What are your driving pet peeves?

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Paul56
Originally Posted By: grampi
Tailgaters, people who drive 10 MPH or more over the speed limit, left lane campers, cell phone yackers, last second mergers when approaching a closed lane at a construction zone, people driving with their fog/driving lights on when it's not foggy, truckers who insist on passing each other on 4 lane highways and not caring how long it takes or how many passenger vehicles they hold up while doing it, the people who think they must get in front of as many other drivers as possible (the "me first" syndrome)........


Most semi's have speed governors... and they are not all adjusted exactly the same.

Some could be 60... others could be 57... and others 55... who knows. The point is that those slow passing semi's are most likely both governed with the one passing set slightly higher.

The driver of the semi in the right lane really should ease up on the fuel a bit to speed up the progress, but most often they don't. The vast majority of them earn by the mile so the more miles the more they earn... to heck with the 4-wheelers piling up behind.


Truckers seem to have no, or least not use any common sense. If they need to pass another truck, they could at least wait until there aren't any cars coming up from behind to pass them before they make their pass. Gaining that extra 1 or 2 MPH ove that few seconds worth of time really doesn't save them any time off their trip. Then again, commom cortousy is a thing of the past in the trucking industry.

 

[cjhepburn]

Around the Boston area, there are several stretches of highway where the breakdown lane is used for travel during rush hour. The beginning of its use is clearly marked. It ticks me off when people drive in that lane well before the actual start. Sometimes upto a mile ahead of the breakdown-lane-use point.

I was behind a hack who decided that the middle lane of the highway was good place to come to a complete stop and get directions from his passenger. Effing dangerous.

 

[Paul56]

Man... do I have some pet peeves to report.

A road trip that normally takes 8 hours has taken the last 2 days to complete due to the weather and horrid road conditions. Stopped and took a room last evening to get off the road... then spent another 5 hours driving a stretch today that normally takes 3.5.

I cannot believe how people drive beyond the capabilities of the vehicle in bad conditions or try to impose how they want me to be driving my vehicle under same conditions... that about sums it all up right there.

The most serious incident was on a section of slushy 2 lane highway with a semi coming from the other direction... I'm watching in disbelief as the semi keeps creeping over the center line an into my lane. I ended up on the shoulder to avoid a head-on. The guy in the van following seems oblivious to all this and decided just then was a good time to start tailgating.

I knew I would scrub off as much speed as possible and hit the ditch to avoid the head-on with the semi... but in that situation you are really hoping that is all avoidable. Fortunately it was as the driver seemed to become alert to the situation and reverse course.

I can only imagine it was one of the following:

-semi driver did not get quite enough sleep in the last 24 hour cycle

-something dropped on the floor that he was reaching for at the wrong moment

-he was playing with the satellite com keyboard up on the steering wheel

-or he was keyboarding on his notebook mounted to the right.

That is one I should have called in. But do you think I caught enough details in the moment to narrow down the vehicle to the authorities... nope.

I'm glad to be finally off the road and safe.

 

[swalve]

You should never have to slow down for a stale green. IF the traffic lights were calibrated properly. (Which they rarely are.)

The yellow should be long enough that any legal vehicle traveling at the legal speed limit has enough time to either: stop safely, or continue through the intersection without risk. And then add another second just for good measure.

But that rarely happens. I'm not sure what the reason is, I could guess that yellows are made shorter to scare people into not running yellows, or to increase revenue at red light cameras, or to improve traffic flow. But all of those things should be secondary to safety and predictability. The law (and the devices) should be designed to make it easy to for drivers to follow the law (and for other drivers to see people breaking the law) and to catch and prosecute the worst offenders, not the least.

Trucks in rain and snow- my theory for their odd behavior is that the trucks are heavier and less likely to lose traction than cars at the same speed. And that a little extra speed actually makes it safer, as the added momentum of the truck pulling it forward makes little slips and slides easier to correct from. And, I think, some "rationality of risk": the driver figures that his day is wrecked whether he goes into the ditch at 55mph or 40 mph, why not go faster? Worse, his risk is in getting cut off by other drivers, or by hitting a patch of black ice. He is in deep scat no matter how fast he is going.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
The law (and the devices) should be designed to make it easy to for drivers to follow the law


Exactly. You don't make it a jigsaw puzzle to comply. We had one member who redundantly stated "It's the law" "Just follow the law" as some static response. Suppose the law says that you have to do a full gainer off of a cliff into a rocky grotto from 85'? ..or (more practically speaking) have a $3000 fine for jaywalking while only putting legal cross walks 300 yards apart and jaywalking proves the most apparent solution??

