"Driving 101" or "People Can't drive" (1 Viewer)

[CRyan]

How to drive.

Ok. I have put off this post for months, but I am finally disturbed enough to type all this out.

The blinker:

It is to be used before making a turn onto a side street, changing lanes, or making any other change of direction. Why do people feel as though this piece of modern technology is beneath them? Are they really too lazy to flip the little blinker arm?

Again today I was almost in an accident going 65 on a three lane highway. Picture me in the far right lane and some idiot in the far left. The middle lane was free so I put on my blinker and start to change lanes. This moron in the far left lane decides to make the same move, without blinker, into the middle lane. Not only was he not paying attention to my blinker but he gave me no indication that he wanted in the lane as well. I have seen this cause several accidents in the past few months. Luckily I have been able to dodge them.

Sitting at a stop sign waiting on oncoming traffic? Use your blinker. Maybe you will be lucky and one of the hundreds of people coming down the street will also use there blinker to let you know that you can go.

Driving behind someone at a steady pace? They suddenly break and turn before you have a chance to slow down. Hey everybody. One of the major uses of the blinker is to let the person behind you know that you are about to apply your breaks.

Final Point - Use your damn blinker.



The Merge:

This has got to be the most baffling for many drivers. When merging onto an interstate, it is your job to match the speed of traffic and find a hole (Driving 101). Getting pissed at a driver because they did not “let” you in has got to be the dumbest thing. You must push yourself in without cutting someone off. Do not expect for someone to move for you to be allowed on. I am constantly seeing mergers get upset because someone did not change lanes to let them in.

On the flip side of this, please do not “accommodate” merging vehicles. You should retain a similar speed while cars merge. Again, it is the merging drivers job to match your speed and find a hole. If you continue to change speeds to accommodate the merger, you are SCREWING EVERYTHING UP! Everyday, I see cars constantly changing speeds to make it “easier” for the merger. When you change speeds, the person merging cannot judge what they need to do. It causes a standoff in the middle of 50 mph traffic. Maintain speed. The only acceptable way to accommodate a merging car is to change lanes. When possible this is always a nice thing to do.


Driving tidbits:

Stop signs across a highway that does NOT stop. Who came first still applies folks. You come up to a stop sign at a major road that does not stop (two-way stop). Hey there is another stop sign across that road with another person staring at you. It comes a chance when both can go - whoever was first gets to go! Simple.

Stoplights one after another. Ok, so now you are in a traffic jam and the light turns green. But wait, if you go, you will block the entire intersection because there is too much traffic and it is not moving. Do NOT go! Wait till there is at least one car length past the intersection. You’re the cause of the traffic jam!

Ok I feel better now. Anyone want to add to these?



"Edited in signaling paragraph to denote proper usage." - Thanks Brad

 

[ShawnWingate]

here in maryland they love to drive at dusk withPARKING LIGHTS on. I guess they think it save the life of their headlights

 

[Jay H]

I hate the folks who, about to make a right turn, brake to almost a dead stop, then at the last second, turn the right signal on... When I'm making a right turn that I know about, I signal before I start braking, so at least the person behind me has an idea that the reason I am slowing is that I am turning.. not simply a statement of the obvious...

Jay

 

[Brad Porter]

Slight correction as noted above. The blinker is useless if you use it to indicate that you currently are turning. Everybody can see that. Unfortunately, this is the most common usage that I see.

My major turning complaint is drivers that only use the last third of a right or left turn lane. If I'm behind them in the through lane I have to slow down since they are blocking both my lane and the turn lane simultaneously as they slow down for their turn. Had they only entered the turn lane when it began, they could have used it's entire length for their slowdown. Generally I suspect that they are doing this to increase the arc of their turn so they can maintain the highest rate of speed through the turn. I've probably shouted "GET OUT OF MY FUCKING LANE!" about two hundred times in the past year because of this behavior.

Brad

 

[NickSo]

I've been noticing locally there have been MANY more people who DO NOT USE THEIR TURN SIGNALS!

Where before say even a year ago, i'd only occasionally see people who do not use their turn signal. But the last few months, EVERY OUTING i go out i see AT LEAST one person who do not use their turn signal to signal a turn or lane change! Was there a meeting i was not told about for energy conservation and saving the electricity of turn signal lights?

Recently a month ago, i went driving, worst driving experience ever. FOUR instances of stupid drivers...

