Re: Traffic Pet Peeves

SunValley · ‎04-19-2010

Yes, we all have made the mistake of not seeing a car in our blind spot or being inattentive. When people give that "oops, I'm sorry" wave, I accept it and hope someone else will do the same for me. The most dangerous thing one can do while driving is letting their emotions take over their common sense. I would rather stay safe than be right. Aggressive drivers are often the first one in an incident to let road rage overtake them. In fact, almost all states classify aggressive driving as a component of road rage. I don't like aggressive drivers, especially the tailgaters and lane hoppers, but just let them by and out of my way. It's not my job to teach them a lesson and could lead to something much worse.

I wish every state had laws against texting and driving.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

Yeah, pretty much ALL of these!

I used to find myself building up into a rage, due to my PTSD, and it would become insufferable. When I was in therapy, my psychologist spent some time with me on this.

She taught me that it was ok to get angry. I was entitled to be angry when some moron almost killed me by doing something stupid in the course of operating a 2,000 lb vehicle with no sense that there are other people out there. So, get angry. Realize that it's that person and not me. Take a deep breath. Then, move on from it.

I found that that way I wasn't carrying each idiotic driver's deeds to the next, and then the next, and the next, until I was in a full rage. I would go ahead and be mad at the bonehead, then breathe and move on.

This may or may not help somebody else. But it sure did help me a LOT!

Unfortunately, we cannot fix these stupids so we end up just having to keep ourselves from going off the deep end with it. BTDT and all it did was to hurt me.

nun ya · ‎03-09-2010

People who won't move into the other lane , when they can, when I am merging.

When I see a ramp I know cars will be merging. , If I can't move over, I either slow down or speed up to make sure someone can merge.

What's worse is when they completely stop,

I have many lol

SunValley · ‎04-19-2010

@chickenbutt very good post. Yes, we tend to carry our pent up emotions on to the next incident (life in general, not just driving!). Taking a few deep breaths and calming down seems so sensible but one has to be disciplined to do so. We all have a lethal weapon in our hands when we are behind the wheel. Motorcyclists and bicyclists can make motorists mad too but these riders are pretty much defenseless against a 2000-lb vehicle.

I am not a perfect driver but I pledge to stay off your tail, check my blind spot, and not text or check messages. And take deep breaths!

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

SunValley wrote:
@chickenbutt very good post. Yes, we tend to carry our pent up emotions on to the next incident (life in general, not just driving!). Taking a few deep breaths and calming down seems so sensible but one has to be disciplined to do so. We all have a lethal weapon in our hands when we are behind the wheel. Motorcyclists and bicyclists can make motorists mad too but these riders are pretty much defenseless against a 2000-lb vehicle.

I am not a perfect driver but I pledge to stay off your tail, check my blind spot, and not text or check messages. And take deep breaths!

Thanks! You know, I am pretty good at making rules for myself and following them if they are meaningful and logical.

For this situation, that does heavily apply to driving but also many other things, I found that I simply HAD to stop and let each thing go, or I'd be one of those people who ended up in a public place killing everybody.

Of course, I'm not making light of anything. I wouldn't. But I would end up in such a rage that it was seriously damaging and I couldn't go on like that. Do things something get away from me a bit? Sure! But not nearly as bad and I can pull it back and get myself in check before I go off the rails completely. hehe Good thing I was always one to hurt myself and not others!

stargazergal · ‎02-18-2016

You hit it on the head in your second paragraph..... everyone waiting in the left

lane and people racing past in the right lane to merge infront of everyone. How

RUDE !!!

Another one that gets me is when people do not wait for people to completely

leave the crosswalk ! It does not matter that they are across one half of the

crosswalk, it is against the law to go through the crosswalk with people in it.

I see it happening all of the time.

Not using turn signal, and then slowly turning into the road they are turning

into, with 55 mph traffic behind them.

RV's that have a long line of traffic behind them and do not pull over when

there are plenty of places to do so. Especially when they are traveling well

under the speed zone. That goes for car travelers as well.

