lousy drivers, open road, pet peeves!

[Gary - K7GLD]

I just LOVE the idiots merging into a freeway, who think THEY have the right-of-way, and the freeway traffic is required to speed up or slow down to let THEM in - then when THAT doesn't happen, start blowing horns and giving hand signals showing they think YOU are "#1"...



And do you notice the number of freeway mergers who hafta drive the first mile on the freeway at 10 MPH below what everyone else is going, before they wake up, get their heads outta that "dark place", and realize, "gee, everyone is going lots FASTER than I am, maybe I oughta speed up a bit so I don't have this long line of cars behind me blowing their horns and flashing their lights... "

 

[lschultz]

This is only one but I don't like to be on a two land highway and here comes some idiot with there high lights on. You are not approaching them directly but

 

[bmoeller]

That is why I don't like the HID lights on passenger vehicles. Regular bulbs are bad enough when those idiots do that.

Originally posted by MCummings

I think I need to get a picture of this phenomena

Yes, please!

 

[rbattelle]

Originally posted by QRTRHRS

Four lane backed up entrance ramps: These are good ones too. Drivers don't know how to use a side mirror to blend in correctly and/or stop at the end then have no room for proper acceleration. You have the jerk who can't wait and passes drivers stopped waiting their turn. A small gap appears so maybe the first vehicle can jump out into traffic. Some jerk decides he will take advantage of that gap to pass and jumps into the right lane only to clash with the driver trying to get on. It's also nice when the jumper decides to move back left or gets pushed left and collides with the hammer lane vehicle then the fun really starts.

Woman in front of me did this today... stopped at the end of the on-ramp, I mean. I wished I had air horns.



I also hate people who refuse to observe reasonable following distances, or insist on passing to get in front of you if you are using proper following distance.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Wow I'm glad to see others here enjoy the same crap I deal with on the roads!!! Great stories you guys



My particular peeves in no particular Order:



• The "got all day to pull out but I'll wait 'til you're almost there" tactic.

• The 35mph Merger (happens ALL THE TIME here)

• Getting stuck behind the 35mph Merger as you're trying to enter the freeway

• The No Blinker Barney who doesn't let you know he's turning onto the street you're pulling out from so you miss a precious opportunity to pull out

• The 50mph 2-lane driver who speeds up to 80 when it's 4 lanes

• The Rolling Roadblock

• The Sunday Drive Sally who won't get a move-on then barely sqeaks through the light and leaves you stranded and then you watch as she motors through the next 5 greens

• Left Lane Losers!!! Which become Rolling Roadblocks when they encounter other slow traffic

• Indecisive Irma who suddenly stops in the middle of the street and no one knows what the heck her next move's gonna be

• The “I had no idea you could make a Right Turn on Red!” Roger



Well that's it for now. . .



Vaughn

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

The one that bothers me the most is the person who has no control over their speed and doesn't have the sense to turn on the cruise control. It's the worst when you are on a 2 lane highway. You're coming up on said driver and doing 10 mph faster than them so you pass and pull back into their lane. 20-30 seconds later you notice them passing you, then they change back into your lane and slow down to 10 mph slower than you were traveling the entire time. Repeat X times. I had one moron one time that did that to me for 30 minutes and it didn't matter what speed I'd speed up to - hit 95 with the trailer in tow one time and when he pulled back in front of me it was right back down to 60 (10 mph UNDER the speed limit). I was about to go postal. When the next good spot to stop stop for a while (rest area) came along I pulled in and had lunch in the trailer to let him get a ways down the road. That situation happens to me at least once a month and I'm usually on cruise control at the time so my speed isn't changing for squat.

 

[bmoeller]

I know what you mean Vaughn. We have all of them on your list. Have the biggest problem with "No blinker Barney" and "Got all day to pull out til you are there tactic". #@$%! Barney is the worst. One intersection in particular near home. Normally I hate stop lights, but I wish we had one there.

 

[RustyJC]

Another one that really roasts me is the situation where the exit ramp off the freeway (like, say, to the Houston Intercontinental Airport) is backed up. You've been a good boy and stayed in line in the far right lane for 30 minutes creeping up to the ramp. All this time you're watching the Hot Stuff Sams in their BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, etc. coming down the center lane until they get to the head of the line, then throw on the brakes, right turn signal and dive into the line ahead of everyone else. When I finally get to the exit ramp, the latest Hot Stuff Sam tries to jam a bumper in front of me - one of the few times I wish I had a Ranch Hand front bumper/grille guard!



