Driving Pet Peeves!

I'm on my way to work today on this back street that goes past a golf course. The road takes a 90 curve at one point and I'm always behind some dumb ass that brakes super-hard and uses their turn signal to indicate that they're following the direction of the road. I'm not using my turn signal so it must mean that I'm gonna cut across the left lane, fly off the road and go crashing into the woods! Idiots!

Let's hear those pet peeves!

Pedestrians that don't hurry their asses up when crossing the street, if a car is obviously is waiting for them! I don't even drive and it pisses me off! The young and the elderly are obviously exempt from this.

People that come into my office for solicitation purposes only. LEAVE ME ALONE! can't you see I'm working? And no, I don't want to take you up on your offer for used stuffed animals or discounted manicures!

People that let their dogs off leash in neighborhoods or on their front lawns, and are not well behaved.
Look, you might think it cute that your dog comes running up to me while I'm trying to walk cujo here, but she's NOT friendly!(to dogs, she loves people) So don't let fido leave your property! It stresses me out! And don't tell me to muzzle my dog! She's on a leash!

thanks, I needed that.

whoops, two of those aren't related to driving, sorry!(I was on a roll)

This one is easy. I don't know if everyone has these, but around here we have carpool onramp lanes. They are only to be used by busses and cars with more than one occupant. So while I'm in line forever, waiting my turn to get on the freeway, there is car after car flying past me in the carpool lane that aren't supposed to be there at all. I guess they're just more important than the rest of us. :evil:

we have those, but we just call them "HOV" lanes (high occupancy vehicle)

You could get a dummy or blow up doll to ride shotgun!(or a tiki?)

The purple-faced-neck-vein-bulging guy who's in your rearview mirror so far up your ass you need a car-echtomy. My rule of thumb is if you are going faster than the slow lane, pass the slow mofos then get back over. Some people use the fast lane as if it were the Autobaun. Calm the f*#k down, take a deep breath. Shaving off 120 seconds off your commute it not worth the wreck you'll cause.

The tailgater used to really tick me off until I realized that they are just acting on a compulsive anal fixation and are more deserving of pity.

Peeve #1 - Use your freaking turn signals.

People who are so timid on the on-ramp that they refuse to merge with heavy, fast-moving traffic. They slow down and slow down, and slow down while they look for an opening, instead of accelerating and just merging.

People will let you merge. It's the law. Plus they value their paintjobs. They'll get out of your way. Just be aggressive!

Now you are parked at the end of the onramp. All the cars behind you are stopped as well. When you finally spot what you think is a large enough break in traffic and accelerate, it will not be fast enough for next car travelling 55 mph in the slow lane. They will have to slam on their brakes, nearly causing a pile-up.

Even worse, I hate being that car in the slow lane, trying to let the timid driver merge, as the law requires me, as they continue to slow down, forcing me to slow down to 5 mph. I'm letting you merge!! Speed up for chrissake!

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy on 2005-04-15 13:42 ]

On 2005-04-15 13:36, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:
Even worse, I hate being that car in the slow lane, trying to let the timid driver merge, as the law requires me, as they continue to slow down, forcing me to slow down to 5 mph. I'm letting you merge!! Speed up for chrissake!

Yeah - I hate hate hate when I'm letting someone in - and they either don't see me, or don't take advantage of it. I have a strict policy of always letting someone in - if they have their turn signal on.
About 1/2 the time - they just don't do it! Arrrrgggghhh!

And when I'm drivng the 1/2 hour it takes me to get home on surface streets - if the posted speed is 45, and you are in the left lane - go 45 ass-wipe!!!!!! Some of of want to get home!!!!!!!

People who don't signal can kiss my ass.

And get off the damn cel phone!!!!!!!

