Road Rage Random Thoughts Thread

[Shotgun Chuck]

Another 45 MPH guy today. I still have no idea why people do this. At least I got a chance to pass him this time.

It was a blue F-150, so it might have been the rain panicker that held me up a few weeks ago.

[notalwaysright]

Another 45 MPH guy today. I still have no idea why people do this.

My dad drives pretty slow, it's because he feels it's safer that way. Our state doesn't have posted minimums, and he stays out of the passing lane. I agree it's super annoying, but he'll fight tooth and nail about this, maintaining that he shouldn't be compelled to drive exactly the speed limit, "that's why it's a LIMIT." I try to say that if he's going significantly under, that in itself becomes dangerous, and he could get ticketed because of that, but he won't listen.

So... Yeah. Just a little insight. I'm with you, though. I kept having to drive on a two-lane scenic highway with a speed limit of 55, and it was terrible getting behind someone tooling along at 40. There were only a couple of safe passing zones.

Oh, almost forgot! My rant. When a light turns green, that means go! It doesn't mean "let off the break, coast until you're midway into the intersection, then break around the corner, never going faster than a slow walking pace." Arg!

[Shotgun Chuck]

So... Yeah. Just a little insight. I'm with you, though. I kept having to drive on a two-lane scenic highway with a speed limit of 55, and it was terrible getting behind someone tooling along at 40. There were only a couple of safe passing zones.

This, so much. I drive a two-lane road to get to work. There's only three passing zones in the 9 miles between my neighborhood and the town I work in (think 4 or 5 the whole road), and because the universe is a jerk all three of them will usually be locked down by oncoming traffic (even when there are large gaps elsewhere on the road). So I rarely actually get an opportunity to pass these mobile roadblocks, and for some reason they're usually going all the way into town too.

It's even worse on those lovely backroads. Curves tend to mean no safe place to pass, and everyone tends to wet their pants and slow down to 35-45 MPH regardless of the speed limit when they see "curves ahead". Even when they live on that road and take those curves every day. If you're really that worried, perhaps a morbidly obese crossover SUV wasn't the best car you could have chosen.

[Slave to the Phone]

To the jerk who was tailgating people and weaving in and out of traffic on the I17: I was passing a semi. I was already going 5 over the 75 mph speed limit, there was no need to get on my bumper and flash your lights at me. What happened next was all your fault.

I was going to move over to the right lane as soon as I could see the both of the truck's headlights in my rear view mirror. You couldn't wait and had to cut me off, despite the fact that I had my signals on. (You are excused for not knowing what that blinking light meant, nobody uses them here so you probably thought I was doing my Christmas decorating early.)

Back to the point, which is actually the best part! Mr. Impatient Jerk cut me off to the right, causing the semi to break and sound its horn. Mr. Impatient Jerk stomped on the gas and shot off. Right past a pretty well known spot where cops like to sit and watch traffic. Happily enough for the ending of this story, there was a cop sitting there, the pretty blue and red lights started flashing and a few miles down the highway, there was Mr. Impatient Jerk having a conversation with Officer Friendly

[Cia]

bg - Omaha is one of the main roads through town - two lanes east and west - the name changes to West Chicago once you cross Deadwood Ave., it's odd same road two names depending on if you're east or west of Deadwood Avenue. - bg

Heading west on West Chicago in the right lane going the speed limit of 50mph, heard a loud buzzing going by me on the right in the break down lane. A freakin' motorcycle went by going at least 65mph passing by everyone and eventually getting into the right lane before weaving through traffic. Startled the crap out of me, I almost swerved into the breakdown lane.

The asshole was very, very lucky someone wasn't turning right onto Cement Plant Road because there would be no place for him to go beyond straight through the turning vehicle. If he'd turned left he'd go into traffic, right would send him down the hill into the chain link fence surrounding the cement plant property.

What in the hell was going through this jerkoff's brain? There was quite a bit a traffic on the road for that time of day, he could've taken out at least four cars if he'd wrecked or, depending on where he wrecked, become one with pine trees.

[eltf177]

Slave to the Phone - Gotta love it when karma comes to call!

Cia - Don't worry, clowns like that will eventually end up road pizza. We just hope they only take themselves out and not some poor innocent...

[Deserted]

Ah, lovely drivers of beautiful Desert Hell...

GET THE FUCK OFF THE PHONE WHEN YOU'RE DOING 70 IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON THE FUCKING FREEWAY!!!

[ahem] I feel better now.

[BPFH]

Happily enough for the ending of this story, there was a cop sitting there, the pretty blue and red lights started flashing and a few miles down the highway, there was Mr. Impatient Jerk having a conversation with Officer Friendly

In rural areas, several 400-series Ontario highways have big signs proclaiming the penalty for exceeding the speed limit (100 km/h) by 50 km/h or more, to-wit: $10,000 fine, roadside license suspension, and roadside vehicle seizure. This guy might help explain why...

