Is this a normal PHX routine? (Phoenix: safer, license plate, car)

[kytoaz]

I'm way more aggravated by the super fast, aggressive drivers here. Literally risking lives because they're in a hurry. I drive from Downtown Phoenix to Tempe and back every day and I'm shocked at the amount of people that take death defying chances just to change lanes while doing 30 mph more than the rest of the cars in heavy traffic. Stupid mistakes and inept drivers are annoying, but if you are literally putting my life in danger because you are an impatient jerk I might have a gesture for you.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by mborner

Honestly? There is nothing you can do. Laying on the horn will not "teach them a lesson". Passing them and then cutting in front of them in a fit of rage will not "teach them a lesson". When one does these things in anger, they open themselves up to sometimes catastrophic results. Simply, don't do it. Maybe they'll get ticketed one day, who knows. I live in an area where it's urban warfare out on the roads. Someone pulling out in front of you is an insignificant issue. Just ignore it. I have other things to deal with, like other drivers who could care less if I live or die by their actions. When I get in my car each night to make my 25 mile commute home, my sole objective is to just get home alive.

If I "just ignore it" as you stated, it would be inattentive on my part, and a serious collision could occur. Drivers who turn onto a busy street in front of other vehicles obviously have no consideration for anybody in their way, and a limited attention span. These are valid reasons for revocation of a DL. If somebody turns in front of me & moves slow, I'm forced to either slam on my brakes or swerve around them to avoid a collision. You've heard the saying "what goes around comes around?" That's exactly what I do if I have the opportunity.

Originally Posted by kytoaz

I'm way more aggravated by the super fast, aggressive drivers here. Literally risking lives because they're in a hurry. I drive from Downtown Phoenix to Tempe and back every day and I'm shocked at the amount of people that take death defying chances just to change lanes while doing 30 mph more than the rest of the cars in heavy traffic. Stupid mistakes and inept drivers are annoying, but if you are literally putting my life in danger because you are an impatient jerk I might have a gesture for you.

Somehow I knew this thread would evolve into the usual "people drive too fast here" complaint. I don't advocate reckless driving or excessive speeding at all ... however, there are reasons why Phoenicians tend to drive fast: the layout of our streets/freeways, and the weather/climate. Wide roads and clear weather offer greater visibility, which makes it safer to go faster (taking into consideration the traffic & road conditions). The slower, inattentive driver is most often the hazard.

[CCS414]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Somehow I knew this thread would evolve into the usual "people drive too fast here" complaint. I don't advocate reckless driving or excessive speeding at all ... however, there are reasons why Phoenicians tend to drive fast: the layout of our streets/freeways, and the weather/climate. Wide roads and clear weather offer greater visibility, which makes it safer to go faster (taking into consideration the traffic & road conditions). The slower, inattentive driver is most often the hazard.

Why do you assume that because they're slower that they are inattentive?

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by CCS414

Why do you assume that because they're slower that they are inattentive?

Practically all of my near misses in traffic have been caused by slow drivers. The same ones who do things like turn in front of other cars on a busy street & just mosey along without any thought. I'm not even what would be called an excessively fast driver based on how many times I've been passed. But in all honesty, I'd rather be along side a faster, attentive driver than an inattentive one who is unable or unwilling to keep up with the pace.

[mborner]

Originally Posted by singlegirlinaz

You lived in Gilbert, a quiet suburb. If you drove anywhere else around Phoenix it's a lot like you described in South Florida. Maybe not quite as bad but pretty close.

We have a lot of speeders here - too many, and aggressive drivers in huge trucks who like to intimidate.

Back to the op, it doesn't make life any better to be frustrated or get even with a stupid driver. Someone turns in front of you, slow down and let it go. It's better to stay safe than risk a bad accident over someone's mistake .

I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. We live in south Florida, we visited Gilbert. My point was, it was extremely refreshing to be on the roads in the greater Phoenix metro area with sane drivers.

Originally Posted by Valley Native

If I "just ignore it" as you stated, it would be inattentive on my part, and a serious collision could occur. Drivers who turn onto a busy street in front of other vehicles obviously have no consideration for anybody in their way, and a limited attention span. These are valid reasons for revocation of a DL. If somebody turns in front of me & moves slow, I'm forced to either slam on my brakes or swerve around them to avoid a collision. You've heard the saying "what goes around comes around?" That's exactly what I do if I have the opportunity.

You are misinterpreting the word "ignore". Turning "ignore" into "blind" is not what I was referring to. Ignore means "see and avoid" and don't do anything rash, nothing good can come from it.

[garden17]

Retaliation is a reflex response but it isn't the correct response. Still it's aggravating and dangerous when someone isn't paying attention and cuts in front of you then doesn't move with the traffic flow.

I'm sure this happens everywhere but I never encountered it so frequently like I do in the PHX area. It's a fatality waiting to happen if it hasn't already happened. I'm not sure what the solution is, maybe put more police patrols on the streets? At the very least it would get people to obey the traffic rules more.

[garden17]

I see this frequently too. The problem is too many drivers have short attention spans or none at all.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdi-ZCbTgEM

[Veritas Vincit]

I've seen a lot of video compilations of 'stupid drivers' (Youtube has hundreds if not thousands of them) and the funny thing is that in the majority of them the person filming it and recording the 'bad' other drivers is doing something wrong themselves.



I find in traffic, like in most of life, everyone always has a good reason for what *they* are doing but anyone else who gets in their way is an *idiot*.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by garden17

I see this frequently too. The problem is too many drivers have short attention spans or none at all.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdi-ZCbTgEM

This kind of maneuver is what I thought you were referring to at first, which is even more idiotic & dangerous. If an accident or altercation would result from something like this, the inattentive driver who turned in front of the oncoming vehicle would likely make all kinds of excuses ... such as: "duh, I didn't see the motorcycle coming", or "but the other vehicle was going too fast, WAAAHHH".

[mborner]

It appears that this guy on the motorcycle is traveling at an unsafe speed based on road conditions and location. (speeding). I'm not saying that makes it okay for the car to turn in front of him, just that if you're blazing down the street at an unsafe speed, you can't put 100% of the blame on the guy in the car.