I absolutely move over for people on my tail though I am traveling speed limit

or a little over....... I do not want to see them in my rearview, I pull over for them

to pass...... much better for me !

@beach-mom wrote:
Here are two of mine:

I pulled up beside someone in the left turn lane; I was the second car. The woman was paying attention to something else in the car. When the left turn arrow came on she sat there. I was getting ready to give her a little honk,then she realized she had the arrow. SHE got through but it turned off for me! I had to wait until it cycled through again.

Going south on an expressway, the right hand lane is closed for construction and traffic has to merge into the center and left lanes. MOST of us try to do this soon after we notice the sign. Then I sit in stop and go traffic without moving much. The reason I'm not moving is because people 1/2 mile back race up the right hand lane, then at the last minute have to merge. This holds the rest of us, who have patiently waited, up!

And don't get me started on people who leave their grocery carts in their former space in a crowded parking lot!

What are yours?

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@nun ya wrote:
People who won't move into the other lane , when they can, when I am merging.
When I see a ramp I know cars will be merging. , If I can't move over, I either slow down or speed up to make sure someone can merge.

What's worse is when they completely stop,

I have many lol

@nun ya,

It is the responsibility if you will, of the driver merging onto the freeway to adjust their speed when entering the flowing traffic. I do no go over the speed limit to make it easier for someone to merge. If they are not able to judge the speed of moving traffic, or not know the acceleration abilities of their vehicle?

The problem for moving over in heavy morning traffic when I was driving to work on the interstate. Interstates running close to commercial and residential areas, have entrance ramps every half mile or less. So I am stuck in the passing lane when I need to be in the Exit Ramp lane. All because I moved over to let someone that doesn't understand how to merge?

Nope, I don't expect any driver to speed up or slow down for me to merge? In fact, when they do, i am able to gauge their speed and know how much acceleration our vehicles possess. When they slow down or speed up, it makes it harder for me to merge? Why? Because I based my merging on the speed "they were traveling" before trying to let me merge.

Hey, glad you mention this one, thank you.

hckynut(john)

Hayfield · ‎03-10-2010

1. People who drive very slowly in the passing lane, just move over.

2. People who don't use their turn signal.

3. People who do not know the rules of the road, like when to stop for a school bus.

4. People who on are on bikes on the road and don't know the rules of the road.

5. People who drive really fast through parking lots.

nun ya · ‎03-09-2010

@hckynut wrote:
@nun ya wrote:
People who won't move into the other lane , when they can, when I am merging.
When I see a ramp I know cars will be merging. , If I can't move over, I either slow down or speed up to make sure someone can merge.

What's worse is when they completely stop,

I have many lol

@nun ya,

It is the responsibility if you will, of the driver merging onto the freeway to adjust their speed when entering the flowing traffic. I do no go over the speed limit to make it easier for someone to merge. If they are not able to judge the speed of moving traffic, or not know the acceleration abilities of their vehicle?

The problem for moving over in heavy morning traffic when I was driving to work on the interstate. Interstates running close to commercial and residential areas, have entrance ramps every half mile or less. So I am stuck in the passing lane when I need to be in the Exit Ramp lane. All because I moved over to let someone that doesn't understand how to merge?

Nope, I don't expect any driver to speed up or slow down for me to merge? In fact, when they do, i am able to gauge their speed and know how much acceleration our vehicles possess. When they slow down or speed up, it makes it harder for me to merge? Why? Because I based my merging on the speed "they were traveling" before trying to let me merge.

Hey, glad you mention this one, thank you.

hckynut(john)

A lot of people here in Pittsburgh, do not move over...or know how to merge. Our ramps are short and built before the large sprawling communities were added. Add the mountains and you either adjust or be in a pileup.

Patriot3 · ‎06-07-2010

@itsmagic wrote:
Mine is when there are two turn lanes and the car next to me turns into my lane (rather than staying in their own lane) and cuts me off.

This is a biggy for me!!!