Why do you slow down?

[jjllbb]

I HATE it when you would have plenty of time to make it through a yellow light (if you continued on at the same speed) when the car in front of you slows down just enough to allow themselves to slip past while you are caught at the red light watching them drive away.


Or oddly enough in the case I encountered last night, crawl toward the light as it changes yellow, making it seem as if you're in no hurry. Then, once the light has turned red, roll into the center of the intersection (blocking traffic that is trying to make a left hand turn) and sit there. You've already run the red light. Now you're blocking traffic. You can't even SEE the light anymore! It's three yards behind you. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

[Aethian]

See that pisses me off when people keep going through the yellow light. The yellow light means if you have time to stop safely you do. Not lets keep going cause hey, it's still yellow.

[Gerrinson]

See that pisses me off when people keep going through the yellow light. The yellow light means if you have time to stop safely you do. Not lets keep going cause hey, it's still yellow.

Yeah, that is the law here, too. It's one thing if you would have to slam on the brakes and come to a screeching halt, but if you can safely slow to a stop, then you must do so.

What we get around here are people who creep up on the green light then slam on the gas as it turns yellow so that no one behind them can go through.

Case in point: A couple nights ago, the guy in front of me was doing 15 mph in a 35 mph zone, riding his brakes for nearly 1/2 a mile before we get to the green light. It turns yellow when he's about 40 feet back, and ZOOM! he's off like a rocket to shot through the light just before it turns red.

What the hell was the point of riding your brakes the whole time the light was green? Just so you could look back and see me sitting at the red light making vulgar comments regarding your parentage?

[Bramble]

It makes them feel better about their tiny ..... Srsly.

[Plague*Star]

Case in point: A couple nights ago, the guy in front of me was doing 15 mph in a 35 mph zone, riding his brakes for nearly 1/2 a mile before we get to the green light. It turns yellow when he's about 40 feet back, and ZOOM! he's off like a rocket to shot through the light just before it turns red.

I asked on an automotive forum about a related question. Back in the "good old" days when carburetors had accelerator pumps, one was taught to drive "like there was an egg between your foot and the accelerator pedal". Now, cars are computer controlled, and I wonder what the actual effect on your gas mileage is. Now, my personal driving preference is to get the car moving, fairly quickly, depending on how much traffic is behind me etc. Then, keep it moving. No jackrabbit starts, and not slamming the brakes on after rushing up to a light/ stop sign. My question about gas mileage was not answered. When I explained about a particular instance, which was being caught behind somebody who was apparently unwilling to accelerate. Except when they see that yellow light! Then, *zoom* they are off! And you are...stuck.
So....I was accused of "road rage", of being a "white-knuckled tailgater". WTF? I just don't see the point in driving like that.

[Sakka]

I admit I have driven like that a few times.

In my defense, each time I did it, I had a big pickup, SUV, or hummer right on my back bumper, laying on the horn, and flashing the high beams on and off repeatedly. .... For going the speed limit on a dark road, with poor lighting (made even worse by the flickering lights behind me), and not uncommon for deer to suddenly jump out in front of you or a careless driver coming the other way to slip into your lane.

On the plus side, the light controlled intersection the hummer blew through to stay on my back bumper has a red light camera, kept leaning into the horn before passing me(illegally on a double yellow), immediately slid on the road through the oncoming traffic lane right into the ditch, and the oncoming car was a police patrol car.

[Kogarashi]

I had something vaguely related today.

On the way back from some last-minute Christmas errands, I approached the intersection where I need to turn left to head home. This intersection has two lanes for going straight, as well as a dedicated left-turn lane. Because of the angle of the intsersection, that left-turn lane and the opposing one get a protected left just long enough for about three cars to go through (if everyone's behaving) before they go red again and you aren't allowed to turn until the next green arrow comes along. After the two turn lanes turn red, the straight traffic gets its turn, then the side street to the right, then the side street to the left, and then it starts over.

Now, I know the timing of that green arrow fairly well. I knew as I approached the line that I wouldn't make it on the next green, as there were four cars ahead of me, and people frequently don't pay attention there and thus waste time when the light turns green.

Sure enough, when it turned green, there was a several-seconds delay before the lead car made its turn. The next two cars got in under the green, and the fourth roared through the yellow. I knew I wasn't going to get to the stop line before the light turned red, so I didn't bother flooring it at all. The intersection is huge, and I didn't want to be stuck in the middle when the oncoming traffic got their green.

So I stopped. And glanced in my rearview to see if anyone was behind me just in time to see the guy behind me pitch a royal hissy fit complete with wild arm gestures about not getting to make his turn right then. Thing is, I would've had to really gun it to get into the intersection before the light turned red. He would've been running the red completely. Hence, I felt no remorse.

For his sake, though, I made sure to pay attention to the traffic timing so that I knew almost exactly when our green came around again.

[It's me]

Saw this today...

Car was approaching a green light.... and slowed down and stopped as the light cycled yellow. Sat for a second or so... and then drove through the intersection as the light turned red .

[Chromatix]

Reminds me of the joke... the local man out in the country, driving through red lights "because his brother does it all the time". Then he screeches to a halt at a green... "because his brother might be coming the other way!"