Bad Drivers

Yesterday I came to an intersection, had the right of way over the other car there, attempted to make a legal turn; got flipped the bird and (through a window) sworn at, almost got hit as well…because I was driving properly. Anyone else sick of people getting pissed at you when they’re the ones violating traffic laws? [/rant]

A common way to piss off people is to wait until there is room on the other side of the intersection before pulling forward with a green light. (not blocking the intersection)

Every time I do this, some jackass behind me wails on the horn. They are the same losers who are parked in the intersection when you get a green light. That always makes me have visions of demolition derby…

Seeing you’re also from NH, would you happen to be thinking of Manchester? I know exactly what you’re talking about, especially there.

A lady I work with told me about a road rage incident that happened to her the other day. She was coming to a red light, and she saw a guy ahead of her trying to exit a parking lot, so she stopped far enough back that he would have room to pull out. The guy behind her saw what she did and went ballistic, blowing his horn, flipping her off, sticking his head out of the window to yell obscenities at her. Mind you, the light is red, traffic is stopped, no one is going anywhere, so it made absolutely no difference whether or not she let someone pull out in front of her.

The guy in the car behind her proceeded to chase her for a few blocks, made some illegal turns to follow her. She finally pulled out her cellphone (the battery was dead) held it up to her ear and when the guy pulled along side her, she rolled down her window and yelled “the cops are on their way, asshole!” The guy did a U turn and took off in the other direction.

This woman is like an aunt to me, I love her to death, but she’s an absolute hippie.

I said “You know, you really should carry a gun. I know you believe in peace and love and everything, but some people need killing.”

She laughed and said “Yeah, you’re right, they really do.”

[quote]hungry4more wrote:
Seeing you’re also from NH, would you happen to be thinking of Manchester? I know exactly what you’re talking about, especially there. [/quote]

You know it. Frequently they have Mass. plates…

[quote]Uncle Gabby wrote:
A lady I work with told me about a road rage incident that happened to her the other day. She was coming to a red light, and she saw a guy ahead of her trying to exit a parking lot, so she stopped far enough back that he would have room to pull out. The guy behind her saw what she did and went ballistic, blowing his horn, flipping her off, sticking his head out of the window to yell obscenities at her. Mind you, the light is red, traffic is stopped, no one is going anywhere, so it made absolutely no difference whether or not she let someone pull out in front of her.

The guy in the car behind her proceeded to chase her for a few blocks, made some illegal turns to follow her. She finally pulled out her cellphone (the battery was dead) held it up to her ear and when the guy pulled along side her, she rolled down her window and yelled “the cops are on their way, asshole!” The guy did a U turn and took off in the other direction.

This woman is like an aunt to me, I love her to death, but she’s an absolute hippie.

I said “You know, you really should carry a gun. I know you believe in peace and love and everything, but some people need killing.”

She laughed and said “Yeah, you’re right, they really do.”[/quote]

Some people really have nothing better to do than chase people around for ridiculous reasons apparently…

To Cat Nip, that’s an amusing coincidence. Manch is the closest thing to driving in Mass besides Salem…

I had one guy get out of his car and come bang on my window with a can of mace while we were both stopped in traffic. This was because I merged ahead of him when I thought he was letting me into the lane. I’ve never seen someone so bent out of shape over something so trivial. It took everything I had to keep from killing the stupid SOB. He was probably in his mid 40s and at least 50 lbs smaller than me. I would have taken him apart like a rotisserie chicken.

I was behind a woman that let someone cut in front of her at a red light when someone hooked a dogs leash to her bumper. I was flashing my lights, honking my horn and yelling at her but she kept driving. I finally pulled up alongside her but she said something about calling the cops so I took off.

That poor dog.

I hate to sound like a motor-elitist, but I often wonder how 99% of the people I see driving ever got a license. Combine that with cell phones and it makes driving to work every day a battle between life and death.

Try living in Jersey…I am convinced the worst drivers in the northeast come from Jersey. At any given intersection, if the light is green, you wait five seconds before you go because someone is blowing through the red light from the cross section. The sad part is that it is so accepted that all cars follow this unwritten code.