This just reinforces my belief that justifiable homicide ought to include the situation where your alibi is, "Officer, the worthless SOB just needed killin'!!!"



Rusty

 

[EricBu12]

Man o man, I see it every day. I am an interstate truck driver. The on ramp undeciders on speed or weather or not they want to go is one thing

The other thing that none of you have hit on except the cut in line one is going on the freeway in the right lane and a person comes up behind you and passes you only to get off the exit RIGHT THERE ! 200 yds in front of you Zzzzzipppp ---> to the right... . I'm just waiting for one of them to hit the water barrels like in the movie SPEED hehe. Had a fellow Trucker do that move to me twice. Boy no patience what so ever... . even at 65 MPH

 

[JStieger]

Short 75 mph interstate tunnels and drivers slow to 55-60 and then quickly speed up after exiting tunnel just when you want to pass them to get away from them.



Drivers that don't hold their lanes in tunnels.



Drivers that don't let you back in the slow lane after you moved over to let them merge onto the interstate so you either have to speed up to 90 to get back in to not hold up traffic behind you or slow down.



People that drive with fog lights on in the city.



People that drive with the high beams on because one headlight is not working.



People that pull into the parking lane to make a right turn while jumping all the other people in front of them waiting for the light to make a turn. Truck driver friend pulling a set of belly dump doubles, 129000 lbs gross, had a old lady do this to him. He didn't see her as she was right under his passenger mirror next to the saddle tank - he drug her car about 10 feet before he stopped when people were honking etc. Cops showed up and gave her a ticket!

 

[PaulCreamer]

All in a days work

Imagine spending 70 hours a week in all kinds of weather, traveling through east coast city's and snow covered mountain roads with an explosive 10,000 gallons sloshing back and forth and rolling side to side at 70 mph 6 feet behind you.

After doing this a while you learn to anticipate the unexpected, and you learn how to react when things get out of hand. But, the other day some shi+ head inserted himself into the right lane in front of me, so close that I lost sight of the black top and saw only rear window. Then jams on his breaks, causing me to yank hard on the wheel, stand on the breaks till the trailer locks cause all the weight is now on the drives. Now I wasn't sure how the truck would react when the load comes front after such a violent reaction at such an awkward angle. You know its gonna hit hard and all you can do is brace.

Some how, it stayed upright and strait and the under ware was still clean. Now, you want revenge so bad that you can picture this S. O. B. begging you for mercy but really, their isn't much that you can do. So you do the next best thing, roll up along side him/her and give the one finger salute. You think they deserve much more but you don't dare risk your life or those others around you, so you keep your cool and do your best to put it out of your mind and go on about your business. You never give it a second thought till the next time you call dispatch and they say "safety wants to talk to you". Come to find out that the rectum breath that you had the love fest with a few hours ago made good use of his cell phone, found the phone numbers on the side of your truck and spun a tale so twisted that your employer wonders (although we never heard any other complaints about you) why we would want you behind the wheel of one of these missals.



Is there ever any justice

 

[Andy Perreault]

Originally posted by PaulCreamer

You never give it a second thought till the next time you call dispatch and they say "safety wants to talk to you". Come to find out that the rectum breath that you had the love fest with a few hours ago made good use of his cell phone, found the phone numbers on the side of your truck and spun a tale so twisted that your employer wonders (although we never heard any other complaints about you) why we would want you behind the wheel of one of these missals.

Yup, yup, yup... That happens quite often at my job. The cool thing about it is that the manager very courteously thanks them for calling and then laughs it off after hanging up. She knows what's going on out there!

Gotta love working for an understanding manager. I guess it helps that her husband is also a truck driver!

Andy

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Andy for the most part truck drivers are very professional and considerate on the highways but there have been a couple instances where I have seen such terrible driving behavior I have gotten a number off their rig and called in about it. I have only done this twice and both guys should have had their licenses suspended.



First time was about 5 years ago headed eastbound on I-90 over Snoqualmie. There was a steady downpour but some loser driving a tractor without a trailer was blasting uphill doing more than 75. That wasn't so bad but he was cutting in and out of traffic like he was driving his Honda Accord. He came within feet of clipping a couple cars and that really me off. So I called him in.