And stop bumpin' your super-ass-loud rap! Jeeezus Christ! ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
(accckkkkkkssssssCRAapppppp! ...........#@$^&(*&^)

(falls over dead from stress heart-attack)

Is it just me, or have headlights gotten really bright? There used to be laws limiting this - are there still? Where you occasionally used to get some jackass with his hi-beams on behind you, seems every night I get at least 3 or 4 cars behind me on my commute home that have the equivalent of 747 landing lights for headlights. And those intense, blinding blue-ish lights? Damn, those things light up the entire freeway ahead of me when one of those guys is behind me.

Finkdaddy,

I totally agree. The other thing I hate about carpool lines is when you are driving in one (yes, with another passenger), and some A**hole decides that they want to be in the carpool lane also - RIGHT NOW. So they jump into the carpool lane OVER double yellow lines from a complete stop... and you're doing 55!!! I really feel nervous about that when I'm traveling quickly past traffic standing still. Do these people not know that you need to wait for the dotted line to get in? Oh, wait... they know, they just don't care. The "Me-First" thing is getting way out of hand.

[ Edited by: MachTiki on 2005-04-15 14:13 ]

Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic and getting behind a car with "a bunch of space" in front of it --- arrghh...pull up you asshole!

http://www.roadrage.com/

On the subject of turn signals and "Me First" attitudes:

I no longer refer to it as a turn signal. It is (at least here in N.O.) a "challenge indicator". To use it is to throw down a blinking yellow gauntlet when you wish to change lanes, causing the person in the desired lane to say "Oh ya think so, do ya? This is MY lane, from sea to shining effin' sea!" and speed up or match your speed so that you can't get over and get trapped into taking an exit you don't want.

This happened to me the other day and the offender was a truck blazoned with fishes, crosses, and "Family of Light" on it.

On 2005-04-15 14:34, PolynesianPop wrote:
Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic and getting behind a car with "a bunch of space" in front of it --- arrghh...pull up you asshole!

Aaaaaagh. I always get those people in front of me letting 20 cars in front of them at a time. Then, when I try to get around, they finally speed up and I need to drop back behind them!

Here's another one... how about the assholes who seem to think they're impervious to the orange "Right Lane Closed Merge Left" signs, not to mention the billboard sized flashing signs telling to merge left miles away from the construction scene. You end up sitting in miles of traffic, inching ahead one car length at a time, because some dick thinks they can stay right long enough to avoid the bottleneck. Finally after an hour of waiting you get to the traffic cones and here comes the jackass, usually driving a BMW or sporty import, with their turn signal on thinking you're going to let them over. I am not kidding when I say I'd rather rear end the car in front of me then let one of these bastards in. You should have gotten over miles ago asshole!

With me it's the turn signals (or 'challenge indicators'in N.O.) that people don't use. I'm certain that if car manufacturers started cutting corners and not including them, suddenly everyone would be outraged and be picketing because our rights are being violated. The people who don't signal must be assuming that everyone else is psychic, and can predict their next move. These are probably the same people who change lanes with no signal on the freeway, and then the mega-speeders smash into them.

My second driving peeve are people who drive as if they think the road lane lines and intersection/crosswalk lines are painted on the ground for artistic reasons, having nothing to do with vehicles in motion and opposing traffic. I'm under the impression that crosswalk or limit lines are to be visible to the driver when stopped, thus, if your tires are on the limit line, the front of your car is potentially in the way of pedestrians, yet I see cars stopped way over the lines all the time. One of my friends wants to walk around town for the day with a white cane (feigning blindness) and smack the cars who are in the crosswalk with the cane while shouting, "What (bam!) is this? (smash!) What is it? (smack!) Am I at the curb already?!"

The "California roll" through a stop at a right hand turn also makes me nuts. That is probably due to learning to drive in a non-synchronized stick shift, which requires that you come to a "full and complete stop" before being able to get it into 1st gear. I've seen people looking to their left as they roll through the stop, and not see pedestrians approaching on their right.

I've noticed that for the most part, the nicer the car is following me, the further they'll stay back, Ferraris and Rolls Royces generally allow 2-4 car lengths on the freeway, instead of trying to mate with my car's rear bumper.

