Crazy Driver Rant

[Newtonville]

Politically incorrect or not, I must say the lane merging skills of the many newly minted American residents in the SF bay area, is about as bad as it gets. Then there is the macho element, who passes on the right in the dirt on a cloverleaf entering the freeway. It only matters if you get caught, mentality.

The best way to protect your child and self is to forget about their intrusions, and back off so they can cut in front of you more safely. Just stay far away as possible from such folks. It is all so meaningless, the rushing to get somewhere, but no one will change it.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
I c this stupid thing everyday out here, Im on the road at least 6k to 8k month. My biggest gripe is the folks cutting u off to get over to an exit lane in the last second,whyyyyy. the cemetery is full of ( in to big a hurry idiots) amen.

This happens everyday, someone in the left-most lane crossing 4-5 lanes to merge to another highway in the last 1-200 ft. Everybody on the right lanes had to brake hard for him/her to avoid accident.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: MoparDak05
They could try, but logically if I am in the lane that is the one that they are required to merge into, the blame would typically point to them.
Legally you have to do everything reasonable to avoid an accident, regardless of right-of-way. I don't disagree with your statement about who is correct logically but the law often has little to do with logic.

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Every once in a while I see a moron BACKING UP ON THE HIGHWAY using the shoulder because they missed their exit.
We saw this all the time in Chicago, people missing their exit off the Kennedy downtown. A couple years ago there was a horrible crash which ended in several people dead due to this.

Originally Posted By: sxg6
This drives me off the wall, along with people who don't use their turn signals.
Dang straight. They weren't installed just to look pretty.

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Dont use the far-left passing lane as a moderate speed travel lane.
Far left lane = passing lane. If not passing and traffic isn't backed up, STAY OUT. Then again, if I merge into the passing lane with cruise set at 5 mph over the speed limit and passing someone in the middle lane who's doing the speed limit, get off my tail. I pass and I get out of the lane.

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
You jam on your brake and I'm behind you going 75 in my 3/4 tonne work truck with the welded steel pusher bumper - play that game and I will turn you and YOU will be in the median weeds
And be prepared to be arrested for attempted vehicular manslaughter. Brake checks always help remind jerks behind you to stay back at least 3 vehicle lengths - and are completely legal.

And for anybody driving a company vehicle - obey the speed limit and all traffic rules, please. Your company may not take a grand view of your behavior behind the wheel. I had some guys from a midwest basement sealing company tailgate right on my bumper despite my cruise control being set at 10 over the speed limit and in the far righthand lane, flipping me off, bright lights on full, the whole thing - completely out of the blue, unprovoked.

I emailed their company 'contact us' address with their truck number, license plate, time & date. Company president asks for my phone number & calls me. Apologizes for his employees and asks me to tell him what happened, so I tell him everything as it happened and email him pictures of the truck tailgating, driver flipping me off, etc... at his request. Turns out their trucks have built-in GPS recorders and speeding is a fireable offense. They accessed the recorder from the truck and terminated the employees based on their reckless driving, breaking company rules & flagrant disregard for other motorists.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Ursae_Majoris
I just spent a week in California and I could not believe stupid motorcyclists down there. Traffic on I-405 was going 40 mph, and they were flying at 80+mph between COLUMNS of cars, making a 10-lane highway into 12-lane, cutting cars off and going from the inside to to the outside lanes. Add the fact that it must be illegal to use turn signals in California (I was the only one using them to signal a lane change or a turn, as far I could see) and I can see them slamming into a car very easily. I just hope when they do, they would be the only ones to die and not passengers/drivers in the cars that they hit. Where was CHP when you needed them?

Hahh, the infamous I-405 in So Cal with too many tourists and un-licensed drivers. You're suppose to NOT use turn signals for lane change or making a turn, or you suppose to have turn signal blinking all the time never turn it off.

Regarding motorcyclists on I-405, they are the most scary riders around, they are splitting lanes at such high speed, 30-40 MPH faster than the cars around, it is difficult to change lane without hitting them.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: Ursae_Majoris
I just spent a week in California and I could not believe stupid motorcyclists down there.
...
Where was CHP when you needed them?

Enforcing traffic laws?

Lane splitting is expressly LEGAL in California: http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/motors.html sez, 'Lane splitting is permissible if done in a safe and prudent manner'.

