This Really Annoys Me Pet Peeve Thread

[JonM]

Some folks must see:

Exit 2 miles: "Meh."
Exit 1 mile: "Whatevs."
Exit 1/2 mile: "I'm good."
Exit 1/4 mile: "wait ... what did that say?"
Exit: Holy %#&! I have to get over right now!!! E'rbody move!!!

 

[flars]

Quote: "Near me (El Toro Rd exit southbound from I-5), you need to turn from the exit onto a frontage road before turning onto El Toro. So there are 3 turn lanes from the off-ramp turning left onto the frontage road. Once you turn onto the frontage road, there are then 3 left turn lanes onto El Toro N/B, 2 straight lanes to continue on the frontage road, and one right turn lane onto El Toro S/B.

As you can imagine, there are solid painted lines on the two leftmost turn lanes that take you onto El Toro, because it's just dangerous to be all the way to the left and then cut across multiple lanes of traffic if you want to go straight or turn right. I go straight on the frontage road, so I always stay in the #3 lane which is correct. This is part of my daily commute, so it's almost every day of the week.

About 66-75% of the time, someone cuts me off from either the #1 or the #2 lane trying to go straight, or sometimes even trying to get to the right turn lane.

PLAN YOUR ROUTE, PEOPLE!". End quote.

I have planned my route for the future. I will never drive through Milwaukee or Chicago ever again. Atlanta is a toss up.

I prefer the less complicated highways with many fewer intense drivers.

 

[GrogNerd]

I have planned my route for the future. I will never drive through Milwaukee or Chicago ever again. Atlanta is a toss up.

I prefer the less complicated highways with many fewer intense drivers.

You would hate driving around the DC metro area, where drivers are not only intense, but feel entitled

 

[Kent88]

I drove through Chicago recently, it was just a little before rush hour but to me it was completely freakin' crazy. Missed 2 toll booths and have no idea how to find out which ones they were. One I missed because a white SUV tried to side-swipe me.

Was told that I could not only pay online, but I could find which booths I missed by entering my license plate info. Turns out you have to pay the fine within 7 days, but your plates aren't in the system for at least another week past that. Oh yeah, Illinois, that makes a load of sense... (if there was a 'smiley' of someone flipping the bird, I'd use it. I'm flippin' you off Illinois). Way to target visitors.

Then I managed to hit Milwaukee at rush hour. That wasn't as bad but certainly not great.

Will never drive through Chicago again.

 

[CU_tony]

Quote: Atlanta is a toss up.

Ugh, I HATE driving in/through/near Atlanta... I-85 would be an amazing interstate if it weren't for Atlanta... well, and also Charlotte...

 

[hagar]

Ugh, I HATE driving in/through/near Atlanta... I-85 would be an amazing interstate if it weren't for Atlanta... well, and also Charlotte...

I still have PTSD from 13 years of driving in and around Atlanta. It's one of the biggest reasons I moved out to the styx. These days I only go that there under duress and/or heavy sedation.

 

[rjolin01]

Email to specifically me from an online homebrew store: "Haven't heard from you in awhile! Here is a 20% off coupon since we value your business! Valid 48 hours!"

Later that day on the site for everyone: "20% off your purchase!"

Wtf, really makes it seem they "value" my business!

 

[Remmy]

Email to specifically me from an online homebrew store: "Haven't heard from you in awhile! Here is a 20% off coupon since we value your business! Valid 48 hours!"

Later that day on the site for everyone: "20% off your purchase!"

Wtf, really makes it seem they "value" my business!

So, what did you end up buying?

 

[Steveruch]

You would hate driving around the DC metro area, where drivers are not only intense, but feel entitled

It ain't just in DC.

 

[GrogNerd]

Oh, no... They’re a special kind of entitled in DC. 3 of 5 richest counties in US, full of lawyers, lobbyists, congresscritters & govt bureaucrats

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

yep

it's not difficult: know where you're going. know how to get there.

in this day & age, with google & bing maps, mapquest and GPS, there' just no excuse for not knowing how to get where you're going

Exactly. And even more important...

If you're in a lane from which it would be unsafe to exit in order to go where you're "supposed" to go, well just stay in your lane until it's safe to adjust.

Does that mean you might miss your turn? Yes. So be it. If you have GPS, it'll automatically re-route you. If you don't have GPS, you can certainly find a safe place to turn around and get back on route.

But DON'T endanger everyone else on the road just because you planned poorly (or not at all, usually).

 

[CGVT]

Yep. That guy that has had his turn signal on for a mile and a half but nobody will let him in?

