Idiot drivers

Smaointe · Post by **Smaointe** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 7:09 am

I am so SICK of people who do not know/understand basic road rules. I honestly think I would have been killed ten times over by now, if I didn't have really good reflexes.

I was driving home this afternoon. Two lanes of traffic have to merge into one to pass over a particular bridge. I was in the left lane, which comes to an end when it is forced to merge. There was a falcon sedan to my right, but behind me. Her bullbar would have been in line with my rear bumper. As I began to be "forced" into her lane, I checked she was going to let me in, indicated, went to move.. and suddenly she put her foot down and shot past me.

I had to slam on my brakes, (and on the horn, of course) because at this point I had nowhere to go - either into her lane (and into her) or down an embankment. This makes my blood boil. Aside from BASIC road rules, where was her bloody common sense?

A. You are behind me. Had you been in front, you have right of way. When merging, right of way is given to the person in front. That would be ME.

B. Just because you are to my right, doesn't mean that you have right of way. See item A above.

C. MAKE UP YOUR MIND. You were perfectly happy travelling behind me for the last 5 minutes, why do you suddenly NEED to be in front?

I have this theory that people's egos can't handle being forced to travel behind a young woman in a hatchback car.

ARGH why are people so DUMB??

Doc Giggles · Post by **Doc Giggles** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 7:24 am

There are people like that everywhere. I think that they are the same people that will race a train to a crossing, and then sue the rail company when the train destroys their car. Sometimes I get the feeling that it might be a genetic problem.

Accer · Post by **Accer** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 7:26 am

Darn straight. I was going to make this same rant a few days ago but forgot by the time I got home. I hate it when people act like the road is a racetrack.

Just the other day I had a car speed to get ahead of 3 or 4 cars as two lanes merged. We were coming out of a stop light and a turn and there isn't that much merge space, so everyone else had to slam their brakes to avoid an accident. That same day there was this SUV that kept quickly switching lanes every 2 seconds, as he tried to figure out which one was going minutely faster than the other. He was doing this without signalling and in the middle of very crowded traffic and I think he cut off about a dozen people in a matter of a minute... and didn't end up moving any farther forward than if he had just stayed put. But he was an out of state driver, so maybe the roads confuddled him.

Post by **Blaze** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 12:50 pm

Actually, Emma, the rule here is that since you are the merging party, it's YOUR responsibility to find a way in, not theirs to let you in. (At least here. I dunno about there. Here, if you have to stop dead because you can't merge, well then that's what you have to do.)

HOWEVER, since they had already let you in, now she's doing wrong. Generally speaking, when somebody is comming up to a merge point, I'll let them in. But when there's a merge point, and somebody uses the lane that's closing out to try to race up and get ahead of all the traffic which only ever serves to almost cause accidents, I TRY to stay even with that person, so they will have to stop.

In this case, you were right, but don't always be so sure about that. As the merger, it's YOUR responsibility to get in. NOBODY's to LET you in.

Fixer · Post by **Fixer** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 2:03 pm

This is the reason I do not let myself keep a gun in my car. On numerous ocassions when people have violated road law and threatened my life with their poor driving, if I had had a gun at that moment I know I would have shot their tires out.

Yes, I have anger issues. I recognize this and plan accordingly.

Smaointe · Post by **Smaointe** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 2:41 pm

In this case, you were right, but don't always be so sure about that. As the merger, it's YOUR responsibility to get in. NOBODY's to LET you in.

Actually Blaze, it is not a case of the merger having to give way or the other car having to give way. The rule is, if you are in front, you have right of way.

If any part of my car was in front of hers, I have right of way. If any part of hers was in front, she would have right of way. It doesn't matter who is merging, or which side (left or right) you are on, it comes back to who is ahead.

She was obliged to stay where she was to let me in. If she was mostly in line with my car, I would have understood.. but she came from nearly completely behind my car.. *growl*

I'm getting faster on the horn these days.

Dreamer · Post by **Dreamer** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 3:00 pm

Remember, Blaze, Emma is from the backward country of Australia (which we all know is entirely peopled with criminals). Their rules are, understandably, a little less thought out than our fancy American rules.

But I was going to agree with you, Blaze. No offense Emma. Maybe it's just different laws and that's why we think that way.

