.



What a great way to make friends!  What ever happened to diversity and tolerance?  We all share this world for only a few moments in time. I don't see what the big rush is if you've planned ahead. Let's just lighten up and practice a bit of patience.


----------



## SkiDork (Sep 19, 2011)

here;s one:

While merging onto a service road from the onramp (from an intersecting highway) in a line of cars, all wanting to do the same thing, which is move left so we can enter the new highway.  

Car behind me decides they're gonna go around me and get ahead of me, as I'm still moving left.  Then honks because I'm "in her way".

I gave her the finger...  Whatever happened to waiting your turn in line?


----------



## ski stef (Sep 19, 2011)




----------



## bvibert (Sep 19, 2011)

Ski Stef said:


>



I wish there were really signs like that!


----------



## mattm59 (Sep 19, 2011)

billski said:


> What a great way to make friends!  What ever happened to diversity and tolerance?  We all share this world for only a few moments in time. I don't see what the big rush is if you've planned ahead. Let's just lighten up and practice a bit of patience.



Screw tolerance...since 2008 I've been t-boned at a stop light, and rear ended by a commercial prepped F250, once again stopped at a light.Seems the chiropractor and lawyer are my best friends, but I'd rather just be the way I was, before the memory loss, neck and back pain, and headaches. My wife was broadsided by a idiot backing out of her driveway. I have NO effen tolerance for people who drive without awareness of and for others. A-hole girl up the street tries passing my wife on the left as my wife is making a left into OUR DRIVEWAY, for what, so she can get home 1 second quicker? Then HER mom threatens to call the police on me when I asked how an idiot like her got a license. Wish I had my old F650 with a plow sometimes; I'd just put these jerks into the ditch. 
It's been said horses never hit telephone poles, perhaps more people show be in the saddle, not behind the wheel of a 3000 pound mindless mass of  matter.


----------



## mondeo (Sep 20, 2011)

billski said:


> What a great way to make friends! What ever happened to diversity and tolerance? We all share this world for only a few moments in time. I don't see what the big rush is if you've planned ahead. Let's just lighten up and practice a bit of patience.


Because you're slowing thousands of other people down.

Let's take a stop light for example. A stop light where driving like an old man, you get 7 cars through per green, if you drive like a bat out of hell you get 8 through. No big difference, right? One person has to wait for the next cycle.

But it's 4:30, start of rush hour. Even if only 8 cars arrive at the next cycle and every following cycle for the next hour and a half, if it takes a minute for the light to cycle, you've wasted an hour and a half of people's time just because you couldn't be bothered to hit the gas.

Yes, I have a specific light on my way home from work in mind. There are times it gets backed up for 20-30 cars, just because people drive stupidly slow.

The same principle applies to traffic jams. The person behind you can't go any faster until you accelerate. The person behind them can't speed up until they do. The first person in line with less than a second between themselves and the car in front of them is the person causing the traffic jam. HIT THE DAMN GAS.

I've always thought it would be interesting to make a traffic model where you could model the behavior of different types of drivers. My bet's on a highway with 2 lanes out of 4 blocked gets cleared a hell of a lot quicker when every car has an aggressive driver in it rather than a Camry driver.

Let me guess, you drive an Outback, Camry, or minivan?


----------



## mondeo (Sep 20, 2011)

Ski Stef said:


>


Why the hell is that car on the brakes?


----------



## Geoff (Sep 20, 2011)

mattm59 said:


> Screw tolerance...since 2008 I've been t-boned at a stop light, and rear ended by a commercial prepped F250, once again stopped at a light.Seems the chiropractor and lawyer are my best friends, but I'd rather just be the way I was, before the memory loss, neck and back pain, and headaches. My wife was broadsided by a idiot backing out of her driveway. I have NO effen tolerance for people who drive without awareness of and for others. A-hole girl up the street tries passing my wife on the left as my wife is making a left into OUR DRIVEWAY, for what, so she can get home 1 second quicker? Then HER mom threatens to call the police on me when I asked how an idiot like her got a license. Wish I had my old F650 with a plow sometimes; I'd just put these jerks into the ditch.
> It's been said horses never hit telephone poles, perhaps more people show be in the saddle, not behind the wheel of a 3000 pound mindless mass of  matter.



My boyhood best friend got rear-ended by a drunk ex-state rep at a traffic light where a 65 mph divided highway ends.   He died of ALS about 10 years later.   ALS is often triggered by a major trauma like that where all the years of pain management eventually have your immune system attacking your own nervous system.

I think I've already written this in this thread but the thing that pisses me off the most is looking in my rear view mirror of my Volkswagen and seeing nothing but the enormous grill of a full-size SUV or pickup truck.   Invariably, I can see the cell phone glued to their ear.   My braking distance is half that of a 6,000 pound mass of Detroit excess.   In any kind of emergency situation, I'm dead.     I drive a police-attracting orange car so I have to drive the speed limit.   One car length of separation at 50 mph in an SUV or pickup should be a negligent operation ticket with an automatic 30 day license suspension.


----------



## SkiingInABlueDream (Sep 20, 2011)

mondeo said:


> Why the hell is that car on the brakes?



trail braking into the turn.


----------



## speden (Sep 20, 2011)

mattm59 said:


> It's been said horses never hit telephone poles, perhaps more people show be in the saddle, not behind the wheel of a 3000 pound mindless mass of  matter.



Just give it a little time.  The car engineers are working on smarter cars with automatic collision avoidance features.  It started with anti-lock brakes, where the car ignores the driver when they try to skid into an accident, but that's child's play compared to what is becoming possible.  Now they're looking at stuff like using radar to actually take over the steering when someone is about to crash.  They've already got adaptive cruise control that will stop if traffic stops.  Probably before long the cars will be able to drive themselves.  Considering how common it is for people to drive impaired these days, be it drunk, distracted, or just a bad driver, this stuff can't come soon enough.  Seems like every other day I see a news story of a car or truck driving through a building.  Computers don't get confused about which pedal is the gas and which pedal is the brake, so it might be better if they do the driving.


----------



## mondeo (Sep 20, 2011)

skifastr said:


> trail braking into the turn.


