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You missed the whole point. Driving safely and considerately is NOT rude. Endangering other people by pretending to be considerate is rude, or at best oblivious.
You seem to be reading a lot of intent, here, that I don't particularly agree is there.
You're not describing rudeness. You may find it annoying or situationally unaware, but it isn't rude. You also appear to feel that people are completely justified in running up on and rearending someone whose brake lights indicate that they are stopped in the road, for whatever reason.
Were you suggesting that these supposedly polite people were really just setting you up and victimizing you? The world must be a very dark scary place if that's how you perceive others.
And not only that, the irony is that the same reasoning can be used against him.
If he knows the dangers and has accepted to go in when someone is "nice", then he in turn also pretended to be nice, which is also hypocritical.
Judging leads to nowhere.
If you don't like something, don't do it.
Judging other peoples' intentions is - wait for it - good4nothing. Buh-dum-tssssss
sorry, couldn't resist :P
Because it doesn't make sense and is confusing. One second later they would be past and you could go anyway. If they stop, it's hard to be sure of their intentions. Maybe they will change their mind and charge ahead.
I’ve actually read of a scam where this happens. The person waves you across and then when you start to go they hit you and claim they never waved you across. In the eyes of the law, that person had the right of way and you did not, so you are liable. Then they claim neck pain back pain etc. and sue.
In general though, I think it’s a dangerous thing to do, but I would actually not call it rude. The lady that waved me out was truly trying to be nice.
In Texas, back when we still drove friendly as a matter of course, letting someone onto the road IF the conditions were such that it was safe to do so (no other traffic, slow moving bumper to bumper traffic) was a given. As was pulling over onto the (very wide) shoulder to let them by IF the conditions were that it was safe to do so. The latter is even written into our traffic laws.
That has gone by the wayside - such civility started declining in the late 70's/early 80's and has only gotten worse as more and more people from various different areas move in and the whole concept of friendly driving is alien to them.
In Texas, back when we still drove friendly as a matter of course, letting someone onto the road IF the conditions were such that it was safe to do so (no other traffic, slow moving bumper to bumper traffic was a given. As was pulling over onto the (very wide) shoulder to let them by IF the conditions that it was safe to do so.
That has gone by the wayside - such civility started declining in the late 70's/early 80's and has only gotten worse as more and more people from various different areas move in and the whole concept of friendly driving is alien to them.
Well I agree with you, that is a separate situation. Letting someone turn right in front of you is very different than having them wave you across two lanes of traffic when they are only in control of one of those lanes.
Maybe a better example is when people wave you to go out of turn at a 4 way stop. Not polite, it actually slows down the smooth flow of traffic.
I hear you on the cycling thing. I hate it when I'm on my bike (I commute 3 or 4 days a week) and someone randomly stops in traffic to let me go. Usually I have stopped and come off my pedals, and it takes me a bit of time to get going again, when I wasn't expecting to have to. Plus I often can't see around them, and I don't actually know if it's safe for me to proceed, so I have to crawl forwards and look around them. I want to follow traffic rules, like I'm supposed to, and like I am trying to.
You seem to be reading a lot of intent, here, that I don't particularly agree is there.
You're not describing rudeness. You may find it annoying or situationally unaware, but it isn't rude. You also appear to feel that people are completely justified in running up on and rearending someone whose brake lights indicate that they are stopped in the road, for whatever reason.
Well I don't think they want to rearend someone who suddenly stopped for no reason in front of them.
I’ve actually read of a scam where this happens. The person waves you across and then when you start to go they hit you and claim they never waved you across. In the eyes of the law, that person had the right of way and you did not, so you are liable. Then they claim neck pain back pain etc. and sue.
In general though, I think it’s a dangerous thing to do, but I would actually not call it rude. The lady that waved me out was truly trying to be nice.
Of course I understand they are trying to be nice. I used the word "rude" to mean unintentionally inconsiderate.
In Texas, back when we still drove friendly as a matter of course, letting someone onto the road IF the conditions were such that it was safe to do so (no other traffic, slow moving bumper to bumper traffic) was a given. As was pulling over onto the (very wide) shoulder to let them by IF the conditions were that it was safe to do so. The latter is even written into our traffic laws.
That has gone by the wayside - such civility started declining in the late 70's/early 80's and has only gotten worse as more and more people from various different areas move in and the whole concept of friendly driving is alien to them.
My point was that friendly driving has gone out of control where I live. And it isn't friendly when it does not make sense and when it's dangerous.
Of course letting someone go ahead of you when it makes sense is considerate. But some people don't care about making sense and following the rules that prevent accidents.
Of course I understand they are trying to be nice. I used the word "rude" to mean unintentionally inconsiderate.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
I would only use that term in certain situations. For instance, when there are a lot of cars trying to get into traffic, the rule I go by is everyone let one person in. I have been in situations where a line of cars are trying to get out from Dunkin Donuts or someplace at rush hour, and a person in front of me decides to let 7 cars out, and even after our light turns green they stay stopped so they can keep letting people out. Then everyone makes it through the light and I get stuck there through another cycle. That person was being nice to other people while disregarding people behind them. I wouldn't use that term however for the lady who waved me out.
With pedestrians, it depends. If I see a person trying to walk across the road to get to a store or bus stop or something and it's a 2 lane road (meaning one lane each direction), I'll stop and wave them across if traffic is heavy. I also lived in a town for many years that has a ton of pedestrians in the summer, and very strict laws. In that town, if someone is on a corner clearly getting ready to cross, you're required to stop and let them (and you can't go as soon as they are past your car, you have to wait until they step up on the curb on the other side). The police sometimes pose as pedestrians to catch people not doing this. There does not have to be a crosswalk present either.
My mother is one of those who (when she drove, she no longer does) who is overly cautious to the point of being dangerous. She is the one who won't go on her turn at the 4-way, and I have been in the car with her when the cross street has a stop sign but we didn't, and she stopped anyway. I'd say "Mom what are you doing, you have the right of way" and she'd say she was being cautious in case the other car wasn't going to stop and wait. I'd yell at her that she's not being safe, all she's doing is confusing everyone. Then no one knows when to go, and very easily could be situation where everyone goes at once. I agree, just follow the rules. But I wouldn't say she was being unintentionally inconsiderate, I just don't think it's an appropriate word. She was just a nervous driver. Maybe even a poor driver in that regard, but consideration or politeness was never a reason for her driving this way.
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The world must be a very dark scary place if that's how you perceive others.
