What's Up w/ NOVA Drivers? (living, area, distance)

[meanoldlady]

I drive in and out of NOVA from the west on I-66. What's with the brake tapping? This constant tapping is nerve wracking. Have they ever heard of letting up off the gas. I won't even talk about when the weather gets bad.Grrrrr!

[mach1mustanggrl]

UGH! i saw this thread and just had to post this. Whenever im in a neighborhood that has a set speed limit (mine is 25 mph) the people in the neighborhood will drive literally 10 mph OR LESS, and then right when they get out on the main road theyll speed up so fast that theyre gone in 60 seconds (pun intended:P) its very annoying. like they think that driving at almost 0 mph is going to get them out of trouble when they speed down 234.

[toredyvik]

what annoys me the most about VA drivers is that NOBODY uses their blinkers, and i mean almost nobody at all. Whenever I make a left turn at an intersection, I just have to wait for all the other drivers facing me to make their left and right turns before I can go.....because I think they're going to go straight. And when driving on the highway, everyone loves cutting me off and not using their blinkers too. The OP isnt suffering from road rage. He's just a normal, aware driver (like me) and is tired of having to tiptoe everywhere because nobody else passed driver's Ed.

[breeze823]

Originally Posted by brymax

I just don't get the drivers here.

I totally understand why for the most part nobody speeds because there are more cops out on the road giving out tickets than any state I've ever seen, so I get that.

But what is it with every riding your arse until either you move aside or they get around you and then they just pretty much stay at the same speed?

I don't think I'm crazy because I spend a fair amount of time on the road and paying attention to the habits & mannerisms of drivers is something I've always done and I notice it every day and so has my wife.

It's like everyone desperately wants to be that lead car but doesn't have that courage to drive more than a few mph over the speed limit.

Of course then you cross into MD and then you just better get the heck out of the way! Holy Cow!

In LA everyone speeds. And I mean EVERYONE! And not just a little. You can pretty much count on everyone flowing together as one at a very high rate of speed. And then there is always that 1% of nut balls out there that feels 75mph just isn't good enough and they have to weave in and out.

Anyway, just wanted to try and understand.

Nothing more frustrating than moving my Q45 (That could easily do 165mph if I wanted it to) over for you tail-gaters to get buy, only to have you barely get in front of me and then lock it down to like 66mph.

If you're gonna pass, PASS and go on!

OMG, they do this in the Roanoke area too...I think all native VA drivers are just terrible tailgaters in general. I got my drivers license in Ca, and have since driven in Missouri, then Georgia...those states were all fine (no matter what you hear about Ca drivers)then we move to Virginia and hello, everyone gets on your butt, and they can go around, easily, no cars in the other lane, they just think they are Nascar drivers and stay right on your bumper...I tell my kids EVERYDAY to never drive like a Virginian! They are the most retarded drivers I've come across!

[illeagle]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

There were signs up in Pennsylvania on my recent visit to Pittsburgh that said "Slower Traffic Keep Right." Guess what? As I approached someone's rear-end in the passing lane they flipped on their blinker and merged right, and I extended the same courtesy when I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw someone approaching me, too. As others have said in this thread Virginia seems to be one of the few states where the majority of residents are unfamiliar with this concept.

Yep, I love driving in the Philadelphia area because everyone drives with purpose... a large amount of NoVa drivers seem to have a bone to pick with every single driver on the road.

For example, recently I was behind someone at a red light where right turns are legal. There were no oncoming cars aside from ones that were in a turning lane turning right at the intersection. So, the woman in front of me is sitting there for a good 5 seconds and barely edging up when it's been fine to go the whole time. So, I give an abrupt honk just to indicate she can go... what does she do as if it's instinct? She turns around and gives me a dirty look and flicks me off. I just shake my head, then a few more seconds pass and she still hasn't gone even though still no cars are going straight through the intersection. So, I lay on my horn for a couple seconds and she finally goes... took her 10 seconds to go and took time out to turn around and give me the finger as myself and two other cars are waiting for her to go. So, then I pass her on the left as I'm turning and look at her and she's pointing that finger again and yelling some obscenities my way. All because.... she's a bad driver. People most places would feel like too much of an idiot for not turning sooner, but to her it's an opportunity to be an ass.