They've got at least another 100 feet before they need to slow down. And that's heavy on the brakes (noticably pitched down at the nose.)


----------



## bvibert (Sep 20, 2011)

mondeo said:


> Why the hell is that car on the brakes?



Because they're in the "IF YOU CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY, THEN TAKE THIS LANE" lane???


----------



## bvibert (Sep 20, 2011)

speden said:


> Just give it a little time.  The car engineers are working on smarter cars with automatic collision avoidance features.  It started with anti-lock brakes, where the car ignores the driver when they try to skid into an accident, but that's child's play compared to what is becoming possible.  Now they're looking at stuff like using radar to actually take over the steering when someone is about to crash.  They've already got adaptive cruise control that will stop if traffic stops.  Probably before long the cars will be able to drive themselves.  Considering how common it is for people to drive impaired these days, be it drunk, distracted, or just a bad driver, this stuff can't come soon enough.  Seems like every other day I see a news story of a car or truck driving through a building.  Computers don't get confused about which pedal is the gas and which pedal is the brake, so it might be better if they do the driving.



For the rest of the driving public that may be the case, however, I DO NOT want a computer driving my car for me!

I understand where you're coming from, but it's only a matter of time before shit like that becomes mandated in cars.  It's a slippery slope that I don't want to go down.


----------



## mondeo (Sep 20, 2011)

speden said:


> Just give it a little time. The car engineers are working on smarter cars with automatic collision avoidance features. It started with anti-lock brakes, where the car ignores the driver when they try to skid into an accident, but that's child's play compared to what is becoming possible. Now they're looking at stuff like using radar to actually take over the steering when someone is about to crash. They've already got adaptive cruise control that will stop if traffic stops. Probably before long the cars will be able to drive themselves. Considering how common it is for people to drive impaired these days, be it drunk, distracted, or just a bad driver, this stuff can't come soon enough. Seems like every other day I see a news story of a car or truck driving through a building. Computers don't get confused about which pedal is the gas and which pedal is the brake, so it might be better if they do the driving.


Until cars get fully automated, all these things just make people worse drivers. Adaptive cruise control is a terrible idea. All it means is people can completely stop paying attention to what speed they're going, so instead of maintaining speed and changing lanes to pass they just slow down. Which makes the next person just slow down.

People are actually fairly good drivers when they pay attention to what they're doing. The new stuff is simply another way to detach people from driving, which will only make them worse at it.

There are a couple interesting studies in traffic engineering that show that less direction actually makes traffic move more quickly. There was a case in an European city where a power outage during rush hour resulted in much less congestion due to the lack of traffic lights, and there have been a couple towns where they've removed almost all traffic signs and pavement markings and accidents have gone down. If your mind is already active, it's a lot easier to adapt to the different scenarios that present themselves while driving.


----------



## SkiingInABlueDream (Sep 20, 2011)

mondeo said:


> They've got at least another 100 feet before they need to slow down. And that's heavy on the brakes (noticably pitched down at the nose.)



not if their entry speed was ~130.


----------



## ctenidae (Sep 20, 2011)

mondeo said:


> They've got at least another 100 feet before they need to slow down. And that's heavy on the brakes (noticably pitched down at the nose.)



There's a twisty bit of road on my way in that I like, except when I'm behind slow people who don't know how to drive. I'm convinced that not knowing how to drive is why they do the things they do- it's not a driving style, it's fear. 

Imagine going into a curve a little fast for your liking- if you know how to drive, you know the worst thing you can do is stab the brakes, because it makes your car go all wonky. But if you don't know how to drive, you stab your brakes because you think you're going too fast, and lo and behold, your car goes wonky, proving that you were, in fact, going too fast. Rather than think ahead and brake before the turn, or, even better, staying on it and powering through the turn, people go for the simplest equation (too fast =slow down, brakes = slow down, ergo too fast= brakes) and make their situation worse. 

My wife gets onto me for getting frustrated with everyone else on the road. I don't get fustrated with everyone, though- I'm fully aware that 10% of people know how to drive, and probably 70% don't know how, but they all do it wrong the same way, so you can think ahead and account for them. It's the 30% who do it so completely wrong in a spectacular manner that makes no sense whatsoever that get me annoyed, mostly because they screw up my carefully thought out strategy for dealing with whatever numbskullery is occuring at the moment.


----------



## wa-loaf (Sep 20, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> My wife gets onto me for getting frustrated with everyone else on the road. I don't get fustrated with everyone, though- I'm fully aware that 10% of people know how to drive, and probably 70% don't know how, but they all do it wrong the same way, so you can think ahead and account for them. It's the 30% who do it so completely wrong in a spectacular manner that makes no sense whatsoever that get me annoyed, mostly because they screw up my carefully thought out strategy for dealing with whatever numbskullery is occuring at the moment.



I expect people to do the wrong/dumb thing on the road these days and tailor my driving to them. When some does something nice like waving me through or yielding at the stop sign, etc... it screws up the flow ...


----------



## mondeo (Sep 20, 2011)

skifastr said:


> not if their entry speed was ~130.


 
It's a late '90s Legacy. It came with 137hp, 10+ years ago. I think it's a pretty safe bet it wasn't at 130mph coming in.


----------



## mondeo (Sep 20, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> There's a twisty bit of road on my way in that I like, except when I'm behind slow people who don't know how to drive. I'm convinced that not knowing how to drive is why they do the things they do- it's not a driving style, it's fear.
> 
> Imagine going into a curve a little fast for your liking- if you know how to drive, you know the worst thing you can do is stab the brakes, because it makes your car go all wonky. But if you don't know how to drive, you stab your brakes because you think you're going too fast, and lo and behold, your car goes wonky, proving that you were, in fact, going too fast. Rather than think ahead and brake before the turn, or, even better, staying on it and powering through the turn, people go for the simplest equation (too fast =slow down, brakes = slow down, ergo too fast= brakes) and make their situation worse.
> 
> My wife gets onto me for getting frustrated with everyone else on the road. I don't get fustrated with everyone, though- I'm fully aware that 10% of people know how to drive, and probably 70% don't know how, but they all do it wrong the same way, so you can think ahead and account for them. It's the 30% who do it so completely wrong in a spectacular manner that makes no sense whatsoever that get me annoyed, mostly because they screw up my carefully thought out strategy for dealing with whatever numbskullery is occuring at the moment.


