The "Pull Out" capitol of the world! (Phoenix: law, legally)

[BIG CATS]

On top of all the "pull out" madness that is so rampant all over the Valley, the other big problem here is people driving at night w/o their headlights on. I see it all. The. Time. I am beginning to wonder if car dealers in AZ give people an option of having their cars equipped with headlight switches or not. lol

[43north87west]

Seriously, you're from California and you're complaining about our drivers? (just joking... maybe...)

But out here in Phoenix, the pull-out people are probably Chicago transplants. I'm totally serious. If you ever want to see the most psychotic driving anywhere this side of the Eastern Hemisphere, go to Chicago. New Yorkers have nothing on the nut jobs of the Chicago area. It's not that they can't stay in their lanes, it's that they apparently go out of their way to make life miserable for each other while on the road, instead of just minding their own business.

So I wouldn't complain too much about Phoenix, is what I'm saying. It's like Miss Manners teaches part of driver's ed compared to most of the eastern US.

[azriverfan.]

Cutting drivers off is not limited to Phoenix. What is unique to Phoenix is the driver who cuts you off then proceeds to drive really slow forcing you to break and slow down. This is a routine issue in Phoenix. It's always the soccer mom in the minivan or the Escalade that does it too. She decides to pull in front of you but then feels like she has to drive slow to protect her kids. That is Phoenix.

Phoenix drivers are the most clueless I've ever come across. They don't understand basic driver etiquette. In other cities, drivers were aggressive but had good awareness and drove with the flow of traffic. If you are in a hurry and cutting someone off, at least drive fast and don't impede the driver behind you that you just cut off.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by 43north87west

Seriously, you're from California and you're complaining about our drivers? (just joking... maybe...)

But out here in Phoenix, the pull-out people are probably Chicago transplants. I'm totally serious. If you ever want to see the most psychotic driving anywhere this side of the Eastern Hemisphere, go to Chicago. New Yorkers have nothing on the nut jobs of the Chicago area. It's not that they can't stay in their lanes, it's that they apparently go out of their way to make life miserable for each other while on the road, instead of just minding their own business.

So I wouldn't complain too much about Phoenix, is what I'm saying. It's like Miss Manners teaches part of driver's ed compared to most of the eastern US.

We have the worst drivers in the country because they are the least informed drivers in the country. Sure, other cities may have more aggressive drivers than us but I don't know if they less informed.

Examples

1. Making a complete stop at a green light and looking both ways before making a right turn.
2. Sitting at traffic lights for 10 seconds or longer and the cars behind them don't honk.
3. Cars merging onto freeways don't take their turn when their light is green. Meanwhile, 2 to 3 drivers in the opposite lane will pull ahead but you are stuck because the driver in front of you just sits there.
4. Drivers on frontage roads don't yield to drivers merging from the freeway despite a big red yield sign telling them to do so
5. Drivers have to pass on the right because of the idiots who sit in the passing lanes and refuse to switch lanes to allow faster drivers to pass. Phoenix drivers don't understand that the left lane is for passing.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

Not what I was expecting, but in a good way

Yeah, me too. I was ready to recommend it be moved to Relationships.

[ScottsdaleMark]

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

I lived in Southern California for many years. DH doesn't believe this, but there are people who -- if you use your turn signal for a lane change -- will try to keep you from changing lanes.

I got tired of being cut off so I stopped signaling.

People spend too much time driving in SoCal and take out their frustration on other drivers.

I *absolutely* can vouch for this! It happened to me many, many times. Your blinker comes on and they speed up / reduce their following distance as if to say, "Not in front of me, you don't." I don't see it nearly as much here but see it now and then.

It's bad in a car, but it's even worse in a truck or a bus or other big vehicle. It's been a long time since I drove commercially but when you put your signal on in a truck or bus, you can expect everyone to try to zoom past you before you can get over. They also love to cut you off or turn right in front of you so they don't get "stuck behind" the big, slow, annoying vehicle. This is very dangerous because a truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and a car weighs 2-4,000 and force equals mass times acceleration.

I remember being worried about how to handle short ramps/merges because no one ever wants to let you in and no one will create space for you. My instructor when I was going through training told me when time or distance is short, you just have to start moving over at a constant speed and angle. That gives them time to see what's happening and to figure out how they want to handle it, and is much, much safer than coming to a stop on the freeway on-ramp.

I find that this tactic works pretty well in civilian driving as well. Signal early, try to find a big gap you can slide right into, and if all else fails pick a gap and slowly start moving over...the trail car will either speed up and zoom around you, in which case you now have space to complete your merge, or they might back off the gas a few MPH and let you slide in ahead of them like they're supposed to. With our long ramps and wide freeway lanes, fortunately you don't have too many suicide merges like in some cities.

I just try to avoid right lanes on our surface streets because of all the stopping and turning and so forth...middle or left lanes are my preference on surface streets. Supposedly the middle lane is the safest statistically.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by ScottsdaleMark

I *absolutely* can vouch for this! It happened to me many, many times. Your blinker comes on and they speed up / reduce their following distance as if to say, "Not in front of me, you don't." I don't see it nearly as much here but see it now and then.

That is a routine occurrence here. The granny in the right lane who is driving slow suddenly speeds up when she sees your turn signal. You are better off not signaling to make a lane change at times. Sad but true

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

That is a routine occurrence here. The granny in the right lane who is driving slow suddenly speeds up when she sees your turn signal. You are better off not signaling to make a lane change at times. Sad but true

That happens everywhere, and it's not just grannies.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by 43north87west

Seriously, you're from California and you're complaining about our drivers? (just joking... maybe...)

But out here in Phoenix, the pull-out people are probably Chicago transplants. I'm totally serious. If you ever want to see the most psychotic driving anywhere this side of the Eastern Hemisphere, go to Chicago. New Yorkers have nothing on the nut jobs of the Chicago area. It's not that they can't stay in their lanes, it's that they apparently go out of their way to make life miserable for each other while on the road, instead of just minding their own business.

So I wouldn't complain too much about Phoenix, is what I'm saying. It's like Miss Manners teaches part of driver's ed compared to most of the eastern US.

Funny, that. Im from the Chicago area and when I moved here I was like "holy heck the drivers here are horrible!" No turn signals, tailgating like no tomorrow, speeding, road rage... the whole nine yards. Chicago's drivers are FAR more courteous than what I see here. When I go back home its almost like a breath of fresh air seeing people actually using their turn signals and waving back when you let them in. Here you can let someone into the flow of traffic and NEVER get a "thank you" in return.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

That happens everywhere, and it's not just grannies.

Not in my experience. In Florida, people drove aggressively but if you signaled, they let you in. Here, people drive slow but when you signal, they speed up. The granny was an example of how bad it is. Someone driving 10 below the speed limit will suddenly speed up when you try to enter her lane. You are better off not signaling here at times.