SS: Another rude driver rant

Markel · 02-28-2005, 02:13 PM

Scene: 8:40 a.m. Sunday morning, intersection of two 4-lane roads. Light for cross traffic has just turned red (meaning that the left turn arrow for the oncoming traffic has just turned green). I'm making a right turn onto the crossing road, so (after I stop) I see the "oncoming" left turners starting to move, and I take my turn into the right hand lane.

A few seconds later: I hear a cheap 4-banger winding out on my left as the first left-turner strains his car to pass and get in front of me. He then proceeds to slow down unnecessarily. I move into the left lane to go around him, and I (and my family) notice him giving us the finger (he took a right hand turn down the road). A few remarks are exchanged in my van, and my youngest (11) asks why he gave us the finger. I explain, "Because he doesn't know how to obey the driving laws, and he is blaming us for it."

People that don't know how (or more likely, are too lazy) to turn into the correct lanes is one of my major driving peeves. But people who think they've been wronged when they are prevented from their driving rudeness (and have to drive correctly) make me want the built-in flame thrower on my vehicles.

p.s. Wow! there's quite a collection of similarly-themed smileys!

navyones · 02-28-2005, 02:16 PM

I am glad that you and your kid are okay. It is sad that your kid had to see how rude people can be on the roads.

speedracer120 · 02-28-2005, 03:23 PM

Yeah, I've always thought it odd that the stupid odd mofos who are breaking the law always add the finger. Freaking bastards all deserve a nice beating.

brainsmile · 02-28-2005, 04:00 PM

Drivers are getting worse for sure

gear02 · 02-28-2005, 07:53 PM

Some days I wish I drove a bumper car...

BigJon · 02-28-2005, 08:16 PM

I often times wish I had a "car-electrical-system-disabler" tazer that I could shoot at the cars with bad drivers. BANG! ZAP! *sputter sputter* *kaput* Just like that, car dead on the road.

The good news is, half of them are already on cellphones while driving...that way they can just call for a tow.

speedracer120 · 02-28-2005, 09:51 PM

No, I'd like a narrow beam EMP to disable their cell phones, and maybe their reproductive abilities as well.

InfiniteNothing · 02-28-2005, 10:38 PM

I don't know why he was mad at you at all.
PS. I had a car with more than twice the engine displacement try and race me today on a freeway on ramp.

speedracer120 · 03-01-2005, 01:27 AM

That's why they're rude and clueless. I had an idiot in a Suburban try to run me off the on-ramp as well today. I swear, is a full moon near or something? I'm starting think the lunatic theory is true or something. More and more people have been acting all whack as of late. Someone tell me, is the moon near the full phase?

Jeffbx · 03-01-2005, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markel

Because he doesn't know how to obey the driving laws, and he is blaming us for it.

x 1000

OK, anyone who doesn't know this yet (because this causes that vein in my forehead to pop out when people cut me off): YOU NEED TO STAY IN YOUR LANE WHEN YOU TURN! I busted out my l33t MS Paint skills to give an illustration:

See, if you're turning from the inside lane, STAY in the inside lane. If you're turning from the outside lane, STAY in the outside lane! You don't cross lanes when you turn! If you've done this in the past, you may want to print this picture & tape it to your dashboard so you don't forget.

If you're very familiar with this rule of driving & it peeves you off when people turn wrong & cut you off, feel free to print a batch of these up, and maybe present a copy to the offending driver at the next stop light as a public service.

whitak24 · 03-01-2005, 08:19 AM

best. MS. paint. ever.

i especially like the "hooray" and "nooooo" captions

Markel · 03-01-2005, 09:30 AM

I like the idea of the diagrams! Here's the one that I wish 95% of the drivers around here understood:

raimin · 03-01-2005, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markel

I like the idea of the diagrams! Here's the one that I wish 95% of the drivers around here understood:

but the person making the left turn can legally turn into either lane.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/pgs25thru29.htm

Markel · 03-01-2005, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raimin

but the person making the left turn can legally turn into either lane.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/pgs25thru29.htm

Too bad that California has capitulated to the lazy drivers. Here in Illinois, the rules state:

Quote:

LEFT TURNS: The following steps apply to a driver who wants to turn left:

-Give a left turn signal from the proper turning lane.
-Obey traffic signs and signals.-
-Yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and vehicles in the intersection.-
-Check all approaching traffic.-
-Point the wheels straight ahead until you actually start to turn.-
-Complete the turn into the lane closest to you going in your intended direction.

