What pisses you off about other drivers?

[jonmohno]

Yeah i agree i see moms doing the same thing.Every time i see that i would like to pull out a bullhorn and scare the bejesus out of them,just to put em in check. Hey were doing something here, its called driving,and yeah you are not as important as you would like to think.

 

[HItransplant]

Too many to list, but i can sum up: people that aren't purposeful and thoughtful. Just quit screwing around, pay attention, and think about how your decisions affect others.

My biggest peeve: people crossing the centerline. Unless it's dotted and you are passing, this is how people die.

I think we need to make it much harder to get a license in this country. That, with much stiffer, and better enforced penalties, would reduce society's cost. Less road maintenance, fewer collisions, less DOT help for broken down cars, etc.

Driving is not a right, it's a privilege.

 

[JonM]

When I see a cop or deputy on the shoulder tending to something, I'm all for giving him/her some room and slowing down a bit, but for cripes' sakes, here in Milwaukee, whenever there's a cop anywhere near the interstate, drivers hit their g***amn brakes and slow down to 5 mph the instant they see the cop. That backs traffic up for, no exaggeration, miles. And then, as soon as they pass the cop, they go right back to 55-60 like nothing happened.

 

[HItransplant]

Yeah i agree i see moms doing the same thing.Every time i see that i would like to pull out a bullhorn and scare the bejesus out of them,just to put em in check. Hey were doing something here, its called driving,and yeah you are not as important as you would like to think.

Totally. I saw a lady a couple of mornings ago passing me at 60 mph in moderate traffic, putting her make up on with that lighted mirror (it was still pre-sunrise and still kinda dark). I honked, but she was to focused on eye liner... Idiot. It should be illegal for car manufacturers to even put make-up mirrors on the drivers side.

 

[jonmohno]

That remides me of here a years ago, of a young woman now dead, because she was changing her shirt while driving and somehow got in an accident and killed herself.I guess those few minutes were worth life.

 

[HItransplant]

When I see a cop or deputy on the shoulder tending to something, I'm all for giving him/her some room and slowing down a bit, but for cripes' sakes, here in Milwaukee, whenever there's a cop anywhere near the interstate, drivers hit their g***amn brakes and slow down to 5 mph the instant they see the cop. That backs traffic up for, no exaggeration, miles. And then, as soon as they pass the cop, they go right back to 55-60 like nothing happened.

Also, why do people automatically stop for an emergency vehicle. The point is to get out of the way, not cause a traffic jam. If you need to stop in order to get out of the way, great. Otherwise, keep moving--this will typically accomplish the getting out of the way goal more effectively than stopping.

What's this torrid love affair people have with brakes anyway?

 

[WineChief]

I hate it when I pull out of a side street after making sure there is plenty of room between me and the car coming toward me down the street. For some reason, half the time they get pissed that you dared get in front of them and they accelerate and ride your a$$ no matter how fast you go. I've gone 30 MPH over the limit just to see if they keep up. Then I get doubly pissed if they turn off in 1/4 mile.

 

[duckmanco]

Has to be riding someone's bumper (and not to send the "get out of the left lane" message either). A huge proportion of crashes are simple "following too closely" accidents that mainly due to some idiot riding someone else's a** they don't have enough time to stop and then plow into the back of the first car.

Next, cruising at 5 or below highway speed while in the left lane. If you dont want to pass someone or roll the dice with Johnny law, that's your business, but get the f*** out of the way for those who do.

 

[skirunnr]

Too many to list, but i can sum up: people that aren't purposeful and thoughtful. Just quit screwing around, pay attention, and think about how your decisions affect others.

My biggest peeve: people crossing the centerline. Unless it's dotted and you are passing, this is how people die.

I think we need to make it much harder to get a license in this country. That, with much stiffer, and better enforced penalties, would reduce society's cost. Less road maintenance, fewer collisions, less DOT help for broken down cars, etc.

Driving is not a right, it's a privilege.

