Why do San Antonio drivers block lanes from moving? (Houston: construction, school)

[wehotex]

I have noticed that some drivers here will at the last minute will decide that they should have been in a different lane at their traffic light intersection. They will keep all of the cars behind them from moving forward to the green light just so they can get into the next lane that they forgot to get into in the first place. I find it to be very selfish to keep the other cars from moving. It is VERY common here, besides all of the drivers who insist on driving 15-20 MPH less than the posted speed limit.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by wehotex

I have noticed that some drivers here will at the last minute will decide that they should have been in a different lane at their traffic light intersection. They will keep all of the cars behind them from moving forward to the green light just so they can get into the next lane that they forgot to get into in the first place. I find it to be very selfish to keep the other cars from moving. It is VERY common here, besides all of the drivers who insist on driving 15-20 MPH less than the posted speed limit.

Yes, it's a huge problem here, as it is everywhere else I've ever driven that has a lot of traffic. i.e Houston, Dallas, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Washington, D.C. just to name a few of the places I've driven in in the last 3 years. It's not a matter of "forgetting" what lane they need to be in, it's part of their "I'm the most important person out here, and I need to save these 12 seconds, because, have you forgotten already, I'm the most important person on the planet" time-saving strategy. It's ridiculous, and it's why people tailgate so bad--lots of people will stay bumper to bumper to avoid letting anyone in, so it really creates a volatile environment out there on the road.

[01Snake]

Happens everywhere

[Turtle_Mom]

Originally Posted by 01Snake

Happens everywhere

Ditto. These things don't happen "all the time" it's just if you notice it a couple of times you get pissed off about it and it sticks in your head. You don't log all the good driving incidents in your brain, but if you did they'd way outnumber the idiotic.

The 'San Antonio Drivers' thread annoy me, but maybe it's because I have lived in several cities and traveled in several - and EVERYONE I'm in say "Oh our drivers suck" etc.

And to solve the blocking lane issue, if you see someone who needs over - let them so they don't stick out in traffic and block it. Pay it forward.

[martinez4]

Wherever there are traffic issues you get the people that feel as if being first is a challenge.....first at the light, first to get to the next light, first of line at all times. I don't think it is a San Antonio issue but a general reflection upon the agressiveness of some drivers.

My hubby and I always laugh at the people who snake in and out and end up right in front of us at a light.

Sometimes it is better to be the cooler headed one and just laugh and let them in.....what goes around comes around.

[Paka]

The only time I will block a lane is when the traffic is all being forced to merge into ONE lane (MINE) and those folks that think the fact that everyone else has moved over into the correct lane did so for their convenience...so they can just up to the VERY spot and force their way in...that is when I will block JUST enough that they can do that right up until my car. That is a SERIOUS pet peave of mine...if they can not see or it is not posted, then that is different (car broke down, etc)...but with the RIGHT LANE CLOSE AHEAD signs posted for 2 miles, it is TOTALLY different.

I like the fact that here, when there is an accident or something UNEXPECTED, folks tend to automatically do the "every other car" blend...which is VERY nice. We are all in this together you know!

[PopsGuysRule]

Originally Posted by Turtle_Mom

Ditto. These things don't happen "all the time" it's just if you notice it a couple of times you get pissed off about it and it sticks in your head. You don't log all the good driving incidents in your brain, but if you did they'd way outnumber the idiotic.

The 'San Antonio Drivers' thread annoy me, but maybe it's because I have lived in several cities and traveled in several - and EVERYONE I'm in say "Oh our drivers suck" etc.

And to solve the blocking lane issue, if you see someone who needs over - let them so they don't stick out in traffic and block it. Pay it forward.

Amen, Sessta!!!

I too have lived and traveled in many different cities. I've had daily work commutes ranging from 15 minutes to nearly two hours, in three different states and maybe 10 different cities.

What we forget is that there are probably a minimum of TWO employed persons per household, and perhaps up to FOUR per household.
Kids RARELY walk to school anymore, they are driven by a parent, a bus driver, or a carpool driver, mainly because it is either 1.) unsafe in this day & age to be a child walking on the streets [SAD COMMENTARY], and 2.) rarely do any kids attend a school within walking distance.

There is road construction going on EVERYWHERE, all around the country, not just in San Antonio. With the recent bridge collapse and the release of information about other aging and dangerous bridges, we can expect that construction activity will maybe (just a wild a**ed guess) TRIPLE in the next several years. So things are very very tight, very very crowded......

I was told by a gentleman conducting a road safety/'smart drivers' class, that when traffic is backed up to enter or exit a highway, if every single person allowed just ONE person into their lane, there would be no backup at all. (and yes, he acknowledged that speed would be reduced overall, but with his scientific calculations, everyone would get to their destination in less time, because traffic would flow......)

[TXtrkgrl]

Originally Posted by martinez4

My hubby and I always laugh at the people who snake in and out and end up right in front of us at a light.

Sometimes it is better to be the cooler headed one and just laugh and let them in.....what goes around comes around.

We always laugh at that too~~ We drive into SA from about 30 miles out and it is so funny when people are passing all the cars then we get into town and there they are at the red light.

It is also sad in the fact that they are putting themselves and others in danger. It is crazy how these people will pass on hills and curves. There is NO WAY they can see if a car is coming. There are lots of gravel trucks traveling on the road too and these idiots are passing like that. Those big trucks will run right over you.

[SA Greed]

I call these people “Cutters”! They were the same people that cut in line at lunch time back during school daze. I know others may not agree but I also hate at the intersection of 1604 and Potranco (especially before they expanded it) people going outside the loop knowing very well that they are going to have to merge back into one lane. I was hoping that the Walmart would allow two lane traffic passed their stop light but I guess that was asking too much.

This morning driving to work I witnessed an accident. Going northbound on Wurzbach just passed Bandera, there was a trail of cars on the left lane and no cars on the right lane. Evidently this car stopped to let someone leaving a parking lot go southbound on Wurzbach. Some one gets impatient and doesn’t see what’s going one decides to take the center lane as a carpool lane and bam!! They smash right into each other. I was surprised @ how cavalier the person was in not slowing down in approaching the center lane not knowing if there may be a car coming.

[patriotizm]

I've started honking at rude drivers. They hold up lanes of traffic, I lay on the horn for awhile. Maybe this makes me rude, but I have been polite for a good long time already. I'd like to think they would get the hint, but anyway...