Pittsburgh driving (2013, live in, law)

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

Consenting to a Pittsburgh left when you are the inbound driver on Fifth at Craig St in the morning is pretty beneficial to the flow of inbound traffic at that time. Even moreso outbound at the same intersection as the consenting outbound driver heading outbound in the afternoon. I would say 1 of 2 Pittsburgh lefts I allow are beneficial to the greater traffic flow.

This.

[Hopes]

If you get lost, head downhill and you'll eventually find a main road.

[JimboPGH]

Originally Posted by Hopes

If you get lost, head downhill and you'll eventually find a main road.

I think that was the second thing I figured out driving around here, after "don't miss your turn 'cause there's no block to just go around."

[tyovan4]

Originally Posted by JimboPGH

Pittsburgh drivers need to learn to stick their butts out into intersections and make lefts at the END of lights like the rest of the state (and every other state with delayed lights): few things annoy me more than drivers who neglect to make their left safely during a yellow light and then nearly cause a wreck while hastily hanging a louie at the start of the next green. It's just so damn counterintuitive to any driver who learned to drive anywhere else.

Too true.
Drivers in the suburbs here also have an annoying habit of needing to hug the shoulder when turning left..
Where I'm from, it's common sense to pull halfway into an intersection and hug the double-yellow lines so that traffic behind you can continue to flow. Here, too many people see nothing wrong with blocking a lane during an entire light cycle because they don't know how to execute a turn efficiently.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by JimboPGH

I think that was the second thing I figured out driving around here, after "don't miss your turn 'cause there's no block to just go around."

The thing most people figure out after "there's no block to go around" is how to make a really stupid 3-point 180 in the most inconvenient spot.

Anyway, once again this morning a car honked at a car that was waiting for me to walk by. I wasn't even crossing the street. Just the entrance to a parking lot. If you don't drive like a menace to those around you, some people just hit the horn. I yelled at him for a bit and he tried to argue that him honking to urge somebody to run over me wasn't my business.

[ProFiction]

The Pittsburgh Left at its best is a tool that can help relieve traffic congestion. Too many people don't seem to grasp when it is most beneficial and either don't go for it or don't allow it. erieguy is partially correct that there is nothing illegal about the maneuver - but it's only legal when you are yielding to oncoming traffic. However, I would argue that (safe) efficiency should trump legality in these cases. There are too many intersections which become far too congested just because of a small number of people who want to turn left. Congestion is unhealthy and dangerous. I feel that many drivers have too much of a selfish attitude for this kind of egalitarian driving to take a stronger hold, but I can dream. If you're unsure if you favor the Pittsburgh Left as a general concept, imagine that you're stuck behind a single car trying to turn left while the lane to your right is bumper to bumper as well and your only two choices are to wait for that left turner to succeed or to change lanes - either by waiting for a natural break in the traffic to your right or for someone to let you over. That person letting you over, by the way, is giving the exact same consent that one gives when allowing a Pittsburgh Left. In order to help a person (or traffic in general) out - they're yielding to you when you should (legally) be yielding to them.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

This topic has been done to death so I figure I'd list some interesting things I have seen on the road lately:

• Going straight in a turning lane. This has happened many times in the past but lately it seems like it's the cool thing to do.
• Passing people who stop at stop signs on side streets. I touched on this in another thread but it's so insane that I figured it belonged here.
• A car was going to let a bus turn in front of him as an act of courtesy. No less than 3 grown adults from other cars yelled, "F*CK THE BUS!!!" at the top of their lungs at him for letting the bus go. Such class from friendly Pittsburghers!
• Speeding through parking lots. I mean, there aren't people that are walking around there right!?
• Pushing a car out of traffic with your car. A car broke down in the North side and rather than getting out and pushing a second car slowly rammed it to get it out of the road. This held up traffic so other cars beeped at the rammer. She responded with a finger and a "f*ck you" as she continued her insane act. Pittsburghers are so nice!

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

• Passing people who stop at stop signs on side streets. I touched on this in another thread but it's so insane that I figured it belonged here.

I'd have trouble believing this happened to you if it hadn't also happened to me. It was, cue a certain somebody, somebody driving a giant SUV.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

I'd have trouble believing this happened to you if it hadn't also happened to me. It was, cue a certain somebody, somebody driving a giant SUV.

Last time it happened to me it was a guy in a Dodge Ram in Mt. Oliver. Guys in big trucks are so angry, I once saw a guy get out of his truck in the middle of heavy traffic and threaten to kick the crap out of some nerd in a Subaru because he beeped at him.

[gg]

Originally Posted by charisb

Except the oncoming driver often doesn't consent. A person will just turn left a nanosecond after the light changes. Dangerous, stupid, and unnecessary. And surely not legal.

Um, it isn't stupid or unnecessary! It is actually smart and here is why. You are trying to make a left turn at a red light and cars in the opposing direction are an endless string. There are also a very long line of car behind you that can't get through the traffic light. So you have a couple of options. 1. Hope someone lets you turn left across their path. This sometimes happens if the other driver sees you are holding up a huge line. 2. You pull out to make the left and wait till the light changes to red and make your left so the car behind you can at least get through the next light change. 3. You don't move up at all and hope someone lets you go as you sit and wait holding up countless drivers for how many light changes?

The Pittsburgh left is just smart driving. It helps the flow of traffic. I really see no other option and can't imagine sitting there waiting and waiting as lights change from green to red, to green to red again. I think the people behind you would think you are an idiot.