Extremely annoying things about roads and idiots driving on them

[texaskdog]

The one I hate is the right turn lane that also goes straight, and people insist on parking it there so people can't right turn.

Also the red left turn arrow when you can see no one is coming.  Finally most of those are going to the blinking yellow.

And people turning left who don't get out into the intersection thus missing the light

[AlexandriaVA]

No sympathy for #1. If it's straight-or-right, anything is fair game.

My beef is with people who honk at me when I don't right-on-red. There is no law (at least in Virginia) that says you must right-on-red. Instead, it gives the driver the choice.

[US 89]

My beef is with people who honk at me when I don't right-on-red. There is no law (at least in Virginia) that says you must right-on-red. Instead, it gives the driver the choice.

I disagree. If there's clearly no traffic or pedestrians and you aren't turning right on red, you're wasting the time of the people behind you. Might also subject you to unnecessary road rage.

[AlexandriaVA]

My beef is with people who honk at me when I don't right-on-red. There is no law (at least in Virginia) that says you must right-on-red. Instead, it gives the driver the choice.

I disagree. If there's clearly no traffic or pedestrians and you aren't turning right on red, you're wasting the time of the people behind you. Might also subject you to unnecessary road rage.

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-835/

§ 46.2-835. Right turn on steady red light after stopping.

...vehicular traffic facing a steady red circular signal, after coming to a full stop, maycautiously enter the intersection and make a right turn.

"May" has a very specific legal meaning. If the legislature wanted to use "shall", they would have.

[sprjus4]

My beef is with people who honk at me when I don't right-on-red. There is no law (at least in Virginia) that says you must right-on-red. Instead, it gives the driver the choice.

I disagree. If there's clearly no traffic or pedestrians and you aren't turning right on red, you're wasting the time of the people behind you. Might also subject you to unnecessary road rage.

I agree. If it's clear, go. What are you waiting for? The people behind you to get mad? If you need to pull over and wait or do something, do it in a parking lot or on the shoulder, don't block the turning lane.

You might have the law on your side, but it's still a jack move.

[AlexandriaVA]

I like how both of you guys are assuming that I don't right-on-red in patently clear situations...

I do, however, use considerable caution making rights-on-red in busy areas (having been struck myself by an inattentive ROR driver) A serious problem are yahoos coming in from the rural parts of the state and cutting off pedestrians whom have the right-of-way in ROR situations.

[sprjus4]

I like how both of you guys are assuming that I don't right-on-red in patently clear situations...

I do, however, use considerable caution making rights-on-red in busy areas (having been struck myself by an inattentive ROR driver) A serious problem are yahoos coming in from the rural parts of the state and cutting off pedestrians whom have the right-of-way in ROR situations.

Well that I do understand. I've encountered on multiple occasions where I find myself stuck behind a driver who refuses to turn right, even when the intersection is clear. There's no "No Turn on Red" signage, so there's no good reason there just blocking the intersection. Usually after honking the horn once though will get them to go. It's especially annoying when I'm in a hurry and don't have time to deal with silly things like that.

I have and still do sit at the red light even if it's clear and I'm checking something on my phone per se, directions, or something else, but I only do that if nobody is behind me. If someone pulls up behind me to turn, I'll put down my phone and turn when clear.

[AlexandriaVA]

You need to understand that I basically don't drive outside the Beltway, and certainly not the DC Metro area. So I really don't have much experience at rural stoplights.

But most places I drive, there are often either pedestrians or side-approaching vehicles. I've been honked at before in situations where the honking driver simply doesn't see what I see (in many cases, a crossing pedestrian from the opposite side of the street, in which my car blocks the honkers line-of-sight).

[Max Rockatansky]

People who drive way over the speed limit but some how take forever to accelerate from a stop sign/light. 

[Brandon]

People who have no clue that the freeway entrance ramp is the acceleration lane and that they're supposed to be up to freeway speed prior to merging into traffic.  Jackasses around here tend to enter the freeway at 40-45 mph while traffic is moving at 60-75 mph.

[1995hoo]

Lately the thing that's been bugging me the most is the people who (1) stop a full carlength short of the stop bar, (2) leave tons of space between cars when stopped at red lights, and (3) slow down bigtime way in advance when approaching a red light. All of these things are a pain in the arse when they block you from accessing the left-turn lane or make it hard for you to access it, especially when the green arrow hasn't yet come on and you're trying to get there in time to turn. Then some of them become enraged if you beep the horn to ask them to move up so you can reach the turn lane. It's unacceptable to leave whole carlength gaps.

Semi-related: I do not understand this little fad these days where when you honk at an idiot, the idiot thinks honking back at you is somehow the proper reply instead of pulling up (as in the situation above) or just plain moving (when, for example, you honk at someone who doesn't move when the light turns green).

[AlexandriaVA]

I have a few different honking methods:

1) Short and clipped: That's a "courtesy beep", as in I think you mean well, but you can afford to move up.
2) Two to three heavy blares - it's a green light and you're not moving. I use this one by far the most.
3) Three fast ones - it's a highway and you're drifting into my lane, possibly due your blind spot.

For me at least, honking is never personal. I understand that sometimes my own judgment is wrong (maybe you're not going on a green light due to an arriving fire truck), or that the motorist may not be aware of their 'fault'. But I figure, what's the point in not using the horn? It's there - use it!

[Rothman]

I honk to let people know that they did something stupid.

[AlexandriaVA]

I honk to let people know that they did something stupid.

Not for me to judge, doesn't add anything to the situation either (only escalates it).