Couldn't agree more!! In fact, I've often suggested in conversation that there should be a driving test, on REAL roads, every 5 years. (yes yes, maybe in theory this works, but is hard to actually implement....)

Just yesterday I got my car insurance renewal in the mail. My premium increased by 10%, which triggered an instant call to the insurance company. Their only explanation was that they have experienced higher than expected claims recently so they are blanketly increasing premiums. My response was "sooooo, my car is a year older and therefore worth less, AND I just added another year of clean driving (which makes 15 now) with you - THE SAME COMPANY..... and you're increasing my premium to pay for others's faults? thanks, but I won't be renewing with you."

 

[viking73]

Those who think that entrance ramps are to be driven at 40mph or slower. Really? I'm all for conserving fuel but come on, get to speed!

 

[JonM]

I'm an idiot driving along in the left lane of a three-lane highway. Sign says my right-side exit is coming up in two miles. Whatever. Next sign says my right side exit is comin up in one mile. Meh. Next sign says my right side exit is coming up in 1/2 mile. Eh. Next sign says my exit is coming up in 1/4 mile or, at 60 mph, roughly 15 seconds.

Holy crap!! I better hit my brakes! I have to move over RIGHT NOW so everyone make way for me!! Move! Move! Move!!

 

[frailn]

Also, why do people automatically stop for an emergency vehicle. The point is to get out of the way, not cause a traffic jam. If you need to stop in order to get out of the way, great. Otherwise, keep moving--this will typically accomplish the getting out of the way goal more effectively than stopping.

I am one of those people that pull over and stop for emergency vehicles. The reason is because 99% of the time, you hear the siren before you see the emergency vehicle, and have no clue what direction they are coming from. Also, I'm concerned that they may be needing to turn into a side street that is just in front of me. I have no idea where they are going, so if I stop, there is no risk of slowing them down getting to the emergency situation. I guess I'm thinking ahead to the victim, injured person, or crime scene, not just what is right in front of me at the time.

 

[BasementBrewmistress]

DC area drivers are horrible, and it gets worse in NC, TN, and TX. Around here, pet peeves are mostly related to what my flight instructor used to call "getthereitis"....oh, I forgot the texters, rubberneckers, and peeps on crotch rockets who give bikers a bad name.

Then again, while I was in college I made it from Murfreesboro, TN to Richmond, VA in 6 hours, so it's not like I'm an angel either.

 

[MeatyPortion]

The other day I was taking an off ramp and this truck (clearly going faster than off ramp speed) slams on the brakes right behind me. I look in the rearview and the driver was on her cell phone still blabbing away, continues driving, almost careens off the ramp TWO TIMES, and then speeds around everyone.

At first I thought hey, maybe there's an explanation, you know, that there's some emergency. So she plows a right turn and comes to a stop at a gas station, calmly gets out while still jabbering away at her phone call, and strolls in.

I need a mounted 50 cal on my car.

 

[t-bear]

Why do people have to drive in the passing lane when they can easily drive in the middle lane at exactly the same speed!!!!....its so simple the right lane is for exiting, the middle lane is for normal driving and the left lane is for passing!!! its such a simple system yet some people think its alright to drive in the passing lane at the speed limit or below when there is more than enough room to drive at that speed in the middle lane!!! No offense to any women or old people out there, but it has been in my experience that most of these offenders have been women, old people or people on their cell phones.....they make it too easy to get a drivers licence!!!

 

[the_bird]

Also, why do people automatically stop for an emergency vehicle. The point is to get out of the way, not cause a traffic jam. If you need to stop in order to get out of the way, great. Otherwise, keep moving--this will typically accomplish the getting out of the way goal more effectively than stopping.

What's this torrid love affair people have with brakes anyway?

That's how I was taught, and I'm pretty sure it's the law in VT (where I got my first license). I don't *always* stop (depends on the situation, if there's a safe place for me to pull over), but I usually do. I always assumed they wanted you to stop in case the ambulance needs to take a left-hand turn in front of me.

