Driving habits that annoy you the most (with poll!)

[Brandon]

Which driving habit annoys you the most?  After voting, please discuss. 

[agentsteel53]

I have to pick one??  Okay, let's go with "existing".

[hbelkins]

I voted for left lane hogging but my biggest pet peeve wasn't listed. It's slow drivers. Especially when you have a vehicle doing 65 in the left lane passing a vehicle doing 60 in the right lane when the speed limit is 70.

[huskeroadgeek]

Last minute exiting from the far lane best describes mine. Massive cell phone usage is a close second. What I really hate is when somebody is behind you and just before their exit comes up, they quickly move into the left lane and pass you, and then move back in front of you briefly before they go off on the exit ramp. What's the point? How much time do they really save?

[mightyace]

I don't know why left lane hogging makes the top of the list.  Yes, it's annoying, but that behavior doesn't directly put your life in danger like the one I voted for tailgating.

When someone is tailgating you and you can't shake them or move over, you have to hope that they won't plow into you when you slow down.

Now, massive cell phone usage and braking for no reason are also direct safety hazards.

[US71]

I have to pick one??

What he said.

[xcellntbuy]

Living in south Florida, ALL of the above!

[agentsteel53]

Living in south Florida, ALL of the above!

yeah, if we're going to go with Miami driving behaviors, let's go with "running a stop sign, screeching to a halt in front of me to block my path, getting out of the car to yell obscenities, and then forcing me to back up and go around him" would be on the list.

[vdeane]

Slow drivers, definitely.  There's nothing I hate more than being on the Thruway going 65 and having to slow down because some jerk is going 60 while there is a long line of cars in the other lane going 80, except for people who refuse to drive the speed limit on two lane roads so you can't pass them.  I can count on one hand the times I've driven in the Canton, NY area faster than 10 mph below the speed limit; ditto for going on US 11 faster than 5 mph under the limit.  If you can't or won't go the speed limit, you shouldn't be on the road, especially if it's an interstate!

Inconsistent drivers are even worse.  I once had the pleasure of going 10 mph below the speed limit on NY 12 due to an idiot in front of me.  I passed him near NY 26 before NY 12 narrowed back to two lanes; after I passed the guy, he suddenly wanted to do 90 mph!

[mightyace]

^^^

What you may have run into with that guy is someone who takes offense at being passed.

On US 11 in northern PA it happens a lot in the three lane sections with alternating passing zones.  Your in the no passing zone and someone is doing 45 in a 55 zone.  The passing zone arrives, you try to pass them, and you have to get to 75 or 80 to do so and hope you can complete it before the passing zone ends.  If you fall back behind them, they drop back to 45 in the no passing zone.

Not many 3 lane former "suicide highways" down in Tennessee, but I have noticed similar behavior.  One night, I was trying to pass someone on I-65 and they kept going faster.  I eventually pushed it and got around them.  But, eventually they passed me back.  Fortunately for me, I had reached my exit and didn't have to put up with this yahoo anymore.

Another type of driver is either consistent or inconsistent depending how you look at it.  This type of driver will go say 40 miles an hour in a 50 zone but when the speed limit drops to 30, they still do 40!  They are consistent in the speed they drive, but inconsistent vis-a-vis the speed limit.  They are basically driving as if the speed limit signs don't exist at all.

In conclusion, unless are wearing a firesuit and have a number on the side of your car or truck, you shouldn't take offense if someone passes you!

[Alps]

Being in the Northeast, left lane hogging doesn't bother me because there are usually two or more additional lanes to pass the bastard.  I went with "stopping on entrance ramps" because I do not like gunning my motor to merge, and frankly, if you can't merge in a standard accel lane, you should not be driving on highways.  Tailgating depends on the degree - leave at least half a car space in front of you please?

[agentsteel53]

"stopping on entrance ramps"

that's not annoying. that's dangerous. 

throw in there "leaving your car parked, lights off, in the dead of the night in the number one lane on fucking interstate 680".  Yeah, that was a quick swerve followed by an immediate call to 911.

[cu2010]

Driving too slow in the fast lane. Heck, people driving too slow in general.

If you can't or won't go the speed limit, you shouldn't be on the road, especially if it's an interstate!

Quoted for truth. I've had the same problems on both the Thruway and US 11 (though, in the latter case, if you know exactly when to go you can do 65 easily...and if you're a local like me, you simply take back roads and avoid that mess). If you're on a two-lane road, going slower than everyone else (regardless of whether or not it's the speed limit), and there's a line of cars behind you trying to pass, pull over and let them pass you!

If you're in the left lane being passed by people in the right lane, you're going too slow!

[jgb191]

I'm not bothered by one slow driver as long as I can pass him or her right there and then without delay.  However two or more slow drivers and that's a problem, especially if both drivers are blocking the lanes (side by side), that irritating.

Cell phone usage while driving are on everybody's list of issues, mine included.


One unbelievable incident I saw personally was the one spot on a local freeway where a left-hand entrance ramp and an right-hand exit ramp are side by side along the mainlanes and one driver coming up the left-hand entrance actually stopped on the mainlanes supposedly to make that right-hand exit with traffic enroute.  He was in front of me and I saw him turn a sharp right and stop on the mainlanes, while I continued past him.  I don't know what ensued after I passed, god forbid he collided with an oncoming car doing 70 MPH.