You really gave 110% of your effort on that comment.

I braked while understeering hard once. Once.

I kinda want to get this T-shirt: http://enthusiastapparel.com/Neverlift


----------



## SkiingInABlueDream (Sep 20, 2011)

Dont think this has been said yet - ppl who gridlock intersections in heavy traffic. The person has a green light but can't go all the way thru the intersection because there's traffic on the other side. They get into the middle of the intersection anyway and stop. The light turns and cross traffic is blocked.

what the heck...

2) Ppl who insist on hanging off the back end of trucks in rain & snow because they're afraid to pass through the spray in the wake. 

3) Ppl who try to close the gap in front of them when you need to change lanes, even though they'd been leaving like 4 car lengths' gap before they realised you wanted to merge.

4) ppl who insist on merging into the less-than-2-car-lengths gap in front of you when there's 10 cars' gap behind you.

guess i had a bad commute this morning...


----------



## ctenidae (Sep 20, 2011)

mondeo said:


> You really gave 110% of your effort on that comment.
> 
> I braked while understeering hard once. Once.
> 
> I kinda want to get this T-shirt: http://enthusiastapparel.com/Neverlift



Heh- I play the lottery, too...

Never Lift is good. I like the "Goes like Schnell" too.


----------



## SkiingInABlueDream (Sep 20, 2011)

mondeo said:


> It's a late '90s Legacy. It came with 137hp, 10+ years ago. I think it's a pretty safe bet it wasn't at 130mph coming in.



You don't know the car's stock.  

Ok seriously now, I agreed from the beginning the driver's probably braking unnecesarily.  But you asked the question. 

And also, the turn _could _ be sharper than it looks in the pic, so maybe they did need to brake.


----------



## ctenidae (Sep 20, 2011)

speden said:


> Just give it a little time.  The car engineers are working on smarter cars with automatic collision avoidance features.  It started with anti-lock brakes, where the car ignores the driver when they try to skid into an accident, but that's child's play compared to what is becoming possible.  Now they're looking at stuff like using radar to actually take over the steering when someone is about to crash.  They've already got adaptive cruise control that will stop if traffic stops.  Probably before long the cars will be able to drive themselves.  Considering how common it is for people to drive impaired these days, be it drunk, distracted, or just a bad driver, this stuff can't come soon enough.  Seems like every other day I see a news story of a car or truck driving through a building.  Computers don't get confused about which pedal is the gas and which pedal is the brake, so it might be better if they do the driving.



I fear the day this comes to pass. I get it that some people don't like to drive, and just htink of it as transportation. Great. Take the bus. I like to drive, and if you're on the bus, you're out of my way.


----------



## bvibert (Sep 20, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> I fear the day this comes to pass. I get it that some people don't like to drive, and just htink of it as transportation. Great. Take the bus. I like to drive, and if you're on the bus, you're out of my way.



_THIS_ should be on a t-shirt! :beer:


----------



## bvibert (Sep 20, 2011)

skifastr said:


> 4) ppl who insist on merging into the less-than-2-car-lengths gap in front of you when there's 10 cars' gap behind you.



Or insist on pulling out in front of you from a side road when there's no one behind you.  And then proceed to drive below the speed limit!


----------



## hammer (Sep 20, 2011)

bvibert said:


> Or insist on pulling out in front of you from a side road when there's no one behind you.  And then proceed to drive below the speed limit!


And then decide to slow down at every intersection because they are lost and don't know if they should turn off or not...


----------



## ctenidae (Sep 20, 2011)

hammer said:


> And then decide to slow down at every intersection because they are lost and don't know if they should turn off or not...



People who stop or drive really slow when they're lost. If you don't know where yo uare right now, you sure as hell won't know in 10 minutes 1 block down the road. Either keep driving around until you find something you recognize (you can't get any more lost than lost, anyway), or pull over and figure it out. Above all else, KEEP MOVING!

/I find that a lot of the problems I have with people driving are very similar to the problems I have with people in general.


----------



## Gnarcissaro (Sep 20, 2011)

Here's a scenario.

You're cruising along doing your normal, constant speed in the cruising lane. Dipshit comes up from behind and passes you, then changes into your lane ahead of you. Ok fine, go on your way pal....

Only thing is, once he's ahead in your lane he/she proceeds to go slower than you were going, forcing you to break your cruise control and possibly pass him/her. Maybe to start the whole thing over again once you're back ahead and cruising...

:angry::angry::angry::angry:


----------



## bvibert (Sep 20, 2011)

Here's one that's not so much something that they do as it is something that they display: "Back Off!!" (or other such anti-tailgating nonsense) stickers or mud flaps.  To me that's an indication that the operator of the vehicle does not know how to adequately operate the vehicle and would like you to give them extra room/patience to figure it all out.  I try to get around these people ASAP.  If I can't I'm always tempted to do a little bump drafting to help them along (not that I ever would). :evil:


----------



## ctenidae (Sep 20, 2011)

bvibert said:


> Here's one that's not so much something that they do as it is something that they display: "Back Off!!" (or other such anti-tailgating nonsense) stickers or mud flaps.  To me that's an indication that the operator of the vehicle does not know how to adequately operate the vehicle and would like you to give them extra room/patience to figure it all out.  I try to get around these people ASAP.  If I can't I'm always tempted to do a little bump drafting to help them along (not that I ever would). :evil:



"Baby On Board" annoys me. 

"AAAAAAHAHAHHHAHHAHA!!!!!!! My tire's blown out, I'm bouncing off the median divider, the road is a sheet of ice, it's raining, and a deer just ran in front of the car! We're all going to D...wait a second- that car's got a baby on board- let me swerve over here, tuck and roll, and whew, cleared him...IE!!!!!!!!"

