My first car accident!

[XCashier]

...it's like they just don't even bother to look at all

They don't. And it's not just drivers, it's pedestrians, cyclists, everyone. So many people nowadays are so wrapped up in themselves and their own little worlds that they fail to observe the real world around them. They do stupid things like applying makeup or reading a book while driving, messing around with their iPod or texting while walking down the street, and are surprised when they find themselves in an accident...an accident that could've been easily avoided had they been paying attention to their surroundings.

[Pagan]

It just bothers me that this happens wayyyyy too often. I mean, people have come close before, but now it's like they just don't even bother to look at all, and if they see you and stop themselves, they get mad at you!

There was some woman in a letter to the editor a while back actually saying that people driving along were supposed to yield to people backing up out of spaces! I just wonder which box of cereal she got her DL out of.

[mikoyan29]

There was some woman in a letter to the editor a while back actually saying that people driving along were supposed to yield to people backing up out of spaces! I just wonder which box of cereal she got her DL out of.

That's a new one by me. I remember during driver's ed, we were driving thorugh the parking lot and the instructor said that if you're cutting across the lanes, you are supposed to yield to people in the driving lanes. But then again, people treat yield signs like nice recommendations and stop signs like a speed bump (maybe tap on brakes....maybe not...who knows). I would love to see cops enforce this stuff but they barely enforce speed limits....

[Pagan]

That's a new one by me. I remember during driver's ed, we were driving thorugh the parking lot and the instructor said that if you're cutting across the lanes, you are supposed to yield to people in the driving lanes. But then again, people treat yield signs like nice recommendations and stop signs like a speed bump (maybe tap on brakes....maybe not...who knows). I would love to see cops enforce this stuff but they barely enforce speed limits....

That lady was serious, too. That's what scares me!

It seems like around here that a significant portion of the driving public seems to be somewhat confused as to what "right-of-way" means.

[mikoyan29]

That lady was serious, too. That's what scares me!

It seems like around here that a significant portion of the driving public seems to be somewhat confused as to what "right-of-way" means.

Let's see:
1. People are supposed to yield to pedestrians wherever they are. Go to a shopping place on a Saturday and watch this happen.
2. People are supposed to stop a red light, wait for the traffic to clear and then make thier right turn. I think I just saw an honest politician.
3. People are supposed to stop at a stop sign and wait for traffic to clear before proceeding. Wow, the Easter Bunny.
4. People are supposed to stop at the driveway of a store before entering the road. Hmmm....Santa.
5. Y-e-eld? What does this mean?
6. Traffic lights become 4 way stops when they are out. This one is a real good one.
7. When making a lane change, check your mirrors, look over your shoulder towards the lane you are merging to. Flip on your blinker. If clear, merge over. Same procedure applies when getting on the freeway.
8. People making a left turn are supposed to yield to oncoming traffic before making their left turn.
9. When the light turns yellow, stop if you can.

[Andara Bledin]

6. Traffic lights become 4 way stops when they are out. This one is a real good one.

Freakishly, in the lousy-driving neighborhood I work in, the local intersection that most often loses it's signal and drops to a 4-way stop is the most orderly 4-way stop I've ever had to go through.

I don't know what happens to the normal drivers who go through there, but if the light isn't working, they're much more sane.

^-.-^

[Chanlin]

People like this make me almost paranoidally careful when I'm backing-up; you also have the people who just don't look to see you backing-up and walk/drive right into you!

Best advice my driving instructor ever gave me was "drive like everyone else on the road has no idea what the hell they are doing". This advice hasn't failed me yet.

[Andara Bledin]

Best advice my driving instructor ever gave me was "drive like everyone else on the road has no idea what the hell they are doing". This advice hasn't failed me yet.

++

My instructor said the same thing. I thought he was brilliant.

^-.-^

[Sedorna]

Let's see:
1. People are supposed to yield to pedestrians wherever they are. Go to a shopping place on a Saturday and watch this happen.

Actually, that's not quite true everywhere. Unless I'm mistaken, if I'm crossing against the light or jaywalking, then I do not have the right of way.

Besides, the right of way for SC's can be summed up as follows:

1. I always have the right of way, no matter what. And that 18-wheeler/train/meteor crashing to the earth had better stop on a dime, 'cause there's no way I'm going to.

Also, not to agree with an SC or something, but perhaps the parking lot lady meant that drivers should be careful that cars might be exiting spots. I know that sometimes I'm parked between 2 vehicles larger than my car, and I often can't see if it's clear as I'm backing out...very slowly and carefully, I might add.

[Pagan]

Best advice my driving instructor ever gave me was "drive like everyone else on the road has no idea what the hell they are doing". This advice hasn't failed me yet.

From what I've seen today, it's because they don't....and they're on a cell phone (which is against the law here).

Also, not to agree with an SC or something, but perhaps the parking lot lady meant that drivers should be careful that cars might be exiting spots. I know that sometimes I'm parked between 2 vehicles larger than my car, and I often can't see if it's clear as I'm backing out...very slowly and carefully, I might add.

No, she actually said that people already in the driving area are supposed to yield to people backing up.

[Primer]

7. When making a lane change, check your mirrors, look over your shoulder towards the lane you are merging to. Flip on your blinker. If clear, merge over.

Blinker? what's that?

In 1977, my cousin (in WI) cussed me out for always remembering to signal my lane changes. She kept forgetting. DH seems to believe in waiting until it's clear first, before signaling, then turning it off before he's all the way over. I learned to signal first, and that (supposedly) lets people know you WANT to get over. Down here (in TX), it seems to tell people to speed up and cut me off.

[Rapscallion]

Blinker? what's that?

Here in UKlandialand, we call them indicators.

Rapscallion

[Broomjockey]

Actually, that's not quite true everywhere. Unless I'm mistaken, if I'm crossing against the light or jaywalking, then I do not have the right of way.

Depends on where you are. I'm fairly certain that I've heard cases where a pedestrian was struck crossing against the light, and the driver was held liable. That would seem to indicate that the pedestrian still had right-of-way.

[IT Grunt]

Had a lady back into my car once. I was running my co-worker down to the local autoshop to pick up his truck, and I pulled off the street into the parking lot long enough to let him out. Meanwhile, lady has hopped into a pickup parked in the lot. My co-worker always walks around the car on the driver's side so I can pull back into traffic. However, Miss I'm Not Gonna Look just throws it into reverse and backs up, missing my co-worker by inches and shoving my entire fender and wheel well in. Apparently she had hopped into the truck before I pulled in, and since no one was there when she got in, she figured she didn't have to look.

Turns out she was driving a truck off a used car lot that she worked for, so I had to deal with their fly-by-night insurance agency that wouldn't even give me a rental without me paying for it up front (yeah, like I can afford that for a week), and took 4 /months/ to finally cut a check and get it to me. During that time I had to drive with a mashed up fender. Thankfully, the body shop I took it to for the estimate was cool about it and honored the original estimate to match the check they cut me. Still, I'm always on the lookout when I run him down there these days, because I never know.

[mikoyan29]

Actually, that's not quite true everywhere. Unless I'm mistaken, if I'm crossing against the light or jaywalking, then I do not have the right of way.

They said that pedestrians always have the right of way in driver's ed even if they were jaywalking or whatever. I think there might even be a question to that effect on the test the state makes us take every so often.