Letter to San Antonio Drivers (Austin, West: move, residential, car)

[Tropical Trouble]

Originally Posted by Turtle_Mom

And we have real malls with real stores? I don't mind our malls, La Cantera is good albeit not affordable! The rest leave a lot to be desired. The OP moved from LA, Arizona and Washington DC I thought they had much better selection of malls.

Well, based on a quick Wikipedia search, My lovely little Mall at Sierra Vista is less than half the size of just about every mall in San Antonio, with only a small Dillards and a Sears as anchor stores. I guess it depends on how much of a shopper you are, and the types of stores you like. Tucson has some nicer malls, but they are about 75-85 miles away from me.

4 weeks and counting until the big move to SA. I'll be doing some major shopping that first weekend, just as long as I don't get run over by a crazy San Antonio Driver

[rd2007]

good luck, you're gonna need it

[Deep Forest]

Originally Posted by tstone

Someone did that to you? Been here all my life and don't know anyone who has dealt with that one. Nor has traffic ever been 80 mph bumper to bumper, but maybe tight 'checkboarding' at 60-65. The freeway-gun incidents on the news are always provoked, too.

I've noticed that drivers in SA generally 'don't get it', and many bring up Houston and Dallas as being so terrible to make themselves feel better. (The per capita accident rates between the 3 cities speak for themselves though.) Houston and Dallas is more aggressive, but there is still a technique involved that is much easier to deal with, versus completely random stupidity found in SA. And if you think we're aggressive, try Chicago and all 3 cities on the CA west coast. They make us look slow.

Originally Posted by JJP

Did this happen to you?
Seems strange.

First of all, thank you two for calling me out....I love it. Second, it seems both of you live in the Houston area and I have NO desire to visit Houston and Third, if you haven't had someone pull a gun on you on a crowded freeway (for real or imagined injustices) you're leading a "very charmed life". I'll give you the speed part (maybe 70-75)but I've been told by two associates at work that they have had guns pulled on them on the Houston freeways. Just because it didn't happen to you means it didn't happen at all...Please !!!

[Bowie]

Fair warning... stick to the topic please, or the thread will be closed. Discuss driving and not other members.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by tstone

I've noticed that drivers in SA generally 'don't get it', and many bring up Houston and Dallas as being so terrible to make themselves feel better. (The per capita accident rates between the 3 cities speak for themselves though.) Houston and Dallas is more aggressive, but there is still a technique involved that is much easier to deal with, versus completely random stupidity found in SA.

Houston is the only city I've ever driven in where there was a REFRIGERATOR that had FALLEN OUT of someone's truck blocking a lane on the beltway. That was unbelievable. I can't count the number of times there were mattresses, duffel bags (that oddly enough look like bodies when you're traveling at a high rate of speed), and various other household/personal items that had to be dodged on the roadways there. Thank God I changed jobs and don't have to deal with that mess anymore. I definitely don't see that in San Antonio on a regular basis.

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by wCat

There is NO room BETWEEN lanes.

Maybe it's me, but it's one thing for people to compare how things are done in other US cities, but the constant reference to everything European is simply apples to oranges. I've lived and traveled in Europe/overseas and it's like being on another planet.

OK, the room between cars!

It is ridiculous that vehicles that have the ability to safely pass aren't allowed to do so, especially considering the weather we get here.

Motorcycles get extremely hot sitting in traffic during the summer, and it makes far more sense to allow them to pass through where they can instead of forcing them to sit amongt SUVs with the air conditioners running.

But they'll allow riders to go helmetless...

Cheers! M2

[Dementius88]

Well folks I am one of those nice in person/rude on the road. Off the road I will hold the door open for anybody at any location and believe that I generally am a respectful guy. I was raised to say sir or mam to anybody I don't know or who is older than me. On the road however, I treat every drive like it could be my last. I don't speed more than 5 miles over the limit and I don't hang out in the fast lane. I believe that if you drive correctly then nobody should have to adjust thier driving in your presence. I yield when it is not my right of way but I expect, and will force when possible, others to do the same. If you are courteous and can use your blinkers and brakes, I am usually the same. However, if you are a driver that thinks your time is more important than mine I change my driving habits, i.e.

You cut in at the last minute to exit "because you missed it" instead of going to the next exit to turn around
When traffic is bad, you go all the way to the front of the line and expect to be let in by some "nice" driver
You speed up to get in front of me to exit, "cut me off", when there is a half mile of empty road behind me

If you engage in these activities then expect me (if I am alone in my car) to make your driving experience as difficult as possible, without going too far out of my way. If I am with my kids I am not aggressive (due to thier safety) but I take it personally when somebody, because thier time is so important, endangers the life of my kids. Nobody likes to be stuck in traffic, nobody wants to spend thier first hour off of work dealing with life and death situations on the highway. If somebody does make a mistake while driving, I know I do, but acknowledges it (usually by a wave and the lip sync "I'm sorry") I always let them do what they need to do. I have gone on long enough, but if people would just drive when they are in front of the wheel in a moving vehicle, I think we would all have a better driving experience.

[svg210]

Originally Posted by Dementius88

Well folks I am one of those nice in person/rude on the road. Off the road I will hold the door open for anybody at any location and believe that I generally am a respectful guy. I was raised to say sir or mam to anybody I don't know or who is older than me. On the road however, i treat every drive like it could be my last. I don't speed more than 5 miles over the limit and I don't hang out in the fast lane. I believe that if you drive correctly then nobody should have to adjust thier driving in your presence. I yield when it is not my right of way but I expect, and will force when possible, others to do the same. If you are courteous and can use your blinkers and brakes, I am usually the same. However, if you are a driver that thinks your time is more important than mine I change my driving habits, i.e.

