Road Rage Random Thoughts Thread

[SpyOne]

One from back when I was a bicycle commuter:

Dear Drivers,
There is a line on the pavement at most intersections called the "Stop Line". The law requires that, if the light is red (or when you arrive at the Stop Sign), you bring your vehicle to a full stop so that no part of your vehicle is in front of, or above, that line.
Failure to do so is legally the same as not stopping at all.
Having trouble finding the line at this intersection? Experience suggest that if you open your driver's door and look back it will be easy to spot. It is probably right in front of your rear wheel.
As a guy who was going to be crossing your path in the crosswalk, and who has the right-of-way because that light is red, I really appreciate you not stopping until your front bumper is in the crosswalk (if you stopped at all).

Nothing makes you aware of just how bad the average driver has become like stripping off all your collision armor and going among them on a bicycle, keenly aware that if they do something stupid that causes a crash you are going to the hospital while they probably won't even need to repaint.

[EricKei]

I'm sure there is a reason cars aren't already built that way.

Cheaper to make. Note that this has absolutely no bearing on the cost they charge the consumer.

The signs on the highway say this:

MOVE OVER OR SLOW DOWN FOR STOPPED EMERGENCY VEHICLES

Fair enough, but it varies by state Where I live, it's this way:

- If there are enough lanes (rare outside of the few BIG cities), move over to the right far enough to leave the far left lane AND the lane next to it clear

- If not, pull over, slow down, and prepare to stop (read: you don't HAVE to stop unless someone ahead of you does -- which they usually have anyway -- or if the emergency vehicle needs the space to get through)

Oh, if only the jaywalking law in my city were actually enforced...but the fine has to be far steeper than $1 (really old law).

It being an "old law" makes perfect sense to me Jaywalking laws date back to the early days of automobiles actually becoming popular. While it stands to reason that they were written in order to promote pedestrian safety, that's not the case. They were written because there were too many pedestrian deaths due to cars, so the solution was to force the stupid pedestrians to get out of the cars' way, as the notion that the drivers should have to pay attention where they're going was simply unacceptable. (Note that "jay" is an old slur that means "idiot")

[KellyHabersham]

To some bike riders in the area:

Please keep in mind that as a pedestrian, I CAN'T see or hear you coming up behind me. Don't wait until you're about to crash into me to say something like "Excuse me!" or "Coming up behind you!"

Also, please keep in mind that sometimes there is NOT a good place where I can move aside to let you pass. I had a girl yesterday who pretty much gave me the options of either stepping into traffic or standing in a large hedge because she just "had" to pass me on the sidewalk right there.

[Jay 2K Winger]

(Note that "jay" is an old slur that means "idiot")

...sadface...

[Dreamstalker]

Don't wait until you're about to crash into me to say something like "Excuse me!" or "Coming up behind you!"

Oh, I hear ya. Especially galling are the ones who do announce themselves "On your left/right!", but then proceed to mirror my movements and then scream at me for "not getting out of the way". You told me how you wanted me to move, don't get shirty when you prevent my doing so.

[SpyOne]

Jaywalking laws date back to the early days of automobiles actually becoming popular. While it stands to reason that they were written in order to promote pedestrian safety, that's not the case. They were written because there were too many pedestrian deaths due to cars, so the solution was to force the stupid pedestrians to get out of the cars' way, as the notion that the drivers should have to pay attention where they're going was simply unacceptable. (Note that "jay" is an old slur that means "idiot")

As pointed out by Adam Ruins Everything, Jaywalking laws were the result of a PR campaign by car makers to prevent cities from banning cars.
https://youtu.be/vxopfjXkArM

[Blue Ginger]

To the fruit loop in the hire truck,
The speed limit is 80km, That does not mean that you sit on 40 or 50 or randomly brake and accelerate between 40 and 60. It means 80. Yes, there are roadworks. They are over there. This road is still good and they aren't working on it.

Those funny things on the side of the truck are called mirrors. You need to look at them every now and then. When you have a massive line of people stuck behind you because you can't do the speed limit, the nice and polite thing to do is PULL THE FUCK OVER IN ONE OF THE MANY SIDE AREAS SO WE CAN ALL GO PAST YOU!

And when some one does get a chance to overtake, don't suddenly find the bloody accelerator. Yeah, I cut you off, but that's because there were a few cars and a truck coming and you decided to go faster when I was overtaking you. Bloody Fucking Moron.

Signed
The pissed off driver of the cute little mint green beast.

(I can't wait for the roadworks to be finished so there will be a divided highway with 2 lanes going each way. No more being stuck behind drivers who can't find the accelerator until you are trying to overtake or drivers who should never have been allowed to drive to begin with.)

[EricKei]

J2K: There, their, they're *pats him on the back* No worries, the 'winger' part more than makes up for it

[AkaiKitsune]

Dear idiot.
You don't have a license to drive a giant flatbed truck. This is a small, narrow side street with parking on the road. You work for a big name company.

You also have the right to refuse work if it's unsafe for yourself or others. Guess what! This situation counts! Guess what else? You can bet your ass you're paying for the repairs on my car that I just got after 12 yrs of saving and riding the bus. If ICBC writes it off I'm still taking you to court because you had other options besides trying to turn around in the middle of the narrow road. (Could have knocked on the door and said 'please move your car', could have used the other guy in your truck as a spotter, could have refused and called someone to help you out.)

Here's an idea, make sure your are driving something you are actually licensed to drive.