Here's the rant I made on my Blog site that day (Spoilerized for excessive explicit language, as i was VERY pissed after that):
HOLY SHIT, DRIVERS IN RICHMOND ARE FUCKING RETARDED ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY. I JUST DROVE MY BRO BACK HOME FROM SCHOOL, AND I SAW FOUR REALLY STUPID DRIVERS, HONKED AT TWO, FINGERED ONE OF THEM.

First, I was driving straight down the road, this chinese woman decides to make the left turn right at that instant. I honked at her.

Second, I'm turning right at the road in front of Kwantlen, and Alderbridge, but there are cars going by on Alderbridge. This fuckin woman starts honkin at me, ARE YOU FUCKING BLIND?! CAN YOU NOT SEE THERE ARE CARS GOIN BY THERE?! FUCKIN HELL!!! I turn right, and I finger her. So now I couldnt make the left turn at Garden City, so I go straight, preparing to give the woman the evil eye, she speeds away down Alderbridge. Blind bitch. No, I wasn't too passive in turning right, there were really no spaces to turn.

So I drive down alderbridge, and as I reach the Garden City intersection, a fuckin Civic decides again to do a left turn, with me AND THE BITCH crossing, FUCKING IDIOT, WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?! WE'RE COMING, WE HAVE THE FUCKING RIGHT OF WAY, EVEN IF THE CAR BESIDE ME IS A BLIND FUCK! I honk at him.

Third, as I sit at the left turn lane on Alderbridge and No.4, there are two cars ahead of me. The second car tries to get on the SIDE of the first car, when it turns into a FUCKING ONE-LANE ROAD, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE POINT OF THAT?! FUCKIN RETARD, WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR!?

 

[ShawnWingate]

little bit of rage there huh? I always thought you had to be licensed to drive. most people on the road are FSCKing idiots. especially californians I have not seen one on the road that should have their license

 

[Carl Miller]

My most hated bad driver move:

When on an enterance ramp to a highway and waiting for a spot to merge in, someone behind you jumps out and merges first, not letting you in...Or trying not to let you in.

This is happening more and more, and is a fairly new thing at least along my 45 mile each way commute.

 

[Brian Perry]

In addition to people not using their turn signals, I get a kick out of those who turn them on after the fact (such as when they've already been in the the turn lane for a while).


People who do that should have their license revoked immediately.

 

[John Thomas]

Way to go, Nick!

also acceptable:

Sounds like my last trip to Daytona Beach.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Today I was driving along on a local street that runs east-west. At a certain point the road connects with another street that runs at an angle, northeast towards the interstate. At the point where they meet the road I was on goes from four lanes to five, with an extra left lane being added about 150 feet from the intersection. At the point where the new lane is added both left lanes become "turn only" lanes. This is indicated by road signs visible well in advance, and by painted signs and arrows on the road surface itself. This is a very heavily travelled area, and the left-turn signal is only on for brief intervals.

Today as I approached the intersection ready to make a left I saw the left turn arrow turn green. There were a few cars ahead of me, just short of where the turn lanes started, but not enough to prevent me from making the turn - I thought. But for some reason nobody was moving past the point where the extra lane started. I finally realized that there was a blue BMW two-seater in the "old" left lane. Realizing that he was now in a "turn only" lane, and trapped by the stopped traffic in the adjacent lane, he simply stopped the car, turned on his signal (I'll give him credit for that), and waited for the through traffic to get the green light so he could merge into it and continue going straight. He stopped another five cars from making the left turn - all because the concept of "make the turn, then make a u-turn" was too much for his tiny brain to deal with.

I hate people who turn what is a minor inconvenience for them into a major pain in the butt and possible danger for dozens of strangers who are also trying to use the road.

It days like these that I thank the good Lord that I don't own firearms.

Regards,

Joe

 

[CRyan]

Carl. Yes, that is occuring more and more here as well. Very annoying. Hello, solid white line. Do not cross!

Or how about those that get in the turning lane way too early before it actually begins. They block you out so you cannot get in the lane at the proper time. Plus they are creating a dangerous situation for traffic on the other side since they are actually driving in their turning lane before it turns into ours.

 

[DaveDickey]

The worst one of all:

People who don't use the center turn lane! You'll have one lane of traffic in each direction with a center turn lane. Select morons use their turn signal, but don't pull into the center lane...result = a traffic jam behind the moron.

