What's up with Road Rage on houston roads? (gated, moving)

[smuggy_mba]

Originally Posted by Glossa

Mexicans?? Foreigners?? That may be your definition of transplant but it's not mine.

What I meant was out-of-state, which is still not true.

[Tassy001]

Originally Posted by smuggy_mba

That's definitely no true - most of the people happen to have a texan sticker of some sort behind their truck. they might not be from Houston, but they are from Texas. Don't blame it on the mexicans or foreigners; at least I haven't had a rough time with them so far. Others feel free to chime in.

The poster said locals, that would be native Houstians, not someone transplanted from another city in Texas. And you just ASSume transplants means Mexicans and foreigners??

[eric3781]

Originally Posted by smuggy_mba

Don't do that on Eldridge Pkwy or near Bear Creek park, you rule number 1 might get busted soon there are 5-8 cruisers in that area handing out speeding tickets for 5 over.

I have the eagle eyes on full alert on Eldridge. "Strictly enforced" . Oooooooooooo

But if I was traveling at a speed that exceeded what was posted, but was nevertheless consistent with the 85th percentile of traffic, and I was in favorable traffic, roadway, and weather conditions, I would protest any citations on the basis that the speed I was traveling was considered reasonable and prudent, under our current prima facie speed limit system, and was therefore a legal speed.

[Tassy001]

Originally Posted by smuggy_mba

Don't do that on Eldridge Pkwy or near Bear Creek park, you rule number 1 might get busted soon there are 5-8 cruisers in that area handing out speeding tickets for 5 over.

There has not been police presence handing out tickets for the last several months. It used to be that way when the street was being re-paved and the speed limit was first reduced.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by smuggy_mba

You're right Pedro and good points but if someone is backing out from a parking spot and can't see me - I am supposed to stop or we will hit each other.

If I stop, which is the right thing to do, do you think the person behind me should start cussing, yelling I'm going to teach you *****, showing me the finger - all because I stopped when someone is backing up. Does this also give him the right to come out or follow me to my office. All I was doing was trying to have lunch at Taco Cabana

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you're to blame for what happened or that you exhibit any of these behaviors.

I'm saying that many people are just getting so frustrated with other drivers that they are always on the breaking point - aka straw that broke the camel's back - and they sometimes go off on anyone for even an imaginary faux pas.

Then, there are the self-important jerks who always drive recklessly and are looking for a confrontation. I've seen plenty of them. They think they own the road and are pissed off 24/7.

[txdemo]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

Then, there are the self-important jerks who always drive recklessly and are looking for a confrontation. I've seen plenty of them. They think they own the road and are pissed off 24/7.

Usually driving Dodge Chargers.

[norman94477]

There's absolutely no excuse for the road rage described here. None. Those folks are dangerous and don't deserve the privilege of driving.

However I've seen A LOT of "good" drivers complain about aggressive drivers and road rage who are completely oblivious to their own poor driving. Not saying this is you - but it does make me wonder what an impartial observer would have seen in the scenes that where shared.

1.) Going for lunch at Taco Cabana on Clay rd and I'm in the parking lot and one guy is backing up so I stop of course. The guy behind me just loses it, pull the window down, shows me the finger, starts yelling.

I assume you weren't waiting for the spot. Was the vehicle that was backing out already moving out of the space or did you stop and let the guy move out because you noticed his brake lights? If the latter you were disrupting the flow of traffic and you should not have stopped.

2.) This morning, I'm in the middle lane and the one left to me is merging with the middle lane. A RAM truck comes fast from behind and comes right in front, almost hitting me. After this happens and I'm right behind him at the traffic light (stopped since the light is red) he backs up to hit me and start yelling he's gonna take care of me. Then he follows me to my work and eventually drives away.

You were going 20 mph - was the rest of traffic in your middle lane going at this speed? Or were you riding slow in what was to be the left lane after the merge?

3.) On Monday, I'm in the left lane and a girl in a truck from the right lane comes right in front of me without any blinker and dangerously close so I honk. As soon as I honk, she brake checks on me and keep doing that until I could change lane and drive away.