But still, it aggrivates me when people do that. The other driver was probably doing it on purpose. Just so she could cut you off and laugh to her friends about it. I know. I used to do it all the time when i was a stupid kid.

Post by **Blaze** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 3:08 pm

I do agree, yes, cutting somebody off is bad. Wrong. If you make it seem you're going to let them in, LET THEM IN. But yeah, here, you don't have to let them in. Politeness dictates you probobly should, but as I said, I don't if it's apparent they were using the other lane just to speed ahead or what have you.

Dreamer · Post by **Dreamer** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 3:14 pm

OMFG Blaze you just hit it right there. That P!$$3$ me right off when people do that to me!!!! OMFGWTF n00b!!!! UGH I JUST WANT TO SPIT RIGHT NOW I AM SO MAD JUST THINKING ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!

And with all the construction in Michigan right now, it's all that happens. Stoopid n00bs drive blankly in the lane that's ending like they know some effing secret and everyone else is a frickin' IDIOT for driving in the proper lane and then they go and almost cause an accident by cutting someone off or finding some stupid SAP who lets them in which just slows down traffic even MORE!!!!

Yeah, they're like, "Oh, this lane ends, I am like, so surprised I TOTALLY didn't realize." And I'm like "STFU n00b!" And I don't let them in.

ARGH!!!!!!!!

Okay... Breath Neil... Whew... I need a cigarette... I'll be right back...

EDIT: Whew, okay. I found this while searching the web. I can't rememebr where I found it, but Emma is right. (Like that's any big surprise, she is from Australia after all, I suppose it's good to know the road rules)
Here's the quote

Merging

Merging is a safe and easy manoeuvre if you follow a few simple procedures and show courtesy at all times.

When two lanes of the same road merge into one as with certain parts of the freeway system, it is necessary to adopt a "zipper effect". In other words, drivers take turns when coming together, with the vehicle that reaches the merging point first being given right-of-way. You must signal with your indictor when you are merging.

But keep in mind, that's not the general rule here. But Emma, did you remember to signal with you 'indictor'?

Post by **Blaze** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 3:43 pm

General rule my ass.

The rules also say if you come to a light, and on the other side of the light there are train tracks, when there's a train going by, the light will be red, and you're supposed to treat that red light just like a normal red light. In other words, if you're turning right, fine, but otherwise, don't go.

Right, like I'm going to sit there 20 minutes with no traffic comming the other way to make my left turn just because there's a freaking train on a road I'm not even going to take? Sure......

General rules can suck my big freaking toe.

Post by **Martin Blank** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 6:26 pm

Biggest issue for me: People getting on the freeway when the traffic is fairly low and getting to the end of the ramp going only about 40mph (about 65kph).

People, in this area, if traffic allows, even the slow vehicles (including the thirty-ton pound GVW tractor-trailers) are mostly doing about 65mph (about 105kph). Your little 105hp car getting on the freeway at little more than half of that speed endangers not only you, but the six cars behind you that also are limited to your speed. You've had between a quarter and a half of a mile to make the acceleration, and since you got on the ramp at 40mph, there's no reason that you shouldn't be doing at least 60 by the time you're at the end of the ramp.

Post by **Blaze** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 6:32 pm

Your little 105hp car

Hehehe.... leave it to Martin....

And I can associate. For my driver's ed class, the first time EVER on the expressway, the car in front of me STALLED going down the on ramp, but did NOT get off to the side. This lead to me having to merge on to a 70MPH Expressway at 29 (or so says my instructor) Miles an hour. First time ever on the expressway. GAH!

The Forum Hillbilly · Post by **The Forum Hillbilly** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 6:44 pm

I like to drive slow, in the extra fast lane, just to see the drive behind me, going insane!

*giggles*

Fixer · Post by **Fixer** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 6:45 pm

Ah yes... the asshole song.

Post by **Martin Blank** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 7:10 pm

[quote="Blaze";p="156396"]Hehehe.... leave it to Martin....[/quote]
My first car was about 90hp, but it also weighs a mere 1400 pounds or so. My second car is a Saturn with 124hp, and it weighs about 2300 pounds, IIRC. I *know* the damned Kias can get up to speed fast enough, because they can accelerate faster than a Hummer, and those take 18 seconds to get to 60mph.

I like to drive slow, in the extra fast lane, just to see the drive behind me, going insane!

You do realize that this is illegal and discourteous, right?

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