Not so much a peeve as isolated incidents of of incredibly clueless driving, times two!

1. A car on the freeway in the second lane in from the slow/exit lane slows gradually to about 30 mph, as if they are looking for a certain exit sign. When they realize they are right at the exit they want, they come to a dead stop - on the freeway with everyone doing 70 around them! - and wait for the cars to the right to clear and then turns 90 degrees across the slow lane to get to the exit.

2. At the bridge toll booth I drive through every day, the far left lane is for carpools that ends at 10am, next 2 are Fastrak lanes (electronic toll thingy) and the rest normal toll booth lanes. A beater Buick pulls up to the carpool lane, realizes they aren't a carpool, but fail to notice that it's after 10am so it's okay to use, and stops, makes a 90 degree right turn across 3 lanes of traffic that is flying up to the booths. The car is so big is simultaneously blocks the 2 fastrak lanes while waiting for someone to let them into a regular lane. Smoking crack and driving do not mix.

On 2005-04-15 15:41, johntiki wrote:
Here's another one... how about the assholes who seem to think they're impervious to the orange "Right Lane Closed Merge Left" signs, not to mention the billboard sized flashing signs telling to merge left miles away from the construction scene. You end up sitting in miles of traffic, inching ahead one car length at a time, because some dick thinks they can stay right long enough to avoid the bottleneck. Finally after an hour of waiting you get to the traffic cones and here comes the jackass, usually driving a BMW or sporty import, with their turn signal on thinking you're going to let them over. I am not kidding when I say I'd rather rear end the car in front of me then let one of these bastards in. You should have gotten over miles ago asshole!

Driving trucks around the freeways of L.A., I have encountered this. My particular way of dealing with it is riding the turck horn ( which is genreally about the height of the offending drivers ears ) while not allowing them over. I've had people join in, bringing said idiot to a complete stop. Its quite satisfying to see them reced into the distance hearing car after car causing permanent hearing loss to the offender.

One of the other drivers will roll his window down, and yell; "IT IS ALL ABOUT YOU! NO ONE ELSE MATTERS BUT YOU!!! WHY ARE YOU SO SELFISH?!?"

Its great when alot of peolple have their windows down to watch the reactions as some blue collar truck driver verbally picks apart some self important asswipe.

Having driven trucks in NYC, I've developed the ability to intimidate buses and semis while driving smaller vehicles. And usually I never have to raise my voice.

Once you've driven a truck in NYC, L.A. is a piece of cake.

On 2005-04-15 13:13, stuff-o-rama wrote:
The purple-faced-neck-vein-bulging guy who's in your rearview mirror so far up your ass you need a car-echtomy. My rule of thumb is if you are going faster than the slow lane, pass the slow mofos then get back over. Some people use the fast lane as if it were the Autobaun. Calm the f*#k down, take a deep breath. Shaving off 120 seconds off your commute it not worth the wreck you'll cause.

Heheheh bobtail trucks are allowed to use the diamond lanes here in Los Angeles. I've been known to use a truck as a speed regulator in them from time to time.

Its the "CAR POOL LANE" not the "GO REAL FAST LANE".

On 2005-04-15 14:34, PolynesianPop wrote:
Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic and getting behind a car with "a bunch of space" in front of it --- arrghh...pull up you asshole!

Having been tail ended in bumper to bumer traffic, I'll keep the space in front of me so I don't get launched into the car in front of me when some idiot thinks traffic has suddenly taken off without him.

3 grand worth of damgage, and my wifes ongoing whiplash/ spine problems speak volumes for allowing a car length betwwen vehicles.

I just got my license at age 32, so I'm probably the person you're all honking at. Hahah!

On 2005-04-15 23:32, tikifish wrote:
I just got my license at age 32, so I'm probably the person you're all honking at. Hahah!

Just flash a tiki, I'll lay off the horn!

