Pet Peeves: Driving

Killer Joe

New member
I think there was a thread like this before,...Spidey!?

Pet Peeve: Driving-Turn Signals

I hate it when people don't use their turn signals! :mad:
I mean, c'mon! Not using your turn signal in the middle of the night when no cars are anywhere in sight is one thing, but during normal traffic time during the day/night there HAS to be some sort of respect for others around you. When I see folks (men and women alike - red and blue staters, too) not using their turn signals I always think these are the same people who say/think: "Me, Myself & I" ......ALOT! :eek:

There is a flip-side to this peeve of mine. It's the folks who turn on their turn signal 20 miles before they turn! You know who they are, they're the ones that can remember when there WERN'T ANY cars around; day OR night. "Hey! How long have you kept that turn signal on?" I want to yell. But I'm afraid I'll hear; "What are you talking about? I put in for that turn signal back in '89!" OY! :rolleyes:
 
N

Nightstalkers

Guest
And I have a problem with people who leave their turn signals on for miles and miles and miles... and then they turn and you're like "What the heck is with that?"
 

Spiderman

Administrator
Staff member
Killer Joe said:
I think there was a thread like this before,...Spidey!?
yeah, but I can't remember how far back it was... it didn't make it into Classic, I know that...
 

Killer Joe

New member
Remember that song by Sammy Hagar called, "I can't drive 55?" Well, me neither. :rolleyes:

With that said, most folks I've spoken to about speed limits (Gawd, I need to get a real life) most agree that 5 mph over any speed is acceptable even by State Trooper's standards. But going 75 mph in a 55 mph speed limit zone is pure ignorance! Okay, I'll conceede that the "Fast lane" should be for drivers who want/need to pass a car or even want to stretch out their Camaro or whatever, but the MORONS who drive like speed demons in the SLOW LANE of a two or three lane highway with not much traffic around drives me **BONKERS!** :eek:

The flip side of this are the drivers who yield/merge onto the highway but refuse to speed up (you know,....m-e-r-g-e). I know it's common courtesy to move into the fast lane so that you can let cars merge onto the highway but that's not always possible and so the 'merging cars' should see that and, OMG I'm actually going to say this: wait until there's no cars comming! Wow, what a concept. :eek:
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
Killer Joe said:
With that said, most folks I've spoken to about speed limits (Gawd, I need to get a real life) most agree that 5 mph over any speed is acceptable even by State Trooper's standards.
By a state trooper's standards, but not by the standards of the Black Diamond police...

Not that any of you have to worry about them...
 

TomB

Administrator
Staff member
KJ, if SLOWPOKES doing only 60mph on the highway in the fast lane would get themselves into the slow lane instead, I'd be HAPPY to stay out of the slow lane doing 80mph, but if they continue to leave me no choice by taking up space in the fast lane I will continue to do 80mph in the slow lane...:p

And yes, I hate it when people try to merge into traffic when they're still traveling 20mph slower than the traffic they're merging into...:(
 

Killer Joe

New member
I KNOW these people you speak of, they're: VIGILANTE DRIVERS! Defenders of the highway in pursuit of causing more headaches than needed!

I once rode with a guy who actually thinks if he drives slower in the fast lane then he alone could help people to slow down and make the highway safer. I only drove with him once and I'll avoid any future riding with him :rolleyes:

On the flip side though I have witnessed folks traveling 10 to 15 mph faster than the posted limit on the highway in the fast lane and other drivers will STILL use the slow lane to pass THEM! :eek: Zoiks! 85 mph in the slow lane is a bad thing.
 
E

EricBess

Guest
I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here...And before I do, I just want to make sure that you understand that I am 100% in agreement with your listed Peeves. However, I have a few of my own that I think speak to why some people choose to do things the way they do...

If I'm driving along the freeway and need to move to the next lane, I use my turn signal... Who's the idiot behind me that thinks that a car signalling to come into your lane means that you must immediately speed up so they can't. No wonder some people choose to simply merge in without signalling.

And I agree with TomB...Driving exactly the speed limit isn't really driving the speed limit, people. The law says you drive with the flow of traffic to be safe and that's typically a bit higher than the speed limit. Now, I certainly don't have a problem with people driving the speed limit...That's great and I support it. But don't sit in the fast lane when you are doing it.

Read the drivers manual...It clearly states that the fast lane is for PASSING. If you aren't actively passing, you technically shouldn't be in the fast lane. What really drives me crazy is people who pull into the fast lane, driving faster than the car in front of them as if to pass, and then slow down to match that car's speed. If you only want to drive just as fast as that car, then why did you pull into the fast lane in the first place? Stay right behind them and drive just as fast as them.