Again, were you in the left lane passing or were you just cruising at posted speeds? Too many people think it's their job to slow down speeders in the left lane. Or they just don't care that they slow down traffic and force other drivers to pass in the rights lanes where it is more dangerous.

Nothing justifies the behaviors and reactions described. But after driving in Houston traffic for 6 years I am always skeptical when I hear stories like this where everyone else is crazy and reckless.

[majicdonjuan]

Originally Posted by trekbiker

I see it has gotten worse over the past few years, and I can see it getting even worse in the future.

When I first moved here from northern VA near DC, I thought Houston had much friendlier and more considerate drivers than the DC metro area.

When changing lanes on the freeway, turning on the blinker, they'd actually let you take the lane in front of them (that was then). In DC, you DON'T want to turn on the blinker because if you did, someone would drive up and block you from changing to that lane. It was that bad. Here, it is getting to that point now.

Now I can't say the same, and with all the booming growth and increasing traffic going on now, it's just going to get even worse.

I did the opposite move (Houston to Nova) and I find that I prefer the Houston drivers. Why? Because in Houston they drive with a sense of purpose - people have somewhere to be and drive like they actually need to get there. Up here? It's the entirely opposite problem - people drive UNDER the speed limit in the left lane CONSISTENTLY. I'd rather deal with the crazies in Houston - they are fast, aggressive and rude, but I can predict what they are going to do. There's nothing more frustrating than riding on a 2-3 lane freeway where the speed limit is 55 and three cars are going 50 in all three lanes.

And Houston drivers have been aggressive and crazy as hell ever since I got my drivers license around the turn of the century. I'm sure it's worse now, but it's always been survival of the fittest on Houston freeways.

You're either a wolf or a sheep out there. Your choice.

[smuggy_mba]

Originally Posted by txdemo

Usually driving Dodge Chargers.

and Dodge RAM like I witnessed today; he was the one backing up hi super duty truck on me when I was stopped.

[smuggy_mba]

Originally Posted by norman94477

There's absolutely no excuse for the road rage described here. None. Those folks are dangerous and don't deserve the privilege of driving.

However I've seen A LOT of "good" drivers complain about aggressive drivers and road rage who are completely oblivious to their own poor driving. Not saying this is you - but it does make me wonder what an impartial observer would have seen in the scenes that where shared.

1.) Going for lunch at Taco Cabana on Clay rd and I'm in the parking lot and one guy is backing up so I stop of course. The guy behind me just loses it, pull the window down, shows me the finger, starts yelling.

I assume you weren't waiting for the spot. Was the vehicle that was backing out already moving out of the space or did you stop and let the guy move out because you noticed his brake lights? If the latter you were disrupting the flow of traffic and you should not have stopped.

2.) This morning, I'm in the middle lane and the one left to me is merging with the middle lane. A RAM truck comes fast from behind and comes right in front, almost hitting me. After this happens and I'm right behind him at the traffic light (stopped since the light is red) he backs up to hit me and start yelling he's gonna take care of me. Then he follows me to my work and eventually drives away.

You were going 20 mph - was the rest of traffic in your middle lane going at this speed? Or were you riding slow in what was to be the left lane after the merge?

3.) On Monday, I'm in the left lane and a girl in a truck from the right lane comes right in front of me without any blinker and dangerously close so I honk. As soon as I honk, she brake checks on me and keep doing that until I could change lane and drive away.

Again, were you in the left lane passing or were you just cruising at posted speeds? Too many people think it's their job to slow down speeders in the left lane. Or they just don't care that they slow down traffic and force other drivers to pass in the rights lanes where it is more dangerous.

Nothing justifies the behaviors and reactions described. But after driving in Houston traffic for 6 years I am always skeptical when I hear stories like this where everyone else is crazy and reckless.

All of these examples, I was never on the freeway. We're talking feeder road or regular residential neighborhoods. On number 3, see my post number 10: //www.city-data.com/forum/34214390-post10.html