I mean, what else does it mean? "I've got a screaming child back here, I can't hear anythign, I'm totally distracted by 3 Disney movies, an iPod,a dn my phone, and my kid just dumped a Slushie down my shirt. Give me some extra room, because sure as shit, the last thing I'm paying attention to is the road?" I doubt it.


----------



## jaja111 (Sep 20, 2011)

I drive an average of 130 miles a day for work. This thread is too much fun. 

What have I learned driving this much for almost 10 years?
-Chill
-The 2 second rule is a good rule
-Assume every other driver is murderous and intent on killing you
-Get away from idiots. If you have the horsepower pass them and if you don't find another route.
-Avoid the freeways like they are the plague
-Do not remain behind any vehicle carrying furniture as you can't truly inspect the security of the load.
-Chill
-Do not emergency brake check a tailgater as they may have no insurance, no income, and no brains thereby leaving you with the bill (from experience)
-Never plead guilty to a speeding ticket
-Don't drive in the ghetto
-Traffic devices are suggestions for others, not rules or commands.
-Driving is not a contest or game.
-Chill
-And most importantly, survive


----------



## crank (Sep 23, 2011)

Gnarcissaro said:


> Here's a scenario.
> 
> You're cruising along doing your normal, constant speed in the cruising lane. Dipshit comes up from behind and passes you, then changes into your lane ahead of you. Ok fine, go on your way pal....
> 
> ...



this is the one that really gets to me and it happens all the time.  I figure that people just can't regulate their own speed.

Another pet peeve is when at a stoplight and people leave a ton of space between their car and the one in front thus blocking others from making that right turn or getting into the left turn lane.  They are just completely unaware and that is the real crime.


----------



## Madroch (Sep 23, 2011)

Wearing ski pants while driving....


----------



## o3jeff (Sep 29, 2011)

bvibert said:


> Agreed, with a modification.  No need to wait until there's people coming up behind you, just move over to the right if it's clear.  The left lane is for passing, if there's no one near you in the right lane then you're not passing...  So get the eff back to the right before you're blocking the left lane for someone else.



I like to pass them after riding their ass for a bit and then pretend to take their picture with my phone while laughing hysterically. Nothing seems to piss people on the road off more than the thought that someone is going to put a picture of them flipping out on the internet.


----------



## bvibert (Oct 3, 2011)

o3jeff said:


> I like to pass them after riding their ass for a bit and then pretend to take their picture with my phone while laughing hysterically. Nothing seems to piss people on the road off more than the thought that someone is going to put a picture of them flipping out on the internet.



Well played! :lol:


----------



## neil (Oct 4, 2011)

billski said:


> Right lane - exit or entry lane only.  Enter at 30mph, exit at 80mph.
> Middle lane(s) - travel lane
> Left lane - Minimum speed limit Warp III



NO!

Right lane - travel lane
All other lanes - overtaking lane

Move over people. Don't stay in any lane. You are the cause of traffic jams.


----------



## mondeo (Oct 5, 2011)

neil said:


> NO!
> 
> Right lane - travel lane
> All other lanes - overtaking lane
> ...


 NO!

If it's a section of highway with a lot of exits, using the right lane for travel causes an excessive number of lane changes and ends up creating more havoc than it solves. If everyone knew how to drive and took into account entering traffic from multiple lanes over, people didn't slow at all before exit ramps, etc., it would be one thing. But in reality people don't accelerate like they should, and using the right lane for merging is a necessary evil.


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 5, 2011)

Full page rant from John Phillips on bad drivers (mostly those over 65) in the current Car and Driver. Pretty good- mostly comments about drivers who don't pay attention because they just don't care.


----------



## bvibert (Oct 5, 2011)

mondeo said:


> NO!
> 
> If it's a section of highway with a lot of exits, using the right lane for travel causes an excessive number of lane changes and ends up creating more havoc than it solves. If everyone knew how to drive and took into account entering traffic from multiple lanes over, people didn't slow at all before exit ramps, etc., it would be one thing. But in reality people don't accelerate like they should, and using the right lane for merging is a necessary evil.



Agreed.


----------



## ALLSKIING (Oct 5, 2011)

I drove with more fools on the road this morning then I can even post about.


----------



## HowieT2 (Oct 5, 2011)

I drive up and back from NY to the MRv every weekend in the winter and avoid the interstate.  If people would drive at a constant speed I could deal.  want to drive 50 in a 55 fine, I'll pass you, no problem.  But dont drive 50 when there's no passing and then shoot up to 65 when there's passing.  That drives me absolutely nuts.  I wish I had Gatlin gun on the hood to blow those bastards to smithereens.


----------



## drjeff (Oct 5, 2011)

HowieT2 said:


> I drive up and back from NY to the MRv every weekend in the winter and avoid the interstate.  If people would drive at a constant speed I could deal.  want to drive 50 in a 55 fine, I'll pass you, no problem.  But dont drive 50 when there's no passing and then shoot up to 65 when there's passing.  That drives me absolutely nuts.  I wish I had Gatlin gun on the hood to blow those bastards to smithereens.



Its actions like this that have me more and more convinced each day that there are just plain and simply put, WAY more ignorant, idiotic, inconsiderate, just flat out clueless people out there than there are people aware of their surroundings!  :using:


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 5, 2011)

drjeff said:


> Its actions like this that have me more and more convinced each day that there are just plain and simply put, WAY more ignorant, idiotic, inconsiderate, just flat out clueless people out there than there are people aware of their surroundings!  :using:



Inconsiderate explains a huge proportion of people's actions- people who simply aren't aware of their surroundings because they don't want to be.


----------



## HowieT2 (Oct 5, 2011)

drjeff said:


> Its actions like this that have me more and more convinced each day that there are just plain and simply put, WAY more ignorant, idiotic, inconsiderate, just flat out clueless people out there than there are people aware of their surroundings!  :using:



excuse me?  all I'm asking is for people to decide what speed they are comfortable driving and stick to it, not go faster and slower preventing me from driving in my comfort zone.  what's wrong with that???


----------



## bvibert (Oct 5, 2011)

HowieT2 said:


> excuse me?  all I'm asking is for people to decide what speed they are comfortable driving and stick to it, not go faster and slower preventing me from driving in my comfort zone.  what's wrong with that???



