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Most of your reasons are legit and do happen. However they happen once and then done. That is not the problem posed here. Instead it is the driver who randomly speeds up, slows down, stops, goes forward, stops again, starts to turn right, then stomps on the gas because they were wrong, and then makes an unsignaled left in front of the car who's passing him because of the unsafe situation he's created. While legally the car in the rear may be at "fault" the careless driver in front has created the situation to start with.
This is similar to the problem of the driver who stops coming into a shopping center, because they think they should, but the road signs clearly mark to keep moving to avoid the traffic backup. Since they stop when they shouldn't, now everyone else doesn't know if they will suddenly start up again.
Couldn't agree more. Anyone thinks otherwise is insane
It happens nowadays because we live in an "all about me" society. They don't think about other drivers, it's all about them looking for a certain address, the hell with everyone else.
No different than the dolts in the store entranced in texting and not looking where they're going or just stopping in their tracks in the middle of aisle or the by the exits, after all no one else needs to get by, it's all about them.
Same mindset, it wasn't like this 12 or 15 yrs ago.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoCalCpl2
Seriously in this day and age of cell phones and gps this happens???
I would bet that in many cases the actions described are CAUSED by trying to use these devices ... often more than one at a time...along with a human "navigator".
Sometimes these things are wrong or misused and when drivers are so dependent on them they get very confused and try to recover using ...or now discarding (after loss of attention)... the device(s) just adding to the confusion and loss of concentration on the main task which is safe driving.
This fails to explain how honking reduces the danger already present, or mitigates your chances of being rear-ended. Or how adding still another needless distraction improves matters for a driver who is already struggling with more than he can comfortably handle.
And, exactly what is the appropriate signal to be used to give indication of what he was doing, that was not already apparent to any other driver who was paying attention?
As I said before, I honked and they finally realized they needed to turn on a side street and re-orient themselves. Ergo, I mitigated the danger of the situation by finally getting them to do what they should have already decided to do. I have a dash cam and can post the video if you guys want.
Absolutely. Tapping the horn can bring the offending driver back to the reality that there are other cars on the road and they are creating an unsafe condition for everyone. It is hoped, that having regained some cognizance of other traffic, they will either pull out of the travel lane as much as possible as they originally should have done, or at least be aware that other cars may be passing them and they should not make any more thoughtless moves that could result in a collision.
This thread is really about improper signalling. If the lost driver had used any signalling then this would be a thread about successful signals to use when lost.
Oh, horrors! What a horrible, HORRIBLE thing to have to experience! After all, YOU OWN THE ROAD and shouldn't have to TOLERATE anyone being in your way for any period of time at all!
Yes, it is possible to turn into a side street and that's what they should do, but you have no idea, really, what's happening in the car ahead of you. You just know that you should not be inconvenienced at all and that that's just WRONG so you won't TOLERATE it!
This is the attitude that leads to most of the problems on the road today. Amazing what self-entitled monsters we turn into once we shut the car door and turn on the engine.
Fascinating perspective from someone who routinely drops ten megaton nuclear lecture-bombs on anyone who does not religiously adhere to traffic regulations (except lane discipline violators, of course).
I'd bet my next paycheck that if the driver the OP encountered had started a thread here with a theme akin to "I'm entitled to hold up traffic wherever I want whenver I want at my own leisure while I figure out where hell I'm going and anyone who honks at me can suck it," you would have wagged your schoolmarm finger at him/her so fast that you could fan-cool a 3,000sqft house in the midst of a Texas heat wave with that finger alone.
Bottom line: if you're lost or disoriented or whatever, get out of traffic until you sort it out.
I dont get why so many do this nowadays, I dont think it ever happened until about 12-15 years ago. I mean they just sometimes stop in the lane, or creep along at 5 MPH. I mean I have been lost I might drive a little slower but not like that. Sometimes I am patient. Often I go around them with horn blaring, as said above they are driving dangerously and you cannot predict what they are doing.
You really couldn't "drive" with a map. You had to pull over.
But even though you're not supposed to, it's physically possible to drive with either a cell phone, ipad, or whatever they use these days.
I think they already knew they were lost, and bringing that to their attention would have no positive value.
If they had gotten out and walked back and asked you for directions, would you have felt equally put out by their taking up time in your busy day? How would you have expressed that to them?
If I beep it is because they are driving unsafely or are too self involved by texting. I usually let it go for a while depending on how dangerous it is. One problem you do not address is that sometimes when you try to pass these people they speed up to prevent you from passing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88
This fails to explain how honking reduces the danger already present, or mitigates your chances of being rear-ended. Or how adding still another needless distraction improves matters for a driver who is already struggling with more than he can comfortably handle.
And, exactly what is the appropriate signal to be used to give indication of what he was doing, that was not already apparent to any other driver who was paying attention?
If a driver is struggling they are already a hazard and should not be on the road. Randomly stopping and starting on a road is not safe. Sure I may have figured out that you do not know what you are doing or are too self centered to care and be able to avoid your random stops but what if someone behind me does not know this and rear ends me? What if this causes injury or death? You have no problem with a child getting injured?
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