Rants - traffic and driving habits
Yes, rants. Not rats. But rants.
Traffic Rants - this one is the biggest for me. I commute a total of 50 miles a day round trip on surface streets between work and home. I bet I have seen it all.
Why is it than when people come to a merge in the road they speed ahead to cut off the rest of traffic who is doing the right thing? Merging is not hard. No, not all. The left lane goes, the right lane goes, the left lane goes again. Theoretically, if everyone is doing is right, you end up with one car between you and the person you were behind. Yes, but here... it seems that signs of lanes being closed means you go as fast as you can to get in front of people. Why??? Will that 30 seconds really make the difference in your life? I suppose if you have to pee really really bad it might but come on!
And what is up with the people that zig zag through traffic? I have more fun watching them only to get up to the next light and be right next to them. I often smile and wave. Not even an old fashioned one finger wave, just a wave. As in hahaha you dip, all your rudeness got you nowhere fast. Literally.
I'm guessing that turn signals must be optional equipment these days on most cars. I'm guessing too that the price for them is so outrageous that its unthinkable to buy them. My car is older but it came with them originally. I haven't bought a new car in forever so maybe its a feature that is no longer standard? It seems to be the new fad to go fast to get around someone only to slam on your brakes and make a turn with no signal. Better yet are the ones I call drifters. They just sort of drift into your lane, usually cutting you off, with no turn signal in sight. I'd like to get a sign made on an old Bingo placard that reads "Guess your car came without turn signals" to flash at them.
Is it really that hard to go the speed limit? I'm not asking you go above it but when you are going 35mph in a 45 zone, it would be nice if you could do at least 42. Especially if you are in the fast lane. Its quite frustrating to be the car behind you that can't change lanes because everyone else is trying to get out from behind your turtle butt.
I was driving home today from the store and I came upon a younger than me guy in an older than mine car. The car was old. I think it might have been close to my age at least. Yet the stereo system would have put most theaters to shame and the rims were flashy enough to blind someone at the right angle. Ok, not my style but its not my car. Though it is silly to me to have accessories cost more than the car itself. And when the radio is up so loud with the bass thumping so hard it rattle my steering wheel... well, we got a problem. How is that pleasant to listen to? Are you meaning to provide the music for my car too? If so, can we change the station? Perhaps you are trying to synchronize your heartbeat? If I can't hear my radio though over the sound of yours... maybe you could turn it down? I have a baby in the backseat and I would prefer not having his whole body rattled by your bass.
My biggest pet peeve of all... the way some people use turn lanes when there is more than one at an intersection. See here is how it works... if you want to be in the left lane on the street you are turning on to, get in the left lane of the turning section. The same goes for wanting to be in the right lane, just get in the right lane of that turning section. This is especially useful if you are going to be making another left or right in the vicinity. If I know that the next time I am going to turn is left, well, I get in the left lane. Vice versa for the right. Its a pretty easy concept I think. Not too hard to manage in my opinion. Yet so many people get in the left turning lane to then cut off someone else to make another right. Why is that? Am I exceptionally smart to have figured this out? I somehow doubt it. I realize that there will always be those that are lost, unsure of where they are going but for the most part, they are the minority. Yet the majority drive like that. I just don't get it.
This post is brought to you by someone that doesn't feel like she owns the road, tries to be considerate of other drivers and hopes that they will be considerate of her.
Traffic Rants - this one is the biggest for me. I commute a total of 50 miles a day round trip on surface streets between work and home. I bet I have seen it all.
Why is it than when people come to a merge in the road they speed ahead to cut off the rest of traffic who is doing the right thing? Merging is not hard. No, not all. The left lane goes, the right lane goes, the left lane goes again. Theoretically, if everyone is doing is right, you end up with one car between you and the person you were behind. Yes, but here... it seems that signs of lanes being closed means you go as fast as you can to get in front of people. Why??? Will that 30 seconds really make the difference in your life? I suppose if you have to pee really really bad it might but come on!
And what is up with the people that zig zag through traffic? I have more fun watching them only to get up to the next light and be right next to them. I often smile and wave. Not even an old fashioned one finger wave, just a wave. As in hahaha you dip, all your rudeness got you nowhere fast. Literally.
