Idiot drivers

Post by **Blaze** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 7:15 pm

You do realize she was quoting Denis Leary, right?

I like parking in Handicapped spaces, while handicapped people make handicapped faces.

I'm an asshole... asshole... asshole!
Oh, I'm an asshole... asshole... asshole!

Post by **Martin Blank** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 11:29 pm

I hate that part of the song, because I sit behind BMW's, Mercedes-Benzes, and Jaguars doing 55mph in the left lane in 65mph zones -- just to make sure people see them.

Smaointe · Post by **Smaointe** » Sat Sep 13, 2003 1:17 am

Of course I indicated. I can't !@#%@ stand people who don't indicate. That's one of my biggest pet hates... people who slowly drift over into another lane, then their indicator flashes twice as they cross the line.

Let's think about it for a second.. your "indicator" is to "indicate" what you are about to do. If you are already in the other lane, I'm pretty sure I know what you just did.

Same goes for stupid gits who move over into a turning lane, and THEN signal. HELLO..... of COURSE you're turning now.. why didn't you indicate before you moved??? ARGH!!

OR the time I nearly had an accident because the toss in front of me slammed on the brakes as we came up to a green light.. I couldn't work out what on earth he was doing.. we slowed right down to about 20km/h, then he put his indicator on and turned. INDICATE AND THEN BRAKE, YOU IDIOT!

THEN, there are the drivers who don't understand right of way on a particular road that I drive on to get to work. This particular street has right of way, and all the side streets have give way signs and road markings to indicate that they must give way. I can't count the number of times that I have been stuck behind an idiot who thinks that they have to stop at every intersection...

AND.. the silly girl in the Barina who had right of way but wanted to turn across my path (doesn't matter, she still had right of way). She sat there and waved me on, impatiently. I waved her on, because she had right of way. She waved again, I didn't move. Finally she ROLLED HER EYES at me, and drove on. IT MAKES ME SO MAD! That is such a BASIC road rule!

*goes nuts*

No wonder there's so much road rage about.

Smaointe · Post by **Smaointe** » Sat Sep 13, 2003 1:57 am

A while ago, on one of our current affairs programs, there was a woman talking about all the different ways to save money around the home - buying generic products, using electricity more efficiently, etc.

One of her tips:

"People who go racing around aggressively in their cars waste a lot of fuel. You can save hundreds of dollars in fuel every year if you just drive 10 kilometres under the speed limit."

I WANTED TO STAB HER IN THE FACE.

dolphincheddar · Post by **dolphincheddar** » Sat Sep 13, 2003 2:02 am

Stabbing people never solves anything.

They're less likely to live if you shoot 'em a couple times.

Doc Giggles · Post by **Doc Giggles** » Sat Sep 13, 2003 7:06 am

Stabbing people may not solve anything, but it sure is fun.

Miroku · Post by **Miroku** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 3:04 pm

Ah.. one of my favorite pet peeves... idiot drivers. Where, oh where, to begin.

To build on the idea that started the thread, I think there are a LOT of people that just have this mentality that it's a sin to have someone in front of them. I've had people come up behind me, blaze around, cut back in front, only to come to a stop at a light or sign. Then there's everyone's favorite where someone blows around you to one side, only to cross in front of you and get onto a ramp on the opposite side. It's like gunning the car and cutting someone off is a much better alternative to tapping your breaks, easing behind them, and over to the lane you want to be in.

And lanes.. that's another one. I hate people who get into one lane because there's 1 or 2 fewer cars in that lane at a light, but then have to cross 3 lanes of traffic to get where they wanted to go. It's my theory that this is a result of people just not having the basic planning skills to think 30 seconds down the road. It's like they're incapable of thinking "The store is up here on the right.. so I need to be in the right lane." It's more like "Ooh... if I get in the left lane, I only have to be behind 3 cars instead of 4... la la la la... I'm a good driver... la la la... I saved myself having to wait behind one whole car... la la la... CRAP! THERE'S THE STORE.. TURN!!!!!!!!!"

I also have the theory that a lot of accidents are the result of people being unable to change their plans in midstream. Say someone gets in a lane to turn right, then realizes they needed to go left. They'll shimmy their way across traffic from the right lane to turn left by doing something like crossing in front of traffic the moment the light changes. It's like they're not capable of going ahead and turning right, then finding some place like a gas station to turn around.

As for merging.. I think most people are incapable of merging because it requires a degree of decisiveness that most people don't have. When merging into traffic from a ramp or something, the trick, IMO, is to look at the traffic you're getting into to look for an opening. Then you have to judge the speed of the traffic and decide if you need to slow down a little to be right where that opening is when you get off the ramp, or speed up. Sort of like "Okay, they're going a little fast.. if I gun the engine a tad, I can slip right in." or, conversely "I'm going a little faster than them... if I just ease off, I can slip into this opening coming up." But, I don't think many people are capable of A) having that kind of forethought and B) deciding quickly which course of action is appropriate.

I once had a case in Jackson, Mississippi where I was driving along and spotted a person coming down an off-ramp. I try to let folks in when I see them. I figure it's good "carma" (misspelling intended

) that'll pay off when I need someone to be nice enough to let me in. So, I eased off so she could get into traffic. She slowed down. I slowed down a little more... she slowed even more. I honked my horn to get her attention and waved her forward to let her know I was letting her in. She sloweed down even more. Finally, I couldn't slow any more and had to continue... she rolled to a stop on the ramp and started cussing at me.

Don't get pissy with me because you can't drive, lady.