I thought drjeff was agreeing with you?


----------



## HowieT2 (Oct 5, 2011)

bvibert said:


> I thought drjeff was agreeing with you?



Oh! never mind.  I thought he was ripping me for the gatlin gun thing, which would be really cool although possibly illegal, except in Texas.


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 5, 2011)

HowieT2 said:


> Oh! never mind.  I thought he was ripping me for the gatlin gun thing, which would be really cool although possibly illegal, except in Texas.



Even better if it were a Gatlin*g* gun.

/sorry, couldn't resist

//http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Ev19NsDQ4 Check out what the gunner is doing at 2:35...


----------



## WJenness (Oct 5, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Even better if it were a Gatlin*g* gun.



See, I just thought he wanted a gun that fired world class sprinters at other cars...







I wasn't sure what the impact would be, but I thought he might have a good reason.

:lol:

-w


----------



## neil (Oct 5, 2011)

mondeo said:


> NO!
> 
> If it's a section of highway with a lot of exits, using the right lane for travel causes an excessive number of lane changes and ends up creating more havoc than it solves. If everyone knew how to drive and took into account entering traffic from multiple lanes over, people didn't slow at all before exit ramps, etc., it would be one thing. But in reality people don't accelerate like they should, and using the right lane for merging is a necessary evil.



It's this attitude that causes all the problems. I'm sure your biggest problem is more of a "too lazy to change lanes" than any actual problem.

So you're doing 60 in the middle lane, there's 5 miles till the next exit, and you think that's acceptable to just mosey along in the middle lane even if you see someone in your mirror approaching at 65?

Driving in the US I find the fastest lane IS the right hand lane. Which is all kinds of retarded.


----------



## Geoff (Oct 5, 2011)

neil said:


> Driving in the US I find the fastest lane IS the right hand lane. Which is all kinds of retarded.



Part of my speeding ticket avoidance strategy is to avoid the left lane at all costs.   On a 3 or 4 lane road, I pass on the right all the time.   On a 2 lane road, I'm only in the left lane for passing.


----------



## mondeo (Oct 5, 2011)

neil said:


> It's this attitude that causes all the problems. I'm sure your biggest problem is more of a "too lazy to change lanes" than any actual problem.
> 
> So you're doing 60 in the middle lane, there's 5 miles till the next exit, and you think that's acceptable to just mosey along in the middle lane even if you see someone in your mirror approaching at 65?
> 
> Driving in the US I find the fastest lane IS the right hand lane. Which is all kinds of retarded.


Where are there 3 lanes with 5 miles between exits? Anywhere with 5 miles between exits is a 2 lane highway. The one or two places around Hartford where there is more than a mile between exits with three lanes, I move to the right lane. 91 North after the 5-15 exit is the only place I can think of off hand. Between exits 25-24-23-22, there's enough slow traffic that I'm passing anyone in the right lane, and there's more traffic in the third lane than the second. Usually weaving between lanes 2 and 4 as much to prove the point as anything.

The problem isn't that I'm too lazy to change lanes, it's that the people in the middle lane aren't paying attention to the fact that there's someone entering the highway going 15 mph slower than the flow of traffic, and block me into the lane and force me to change my speed. Which causes everyone else to slow down. Which causes traffic jams. I change lanes more than you do, I guarantee it.


----------



## Geoff (Oct 5, 2011)

mondeo said:


> Where are there 3 lanes with 5 miles between exits? Anywhere with 5 miles between exits is a 2 lane highway.



Not true.

The Hooksett Toll to the I-89 exit is 5 miles unless you're counting the liquor store rest area as an exit.   I-95 south of Portland, ME has areas with 5+ miles between exits.   There is about 5 miles of NH I-95 north of the Hampton toll with no exits.    The Mass Pike has several sections of 3 lane highway with no exits.   Sturbridge to Auburn is 12 miles.   Millbury to Westboro is 10 miles.   The Jersey Turnpike springs to mind as another wide highway with very few exits.


----------



## deadheadskier (Oct 5, 2011)

Geoff said:


> Part of my speeding ticket avoidance strategy is to avoid the left lane at all costs.   On a 3 or 4 lane road, I pass on the right all the time.   On a 2 lane road, I'm only in the left lane for passing.



yup.  Only pass in the left lane if I absolutely have to.  Always in the right and I do so because for the same reason - ticket avoidance.  Not sure how real that is, but I have to assume most cops look for speeders in the left lane first as that's the lane people are supposed to be traveling the fastest in.


----------



## Geoff (Oct 5, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> yup.  Only pass in the left lane if I absolutely have to.  Always in the right and I do so because for the same reason - ticket avoidance.  Not sure how real that is, but I have to assume most cops look for speeders in the left lane first as that's the lane people are supposed to be traveling the fastest in.



The speed traps are almost always in the median.   There will be cars between me and the radar gun.   If you're in the left lane, they have a totally clear shot at you.   Even if somebody is passing you on the right, they will assume it's the car in the left lane that is going the fastest.


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 5, 2011)

Geoff said:


> The speed traps are almost always in the median.   There will be cars between me and the radar gun.   If you're in the left lane, they have a totally clear shot at you.   Even if somebody is passing you on the right, they will assume it's the car in the left lane that is going the fastest.



They do, apparently, occasionaly give tickets on the Merrit here for passing on the right.


----------



## wa-loaf (Oct 5, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> They do, apparently, occasionaly give tickets on the Merrit here for passing on the right.



That was the law in Mass for a long time. I think they revoked it in the 90s at some point.


----------



## bvibert (Oct 5, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> They do, apparently, occasionaly give tickets on the Merrit here for passing on the right.





wa-loaf said:


> That was the law in Mass for a long time. I think they revoked it in the 90s at some point.



Yeah, the law in CT says you can't pass on the right unless it's 3 travel lanes or more on  a limited access highway.


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 5, 2011)

bvibert said:


> Yeah, the law in CT says you can't pass on the right unless it's 3 travel lanes or more on  a limited access highway.