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
Around the Boston area, there are several stretches of highway where the breakdown lane is used for travel during rush hour.



They've had that for a very long time. Even for native NuWinglanders ..the sign isn't readily apparent for what it enables. That's if you don't frequent such roadways.

USE OF BREAKDOWN LANE PERMITTED (there may have been some fine print that you would have to pick up over 10 or 12 such signs at highway speeds)

You don't know how long I pondered about the previous stretch of road being "USE OF BREAKDOWN LANE PROHIBITED" ..for breaking down.

For all I know it merely meant that the break down lane in other sections was strictly for emergency use while STOPPING was permitted in the authorized zone.

Imagine my surprise when the crusty older non-gentleman passed me on the right and basically told me to go something or other when I objected.

 

[labman]

Originally Posted By: swalve

The yellow should be long enough that any legal vehicle traveling at the legal speed limit has enough time to either: stop safely, or continue through the intersection without risk. And then add another second just for good measure.


The problem is the speed limit is often lower than everybody drives.

The other thing is that I often slow down going through an intersection. I don't want to be airborne half way down the block when I hit the crown of the cross street.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Folks who pull out in front of you and don't even try to accelerate faster than a snail so you don't have to slow down.

When on the interstate, when someone passes you and immediately gets back in front of you when noone is even behind you. This is especially sorry when its raining and 18 wheelers do it. ITs nice to maintain a following distance.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
Folks who pull out in front of you and don't even try to accelerate faster than a snail so you don't have to slow down.


I'm starting to think some of these people wait for a car to approach just so they can pull out in front of it.

Another pet peeve of mine are the people who stop when there is no stop sign. That really screws up traffic flow, and I do not need the help. Keep going; I'm a big boy, I can figure out when it's safe to go without you stopping for me.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28

When on the interstate, when someone passes you and immediately gets back in front of you when noone is even behind you. This is especially sorry when its raining and 18 wheelers do it. ITs nice to maintain a following distance.


It is impossible to have a safe driving distance in Miami-Fort Lauderdale...If you leave anymore then one car lengh [even at 75MPM] someone will cut in front of you immediately...Without signaling of coarse...I have seen bumper covers come off cars when idiots change lanes so close to one another.

 

[Big_Ed]

Drivers in front of me who drive with two feet.(People who brake with their left foot). They keep their left foot on the brake pedal, unaware that their brake lights are ALWAYS on. Great, now no one behind you can ever tell when you are actually braking. It's amazing these drivers aren't rear ended more often. And those people are probably the same ones who complain that their brakes are always wearing out.

Also, drivers with no situational awareness, outside of their little world. Not thinking of how their actions behind the wheel will affect other drivers. An example would be if I was the only car travelling down a road, and at the next intersection, a car decides to pull out right in front of me, forcing me to jack on the brakes. If that person would have waited three seconds, they would have had the road all to themselves.

I try to drive in a manner that affects other drivers as little as possible. I try to not make other drivers have to react if possible and practical. That is one of the ways I define defensive driving.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Im not reading through all the posts again, but a few stood out to me.

The lane splitting you said was for air-cooled bikes overheating back in the day and I think you said the rule doesn't apply anymore. I don't know if all liquid-cooled bikes do this, but my I4 600cc did, it will get in the red if it doesn't havent good airflow over the radiator, so it is helpful. I had to pull over under an overpass in Florida a few years ago because traffic was stop and go and would not get over 10mph to provide sufficient cooling and it was uphill or level so I couldn't just coast with the engine off.


To the guy who doesn't understand why drivers will slam on their brakes when noone else is around. I seldom do this on the interstate when I can't see any headlights behind me to get a feel for the brakes. More often I will do this approaching a redlight after a look behind to be sure noone is back there. Its a good idea to find the locking point of non ABS cars for performance and safety concerns.


And someone said they do not like to 'coasters'. I do this quite often to anticipate stop lights so as not to slow down, use my brakes, then have to speed up and use my clutch among other reasons. But since you spoke of this, I'm more aware and do this less when someone is behind me if Im in the left lane especially as they may need to turn left at the light.



Miami sounds like stop and go traffic here. I drive a standard so when we'll be stopping every 5 seconds since noone will leave a following distance so everyone can merge and not have to hit the brakes every time. I will hold a steady speed and use a longer following distance, since obviously we're not going anywhere anytime soon. Everyone will cut in front of me (even though Im in the middle lane, so its not like they are getting over to turn). They MAY gain a car length by doing this, but slows down that lane entirely. Then when that lane goes dead, the cut back into their original lane and slow down its progress as well.