----

Dear gramps in the fancy sports car

This is a highway and the speed limit on this particular stretch is 80. Not 30. Either find your gas pedal or get off the highway. You're holding up traffic and it's too busy for me to be able to change lanes when they're all going a good 20 over the limit and I'm stuck putting behind you at 30. Thank you for turning a usually 10min drive to work into a 45min chug. Now I have to go work around food while I haven't eaten yet because you took up all my pre-shift food eating time.

Oh? And then you decide you need to pass through my till on your way back from wherever you came from? Well guess what? I'm gonna take my time, just like you did down the highway. Oh, you have places to be? Sorry, our tills suck and if I scan any faster it will confuse the machine so it will freeze to process your order and that would take even longer (yes are machines suck but not quite that bad and when they freeze its usually because we pressed something we shouldn't have or the rewards card system is down and you used your card.)

---

Mirrors and shoulder checks. You might want to use them before just randomly driving into someone's lane

---

This is a sidewalk. You are in a car and this supposed to be on the road. I realize it's a pain in the ass to wait when someone's turning left and there's traffic, but that doesn't give you the right to run up on the sidewalk and nearly run over the pedestrian. There are reasons after all why sidewalks and roads are separate and distinct from each other.

---

Dear teenage brats.

Revving your engine beside a horse on the trail next to the road is not cool or funny. You're a douche plain and simple. The fact that you moved onto the curb to get a closer and more dramatic reaction makes you an asshat. Oh? My horse struck out at the loud scary monster coming to eat it? It completely caved in one side of your trucks door and now it won't open? Guess what? If that caused any harm to my horse you will be hearing from the lovely shark of a lawyer that my barn employs to deal with garbage like you. Oh you got out of the car yelling and screaming about the damage my beast did to your car? Don't care. You try to hit my horse and he reared up and struck you? Well, who could have seen that coming? Guess what assholes, my horse is worth more money then your car. Guess what, vet bills are expensive and I'm so glad you'll be paying them for me because even if he looks unharmed I'm getting him checked anyway. And ya know what, you idiots did this right in front of where the cops hang out to catch speeders and officer friendly saw the whole thing. Oh, and did you know he's apparently an animal lover and initially tried for RCMP? Sucks to be you now doesn't it.

[greek_jester]

Revving your engine beside a horse on the trail next to the road is not cool or funny. You're a douche plain and simple. The fact that you moved onto the curb to get a closer and more dramatic reaction makes you an asshat.

Hope your horse is OK. I'd love to see idiots like that tried for attempted murder, given that the worst-case scenario of startling a horse is that the rider gets thrown and breaks their neck/gets thrown under the wheels of oncoming traffic.

[Minflick]

Or gets thrown and lands under the damned horse when it lands...... Assholes!

[notalwaysright]

Good for the horse! My neighbor growing up had horses and one in particular was interesting around dogs. We lived in the middle of nowhere, which I guess meant people didn't leash their dogs? These were sort of unofficial trails. So they let the dog run barking and nipping around a horse. The horse calmly kept going, seemingly ignoring the dog. Then suddenly it'd do this little hop...(seriously, the horse barely looked like it moved when it did this maneuver) Kicking the dog. Now the owner's mad, and my neighbor just rides away. As far as I know, the dogs were all okay-ish. Probably bruised but not dead. If your dog can't be trusted around other animals it should be on a leash or at the very least just grab it's collar or something.

Anyway, don't mess with horses, they're smart and huge. This should be common sense but we know how many people have that...

[Cia]

Saw a tour bus attempt to take out an SUV yesterday. The tour bus was in the right line, an SUV drove up next to it in the right turn lane. Light goes green the SUV starts to turn right and so does the tour bus, who turns his right turn signal on whilst turning. The SUV stops quickly and either jumps or hits the curb while honking. The tour bus misses the SUV by inches and turns widely, in fact he turns so widely he's turning into on coming traffic.

The road we were on runs east (I was behind the bus), the lanes the tour bus turned into run north (he should've been turning into the south bound lane). The bus driver was lucky there weren't any cars stopped at the red light in the north bound lanes since he would've creamed them.

The tour bus driver failed spectacularly. He didn't have his right turn signal on while waiting for the light to turn green, he wasn't angled into the right turn lane at all so no one knew he was going to turn and he didn't check his mirrors for vehicles that might be in the turn lane.

Wish I had a dash cam.

[Crossbow]

Dear Mr. Distracted Audi Driver-
I don't appreciate you speeding up behind me at a light then coming to a rapid stop so close behind me that I can't see your headlights (Yes, I know they're on. I saw them as you flew up to climb in my trunk.) I also saw that you weren't watching the road much, and were paying more attention to the phone in your hand, a fact that was made obvious by sitting there like an idiot when the light did turn green and I moved. You, however, didn't move until someone behind you hit their horn.

I do not apologize in the least if you soiled your pants at the next red light (nor will I pay any cleaning bill), when you did the same thing, but slammed to a skidding halt when you saw I had put my vehicle in reverse. If you'd been paying attention, it wouldn't have been an issue.

Put the phone down and pay attention before you kill someone.

[notalwaysright]

Today I watched a car trying to turn left at a light, it was quite busy and the light turned yellow and then red. This car was stopped where he should have been, back at the white line. He was not in the intersection. After the light turned red I think two cars went through completely solid red. So now the light has been red for a bit. Suddenly the car waiting to turn left decides to leisurely make that turn... Almost getting hit by cross traffic. I mean, I could see if that person had edged into the intersection, then they're forced to make the turn. But this guy deliberately went into traffic... How are there not more accidents.