Granted, no one with more than 2 brain cells would believe the way most motorcyclists do it is safe or prudent but they have left a loophole that motorcyclists have filled.

 

[UNC017]

Originally Posted By: sunfire
Originally Posted By: MoparDak05
I had someone do something similar when I was getting on the highway. Right lane merged into left and I gunned it to get up to speed in order to merge with traffic (I was in the left lane with nobody behind me). A Civic tried to pass me on the right and ended up slamming on the brakes to get behind me because they were steadily falling behind and running out of road.

I don't play around. I may sound like a jerk and I could have slammed on the brakes myself and let him fly by me. But, why should I have to inconvenience myself when I am following the rules of the road? If I'm obeying the law and someone wants to run into me, the more power to them. I hope they are willing to pay though.

P.S. I don't have any kids (knock on wood) and I was by myself.


The problem is the other driver could argue that you hit him/her. It's a real hassle to involve the insurance company and time to have your car repaired. Reckless diving is a lose lose situation for everyone.


True, and if there's any chance it could turn into a serious wreck you just shouldn't play around with fools.

Now if its low-speed creep-and-crawl and someone won't play by the rules I in this case when a left lane ended), I've been known to roll down my window, reach out, and pound on the side of her car for a little "discussion" about courtesy....

 

[RF Overlord]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
IIRC, NY has a law where the person merging has the right of way, and other traffic has to yield to them.
Originally Posted By: scurvy
Lane splitting is expressly LEGAL in California: http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/motors.html sez, 'Lane splitting is permissible if done in a safe and prudent manner'.
Therein lies part of the problem. Here in MA, the right-of-way belongs to vehicles already on the highway, and there are Yield signs on the on-ramps. Also, lane splitting is illegal here. Those types of discrepancies should be resolved and there should be one national set of laws for proper driving. I think it's asking too much from the average driver to require them to look up all the differences in traffic laws before driving from one state to another.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: TWG1572
If you want to take risks with your own life, fine. But don't involve me and my kid.

Amen.

 

[Vikas]

"Brake checks are legal"

Wow, what an attitude!!

Anyway, anybody who is driving faster than me and is behind me is a maniac and anybody who is driving slower than me and is in front of me is an a*hole

Do you know every driver thinks he belongs to the 1% of drivers which are good?

- Vikas

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Wow, what an attitude!!
Attitude or not, if I'm in the leftmost lane, passing a slower vehicle and you come barreling up behind me with bright lights, horn & tailgating, you are the one driving recklessly (illegal) and following too closely (illegal). Maintain a safe following distance and I'll move over one lane when I'm done passing.

I check my mirrors frequently - I know who's around me at all times. Keep up the attitude and I may treat you to most of my 5.5 liters of washer fluid, let you see my brake lights or resume the posted legal speed limit.

The rules of the road give the best driving experience for everyone, not just for YOU.

Originally Posted By: TWG1572
If you want to take risks with your own life, fine. But don't involve me and my kid.
Kid's still on the way (due any second now) but I wholeheartedly agree. Go do some autocross if you wanna drive fast & twisty.

 

[John_Corey]

Hi scurvy,

Would those be George Carlin's Rules of the Road? I can only say hitchhiking is out the question!

Cheers,
-J

Originally Posted By: scurvy
The rules of the road give the best driving experience for everyone, not just for YOU.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: John_Corey
Would those be George Carlin's Rules of the Road? I can only say hitchhiking is out the question!


LOLCANO, been a while since I saw that movie. Thanks for the laugh.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: TWG1572
Some days I'm just amazed at the risks drivers take, and how nonchalant they are about the safety of other drivers.

. . . But instead of throwing the white flag, he simply started moving over into my lane while we were side by side. I've got 3 lanes of traffic doing 65 on my left, and an idiot moving into me on my right. He got really close - I slam on the brakes and he goes around.


You shouldn't have any problems maintaining control as long as his back end touches your front end when you make contact. Sit back and watch the show!

I am also amazed at the risks I sometimes take, but they've never involved someone else having to take corrective action.

In a situation like that, if he's still with me while I'm giving it all my car has, I hope I'd just let him have it. But if I'm calmly accelerating and driving at a reasonable speed and some guy tried to force me out of my lane at highway speed, I'd be content with watching him go for a ride.