You cut in at the last minute to exit "because you missed it" instead of going to the next exit to turn around
When traffic is bad, you go all the way to the front of the line and expect to be let in by some "nice" driver
You speed up to get in front of me to exit, "cut me off", when there is a half mile of empty road behind me

If you engage in these activities then expect me (if I am alone in my car) to make your driving experience as difficult as possible, without going too far out of my way. If I am with my kids I am not aggressive (due to thier safety) but I take it personally when somebody, because thier time is so important, endangers the life of my kids. Nobody likes to be stuck in traffic, nobody wants to spend thier first hour off of work dealing with life and death situations on the highway. If somebody does make a mistake while driving, I know I do, but acknowledges it (usually by a wave and the lip sync "I'm sorry") I always let them do what they need to do. I have gone on long enough, but if people would just drive when they are in front of the wheel in a moving vehicle, I think we would all have a better driving experience.

I sometimes feel like opening my tailgate so bumpdrafters can eat all my load of rock.

In san antonio theres is no fast lane. theres the neutral lane (middle lanes) Idiot lane (outer lane next to the center divider, In other words were everyone wants to ride in) and merging on and off lane.

Never treat your driving experience as if it was your last. It's very bad strategy. I think of it like a game of football let the other car's be your blockers as you get to the endzone as safe as possible. Let me tell you I have witnessed lots and lots of accidents and there is no better strategy that I could give you.

[wCat]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

OK, the room between cars!

It is ridiculous that vehicles that have the ability to safely pass aren't allowed to do so, especially considering the weather we get here.

Motorcycles get extremely hot sitting in traffic during the summer, and it makes far more sense to allow them to pass through where they can instead of forcing them to sit amongt SUVs with the air conditioners running.

But they'll allow riders to go helmetless...

Cheers! M2

MM...logically you might be correct from a motorcycle riders POV. But from my POV...I consider a "vehicle lane" to mean any vehicle. When I'm in my car and occupying the space allotted to me, I don't want a truck, car, SUV, bus or motorcycle to cross that boundary that I'm in. As we're zipping down the highway with TONS of construction and ;ack of emergency shoulders on the roads and multiple orange and white striped barrels everywhere, it's very unsettling to have a motorcycle cut through between cars out of no where. They are very easily lost in a blind spot....and to me it's just better to err on the side of caution. No one is forcing them to ride their motorcycle....and they should be prepared to follow the same rules of safety.....barring AC or whatever. And yes...I agree...they SHOULD all have helmets....but I suppose those are hot too.

Anyway...just my pov....no diss to Motorcycles in traffic....but they're sort of like bees at a picknick...

[SilverCreek78250]

Originally Posted by Dementius88

Well folks I am one of those nice in person/rude on the road. Off the road I will hold the door open for anybody at any location and believe that I generally am a respectful guy. I was raised to say sir or mam to anybody I don't know or who is older than me. On the road however, I treat every drive like it could be my last. I don't speed more than 5 miles over the limit and I don't hang out in the fast lane. I believe that if you drive correctly then nobody should have to adjust thier driving in your presence. I yield when it is not my right of way but I expect, and will force when possible, others to do the same. If you are courteous and can use your blinkers and brakes, I am usually the same. However, if you are a driver that thinks your time is more important than mine I change my driving habits, i.e.

You cut in at the last minute to exit "because you missed it" instead of going to the next exit to turn around
When traffic is bad, you go all the way to the front of the line and expect to be let in by some "nice" driver
You speed up to get in front of me to exit, "cut me off", when there is a half mile of empty road behind me

If you engage in these activities then expect me (if I am alone in my car) to make your driving experience as difficult as possible, without going too far out of my way. If I am with my kids I am not aggressive (due to thier safety) but I take it personally when somebody, because thier time is so important, endangers the life of my kids. Nobody likes to be stuck in traffic, nobody wants to spend thier first hour off of work dealing with life and death situations on the highway. If somebody does make a mistake while driving, I know I do, but acknowledges it (usually by a wave and the lip sync "I'm sorry") I always let them do what they need to do. I have gone on long enough, but if people would just drive when they are in front of the wheel in a moving vehicle, I think we would all have a better driving experience.

I had an experience yesterday that just may have upset you. Got onto 1604 from 35S headed West toward 281. I was in the "Passing Lane" doing about 75 when coming up on about the Boulverde Road exit, I could see a guy in a black Silverado coming up fast. As you might be aware, the closer you get to 281, the traffic begins to slow, and as luck would have it, the flow of traffic went from 75 to about 60 fairly quickly. Likewise, cars began to bunch up and such.

Now please understand, if I could continue to do 75, I would, but in front of me were other vehicles who also had to slow down. But NASCAR Driver in the black Silverado decides to go to the right lane because, everyone knows that changing lanes is going to help, and even though there was a car going slower than the rest of us in front of him in that lane (though still further ahead).

With no more than the length of a Silverado between me and the guy in front of me, this guy simply cut into the lane - and of course, no turn signal as he did it. I had to hit the brakes and lay on the horn but obviously, all he needed was the slightest brake tap from me to give him the room to get in. My wife seriously thought he was attempting to take us out.

Then he began tailgating the car that had been in front of me. That guy could move any faster due to a motorcycle in front of him. There were cars all around us with people backing off and getting out of the way from this guy.

So just as we are about to call 9-1-1 to give the license plate number to see if a police officer might be nearby to witness it, we come up on the exit for 281. And as people have described here, Mr. Silverado does the last minute "Time for me to get off" exit from the passing lane all the way to the off-ramp, sans blinkers and with only a few feet of asphalt remaining of the off ramp.

Thanks 07WFX3, you have qualified for sphincter of the week.