Screw him for not planning his drive better. This is MY ****ing city and I'm not letting some confused guy into my lane!

Yep. He should take his eyes off the road and look at his GPS and Maps, even though every inconsiderate, "I gotta get home and if I don't let that guy in, it will save seven seconds on my commute" driver is tailgating the guy in front of him at 80 MPH.

That's right. Eff him. He might inconvenience me.

 

[GrogNerd]

Oh, bull****. Wasn't talking about that. Talking about a-holes who wait until it's too late to turn or exit who THEN decide they need to turn or exit

Got no problem with people who are in the turn/exit lane a mile early

You must be the other guy

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Yep. That guy that has had his turn signal on for a mile and a half but nobody will let him in?

Screw him for not planning his drive better. This is MY ****ing city and I'm not letting some confused guy into my lane!

Yep. He should take his eyes off the road and look at his GPS and Maps, even though every inconsiderate, "I gotta get home and if I don't let that guy in, it will save seven seconds on my commute" driver is tailgating the guy in front of him at 80 MPH.

That's right. Eff him. He might inconvenience me.

If he has his turn signal on for a mile and a half, that proves my point that he adequately planned his route a mile and a half ago, which is exactly what I'm suggesting he should do.

I'm willing to let people merge and change lanes. Not my argument. I'm not a dick on the road.

My issue is with people who don't plan, don't pay attention, and then do unsafe things to inconsiderately cut people off.

And in the particular intersection I brought up, they do illegal things crossing a solid white line in an area that you're not allowed to change lanes to do it. Those lines are solid because it would be unsafe to change there, but people just wantonly drift across them because they're jerks and didn't plan their route better.

 

[CGVT]

You guys have never driven through a strange city?

Even with GPS or Maps, exits sneak up, have merge lanes coming into them, change from two to one lane etc. Lanes become "exit only" lanes with little or no warning. Exits are on opposite sides of the road than expected. There are dozens of reasons that a driver may have to try to cross over a couple of lanes or more. Missing an exit may mean an hour or more of driving around a strange city.

Would it kill you to be a bit more considerate and let the damn guy in the mini-van merge to make his exit. Daaaaaamn

 

[GrogNerd]

Day before yesterday, in a town I've been to once before, missed my turn, found a safe place to turn around, arrived safely at my destination

Yesterday on the drive home, accident on 95, one lane of 3 getting by, we're in the right lane. At an entrance ramp, I let a couple cars merge in front of me, guy behind me is nut to my butt, won't let anyone in front of him. So I let a couple more cars in front of me, then a tractor trailer. Azzhole behind me lays on his horn, so I let 2 more cars merge

 

[Schlenkerla]

The situation of not being able to get into a lane for a mile and a half is because you're in bumper to bumper traffic going 0 - 15 MPH. That's a rarity in Chicago. You can always cut in front of a semi, because they can't accelerate quickly enough to keep the gap tight. I drive in heavy traffic four times a week to and from Chicago and Decatur.

I generally let people in, if they want in, but only one, the guy behind me can let another in if he wants to do so.

I freaking hate the people who don't get over in a construction zone and try to cut in late right as it necks down. However that's only at the very end, knowing they had 3 miles to get over in 55 mph traffic.

 

[flars]

Driving in Miami. I think it was 1979. Expecting my exit was coming up soon was in the far right lane of four lanes. Saw the sign for the exit one-quarter mile ahead but on the left. Put on my turn signal. All of a sudden all the traffic to my left slowed to allow me to change lanes.

edit: Sorry. Not an annoyance but a great surprise I'll never forget.

 

[Schlenkerla]

You guys have never driven through a strange city?

Even with GPS or Maps, exits sneak up, have merge lanes coming into them, change from two to one lane etc. Lanes become "exit only" lanes with little or no warning. Exits are on opposite sides of the road than expected. There are dozens of reasons that a driver may have to try to cross over a couple of lanes or more. Missing an exit may mean an hour or more of driving around a strange city.

Would it kill you to be a bit more considerate and let the damn guy in the mini-van merge to make his exit. Daaaaaamn

I understand your point of view, it's happened to me. I travel for work, often in strange cities. I'm usually at fault because I'm not paying attention to the GPS or there's too many exits stacked together and I didn't notice that I'm supposed to take exit 15C on the left. Not 15B on the right.

I think crossing multiple lanes 3 or more at 65 mph over a couple hundred feet is pretty dangerous. Crossing three lanes over mile and half, in bumper to bumper traffic at 15 mph is not.