Killer-Rabbit · Post by **Killer-Rabbit** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 7:15 pm

The types of drivers I hate the most.

Ones that cant keep a constant speed. I remember once driving from Traverse City, MI to Ann Arbor, MI. The speed limit on the highway was 70 mph. The highway was virtually empty except for a few random cars. I come up to some sporty like car going less than 60 and thus I flew by them. Shortly after they had decided to speed up and flew by me (I was about 5 above the speed limit, they had to be going atleast 10 above me) and almost right after they changed back into my lane they began to slow down again to below 60. So I passed them again, they did the same thing and it lasted for literally an hour. These are the kind of people you just want to run off the road into the supports of an over pass.

Those that drive at too constant of a speed. I'm talking about the people (on the highway) who turn on cruise control and refuse to turn it off. Thus you get people who take half an hour pass you. The people just turn on cruise control and sit there. If your speed is ever so slightly below theirs, instead of resetting it to a slightly slower speed, they just creep by you (sitting in you blind spot for five minutes while they're at it. It really becomes a problem when they are driving slow and trying to pass someone going ever so slightly slower than them so they completely block any attemps to pass either one of them if there are only two lanes.

People that always drive in the left lane on a highway. Yes, this makes sense if there is heavy traffic and you are constantly moving faster than the right lane or if you are passing through a city that has a lot of entering and exiting traffic (thus making it easier for people to merge). However those people who just sit and cruise in the left lane (the slow ones are the main problem) even when the right lane is open or going the same speed as them. Just because you are going 71 in a 70mph zone doesnt mean you are a speed demon that needs to be in the left lane. Also, it makes it so much easier to pass if you drive in the right lane and only go into the left lane while passing (assuming there isnt much traffic).

Those are the big three besides people who just do stupid things when driving. All of em are on the highway because that where a large part of my driving takes place (dont drive a whole lot apart from traveling).

Miroku · Post by **Miroku** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:19 pm

An interesting study was done comparing the time it takes to go from point A to point B for regular drivers and really aggressive, road-rage type drivers. One would think that the really agressive folks who zip along, run lights, etc. would get there a lot earlier than the nonagressive drivers taking the same route.

The average difference in arrival times was 30 seconds.

Another one of my traffic peeves is that people don't know how to act at a 4-way stop. First person to get there has the right of way (unless there's a government vehicle, if I remember), and then the person to their right is second to go, and so on to the right. Of course, at a busy intersection, the flow of traffic is usually both sides parallel to each other go, and then the other set.. like east-west, north-south, east-west, north-south, etc. But you get folks that figured "I slowed the car down.. MY TURN!" and zip through right after the car in front of them has gone.

Or what makes matters worse is if turn lanes are involved. You get someone going through an intersection with a car next to them preparing to turn. The car going straight goes, and 5 seconds after it begins goes through and the other cars are preparing to go, the person turning decides it's their turn. Now, I don't quite remember how it acutally works, but I figure if the cars on your side have gone and you haven't, you've lost your turn. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. Sit your ass down and wait until everyone else goes through the intersection, because you just missed your chance, pal.

Post by **Martin Blank** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 5:30 pm

Emergency vehicles are the ones that get automatic right-of-way.

For turning, it's based on flow of traffic. Imagine that there is a constant stream of traffic on a road with a green light. Would the actions of a given driver impede that flow? In the case of someone turning left, yes. Therefore, the person turning left yields. With a person turning right, the situation may be different. If he has a green light, then the person turning left should yield, but if he has a red light and the person turning left has a green light, then the person turning right must yield.

Miroku · Post by **Miroku** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 5:34 pm

I think you're supposed to defer to government vehicles, like postal carriers, at 4-way stop signs as well. I think that's one of those technical things that is still in the books, but doesn't get practiced anymore.. like ducks wearing pants in Springfield.

Skorpion · Post by **Skorpion** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 5:52 pm

I give up on 4-way junctions, and just go around the edge, or cut accross when there's room.

Not being able to be identified legally makes things easier. I love cycling.

Killer-Rabbit · Post by **Killer-Rabbit** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 7:13 pm

I was almost hit by an idiot at a 4 way stop. I was heading west with trafic also going north and south. A north and south car went (the car going north made a right turn. So I started going and look to my left and some idiot had followed the car that turned right out of the stop, but they were going straight. Now, I'm not one to sit there and freeze when I see a problem so I speed up the car to get out of the way. Well this guy decides hes not going to bother with slowing down so he tries to swerve around the front of me (already completely into the intersection and still going). So I end up being the one that has to slam the breaks and they continue on as if nothing happened, probably to go off and complain about how someone cut them off.

Miroku · Post by **Miroku** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 7:36 pm

That brings me to another traffic peeve.. cyclists who don't realize they're suppose to follow the traffic rules. There's a lot of bicycle traffic on the route I take home.. and none of these guys seem to realize that the little red octagon and blinking red light apply to them as well.

Smaointe · Post by **Smaointe** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 8:34 am

Some buses here have right of way in that they can pull out of a bus stop and force other traffic to give way to them. I've never had to worry about that before, since I live in a small city, and we don't have all that many buses.

However, when I moved to Brisbane, I got a rude shock when a bus pulled out in front of me without warning.. I got angry, but then I realised he was allowed to do that. It makes sense, so the buses run on time (getting stuck in peak traffic would cause some timetable troubles), but I wonder how many accidents have been caused by buses pulling out unexpectedly? Scary stuff.

Living in Brisbane for 8 months improved my driving confidence 500%. I had to deal with so many idiots down there that I can handle anything here in Rocky.

Go-karting also helps

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