Road Rage Random Thoughts Thread

[greek_jester]

I'm in the correct lane I need to be in for the upcoming roundabout, and have been for the last couple of minutes. I'm driving along, and there's a lorry beside me that also needs to be in my lane for the upcoming roundabout. Evidently that warrants me getting blasted with his horn because he wasn't willing to slow down and draw in behind me.

I'm sorry, if you're moving lanes the onus is on you to be sure you can move over safely. The vehicles already in that lane are under no obligation to move out of your way* even if some people do let you in to be nice. Honking me just makes me ignore you.

*The caveat is, of course, that emergency services have right of way in any situation if they have their lights/sirens on.

[Pixelated]

Went out to run some errands today and boy howdy ... the road was FULL of impatient idiots. People screeching across two lanes so they could make a left turn (it's the CITY, buddy, it's not like your next opportunity to make a turn is 50 miles down the road); people pulling halfway into the intersection on a red light because they're trying to prove ... something; people weaving in and out of traffic because apparently they are late to sign the accords for a Middle East peace agreement ...

On the flip side, there was the driver who sat patiently while a squirrel with a highly inflated ego sauntered casually across the road ...

[Slave to the Phone]

Driving up a highway on-ramp, I saw 3 deer standing about 6 feet away from the ramp. I hit my brakes, slowed down to 20 and prayed they wouldn't startle and jump in front of me. All was good until a car got on the ramp behind me and started blaring the horn.

Deer jumped in 3 different directions (happily none of them went for the highway), and scattered. I hit the gas and was doing 55 when we hit the merging lane. That wasn't fast enough for the driver behind me who crossed the gore line to get in front of me and gave me a 1 finger salute on the way.

Am I sorry that I slowed him down to avoid death and damage? No. Killing a large animal because one doesn't want to to kill/hurt/maim and risk damage to one's property is not a bad thing.

[Blue Ginger]

I'd be slowing down too Slave. Hitting them can potentially kill you or seriously injure you. And because they are a bit taller, they can come through the windscreen. With sharp pointy things on their heads.

Most people slow down for kangaroos here. The buggers generally bounce away from cars, but sometimes they don't. I have seen photos of one that bounced ONTO the front of a car. He left 2 very big imprints from his size 1 million feet.

[Slave to the Phone]

I would slow down for kangaroos as well! They seem to be rather large with thick, heavy duty points on those size 1 million feets. Of course, I slow down for unleashed animals or children (kids scare the heck out of me, you never know what they are going to do) and any wild animal that looks close enough to to leap/run/scamper under my wheels.

Sometimes means I have to choose between a groundhog/squirrel/jackrabbit/snake jumping on the freeway and me (cause trying to avoid killing a small animal stupid enough to run around on a road with thick traffic moving at 80+ mph would probably kill me). So far, I have always chosen me, but risking my life and some stupid deer's to save another driver maybe 15 seconds of time just isn't going to happen.

At that time of the day, the driver was heading to work. Its not that hard to build extra time into the morning so one can leave earlier enough that a few minute delay isn't going to cause stress. The easiest way to do this is to go to bed 10 minutes earlier and wake up 10 minutes earlier. All the stress is gone when you know that you won't be late due to accidents, idiot deer/drivers who slow down for them/flooding/etc.

[notalwaysright]

I swear people, learn how four way stops work. They can work very well. But some people drive up and inside their head must be crickets chirping or something. They just sit there. I'd honestly rather deal with the people who think it's their turn when it's not. Because at least then somebody is GOING, instead of just sitting there.

I know this post is a copy of many of my previous posts, but I'm going to say it again. Just because it's a roundabout doesn't mean that lanes magically stop existing. Roundabouts seem to break people's brains around here, for no reason. There have been roundabouts in this area for enough years that it shouldn't be so hard to deal with. Lanes are always lanes, you stay in them, idiots.

[Seanette]

In what sane world does rain mean "speed up, preferably without lights on"?

It's not the world the "drivers" in my area inhabit.

[Nunavut Pants]

I swear people, learn how four way stops work. ... But some people drive up and inside their head must be crickets chirping or something. They just sit there.

I always figure that they're waiting for the stop sign to turn green...

[mhkohne]

I always figure that they're waiting for the stop sign to turn green...

I did that one time. I was tired, and fortunately no one was around to witness me wait at a 4 way stop for 5 minutes waiting for the sign to change.

[Seanette]

I did that one time. I was tired, and fortunately no one was around to witness me wait at a 4 way stop for 5 minutes waiting for the sign to change.

I've done it myself.

[notalwaysright]

Yet again at the same four way stop. As I pull up I always look around to see where the cars are, who is getting to the stop first, etc. This time I only see one car, waaaaay back from the stop sign. I can barely SEE the car, it's hidden behind the median, at least three or four car lengths back from the white line. It's stopped, and I decide it must have some problem that I can't see, so I make my stop and start to go.

HOOONK! That car had started to (slowly) pull forward, and when she sees I'm going to go, she hits the horn and the gas and manages to actually make it into the intersection. Here's a hint, lady. Stop at the line. Not half a mile away from it.

[greek_jester]

You know, I get wanting to be nice to other road users. If you're in a queue of traffic that isn't moving, you're supposed to leave side roads accessible so that people can get in/out, and it's just good manners.

What is not permissible, and will get you pulled over by a cop if they see you, is stopping dead in the middle of moving traffic and letting people turn across the road in front of you when you've got multiple cars behind you.

Seriously, you deserved the long lean on the horn that you got. You're lucky I wasn't just behind you, as I'd be sending a copy of my dashcam's footage to the local cops so that they could track you down and give you a lecture about safe driving.

[BPFH]

Okay, people, the signs at a roundabout are YIELD signs. If someone's already in the roundabout, you YIELD the right-of-way by stopping and waiting until they're clear. Yes, there are yield signs at all four entrances to the roundabout. No, that does NOT mean that you treat it like a four-way stop!

[Edit]
Happened again today at the same intersection, but it was the idiot right in front of me this time. Is it something about the drivers there?

[notalwaysright]

Lady walking on the sidewalk like normal, then BOOM steps into the crosswalk. Yes, it's a crosswalk. But you can't just jump into the road. She gave zero indication she would not just continue straight on the sidewalk, and she was walking quickly. No hesitation. She gave me such a stink eye, too. Lady, someday you'll do that in front of someone not paying attention.

[EricKei]

A couple of interstate exchanges here are getting remodeled, and some have speculated that they may be becoming roundabouts/traffic circles. The feeling of abject terror from some of the respondents was almost palpable.