 

[Slick 55]

There are some crazy mo fo's out there. Be carefull!

 

[TWG1572]

Originally Posted By: Geo_Prizm
Is it a ramp to I-94, maybe close to Harley building?


No it wasn't, but I know that one well. The first time through that whole new cloverleaf, I'd swear I drove in circles

 

[TWG1572]

Originally Posted By: rpn453
You shouldn't have any problems maintaining control as long as his back end touches your front end when you make contact. Sit back and watch the show!

I am also amazed at the risks I sometimes take, but they've never involved someone else having to take corrective action.

In a situation like that, if he's still with me while I'm giving it all my car has, I hope I'd just let him have it. But if I'm calmly accelerating and driving at a reasonable speed and some guy tried to force me out of my lane at highway speed, I'd be content with watching him go for a ride.


Believe you me, the thought crossed my mind for a split second. In a pickup vs. Audi game of bumper cars, I'll take my truck any day. But being in an accident doesn't do much, except make my day much worse. The insurance companies would find a way to jack my rate, regardless of fault.

 

[crinkles]

FWIW people in the country drive pretty much OK where I am, pretty laid back, you all would probably flip the bird at us!

 

[bigmike]

People do not act or think the same way walking around as they do behind the wheel of a several thousand pound vehicle. They take on a mentality that does not suit them and then make critical decisions within seconds, rarely realizing their potential for serious harm.

Of course, watch the news and we see the cost of a few of these that didn't work out so well.

I witnessed a driver cut off another driver on I-95. The rear panel of the aggressor caught the front bumper of another driver. The innocent party swerved into the median and flipped (end over end) and both passengers hit the windshield, even though they were both wearing seatbelts. I was in the oncoming lane and pulled over to give the FHP the information. It was a little more harrowing for me than that, trying to find a way to move off to the shoulder whilst deciding if this car is going to land into my lane. Luckily for me, the drivers next to me were both truck drivers and both did a professional job in letting me get over.

The FHP later explained to me they caught up to the car, parked in a gas station, and the driver was lying about how he had been at the gas station for quite some time. I never found out about the innocent parties - only that they were transported to the hospital.

I question: Is it worth it?

The goal of any driver should be to get from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible. Getting arrested, ticketed, or in a wreck is not efficient.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: TWG1572
Believe you me, the thought crossed my mind for a split second. In a pickup vs. Audi game of bumper cars, I'll take my truck any day. But being in an accident doesn't do much, except make my day much worse. The insurance companies would find a way to jack my rate, regardless of fault.


You certainly did the right thing. By any reasonable, logical measure, there is no point in being involved in the hassle of any collision if there's a way to avoid it without putting yourself at further risk. I just don't do well at backing off in situations where I don't have much time to think, and I wouldn't be upset as long as I did nothing to instigate the situation.

A friend recently had a major crash in his truck similar to what I described, where he accelerated to get into the left lane and the truck beside him decided to accelerate to block him. He thought he was clear but clipped the front bumper with his back end, spinning him out and sending him into the guardrail at high speed. I haven't talked to him directly yet so I don't know the details, but my friend is likely entirely at fault. Regardless, it sounds like it was a an [censored] move on the other guy's part. Apparently, the guy wouldn't even talk to or look at my friend after. If he were completely innocent, he'd probably be either angry or sympathetic and would want a couple words with my friend either way.

My driving style around other traffic doesn't lead to many issues. I believe in 2-3 second following distances, so I usually have more than enough room for someone to take the lane in front of me, and I further let off the accelerator if they signal.

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
2 Peeve:

Dont use the far-left passing lane as a moderate speed travel lane. This despicable practice is called "left-lane bandit". Now when someone travelling faster from your 6 wishes to pass - pull over and let them pass. This isnt an "I'm in front of you and I win, I just deputised myself highway Cop and tough luck buddy" game. You jam on your brake and I'm behind you going 75 in my 3/4 tonne work truck with the welded steel pusher bumper - play that game and I will turn you and YOU will be in the median weeds with you dirty laundery flying out the window as you roll.


Nice. I think you should probably read the original post.

So, say someone is doing the exact speed limit (executing a pass for example) in the left lane and you come up on them. Are they supposed to move over, Mr. Deputy? Can we we get a legal reading on that?

I would say maybe go back to several schools.