Driving in Dallas (Speeding and Left Turns at Intersections) (Frisco: tax, moving)

[TX75007]

Originally Posted by ChicaGONER

But there's nothing but total confusion on my part when it comes to left turns at intersections. I've seen probably 90% of people NOT pull into the intersection while waiting to make a left turn. Then, if oncoming traffic doesn't relent until the yellow, the person waiting does not make the turn at all. I've never seen this anywhere else before, but have seen it everywhere here from Plano to Denton...am I breaking state law by pulling into the intersection to make the turn? Of course, these are the intersections with the yield sign or flashing yellow, not "no turn on red" intersections.

1. Most police departments here enforce the law. If a supervisor or elected official sees and officer not doing their job, they will get in hot water.

2. If you creep into the intersection, you can get hit.

3. Its easier to see oncoming traffic by hanging back.

4. It is an act of courtesy to not block the intersection.

[TR95]

Originally Posted by TX75007

1. Most police departments here enforce the law. If a supervisor or elected official sees and officer not doing their job, they will get in hot water.

2. If you creep into the intersection, you can get hit.

3. Its easier to see oncoming traffic by hanging back.

4. It is an act of courtesy to not block the intersection.

2. You don't get hit by creeping into the intersection. You get hit by not paying attention to oncoming traffic.
3. No, it is easier to see oncoming traffic by pulling into the intersection and staying as far left as you can. It is annoying to see people hang back in the left hand turn lane and be in the right of that left hand turn lane obstructing traffic for the people that are trying to turn left.
4. No, Then stop all the people that think they have the right of way turning left out of a parking lot or non-traffic controlled street into the median as they are blocking traffic from both directions. These are probably the same "courteous" people who wait at a turn signal and refuse to turn left on a solid green light. I even had one guy pull out in the middle from a parking lot onto Park while I was turning left into the parking lot. He for some reason expected that I was going to just stop from making my left hand turn and let him go as traffic was coming at him. What a fool.

That about sums up the left turn issue that I have seen in this area. People have no clue. I see this everyday.

[bigdaddycool1111]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Don't pay much attention to bigdaddycool, he's almost certainly a Dallas hating poster who usually goes by the username MertoMatt. His posts about no one driving over the speed limit on the tollway are total gibberish. Are there too many slow driving lane cloggers in to the left and center on the tollway - sure. Is it a rampant trip ruining problem. absolutely not.

What a joke!

If you can prove that I am related to MertoMatt or whatever his name is in any way, shape or form, I will give my house to you for free (it's worth about $300,000).

I am not Dallas-hater like you claim me to be, I like many things about Dallas such as friendliness of the people, nice weather, low cost of living, I just don't like commuting in this city which became a disaster in the recent years thanks to drivers like you who insist on being on the road without actually bothering to learn how to drive first. If people like you didn't see having a driver's license as an entitlement and actually learned how to drive, Dallas would have been a much better place to live.

Yes there are many slow driving lane cloggers and I am sure I am currently responding to one of them. When someone is part of the problem, of course they will deny that the problem ever existed.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by TX75007

1. Most police departments here enforce the law. If a supervisor or elected official sees and officer not doing their job, they will get in hot water.

2. If you creep into the intersection, you can get hit.

3. Its easier to see oncoming traffic by hanging back.

4. It is an act of courtesy to not block the intersection.

With respect. The Texas Driver's Handbook that my daughter learned from two years ago said in no uncertain terms creeping out to make a left turn IS NOT ILLEGAL.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by bigdaddycool1111

What a joke!

If you can prove that I am related to MertoMatt or whatever his name is in any way, shape or form, I will give my house to you for free (it's worth about $300,000).

I am not Dallas-hater like you claim me to be, I like many things about Dallas such as friendliness of the people, nice weather, low cost of living, I just don't like commuting in this city which became a disaster in the recent years thanks to drivers like you who insist on being on the road without actually bothering to learn how to drive first. If people like you didn't see having a driver's license as an entitlement and actually learned how to drive, Dallas would have been a much better place to live.

Yes there are many slow driving lane cloggers and I am sure I am currently responding to one of them. When someone is part of the problem, of course they will deny that the problem ever existed.

Dude:
1. I don't want your house.
2. I am a habitual speeder. My DD car has 550+ hp to the ground on 92 octane gas.
3. I drive DNT almost everyday. Just last week I drove from DNT and Royal north into Frisco to grab my tax return. I drove 80/85 the entire way - not once was the left lane blocked.
4. If you are not MetroMatt you are his internet-doppelganger.
5. The left lane creep I spoke of earlier regards left turns in signal-lighted intersections.

[Adamson865]

Originally Posted by EDS_

With respect. The Texas Driver's Handbook that my daughter learned from two years ago said in no uncertain terms creeping out to make a left turn IS NOT ILLEGAL.

But turning on a red after you're stuck in the intersection too long IS.

[ChicaGONER]

Originally Posted by aggie972

I don't do it, and I hate when entitled people behind me honk at me for not doing it. If you're in such a rush to get somewhere, you should have left your house earlier.

It's honestly not any kind of sense of "entitlement" - many of us were taught in driver's ed that that's what you do at intersections.

[ChicaGONER]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

I agree with EDS that it's not illegal to left lane creep, but it doesn't seem to be useful to me and can be dangerous (too much head on crash potential), so I don't do it. Dallas area traffic just isn't heavy enough to justify it right now. It's pretty rare that you will have to wait more than 2 rounds to turn, and there are dedicated left turn arrows at most major intersections.

I think you pinpointed one huge difference between Dallas and Chicago/etc. intersections that could possibly be the reason behind the difference in driving practice - there most certainly ARE more dedicated left turn arrows in Dallas. And I've also noticed that the timing of your lights seem to be set pretty well to avoid major backups.

Contrast that to the intersection at which I currently live in Chicago; no dedicated arrows, and during rush hour and beyond, there is ZERO opportunity to turn left while the light is actually green. Thus, the first car or two moves into the intersection, and at least they get to turn after the oncoming traffic has stopped and before the cross-traffic starts moving. This kind of intersection is very common here.

So what would you guys do if you were driving at that intersection up here? Would you continue to sit back and not turn? If so, you would be there for hours. Not an exaggeration.

And that said, I'm still wondering whether this is particular to just Texas or just Dallas...

[ChicaGONER]

Originally Posted by TX75007

1. Most police departments here enforce the law. If a supervisor or elected official sees and officer not doing their job, they will get in hot water.

2. If you creep into the intersection, you can get hit.

3. Its easier to see oncoming traffic by hanging back.

4. It is an act of courtesy to not block the intersection.

1. I don't doubt that. And I don't think that this varies among police departments across the US. This begs the question of, what exactly is the law? Is it really that no part of a car can physically be in the intersection the moment turns red? I highly doubt it, but am more than willing to be corrected because I am earnestly seeking the answer here.

2. If you don't, you can get hit, too. When would being in the intersection increase your chances of being hit, and in what situation could you even be hit in the first place? If oncoming traffic doesn't go straight and instead veers into your left turn lane?

3. Others have disagreed, but I haven't noticed how it's affected visibility either way.

4. Courteous to whom? Who is being inconvenienced by this? If only one car is completing a turn after waiting in the intersection, no one is being held up by this.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by rah62

But turning on a red after you're stuck in the intersection too long IS.

Sure if you sit there to tens seconds or whatever after the light turns red. That's never happened to me.