Extremely annoying things about roads and idiots driving on them

Started by texaskdog, July 29, 2019, 05:45:25 PM

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TheHighwayMan3561

Would also eliminate the need for nebulous following too closely laws so cops can more easily run checks on out of state drivers for driver safety.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running


webny99

Quote from: kphoger on July 31, 2019, 06:30:20 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 31, 2019, 03:21:21 PM
Our taxi driver on our first trip avoided a right light by turning right, making a u-ey between cars, then turning back onto the main road.

Which seems crazy, until you realize it's only about two steps away from a Michigan Left.

A right light is two steps away from a wrong left. Wait, what?  :-P

kphoger

Quote from: webny99 on July 31, 2019, 07:50:54 PM

Quote from: kphoger on July 31, 2019, 06:30:20 PM

Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 31, 2019, 03:21:21 PM
Our taxi driver on our first trip avoided a right light by turning right, making a u-ey between cars, then turning back onto the main road.

Which seems crazy, until you realize it's only about two steps away from a Michigan Left.

A right light is two steps away from a wrong left. Wait, what?  :-P

Sorry, but only in Ohio is "Michigan" a synonym for "wrong".
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

roadman65

I know its been said many times, but the left lane campers annoy me the most!   Then the exit right from the far left lane on the divided 10 lane freeways is the spontaneous thing about drivers (as camping is the norm) that irks me.

Not keeping up with resurfacing is the bad thing about roads (especially here in FL) and feeling the potholes and the ruts from the semis as you drive.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

kphoger

Extremely annoying things about roads?  Four-way stops!
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

roadman65

Quote from: kphoger on July 31, 2019, 09:01:49 PM
Extremely annoying things about roads?  Four-way stops!
Only bad when a line of cars as you have no idea who is there first!

I like when a traffic signal is out and you (in Florida) are to treat it as a four way, but the much busier arterial goes through it like its not there.  One time in Orlando a signal was out on Sand Lake Road at Turkey Lake Road (both busy arterials) and both roads were not stopping at all.  Each one thought the other was a side street and kept on going.  It was a miracle I made it unscathed through that horrific moment as the power was out.

The out signals and their treatments annoy me too! 
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

webny99

Quote from: kphoger on July 31, 2019, 08:46:45 PM
Quote from: webny99 on July 31, 2019, 07:50:54 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 31, 2019, 06:30:20 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 31, 2019, 03:21:21 PM
Our taxi driver on our first trip avoided a right light by turning right, making a u-ey between cars, then turning back onto the main road.
Which seems crazy, until you realize it's only about two steps away from a Michigan Left.
A right light is two steps away from a wrong left. Wait, what?  :-P
Sorry, but only in Ohio is "Michigan" a synonym for "wrong".

I don't necessarily think Michigan lefts are wrong.

I was just doing a play on "right light", which was probably supposed to be "red light".
"Wrong" and "left" happen to both be antonyms for "right", and in this case right was wrong, so I just couldn't resist throwing an extra curveball in there as well.

roadman65

Quote from: webny99 on July 31, 2019, 09:12:33 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 31, 2019, 08:46:45 PM
Quote from: webny99 on July 31, 2019, 07:50:54 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 31, 2019, 06:30:20 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 31, 2019, 03:21:21 PM
Our taxi driver on our first trip avoided a right light by turning right, making a u-ey between cars, then turning back onto the main road.
Which seems crazy, until you realize it's only about two steps away from a Michigan Left.
A right light is two steps away from a wrong left. Wait, what?  :-P
Sorry, but only in Ohio is "Michigan" a synonym for "wrong".

I don't necessarily think Michigan lefts are wrong.

I was just doing a play on "right light", which was probably supposed to be "red light".
"Wrong" and "left" happen to both be antonyms for "right", and in this case right was wrong, so I just couldn't resist throwing an extra curveball in there as well.
Michigan lefts are no more wrong than NJ's jughandles.  However, both do have a great purpose. NJ at least keeps slow traffic on the right, and Michigan frees up an extra signal phase or two as you do not have the left turn signals.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

csw

1. Drivers that wait until the cones force them to merge into one lane instead of doing it 2 miles ago like the signs advised them to do. This is 100% how traffic jams in construction sites happen.
2. As mentioned previously, drivers that lose their shit and go 10 under at the first sign of police lights.
3. Virginia specific: the "right-turn entry" lanes (idk what they're called) that allow you to turn right on red without stopping while oncoming traffic continues. People use these lanes as an excuse to not stop and wait for clear traffic then back things up trying to merge. I suppose that's what the Yield sign is for but everyone just uses Yield signs as an excuse to not stop.
4. Virginia/Maryland specific: where the hell are the shoulders on divided highways?! Who thought it was safe to have only 1" in between the lane marking and the grass?!