That said, getting off of the wrong exit can be equally dangerous. Try that in Chicago or Detroit at night and you might be car-jacked at a red light. The place I exit off of on I-290 is fairly safe, but an exit later is bad news. If I go two later its OK.

My BIL's girl friend has been a victim of a smash & grab at a light at the top of an exit, twice. They bust out the window and take the purse on the passenger seat.

 

[ifnotuthenwho]

I freaking hate the people who don't get over in a construction zone and try to cut in late right as it necks down. However that's only at the very end, knowing they had 3 miles to get over in 55 mph traffic.

Sorry, you're wrong in this case. Study after study shows that it's most efficient if both lanes are used until the merge point and then everyone "zipper" merges at Taft point. Many states have an active ad campaign to educate people about the zipper method.

 

[CGVT]

Sorry, you're wrong in this case. Study after study shows that it's most efficient if both lanes are used until the merge point and then everyone "zipper" merges at Taft point. Many states have an active ad campaign to educate people about the zipper method.

Yes. This.^^^

When I have traveled through places that this is common, traffic moves so much better at choke points. Both lanes move and there is no reason to switch lanes and no road rage.

I wish that people all over the country would adopt the zipper method.

 

[GrogNerd]

zipper works great. except when you get a-holes like the one behind me on Sunday, who apparently think people merging onto the highway are only merging right there for the sole reason to slow him down

which is why I chose to let more people in front of me. for the sole reason to piss him off

 

[kombat]

Sorry, you're wrong in this case. Study after study shows that it's most efficient if both lanes are used until the merge point and then everyone "zipper" merges at Taft point. Many states have an active ad campaign to educate people about the zipper method.

I'll grant you a pass in this case, since @Schlenkerla did specifically refer to "55 mph traffic," but I will take this opportunity to point out to all the "Zipper" evangelists that the "increased efficiency" argument only holds for traffic that is flowing smoothly.

If you use the "Zipper" method in bumper-to-bumper, rush-hour traffic, and drive all the way to the end before trying to barge in front of some poor sap who's spent 5 minutes crawling along the length of the on-ramp, you're an ass-hat.

 

[CGVT]

I'll grant you a pass in this case, since @Schlenkerla did specifically refer to "55 mph traffic," but I will take this opportunity to point out to all the "Zipper" evangelists that the "increased efficiency" argument only holds for traffic that is flowing smoothly.

If you use the "Zipper" method in bumper-to-bumper, rush-hour traffic, and drive all the way to the end before trying to barge in front of some poor sap who's spent 5 minutes crawling along the length of the on-ramp, you're an ass-hat.

But the beauty of the zipper method in areas that it is the norm (such as New Jersey) is that there is no empty lane to drive all the way to the end before barging in front of some poor poor sap. Both lanes fill and traffic flows. It may flow slower, but it flows and everyone gets past the choke point without one lane moving and the other standing still, people darting from lane to lane to get in the fast lane or having to drive two inches from the guy in front of you to keep the asshats from cutting in.

If a car is entering the highway, it is expected that he will go to the end of the entrance lane and be allowed to enter. If the entrance lane was full of cars, they would zipper into traffic. So what is the difference?

 

[hio3791]

So happy that I mostly WFH but when I need to go in the office, I take the light rail, which I catch 3 miles from my house, in a rural area and drops me off across my building.

Not a pet peeve, but listening to you guys reminds me of my old pet peeves.

 

[GrogNerd]

walking the dog this morning and on the way back stop so the Howdy can say HI to the little kids who live 2 doors down

except one of them threw a snowball at my dog and I wanted to beat the 4-year-old crap out of her

 

[JonM]

Three and a half weeks ago I was outside on my back patio in shorts and a t-shirt and no shoes because it was 70+ degrees. This week's Sunday through Tuesday storm left 11.5 inches of snow in the area.

Nothing I can do about it, but damn that's annoying.

 

[CGVT]

Yeah, that sucks. Not much worse than a late season snow storm.

 

[JonM]

Our daffodils and irises may well be ^%!&ed.

 

[nasty_rabbit]

So happy that I mostly WFH but when I need to go in the office, I take the light rail, which I catch 3 miles from my house, in a rural area and drops me off across my building.

Not a pet peeve, but listening to you guys reminds me of my old pet peeves.

Is there light rail in Pittsburgh now? All I remember are busses and the monorail to the top of Mt. Washington. There were trolley rails on Grant and maybe somewhere in Oakland but no trolleys.