lousy drivers, open road, pet peeves!

[daveshoe]

Gagage sale Grannies who ,having almost gone past the sale site, jam on their brakes to see what's for sale. Then ,as your Cummins comes in fast with smoke trailing off the brake rotors, they shoot you a confused look because the driveway is full so they are waiting on the highway for a spot to clear. Same grannies pull out in front of you and the brakes are smokin' again . Then ,about the time you catch up with them, they must again jam on the brakes because they are about to meet--OMG-- a dualie truck coming toward them and --horror of horrors-- he has his lights on in the --DAYTIME--

Gary , this is just for you. You are leaving a very large discount retail store close to Christmas[driving in the fire lanes close to the entrance] and parking is at a premium. Parking lot Polly decides to pull in front of you turning across your lane so both you and the cars behind her get to wait until the shopper occupying the close in space opens her trunk and puts her crap in her car then waits some more until the shopper leaves.

Then you see the camper [just kiddin about the camper]

 

[QRTRHRS]

Vaughn,



No doubt you encountered a jerk. I agree there is no excuse for this clown. I personally have done a good amount of dump work years ago and my local work involves running with a lot of dumps. Like any class or type of vehicle, it all averages out. Most of the drivers I encounter are not like said idiot.



I won't apologize for eastern PA as your right, it's a lousy situation. You need to realize that PA is a gateway state as are Delaware and New Jersey. That means drivers coming in from all 48 more or less. I personnally have always felt less risk when speeding in PA as opposed to NJ, NY, DEL, CT, etc. Why? Abosolutely because those other states use moving radar and in NJ for one, the locals can use radar as opposed to PA where the locals use tools such as VASCARR. Without researching, I believe those other states also have a higher density of police coverage on their highways. No disrespect to PA cops but I think the NJ police are tougher but perhaps they need to be.



Staying in the left lane on I78? Well, the right will bounce you silly. Not just that but for some reason, PennDot did not grind down the blacktop which from weight and heat has severe ripples in it as you approach Allentown. Trust me when I say you need to hang on for dear life. There is a very high incidence of traffic accidents with numerous fatallities between Hamburg (Cabella's) and Allentown.



Eastern PA is becoming a melting pot for escapees from the metro area ever since 911. Being they can on average sell a house in the metro area, pay off the mortgage and buy one in whole here, they come with a big attitude that extends to their road manners or lack of.



I can also assure you that many drivers don't appreciate the kind of behavior that you object to either. In fact, it is so bad that you need to watch even being friendly and helpful. Make a suggestion to another driver about a faulty vehicle condition or road situation and get a nasty reply or a challenge to a duel in return.



As other members have posted, you sometimes need to understand the truckers angle. I don't like drivers hanging in the left lane any more than anyone else but in one case, I do just that. More often than not, when I run across the Allentown area on RT22 with a set of pups, I stay in the left lane. Why? Because I only have to worry about being cut off on my right rather than both sides. I am generally keeping with the traffic. The only people upset are the ones who had I not held them up, would only be leapfrogging a vehicle here and there rather than going with the flow anyway.

 

[rbattelle]

Can't have a driving pet peeves thread without mentioning the morons who refuse to properly adjust their speed/following distance/behavior for the weather.



Big snow storm here tonight. Road crews here are virtually non-existant, so the snow just accumulates on the roadways. Now, I'm in a 7000 lb vehicle with 4wd and I'm going 30-35 on the highway. What makes you think your Escort can do 50 on the same stretch with 4 inches of snow on the ground?

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

QRTRHRSE I didn't realize you were in Schuylkill "Skoogul" County As I think about it now I was kinda worked up 'cause I was trying to follow Rte. 209 from Pottsville and ended up in Minersville and could not find the turnoff. After chasing around and finally stopping to get directions I got back on track and just then the truck dump truck pulled out in front of me. After I passed him I turned off on Rte. 25 and that's where he 'bout ran me over. I really liked the country around there and the rural roads west from Pottsville, especially the Amish country (is it Amish?). I got stuck behind a school bus and the kids in their outfits were cute. . . boys with black suspender pants, white shirts, hats, girls in their dresses & bonnets, and many of them had scooters. I took a lot of shots of the little picturesque towns with steepled churches along with the cool cemeteries like you don't find here. If I had to I wouldn't mind living in Penn



Good point about the freeway, I do recall it having a lot of issues with the right lane, worst going eastbound if I remember right. It was a month after 9-11 I was there (Oct 5-14).



Vaughn

 

[Andy Perreault]

Originally posted by rbattelle

Can't have a driving pet peeves thread without mentioning the morons who refuse to properly adjust their speed/following distance/behavior for the weather.



Speaking of "properly adjust", how about the one's who drive behind you in the next lane with out-of-adjustment headlights. I can't count how many times I've been driving the rig at night, and some clown is camping out back there, pacing me, with one of his headlights shining right into my rearview mirror! Then of course there's the ones who drive with their high beams on, and the idiots with mal-adjusted fog lights that don't need to be on anyway. What are they doing? Owl-watching??