sprjus4

Quote from: csw on July 31, 2019, 10:15:45 PM
1. Drivers that wait until the cones force them to merge into one lane instead of doing it 2 miles ago like the signs advised them to do. This is 100% how traffic jams in construction sites happen.
It's called doing a zipper merge, which actually makes traffic flow smoother. In theory it would be better if everyone got over, but you'd be backed up even farther and waiting longer if they all did.
Quote from: csw on July 31, 2019, 10:15:45 PM
2. As mentioned previously, drivers that lose their shit and go 10 under at the first sign of police lights.
Agreed. I'll bring it down to the speed limit or 2-4 mph over, especially if I see on Waze there's a police trap ahead, etc, but I don't go -below- the speed limit. What's even more annoying is when you're on the interstate, you're in the left lane, and the person in front of you doing 5-10 mph over with cars all around them slams their brakes and goes 5-10 mph -under- the speed limit at the sight of each and every median break, especially when the median is forested, then speed back up. Look person, you're not getting pulled over when 100 people are all doing 5-10 mph above behind and in front of you. You just caused every -else- behind you to all hit their brakes too (because that's what drivers do, one hits their brakes, everyone or most others does too).
Quote from: csw on July 31, 2019, 10:15:45 PM
4. Virginia/Maryland specific: where the hell are the shoulders on divided highways?! Who thought it was safe to have only 1" in between the lane marking and the grass?!
Maryland from what I've seen has good access management standards and has full paved shoulders on a lot of divided highways.

Virginia is different though. A significant amount of the divided highways across the state were widened to that in the 60s, 70s, and 80s simply by constructing a parallel carriageway to the existing, older road. No thought for shoulders. The newer widenings from the 90s forward still follow that concept, however the new carriageways have full shoulders, and they now reconstruct the old roadway to also have full shoulders. You'll see a lot of this on parts of US-58, between Courtland and Emporia, South Hill to Boydton, and in other parts east of Hillsville. A lot nicer roadways. The only issue is - most divided highways were built before this standard, so there's not a lot of new ones to do. The only thing that could be done now is massively improving the older divided highways, however that would be quite expensive and we know how VDOT is when it comes to expensive things.

Another state that doesn't use shoulders often, even on newer widenings, is North Carolina. Don't fully agree with that standard, but they usually will have a graded shoulder that is suitable for stopping on, albeit still being grass. A 4 ft paved shoulder is given though.

webny99

In New York, at least, it is unnecessary to slow down to the speed limit when you see a speed trap. As long as you are doing speed limit +10 or less, you have nothing to worry about. I often cruise at approximately speed limit +15 on freeways, so I'll usually slow very slightly, but never using the brakes to do so. No need to disrupt traffic flow, especially on roads operating at or near capacity.

webny99

Quote from: csw on July 31, 2019, 10:15:45 PM
1. Drivers that wait until the cones force them to merge into one lane instead of doing it 2 miles ago like the signs advised them to do. This is 100% how traffic jams in construction sites happen.

Increasingly, signs are not instructing people to merge early, because it creates a lot of wasted space and unnecessary slow. Hence, the zipper merge. Lining up in two lanes instead of one cuts the length of the line in half and reduces aggressive behavior, both by people trying to get to the front of the line, and by those trying to stop them.

CtrlAltDel

On something of a different note, one of the the things I hate about roads, and not the drivers on them, is when you're crossing what appears to be a beautiful river or gorge and the railings on the side of the bridge are too high for me to see over. I understand the safety element here, but it's just always a letdown that this is a view that I all too often miss.
Interstates clinched: 4, 57, 275 (IN-KY-OH), 465 (IN), 640 (TN), 985
State Interstates clinched: I-26 (TN), I-75 (GA), I-75 (KY), I-75 (TN), I-81 (WV), I-95 (NH)

kphoger

Streets departments that fill potholes by just dumping a bunch of hot mix in, seemingly stomping on it with their work boots a couple of times, and calling it good.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

webny99

Quote from: kphoger on August 01, 2019, 03:29:03 PM
Streets departments that fill potholes by just dumping a bunch of hot mix in, seemingly stomping on it with their work boots a couple of times, and calling it good.

Oh, man, you would go crazy driving down NY 286. It hasn't been paved in over 20 years, and they do more and more of this every year.

1995hoo

Quote from: kphoger on August 01, 2019, 03:29:03 PM
Streets departments that fill potholes by just dumping a bunch of hot mix in, seemingly stomping on it with their work boots a couple of times, and calling it good.