[quote]Qaash wrote:
Try living in Jersey…I am convinced the worst drivers in the northeast come from Jersey. At any given intersection, if the light is green, you wait five seconds before you go because someone is blowing through the red light from the cross section. The sad part is that it is so accepted that all cars follow this unwritten code.[/quote]

They need to have infantry with rocket launchers patrolling intersections, ready to blow into oblivion anyone ignoring a red light. That would be cool.

[quote]hungry4more wrote:
Qaash wrote:
Try living in Jersey…I am convinced the worst drivers in the northeast come from Jersey. At any given intersection, if the light is green, you wait five seconds before you go because someone is blowing through the red light from the cross section. The sad part is that it is so accepted that all cars follow this unwritten code.

They need to have infantry with rocket launchers patrolling intersections, ready to blow into oblivion anyone ignoring a red light. That would be cool. [/quote]

I’d volunteer. It borders on the comical if it wasn’t so dangerous.

[quote]Qaash wrote:
Try living in Jersey…I am convinced the worst drivers in the northeast come from Jersey. At any given intersection, if the light is green, you wait five seconds before you go because someone is blowing through the red light from the cross section. The sad part is that it is so accepted that all cars follow this unwritten code.[/quote]

I’ve driven in NJ, NY (live on LI), PA, and CT quite a bit. Theres absolutely no way that ANYONE in any of those first three states mentioned is worse than drivers in CT. It’s almost like to pass their drivers exam they had to fill in a coloring book, and not even stay between the lines.

That said, let it be known I hate everyone.

[quote]analog_kid wrote:
I hate to sound like a motor-elitist, but I often wonder how 99% of the people I see driving ever got a license. Combine that with cell phones and it makes driving to work every day a battle between life and death. [/quote]

Fo’ sho’.

Most people cannot drive to save their lives. I’ve only ever lost it on the road a couple times - worst was when I encountered a Stouh African taxi driver.

I’ve found that for some reason, a lot of people seem to lose their ability to drive when it rains or the roads are wet - it’s like they turn into metally handicapped toddlers panicking at every turn.

This taxi changed lains without indicating (ofcourse) and would’ve forced me into the pavement had I not braked and swerved. When I hooted at him and started screaming, he swerved back into the middle lane and almost took out someone else. His cab was full, I had 2 friends in the car with me. I reached for my tyre iron to knock his car (in silly anger) - though I didn’t find it - he still went straight through a red light just to avoid stopping next to me. I suppose that was just an act of built up annoyance with taxi drivers.

Now I cycle, and people still don’t know how to drive in this country either.

story that happened on friday, in a car park i was waiting for this woman to go past so i could turn, she was talking on her phone and guess what she wasnt paying attention drifting into my car, if i didnt honk she would have hit my car but then she flipped ME the bird

I lived in Phoenix for a while and taught motorcyling there. We always told our students to look both ways at a GREEN light.

If Phoenix cut it’s red light running fatalities in half, it would still have the highest amount!

This is from 1998, and about 2 million more people have moved there since, so I am sure it is worse now.

http://www.insure.com/articles/carinsurance/red-light-running-fatalities.html

That’s why my dad will only let me drive a manual for me to learn properly. Any idiot can drive an auto. If we went back to having manual transmissions be the norm, then we would be a lot better off.

Notice North Dakota has no red light running fatalities. I don’t believe they have street lights there, just cattle grates and no speed limit.

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
I was behind a woman that let someone cut in front of her at a red light when someone hooked a dogs leash to her bumper. I was flashing my lights, honking my horn and yelling at her but she kept driving. I finally pulled up alongside her but she said something about calling the cops so I took off.

That poor dog.[/quote]

I bet she was a hippie.

[quote]jtg987 wrote:
story that happened on friday, in a car park i was waiting for this woman to go past so i could turn, she was talking on her phone and guess what she wasnt paying attention drifting into my car, if i didnt honk she would have hit my car but then she flipped ME the bird[/quote]

I really don’t get that. People do stupid crap, usually while on their cell phones (girl in my encounter was on her cell), and get pissed at other people for gasp obeying the laws.

I was mildly tempted in my encounter to let the girl hit me instead of backing off, then screw up her insurance rates just for some personal satisfaction. Too bad I can’t afford to be without a car for a couple weeks.