Driving Grievances

[Venthos]

I'm an aggressive driver. Even so, I like to think I understand the limits of myself and my car to the point that I do so as safely as I can. Despite this, I get angry frequently on the road.

I drive on two of the (in my opinion) worst stretches of highway there are in SE Michigan. I-275 and I-94. I'm usually impressed/surprised if I can go the stretch of I-275 without seeing an accident and I-94 consists of a wall of 18-wheelers across all lanes every few miles with sprinkles of more 18-wheelers in between.

Obviously I get frustrated a lot on my way home. My belief in what makes up a 'good driver' is simple. If what you do melds seamlessly with traffic trends, you're a good driver. What I mean by this is that if you do something that causes another driver to have to react to you, you're a bad driver.

Merging into a highway at 40mph causing the flow of traffic to have to brake or speed up to let you in? You're a bad driver

Pulling out into a main road without sufficient distance between you and the car approaching and/or not accelerating quickly enough such that the approaching car must brake? You're a bad driver

You are in the left half of a highway (such as the left two lanes of a 4-lane) and are going significantly slower than the flow of traffic causing approaching drivers to have to brake and/or pass you. You're a bad driver

Most of my pet peeves involve the fast lane. On the two highways I take the general flow of traffic in the fast lane is 80mph (this is a 70mph zone). I don't mean "speeders usually go this speed" I mean that the flow of traffic will go 80mph despite the presence of an officer with his radar aimed at traffic. It's tough to get a speeding ticket unless you're going 81mph+. Yet I'll routinely come across the occasional jerk who is cruising at 65mph in the fast lane. I'll approach them and give them time to go "ah, sorry" and pop out other lane so I do not have to illegally pass them. Rarely if ever does this occur. I end up having to illegally pass on the right. As soon as I pass them (I get several car lengths ahead, I do not cut people off) they seem to 'realize' what's going on and THEN move over into the other lane.

It's also common that I could be the only car approaching in the fast lane for a mile, yet the car in the right-hand lane is behind a slow car and decides he wants in the fast lane. Rather than wait until I get past him in the next 5 seconds, he rips out in the lane and only slightly speeds up to the pass the person who was previously in front of him. I end up having to slam on my brakes. Person finally decides to get back over and I'm allowed to get back up to speed. If the person would've waited 5 seconds until I had passed they would have had virtually infinite time to make the pass since no one was behind me.

On main surface roads I frequently get frustrated at 4-way intersections when I need to make a right-hand turn. Occasionally the person in front of me will make the turn so slowly that I have to ride my brake through the turn because if I were to let it idle through the turn I would rear-end them. I then end up having to drop into the 2nd lane once I make the turn and then I'm able to pass them and get back up to speed.

I also like to get up to the speed limit as quickly as possible. This isn't to say I drag race every light, but my foot is into it and you can hear what little noise my V6 can make as I get up to the limit. I don't expect everyone to do the same - nor should I, but some of these people are virtually idling to get up to speed. I expect a reasonable acceleration once it goes green.

I've got plenty more grievances and I just had a horrible drive home -- but I'll let some of you guys contribute as well Share your grievances.

[Go Goody]

I am a perfect driver....no one gets mad at me!

[Venthos]

Haha. I am sure many people get mad at me for going fast among other things. Everyone thinks they're a good driver and that everyone else is a crappy driver. It's just human nature. The point is to share your grievances.

[3H4ME]

Originally Posted by Venthos

Haha. I am sure many people get mad at me for going fast among other things. Everyone thinks they're a good driver and that everyone else is a crappy driver. It's just human nature. The point is to share your grievances.

I think you pretty much nailed it for most of us, with the points you made above. Apparently, it's the same everywhere. Those people who come off the ramps at a slow speed on to the highway are the ones that drive me nuts. You're going on a highway !!

[RoostKing]

I dont drive defensively, i drive offensively!

[BlackRT]

I'll throw in my 2 cents... how about distracted drivers who are doing one of the following while operating a motorvehicle:

1. Talking on the cell phone and doing about 15mph slower than everyone else.
2. Texting and driving.
3. Reading a book/magazine/newspaper in traffic!!!
4. Personal grooming, putting on makeup, brushing hair, the whole nine yards... this is not just a female thing either, I've seen dudes shaving in their car on LBJ freeway!!
5. Eating in the car with not even one hand on the wheel!!
6. The weekend cruisers who like to drink and drive and try to hide their beer with a paper bag or coozie all the while the rest of us know exactly what they're doing.

