Pittsburgh Traffic Laws and Pittsburgh Drivers Thread (Washington, Penn: construction, live)

[Hopes]

For the sake of having a bet with people on both sides, I'll wager it doesn't get locked by the end of the day.

It would be awesome to have one traffic thread where everyone can let loose and others can ignore it if they chose.

When someone tries to derail another thread, we can post a link here!

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

Maybe they are looking to take a left or maybe they are trying to get over but can't because of the same traffic that keeps you from passing on the right or maybe they are lost. On city roads, I wouldn't think of the left lane as a passing lane. There are very few stretches without lights or turn-offs or what have you. Freeway rules do not apply on city roads. Trying to treat Blvd. of the Allies like a freeway is the mistake. It isn't the parkway just because people use it to avoid traffic on the parkway.

When I'm in a city I'm not familiar with I still instinctively stick to the right because in most areas people think to themselves "stay right except to pass". Only a jerk would tailgate someone who is already in the right-hand lane instead of passing them on the left. In terms of "maybe they're turning left at some point..." there's no valid reason to get into the left-hand lane and then poke along for a mile or more, obstructing the flow of traffic in the process, because merging nearer to your left-hand turn intimidates you.

GPS units are quite cheap nowadays---abstaining from Starbucks for a week will nearly net someone enough savings to buy one.

I don't get into the left lane unless:

a.) I need to pass someone slower in front of me in the right-hand lane; OR

b.) I'm going to be turning left soon (not a mile or two later).

This brings me to another pet peeve: People who refuse to let others in during a "zipper merge". There are many old-school Pittsburghers who will sit in the right-hand lane in the never-ending Route 28 outbound construction mess and shake their fists at people passing them in the unobstructed lane to their left. Then when those people in the left lane get to the front of the line at the merge point, a lot of people in the right-hand lane will NOT let them in because they view that as being "cut" in line. PennDOT advises people that traffic will flow more smoothly in the long-run if people use both lanes right up to the merge point, yet people still insist on taking twice as long by sitting in the right-hand lane and then NOT letting others in at that merge point.

We really need to start retesting drivers in this state on a bi-annual basis.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I don't get into the left lane unless:

a.) I need to pass someone slower in front of me in the right-hand lane; OR

b.) I'm going to be turning left soon (not a mile or two later).

That's thinking like former Senator Fumo and he's serving 55 months in the federal lock-up. Admittedly, the prison sentence was for other reasons.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

We really need to start retesting drivers in this state on a bi-annual basis.

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I may park on the northern side of Liberty (Tessaro's side), pick up food at a restaurant, notice it's going towards Squirrel Hill or Shadyside, and then make an illegal U-turn once I'm certain doing so would be of no impediment to any nearby cyclists, pedestrians, or motorists.

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Why should you be "rewarded" for your impatience in waiting YOUR turn to walk when I've already been waiting patiently for MY turn to proceed in my vehicle?

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Exactly why speeding isn't a danger

The comedy writes itself folks.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

The comedy writes itself folks.

1.) I admitted I'm no longer going to pull from being parked on one side of Liberty around to the opposing lane of travel any longer.

2.) What was wrong with that point I made? If you have the solid red hand at a four-way signalized intersection and decide to walk anyways, then why SHOULD a driver yield the right-of-way to you?

3.) I reiterate. I've sped for most of my 200,000 miles. All the accidents I've had have involved other drivers running red lights, driving while texting, or being elderly and confused.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

1. Say everyone should be retested
2. Openly admit on a public forum to breaking law after law
3. ?????
4. RestonRunner

[Craziaskowboi]

Lemme give you two stories from here in Athens that made me want to jump out of my truck and smack people yesterday...


1. The subdivision I live in connects to a two-lane arterial road on the east side of town, and has a speed limit of 45. About a mile to the north on this road is an elementary school, which means that you have to slow down to 25 MPH whenever the yellow lights are flashing. No problem there. But lately the town has installed some new "SPEED LIMIT 25 WHEN FLASHING" signs that also use a radar to show your speed on a digital display below. This has created two problems: one, the new signs have each been placed a quarter-mile away from where the school zone actually begins, and two, people now slow down to 25 even when the yellow lights ahead aren't flashing. It's already bad enough getting stuck behind people who only go 35 to 40, but now when I need to run to the dollar store up the road, I have to be wary of people jamming on their brakes after school hours because they don't understand what "WHEN FLASHING" means. This happened to me yesterday around 5PM, long after all the kids were home from school, and I damn-near rear-ended somebody. Not that it did me any good, but I laid on the horn, rolled down the window, pointed at the lights that weren't flashing and yelled that the lights weren't flashing. All the faster she ever went was 30 to 35. Dumbass.

2. A couple hours later I went to grab some dinner down the road a few miles in the other direction. Down that way is a middle school that has a constant blinking yellow traffic signal during the hours when kids are neither arriving nor leaving school. It's a four-lane arterial at this point with a speed limit of 35. I was in the left lane trying to overtake a car in the right lane, except I couldn't because of some sorority girl in a Lexus SUV driving below the speed limit in front of me. As we approached the blinking yellow signal, all of a sudden she just started slowing down and damn near came to a stop. And there's no left turn at this signal from the direction we approached it. The only possible explanation is that she thought the light was solid yellow. After three cars buzzed past me on the right, I had a big enough gap in traffic to dart into the right lane and get around her stupid ass. She was on the goddamn phone. I wanted to smack it out of her hand. At least there was no rolling road block to deal with after I got around her.

[Yac]

27 posts in, this thread ain't as bad as some predicted Reaching 8 pages will be a challenge as I don't think there is enough to discuss here, but we'll see how it goes.
Yac.

[Copanut]

I think the over-under is 9 pages.

[ditchdigger]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I think we need a special thread just for this popular topic!

I think Hopes must've been drinking last night. Or very, very, bored.

27 posts in, this thread ain't as bad as some predicted

Seven of them by SCR alone.

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

My peeve about driving in Pittsburgh has always been merging.

...and whatever nom de plume Scott Priester is using this week,

Apparently, fleetiebelle.