I saw that called a "throw and go" technique, though I don't remember where I saw that term.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

sprjus4

Quote from: 1995hoo on August 01, 2019, 08:47:25 PM
Quote from: kphoger on August 01, 2019, 03:29:03 PM
Streets departments that fill potholes by just dumping a bunch of hot mix in, seemingly stomping on it with their work boots a couple of times, and calling it good.

I saw that called a "throw and go" technique, though I don't remember where I saw that term.
https://www.americanasphalt.com/asphalt-repair-techniques/

QuoteThrow-and-go asphalt patching: A temporary repair technique typically used in an emergency or during inclement weather– liquid asphalt is filled into a hole and then rolled over.

Here's a video showing it in process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLZQvfGdcPw

Flint1979

When a traffic light is out of power and everyone just blows through it instead of doing an all way stop like you are suppose to.

Left lane campers, people who can't maintain the speed limit (the cause of traffic backups) like today I was traveling in a 45 mph zone with light traffic but the cars in front of me are moving 35 mph and then a traffic light goes red that you would have made had you been going 45 mph.

UCFKnights

My biggest annoyance about the roads themselves is some areas with a huge lack of right turn lanes. Then on said roads, the people who seemingly do not understand that you can and should travel more to the left and not leave the right lane backed up for miles. One road near me has the right lane often backed up for miles, making it super hard for the opposing traffic to turn left, the traffic on side streets to exit onto the main road, and with the traffic in the left 2 lanes moving soooo much faster then the right lane, often even dangerous to travel in the same direction as the idiots.

mrsman

Another annoying thing is when people turning do not move all the way over.  Imagine a street in an area with significant pedestrian traffic.  The street has parking lanes on both sides of the street.  If you are making a right turn, pull over into the parking lane to make your turn, so that the thru traffic behind you doesn't have to wait for the pedestrians to clear as you yield to them when turning right.

I've seen this too often.  Even at places with wide parking lanes and no parking right at the curb.  There is usually enough room for right turners to get out of the way, but they don't.

UCFKnights

Quote from: mrsman on August 11, 2019, 03:39:31 PM
Another annoying thing is when people turning do not move all the way over.  Imagine a street in an area with significant pedestrian traffic.  The street has parking lanes on both sides of the street.  If you are making a right turn, pull over into the parking lane to make your turn, so that the thru traffic behind you doesn't have to wait for the pedestrians to clear as you yield to them when turning right.

I've seen this too often.  Even at places with wide parking lanes and no parking right at the curb.  There is usually enough room for right turners to get out of the way, but they don't.
Yup on the same note, when vehicles are turning left at permissive intersections, and pull all the way to the right side of the lane and sit there making it hard for you to make the opposing left.

Also, when people pull into the turn lanes, but feel they need to start braking before they enter said turn lane. Unless the turn lane queue is mostly full, you're supposed to slow down in the turn lane so you don't slow down all the people behind you going straight.

UCFKnights

I don't typically stop short, and have no problem with it. And people around here are very consistent that they've simply been trained wrong: They hit the brake usually at the same point regardless of the length of turning lane or how many people are in it: right prior to starting to move over into the turn lane. Infact, many seem to hit the brake while changing lanes, then let go of the brake, before hitting it again when they need it. Sure, there are exceptions, but for way too many, its the norm.

Like the damn bus drivers who don't know how to handle speed bumps:
You are supposed to brake BEFORE hitting the speed bump, and release the brake or even accelerate while going over it. Hitting the brake while hitting the speed bump makes the force in both different directions far worse.

Also dump truck drivers who seemingly are trying to make the dump truck door slam less while putting it down by trying to stop each time the door is going to slam against the truck. That just makes it slam louder.  If you just drive at a slow, continual speed forward, the impact from the door to the truck will be minimized.

CJResotko

What really seems to piss me off on the road is when you're trying to pass someone who is going slower than the speed limit, and then they suddenly increase their speed. What also annoys me is when someone speeds past you, gets in front of you, then starts slowing down.

roadman

Quote from: CJResotko on December 08, 2019, 02:12:16 PM
What really seems to piss me off on the road is when you're try to pass someone who is going slower than the speed limit, and then they suddenly increase their speed. What also annoys me is when someone speeds past you, gets in front of you, then starts slowing down.

Add to that people who don't speed up to pass large trucks.
"And ninety-five is the route you were on.  It was not the speed limit sign."  - Jim Croce (from Speedball Tucker)

"My life has been a tapestry
Of years of roads and highway signs" (with apologies to Carole King and Tom Rush)

ET21

People are stupid, trust yourself and your driving skills.
The local weatherman, trust me I can be 99.9% right!
"Show where you're going, without forgetting where you're from"

Clinched:
IL: I-88, I-180, I-190, I-290, I-294, I-355, IL-390
IN: I-80, I-94
SD: I-190
WI: I-90, I-94
MI: I-94, I-196
MN: I-90



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