 

[JonM]

Wow, I have a LOT of posts on this thread. Guess that means I'm an irritable old sod when I'm driving.

 

[viking73]

That's how I was taught, and I'm pretty sure it's the law in VT (where I got my first license). I don't *always* stop (depends on the situation, if there's a safe place for me to pull over), but I usually do. I always assumed they wanted you to stop in case the ambulance needs to take a left-hand turn in front of me.

The drivers manual here says the same, "pull to the right of the road and stop."

 

[skirunnr]

Ok, have a new one to add as of last night.....

Drivers who hit you when you have precious homebrew/equipment/ingredients in the vehicle with you. Had a SUPER close call last night when someone came barrelling off an on ramp, bypassing the right lane so that he could get into the left lane as soon as possible.... all without ever looking to his side - where I and my precious grain/hops/yeasties were (all within a 1/2 mile of the homebrew shop).

 

[GroosBrewz]

Ok, have a new one to add as of last night.....

Drivers who hit you when you have precious homebrew/equipment/ingredients in the vehicle with you. Had a SUPER close call last night when someone came barrelling off an on ramp, bypassing the right lane so that he could get into the left lane as soon as possible.... all without ever looking to his side - where I and my precious grain/hops/yeasties were (all within a 1/2 mile of the homebrew shop).

That ignorant SOB!

 

[jonmohno]

Thats what they say. The most accidents happen within 1/2 of the home....brew shop.
Damn that ignorant SOB!!!=+++++1!!! Leave our homebrew alone,let us make beer for craps sake.ha

 

[SwampassJ]

Ok, have a new one to add as of last night.....

Drivers who hit you when you have precious homebrew/equipment/ingredients in the vehicle with you. Had a SUPER close call last night when someone came barrelling off an on ramp, bypassing the right lane so that he could get into the left lane as soon as possible.... all without ever looking to his side - where I and my precious grain/hops/yeasties were (all within a 1/2 mile of the homebrew shop).

Did you set his car on fire and then put it out by peeing on it?

 

[Sparqui]

As a school bus driver, I see a lot of bad behavior on the road. What sets me off the most is people who blow through my stop paddle. When I have a cop on my tail to pick up these idiots they always say that they didn't see me. C'mon people! I'm 40 feet long, bright yellow with red strobe lights and a big red stop sign hanging off the side of the bus that has its own set of strobe lights. If you can't see that, you have no business driving.

Sorry for the rant, my last runner was yesterday afternoon. A woman in a mini van yapping on her cell phone. My air horn got her attention and she slammed on her brakes, finally stopping with her window even with mine. She opened her window and said she didn't see me. I pointed out she didn't notice me because she was on the phone. Then I asked her if that phone call was so important that it was worth killing a child getting off my bus. That got through to her.

My students were able to get her license plate number and I had make and model of the vehicle and description of the driver. She WILL be contacted by the local police and that conversation comes with a $396.00 citation in Washington State.

 

[Clann]

I have seen the busdrivers with kids on the bus here in newport tn run stop signs just like everybody else.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Also, why do people automatically stop for an emergency vehicle. The point is to get out of the way, not cause a traffic jam. If you need to stop in order to get out of the way, great. Otherwise, keep moving--this will typically accomplish the getting out of the way goal more effectively than stopping.

What's this torrid love affair people have with brakes anyway?

That's how I was taught, and I'm pretty sure it's the law in VT (where I got my first license). I don't *always* stop (depends on the situation, if there's a safe place for me to pull over), but I usually do. I always assumed they wanted you to stop in case the ambulance needs to take a left-hand turn in front of me.

I'm pretty sure it is the law that you must pull over and stop, at least on city streets and 2-lane highways. It is probably not the case on expressways.

 

[ChshreCat]

I drive a lot of rural highways. One lane in each direction, speed limit around 55 and lots of side roads and driveways. It drives me insane when people are turning and they feel they have to slow down to about 10 mph before they turn, and even though there's a huge shoulder, they have to slow all the way down IN THE LANE before they finally turn.

