Left on red and other driving pet peeves (Post, Bandera: mover, to live)

[TXtrkgrl]

Originally Posted by Chaka

While I agree with you and in general feel it's safer to follow the rules of the road, sometimes it doesn't matter if the other driver is 100% at fault, you're still out a car and possibly some physical damage to yourself and other passengers if someone cuts in front of you.

I was taught when learning to drive to never assume the other driver knows the road and will do the right thing....

I see where your coming from but I have to agree with Chaka on this one. I NEVER assume that the other driver is going to do the right thing. But I wouldn't totally stop in that situation either.

While we are ranting...... I can't stand it when I am going down the road and someone is entering the hwy and the person in the slow lane OBVIOUSLY speeds up to NOT let them in I mean really now, what did they get out of that

The other day at work I was talking to this guy in the break room and he was talking about how he hates driving, I asked him why and he said "well it's boring". So I'm thinking to myself "that's pretty stupid". Well, he goes on to say that he likes to mess with other drivers and watches them and when they are trying to get in his lane he speeds up, etc. blah, blah, blah. OMG! I was soooo mad. I even told him a few choice words.
He is just like the drivers that all us C-Der's always talk about

[catriona]

Here's one that really makes me mad!

You have been driving in the inside lane on a four lane road, say NW Military Hwy...

The traffic can be rather heavy, or moderately light....

You need to get into the right lane to turn into a business which is approximately 1/2 - 3/4 miles ahead of you....

You put on your blinker....

*blink-blink* *blink-blink*

One of the following happens:

1. No one, I repeat NO ONE, will let you move over in front of them.

2. If there happens to be enough room for you to get behind someone, the next person in that lane punches the gas pedal so that that room is quickly gone. Then they just casually chug on by you.

Meanwhile, your blinker is still on.


Another one:

Big huge flashing signs: "Right lane closed ahead" Can't miss it, right? Most people will move out of the lane that is closing, but there's always the one or two that zoom up to the sign and then force their way into the other lane. I've seen situations where the person(s) ahead of me have tried to block the closing lane by driving in the middle of the road to keep people from doing just this. So what does that person who doesn't want to wait do? They just drive off the shoulder -- onto the grass in some cases, and go around anyway. What is their problem? I saw someone do that on 1604 when the traffic was backed up. It is a wonder they didn't drive off into a ditch!

My husband goes on about people on their cell phones going too slow and people not knowing how to yield/merge getting on/off freeways. I can deal with those situations (well, maybe not the cell phone one...) much easier than the two I've mentioned.

Glad this subject was brought up! Any more pet peeves?

[heimerswt]

I agree about never assuming the other drivers being safe or doing the right thing...

BUT, in this case, a majority of people are being unsafe by stopping. It is a continuous lane the curves from east to south, and it is the equivalent of stopping in the middle of a street for no reason. Similarly, if you are cruising down an interstate in the middle lane, while driving safely at the speed limit....you can't assume someone in an adjacent lane ISN'T going to turn right into you (or that a drunk driver isn't going to be going the wrong direction late at night on the wrong side of the freeway, but that is another story for another time...)...but there is a level of trust that must be accepted to have fully functioning and smooth flowing roads.

Maybe I'm going off on a tangent...but my point is that I completely understand the notion of "defensive driving" (and often have my hand ready on the horn before something does/doesn't happen) but I also know that anytime you get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive down the road, you are accepting a certain level of risk to you and/or your vehicle.

[luckygreeniii]

Originally Posted by catriona

Another one:

Big huge flashing signs: "Right lane closed ahead" Can't miss it, right? Most people will move out of the lane that is closing, but there's always the one or two that zoom up to the sign and then force their way into the other lane. I've seen situations where the person(s) ahead of me have tried to block the closing lane by driving in the middle of the road to keep people from doing just this. So what does that person who doesn't want to wait do? They just drive off the shoulder -- onto the grass in some cases, and go around anyway. What is their problem? I saw someone do that on 1604 when the traffic was backed up. It is a wonder they didn't drive off into a ditch!

Ooh, Ooh, that makes me crazy!!! It happens all the time on 1604 and Potranco. People KNOW that the right lanes ends so they will race you trying to get to the left lane before you. God forbid there is lots of traffic, they will just nudge you out of they way like it is YOUR lane that is closing. The ONLY day I didn't see it happen is when there were two motorcycle cops sitting in the median!

[SanAntoQT]

People who TEXT while driving! You'll see people drifting into other lanes because they're doing this! You have to be a special kinda stupid to do this! Que pendejada!

There will be those who say they've memorized the keypad, so don't have to look away from the road...BULLSH*T! Memorizing the keypad doesn't make TWD any safer!

[Retired-&-going-back-2-CA]

Originally Posted by SnappyBob

On these new NO YIELD exits, what if one car is exiting the freeway and another car is approaching the exit ramp from the access road and there speed and trajectory would put them on an eventual collision course? Being how only one car can fit into the space of one car something has to give. Presumably and hopefully one of the cars would make a change of course so that the transition could be made with out incident. Which car does that at a NO YIELD exit?

There are no yield signs on the 'new' exits because each vehicle has their own lane which eventually merges.

One problem driving in SA is everything has a yield regardless if each vehicle has their own lanes (1604 & 10 interchange). This creates an unnecessary backup and dangerous situations. TXDOT needs to remove the yields where it's not needed and teach people how to merge.

[TXtrkgrl]

Originally Posted by SanAntoQT

People who TEXT while driving! You'll see people drifting into other lanes because they're doing this! You have to be a special kinda stupid to do this! Que pendejada!

There will be those who say they've memorized the keypad, so don't have to look away from the road...BULLSH*T! Memorizing the keypad doesn't make TWD any safer!

Oh yes!!! That one is the worst. There is a girl who works with me and the other day some of us were talking about idiots who text while driving. She was laughing and saying she does that all the time
We told her that she needs to pull over if she is texting. We are just waiting for the day that she causes an accident.
I heard they were supposed to pass a law that makes it illegal to text while driving. I told her this and she said that the cops can't see when she is texting because she puts her phone down. We told her that it is obviously what is going on

Has anyone else heard about this texting while driving law?

[luckygreeniii]

Not specifically a ban on texting. I have heard about one banning cell phones but I can't imagine it would pass because everyone that I see driving is also talking on one. Who would be left to vote for a ban? (maybe not quite as bad as texting but it is still a major distraction)

[SanAntoQT]

Originally Posted by luckygreeniii

Not specifically a ban on texting. I have heard about one banning cell phones but I can't imagine it would pass because everyone that I see driving is also talking on one. Who would be left to vote for a ban? (maybe not quite as bad as texting but it is still a major distraction)

Well, beginning July 1, 2008, using a cell without a hands-free device will be illegal here in California. I imagine there will be quite a few tickets issued at 20 bucks a pop for the first offense and $50 for any subsequent ones. However, the DMV will not give violation points for these citations, so I'm curious to see how well this law will work.

[NEsananto]

You should add those people who wait till the last second to get into an exit lane for an exit or when getting on a flyover ramp to another highway.