Did I do something wrong?

[TX-Griff]

Originally Posted by iceshots

In Toronto our biggest problem is "shoulder jumpers". That is peple who decide that the shoulder of the road is their private lane and, in heavy traffic, will use it for 20 - 100 yards after a merging lane has run out. They also have the habit of jumping from the right hand lane to an on ramp just so they can drive up the ramp and then on the shoulder to pass a number of people.

That's the sort of opportunistic, the-rules-apply-to-YOU-but-not-to-ME driver that drives (no pun intended) me nuts.

Let me qualify and say I'm not talking about the drivers who're stuck in traffic and are mere yards from their exit, nor the drivers who're entering the highway and absolutely, positively NO ONE will let them in, so they wind up idling on the shoulder waiting for a human being to come along.

In the northeast, shoulder jumpers are rampant. I love it when I see a nice big ol' semi- (often a J.B. Hunt ) pull out and sorta like mebbe block the shoulder jumpers. I don't see trucks do it as often down here, but anytime I've taken it upon myself to be the "rock" or the "hard place" to the shoulder jumpers, I get nothing but courtesy waves, smiles and thumbs up from all the other drivers whilst I'm sure me, my children and my children's children are being damned to Hell by those who can't do as they please. Can anyone say "Awwwwwww..."?.

Once I even had a state cop pull up next to me, wave me on and then pull over the four vehicles I'd been keeping from careening down the shoulder... now THAT was a good day in traffic.

TX Griff

[austin-steve]

That's the sort of opportunistic, the-rules-apply-to-YOU-but-not-to-ME driver that drives (no pun intended) me nuts.

Me too, but I've learned to live and let live, though I'm not perfect at it.

I use to get angry at those drivers, and they still disappoint me, but I don't let it ruin my day. I also don't normally try to police them like I did in my younger days, including moving over to prevent them from passing, or intentionally speeding up or slowing down to box people in who are trying to weave and bob in and out of lanes from behind to speed around me.

Now I just try to stay out of the way, move over, and let them have their hurried, rushed existence while I turn up some soothing music and enjoy my better gas mileage. I do slip occasionally, and diabolical Shadow Steve takes over as driver, punishing the offender with my clever yet subtle maneuvers to foil their rudeness and block their encroachment of my personal vehicle space, but I usually catch myself and snap out of it pretty quick. Life's too short for that silliness.

Steve

[TexasHorseLady]

Oh, I don't know, it's an easy (if you're in a big pickup) way to pass the time when you're caught in traffic AND do those folks in line behind you in the appropriate lane a favor.

This while I do always try to allow folks to get in line when they're not of the "the rules don't apply to me, I'm special" types out there, but are obviously caught in the same traffic quagmire (or trying to pull into it from a parking lot or side road) we all are in together.

I was actually too timid to do this in my younger days. Being older than dirt does have its advantages!