I also have a pet peeve about these distracted drivers realizing they are about to miss their exit and changing 3 lanes at 80mph to try and make it. Then there are the future Darwin Award winners who realize they took the wrong exit and try to BACK UP THE EXIT RAMP TO GET BACK ON THE HIGHWAY endangering themselves and everyone around them.

Great, I'm getting aggravated just typing this stuff!! LOL

[Jimbo]

Man, I agree with everything you said. There seem to be so many rude drivers that just don't care if they inconvenience others. Some are oblivous and don't seem to have any awareness they are inconveniencing others.

There just don't seem to be a lot of courteous drivers on the road anymore. I don't know if the few bad apples cause problems out of proportion to their numbers, or if there are more bad apples.

On one hand, roads are so congested, the % of bad drivers could be the same, but you run into so many more of them. If 1 in 100 is bad, and you have 100, you might not hit the 1 bad guy. If you have 100,000 of them on the road, then you are going to hit several of them over the course of your drive.

Then again, there could just be more bad apples. People are so stressed and so rushed, maybe a lot of people who wouldn't be bad apples in light traffic become them in heavy traffic.

Here we are getting some great new cars with the Challenger, Camaro and re-designed Mustang and yet our car culture is on the edge of dying. Really dying this time. Not just because gas is up like in the late 70s, but roads are so congested, that feeling of freedom when you drive just isn't there anymore.

That's what has ruined my fun the past 10 years. If you aren't on a dedicated road trip on weekdays AND off the beaten path, you just can't get away from traffic. And can do that but wealthier retirees?

I wan't to go back in time to about 1955 and start over...

[68RT/71GTX]

You used to be able to put your foot into the oil pan once in a while and not have to step on the brake immediately. Not now. Too much traffic 24 hours a day.

[sniper226]

I agree on everyones points. I especially don't like having to hit my brake when someone pulls out in front of me. I make sure they don't. The only time someone may hit their brake when I pull out is because they don't realize I can accelerate that fast.

Heck, they would have to get on the gas to be able to catch up with me. I think it is great fun to show off quickly accelerating in traffic though. Mainly when it is needed.

As for a stress reducer, I find having a nice cigar on the ride home mellows me out quite a bit and then I don't mind the traffic...

[anthem ss]

I may as well get on the bandwagon.
For those who know the northeast, I had a commute for a few years that was a hazard to my health - I lived in Staten Isl. NY - Drove to work in Brooklyn,NY (Flatbush section) Then drove to evening school in Union,NJ all in one day ( i don't remember the miles) but the main freeways i took were the Staten Isl. Expwy, BQE/Gowannis combination, NJ Turnpike and RT. 78 - all traffic laden. I've seen craziness like you wouldn't believe! Only time my car would be able to stretch it's legs some would be on the NJ TPK or RT78 (if nobody cut off a semi & caused it to jack knife or flip!) Plus at the time i had an unmarked 9C1 Caprice - but that's another story.
It wasn't untill a buddy of mine & i talked because he had a similar commute, that i found out how to DEAL (not stop) with the other yahoos on the road. A lot of us guys/gals listen to the radio,CD and whatever else is out now (i'm dating myself) while we're on the road, the SPEED of music has alot to do with how we are going to react to circumstances. I don't know how you guys who are into speed metal do it ( i used to listen to it some too) but that stuff just wants to make me drive 90MPH and T-Bone a couple of cars.
I'm not saying while your driving, pop in a CD of Yanni or Barbara Streisand (unless you want to) but if your commute is that stressfull - and we all know it's not US! Take it down a notch or two (not volume wise). What did it for me was listening to Jazz, find some music that mellows you out a little, or even talk radio (depending on the topic).
I would get in the middle lane, keep up with traffic, let the idiots who are zooming to get NOWHERE go and get to my destination less stressed and fatigued.

Now i live out west and am finding a whole different slew of idiots - tailgaters (and i'm not driving slow) but my commute is nowhere near what it was back east.
We're not going to change how people drive and do the things that they do behind the wheel, being alert now is even more important than ever.
BTW - i used to see a guy driving into NYC everyday in a BMW and he used to shave in the car, he had a perfect beard, one day he was next to me and i had to swerve a little to avoid hitting a big pothole, he got all nervous like i was going to sideswipe him and ran the razor up the side of his cheek showing skin on that side of his face - he was pissed that day. ANYWAY
It's worked for me and a few people - maybe it can help someone else.
I still do it on some commutes but i'm longing to hear my old Dance music, maybe a little speed metal