To the person who cut my boyfriend off (language)

[shankyknitter]

To clarify before we begin: I was not in the car, I got the call at quarter to 5 in the morning yesterday about this.

Dear douchecannoe:

Thank you so much for cutting my boyfriend off on the highway. I really appreciate how he hit a patch of ice because he had to swerve to avoid hitting your fucking car. For the record this caused his car to spin and made him slam into the guard rail. But you wouldn't know that because you drove off without so much as a backward glance. No thanks to you everyone in the car was ok, nothing more than bruises and scrapes, and the car is fixable. I don't care that it was 4:30 in the morning and the roads were mostly empty. USE THE DAMNED MIRRORS! That's what they're on your car for! Look before you fucking merge! I hope you feel lucky you asswipe, you could have seriously injured my boyfriend or any of the three other people in his car. I don't even have to wish for you to go die in a ditch because given your driving skills I have a feeling that's where you'll end up anyway.

Sincearly:

She who wishes Karma acted faster. ::

[BrenDAnn]

What the actual f**k is wrong with people?? I'm glad your bf and his passengers were okay but wow. That could've been SO much worse. You know, too, that had it been someone THEY loved that got cut off and wrecked, the person who cut your bf off would be LIVID. It never ceases to boggle my mind how some people ares till alive, I tell you!

[Pimento]

I understand the frustration, but when a vehicle is merging into traffic, its typically the responsibility of the other motorists to make sure they have room to enter traffic...

[EvilEmpryss]

Pimento, you would be right, but only if the other drivers are aware that the person is attempting to merge. Too many times I've had people just suddenly swerve in front of me without so much as a turn signal or a wave. How would it be my fault if they clip me when they weren't being responsible for their driving skills? And ShankyKnitter didn't say the person merged, she said that the person cut off her BF. Changing lanes without warning is an offense on the part of the driver changing lanes, not the driver already in the lane.

You could assume that ShankyKnitter's BF was being a jerk and not letting someone who was following all of the proper rules of etiquette for driving (used a turn signal, checked mirrors, honked, etc.) make a legitimate merge. It's rather rude on your part to make that assumption, though, considering the SK probably wouldn't be venting here if that was the case.

Been where your BF is, ShankyKnitter. I understand the anxiety you're feeling right now. I'm glad your BF and all of the people in the car are okay, and I hope they at least got a description of the car for the cops.

[Pimento]

Oh i wasnt saying he was being a jerk, just clarifying if it was a lane swap or if it was an actual merge lane. Some drivers when they merge just gun it and pray people pay that much attention.

[mikoyan29]

If someone is merging it is his/her responsibility to match the speed of the traffic on the freeway or highway he/she is attempting to merge onto. If you are on the freeway, it your responsibility to not play the, "You're not getting on this freeway" game.

If someone is making a lane change, that's a different beast. If you are the lane changer, it is your responsibility to make sure the other lane is clear and change back leaving a safe distance between yourself and the other car. If you are the lane changee, it is your responsibility to maintain your speed so the other car can do his changing safely (or passing).

However, all too often, people seem to want to change lanes frequently with little regard to other traffic....

[bainsidhe]

people seem to want to change lanes frequently with little regard to other traffic....

Or the road conditions. Bad enough when it's daytime with nice, dry pavement. Sucks to hell and back when it's night and frozen solid or rainy. Sad thing is, the insurance company will probably chalk this up to being BF's fault. Unless the jerk actually clipped him when merging, insurance companies (at least around here) put the onus on the person following behind. Because BF hit a guard rail, they may say he was driving too fast for the conditions. If the person merged, immediately hit the brakes and then BF rear-ended the guy, BF would get faulted for "not leaving enough space" between the vehicles. I've had family in the last situation.

Is it sad that I get excited when I see people actually use a turn signal to merge?

[Mikkel]

Is it sad that I get excited when I see people actually use a turn signal to merge?

You would be totally excited to see me drive then , I used my turn signal even before it was required by law here.
It seems to me that it is a very little effort to make lane changing a whole lot safer.

[mikoyan29]

Or the road conditions. Bad enough when it's daytime with nice, dry pavement. Sucks to hell and back when it's night and frozen solid or rainy. Sad thing is, the insurance company will probably chalk this up to being BF's fault. Unless the jerk actually clipped him when merging, insurance companies (at least around here) put the onus on the person following behind. Because BF hit a guard rail, they may say he was driving too fast for the conditions. If the person merged, immediately hit the brakes and then BF rear-ended the guy, BF would get faulted for "not leaving enough space" between the vehicles. I've had family in the last situation.

Is it sad that I get excited when I see people actually use a turn signal to merge?

I use my turn signal when making a lane change, passing and amazingly when I am making a turn. I view it as a common courtesy. Although using it for a lane change is me saying, "I am coming over" and not, "Oh please Mr. Douche in the BMW let me come over.....".

[chainedbarista]

i'm pretty good about lane changes, using my signal and letting others over who use their signal, but if they try to force their way in (after speeding up to pass those waiting in line), hell no, you can wait until someone nicer more of a sucker chooses to let your ew ass in.

i'm sorry about the moto-moron, shanky; it seems that simply pulling out without bothering to check is the way most people handle merges and turns these days.

[Andara Bledin]

I find myself using my turn signal in parking lots. In the middle of the night. With not another person visible, much less a car, within sight.

^-.-^

[shankyknitter]

So minor update:

Car got looked at yesterday and it is totaled according to the insurance company. So they're paying Boyfriend's father the value of the car and a 30 day rental to last until they get a new car.

Original plan (Boyfriend's father was planning on buying a new car and selling the now totaled car to Boyfriend) is now smashed to bits which means Boyfriend can't come visit me for my birthday next month. Which will mean not seeing him until at least January if all goes well. I haven't seen him since August. Thank you asswipe who cut off Boyfriend. I am displeased.