Related to that, one of the things that annoys me most is when there's 10 cars lined up behind someone as a light turns green and the person doesn't go for 3 seconds and it takes the 9th person in line to honk. With as much traffic as there is in NoVa, how can so many people be so content with just sitting at a green light? Blows my mind.

In Philly if you're not moving right when it turns green people are honking, but the great thing is that it keeps people alert... and being alert on the road cannot be a bad thing.

[jm76]

Originally Posted by illeagle

Related to that, one of the things that annoys me most is when there's 10 cars lined up behind someone as a light turns green and the person doesn't go for 3 seconds and it takes the 9th person in line to honk. With as much traffic as there is in NoVa, how can so many people be so content with just sitting at a green light? Blows my mind.

Well, I'm all for going when the light turns green but to be honest this is one place I will not go right as the light turns green -- there are too many red light runners here. I ride a motorcycle and even though I can be quick off the line I would also get effectively squished by all the idiots that don't understand what a red light is.

This area has a similar problem that Houston, TX has -- there are not only people from all over this country but also from all over the world and driving habits are just too different in every place and people probably don't live here long enough to meld and become a local driver...

Jim

[car54]

Originally Posted by illeagle

...For example, recently I was behind someone at a red light where right turns are legal. There were no oncoming cars aside from ones that were in a turning lane turning right at the intersection. So, the woman in front of me is sitting there for a good 5 seconds and barely edging up when it's been fine to go the whole time. So, I give an abrupt honk just to indicate she can go...

No vehicle is required to turn right on red even if it's legal to do so...or even if you think they should. So if you are behind someone who chooses not to...it's just too bad. Metrobuses even have a sign on the back that says "This vehicle does not turn right on a red light"...again, too bad.

[ajzjmsmom]

Originally Posted by car54

No vehicle is required to turn right on red even if it's legal to do so...or even if you think they should. So if you are behind someone who chooses not to...it's just too bad. Metrobuses even have a sign on the back that says "This vehicle does not turn right on a red light"...again, too bad.

thanks for pointing this out, in this area I am very careful about turning on right, the driver behind me can't always see what I can, so to all those who like to honk at those you think should be turning, honk away

I also like to be careful about going as soon as the light turns green because to many people like to run red lights, personally I like my car and prefer not to have it smashed

[illeagle]

Originally Posted by car54

No vehicle is required to turn right on red even if it's legal to do so...or even if you think they should. So if you are behind someone who chooses not to...it's just too bad. Metrobuses even have a sign on the back that says "This vehicle does not turn right on a red light"...again, too bad.

Where did I state she was required to turn right on red?

You missed my point completely.

I said I honked politely (a tap on the horn) at her and she was obviously trying to go on red because she was creeping forward, and there was no one going straight through the intersection and she kept waiting and looking to her left (not at the light for it to turn green as you seem to think for whatever reason)... and her reaction isn't to go or to ignore me, it was to turn toward the car behind her and give me the middle finger.

[illeagle]

Originally Posted by jm76

Well, I'm all for going when the light turns green but to be honest this is one place I will not go right as the light turns green -- there are too many red light runners here. I ride a motorcycle and even though I can be quick off the line I would also get effectively squished by all the idiots that don't understand what a red light is.

Well, that much is obvious. I wouldn't be sitting here today typing if I didn't know that. You have to be aware at ALL times on the road. I'm saying there are people who sit there with a clear intersection who are clearly not paying attention and no one honks.... maybe no one else is paying attention either?

That's something that can bite you in the ass too. My gf and I were sitting in the right lane a few cars back at a light, and there was only one car in the left lane and they didn't move 2-3 seconds after it turned green (they were still sitting there as we were passing them). Someone sped up on our car seeing that the light was green, swerved to the left lane not seeing the car stopped at the light and slammed into them at like 25 mph.

I'm not saying to go on green no matter what... in fact I'm saying the opposite... pay attention at ALL times. Completely clear intersection with no cars coming? GO.