Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Automotive News & Views Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)
14399 messages, Last post on Dec 03, 2009 at 7:51 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
|
Replying to: ruking1 (Dec 14, 2006 12:23 pm) The first post I ever read in this forum has hit really close to home. Ouch ! I cycle around a city that is just beginning to accommodate bicycles in its transportation planning. I ride away from busy streets, or streets entirely, if possible. Stopping at every stop sign, just because motorists are required to do so, not only begs a primary reason to ride, but really increases vulnerability of a rider to be hit due to their lack of size and visibility and ability to accelerate very quickly. Bicycles do mostly have "license" to act as motor vehicles (in my state, anyway). This can translate to occupying an entire lane at well below the speed limit, which will not be appreciated by motorists at even moderate traffic levels. When bicyclists ride on sidewalks, road shoulders, or at the fog line; they are being being very courteous, in fact. I personally have no patience with the "Bicycle Pharisees" that exercise their right to hold up traffic while obeying all the laws to a tee. If a bicycle happens to break a rule and ticks you off, you might also see what inconveniences the rider is imposing on himself for the betterment of vehicular traffic flow, too. Give and take is fair.
|
|
|
|
My winner for the night as I was going home wins the ultimate automotive locomotive award. I was headed home on a back highway that I had never been on before, but since my Google map had told me this was the shortest quickest way home, I deciced to try it. It was a seim-curvy 55 MPH limit road that can easily be taken at 55 MPH. Not much more - maybe in Snake's V it can, but in a boxy cargo van I think not. Probably not 95 in a Trailblazer either  ... There are several curves marked 45 MPH and it requires a slight tap on the brakes but the road can easily be navigated with out need to vary too much from the 55 limit. But because it is curvy, passing zones are limited. Luckily I didn't have anyone in front of me; well at least not directly in front of me and he seemed to be going the same speed as I was as I never caught up to him. Nor did anyone come up behind me. But I feel for the poor fellows coming the opposite direction. It was constant traffic, so much so that I quit using my brights because I was just constantly switching them off. They all seemed to be moving at a speed relative to the conditions until I came around a bend and noticed a long line of lights. There in the front of the line was a small sedan, I didn't catch what it was, but it was probably going about 35 MPH. In a 55 MPH zone. This line of cars had to be at leat 40 cars long. I thought it was a funeral procession, but then I remember it was 6 PM and there wasn't a cemetery around that I knew of. Plus who does funerals at 6 PM in the dark especially when it's threatening rain? There also wasn't a police escort. It was just a slow poke afraid to take the corners poking along at 35-40 MPH (or so it seemed when I passed by going the other direction). I feel for the poor people who had to poke along with him as there was hardly anywhere to pass, but I was just glad I was going the other way.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: gogogodzilla (Dec 14, 2006 7:54 pm) Of course, they are all out shooting enemies of the state Here are a couple of roads I have been down that had few if any other traffic. 57 38 59.15 N 152 26 56.15 W Almost flipped an ambulance on that turn  20 36 58.23 N 156 16 21.46 W Took this road a few years ago and didn't see another car on this road. Most of the road, prior to this part, was very primitive and not for the faint of heart.
|
|
|
One of my pet peeves is the way that Motorcycles are allowed to travel in between cars in California. This summer, while I was visiting the coast, a motorcycle was maneuvering between cars on Coast Hwy in Laguna Beach. He and his female passenger made it fine by me (I was in the Land Rover LR3) but he hit the driver's mirror on a new Honda Civic in front of me which knocked the mirror back but didn't break it. I'm sure he scratched it. Just as he did that, the light turned green and he sped off. The Honda driver put down her window and re-aligned the mirror. She honked her horn at the guy as he sped off. Nothing scares me more that when I'm on the freeway and traffic starts to slow and motorcycles start weaving between cars. I know one day I'm not going to see one running up on me and hit them. In California, pedestrians and bicyclists seem to have a all the rights in the world (which is a good thing). Bicyclists are not allowed on most sidewalks. They have to be traveling in the street with the flow of traffic. But, I have seen them blow right through traffic lights as if the red light does not pertain to them (as someone mentioned in a previous post). The moment a pedestrian puts their foot in a crosswalk, it is the law that a motorist must stop. The local police will set up "cross walk" stings to catch drivers who won't stop. Mark156 
|
|
|
Replying to: mark156 (Dec 15, 2006 7:03 am) LOL, I still remember an old episode of "My Three Sons", where after they moved to California, Uncle Charley was at the edge of the crosswalk and a car stopped for him. He hollered at the driver to go, and the driver started hollering back at him to cross. I didn't understand it at the time, because I was a little kid (and I caught it in reruns, not first-run...I'm not THAT old!  ), but I remember one of my grandparents explaining it to me. I think it confused me because as a kid I was taught to look both ways before crossing the street, and that cars hurt more than people! As for motorcycles, they're not supposed to cut between the traffic lanes here in Maryland, but they still do it. One of 'em pissed me off one day because he cut between the cars to get up front, and then got over in front of me, in the crosswalk, and then his damn bike cut out when the light turned green! I should have offered to give him a friendly push. Then ond day, I almost ran over one because as I was coming to a red light and slowing down, he cut in front of me and tried to do some cute trick where he balanced up on the front wheel, and wiped out. Got back up pretty quickly, though. As for hitting the mirrors, I'd like to think that the mirrors on my truck are big enough that the idiot on the bicycle got a nice bruise on his shoulder when he clipped it. I wonder what WOULD happen, if a bicyclist actually DID hit your mirror and hurt himself and wiped out. Most likely, they're going to probably try to say you were moving and hit THEM! So I guess it would be nice to have witnesses, but that's not a sure thing in today's "mind your own business" world. 
|
|
|
Replying to: bullhead (Dec 14, 2006 9:10 pm) It's not cars. It's not bicyclists. It IS rude, inconsiderate operators on both sides. If you visit cycling forums (I do), you'll find a bunch of cyclists who for no reason whatsoever have bottles or spit directed their way. Twice, I've had cars run red lights and come within inches of hitting me. Both times, they stopped and apologized profusely and I responded in a non-hostile way. Many cyclists, like drivers, have been killed through the reckless actions of careless drivers. On the other hand, cyclists who feel they own the road irk me as well. All I'd ask is that, before judging, you try to assess why they're positioning themselves the way they are. There may be a perfectly valid reason. Let's face it though, inconsiderate drivers in two-ton vehicles are far more dangerous. I get a lot more burned up when my wife and kids are put in danger by a car driver that thinks they own the road or overestimates their own driving skills in a careless manner. |
|
|
..."It's not cars. It's not bicyclists. It IS rude, inconsiderate operators on both sides"... Perhaps you are discounting the consequences of behaviors? If you were a biker that was going correctly in the direction of traffic, what would be your take on a car going the WRONG way up the bike lane? SAME ACTION?? WHY YES. I literally see bikers drive UP the incorrect way EVERY day. Truth is if I hit that biker head on, I will never find out why he was going the incorrect way. It wont matter much and it will be ruled his fault.I might have seen cars do this oh say 5 times in 40 years and over 1.5 M miles of driving. By the way I have been biking for over 46 years. |
|
|
Replying to: ruking1 (Dec 15, 2006 8:09 am) As I said, there are stupid operators on bikes and in cars. Are you arguing with that point?
|
|
|
Replying to: keitha3 (Dec 15, 2006 8:15 am) Another for example, in CA is is NOT against the law to split lanes. But if you in a car, split lanes with a motorcycle, (that does this ALL the time) the motorcycle driver gets more than irate!!???
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Automotive News & Views Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
