Extremely annoying things about roads and idiots driving on them

[1995hoo]

People who don't signal, people who don't use their lights at certain times of the day and in certain conditions, and people who are impatient at red lights.

I was out for a walk at around 6:30 the other day, walking on a sidewalk more or less due west into the setting sun. I almost tried to take a picture of the invisible cars approaching–people who refuse to use their headlights and are thus rendered more or less invisible at a distance due to the setting sun directly behind them.

[StogieGuy7]

I'll keep this simple....

Roads:
1) Lack of proper signage and/or passing zones makes for an annoying road.
2) Freeways that have only 4 lanes (2 each dir) in states that have a lower speed limit for semis than for cars.  You always end up with truckers causing a multi-mile moving roadblock.  This sucks.  And Michigan, I'm looking straight at you and I-94. 

Drivers:
1) Numbskulls who don't use their turn signals.  Easiest thing in the world to do, yet many don't show the slightest respect for others around them by using them.
2) You're on a two lane uncontrolled access road. You're moving along at 45, 50, 55, maybe even 60 mph and see a car on a side road, sitting at a stop sign.  And this idiot watches you approach and then decides to peel rubber like a drag racer to jump in front of you (even though nobody is behind you).  And then he goes 35. Asshole.  It's enough to make you wish your vehicle was armed with torpedoes...
3) Left lane hogs!  The left lane is for passing, if you're not passing move over! You're not the speed police and I don't give a shit if you're going 65 and decide to force the rest of us to. GTF out of the way!  This last one pisses me off the most, btw.

What all three here have in common is a total lack of consideration for others. 

[wanderer2575]

2) You're on a two lane uncontrolled access road. You're moving along at 45, 50, 55, maybe even 60 mph and see a car on a side road, sitting at a stop sign.  And this idiot watches you approach and then decides to peel rubber like a drag racer to jump in front of you (even though nobody is behind you).  And then he goes 35. Asshole.  It's enough to make you wish your vehicle was armed with torpedoes...

I get this All.  The.  Time.  I am convinced there is a team of operatives out there monitoring me and planning all these moves.  They're also experts at just squeezing through the next yellow light and forcing me to stop at the red.  On the rare occasion I'm actually on a lonely road and someone on a side road comes up to the intersection as I'm passing through, I always think it's someone who blew his assignment and is going to be raked over the coals by the Big Boss.

[kphoger]

People who don't signal ...

A related one:

People who engage their turn signal 0.005 seconds before turning or changing lanes.  What's even point by then?  Especially if you've already been braking to slow down for a turn, I've already figured out by then what you're doing.  Signals are to tell us in advance what you're going to do!  Not what you're already doing.

[kphoger]

Today, on my way to work, a driver had accelerated on the on-ramp to about 5-7 mph over the speed limit–just barely slower than the speed I was going.  I had a driver approaching from behind on my left, and the accel/decel lane is 0.6 miles long.  Just as I was about to pass the entering driver up, they suddenly moved over into my lane.  (I'm in a loaner car from the mechanic, and the horn doesn't work, by the way.)  So I stepped on the brakes, let the car on my left pass me, then got over into the second lane.  Then the car changed back into the accel/decel lane and took the next exit.  WTF??

tl;dr – People who change out of the right lane for no bloody reason, impeding the flow of traffic, then exit the highway shortly thereafter.

[CoreySamson]

I had an incident a couple months ago where I was in the right lane on TX-288 heading south and was being tailgated by a lifted truck for a couple miles. I pulled into the left lane to let someone else merge in from an entrance ramp, but after I switched lanes, the lifted truck behind me floored it, almost cutting off the guy trying to merge in, and blowing black smoke out his tailpipe straight at me.

I don't know if he was trying to bully me for gOiNG tOO sLoW (i.e. going the speed limit), or if he was impatient. Whatever the case, the passing lane beside me was wide open the entire time and he could've easily passed me if he wanted to. I could only laugh at him.

tl;dr: People who bully you into driving faster or over the limit by tailgating you for long periods of time and not passing you, even when the opportunity to pass is present, and endangering others by doing so.

[Flint1979]

I had an incident a couple months ago where I was in the right lane on TX-288 heading south and was being tailgated by a lifted truck for a couple miles. I pulled into the left lane to let someone else merge in from an entrance ramp, but after I switched lanes, the lifted truck behind me floored it, almost cutting off the guy trying to merge in, and blowing black smoke out his tailpipe straight at me.

I don't know if he was trying to bully me for gOiNG tOO sLoW (i.e. going the speed limit), or if he was impatient. Whatever the case, the passing lane beside me was wide open the entire time and he could've easily passed me if he wanted to. I could only laugh at him.

tl;dr: People who bully you into driving faster or over the limit by tailgating you for long periods of time and not passing you, even when the opportunity to pass is present, and endangering others by doing so.

