Forgive me for the rant.... (Denver, Monument: transplants, lease, to buy)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Mikieo415

Unfortunately if you choose to remain in the lane you may get trapped there because most people are in a hurry to get nowhere and don't let people merge. I have been forced off on a few exit only ramps due to people not letting me merge.

That has happened to me, too. I guess we're not agressive enough. It happened to me today getting off 36, I could not get into my lane to get into Target in Superior. It was a mess! I value my life too much to force my way in.

[hello-world]

Originally Posted by Mikieo415

Unfortunately if you choose to remain in the lane you may get trapped there because most people are in a hurry to get nowhere and don't let people merge. I have been forced off on a few exit only ramps due to people not letting me merge.

i'm not sure it's due to hurry - i wonder if it's the opposite; i.e, just sort of not paying much attention to what might help things along for EVERYone. i've talked about this with lots of people that have visited or moved here from elsewhere when they are like "what is up with the SLOW and trouble merging??".

i agree on the hanging out in the left lane and going SLOWly that another poster mentioned. that a sign is even posted seems odd enough, but that it's not enforced (and that it even OUGHT to be) can be ridiculous. it's funny - i've experienced getting stuck behind several people in the left going 5-10MPH below the limit, and if i flashed them (with my headlights), they hit the brakes...if i tried to pass them on the inside without making a fuss, they accelerated! it's like, "i'll be slow and do it my way, and you can't do it different" around here or something, many times.

i also admit i've wondered what the altitude does to us (as one poster mentioned), as well. to be honest, i think it might be a few other things, though.

i'm wondering if a little higher standards for a license might help? as in, maybe some more drivers' ed or tougher driving tests, and maybe even for people moving their old licences in from other states?

[Katarina Witt]

The licensing standards have increased in the last few years. My 23 yo daughter was in the first wave to have to amass 50 hrs of driving experience in addition to keeping her permit at least 6 mo, before she could get her license. The law has been tweaked a few times since then. The rules were slightly different for my 20 yr old, and they are a bit different now. Maybe it will help, 10 yrs down the road (no pun intended) or so when more of the drivers have had to meet tougher standards.

[Huckleberry3911948]

i could tell you our own horror stories here which are daily but you probably would not believe them. the roads have become very dangerous here, but its ok, they are all wearing hawaiian shirts.

[dracul]

Check out my post: More Denver Road Rage. Just another incentive to vacate this frenetic and insane city.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by hello-world

...
i agree on the hanging out in the left lane and going SLOWly that another poster mentioned. that a sign is even posted seems odd enough, but that it's not enforced (and that it even OUGHT to be) can be ridiculous. it's funny - i've experienced getting stuck behind several people in the left going 5-10MPH below the limit, and if i flashed them (with my headlights), they hit the brakes...if i tried to pass them on the inside without making a fuss, they accelerated! it's like, "i'll be slow and do it my way, and you can't do it different" around here or something, many times.

...

Please slow down and relax. Why flash your headlights??? Please slow down and relax; you will enjoy life more and you will live longer.

You are now part of the problem as the driver in front of you has said to his wife when he got home:

" I got in the left lane and the cars in front of me slowed down and I could not go any faster--then this %^$# behind me starts flashing his lights, what does he expect me to do, ram into the car in front of me....I am sorry I yelled at the kids...but I am still so angry."

and the car driver, in front of that driver:

"Wow, I was lucky to able to slow down and not hit that car-----you should have seen that accident---the car just flipped into the lane--I was so scared..."


Please slow down and relax.

Livecontent

[hello-world]

Originally Posted by livecontent

Please slow down and relax. Why flash your headlights??? Please slow down and relax; you will enjoy life more and you will live longer.

You are now part of the problem as the driver in front of you has said to his wife when he got home:

" I got in the left lane and the cars in front of me slowed down and I could not go any faster--then this %^$# behind me starts flashing his lights, what does he expect me to do, ram into the car in front of me....I am sorry I yelled at the kids...but I am still so angry."

and the car driver, in front of that driver:

"Wow, I was lucky to able to slow down and not hit that car-----you should have seen that accident---the car just flipped into the lane--I was so scared..."


Please slow down and relax.

Livecontent

i agree getting angry or flashing people that are in a situation they can literally do nothing about (stuck in traffic, e.g.) seems ridiculous. many times, i personally just hang out and wait till it's pretty clear someone's on their cell, someone's very old, someone's very slow, whatever and either try to indicate that "hey, quite a following back here and some of us have places to go" or i just pass on the right while abiding by the limit (or so). not so stressful.

but, while you ask "why flash headlights?", i'd ask "why stay in the left lane, under signs saying get to the right, while driving 10-20MPH below the posted limit?", or "why not just keep on moving along, pull into the next lane for a few seconds to let people on from the acceleration ramp, and pull back to the right lane?", or "why not use the acceleration ramp to...accelerate to the traffic flow rather than pulling on after letting gravity be your only propulsion resulting in the 'flow' being unnecessarily disengaged?".

[Mike from back east]

I've driven autobahns in Germany, where there often is no speed limit on open roads, and where Lane Discipline is a state religion. To see good LD used by all drivers is a sight to behold. Wish we had it here.

I remember going flat out at 100 MPH in a tiny rental car, in the left lane as I passed others. Every so often a big Benz came up behind me at 120-140 MPH, and about 100 yards back he would flash his lights once or twice to alert me. I automatically pulled over a lane to share the road and all the other drivers did the same as he moved on down the bahn. It was wonderful, orderly, predictable, and most of all - it was safe - for ALL of us out there.

We used to be that way here, but over the years people simply stopped practicing good LD. Over there, blinky blinky means teamwork. Here it seems to be an insult to some people, especially those with our stupid self image of every American being a "rugged individualist" and doing whatever we feel like doing, even when public safety is the issue, not ego.

There, that's MY rant.... I feel better now.... can I have a cookie...

[hello-world]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

I've driven autobahns in Germany, where there often is no speed limit on open roads, and where Lane Discipline is a state religion. To see good LD used by all drivers is a sight to behold. Wish we had it here.

I remember going flat out at 100 MPH in a tiny rental car, in the left lane as I passed others. Every so often a big Benz came up behind me at 120-140 MPH, and about 100 yards back he would flash his lights once or twice to alert me. I automatically pulled over a lane to share the road and all the other drivers did the same as he moved on down the bahn. It was wonderful, orderly, predictable, and most of all - it was safe - for ALL of us out there.

We used to be that way here, but over the years people simply stopped practicing good LD. Over there, blinky blinky means teamwork. Here it seems to be an insult to some people, especially those with our stupid self image of every American being a "rugged individualist" and doing whatever we feel like doing, even when public safety is the issue, not ego.

There, that's MY rant.... I feel better now.... can I have a cookie...

right on.

i can definitely agree with some of the "i'm an individual, and i'll do what i want and forget YOU if it at all affects ME" bit. much more that way in some sectors than others, in my view. i honestly think this stuff is a manifestation of other things that come through in a culture. adaptation. accomodation for differences. etc.. not that this is patently a denver thing (it's a nice place in many ways, honest), but seems some of it can be more there sometimes in some ways.

[katmoney]

THANK YOU.

Seriously people in this town do not know how to drive. Everyone is going at least 10 under the freaking speed limit. I-25 is notorious for this. Perhaps it's the chicago driver in me, where I have little to NO patience, where you either go fast or faster...seriously driving here tests my patience every day.

Highlands gal you live close to me-20th st is my exit also!