I think this is the cause of all that heavy braking you must do on the interstate only to find out when you get up there that there was no reason whatsoever to have had to slow down.


Also around here, we have a set of mild curves (kind of like a corkscrew) and everyone seems scared to use their steering wheel so they all slow down to 40mph in the fast lane on the interstate. It really annoys me, but I find it funny when 18wheelers, garbage trucks and whatever poor handling vehicles you can think of can take the turns just fine at 65mph. Maybe its just left over speed-demoness from my motorcycling days, but I always enjoyed accelerate through the turns, not jamming the brakes.

 

[EricF]

my biggest peeves are when it's BARELY sprinkling out, and someone turns the wipers to super fast. Like trying to whip the water before it hits the windshield. It just bugs me.

Also the #1 reason we have traffic jams.. people DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ENTER THE FREEWAY! You're supposed to be at least freeway speed, not 35mph and slowly merging in, slowing the lane down, then people moving to the next lane over, etc.. to let the idiot who doesn't know how to speed up, and that chain reacts.

I was behind a guy in a hybrid entering the freeway, he would not go faster than 33mph! He blocked traffic so he could stay in hybrid mode. when we all go around him (finally), he flipped us off!

 

[Paul56]

Originally Posted By: EricF


Also the #1 reason we have traffic jams.. people DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ENTER THE FREEWAY! You're supposed to be at least freeway speed, not 35mph and slowly merging in, slowing the lane down, then people moving to the next lane over, etc.. to let the idiot who doesn't know how to speed up, and that chain reacts.


Well, we are supposed to share the highways.

Just that their notion of sharing the highway is that traffic on the freeway is supposed to slow down to let them merge... not the other way around.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: Paul56
Well, we are supposed to share the highways.

Just that their notion of sharing the highway is that traffic on the freeway is supposed to slow down to let them merge... not the other way around.

Exactly. That's the problem. They think sharing means they are entitled to do what they want.

What sharing really means means is using it with the least possible disruption to everyone else. Almost no one, at least on the roads around where I (and apparently a few others here) live, understands that.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
Exactly. That's the problem. They think sharing means they are entitled to do what they want.


Yeah ..what's yours is mine ..and what's mine ..well, it's "mine"

Quote:
What sharing really means means is using it with the least possible disruption to everyone else. Almost no one, at least on the roads around where I (and apparently a few others here) live, understands that.


That's YOUR part in the sharing process. Some want only the best for you and want to bring out the best character attributes. They think you need to subscribe to the "it is better to give than to receive" tenet of life ..and do everything that they can to assure you learn it.

 

[gtx510]

Originally Posted By: EricF
I was behind a guy in a hybrid entering the freeway, he would not go faster than 33mph! He blocked traffic so he could stay in hybrid mode. when we all go around him (finally), he flipped us off!
BRAKE CHECK!!!!

 

[HM12460]

I don't think i have any pet peeve's. I try to leave on time to give myself sufficient time to reach my destination without being late. Many years ago i had a bad habit of getting frustrated with traffic, being in too big of a hurry. I came to the conclusion the only person i was hurting was myself so after exercising A LOT of self discipline, i changed my attitude about these things. Life is just too short to get worked up over something this trivial. A lot of the things we accuse others of doing we have done ourselve's. If you wanna see the person who is your biggest enemy on the road, go look in your mirror.

 

[Big_Ed]

Originally Posted By: HM12460
I don't think i have any pet peeve's. I try to leave on time to give myself sufficient time to reach my destination without being late. Many years ago i had a bad habit of getting frustrated with traffic, being in too big of a hurry. I came to the conclusion the only person i was hurting was myself so after exercising A LOT of self discipline, i changed my attitude about these things. Life is just too short to get worked up over something this trivial. A lot of the things we accuse others of doing we have done ourselve's. If you wanna see the person who is your biggest enemy on the road, go look in your mirror.


You know, if half of the drivers on the road had half of your attitude, there would be a lot less road rage and less pet peeves to list here. I'm going to think of your post next time I start to get irritated on the road! Maybe others will to. Be courteous, and hopefully everyone will "pass it on" to the next driver.

 

[tonycarguy]

People who are about to miss their exit/turn off then cut across 4 lanes going 15 mph slower than everyone else.

People who are about to miss their exit then cut across 4 lanes but still can't make their exit, so they stop and block 2 lanes.