I absolutely hate that. Just a little while ago today even I was traveling eastbound on Mount Morris Road a little north west of Flint and was being tailgated by a Chevy Silverado and only maybe about three car links ahead of me was a Chevy Impala I'm thinking to myself what the hell do you want me to do crash into the back of the car in front of me or something? It's like what the hell you know.

[MCRoads]

People who think they are Dale Earnhardt Jr./Jeff Gordon/[name your favorite NASCAR driver] and drive at 90 or 100 on area highways (which have speed limits ranging between 55-70 MPH)

Kyle Busch (my favorite driver) has done that away from the racetrack.

Haven't watched NASCAR as regularly as I used to, but glad to know I'm not weird for liking a driver who is almost never mentioned outside when he wins (in my experience).

As for the ticket, I can totally understand why that happened. If you drive for a living, and routinely go 100+, I can see how you could find yourself going that fast*, though in this case, it seems as though he knew he was going faster than he should have.

*Please don't go that fast. I'm all for "reasonable and prudent"  speeds, but 120+ isn't reasonable OR prudent.

[Flint1979]

Meanwhile, I find people who slow down very gradually (outside of snow/ice conditions, where it's actually necessary) to be annoying.  I just want to stop and put the car in neutral so I can take my foot off the clutch, not ride my brakes!

Also, one thing to keep in mind is that some people are more annoyed by driving slowly than they are at being stopped at the light.  Although that does bring me to something I find very annoying (and can't remember if it's been mentioned before in this thread, by myself or anyone else): when I'm stuck behind a slowpoke for a while and they just barely cruise through a light that I end up stuck at, but which I would have easily made had I not been stuck behind the slowpoke all that time.

I'm totally with you on everything here. It makes me mad when people can't function properly. I'm usually like, "if you don't feel like driving the way you should be driving then pull over and just quit driving."

Another one that pisses me off to no end is when you're on a four lane freeway with two lanes in each direction two cars side by side going the exact same speed and it's either the speed limit or very close to it. You are thinking I know I can get away with going over the speed limit I just can't stand people being in my way.

[zachary_amaryllis]

tl;dr: People who bully you into driving faster or over the limit by tailgating you for long periods of time and not passing you, even when the opportunity to pass is present, and endangering others by doing so.

I absolutely hate that. Just a little while ago today even I was traveling eastbound on Mount Morris Road a little north west of Flint and was being tailgated by a Chevy Silverado and only maybe about three car links ahead of me was a Chevy Impala I'm thinking to myself what the hell do you want me to do crash into the back of the car in front of me or something? It's like what the hell you know.
[/quote]

you can only go as fast as the car in front of you. this happens all the time where i live, if i'm not in the city its all 2-lane roads with passing zones. if i'm already going the speed limit (or a little over as is often the case) then i have no sympathy for the coal-roller behind me. pass me when you can, otherwise, enjoy looking at the back of my head.

if i know i'm going slow (looking for something etc.) then i will use a pullout to let people by, but if i'm around the posted speed, too bad.

[cl94]

you can only go as fast as the car in front of you. this happens all the time where i live, if i'm not in the city its all 2-lane roads with passing zones. if i'm already going the speed limit (or a little over as is often the case) then i have no sympathy for the coal-roller behind me. pass me when you can, otherwise, enjoy looking at the back of my head.

if i know i'm going slow (looking for something etc.) then i will use a pullout to let people by, but if i'm around the posted speed, too bad.

That...is not how pullouts work. Someone wants to go faster than you, you use the pullout. Even if you're going above the speed limit. Not doing that makes you a dick.

[US 89]

you can only go as fast as the car in front of you. this happens all the time where i live, if i'm not in the city its all 2-lane roads with passing zones. if i'm already going the speed limit (or a little over as is often the case) then i have no sympathy for the coal-roller behind me. pass me when you can, otherwise, enjoy looking at the back of my head.

if i know i'm going slow (looking for something etc.) then i will use a pullout to let people by, but if i'm around the posted speed, too bad.

That...is not how pullouts work. Someone wants to go faster than you, you use the pullout. Even of you're going above the speed limit. Not doing that makes you a dick.

Agreed. And it's actually illegal to not use the pullouts in a lot of western states if you have a certain number of cars lined up behind you.