Oh the other driving peeve is I always allow the proper space between me and the car ahead when at freeway speed. Different rules of theumb have been presented. I use the one second of space per ten miles and hour of speed. So at 65, you should have six and a half seconds between you and the next car.

Most people seem to think that this space is for them to fill up. I usually watch, and mutter;"welcome, you car is now my crumple zone."

Why is it that space between vehicles is seen as somehow impeding traffic? I've had people do this crap when we're all going 75.
Car behind me sees all that space, and thinks I'm somehow going to slow. So he jets around me, and pulls into my lane with about three feet of clearance, and thinks thats a safe distance for me to follow him at.

I'm 40. I've had one speeding ticket ( at 17 ) and I've been in one accident ( rear ended by someonenot looking where they were going.

Even the insurance agents were agog to have met someone my age with no previous car accidents.

On 2005-04-15 15:41, johntiki wrote:
Here's another one... how about the assholes who seem to think they're impervious to the orange "Right Lane Closed Merge Left" signs, not to mention the billboard sized flashing signs telling to merge left miles away from the construction scene. You end up sitting in miles of traffic, inching ahead one car length at a time, because some dick thinks they can stay right long enough to avoid the bottleneck. Finally after an hour of waiting you get to the traffic cones and here comes the jackass, usually driving a BMW or sporty import, with their turn signal on thinking you're going to let them over. I am not kidding when I say I'd rather rear end the car in front of me then let one of these bastards in. You should have gotten over miles ago asshole!

Yes!!! There has been tons of freeway construction here and this happens to me all the time. A couple of days ago I refused to let some jackass in a Bronco merge in front of me because he didn't feel like he had to merge like the rest of us did. I was about 3/4" from the guy in front of me, but the Bronco guy wouldn't stop. He got so close I actually braced myself for the impact, but he didn't get in. :wink:

1)People going slow in the fastlane, not knowing or giving a fuck about who has to go around them.

2. People who change tires or work under the hood on the shoulder.

3)Vermin who zip down the right emergency lane to merge at the last sec, cutting in front of all the people who thoughtfully merged early.

4)Cars with TVs

5. Poorly tied down/stowed equpment, gravel, lumber, tools....teetering and fluttering around in front of me as I try to get around the fools.

On 2005-04-16 00:44, TikiGardener wrote:...the proper space between me and the car ahead when at freeway speed. Different rules of theumb have been presented. I use the one second of space per ten miles and hour of speed. So at 65, you should have six and a half seconds between you and the next car.
I was taught in Driver's Ed that you always keep 2 seconds between you, no matter the speed. The 2 seconds are measured by: when the guy in front of you passes an object, you should be able to count 2 seconds before YOU pass it. The length of space increases naturally and perfectly as you speed up.

How are you measuring 6 seconds, TG?

Hates the blinker-non-user as much as the I'll-merge-at-the-last-minute guy,
F

On 2005-04-16 07:49, Formikahini wrote:

On 2005-04-16 00:44, TikiGardener wrote:...the proper space between me and the car ahead when at freeway speed. Different rules of theumb have been presented. I use the one second of space per ten miles and hour of speed. So at 65, you should have six and a half seconds between you and the next car.
I was taught in Driver's Ed that you always keep 2 seconds between you, no matter the speed. The 2 seconds are measured by: when the guy in front of you passes an object, you should be able to count 2 seconds before YOU pass it. The length of space increases naturally and perfectly as you speed up.

How are you measuring 6 seconds, TG?

Hates the blinker-non-user as much as the I'll-merge-at-the-last-minute guy,
F

same method. I only know that below three seconds of reaction time is dangerous. I can't remember the program, but they had a truck full of huge foam blocks. They had drivers follow it the way they would normally. then they kicked off the blocks. people closer than three seconds usually ended up creating a huge explosion of styrofoam.

I do know that I've had traffic come to a complete stop, and with the timing I give myself, I've ended up a foot or two off of the bumper of a car that was well ahead of me. and all of the intervening time was used up while braking heavily.