Here's another one I appreciate but it's a peeve of mine. If I'm passing a car and you want to go even faster than me, give me a chance to pull right before swinging in and passing me on the right...If I can't see the car in the next lane in my rearview, I'm not going to pull back into that lane yet. If you want to risk the lives of everyone by cutting in too close, then I can't stop you, but the least you can do is have enough patience to see if I'm a courteous driver...Yes, I'm aware that courteous drivers are few and far between, but there are those of us out there who try and it's really not costing you that much...
 

Killer Joe

New member
Amen, brother! :)

This afternoon while out and about grocery shopping, with my kids in the back singing Kelly Clarkson songs, I noticed a peeve of mine that I've actually done and am now ashamed to admit it.

Rolling Stops at stop signs. Okay, I've rolled once or twice late at night not during normal traffic hours but I saw this young female driver rolling right through a stop sign in front of our elementary school. Oh sure, she was *HOT* and schools not in session but that's no excuse and neither is the fact that school hasn't started yet either :rolleyes:

And how 'bout those cell phone drivers.... :mad:
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
Killer Joe said:
And how 'bout those cell phone drivers.... :mad:
Well, I don't have a cell phone, and tend to do whatever possible to avoid using any telephone at all. But if people can talk on a cell phone and still drive without causing problems, then that's fine with me. I don't think it's the phone that's the problem, it's the person being irresponsible by not paying attention to the road...

If someone hits me while I'm driving (or while I'm walking, for that matter, since I walke a lot more than I drive), I'm going to be really unhappy about being hit in general. That the person was talking on a phone doesn't really make it worse...
 

TomB

Administrator
Staff member
You don't understand, Oversoul...The people with the cell phones are often the ones that pull right in front of you then immediately slow down...Or they blithely pull straight into traffic without making an effort to actually merge with anyone...They sometimes turn right on red directly into your path, when YOU have the right-of-way...Or, even better, they like to turn right from the left-hand lane, or left from the right-hand lane, and they seem totally ignorant of whether there's any other traffic around them when they do!

It's almost as if they feel they've a divine right to drive like they're the only people on the road simply BECAUSE they're talking on the phone! :mad:
 

Spiderman

Administrator
Staff member
I think it's more a matter of not paying attention, which IS caused by having a cell phone... many studies have shown this. Apparently your brain gets more into having a conversation when you're on the phone than having a conversation with a passenger or changing the radio (although your attention is still slightly diverted in both cases).

My wife just experienced a good one last week. She was in our development and trying to get home when another car was backing into their driveway. Problem was, they were on a cell phone and kept messing up so they had to pull out again and start over. Several times. Now, you're almost home, you can't wait to get inside or at least successfully park before continuing the conversation? Oy....
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
TomB said:
You don't understand, Oversoul...The people with the cell phones are often the ones that pull right in front of you then immediately slow down...Or they blithely pull straight into traffic without making an effort to actually merge with anyone...They sometimes turn right on red directly into your path, when YOU have the right-of-way...Or, even better, they like to turn right from the left-hand lane, or left from the right-hand lane, and they seem totally ignorant of whether there's any other traffic around them when they do!

It's almost as if they feel they've a divine right to drive like they're the only people on the road simply BECAUSE they're talking on the phone! :mad:
I think I understand. It's just that I've been in cars where the driver was on a phone and was fine (I would never talk on a phone while driving myself, but like I said, I try to avoid those devices anyway, and besides that, I'm too cautious while driving to do something like that). I'm not trying to make excuses for the drivers who endanger themselves and others because they refuse to pay attention to the road for as long as they're on the phone. I just think at least some people are able to both drive and talk on the phone without any problems.
 

Killer Joe

New member
I'll conceede to the notion that *some* drivers can do it but I'd rather they didn't. In our area it's now illegal to use the cell phone while driving and if caught you will be pulled over and given a ticket!

Did I get the chance to mention parallel parking, yet? Okay, I live near Pittsburgh and the surrounding urban/suburban area. We parallel park a lot. The way I was taught was that if you see a car in front of you with their turn signal on and they're backing up then give them room to parallel park. But you know what? NOBODY REALLYS knows to do that! NO! They instead will move so close to the car that's trying to park that the actual parking space is blocked by the ignorant idiot behind the parking car. :mad:

Jeezsh!

On the flip side, however, I've sat for like 10 minutes at a time waiting for the parallel parker mess-up and try again,....and again,...and again... :rolleyes:
 
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