Which really sucks for getting past school busses trying to load slow moving kids.


----------



## Geoff (Oct 5, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Which really sucks for getting past school busses trying to load slow moving kids.



That's why they install sidewalks for you to drive on.


----------



## legalskier (Oct 6, 2011)

People who drive while using a laptop and drinking coffee at the same time frankly scare me.  So do motorists who drive while eating a pear with a knife. I also get nervous around drivers who write down the answers to a quiz on the radio:

*Driver caught using laptop in crackdown in Hampshire*
Full story:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-15166546


----------



## roark (Oct 7, 2011)

Colorado drivers, waiting to turn left against oncoming traffic without a left turn signal... will NOT enter the intersection! They just sit there and wait for the light to turn red, then green, then red again... !!!!


----------



## Geoff (Oct 7, 2011)

legalskier said:


> I also get nervous around drivers who write down the answers to a quiz on the radio:



I'm baffled.   How you could possibly know they  are doing that?


----------



## Trekchick (Oct 11, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> :lol:
> 
> 
> my only major complaint are people who cruise in the left lane and don't let others pass.  I come across more Maine drivers going 65 in the left lane than any other state in New England.  I swear they teach it in driver's ed up there.



Its simple, right........
Driver Right
Pass left

In Michigan I didn't encounter the Left Lane Loitering so much but ..........
What's really sad is that I'm almost getting used to it out here in Tahoe.   It seems that I need to get used to it or go crazy.


Another pet peeve of mine is shopping carts in parking lots.  Seriously, how much time does it take to put your cart in a corral, or back at the store properly?
I'm betting it takes less time than taking a ding out of your door or touching up the paint.


----------



## SkiingInABlueDream (Oct 11, 2011)

Drivers who only ever look in their rearview mirrors when backing up.  :lol:


----------



## darent (Oct 11, 2011)

Trekchick said:


> Its simple, right........
> Driver Right
> Pass left
> 
> ...



I have to agree with you on the shopping cart thing, man that drives me nuts, and it is always my car that a wind driven cart finds, how can people be so lazy!!


----------



## MommaBear (Oct 11, 2011)

darent said:


> I have to agree with you on the shopping cart thing, man that drives me nuts, and it is always my car that a wind driven cart finds, how can people be so lazy!!



In a certain town in CT, they can be pretty lazy.  I was walking toward my car in the grocery store parking lot and saw a woman, who has just unloaded her groceries into her car parked next to mine, park her carriage directly behind my car (as in I would have to move it to get out of my spot).  I thought maybe she was putting it there temporarily for some reason and then watched in amazement as she got into her car, preparing to leave.  The freakin corral was on the other side of her car!!  When I asked her if she was seriously going to leave the cart where she had parked it - in light of the corral being 10 feet in the other direction, she flipped me the bird, and drove away.  Unbelievable!


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 12, 2011)

Drove for almost 2 miles at 15 over the limit through Stamford this morning (amazing in itself, really).
In the center lane.
Passing consistent traffic in the left lane.
That was moving about 5 under the limit.
Seriously people, WTF?


----------



## wa-loaf (Oct 12, 2011)

If you are driving home towards the west at the end of the day, wear sunglasses and use your visor. That way you don't have to slam on your brakes when the sun hits you.


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 12, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> If you are driving home towards the west at the end of the day, wear sunglasses and use your visor. That way you don't have to slam on your brakes when the sun hits you.



Or east in the morning.


----------



## wa-loaf (Oct 12, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Or east in the morning.



Given, but the evenings have had more offenders lately.


----------



## jaja111 (Oct 12, 2011)

Saw another one today: your driver holding their ankle biter dog on their lap while they drive. F - that.


----------



## Geoff (Oct 12, 2011)




----------



## ctenidae (Oct 14, 2011)

Today- people who pull into the left lane when they're going nowhere near, and have no hope of ever getting to, the speed of the left lane. It's awesome that you don't like the speed you were going, so you're going to make everyone travel at that speed.


----------



## SkiDork (Oct 14, 2011)

I had to laugh - the other day driving on the Southern State (Long Island), 3 cars driving 55 in  the left lane, no way to pass on the right (3 lanes) being all clogged up.  Eventually some movement to the right of them, and took the opportunity to pass them on the right.

All 3 were MASS plates.

ROTFL


----------



## wa-loaf (Oct 14, 2011)

Spotted this guy a couple months ago playing a recorder in his car:


----------



## hammer (Oct 14, 2011)

Saw a police cruiser this morning on rt. 3 driving in the rain without headlights on...I know it isn't the law in MA but if your wipers are on then your headlights should be as well.

Also had a person who was looking and drifting over into my lane on 128.  Must have thought that a turn signal was a sign of weakness...


----------



## speden (Oct 14, 2011)

hammer said:


> ...  Also had a person who was looking and drifting over into my lane on 128.  Must have thought that a turn signal was a sign of weakness...



I can understand why they do that.  I've seen quite a few drivers that react to seeing a turn signal by speeding up to prevent the person from changing lanes in front of them, or just ignoring it and blocking them out.  Civility is so last century...


----------



## hammer (Oct 14, 2011)

speden said:


> I can understand why they do that.  I've seen quite a few drivers that react to seeing a turn signal by speeding up to prevent the person from changing lanes in front of them, or just ignoring it and blocking them out.  Civility is so last century...


I know why but I don't agree, especially when they just start to wander over into me without checking first.  Almost like they are saying "see me move, get out of my way".

Just plain rude.

For the record, I signal and look.  If it's clear I will move over.  If it's clear and someone is challenging me (speeding up) then I move over sharply and just cut them off.

One thing I've learned after decades of driving in the Boston area is that the local drivers may be aggressive but for the most part they don't want to get into an accident, and if challenged they won't ram you...


----------



## Nick (Oct 14, 2011)

Geoff said:


> The speed traps are almost always in the median.   There will be cars between me and the radar gun.   If you're in the left lane, they have a totally clear shot at you.   Even if somebody is passing you on the right, they will assume it's the car in the left lane that is going the fastest.