I'm done.

 

[Brian Harnish]

What I really hate are those damned SUVs (I drive a 1996 Honda Civic LX). They pull out onto the street (not even bothering to keep their car beHIND the damned stop line) and I have to pull my car significantly ahead of them to see what the hell is going on so I don't cause an accident. This often results in my car being completely in front of the stop line. Why the HELL can't they keep the damned SUVs behind the stop line!!!!

My real pet peeve is with drivers that constantly run red lights making left turns on main street intersections! Oh, man, that gets my blood boiling when some idiot decides to make a left turn the minute my light turns green. I was privileged enough to see it happen while a cop was at the intersection. He stopped the guy (a taxi driver, no less!) and proceeded to give him a ticket. Buwahahaha. that made my day. I hope he got his taxi license revoked.

 

[Jim_F]

One of my annoyances are those who make legal, but ill-advised left turns out of driveways within 100' of busy intersections. As if there's any surprise when they find themselves trapped blocking 2 lanes of heavy traffic. They're willing to wait for the opportunity to do this rather than turn around or circle the block.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Since moving to Wales a couple of months ago, I've noticed a huge increase in failure to use direction signals. Given the large number of roundabouts on UK roads, this is not only infuriating but dangerous.

Okay, other pet peeves:

TRUCK DRIVERS WHO THINK THEY'RE IN A SPORTS CAR Truck drivers who overtake other truck drivers on 2- or 3-lane roads. Nothing wrong in overtaking a slower vehicle when it's safe to do so, but when the truck doing the overtaking is 0.000000000000001% faster than whatever is being overtaken, this takes an eternity (I once timed such an activity, and it took five minutes). Truck drivers are utterly impervious to flashing lights, horns, etc, of the drivers who are being held up in the tailbacks resulting from this behaviour.

DRIVERS WHO THINK THEY'VE SUPERMAN'S REFLEXES I.e. morons who tailgate and are convinced that they can really stop in an emergency in the 2 feet they've left between themselves and the vehicle in front. This is annoying in normal weather, but in wet conditions, it becomes petrifyingly stupid.

DRIVERS WITH THE MANNERS OF A PIG I have in my time pulled over to let a funeral procession and ambulances through on narrow roads, only to have someone behind me overtake (on every occasion a BMW driver ...)

THE BOY RACER The sort under 20 (age and IQ) who has fitted a noisy exhaust and hi-fi before mending the rust patches. Can be guaranteed to have not the first ****ing clue about what to do on the road, though hours of practice on wasteground means he has perfected the handbrake turn. The basball cap on his head says more about him than a personality ever could.

There, I feel better now.

 

[DonnyD]

Driving skills have been on the decline ever since cars were introduced...... but it has definitely got worse in the last 20 years... (that is after I matured and started driving responsibily...LOL)
The backdrop to this lack of driving skills these days is that most/some of those behind a wheel believe their car is inhabiting their own personal domain most of the time and they have the "right" to do as they wish regardless of any hindrance to others. To me, defensive driving these days is a must......
When noting some of the driving skills of most young people these days, it is obvious they "fine tuned" those skills on a PS2 or something......

 

[Andrew Grall]

Welcome to Detroit... the land of moron drivers.

Not only do people not use their blinkers here
(even with signs on the highway reminding them to do so), but they do not plan ahead AT ALL when driving. Imagine an intersection that has 3 lanes. The right and middle ones both turn right. Then, almost immediately, there is another intersection going left or straight.

Which lane to you turn right in from the first intersection if you are going to turn left at the next intersection?!? Does this take a genius to figure this out? Apparently... Because around here at least half the people are pushing their way over from the right-most lane and blocking traffic. This is done either due to poor planning or just in the interests of "getting ahead" because the right-most lane was initally shorter...

I can't wait to get out of this city...

 

[Steve_Tk]

I put this in a post a while back. I used to get pissed on the roads till I got out of my car and some guy pointed a gun at me.

I live in Atlanta, so we share terrible traffic just like everyone else.

 

[Carl Miller]

So that's what a solid line means!

 

[Joey Skinner]

Carl,
While reading this thread I was going to mention the phenomenon you brought up. What the hell are these people thinking. YOU CAN'T PASS SOMEONE ON THE MERGE RAMP! This never happened two years ago. Are people in that much of a hurry now?