Taken from:
http://www.sos.state.il.us/publicati...ng_and_turning

(emphasis added)

DaFunkyUnit · 03-01-2005, 12:45 PM

whats annoying is when the inside (ie rightmost) turn lane leads (ie after the turn) into the freeway onramp lane. then you are forced to either a) turn into the freeway onramp lane, then quickly get out of that lane or b) do the "wrong" turn where you turn right from the inside lane but end up on the outside lane (as per Markel's diagram)

if anyone is familiar with the Cherry/Spring intersection in Long Beach, then you know what i'm talking about.

Hopper1 · 03-01-2005, 01:38 PM

My personal favorite is the person making the left turn to the outside farthest lane then quickly changing lanes back into the inside closest lane. If they would have turned into the correct lane they would not be cutting me off. Unfortunately it has almost become a standard to just choose the farthest lane when turning because people are lazy. On certain turns on my way home I have to do this or else I cannot make the next right turn because of the 30 people behind me turning into the outside lane.

Had a friend get hit making a left turn into the proper lane when someone making a right, turned into the far lane.

WhiskeyPapa · 03-01-2005, 01:51 PM

Markel, here in Minnesota, you would have been in the wrong. When waiting to make a right turn at a red light, you must wait for *all* traffic to clear, even those turning left on a green arrow into the wrong lane. Yes, bird-flippin-boy would have been wrong, but your's would have been the greater infraction.

While I'm not a big fan of a larger Federal government, I think it would be prudent to have a standard nation-wide traffic code.

speedracer120 · 03-01-2005, 02:32 PM

Traffic laws are such, that the minor differences between municipalities because there is simply too much of which to keep track. Take for instance, here in SoCal, Fullerton started using a blinking yellow left turn arrow. I wouldn't have known for sure what that was supposed to mean but for the fact that I saw on the local news that it was to yield. But what irks me about that is, if they had just added a plain green light to the signal instead of overthinking it and adding the blinking yellow arrow, I would've known that I was to yield to oncoming traffic before turning, which the blinking yellow also indicates. It all goes back to overly complicated thinking by city engineers.

I really really liked that article from Wired, where common sense ruled over bombarding drivers with signs and cues with which only the traffic engineer who thought them out really knows about. Get rid of stop signs add traffic circles or something. Make things simpler not complex.

gear02 · 03-01-2005, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedracer120

Traffic laws are such, that the minor differences between municipalities because there is simply too much of which to keep track. Take for instance, here in SoCal, Fullerton started using a blinking yellow left turn arrow. I wouldn't have known for sure what that was supposed to mean but for the fact that I saw on the local news that it was to yield. But what irks me about that is, if they had just added a plain green light to the signal instead of overthinking it and adding the blinking yellow arrow, I would've known that I was to yield to oncoming traffic before turning, which the blinking yellow also indicates. It all goes back to overly complicated thinking by city engineers.

I really really liked that article from Wired, where common sense ruled over bombarding drivers with signs and cues with which only the traffic engineer who thought them out really knows about. Get rid of stop signs add traffic circles or something. Make things simpler not complex.

I agree with everything but traffic circles. I don't think the american driver can understand circles...they just drive on there like madmen.

Plus here in DC some moron decided to put traffic lights at circles...

Markel · 03-01-2005, 03:01 PM

Yeah, traffic circles (a.k.a., "rotaries" to those of a British persuasion) have been eliminated in many areas due to the problems they create. Too many crossing paths in a short space....

speedracer120 · 03-01-2005, 03:27 PM

While I'm not married to the idea of traffic circles, I only think people are reticent and dangerous around the circles because they're just not accustomed to them. Once again, it goes back to common sense.