If I'm on some winding road with not a lot of opportunities to pass, and there's someone on my ass, I will absolutely let him through when I get a chance. It makes us both happier.

edit: fixed quote string

[Scott5114]

This is why I don't get why some DOTs, like Oklahoma, stripe the pullout as just a lane added to the right edge of the roadway. In other states, like Michigan, the yellow line forces you to the right as the pavement widens, and then the new lane is added to the left. Helps enforce KRETP way better.

[corco]

tl;dr: People who bully you into driving faster or over the limit by tailgating you for long periods of time and not passing you, even when the opportunity to pass is present, and endangering others by doing so.

I absolutely hate that. Just a little while ago today even I was traveling eastbound on Mount Morris Road a little north west of Flint and was being tailgated by a Chevy Silverado and only maybe about three car links ahead of me was a Chevy Impala I'm thinking to myself what the hell do you want me to do crash into the back of the car in front of me or something? It's like what the hell you know.

you can only go as fast as the car in front of you. this happens all the time where i live, if i'm not in the city its all 2-lane roads with passing zones. if i'm already going the speed limit (or a little over as is often the case) then i have no sympathy for the coal-roller behind me. pass me when you can, otherwise, enjoy looking at the back of my head.

if i know i'm going slow (looking for something etc.) then i will use a pullout to let people by, but if i'm around the posted speed, too bad.
[/quote]

Depends on the road for me - if there are actually passing opportunities on a generally straight road, then yes, fully agreed. If it's a mountain road where there are curves/straightaways, then I'm probably not going exactly the posted speed limit around the curves and there might be somebody behind me who is comfortable going a bit faster around the corners. In this case I will always use the first available pullout to let that person by. It takes like two seconds and makes for a more pleasant driving experience for everybody (I'm not enraged that there is somebody tailgating me, the person tailgating me gets to drive the speed they want to drive).

Because of that variation in comfortable speed around corners, failure to use designated pullouts (usually pullouts only exist on twisty mountain roads) is a violation of state law in several western states (with varying numbers of vehicles behind you), even if you're "around the posted speed" - not sure about Colorado. But yes - the burden would be on the first car in line to do this, and I would argue the burden falls on the second car in line to kind of help push the first car to use the pullout if they demonstrate a lack of awareness of this law, either by light flashing or tailgating or whatever the case may be.

[zachary_amaryllis]

tl;dr: People who bully you into driving faster or over the limit by tailgating you for long periods of time and not passing you, even when the opportunity to pass is present, and endangering others by doing so.

I absolutely hate that. Just a little while ago today even I was traveling eastbound on Mount Morris Road a little north west of Flint and was being tailgated by a Chevy Silverado and only maybe about three car links ahead of me was a Chevy Impala I'm thinking to myself what the hell do you want me to do crash into the back of the car in front of me or something? It's like what the hell you know.

you can only go as fast as the car in front of you. this happens all the time where i live, if i'm not in the city its all 2-lane roads with passing zones. if i'm already going the speed limit (or a little over as is often the case) then i have no sympathy for the coal-roller behind me. pass me when you can, otherwise, enjoy looking at the back of my head.

if i know i'm going slow (looking for something etc.) then i will use a pullout to let people by, but if i'm around the posted speed, too bad.

That...is not how pullouts work. Someone wants to go faster than you, you use the pullout. Even of you're going above the speed limit. Not doing that makes you a dick.

Agreed. And it's actually illegal to not use the pullouts in a lot of western states if you have a certain number of cars lined up behind you.

If I'm on some winding road with not a lot of opportunities to pass, and there's someone on my ass, I will absolutely let him through when I get a chance. It makes us both happier.
[/quote]

i guess i'm a dick then... pullouts on my road are just .. little patches of dirt where people park sometimes.
and yall are right.. i think in colorado its 4 cars
point taken.

[roadman65]

How about those who creep while turning right?

I find them annoying cause you either have to weave around them or brake to a stop. Sea World employees are the worst. They stop before turning off Central Florida Parkway into their employee entrance. It would be so irritating as I used to pass there on the way to my work.

[kphoger]

I'm usually like, "if you don't feel like driving the way you should be driving then pull over and just quit driving."

And I'm usually like, "If you can't tolerate people who drive differently than you would prefer, then pull over and just quit driving."

Some people go slower, some go faster, some accelerate and/or brake gradually, some accelerate and/or brake precipitously, and these facts will never change.

[zachary_amaryllis]

not really an annoyance.. but i find this interesting...

i'm the sort that when i see a light turning (or already) red ahead, i will start coasting at that point, if i'm in a stickshift, in neutral, until i see the traffic moving ahead of me.. then select an appopriate gear, and continue

i find i make the same time as the guy that zooms up, stands on the brakes, and zooms up to the next one.. i see trucks doing the coast thing, and granted its a little harder to get a truck moving vs. my little honda, but still...

