Driver's Ed 101 - Pet peeve of the day 03/28

[aviationwiz]

The break in the diagram is standard on all roadsigns -- and to be honest I have no idea what it indicates....

eg

Any sign that puts one in the right direction to the airport is a friend of mine!

[VEFF]

Great comments; I am glad most people here at cdrlabs seem to know what they are doing and also have almost the exact same top pet peeves as I have always had.

I also don't understand drivers who don't signal on right hand turns because they aren't crossing any traffic, yet the same drivers do consistently signal when turning left (at least it is better than the other way around).
Another thing is not using a turn signal when in a left-turn only lane; the problem I see with this is that when the light for oncoming traffic heading straight turns green, they may not speed through, say an unfamiliar, intersection so fast knowing that someone may turn left after the opposing light has just turned green, unbeknownst to them.

Roundabouts - there is one in central New Jersey on the way to the shore.

I know In France they have those five or six lane roundabouts, notably in Paris.
I also remember them from other european countries.
I think something like that could lead to numerous accidents here in the US, where many drivers unfortunately can't even seem to drive in the proper lane: they pass on the right, either due to ignorance or, as in my case, due to frustration over the selfish drivers who sometimes clog the left lane, as someone else mentioned earlier in this thread, even though there are two other, sometimes wide open, lanes.

I don't claim to be perfect, but I do always signal, drive in the proper lane (e.g. only use the left lane for passing or diving faster than traffic to my right), yield to pedestrians (amazing how many people don't yield to pedestrians), use lights when appropriate and don't weave like a maniac in traffic, or cut people off dangerously to save a few seconds.

Someone (who shall remain nameless) and I had an argument once about not using high beams when there is oncoming traffic.
I told the person it blinded (temporarily of course) the oncoming drivers, but the person was convinced it didn't...

[bill]

LOL, I just remembered what happened about twenty years ago.

I was driving about 55 mph on a nice straight road through farm land. Some guy drives up from behind and is following so close I couldn't see his hood in my mirrors. I did the usual, tap the brakes, slowed down at the passing zones and the guy wouldn't pass. After about ten miles of his crap my testosterone got the best of me. I stopped in the middle of the road to tell him, this isn't the race track, get off my ass. He told me to *-off. Well, that didn't go over very well so I started to walk up to him. He then told me to get the * -back in my car while showing me a revolver. That calmed the situation down real quick

Anyone else have an experience like mine?

[Ian]

Here's a picture of one of the roundabouts in my neighborhood. Talk about a waste of tax payer money. It's hard to see, but someone with a big truck parked on top of it and did a huge burner, digging a big hole in it.

[LoneWolf]

LOL, I just remembered what happened about twenty years ago.

I was driving about 55 mph on a nice straight road through farm land. Some guy drives up from behind and is following so close I couldn't see his hood in my mirrors. I did the usual, tap the brakes, slowed down at the passing zones and the guy wouldn't pass. After about ten miles of his crap my testosterone got the best of me. I stopped in the middle of the road to tell him, this isn't the race track, get off my ass. He told me to *-off. Well, that didn't go over very well so I started to walk up to him. He then told me to get the * -back in my car while showing me a revolver. That calmed the situation down real quick

Anyone else have an experience like mine?

Not quite like that...a little over ten years ago while on my bike though, I did have someone lay on the horn starting half a mile behind me (no reason, other than that I was on the road, obeying the rules). Flipped em off, only to find out that yes, a 250-lb redneck power lifter can fit in a Ford Festiva. I was bodily ripped from my clipless pedals (for you skiers out there, think of being literally ripped from your bindings) and thrown about ten feet by a guy who threatened to kill me while his (probably the object of abuse) significant other watched from the side of the road without saying or doing a thing. Had witnesses, but screwed up the license plate number. Just goes to show that some people think they have the right to be an @$$hole. Nowdays I just smile and wave when someone gets ticked...makes them madder, but what are they going to tell a judge? "He waved at me, so I beat him up?"