Here in HB, there's a street called Heil, that ends rather abruptly and idiotic high schoolers who live around the area keep running into the walls. It's not like they don't see the huge brick wall, nor do they not know the street ends. They just act the fool because they have a) no sense and b) they're just speeding.

nate el bueno · 03-01-2005, 05:26 PM

haha, those pictures are really funny. Sebulba had flames on his podracer. how wonderful. Yeah, dad if you and mom hadnt been in the car and i had been driving....
i usually try and avoid hitting walls, but hey, it happens stupid kids...

Markel · 03-01-2005, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeffbx

x 1000

OK, anyone who doesn't know this yet (because this causes that vein in my forehead to pop out when people cut me off): YOU NEED TO STAY IN YOUR LANE WHEN YOU TURN! I busted out my l33t MS Paint skills to give an illustration:...

Jeffbx, you must live near Detroit. I've never seen so many "turn right then take two left turns" in order to take a left turn anywhere else.

gear02 · 03-01-2005, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedracer120

While I'm not married to the idea of traffic circles, I only think people are reticent and dangerous around the circles because they're just not accustomed to them. Once again, it goes back to common sense.

Here in HB, there's a street called Heil, that ends rather abruptly and idiotic high schoolers who live around the area keep running into the walls. It's not like they don't see the huge brick wall, nor do they not know the street ends. They just act the fool because they have a) no sense and b) they're just speeding.

That's hilarious! It's almost wile e coyote!

speedracer120 · 03-01-2005, 06:56 PM

Oh yeah, the point of the story is that after a while the city got sick of it. So instead of just a regular intersection with the stop sign. They put in a mini-rotary. Problem solved.

Airencracken · 03-01-2005, 07:34 PM

AHHHHH it's a roundabout! not a rotary. that's what's in a rx-7!

Maarchk · 03-01-2005, 09:01 PM

I was going to say, it many states, you can turn into the lane that you choose, unless specifically there are multiple turn lanes and thus you must turn into your own lane. Otherwise, making a left or a right, techincally you can slide out a lane... Even though its dumb and can create havok for others... but then again, in cali i can u turn wherever i feel like it unless its posted not to. In oregon, i can NOT turn a U anywhere unless its posted that i can.

speedracer120 · 03-01-2005, 09:07 PM

Dude chill out. It's called a rotary in some places, and we all know a rotary engine is in the Mazda RXs.

Hypnotist · 03-01-2005, 09:52 PM

Ingnorance is bliss?... No... Ignorance is DANGEROUS! Your answer to your son was very good IMHO. Mostly, I smile and wave. Just because someone wants me to share some... I choose not to accept their stress.

Markel · 03-01-2005, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hypnotist

Mostly, I smile and wave. Just because someone wants me to share some... I choose not to accept their stress.

I know someone who recommends puckering up and "giving" them a big kiss (motion). They probably don't know how to react to that.

02-28-2005, 02:13 PM	#1
Markel Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 11,733	SS: Another rude driver rant Scene: 8:40 a.m. Sunday morning, intersection of two 4-lane roads. Light for cross traffic has just turned red (meaning that the left turn arrow for the oncoming traffic has just turned green). I'm making a right turn onto the crossing road, so (after I stop) I see the "oncoming" left turners starting to move, and I take my turn into the right hand lane. A few seconds later: I hear a cheap 4-banger winding out on my left as the first left-turner strains his car to pass and get in front of me. He then proceeds to slow down unnecessarily. I move into the left lane to go around him, and I (and my family) notice him giving us the finger (he took a right hand turn down the road). A few remarks are exchanged in my van, and my youngest (11) asks why he gave us the finger. I explain, "Because he doesn't know how to obey the driving laws, and he is blaming us for it." People that don't know how (or more likely, are too lazy) to turn into the correct lanes is one of my major driving peeves. But people who think they've been wronged when they are prevented from their driving rudeness (and have to drive correctly) make me want the built-in flame thrower on my vehicles. p.s. Wow! there's quite a collection of similarly-themed smileys! __________________ stay low... keep moving... Last edited by Markel : 02-28-2005 at 06:59 PM.