[kalvado]

not really an annoyance.. but i find this interesting...

i'm the sort that when i see a light turning (or already) red ahead, i will start coasting at that point, if i'm in a stickshift, in neutral, until i see the traffic moving ahead of me.. then select an appopriate gear, and continue

i find i make the same time as the guy that zooms up, stands on the brakes, and zooms up to the next one.. i see trucks doing the coast thing, and granted its a little harder to get a truck moving vs. my little honda, but still...

I would say - it depends. If traffic is light - there is little problem in general.  If you're coasting on a level road - there is probably little slowdown anyway.
If there is a dedicated turn lane, and you're blocking access to that lane by staying back - you're a problem for those turning. 
If there is a lot of traffic and you make light backup extend further down the road - you may be a problem as those further back may incur time penalty, to the point that light will sense a gap too big and turn red for cars further down the road.

[zachary_amaryllis]

not really an annoyance.. but i find this interesting...

i'm the sort that when i see a light turning (or already) red ahead, i will start coasting at that point, if i'm in a stickshift, in neutral, until i see the traffic moving ahead of me.. then select an appopriate gear, and continue

i find i make the same time as the guy that zooms up, stands on the brakes, and zooms up to the next one.. i see trucks doing the coast thing, and granted its a little harder to get a truck moving vs. my little honda, but still...

I would say - it depends. If traffic is light - there is little problem in general.  If you're coasting on a level road - there is probably little slowdown anyway.
If there is a dedicated turn lane, and you're blocking access to that lane by staying back - you're a problem for those turning. 
If there is a lot of traffic and you make light backup extend further down the road - you may be a problem as those further back may incur time penalty, to the point that light will sense a gap too big and turn red for cars further down the road.

i really try not to be a dick about it... and i get what you're saying..and in heavy traffic in the city, yeah i get it.. a lot of my driving is on more rural roads with the occasional light

[kurumi]

When someone in your vehicle is extremely picky about parking spaces. In any lot, there's exactly one best space, and they'll want to find it no matter how long it takes. Every other space is too far, too small, too busy, too shady (69.9 deg F and below), not enough shade (70.0 deg F and above), bad feng shui, was on top of a cemetery where they only moved the headstones, etc.

In a busy lot, they'll want to vulch (a verb meaning follow someone walking to their spot, like a "vulcher")

[kphoger]

When someone in your vehicle is extremely picky about parking spaces. In any lot, there's exactly one best space, and they'll want to find it no matter how long it takes. Every other space is too far, too small, too busy, too shady (69.9 deg F and below), not enough shade (70.0 deg F and above), bad feng shui, was on top of a cemetery where they only moved the headstones, etc.

In a busy lot, they'll want to vulch (a verb meaning follow someone walking to their spot, like a "vulcher")

"Just drop me off here, and I'll walk to the door.  Thanks."

[kalvado]

When someone in your vehicle is extremely picky about parking spaces. In any lot, there's exactly one best space, and they'll want to find it no matter how long it takes. Every other space is too far, too small, too busy, too shady (69.9 deg F and below), not enough shade (70.0 deg F and above), bad feng shui, was on top of a cemetery where they only moved the headstones, etc.

In a busy lot, they'll want to vulch (a verb meaning follow someone walking to their spot, like a "vulcher")

"Just drop me off here, and I'll walk to the door.  Thanks."

But what if you're a driver?

[kphoger]

When someone in your vehicle is extremely picky about parking spaces. In any lot, there's exactly one best space, and they'll want to find it no matter how long it takes. Every other space is too far, too small, too busy, too shady (69.9 deg F and below), not enough shade (70.0 deg F and above), bad feng shui, was on top of a cemetery where they only moved the headstones, etc.

In a busy lot, they'll want to vulch (a verb meaning follow someone walking to their spot, like a "vulcher")

"Just drop me off here, and I'll walk to the door.  Thanks."

But what if you're a driver?

Then why are you listening to where the passengers want you to park?  Ain't nobody got time for that.

[kalvado]

When someone in your vehicle is extremely picky about parking spaces. In any lot, there's exactly one best space, and they'll want to find it no matter how long it takes. Every other space is too far, too small, too busy, too shady (69.9 deg F and below), not enough shade (70.0 deg F and above), bad feng shui, was on top of a cemetery where they only moved the headstones, etc.

In a busy lot, they'll want to vulch (a verb meaning follow someone walking to their spot, like a "vulcher")

"Just drop me off here, and I'll walk to the door.  Thanks."

But what if you're a driver?

Then why are you listening to where the passengers want you to park?  Ain't nobody got time for that.

Were you ever married?