On 2005-04-15 15:41, johntiki wrote:
Here's another one... how about the assholes who seem to think they're impervious to the orange "Right Lane Closed Merge Left" signs, not to mention the billboard sized flashing signs telling to merge left miles away from the construction scene. You end up sitting in miles of traffic, inching ahead one car length at a time, because some dick thinks they can stay right long enough to avoid the bottleneck. Finally after an hour of waiting you get to the traffic cones and here comes the jackass, usually driving a BMW or sporty import, with their turn signal on thinking you're going to let them over. I am not kidding when I say I'd rather rear end the car in front of me then let one of these bastards in. You should have gotten over miles ago asshole!

I always position my truck so it's halfway in my lane and halfway in the merge lane.

My biggest peeves are cell phones, not using the blinkers, cell phones, someone who has to be passed on the right, and cell phones. I think all new cars should have short distance (say 4 feet) cell phone jammers in the dash that activate when the car is put into gear.

[RANT]
A new peeve of mine are the people who live in the new Baldwin Park development near my home. They are unrefutable proof that it doesn't take brains to make a lot of money. I'm sure some good people live in there but the majority of them are idiotic assholes. They either drive like an aggressive jerk or a mindless idiot or, most often, a combination of the two styles. They stop in the middle of intersections just to look around, they blow right through stop signs with lines of cars and they park wherever their tiny little brains decide is a good place to stop. They are even worse as pedestrians. They wander in the busy streets like cattle in Calcutta, like they can't tell where the sidewalk ends and the street begins. What I really hate is that they let their kids (little kids like three or four) walk around in the streets busy with vehicles! They are so stupid and self important that they think if their little toddler walks into traffic everyone should stop (and of course they should, but you know what I mean) and that because they're in Baldwin Park they can't be killed or hurt. I go to the grocery store in there as it's the closest and I see the stupidest shit these people do. I saw a lady pulled over on the edge of a busy street, she's in the driver's seat with her door open into the traffic and her little kid is walking around by the back bumper while mom's looking in the rearview doing her make-up. The other day a woman is farting around on the sidewalk adjusting her dog leash and stroller (blank mindless look on her face) while two little boys (three, four years old) are playing in the middle of a four way stop intersection with cars backed up in all four directions! The kids wandered up on the sidewalk and some nice old lady in her 10yo Oldsmobile (obviously doesn't live there) used her car to block the kids up onto the sidewalk where they couldn't get back off. All this time Mom is still over across the street trying to get the leash and stroller situated oblivious to the fact that a stranger is having to protect her kids. Mindless freakin' idiots!
[/RANT]

I hate all of the above. But I agree with Finkdaddy and MachTiki - the single driver passing a line of cars stopped for the red light to change at the top of a freeway onramp tops 'em all. Ever get instant gratification and see the CHP nab some idiot who tried to slide on by?? I have. A couple of times. So sweet!!

We had the joyous moment of watching a car with a single driver cut into the Diamond Lane becuase the regular lanes were slowing down.

He didn't see the CHP unit that was behind him. Two seconds later, flashbars go off all red blue and gold. Ohhhhh satisfaction.

My peeves:

• Emeryville's traffic engineers -- what were they thinking?

• Those concrete barrels and speed bumps blocking certain streets in Berkeley

• Panhandlers at EVERY stoplight in SF

• People who don't know four-way stop etiquette

• People who wave me to "go ahead" through an intersection when THEY have the right of way, then get pissed when I shake my head at them.

• People who don't stop for pedestrians

• Drivers of giant SUVs who can't see me behind them. It's a good thing the Grinning Miata has LOUD air horns!

On 2005-04-15 23:05, TikiGardener wrote:
Its the "CAR POOL LANE" not the "GO REAL FAST LANE".