Another time was last summer in Kennewick, some guy was in a huge hurry and tailgating bigtime. RIGHT on people's behind, not because they were going too slow or because they cut in on him, this guy was going 70 in a 60 and wanted to go faster. After making a couple reckless lane changes I called his dispatchers.



But 99% of the time the truckers do great around here. Eastern Pennsylvania is another story. . . they're insane there Speaking of Penn a dumptruck driver really torqued me off there. I was driving down a 2-laner just west of Pottsville and this dumptruck just *had* to pull out in front of me and takes his jolly time getting down the road. I'm on his rear waiting for an opportunity to pass and finally when I do he hammers it and tries to keep me from passing!!! 95mph on a skinny shoulderless road racing a dumptruck is not my idea of fun I was driving a GMC Blazer so it took awhile to get past then he's riding my rear careening around corners on the winding road 'til I came to my turnoff at which point he about ran over me.



Vaughn

 

[DSteinel]

Originally posted by Vaughn MacKenzie



But 99% of the time the truckers do great around here. Eastern Pennsylvania is another story. . . they're insane there Speaking of Penn a dumptruck driver really torqued me off there. I was driving down a 2-laner just west of Pottsville and this dumptruck just *had* to pull out in front of me and takes his jolly time getting down the road. I'm on his rear waiting for an opportunity to pass and finally when I do he hammers it and tries to keep me from passing!!! 95mph on a skinny shoulderless road racing a dumptruck is not my idea of fun I was driving a GMC Blazer so it took awhile to get past then he's riding my rear careening around corners on the winding road 'til I came to my turnoff at which point he about ran over me.



Vaughn [/B]

I believe that before you can critisize how a truck driver drives you must yourself be a truck driver. Alot of things that seem stupid or dangerous to a four-wheeler are just how you have to drive sometimes, take for instance the truck pulling out in front of you. If you drove one everyday you would realize that if you see a small opening you sometimes got to take it , might be the only opening for five minutes. Also your little blazer can slow down and speed back up alot easier than a big truck, so what's the big deal. He probably like every other trucker knew that what your plan was, that is why he sped up, besides have you ever drove a class 8 truck, he was not taking his jolly time getting up to speed, it takes a while to get that much weight moveing, and once you get it moveing you would like to keep it there. Was 95 mph not fast enough for you to stay behind him rather than pass him, prolly slow down in front of him and then go up the road and make him about stop because you wanted to turn off. This kind of stuff gets me, there is no reason you can't just stay behind the truck , especially knowing that you are going to turn off just up the road. Just the opinion of a guy that drives an 80,000lb truck up and down the road everyday

 

[Will24]

QRTRHRS, wasn't by anychance a green newer style caravan, was it? Last semester every time I came home, it was about the same time of day, and somewhere around Lavelle I'd have that van pull out of a side street onto 901 in front of me... Usually they'd turn off in Minersville or Pottsville...

 

[QRTRHRS]

Originally posted by will24

QRTRHRS, wasn't by anychance a green newer style caravan, was it?

It all happened so fast, I think it was green DC make but this was in Phillipsburg, NJ. The van came across the free bridge from PA.



By the way, about 30 minutes before this incident, I saw a dump trailer in the hammer lane (a no-no) going into NJ. Guess the slow lane was too slow for this clown. I watch him as he passes everyone, whips it into the right lane at the same time some cars are trying to enter to go east. Joe average sees this and thinks, another trucker or another dump truck driver or whatever. I see it and look for the name on the truck and the driver by the way.



Seeing the truck is owned by this outfit that recycles human waste to spread on farmland, I know what kind of "$$$T" outfit it is. Poor pay and bad or new drivers go hand in hand.



Big requirement on every drivers part today is learning to back off. That smuck that deserves running over will quickly end your driving career. Slimeball and Associates Law Firm may get you a few million bucks when you jump in front of a big truck and get run over but I don't see what money does when your in a wheelchair and can't even move your arms to satisfy yourself.



O' that comment I made about looking at the driver. Go ahead and label me a racist but more often than not, IMHO ethnicity makes a difference.

 

[Andy Perreault]

In regards to bad truck drivers, yeah there are quite a few out there. In my opinion, it doesn't do much good to call their company and tell them what the driver did, because it's your word against theirs, and either party could be exaggerating what happened. I'd rather call the Washington State Patrol, myself.