Oh, I did have a pickup truck try to shove me and my Ford EXP into oncoming traffic after I slammed on the brakes hard when being tailgated a number of years back. Just goes to show, never get in a whizzing contest with someone bigger than you.

[Ian]

Oh, I did have a pickup truck try to shove me and my Ford EXP into oncoming traffic after I slammed on the brakes hard when being tailgated a number of years back. Just goes to show, never get in a whizzing contest with someone bigger than you.

That happened to me when I was in high school. I passed a guy who was drunk and at the next intersection, he took his SUV and pushed my car into the intersection. I took off for the police station nearby and the guy chased me there. I musta scared the crap outta the guy on duty when I said some crazy bastard was after me because about 2 seconds later, the parking lot was full of cops.

The guy was a local business owner and in a small town like that, that means you get away with anything. Needless to say, they didn't charge him with anything.

He came after me again a few months later and rode about 2' off my bumper for a few blocks. This time, when I high tailed it to the police station, he took off the other way. I guess he wasn't as drunk as the first time.

Sober, the guy was a wuss. Seeing him around town, or at his business, I was really temped to give him a thumping.

[JamieW]

I basically hate all drivers that I notice. I hate tailgaters, people who think my space cushion is the right size for their car, parking spot gankers, people who drive too slow in the left lane, people who speed up just so you won't get in the lane, people who cut anyone off, and so on.

I had a particularly irritating situation last week in fact. I get off of the toll road which I take every day to work. Two toll booths which then goes to three lanes:

LL.CL.RL.
..TB.TB..

LL = Left Lane, CL = Center Lane, RL = Right Lane, TB = Toll Booth.

I go to the left Toll Booth because it takes bills and I don't have change, no big deal. Center Lane turns left or right, no straight option. I have to go right so I go to the center lane. I've got about 60 yards to go to the light and I have immediately proceeded to the center lane out of the booth after confirming there were no cars at the right toll booth to interfere with this.

Well, this pissed off some guy in a Subaru about 40 yards up who nearly runs into me trying to get from the right lane to the center lane. Keep in mind he's still, he isn't moving, the light is red, the right lane is solid cars for 50 yards. I had been in the lane for 40 yards and moving at the same pace (about 10 mph) when he decided to all of a sudden switch lanes to the center lane in which there are no cars. He makes some rude gestures, then climbs up on my ass, and then gets over to the left lane and we are next to each other at the line waiting for the light.

He makes another rude gesture. Now, at this point I'm furious. I know I seem very calm and easy going. I'm a bundle of warm fuzzy thoughts all the time if you're to read my posts here as any indication. But one thing that really pisses me off beyond belief is someone getting on my ass for their mistake. So I tell him to follow me and we'll discuss this further outside of the cars. He waves his hand, I tell him "fine, I'll come to you and we will discuss it." I change from a right turn to a left turn and he and I proceed to make a series of the same turns (possibly due to the fact that I was following him with intent of dragging him out of his car and denting his hood with his head). He gets in a left lane turn then darts into a gap in the lane next to us, speeds off, turns right, and eludes me before I can decorate his hood.

[bill]

Wow guys, it's amazing how quick a little problem can turn into a rumble. Being shoved into traffic, gun play or dragged off a bike goes way beyond getting pee-od and shouting. Just crazy. Jamie, I bet that fella will think twice before harassing someone again

I did have a nice experience while driving to work today. I was waiting at a traffic light, deep in thought, thinking about my to do list for work. All of a sudden I could sense that I was being stared at from my left. I turned my head and shocked a cute little girl (about 4years old) who's eyes got as big as saucers. She looked very scared...it must have been my morning face. Anyway, after staring at each other for about ten seconds I smiled and waved. I wish you could have seen that little girls face light up with a big smile. Man, it was worth a million dollars.