Linkat wrote:Bella Dea wrote:I hate people who think you owe them the cut in the traffic line...even though they've sped up and driven to the point of no return in the blocked or ended lane in an attempt to get ahead of everyone else.
I've actually done this on a rare occasion - when I had to pick up my kid(s) from school/daycare and traffic was considerably worse than usual (I always live early and give amble time when needing to pick up the kids). So when some one cuts me off when I'm driving home from work, I think that possibly they need to pick their child up at daycare or school by a certain time and really need to get there quickly. I once did something like that and when I came to a red light and the woman I did this to was next to me, I rolled down my window and apologized explaining my situation - there had been a water main break causing me to be late and I needed to get my kid.
Another thought - maybe that person had a really bad morning where everything just went wrong. Sometimes I try to think that way too - that person must have had a really hard morning or day to act that way.
One person does it, yeah. But when one does it, a whole string of cars follow because everyone thinks, hey, THAT guy is doing it.
They can't all be late to pick up their kids.
Bella Dea wrote:I hate people who think you owe them the cut in the traffic line...even though they've sped up and driven to the point of no return in the blocked or ended lane in an attempt to get ahead of everyone else.
What the cars in my area, me included, started doing is straddling the lanes when the lane merges. I saw bigrigs doing it so drivers couldn't wait to the last minute to cut in. Now alot of people do that here. It is common.
Gotta disagree with that lane merging bit. Use every bit of asphault... pre-merging only creates the potential for what you don't like.
We have been doing that for years. So far it has been working. Love it when the bigrigs do it though.
You're right Bella. People shouldn't habitually go right up to the "moment of no return" and then try to dodge into the other lane, when there isn't even room.
On the other hand, I witnessed, and been the "victim" of the following:
You need to get into the other lane, there is WAY enough distance between the cars for you to move over, your signal is on, and has been on long enough to clearly indicate your desire to switch lanes....
but noooo..... just as you start to move into the other lane, the driver you're looking to pull in front of speeds up, gets in your blind spot, or even pulls up further, in either case, not letting you in.
In the worst case scenerio, it happens that you're part way into the other lane, you realize the person is not going to let you in, but when you try to get totally back in the original lane, the person BEHIND you is suddenly incensed that you're pulling back in front of them, although they can see there's no place else to go.
2 things occur to me when I see this, or, have been involved in that...1. Some people have totally lost sight of the fact everyone in their cars are just trying to get somewhere. #2, goes back to this unawareness of your immediate surroundings. Can these people not see their piece in a potential accident?
I'm a very decisive driver, I'm not one of those fiddle farters who are timid, and want to make sure everyone within a miles radius is aware I want to exit the highway.
We're all just trying to go somewhere people, chill.
Chai, that's a different story entirely.
If someone has the courtesy to put their blinker on while still back in the line, I'll let them in.
It's the ass holes who think they should get right of way that irk me. The ones who speed at 50 mph's up the lane and then cut in.
What pisses me off even more is the sucker who lets them in!
Let me tell you why I disagree. Here in the looney bin known as Michigan, they will put up signs about the lane closure several miles before the closure. Immediately people start to move over to the "good" lane. What happens then is traffic starts to slow down and back up. Sometimes it backs up to far it will actually block off preceding exits/onramps. I had a big rig idiot one time try to block me as I went to pass him so I could simply get to the offramp two miles from the lane closure. He almost tipped the damn thing over with his maneuver. Of course, he didn't want to get off at the exit.
Stupid is as stupid does.
EDIT:
Chai, that's a different story entirely.
If someone has the courtesy to put their blinker on while still back in the line, I'll let them in, but only if they aren't continually driving forward with their blinker on while the rest of traffic is stopped. If someone is slowly creeping forward with blinker on, that's ok too. It's all about what you know are their intentions. The guy who just wants to get the f*ck in and the guy who just wants to get the f*ck ahead.
It's the ass holes who think they should get right of way that irk me. The ones who speed at 50 mph's up the lane and then cut in.
What pisses me off even more is the sucker who lets them in!
Yeah, I don't think they're teaching road etiquette anymore. People stop right in the curb lane during rush hour to run into a building to get something. Totally ignorant. Can you not see there's no stopping here between 3:00 and 6:00 pm?
I've also been in many situations where people will drive right up to the end of a closed lane and expect to get in. I don't understand why drivers allow that, or why the lane is open to them to begin with. They will often cut through Stanley Park to get onto the bridge, but lately they've been blocking that access route off, thank goodness.
Like Chai said, we're ALL trying to get somewhere. And as our Insurance Corporation commercial asks, "You wouldn't do that at a line up in a store, why do it on the road?"
We don't get over miles in advance. People start to move over about 1/8 mile before the lanes merge. So, by the time I get to where the lanes are actually coming together, I am in the middle of them. Our main road has been in construction for close to 3 years now and it is still on going.
This is an example of cooperating. The racers in the NHRA will be here soon. The easiest way to get to the track is by taking I-5. There are thousands of cars going. Legally, we should stay in the road at the exit as traffic backs up onto I-5. However, what we do is line up on the shoulder. We don't block the interstate. I have been going every year for over 5 years. There hasn't been 1 time where I have seen someone drive to the exit and then expect other drivers who have been waiting in line to let them in.
onyxelle wrote:What concerns me MOST is this lady works where I do...the one that gave me the nasty look. we are SUPPOSED to be customer serice and how can you give your customers a good transaction when you can't even be civil to the people you see on a daily basis?
Often times when some one is like this - I smile and wave and say have a nice day. For some reason this seems to infuriate them.
Bella Dea wrote:Linkat wrote:Bella Dea wrote:I hate people who think you owe them the cut in the traffic line...even though they've sped up and driven to the point of no return in the blocked or ended lane in an attempt to get ahead of everyone else.
I've actually done this on a rare occasion - when I had to pick up my kid(s) from school/daycare and traffic was considerably worse than usual (I always live early and give amble time when needing to pick up the kids). So when some one cuts me off when I'm driving home from work, I think that possibly they need to pick their child up at daycare or school by a certain time and really need to get there quickly. I once did something like that and when I came to a red light and the woman I did this to was next to me, I rolled down my window and apologized explaining my situation - there had been a water main break causing me to be late and I needed to get my kid.
Another thought - maybe that person had a really bad morning where everything just went wrong. Sometimes I try to think that way too - that person must have had a really hard morning or day to act that way.
One person does it, yeah. But when one does it, a whole string of cars follow because everyone thinks, hey, THAT guy is doing it.
They can't all be late to pick up their kids.
Oh I don't let them squeeze in - believe me I drive in Boston traffic, but if one does manage, I try to think maybe they really need to get where they are going - most likely they don't, but it helps me so I don't so angry.
It sure does infuriate them! We have two lanes merging into one on one of of our bridges and there's a procedure/protocol we all follow. It was my turn to merge in but apparently the guy behind me didn't think so, and he laid on the bloody horn the entire way across the bridge! I just smiled and waved at him in my rear-view mirror
He didn't like that one bit! lol
Mame wrote:It sure does infuriate them! We have two lanes merging into one on one of of our bridges and there's a procedure/protocol we all follow. It was my turn to merge in but apparently the guy behind me didn't think so, and he laid on the bloody horn the entire way across the bridge! I just smiled and waved at him in my rear-view mirror
He didn't like that one bit! lol
That is good. Sounds like something I would do.
My point is why get your blood pressure up and get all upset (although sometimes it is difficult not to). My husband is like that - he gets upset about every driving mistake or not. Its not worth it. I like to smile and wave and say have a nice day. Not sure why it always make people so angry.