On and this is not on the list, but I'd like to include the officer that pulled me over for doing 73 on a 70 on a six-lane divided highway; no ticket thankfully but she told me (sternly) to "slow it down" as another annoying factor, especially when the road was empty.

[74/171FAN]

Overall it's slow drivers.

I picked "sudden braking for no reason" because I don't want to slow down while I'm on cruise control just because the person in front of me randomly slowed down(and for the record I did stop for a plastic bag once when I had my learners').

[tchafe1978]

If you're in the left (passing) lane and cars are passing you on the right, that should be a signal right there that you need to get over in the right lane. I personally have no problem with drivers slower than me as long as they are doing the speed limit. I generally try to keep my speed withing 5-10 over the limit at most, and when I'm on I-94 from Madison to Milwaukee, I generally get passed by just as many cars as I pass myself. But if I am in the process of passing somebody and another car runs up on my ass, I'm not going to be in any hurry to get over just so they can zoom by me. I'll just keep my speed steady, and once I finish passing, then I'll get over and let them by, but I'm not going to do a tailgater any favors.

[allniter89]

I recently saw a motorcycle driver texting as he drove down the highway    At least he was going slower than most traffic but when I backed off after passing him to get a pic on my phone he put his phone away, gave me a "Califourny howdy" and sped away.
BTW, I voted for left lane hogs, its just totally inconsiderate! And when you get two side by side, @%T$#@@!!^$%$&**)(^$#@@@$$^$%YU^^&*&(^$%#$@##%$^%&*(*&%&%^&%^$%$%^&*

[corco]

Drivers that are in the habit of being Utards

Seriously, though, the left lane hogs are the worst.

Going through the options:

Roadgeek who can't put the camera down and drive (OK, j/k)   

- I have yet to see another one on the road outside of a roadmeet, so too small of a sample size

Sudden braking for no good reason   

- This is pretty annoying- look at me! I need to slow down .5 MPH on a congested freeway, so better to slam my brakes than take my foot off the gas for a second. In moderate to heavy traffic, I would say this is more annoying than left lane hogs.

Last minute exiting from the far lane   

- This is annoying, but whatever, he'll kill himself eventually

Tailgating   

- Not annoying. If you're tailgating me and I slam my brakes for no reason causing you to rear end me, that's your fault and I get a new car on your dime.

Massive cell phone usage   

- Only annoying if the cell phone usage causes them to do one of the other things listed here. Some people are better at multitasking than others, so I'm all for only getting annoyed at the results of their cell phone usage. If they're talking on a phone and driving fine (which seems to happen more often than not), that's not annoying.

Stopping on entrance ramps   

- This is annoying, but whatever,  he'll kill himself eventually

Left lane hogging   

- Actively impedes my ability to get to a destination quickly. This makes that annoying. Same with slow drivers if they're not getting out of the way, or on rural two lane roads not driving on the right side of their lane to make it easier to see around and pass them

[mightyace]

If you're on a two-lane road, going slower than everyone else (regardless of whether or not it's the speed limit), and there's a line of cars behind you trying to pass, pull over and let them pass you!

I will pull over if they're tailgating me and there is a safe place to pull over.

Otherwise, if I'm obeying the law and it's not fast enough for you, too darn bad!  

[agentsteel53]

I will pull over if they're tailgating me and there is a safe place to pull over.

Otherwise, if I'm obeying the law and it's not fast enough for you, too darn bad!  

pulling over when it is reasonable to do so puts you in the upper 99% of drivers.  Most drivers see the sign for the turnout, see the second warning sign for the turnout, see the turnout ... and happily proceed past all of them, utterly oblivious that they are blocking traffic.

that's why I am happy to have done a set of major tourist corridors and hope to never have to do them again.  US-1 to Key West, that kind of thing.

[corco]

If you're on a two-lane road, going slower than everyone else (regardless of whether or not it's the speed limit), and there's a line of cars behind you trying to pass, pull over and let them pass you!

I will pull over if they're tailgating me and there is a safe place to pull over.

Otherwise, if I'm obeying the law and it's not fast enough for you, too darn bad!  

This irritiates me to no end in Idaho. In Idaho, it's actually state law to pull over into a slow vehicle turnout (of which there are many) if there are three cars behind you. There are clear, giant signs posted informing people of this law. The number of out-of-staters who completely ignore it drive me nuts.

[mgk920]

Howabout 'aggressive weavers', especially when they try to fit though spaces that are half of their cars' lengths?

I actually will take extra pains to deny them those spaces.

Mike

[allniter89]

Howabout 'aggressive weavers', especially when they try to fit though spaces that are half of their cars' lengths?

I actually will take extra pains to deny them those spaces.

Mike

Me too Mike, sometimes I'll look over at them and smile while I do!

[agentsteel53]

heh I've had someone in a $150,000 Mercedes want to cut me off, while I was driving a $1 Ford Escort (value may be exaggerated) - I rolled down the window and asked him "really, you want to scratch your car just to force your way into line?"

[corco]

Howabout 'aggressive weavers', especially when they try to fit though spaces that are half of their cars' lengths?

I actually will take extra pains to deny them those spaces.

Mike

Thirded- it almost becomes a game- "how much can I delay this asshat?" I'll even slow my speed to match a car in the other lane just to keep him from getting around if I'm really not in a hurry