I'm guessing that turn signals must be optional equipment these days on most cars. I'm guessing too that the price for them is so outrageous that its unthinkable to buy them. My car is older but it came with them originally. I haven't bought a new car in forever so maybe its a feature that is no longer standard? It seems to be the new fad to go fast to get around someone only to slam on your brakes and make a turn with no signal. Better yet are the ones I call drifters. They just sort of drift into your lane, usually cutting you off, with no turn signal in sight. I'd like to get a sign made on an old Bingo placard that reads "Guess your car came without turn signals" to flash at them.
Is it really that hard to go the speed limit? I'm not asking you go above it but when you are going 35mph in a 45 zone, it would be nice if you could do at least 42. Especially if you are in the fast lane. Its quite frustrating to be the car behind you that can't change lanes because everyone else is trying to get out from behind your turtle butt.
I was driving home today from the store and I came upon a younger than me guy in an older than mine car. The car was old. I think it might have been close to my age at least. Yet the stereo system would have put most theaters to shame and the rims were flashy enough to blind someone at the right angle. Ok, not my style but its not my car. Though it is silly to me to have accessories cost more than the car itself. And when the radio is up so loud with the bass thumping so hard it rattle my steering wheel... well, we got a problem. How is that pleasant to listen to? Are you meaning to provide the music for my car too? If so, can we change the station? Perhaps you are trying to synchronize your heartbeat? If I can't hear my radio though over the sound of yours... maybe you could turn it down? I have a baby in the backseat and I would prefer not having his whole body rattled by your bass.
My biggest pet peeve of all... the way some people use turn lanes when there is more than one at an intersection. See here is how it works... if you want to be in the left lane on the street you are turning on to, get in the left lane of the turning section. The same goes for wanting to be in the right lane, just get in the right lane of that turning section. This is especially useful if you are going to be making another left or right in the vicinity. If I know that the next time I am going to turn is left, well, I get in the left lane. Vice versa for the right. Its a pretty easy concept I think. Not too hard to manage in my opinion. Yet so many people get in the left turning lane to then cut off someone else to make another right. Why is that? Am I exceptionally smart to have figured this out? I somehow doubt it. I realize that there will always be those that are lost, unsure of where they are going but for the most part, they are the minority. Yet the majority drive like that. I just don't get it.
This post is brought to you by someone that doesn't feel like she owns the road, tries to be considerate of other drivers and hopes that they will be considerate of her.
Labels: Everyday Life
4 Comments:
Well, you have certainly brought up some situations. As an ex-trucker, I have seen all of what you describe. take heart in that they are simply being selfish, not trying to do you in personally.
The truth is people have no brains when they get behind the wheel. I like to call it a king and queen complex meaning that they are royalty and not subject to the horrifying word "wait" or the words "wait your turn". These people have no turn.
I am truly sorry that you are having the problem. Most of the jerks on the road think that an 18 wheeler can come to a stop on a dime. Some day, they might find out otherwise. Unfortunately, it will be too late for them.
Just maybe one of these people will read your blog entry and see themselves. Unlikely since they are pretty much oblivious to start with but we can hope.
Thanks for posting this!
Thanks for the comment Jaz!
No, I in no way think its anything personal, just that they are selfish.
I will say, I have done several long road trips and truckers are my favorite to drive with. I used to have a 2 seater del Sol and when I would go on long trips, as I passed truckers, I would often look up and smile at them. Just kind of a "hi, I am here. I know I am little and hard to see but please don't change lanes!". I'm not sure if I was talked about on the radio but on each trip, within an hour or so, I was getting smiles and waves back from them.
I try to give them all the room in the world. They are way too big for me to take a chance! :)
Truckers usually love to see the waves because that's a friendly person on the road. There are so few of them anymore. Usually it's a one finger salute.
Want funny? I used to run by myself and when they saw a woman in the driver's seat, it was a hoot to see the reactions. LOL!
There are a lot of good truckers out there and they tend to want to help if possible.
When I left trucking, it was getting a lot harder to do the work and since truckers were getting hijacked and murdered in rest areas, it wasn't as safe either. I have all the sympathy in the world for them.
In any event, I do understand how you feel about all that. What really should happen is that the schools that teach driving to teens should include courtesy in their training but they don't. They also do not teach being around a truck when driving. It's great that you know to give them room. Did you know that if you are right next to a trailer when the tire blows, it could injure or kill you? Those tires actually explode at a force nobody wants to see. Blew out the bottom of my insulated trailer once.
I hope you have a better time on the road most days.
Love the rant - You pretty much summed up every one of my major irritations on the road.
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