I'm heading east on 402 toward London to take my fiancée (now wife) home. Since I've driven this route before, I know to watch my speed and check the crossovers at 28 and 32 km for police - at the time, the trees had grown up quite close to the crossovers, so if the police were hiding at either location and you weren't careful, you wouldn't see them until it was too late.

Sure enough, there's a cop in the 32 km crossover.

Several hours later, I'm on my way back, and I'm getting closer to the guy in front of me than I'd like, so I check my mirrors to see if it's safe to pass. Nope - there's a car in the left lane coming up really fast. (Given my speed of 110-120 km/h at the time, I'm betting he was doing at least 140.) So, I wait for him to pass, re-check my mirrors, and then pull out to pass.

Oh, wait, it's the 34 km marker. I slow down.

That section of 402 is relatively flat and straight, and the weather is good, so seeing 2 km down the road is easy. What do I see happen 2 km in front of me? Do I hear, "A cop in hot pursuit of a speeder"? 'Cuz that's what happened...

...and several kilometers farther down the road, I pass the speeder, pulled over and likely getting a severe bollocking from the OPP.

[siskaren]

I
...and several kilometers farther down the road, I pass the speeder, pulled over and likely getting a severe bollocking from the OPP.

I had that happen to me one time (someone blew past me like I was standing still when I was doing the limit), and I gotta say, I laughed when I passed them.

[Slave to the Phone]

Instant Karma witnessed is always the best

What is really entertaining about that spot on the road is that everyone who drives it on even a semi-regular basis knows that there is at least 1 cop car there at any given time.

We've just finished going down a 2 lane winding mountain road with sharp curves and a speed limit of 55. Finally, the road is flat, visibility is clear and the speed limit has picked up back to 75. The slow and slower traffic is sorting itself out and impatient drivers just have to perform their antics in front of a very logical speed trap.

BTW Deserted, its not just Phx. And sad to say, its not just Az. People are stupid all over.

[Seanette]

Can anyone come up with an explanation for why the "drivers" in this area seem to be phobic about turning on their lights?

Example situations recently observed:

Overcast, gloomy, and raining, around 8-something in the morning. At least half the cars are running dark.

After 6:30pm, sun has completely set, but sky not yet completely dark. Somewhere between a quarter and a third of the cars are not lit.

Is there an explanation beyond Slave's comment that "People are stupid all over."?

[notalwaysright]

Example situations recently observed:

Overcast, gloomy, and raining, around 8-something in the morning. At least half the cars are running dark.

Weird. Around here I feel like most people drive with their lights on all the time. I know I do... I mean, my car is gray. The road is gray. The sky is gray. There's often fog or thick low cloud cover. So lights seem like a good choice. It's the exception to see someone without lights on, even in just low-light times of the day.

[catcul]

That section of 402 is relatively flat and straight, and the weather is good, so seeing 2 km down the road is easy. What do I see happen 2 km in front of me? Do I hear, "A cop in hot pursuit of a speeder"? 'Cuz that's what happened...

...and several kilometers farther down the road, I pass the speeder, pulled over and likely getting a severe bollocking from the OPP.

I saw something similar on Business 85 one time. I still find it hilarious.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Instant Karma witnessed is always the best

Oh, very much so. I've seen it happen a few times.

- Jerkoff driving up the right shoulder in a traffic jam. I was in the passenger seat and saw another car pull out behind Jerkoff. Then second car pops on its flashy blue lights. We passed by Jerkoff a few minutes later, while Ossifer Friendly wrote him a ticket.

- Coming back from Otakon one evening with the GF. We see Jackass come speeding up the on-ramp onto the highway. We then watch a car creep up from two cars back to behind us, then creep up behind Jackass, then pop on his flashy blue lights. GF and I burst out laughing at how karma paid out.

- Waiting at a red light to turn left, I've just gotten the left-turn arrow when I see a car some speeding through the intersection, running the red. He just makes it through the intersection when he blows a tire, with sparks shooting up. When I make my turn, guy's already pulled onto the shoulder, his car sitting on a rim.

[Cia]

Weird. Around here I feel like most people drive with their lights on all the time. I know I do... I mean, my car is gray. The road is gray. The sky is gray. There's often fog or thick low cloud cover. So lights seem like a good choice. It's the exception to see someone without lights on, even in just low-light times of the day.

During Stormageddon two or three years ago I'm trying to get to my parents house since they have heat and electricity and ours was out. Two lane road, white out conditions and I'm really not to sure if I'm on the road or the sidewalk. Out of the whiteness comes a large white pickup w/o lights on - no running lights, fog lights nor headlights. I'm running with all three - running, fog and heads - and am still worried I won't be seen but this fool was just a moving snowbank w/o a care in the world.