02-28-2005, 03:23 PM	#3
speedracer120 Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: HB,CA/PA Posts: 3,437	Yeah, I've always thought it odd that the stupid odd mofos who are breaking the law always add the finger. Freaking bastards all deserve a nice beating. __________________ Off in La La Land

02-28-2005, 04:00 PM	#4
brainsmile Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: woah... why is welfareloser here with me so early in the morning and more importantly why am I wearing her clothes?!? Posts: 13,754	Drivers are getting worse for sure __________________ ********************************** DCM #1 (Founder) "Nobody beats Vitus Gerulaitis 18 times in a row." - Vitus Gerulaitis on beating Jimmy Connors after 17 failed attempts.

02-28-2005, 08:16 PM	#6
BigJon Vice Admiral Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: In the kitchen...skinning onions... Posts: 4,946	I often times wish I had a "car-electrical-system-disabler" tazer that I could shoot at the cars with bad drivers. BANG! ZAP! sputter sputter kaput Just like that, car dead on the road. The good news is, half of them are already on cellphones while driving...that way they can just call for a tow. __________________

02-28-2005, 10:38 PM	#8
InfiniteNothing Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: San Diego Posts: 10,086	I don't know why he was mad at you at all. PS. I had a car with more than twice the engine displacement try and race me today on a freeway on ramp. __________________ As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.

02-28-2005, 02:16 PM	#2
navyones Captain Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,811	I am glad that you and your kid are okay. It is sad that your kid had to see how rude people can be on the roads.

02-28-2005, 07:53 PM	#5
gear02 Admiral Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 7,223	Some days I wish I drove a bumper car...

02-28-2005, 09:51 PM	#7
speedracer120 Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: HB,CA/PA Posts: 3,437	No, I'd like a narrow beam EMP to disable their cell phones, and maybe their reproductive abilities as well.

03-01-2005, 01:27 AM	#9
speedracer120 Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: HB,CA/PA Posts: 3,437	That's why they're rude and clueless. I had an idiot in a Suburban try to run me off the on-ramp as well today. I swear, is a full moon near or something? I'm starting think the lunatic theory is true or something. More and more people have been acting all whack as of late. Someone tell me, is the moon near the full phase?

03-01-2005, 08:19 AM	#11
whitak24 easily amused Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: my office Posts: 9,781	best. MS. paint. ever. i especially like the "hooray" and "nooooo" captions

03-01-2005, 09:30 AM	#12
Markel Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 11,733	I like the idea of the diagrams! Here's the one that I wish 95% of the drivers around here understood:

03-01-2005, 12:45 PM	#15
DaFunkyUnit Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: the peanut gallery Posts: 3,909	whats annoying is when the inside (ie rightmost) turn lane leads (ie after the turn) into the freeway onramp lane. then you are forced to either a) turn into the freeway onramp lane, then quickly get out of that lane or b) do the "wrong" turn where you turn right from the inside lane but end up on the outside lane (as per Markel's diagram) if anyone is familiar with the Cherry/Spring intersection in Long Beach, then you know what i'm talking about. __________________

03-01-2005, 01:38 PM	#16
Hopper1 Lieutenant Commander Join Date: May 2000 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 611	My personal favorite is the person making the left turn to the outside farthest lane then quickly changing lanes back into the inside closest lane. If they would have turned into the correct lane they would not be cutting me off. Unfortunately it has almost become a standard to just choose the farthest lane when turning because people are lazy. On certain turns on my way home I have to do this or else I cannot make the next right turn because of the 30 people behind me turning into the outside lane. Had a friend get hit making a left turn into the proper lane when someone making a right, turned into the far lane. __________________ To alcohol! the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems. -Homer Simpson Flickr

03-01-2005, 01:51 PM	#17
WhiskeyPapa Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: 45° 11' 35" North Latitude, 95° 8' 37" West Longitude Posts: 3,427	Markel, here in Minnesota, you would have been in the wrong. When waiting to make a right turn at a red light, you must wait for all traffic to clear, even those turning left on a green arrow into the wrong lane. Yes, bird-flippin-boy would have been wrong, but your's would have been the greater infraction. While I'm not a big fan of a larger Federal government, I think it would be prudent to have a standard nation-wide traffic code. __________________