Andy

 

[Cowboy Medic]

This one happened to me tonight. Normally not such a big deal, but I know it was an on purpose thing. I had a shift at the children's hospital in Minneapolis and I am just leaving Northfield area heading down I-35 headed towards Albert Lea. Spped Limit is 70 and I am doing about 75. I am slowly gaining on this car and there is no one else within a 1/4 mile of us. just as I get alongside I glance over and see this lady is driving. I look back ahead and all of a sudden she speeds up and pulls into the passing lane and slows down to 65. At this point I am thinkin "What the ****?!?!?!?!?!" I wait about 2 minutes and she just stays there, so I move over into the driving lane and she whips over in front of me again. Apparently she decided this was a self-designated no passing zone. At this point I am losing my temper. I turn on my high beams and my off road lights and I aim them right in the back of her window. Now I work plenty of accidents from road rage so I am allready thinking she is gonna slam on her brakes next. So I am slowing down when I do this. as soon as I see her brake lights I am nailing the go pedal and changing lanes. with the DD3's and the comp. I am past her before she can even realize she has been duped. Next thing I know she is racing up behind me. I am guessing she had to have been doing about 110 cause I was still in it at 95, but with the 4. 10's that is about all I have. So knowing she will pass me I let off it and slow back down to about 65 and figure, lets see what will be next. Well next is we go around a curve and sitting in the median is a state patrol officer. I figure she had to still be doing a 100+ because his lights come on and he was after her lightning fast. I set my cruise back at 75 again and finished my trip home. Now I know 99% of the time it wouldn't have worked out so damn nice, but people like that that start playing games for no reason at all just **** me off. My life and other innocent lives is not worth the kind of BS they are pulling. I know some are gonna say I played a part too and I admit that, but why the hell did she start that crap. I had my low beams on I had the fog lights off and I had the cruise set. there is no reason at all she should have been pulling that, and on top of it, if anyone here has driven in that area, you know that at 75 you are still one of the slower ones on that stretch. So I can't envision she is deciding to play vigilante and stop the evil speeder either. Sorry for the rant, but I haven't been that PO'd at a situation like that in a long damn time.

 

[The patriot]

Isnt it nice when things just come together like that? :laf:

Eric

 

[skobylenski]

How about the construction zone line cutters? I hate those people that miss the signs 2 miles before the right lane ends because of construction. Everyone moves over to the left lane, but aparantly these morons think that they have a clear lane to shoot up, and then cut in at the last second before the barriers. I'm one of those "jackasses" that straddles the 2 lanes (the one that is going to be closed and the one that is next to it, so that these people can't cut in front of everyone. I'll move over if I see construction trucks or emergency vehicles coming up, but minivans and ricers, and even semis get to ride behind me and flash their lights and honk, basically making asses of themselves.



Aside from that, the people that turn in front of you, only to drive 10mph under the limit, and then turn a mile later really irk me. It's even worse when there's nobody behind me. It's like they are TRYING to **** me off.



Oh well, the Grovers are in the works Oo.

 

[JyRO]

Can't have a driving pet peeves thread without mentioning the morons who refuse to properly adjust their speed/following distance/behavior for the weather.



Big snow storm here tonight. Road crews here are virtually non-existant, so the snow just accumulates on the roadways. Now, I'm in a 7000 lb vehicle with 4wd and I'm going 30-35 on the highway. What makes you think your Escort can do 50 on the same stretch with 4 inches of snow on the ground?

I'm right there with ya on this one. AND, vice-versa. You get a very small amount of snow on the ground, and melting in most areas due to the salt. Then you get one soccer-mom who will do 25 mph, when 50 mph is very safe. To add to that, you get some geeky morons behind the soccer mom who act like pulling into the left lane to pass may get them thrown in jail. So you have about 20 or 30 cars lined up behind 1 moron, and 2 or 3 sissies behind the moron.



I've passed at least 6 cars at a time under these conditions, except that the roads were clear (not snowing). If the speed limit is 55 on a 2 lane, I swear 50% of the people behind a car going 45 mph will not pass, no matter how many miles ahead they can see that is clear.



P. S. - Great thread Gary!



- JyRO

 

[Rams-n-Hogs]

I was discussing this very subject, (lousy drivers), the other day with 4 or 5 guys at work. Anybody ever notice, not one of those lousy drivers is ever around when you're talking about them? So who are these people?



Jim

 

[RustyJC]

Originally posted by Rams-n-Hogs

Anybody ever notice, not one of those lousy drivers is ever around when you're talking about them? So who are these people?

I think that's tied to the statistic that 95% (or whatever the number is) of the drivers in the USA consider themselves "above average".



Rusty

 

[sellesd]

We got a pretty good and heavy snow storm here last night. The biggest problem was people kept getting stuck. You know the type "If the car won't go floor it. " Backed up traffic for miles.



One person was so bad the could not get started going down hill.



You would think this is the first time it snowed in Colorado



Shannon

 

[QRTRHRS]

Originally posted by Vaughn MacKenzie

QRTRHRSE I didn't realize you were in Schuylkill "Skoogul" County As I think about it now I was kinda worked up 'cause I was trying to follow Rte. 209 from Pottsville and ended up in Minersville and could not find the turnoff.

This is one of those places where you can't get there from here. The mountains dictate the roads. Actually, I was not aware of any Amish here. We do have a lot of Mennonite's. But then I don't get out much. I pretty much stay in the northeast corner. I do deal with the Amish in the Lancaster area. You learn to respect their world.

 

[michigandon]

What kinda driving habits irk me? Well, I think you fellas pretty much covered all of them already.



Grovers? Oh please, don't make me laugh! I'm contemplating something more along the lines of, say, a Leslie S-5. Or maybe a Nathan M5 or P5.



Hey, if you wanna let somebody know you're P/O'ed off at 'em, why not make damn sure they hear ya?



Don