I want the "GO REAL FAST LANE." I feel there should be better testing of drivers in the US, and if you pass at that higher level you get: 1) a special endorsement on your Deiver's License, 2) an easily readable endorsement on your plate or a window hanger, 3) access to the "GO REAL FAST LANE." I'd love to be allowed to go 80-90 on the freeway under optimal conditions.

The pet peeve that was bothering me last night is those jacked-up Minivans with Delusions of Testosterone (i.e., Ford F250s, HumVees, Lincoln Navigators, etc. that get used to carry kids to soccer practice, carry groceries from the store, carry a chair home from antiquing, etc.) with the Really Bright Lights that blind you if you glance in your rearview mirror. They should repoint their lights when they're raised up like that.

What don't I hate about Orlando drivers?

I'm fascinated by the new trend lately....as soon as the light turns green, everyone lays on the horn.

AND the classic - cut off a million cars to get all the way over to the left and then go 1 mile and need to exit, so you must dart across 4 lanes of traffic again.

On 2005-04-16 19:47, TikiGardener wrote:
We had the joyous moment of watching a car with a single driver cut into the Diamond Lane because the regular lanes were slowing down.

He didn't see the CHP unit that was behind him. Two seconds later, flashbars go off all red blue and gold. Ohhhhh satisfaction.

The stretch of I-5 that I take home has CHP waiting on the side of the carpool lane a few times a week. They have someone pulled over everytime they're there. Of course, they start to pull them over in the carpool lane, then escort them across all the lanes to the shoulder. That ties up traffic a little, but well worth it!

On 2005-04-18 11:17, Pomaika i wrote:

I'm fascinated by the new trend lately....as soon as the light turns green, everyone lays on the horn.

I first experienced that trend in Ft. Lauderdale in 1992! The entire lane of about 12 cars just laid on their horns the second the light turned green! They couldn't be more coordinated in it if they were trying. Kind of funny when you're not expecting it.

One of my friends likes to embarrass me when we're crossing the street by holding her hand out as if to signal cars to stop while we're using the crosswalk. She calls it "the Orlando Salute."

For some reason, especially when my trailer is attached to my truck, people are constantly trying to get around me. I'm not slow whatsoever. In fact I do the speed limit or just a little over. But damn them if they think they're going to get ahead of me on an onramp or when their lane is ending. It's always those zippy little Hondas. One guy ran a stop sign to try to get ahead of me as his lane was ending and I raced him right into a freakin' wood barrier. What a dumb ass!! His girlfriend was screaming at him to stop but he thought he could beat me. Drove by the scene the next day and the barrier was partially split and knocked down. Some people are soooo stupid.

On 2005-04-18 10:07, freddiefreelance wrote:

On 2005-04-15 23:05, TikiGardener wrote:
Its the "CAR POOL LANE" not the "GO REAL FAST LANE".

I want the "GO REAL FAST LANE." I feel there should be better testing of drivers in the US, and if you pass at that higher level you get: 1) a special endorsement on your Deiver's License, 2) an easily readable endorsement on your plate or a window hanger, 3) access to the "GO REAL FAST LANE." I'd love to be allowed to go 80-90 on the freeway under optimal conditions.

The pet peeve that was bothering me last night is those jacked-up Minivans with Delusions of Testosterone (i.e., Ford F250s, HumVees, Lincoln Navigators, etc. that get used to carry kids to soccer practice, carry groceries from the store, carry a chair home from antiquing, etc.) with the Really Bright Lights that blind you if you glance in your rearview mirror. They should repoint their lights when they're raised up like that.

Anyone who drives the Los Angeles area freeways and says they aren't doing 10 to 20 miles ablove the speed limit isn't looking at their speedometers. I should put the disclaimer that this is in open road, non 405 at anytime of the day, conditions.

I'm constantly getting my doors blown off by people I have to estimate are going 80 to 100 mph. The funny thing about that is what I always hear on every freeway chase that is televised. Namely the fact that most car engines aren't engineered to take 80 to 90 mph sustained speeds. So every time some idiot screams by me, I can take comfort in the fact that they are going to have their engine go all hand grenade on them one day. One day sooner than they think.