That, and the people who don't go around someone waiting to turn left. It's LEGAL for you to go around on person on the right that way. But, it's only legal to pass ONE car that way. So, if someone is turning left and the person behind them just stops rather than going around, then everyone else has to wait. If they go around, we can each go around the guy who's stopped. You may not be in a hurry, but it's only courteous to go around so you're not holding eveyone else up.

Add to that...

People who are waiting in line for a light and they stop to let someone out from a parking lot, then the light turns red early for all the people behind them. The idiot in the parking lot could go out another exit rather than the one that's always blocked by traffic waiting for the light. If they're dumb enough to use that exit, then they can just wait.

One more since I"m on a roll...

Jackasses who use the left turn lane to merge right! You know the people. They turn left out of a parking lot into the left turn lane because there's cars coming in the lane they're trying to get into. Then they sit in the left turn lane, or drive slow in it waiting to try to merge. It's a LEFT TURN LANE, not a MERGE RIGHT LANE.

I'll stop now because I could go on all day like this...

 

[Clann]

I drive a lot of rural highways. One lane in each direction, speed limit around 55 and lots of side roads and driveways. It drives me insane when people are turning and they feel they have to slow down to about 10 mph before they turn, and even though there's a huge shoulder, they have to slow all the way down IN THE LANE before they finally turn.

That, and the people who don't go around someone waiting to turn left. It's LEGAL for you to go around on person on the right that way. But, it's only legal to pass ONE car that way. So, if someone is turning left and the person behind them just stops rather than going around, then everyone else has to wait. If they go around, we can each go around the guy who's stopped. You may not be in a hurry, but it's only courteous to go around so you're not holding eveyone else up.

So you expect me to pull off on the shoulder of the road to turn? Its an emergency lane not a turning lane.

You would have to show me in a book or such where it is legal to go around someone in the emergency lane. Once again it is an emergency lane not a passing lane.

Watch out for the guy in the little red Dodge Dakota. He likes to make people come to a screeching halt when people try to pass him in the emergency lane:cross:

 

[truckndad]

As a school bus driver, I see a lot of bad behavior on the road. What sets me off the most is people who blow through my stop paddle. When I have a cop on my tail to pick up these idiots they always say that they didn't see me. C'mon people! I'm 40 feet long, bright yellow with red strobe lights and a big red stop sign hanging off the side of the bus that has its own set of strobe lights. If you can't see that, you have no business driving.

Sorry for the rant, my last runner was yesterday afternoon. A woman in a mini van yapping on her cell phone. My air horn got her attention and she slammed on her brakes, finally stopping with her window even with mine. She opened her window and said she didn't see me. I pointed out she didn't notice me because she was on the phone. Then I asked her if that phone call was so important that it was worth killing a child getting off my bus. That got through to her.

My students were able to get her license plate number and I had make and model of the vehicle and description of the driver. She WILL be contacted by the local police and that conversation comes with a $396.00 citation in Washington State.

My son got one of those tickets when he was a senior in high school. Not only did his puny McD's paycheck go entirely to his ticket, he got the embarassment of riding that particular bus after daddy here took away the keys to the car. I think he was the only senior on the bus for that entire month.

 

[motobrewer]

I drive a lot of rural highways. One lane in each direction, speed limit around 55 and lots of side roads and driveways. It drives me insane when people are turning and they feel they have to slow down to about 10 mph before they turn, and even though there's a huge shoulder, they have to slow all the way down IN THE LANE before they finally turn.

yeah, i hate those jerks who don't take 90 degree right hand turns at 40mph...

 

[Irishwrench]

Well seeing as I live in New England, the list could go on for quite sometime. The few that really burn my ass is the lack of signal lights, using the passing lane as a travel lane, and not waiting that extra ten seconds at the signa,l to let the guy on the opposite end taking a left, go when it turns green.

We really do have the worst drivers in the country. Between the Massholes and my fellow Rhode Islanders I unsure who is worse.