The speed traps near me are fairly evenly spaced between median / side


----------



## snowmonster (Oct 14, 2011)

Never ever drive behind or near a Zipcar.


----------



## bigbog (Oct 14, 2011)

hammer said:


> I know why but I don't agree, especially when they  just start to wander over into me without checking first.  Almost like  they are saying "see me move, get out of my way".
> 
> Just plain rude.


HA...of course the _real_ reason is that one's hands will steer where your eyes are going!...so drivers shouldn't jump to conclusions other than those of driving the car...

Just go by the oldschool specs...don't signal and move over till you see  their front bumper clearly in rearview mirror. I often think that with heavy  traffic...lots of drivers end up pulling over short of where they  should've given the driver behind you = selling it as an offensive  move....more than as safe driving....y/n?  Of course it's what's in the mind of the driver behind that interprets it as an offensive move...


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 17, 2011)

My wife got a new car Friday, and yesterday I jumped all over her for fiddling with the radio instead of driving- 3rd person in line at a light, it went green, two cars in front were across the intersection and she was still going about 4 mph. I told her this is exactly the kind of driving behavior I yell at other people about, and if we had been in the car behind us she would have been grumping right along with me. 

She waited until we got where we were going to play with the radio.iPod thing some more.


----------



## bvibert (Oct 17, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> My wife got a new car Friday, and yesterday I jumped all over her for fiddling with the radio instead of driving- 3rd person in line at a light, it went green, two cars in front were across the intersection and she was still going about 4 mph. I told her this is exactly the kind of driving behavior I yell at other people about, and if we had been in the car behind us she would have been grumping right along with me.
> 
> She waited until we got where we were going to play with the radio.iPod thing some more.



So that was you!?!?!?! :smash:


----------



## legalskier (Oct 17, 2011)

Bikers that split lanes at high rates of speed.







Death wish.


----------



## Trekchick (Oct 18, 2011)

legalskier said:


> Bikers that split lanes at high rates of speed.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That leaves me scratching my head as well.
Had no interest in doing it when I rode bike and hate to see others doing it, to this day.


----------



## ALLSKIING (Oct 19, 2011)

legalskier said:


> Bikers that split lanes at high rates of speed.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That does not bug me...Nothing else to look at while sitting in traffic except for the hot women sitting in the car next to me :lol:


----------



## legalskier (Oct 19, 2011)

ALLSKIING said:


> That does not bug me...while sitting in traffic



Nor me.
But when I'm going 65 and they're whizzing by at 90,  a dozen or so in single file formation, well that just gives me the willies. For them, that is.


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 19, 2011)

ALLSKIING said:


> That does not bug me...Nothing else to look at while sitting in traffic except for the hot women sitting in the car next to me :lol:



Cutting through in slow or stoped traffic doesn't bother me. I've seen idiots at night doing wheelies and such on the highway, blocking up traqffic to clear road for their friends. That annoys me.


----------



## drjeff (Oct 19, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> Cutting through in slow or stoped traffic doesn't bother me. I've seen idiots at night doing wheelies and such on the highway, blocking up traqffic to clear road for their friends. That annoys me.



Which can (and all too often) turn into later blocking the road to clear their friends (or atleast parts of their friends) off the road


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 19, 2011)

drjeff said:


> Which can (and all too often) turn into later blocking the road to clear their friends (or atleast parts of their friends) off the road



Exactly- that's the annoying part.
Darwin will be paid.


----------



## ALLSKIING (Oct 19, 2011)

I think I just burnt out my horn on the way to pick up my daughter at dance.:lol:  Ya get some rain and people drive like its a foot of snow.


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 19, 2011)

ALLSKIING said:


> I think I just burnt out my horn on the way to pick up my daughter at dance.:lol:  Ya get some rain and people drive like its a foot of snow.



You get a foot of snow, and some people drive like they're an Andretti.


----------



## billski (Oct 27, 2011)

*another one*

Driving and living in Mass. always gives me astonishment.

Please 'splain me this:

Onn a multi-lane highway a motorists encounters someone going slower (but at or above posted speed) in the lane of travel, s/he tailgates the individual for miles and miles"?  This occurs even though lanes to both sides are clear.   I always called it the "lane owner syndrome"  Or maybe they are too afraid to change lanes? It is not a corner case.  It happens quite a bit.

 I don't get it.


----------



## drjeff (Oct 27, 2011)

billski said:


> Driving and living in Mass. always gives me astonishment.
> 
> Please 'splain me this:
> 
> ...



My personal rule of thumb is that as i'm driving, if the car behind me is closer to me than I am to the car infront of me, I get out of their way.  If after they pass me, they then decide that they really just wanted to draft off me and not pass me, then i'll tailgate the f%$^ out of them


----------



## billski (Oct 27, 2011)

drjeff said:


> My personal rule of thumb is that as i'm driving, if the car behind me is closer to me than I am to the car infront of me, I get out of their way.  If after they pass me, they then decide that they really just wanted to draft off me and not pass me, then i'll tailgate the f%$^ out of them



 I'm talking a 3-4 lane highway.  What if you are in the right lane as I see it happen?


----------



## drjeff (Oct 27, 2011)

billski said:


> I'm talking a 3-4 lane highway.  What if you are in the right lane as I see it happen?



What is this "right lane" thing you speak of??  You mean people actually DRIVE in it?? I thought that the right lane was used solely for passing people who REFUSE to get out of the way and as just something that you crossed over quickly when you enter or exit a highway  :lol:

I guess, in theory that if I had someone riding my rear bumper and I was actually driving in the right lane with a clear lane to my left, then if I was actually letting that clueless a$$hole get to me (most of the time I just ignore them by just looking ahead of me at the road), that I'd probably just keep backing my cruise control set speed (chances are if the road is open around me that i've got my cruise control on) by 1mph every 30 seconds or so just to mess with them a bit, until they either got off the highway or finally pulled out to pass me (at which point I'd probably tailgate the f%^& out of them   )


----------



## billski (Oct 27, 2011)

I'm not asking what you would do.  I'm asking *why people don't pass* when there is plenty of room around them.  Not just right lane one, but lane two or lane three.  Regardless of the slowpoke's speed.