As to the blinding headlamps. When they are in my rearview mirrors, I usually angle my side mirros so that they are reflecting back at the offender. Those mercury vapor headlamps are the worst invention ever.

I do wish I could hook up one of those red dot matrix electric signs to the front and back of my car, so I could offer suggestions to drivers. Something tells me gunfire would come into play at some point.

Oh I hate people who signal two feet before they are going to make their turn. On related notes, I hate people who are going to make a left hand turn at a light, but they don't turn on their turn signal until you've decided not to take the right lane because someone might have their right turn impeded by pedestrians. So you think you're going to get through the light no problem, until the guy ahead of you waits until the light goes green before he turns on his turn signal. Even though he's the first car at the light, and has had an entire red light to flick the turn signal.

People who make right hand turns without getting over as far to the right as possible before executing the turn. So when theres a pedestrian, they turnee sits in the lane, blocking those who wish to continue on with their lives. When wpproaching the turn, get over as close as is safely possible to the curb. And make sure to have signaled clearly about one quarter of a block before you're intended turn.

Oh! And people who are about make a turn, but who swing their car out in the opposite direction before executing the turn. Its a bit difficult to describe, but if you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about.

[ Edited by: tikigardener on 2005-04-18 23:41 ]

Here's my Top Ten List of driving pet peeves:

10. Motorcyclists who feel that they do not have to wait in traffic like the rest of us because their motorcycles can go between the cars stuck in traffic.

9.Cars behind me in traffic that will use the merge lane (for cars coming on to the highway) to cut in front of cars in front of them.

8. The second and third car that follows the first one through the light that has been red for at least a second.

9. School bus drivers who stop to pick up kids on very busy roads and stop traffic for minutes at at time. They should turn into a side street to load up the kids... not pick them up on a busy street.

10. Cops who think they there is no need for THEM to obey the traffic laws, such as obeying the speed limits (when they are just crusing around town in a non-emergency situation or when off duty) and not using their turn signals when they are turning or changing lanes. Oh, and for just passing on by when there are cars broken down on the side of the road. I thought they were there to protect and SERVE!

11. People who STILL will not leave the passing lane when they see that every car behind them is passing them on their right side when they fail to move over.

12. Friggin rubberneckers. How often do you see an accident on the OTHER side of the road and some nitwit is gawking at the accident scene and there is nothing but open road in front of him. That really infuriates me!

13. Those of you who have automatic toll paying devices in their cars may appreciate this one. In Florida, we have something called "Sunpass" which is a transponder which sends a signal to the toll booth so that you can drive the the toll plaza without stopping. I can't stand when people don't have a transponder and simply stop in the Sunpass lane. I have actually had a person behind me slam into me because a car in front of me did this. If you don't have a transponder, don't go through the Sunpass lane!!!! and if you mess up, just friggin' go through it! Don't slam on your brakes! Then there are the people who HAVE the transponder, but don't affix it to their winshield like they are supposed to, and instead try to look for their transponder in their glove box while they are slowing down to a crawl. This defeats the entire purpose of having the damned thing!!!

14. People who think that cigarette butts, drinking straw wrappers, chewing gum wrappers, etc. are not litter and feel perfectly free to just toss garbage out of their windows with impunity while they are driving. It may not be a soda can, but its still friggin' litter!

and last, but not least...

1. Two words: "Women drivers!" (Just kidding!!!)

... sorta.... :o)

Gotta DISagree with the motorcycle complaint. As a former long-time freeway rider in SoCal - it's not illegal to pass traffic in the space between the #1 and #2 lanes. Maybe annoying to those who have to sit and watch us - but - sorry. Dems da rules!

