Traffic pet peeves

[cydewaze]

I know you've got one. Maybe more than one. Here are a few of mine:

• Drivers who cross three lanes of traffic so they can be "first" at a light (usually cutting in front of you in the process), only to sit there after the light turns green and not go.
• Drivers who, when at intersections where multiple lanes turn left, get in the far left one, knowing they'll have to cut across three lanes of traffic to make a right at the very next turn.
• Drivers who use onramp merge areas to pass other cars in traffic, only to have to bully their way back into the lane, making everyone in the lane hit the brakes (which makes the traffic jam worse).
• Drivers who honk horns at 5am in residential areas when picking up their carpool passengers.
• Drivers who run a stop sign in order to pull out in front of you because they don't want to waste the time stopping, but then drive 5mph below the speed limit once they're out on the road in front of you.

Let's hear a few of yours.

[travisdecpn]

I have two real biggies. I absolutely hate it when people don't use their turn signals; people are either too lazy, or they think it's cool not to use them or something. The other is more of a parking issue, hazzard lights are reserved for times when you are broken down and pulled off to the side of the road. Hazzard lights do not allow you to park in a fire lane, in the middle of the road (double parked of course), or my favorite, in a handicap or reserved spot. Those are the two I see on a daily basis.

[gb387]

What you have posted is very good and I AGREE!

• Similar to one of yours cydewaze... When some speeds past you in the left lane(you are in the right lane) the driver then swerves in front of you, slams on the brakes and makes a right turn. (no travisdecpn they didn't use their turn signal either)
• You are following someone down an on ramp of the freeway and the driver only accelerates up to, say maybe 45 mph (if your lucky) and attempts to merge on to the freeway with traffic moving at 65-70 mph.
• This kind of fits.... the guy in MY neighborhood with the lead foot, very large truck with straight pipes who returns home in the middle of the night and drives right past my window and wakes me up. oh... yeah, then when the roads are wet or snow covered he proceeds to do "cookies" in the road on the way home, again right below my window well before the sun rises! OK, just needed to get that out!

[FromThisSoil]

There are many, believe me...

The one that takes the cake for me is when I'm on the parkway in the left most lane AKA "the fast lane" doing 75mph. Now I'm keeping a good 150-200 foot distance between me and the guy in front of me and the guy behind me and riding up my butt. Eventually, he gets tired of riding me, passes me at 85mph, cuts me off, and gets inbtween me and the guy who was in front of me who is doing the same exact speed as me. I'm so glad you got one car length ahead of me and now you're riding someone elses butt!

Let's say it together people: Just because I'm keeping my distance doesn't mean I'm going slower than the guy in front of me!

[gb387]

Originally posted by FromThisSoil
Let's say it together people: Just because I'm keeping my distance doesn't mean I'm going slower than the guy in front of me!

[Desertdawg]

See why I live out in the middle of the desert.

No traffic....
No gripes....

[cydewaze]

Similar to one of yours cydewaze... When some speeds past you in the left lane(you are in the right lane) the driver then swerves in front of you, slams on the brakes and makes a right turn. (no travisdecpn they didn't use their turn signal either)

I get that the most when on my bicycle! I've almost been collected by a few passengers doors.

You are following someone down an on ramp of the freeway and the driver only accelerates up to, say maybe 45 mph (if your lucky) and attempts to merge on to the freeway with traffic moving at 65-70 mph.

Or if they STOP on the on-ramp! UGH!

[sooper]

Most of my complaints are similar to others already posted:

1. Jerks who don't use turn signals.
2. Enter the freeway from the on ramp (acceleration ramp) and stop! On ramps are designed the way they are for a purpose!
3. Tailgaters
4. Inattentive drivers who put on makeup, talk on cell phone and read the daily newspaper while eating a doughnut and still try to contol a vehicle moving at 65 mph or better.
5. People who see a lane closed ahead sign 2 miles in advance yet invariably wait until they reach the closure before merging over, running the poor slob behind them off the road, or worse yet, into the closed lane. This may be a pet peeve because I have had 32 years experience in State highway maintenance and could tell some horror stories. Along this same line, jerks who think it is funny to see how close they can come to workers on foot in a work zone.
6. Drunk drivers, actually my NUMBER ONE complaint. No excuse for anyone to endanger the public, highway workers and themselves by driving drunk.