03-01-2005, 02:32 PM	#18
speedracer120 Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: HB,CA/PA Posts: 3,437	Traffic laws are such, that the minor differences between municipalities because there is simply too much of which to keep track. Take for instance, here in SoCal, Fullerton started using a blinking yellow left turn arrow. I wouldn't have known for sure what that was supposed to mean but for the fact that I saw on the local news that it was to yield. But what irks me about that is, if they had just added a plain green light to the signal instead of overthinking it and adding the blinking yellow arrow, I would've known that I was to yield to oncoming traffic before turning, which the blinking yellow also indicates. It all goes back to overly complicated thinking by city engineers. I really really liked that article from Wired, where common sense ruled over bombarding drivers with signs and cues with which only the traffic engineer who thought them out really knows about. Get rid of stop signs add traffic circles or something. Make things simpler not complex.

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03-01-2005, 03:01 PM	#20
Markel Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 11,733	Yeah, traffic circles (a.k.a., "rotaries" to those of a British persuasion) have been eliminated in many areas due to the problems they create. Too many crossing paths in a short space....

03-01-2005, 03:27 PM	#21
speedracer120 Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: HB,CA/PA Posts: 3,437	While I'm not married to the idea of traffic circles, I only think people are reticent and dangerous around the circles because they're just not accustomed to them. Once again, it goes back to common sense. Here in HB, there's a street called Heil, that ends rather abruptly and idiotic high schoolers who live around the area keep running into the walls. It's not like they don't see the huge brick wall, nor do they not know the street ends. They just act the fool because they have a) no sense and b) they're just speeding.

03-01-2005, 05:26 PM	#22
nate el bueno Spawn of Markel Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: IL Posts: 1,246	haha, those pictures are really funny. Sebulba had flames on his podracer. how wonderful. Yeah, dad if you and mom hadnt been in the car and i had been driving.... i usually try and avoid hitting walls, but hey, it happens stupid kids...

03-01-2005, 06:56 PM	#25
speedracer120 Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: HB,CA/PA Posts: 3,437	Oh yeah, the point of the story is that after a while the city got sick of it. So instead of just a regular intersection with the stop sign. They put in a mini-rotary. Problem solved.

03-01-2005, 07:34 PM	#26
Airencracken Admiral Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: California Posts: 6,681	AHHHHH it's a roundabout! not a rotary. that's what's in a rx-7! __________________ "I remember my first orgasm, I just wish someone was there to share it with me..."11-05-2003 05:33 AM - Topane They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, & the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opiate of the masses. - Karl Marx Hell is other people - Jean-Paul Sartre

03-01-2005, 09:01 PM	#27
Maarchk Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Where the east meets the west. Posts: 3,066	I was going to say, it many states, you can turn into the lane that you choose, unless specifically there are multiple turn lanes and thus you must turn into your own lane. Otherwise, making a left or a right, techincally you can slide out a lane... Even though its dumb and can create havok for others... but then again, in cali i can u turn wherever i feel like it unless its posted not to. In oregon, i can NOT turn a U anywhere unless its posted that i can. __________________ "The girl is crafty like ice is cold." "I left my heart in san francisco... And my liver at Moe's Tavern." A real friend is one who listens to you as much as they talk to you.

03-01-2005, 09:07 PM	#28
speedracer120 Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: HB,CA/PA Posts: 3,437	Dude chill out. It's called a rotary in some places, and we all know a rotary engine is in the Mazda RXs.

03-01-2005, 09:52 PM	#29
Hypnotist Lieutenant Commander Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: At this very moment... Uppermost in Your MIND Posts: 862	Ingnorance is bliss?... No... Ignorance is DANGEROUS! Your answer to your son was very good IMHO. Mostly, I smile and wave. Just because someone wants me to share some... I choose not to accept their stress. __________________ I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him. Galileo Galilei

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