Saw one of my peeves just this morning, sitting in the peaceful little outdoor lanai at the local coffee shop I frequent to have my first cup and read the L.A. "Pravda" - errrr..."Times" every morning. It's the lack of people properly stopping and pulling over for screaming ambulance or fire-truck sirens. Windows open, obviously they can hear them (I had to put my fingers in my ears, it was so loud!) - no clue....making left turns, driving through intersections, in too much of a hurry to obey the law. Idioit!

Ah, the Orlando salute? I thought that was the Toronto salute! My friends from Detroit were amazed when I wanted to cross the street so I just put my hand up and all the cars stopped. They thought I had some magic powers, until I pointed out we were standing under a crosswalk...

PapeToaTane wrote:

lack of people properly stopping and pulling over for screaming ambulance or fire-truck sirens

I have to say this is one of my main gripes too. God forbid that one of their loved ones is in need of emergency assistants and some selfish idiots don't pull over to let the ambulance, fire truck, police car through the traffic. My blood boils everytime I see it happen!

It never fails... You wash your car and the very next day the ass 2 car lengths in front of you on the freeway decides that their windshield is dirty so they spray you (and everyone behind you) with washer fluid. Why can't they do that when no one is behind them or when they're at a stop? Arrrg.

On 2005-04-21 13:44, MachTiki wrote:
It never fails... You wash your car and the very next day the ass 2 car lengths in front of you on the freeway decides that their windshield is dirty so they spray you (and everyone behind you) with washer fluid. Why can't they do that when no one is behind them or when they're at a stop? Arrrg.

That happened to me and my one of my ex bosses at a stop light. We were in his car at a left turn stoplight with one car ahead of us. I was driving, my boss was in the passenger seat, and the sunroof was open. We get liberally sprayed with windsheild wiper fluid from the car in front of us that seemed to have a misting and fogging device as well as windsheild sprayer installed. The fluid was going mostly over his roof towards us, not at all adjusted to his windsheild, and it was a Mercedes! Before I know it, my boss is out of his seatbelt, and wedged himself out through the sunroof, standing on the seat and screaming the longest, most crushingly profane string of obscenities at the guy in front of us. The guy gets out, and it turns out to be a sales rep that we just placed a $10,000. order with an hour before. The sales rep apologizes once he realizes who is screaming at him, and I have to hear a lecture from Mr. Sunroof Potty Mouth about the incident all the way back to the office, a quick 2 1/2 hours to go 40 miles away. I found out more about obscenities and the heartache of water spots on a black car than I can ever use in this lifetime. The next day, my boss cancelled the purchase order with that rep, and got a new rep assigned to our very lucrative account. Every time I'd see that rep at a show, he'd try to corner me and ask, "It's about that windsheild thing isn't it?"

Thats frikkin petty.

For places that have a center lane that one pulls into when making a left turn off the main drag, my peeve is the folks who use that center lane for merging into the traffic and, worse, the folks who use it for passing. Folks here will drive a half-mile in the "suicide lane" trying to merge.

I love it when two of the idiots meet head on. (not crashing, though. That would be bad, right?).

JTD

people who don't know that the left lane is for PASSING on the open highway (it's the LAW) and the idiots that don't move to the right when you flash your brights at them.

trucks who pass another truck while going uphill making you have to SLAM on your brakes while you wait for them to get around the slower truck.

but even with all those lame-os - i still got to vegas tonight in under 3.5 hours from l.a.

yah yah yah - i'm the one passing you at 95 MPH on the I-15 - stay outta MY way :)

[ Edited by: Futura Girl on 2005-04-22 05:39 ]

I'm still working on a drag co-efficient for the amount of drag that American flags place on a vehicle. It seems alogarythmic as one flag seems to really slow down a vehicle, two makes the vehical a hazard to all on the road.

Similarly, I've noted an apparent relation to those chrome fish sticker thingies ( you know the mystery school symbol that was appropriated by a certain religion ) and the flagrant disregard for all traffic laws.

My theory is that if one is forgiven for your sins by confessing them, the traffic laws of men do not apply to he adherent of said religion.

I guess the messiah wouldn't use his turn signals.