Glad this thread was started, gave me chance to vent!

[cydewaze]

Originally posted by sooper
4. Inattentive drivers who put on makeup, talk on cell phone and read the daily newspaper while eating a doughnut and still try to contol a vehicle moving at 65 mph or better.

Cell phones are getting to be a big problem. I'm a member of a cycling forum, and one of the long-standing members there was recently killed by a teenager who was attempting to send a text message on his cellphone and swerved into the bike lane.

Ok, I can see talking on the phone if you're very careful, but a text message? Impossible without taking your eyes off the road.

[gb387]

Originally posted by cydewaze
Cell phones are getting to be a big problem. I'm a member of a cycling forum, and one of the long-standing members there was recently killed by a teenager who was attempting to send a text message on his cellphone and swerved into the bike lane.

Ok, I can see talking on the phone if you're very careful, but a text message? Impossible without taking your eyes off the road.

A little OT: Yeah... no text messaging! but my mom just bought a new car and it has Bluetooth, its awesome, your hands never leave the steering wheel or anywhere else. It works very well.... Someone calls your cell phone, the cars stereo mutes, caller ID is on the speedometer and you push the answer button on the steering wheel and you're talking. To make a call, push the button on the steering wheel and tell the car the phone number or the name of a person programmed into the car. All the calls go through your bluetooth phone.

[RamAirV1]

My pet peeves:

People who go slow (10-15 MPH below the prevailing speed of traffic) in the left lane of an interstate when there is no traffic in front of them. This causes major problems on the interstate and is extremely dangerous.

When the roads are slick, people who get to a bridge and slam on the brakes as hard as they can! Then they look surprised as they go into a complete spin! Duh!

People who pull out into traffic on a major highway. right in front of me, forcing me to brake rapidly, then will only drive 35 MPH max, no matter what! Why were they in such a hurry to get onto the highway if they're only going 35 MPH.

RamAirV1

[jchetty]

1.)people who speed in the snow...i mean if the speed limit is 40, what make you think 60 is ok to do with 4 inches of fresh snow

2.)people who think that 4wd/awd gives you ungodly nascar driving skills..there's no question you get better traction, but it does nothing except possibly hinder your ability to stop due to the excess weight

3.)those cheapo hid kits that burn brighter then the sun, you to retrofit projectors housing in your headlights ppl

4.)people who dont spend the extra 5 minutes removing the snow from their car to leave us to attempt slaloming on black ice laced streets at 5 in the morning

[Alex7938]

the thing that really drives me mad is using fog/spot lights on a clear night, if someone coming towards does this they get full beam until they've passed me.

also excesivly slow people, theres no need to do 25 mph in the 40 limit near my house

Let's say it together people: Just because I'm keeping my distance doesn't mean I'm going slower than the guy in front of me!

my girlfriend does this, scares the s*** out of me and when i tell her about it she turns around and says i criticise her driving to much
and she wonders why i want to drive all the time.

the one thing i've found that really annoys tail gaiters is to slow down, if your on the motor/highway and in the outside/fast lane slow down to the same speed as the car next to you.

i wont mention the arrogance of Mercedes drivers in the UK as i'll be here all day

Alex

[Mosca]

Shrug. Ain't nothin' trafficwise worth getting peeved about. It's traffic. Deep breath, it's a beautiful day, patience, and then you're where you want to be.

If I had one solid thing to put here, it would be, getting stuck in an hours long jam without enough gas in the tank. I got stuck in a 4 hour traffic jam in a foot of snow last year, with about half a tank of gas. I couldn't shut off because I needed the heat.


Tom

[gb387]

Originally posted by Mosca
Shrug. Ain't nothin' trafficwise worth getting peeved about. It's traffic. Deep breath, it's a beautiful day, patience, and then you're where you want to be.

Well... That is true.