I've often thought it would be a good idea to have a video camera looking out the windshield like they have on police cars, so I could record the license plates of the cars that cut me off in an unsafe manner.

About two years ago, my manager got a call from the DOT. Seems they were following tractor number XXX with trailer number XXX on I-5, and they observed him for quite a few miles. They called to report that he was doing an outstanding job, safetywise. Seems that they were cracking down on drivers who don't leave a safe following distance, and they had been observing in unmarked cars. They reported that this driver was displaying courtesy and professionalism the whole time they watched him. My manager wrote up a letter of commendation and gave it to that driver at the next work group meeting.

I think it should be a requirement for anyone who is getting a drivers license to spend a day riding in the cab of a semi-truck in heavy traffic.

Another thing that me off is the way so many car companies make the truck drivers look like sinister bad guys who are out to get you in their TV commercials.

Andy

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I just want to clarify a couple things. . .



I haven't driven Class 8 but my cousin does and we discuss it quite often. I do realize totally how difficult it can be to deal with traffic, and in the areas surrounding Philly the roads and congestion are very difficult. I'm sure many have lost patience with idiot drivers and their recourse is agressive driving.



However there was no excuse for the dump truck driver near Pottsville. He pulled onto the road in front of me from my side, and there was no one behind me on the long straight stretch which he could have clearly seen. He pulled the same ol' "wait 'til the last second then pull out" stunt.



I totally understand a dump truck isn't going to accelerate like a Dodge Cummins, but I was behind him for 10-15 minutes and he clearly could have at least tried going the speed limit (which became obvious he was capable of when I tried to pass him). I was riding him from behind but what else are you to do when someone pulls one of those on you then just pokes along? This guy was clearly out of line.



Let me comment more on the truck driving on the turnpikes in E. Penn. . . I found it pretty amazing how fast and aggressive they were. 80mph was common, and many switched lanes, cut in and out, etc. because of their speed. Often they were going faster than many of the passenger cars. Often they drove like left-lane losers. . . miles on end in the left lane whether or not they were passing or approaching an interchange. This is what I saw both ways on I81/78 between Harrisburgh and Allentown. The traffic wasn't bad at all but many truckers were just haulin' down the freeway like they were in a huge rush. It wasn't all truckers, probably 25-30% of them.



I saw similar driving across N. Jersey, NY & Conn but not as much aggressiveness. I've been all over the US in many metro areas and haven't seen anything like it anywhere in the West (including LA and Seattle). I don't know what is was with Penn truckers when I was there but it was quite an amazing experience.



Anyway I want to make it clear I'm not criticizing any of you truckers, when I'm talking about bad truck driving behavior I didn't mean you guys



Vaughn

 

[PaulCreamer]

To be honest

I think it should be a requirement for anyone who is getting a drivers license to spend a day riding in the cab of a semi-truck in heavy traffic. Andy Perreault

I truly believe that in most cases ignorance is the culprit. That is not to say that arrogance does not take a close second (double negative).

Our commercial insurance carriers spend lots of money on trying to educate us (truck drivers) on safe, offensive driving skills.

This is not a bad thing but I believe that their money would be better spent educating the public on just what it is like to drive a large truck in populated areas. Those that don't know any better do not take into consideration ALL of the factors that come in to play when a maneuver has to be made.

Maybe take Andy's suggestion a step further and require those with certain traffic citations to go for that ride.



just a thought

 

[Dieselnut59]

Many of these have been mentioned before, but I thought these were worth mentioning/rementioning:

1) Left Lane Laggers- The rule is KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS!!

2) On Ramp Laggers- You cannot merge with 65+ mph traffic if you are doing 30-35 mph!!

3) Pinky Blinkers- Where the driver jams on the brakes in front of you and sticks out their "pinky" finger to catch the blinker switch while turning the steering wheel in the sudden turn (therefore giving you about 1 flash of the turn signal)

4) NO turn signal- especially DANGEROUS on 2-lane on a straight away while the driver is making a left or at a 4-way stop.

5) The GUTLESS minivan- Typically the "soccer mom" who is swatting young-uns while applying war paint and talking on the cell phone. She pulls out directly in front of you, her gutless van will not accelerate and she makes no effort to improve that flaw, then makes a left (while on a 2-lane) with oncoming traffic.

Again, as mentioned earlier: Not to be racist, but race is a huge factor (as well as sex), especially when it comes to LEFT LANE LAGGERS!