Honking should be a technical move that used often - look at traffic in the developing world, you'll hear honking all the way.

Honking as a cathartic emotional exercise is counterproductive. Along with giving the finger, etc. You're never going to see these people again...what good does "teaching a lesson" do?

[webny99]

I don't use the horn very much - and very rarely is it  because someone didn't take off immediately from a stoplight. I don't find it necessary to honk in that situation. My two main uses of the horn are:

(1) when someone pulls out in front of me and I have to brake to avoid rear-ending them. I have also been known to accelerate and pass them, even when there's a double solid line as long as visibility is good enough.
(2) when someone goes blowing past a visible queue and attempts to cut in at the last second. I recall a few cases where I have counted to 15 while honking. It is satisfying, but not near so much as blocking them out, or, better yet, forcing them down an alternate route.

[AlexandriaVA]

I don't use the horn very much - and very rarely is it  because someone didn't take off immediately from a stoplight. I don't find it necessary to honk in that situation. My two main uses of the horn are:

(1) when someone pulls out in front of me and I have to brake to avoid rear-ending them. I have also been known to accelerate and pass them, even when there's a double solid line as long as visibility is good enough.
(2) when someone goes blowing past a visible queue and attempts to cut in at the last second. I recall a few cases where I have counted to 15 while honking. It is satisfying, but not near so much as blocking them out, or, better yet, forcing them down an alternate route.

In both cases your honks do nothing. In situation (1), it's already too late - you need to be honking the moment you see the indicator light come on/his head turn/his wheels turn/his car drifts.

For (2), once they blow by you, it's too late also. They know they're breaking the rules, and an angry honk isn't going to deter them.

Honking should be defensive, not therapeutic.

[kphoger]

People who drive way over the speed limit but some how take forever to accelerate from a stop sign/light. 

That's me, actually.  It's the #1 contributor to good gas mileage.  Whenever possible, I try to keep the tach needle below 2200 rpm when accelerating, yet my top speed is almost always at least 5 mph over the limit.

The opposite annoy me:  those who accelerate super fast and loud with a plume of diesel exhaust, and then end up going slower than me.

[thspfc]

People who have no clue that the freeway entrance ramp is the acceleration lane and that they're supposed to be up to freeway speed prior to merging into traffic.  Jackasses around here tend to enter the freeway at 40-45 mph while traffic is moving at 60-75 mph.

That's a big Illinois problem, more so than anywhere else.

[jeffandnicole]

People who drive way over the speed limit but some how take forever to accelerate from a stop sign/light. 

Or...people that insist on doing the speed limit (because it's the law), yet don't come to a complete stop at a stop sign.

[tolbs17]

Idiots doing 90 mph on the highway and you are going 80 mph. Trust me, in North Carolina, there's a lot of speeders. I don't know why they are always rushing.

I've seen people get lots of speeding tickets down here 

[tolbs17]

People who drive way over the speed limit but some how take forever to accelerate from a stop sign/light. 

don't come to a complete stop at a stop sign.

That's been happening sporadically now. I do it also. It shouldn't be a big deal, but if people are rushing from work then it happens way more frequently. I've seen people just drive through stop signs without even knowing! It's like passing a stopped school bus. I've seen that happen once and the person got a $400 ticket. Hahaha

[texaskdog]

My beef is with people who honk at me when I don't right-on-red. There is no law (at least in Virginia) that says you must right-on-red. Instead, it gives the driver the choice.

I disagree. If there’s clearly no traffic or pedestrians and you aren’t turning right on red, you’re wasting the time of the people behind you. Might also subject you to unnecessary road rage.

Maybe he drives a school bus?

[D-Dey65]

My beef is with people who honk at me when I don't right-on-red. There is no law (at least in Virginia) that says you must right-on-red. Instead, it gives the driver the choice.

I disagree. If there’s clearly no traffic or pedestrians and you aren’t turning right on red, you’re wasting the time of the people behind you. Might also subject you to unnecessary road rage.

But sometimes it's not as clear to the person behind you. I stopped before making a right turn at the northbound off-ramp from Suncoast Parkway to FL 50 one time, because you're supposed to, and I heard a fire truck coming. The jackass behind me honked his horn demanding that I make a right turn, and I told him "no." The guy went around me and was nearly rear ended by that fire truck.

[sprjus4]

Idiots doing 90 mph on the highway and you are going 80 mph. Trust me, in North Carolina, there's a lot of speeders. I don't know why they are always rushing.

I've seen people get lots of speeding tickets down here 

Whenever I drive in that state, at least on I-85 or I-95, everybody is doing at least 80+ mph, yet whenever I take I-64 between Williamsburg and Richmond, everybody is either doing 65 mph or 70 mph, where the speed limit is 70 mph. But as soon as you get west of Richmond, 80+ mph. Same on I-81.

[sprjus4]

My beef is with people who honk at me when I don't right-on-red. There is no law (at least in Virginia) that says you must right-on-red. Instead, it gives the driver the choice.

I disagree. If there's clearly no traffic or pedestrians and you aren't turning right on red, you're wasting the time of the people behind you. Might also subject you to unnecessary road rage.

But sometimes it's not as clear to the person behind you. I stopped before making a right turn at the northbound off-ramp from Suncoast Parkway to FL 50 one time, because you're supposed to, and I heard a fire truck coming. The jackass behind me honked his horn demanding that I make a right turn, and I told him "no." The guy went around me and was nearly rear ended by that fire truck.

Maybe letting off the brake and inching up a bit to make it clear you are actively watching and attempting to go?