Road Rants

[AdminAssistant]

Another rant - People who feel the need to come to a near complete stop to turn right. Gaahhhhh!!!!! Just turn! Go! Move!

*sigh* People say that traffic is oh-so-much better during the summer when the students aren't here, but I think it's worse. During the summer, the townies come out in force. Little old ladies in Cadillacs, freakin' soccer moms in their minivans (and on their cell phones) and none of them seem to want to get anywhere.

Plus, it's grand high season for the transients. On bicycles, in the middle of the road, possibly mentally ill (or faking it), annoying you for money, and just generally creeping me the hell out. I'm sorry if that seems like a lack of compassion, but I shouldn't have to play "Dodge the Psycho" everytime I go downtown. A month ago a transient attacked a guy with a railroad spike. This town doesn't have the resources for them, and never has. But they hop off the train here instead of KC because this is such a hippie town and they think they'll get better treatment/more money.

[blas87]

Ugh...I hate the people who stop to turn as well. It's not winter, the roads aren't even wet, and some people just have to come to an almost complete stop just to turn.

[tropicsgoddess]

I like the freedom to go where I want whenever I want, but we all know there's always a price to pay somewhere to have the privilege to drive.

- People who stop in the middle of the road past the line. How stupid can you be to set yourself up for an accident that way?!! It's worse when you see the ones that do that on the turning lane while the straight lane cars are passing through and that dumbass is trying to turn at the intersection.

- Driving below the speed limit. I can understand if it's raining cats and dogs out there, but for Christ's sakes if it's sunny out there, you don't need to driving 10-20 below the speed limit!!! That still causes accidents and you can get a ticket for driving at snail pace!!!

[blas87]

How about the idiots who are playing Russian Roulette with oncoming traffic at an unprotected left turn lane, halfway or even more into the intersection, even though there really isn't a safe break in traffic to let them get through, but damn if they are going to wait for that arrow or let that light go yellow or red.

Those people are oh so fun to have to wind around when they are almost all the way across the intersection, eventually just saying "fuck it, I'm going!".....I'm so happy that every time this has happened, thankfully, no one has been in the other lanes and I can just dart over and let the idiot through without causing a huge accident.

[jackfaire]

Another rant - People who feel the need to come to a near complete stop to turn right. Gaahhhhh!!!!! Just turn! Go! Move!

I will do this under some conditions. One I will always slow down when turning right cuz well I crashed a car the one time I didn't.

Two if my light just turned red I will do this because otherwise I risk getting slammed into by some guy that thinks he is a race car driver and that green light he just got is letting him know to race his car.

[Rageaholic]

You know what else I hate? Fuckin' talegaters. I understand if it's a busy road, but there are some people who are jjust impatient assholes. And you know what? I can understand being impatient, but that doesn't mean you have to get so dangerously close behind me, especially when I AM GOING THE FUCKING SPEED LIMIT.

[KellyHabersham]

Not exactly "road-related", but since it's a rant of mine, and involves the fact that the main road in front of my apartment building doesn't have bike lanes........currently my gripe is with the cyclists who apparently don't know how to steer a bike, and "have" to zig-zag all over the sidewalk. And I guess it's just me being petty, but I dislike having to move out of the way just because the cyclist seems to want to ride all over the sidewalk.

[Red Panda]

People who stop at intersections when they don't have the stop sign. Don't do that. I have a stop sign and it confuses me. I have no idea why you have stopped or if you plan on moving before or after I do.

Similiarly, 4 way stops. When it is your turn then go. Don't wave me through, just go. Its your turn and I don't know if you are going to decide to gun it when I'm half way through the intersection. I wouldn't put it past you since you don't know how a 4 way stop works.

[fireheart17]

My current round of rants-although since I'm a learner, some of these can probably be put down to my still semi-newbieishness on the road.'

Quick explanation: Learner Drivers in my state do 50 hours on the road with someone else in the car, and are also required to do a test or a bunch of competencies that cover the exact same things as the test. Once you've done both of the above, you get your P's, which allows you to drive solo and do up to the same speed as fully licenced drivers, but you're still on similar conditions as Learners. (no alcohol or drugs, limited demerit points etc)

People who honk me for going 80 in a 100 zone (that's km/h not mph): The law says I can only do 80. So STFU. I believe I still have a right to travel on the freeway if I want to and it's also good practice for me-otherwise would you rather I cause a 5-car pileup when I'm on my P's?

People who don't use their indicators: it is not that hard to indicate whether you are going left or right. Also, I believe that you are required to indicate at some point BEFORE you stop to turn. Not the second you turn.

People who cut me off or start tailgating me on a quiet street: WAIT YOUR BLOODY TURN!

People who assume I'm an idiot because I'm on my L's (this will also apply once I'm on my P's...): Unless you've never had a demerit point in your life, STFU and let me drive! I'm learning, you would've been learning at some point, if you have a problem with the licencing scheme, then take your complaint to Parliament. Do not use me to vent out your frustration.

People who drive substitute penis-mobiles: You do not own the road. I pay my taxes like you do. (this does not apply to everyone who drives an expensive car or drives a 4WD since we own one of the latter-it only applies to the arrogant idiots who use it as an excuse)

People who think that we're rich because I drive a more recent model car than most people on their L's drive: that's a huge HELL no. I saved up for the car andbought it on a stroke of luck. Best decision I made-it is VERY fuel efficient ($30 gets me anywhere from 1/2-3/4 of a tank which lasts me a few weeks). Trust me, the girl who bought the pink camo jeep probably paid about 5x what I did for my car and I get the feeling that parents might've factored into it somewhere. (Yes, a Pink. Camo. Jeep. This one's the type where you can put the roof down)

Just a note: I drive a 2001 Kia Rio. In comparison, my boyfriend and sister both own 90's models of their cars (Mazda 323 sports model and Ford Laser respectively).

[Dips]

Traffic jams.

I can't fucking stand stop, go, stop, go, stop, go for mile mile upon mile.

I know it nobody's fault. I'm not going to take it out on others stuck in the same situation 'cuz it sucks for all of us, but my blood pressure just goes up every second I'm sitting there wasting gas going nowhere and wondering if the guy behind me texting it going to look up in time to stop when I have to stop again.

[Red Panda]

People who honk me for going 80 in a 100 zone (that's km/h not mph): The law says I can only do 80. So STFU. I believe I still have a right to travel on the freeway if I want to and it's also good practice for me-otherwise would you rather I cause a 5-car pileup when I'm on my P's?

You have to drive 20 below the speed limit? That doesn't make sense. Driving that slow is more dangerous the driving the speed limit.

[HYHYBT]

Well, that depends on where you are in learning. The first week or two I had a learner's permit, I kept having to pull over and let the line of cars behind me pass because I wasn't used to judging where the car was in the lane, and so was going slow to concentrate on that. It was the second week before I could keep it *up* to 40 MPH, in a 55 zone.

Of course, I could blame that on my instructor (Dad) who had me drive through downtown (before the bypass) the first day, and to Athens the first weekend, rather than letting me get used to handling the car on a back road (of which there were and are plenty around here) first.