----------



## drjeff (Oct 27, 2011)

billski said:


> I'm not asking what you would do.  I'm asking *why people don't pass* when there is plenty of room around them.  Not just right lane one, but lane two or lane three.  Regardless of the slowpoke's speed.



Sheer ignorance and/or stupidity would be the only answer I could think of!


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 27, 2011)

billski said:


> I'm not asking what you would do.  I'm asking *why people don't pass* when there is plenty of room around them.  Not just right lane one, but lane two or lane three.  Regardless of the slowpoke's speed.



Sheer bloody mindedness, I suppose- same reason people refuse to move to the right when they should, anyway.


----------



## speden (Oct 27, 2011)

billski said:


> I'm not asking what you would do.  I'm asking *why people don't pass* when there is plenty of room around them.  Not just right lane one, but lane two or lane three.  Regardless of the slowpoke's speed.



Because they are not actually in a hurry.  They are likely on subconscious cruise control.  They are traveling along and slow down when there is a car in front of them.  If no one is in front of them, they naturally drive faster until they catch up to someone who slows them back down.  I don't think they are trying to be annoying.  If one of these types gets behind me, I just move over and they will speed back up and pass me, then I can move back over where I started.


----------



## Geoff (Oct 27, 2011)

ctenidae said:


> You get a foot of snow, and some people drive like they're an Andretti.



Yep.   In particular, the 4WD/AWD car owners without snow tires.   You see them later upside-down in the median strip.   As a kid, I lived in Vermont and drove a crap RWD car with summer tires.   You quickly learn the traction limits of the vehicle and adjust your driving strategy appropriately.    I'm always amazed at the poor snow driving skills of the typical huge SUV owner from the flatlands.   They drive on slippery roads just like they're on dry pavement.


----------



## ctenidae (Oct 27, 2011)

Geoff said:


> They drive on slippery roads just like they're on dry pavement.



And they're not very good on dry roads, either.


----------



## billski (Jun 4, 2012)

Boston drivers that crash into buildings






Source: Boston Public Library.  Non profit use permitted.


----------



## ctenidae (Jun 5, 2012)

billski said:


> Boston drivers that crash into buildings
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I think that qualifies more as crashing _out_ of a building


----------



## bvibert (Jun 5, 2012)

ctenidae said:


> I think that qualifies more as crashing _out_ of a building



Agreed, and it doesn't really annoy me, I actually think it's pretty cool.  Though I wouldn't think so if it was my car, my building, or if debris fell on me.


----------



## skiNEwhere (Jun 7, 2012)

I got hit with a McDonald's bag which had half a coke in it while riding my bike 65mph on I-70, not cool! If it stayed in my lap I'd be half tempted to ride up to that driver and throw it back in their window.....


----------



## bvibert (Jun 28, 2013)

We need this in CT!

*Left-lane highway hogs could see fines double for failure to move over*


----------



## ctenidae (Jun 28, 2013)

bvibert said:


> We need this in CT!
> 
> *Left-lane highway hogs could see fines double for failure to move over*



That's excellent! Hogging the left lane is actually a violation of the federal highway code, too- at least, the model code they expect states to adopt. 

Walking up Greenwich Avenue the other day (I'll pause while you go ahead and establish every stereotype necessary to set the scene of Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, CT), and a woman in a very pretty Mercedes convertible was stopped in the middle of the road, in teh middle of the block, talking on her cell phone. The guy in the first car behind her, after honking at her and yelling out the window, got out, walked up to her, took the phone out of her hands, hung it up, and dropped it in the passenger seat. The woman started to get all wound up, but the guy, who is my new hero, whoever he may be, said "You're blocking the entire road, you're not paying attention at all, and more over, you're breaking the law. If you would like to discuss it with the cop at the next intersection, let's go."

He walked back to his car to applause from everyone on the street. The look of sheer confusion on the woman's face was pretty good, but it seemed pretty clear she had no idea whatsoever why what she was doing was so annoying and wrong. Sad, and kind of funny, all at once.


----------



## bvibert (Jun 28, 2013)

ctenidae said:


> That's excellent! Hogging the left lane is actually a violation of the federal highway code, too- at least, the model code they expect states to adopt.
> 
> Walking up Greenwich Avenue the other day (I'll pause while you go ahead and establish every stereotype necessary to set the scene of Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, CT), and a woman in a very pretty Mercedes convertible was stopped in the middle of the road, in teh middle of the block, talking on her cell phone. The guy in the first car behind her, after honking at her and yelling out the window, got out, walked up to her, took the phone out of her hands, hung it up, and dropped it in the passenger seat. The woman started to get all wound up, but the guy, who is my new hero, whoever he may be, said "You're blocking the entire road, you're not paying attention at all, and more over, you're breaking the law. If you would like to discuss it with the cop at the next intersection, let's go."
> 
> He walked back to his car to applause from everyone on the street. The look of sheer confusion on the woman's face was pretty good, but it seemed pretty clear she had no idea whatsoever why what she was doing was so annoying and wrong. Sad, and kind of funny, all at once.



That's awesome, but pretty disturbing that it had to come to someone getting out of their car to take the phone out of her hands.  I wonder if she learned anything from the encounter?


----------



## ctenidae (Jun 28, 2013)

bvibert said:


> That's awesome, but pretty disturbing that it had to come to someone getting out of their car to take the phone out of her hands.  I wonder if she learned anything from the encounter?



I'm going to go ahead and guess "no," but I'm sure it reinforced her belief that the common people are a nuisance, and really need to be reminded of their place.


----------



## Geoff (Jun 28, 2013)

"Left Lane Bandit" should be a $1000 fine and a public spanking.   It's amazing how often it happens now with turds on cell phones doing speed limit - 10 in the left lane.


----------



## bvibert (Jun 28, 2013)

ctenidae said:


> I'm going to go ahead and guess "no," but I'm sure it reinforced her belief that the common people are a nuisance, and really need to be reminded of their place.



That's what I was afraid of.


----------



## ScottySkis (Jun 28, 2013)

Slowing down on highway to look at an accident an usually cause one to.


----------

