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Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

21734 messages,  Last post on May 17, 2013 at 6:46 PM

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What is this discussion about? Car Safety

Messages Page 1917 of 2174

#19159 of 21734 Re: Common courtesy [fintail] by backy

Aug 05, 2012 (7:06 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Aug 05, 2012 4:39 pm)
In my area (Twin Cities), HOV lanes, i.e. far left lanes marked for HOV traffic, that are not reversible are open for regular traffic outside of M-F rush hours... meaning, most of the time. Then they should be treated as "the far left lane". Funny thing is, I don't see many people use them at all outside of rush hours. Must be conditioned to think of them as HOV only.

#19160 of 21734 Merging mania by backy

Aug 05, 2012 (7:17 pm)

Had two similar situations today while on I-94 in Wisconsin. I was in the right lane at the 65 limit. First case, a black A3 comes down the entrance ramp, faster than I am going, until it is even with my car. At this point they could either maintain their speed and zip in ahead of me, or reduce speed a tad and slip in behind me (clear back there). They chose the former. No problem. After doing that, they slowed down to below the limit, and the distance between our cars closed--but not an unsafe gap. Then they hit the brakes, for no apparent reason. Luckily the left lane was clear and I darted over there to go around them. I'm still going the limit. As I pass them, I give them a Look. They honk at me! I get ahead of them, about to cut back to the right lane. Then they blast past me, in the right lane, at about 20 over the limit and keep going at that speed down the road until I lose sight of them.
 
Maybe 30 minutes later, similar thing happens with a white Enclave. Same choice: they can pop in ahead of me, or slide in behind me. They do neither. They slow down to match my speed and honk at me, as if I am supposed to make their driving decisions for them. So I do: I floor the car so they can slide in behind me.

#19161 of 21734 Re: Merging mania [backy] by ronsteve

Aug 05, 2012 (7:44 pm)

Replying to: backy (Aug 05, 2012 7:17 pm)
Had two similar situations today while on I-94 in Wisconsin. I was in the right lane at the 65 limit. First case, a black A3 comes down the entrance ramp, faster than I am going, until it is even with my car.
 
Was the left lane clear in either of these situations? If so, it would have been a good idea to move left to give the merging drivers some room.

#19162 of 21734 Re: Merging mania [ronsteve] by backy

Aug 05, 2012 (8:08 pm)

Replying to: ronsteve (Aug 05, 2012 7:44 pm)
There was plenty of clearance ahead of me and behind me, very easy for each vehicle entering the highway to pick one of those options... as the A3 did. Can't for the life of me figure out why the Enclave slowed to match my speed rather than keep going and cut in ahead of me. Or they could slow down a bit more and enter behind my car.
 
In cases where it could be a tight squeeze, e.g. I am behind the merging car but will likely catch up to it once they enter the highway, I move over if I possibly can.
 
Anyway, when I am cruising along at the speed limit, I try to stay out of the left lane unless necessary.

#19163 of 21734 Re: Common courtesy [backy] by fintail

Aug 05, 2012 (8:25 pm)

Replying to: backy (Aug 05, 2012 7:06 pm)
In some areas in the Puget Sound area, HOV lanes are free between 7pm-5am, but in many others they are not. I like those times when they are open - most seem unable to read the signs so nobody but a few mullti passenger cars are using them - sometimes for miles, it can be kind of like my own private lane

#19164 of 21734 Re: Merging mania [backy] by hammerhead

Aug 05, 2012 (8:29 pm)

Replying to: backy (Aug 05, 2012 7:17 pm)
I'm lucky - I miss most of the morning mayhem. Work mornings, I go east & the mayhem goes west. Getting off work, the crush has long since passed. A six mile drive, and about 4 different ways to get there if one or more is bolloxed up.

#19165 of 21734 Re: Merging mania [backy] by bobw3

Aug 06, 2012 (7:44 am)

Replying to: backy (Aug 05, 2012 8:08 pm)
I agree with you. I have the same situation happen to me (without the honking!) where someone who is supposed to be merging into my lane expects me to be the one to adjust the speed. Now if there's a lot of traffic trying to merge and the left lane is clear, then I'll move over to help out. But not when it's only a few cars.
 
Plus the times when I do move over to help the mergers, then I sometimes get stuck in the left lane with one of those mergers right behind me and I'm not able to go back to the right lane because it's full. Now I'm the one "at fault" for driving slow in the left lane when I'm trying to help out the mergers.
 
And it's actually safer to have one car maintain a constant speed and have the other car adjust their speed. If you have both trying to adjust slower or faster, you end up with the same situation where you're trying to pass someone and they move left with you and then you move one way with them, and pretty soon your dancing until one person just stops moving.

#19166 of 21734 Re: Merging mania [bobw3] by hammerhead

Aug 06, 2012 (9:58 am)

Replying to: bobw3 (Aug 06, 2012 7:44 am)
It's the merger's responsibility to yield to existing traffic. I help out when I can, of course, but traffic already on the freeway has no obligation to do so, and occasionally, it's nearly impossible.
 
Apparently accelerating on on-ramps prior to merging is becoming a lost art.

#19167 of 21734 . by fintail

Aug 06, 2012 (1:20 pm)

Today I saw a woman on 405 going about 45, applying lipstick as she drove. White first gen Prius. At least she was in the right lane, but even the local slowpokes were passing her.

#19168 of 21734 Re: Merging mania [bobw3] by xrunner2

Aug 06, 2012 (1:40 pm)

Replying to: bobw3 (Aug 06, 2012 7:44 am)
Plus the times when I do move over to help the mergers, then I sometimes get stuck in the left lane with one of those mergers right behind me and I'm not able to go back to the right lane because it's full.
 
Something kind of similarly frustrating happens if you have to follow a semi on a ramp to an interstate with a car on your bumper. If you stay close to semi, he of course will merge into right lane, and with left lane having line of cars, the car behind you gets a slot in the left lane and you get stuck behind the semi for a while. Unless, you allow a long gap between you and the semi to have more room to merge in right and have a crack at a slot in the left.
 
Have not been to Chicago in a while. They used to have a traffic light soon after you got on an interstate ramp. If each car obeyed it, it would meter traffic down the ramp and to merge on interstate right lane.

Messages Page 1917 of 2174

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