Comments | longbottle: All For Want Of A 9MM

longbottle

All For Want Of A 9MM

Jun 18, 2008 21:20

I'm coming off of the off-ramp of I-275N onto Fletcher, where there's a light. It was red. People were blowing through it like it wasn't there, in spite of there being periodic traffic. As I always do, I stopped at the light. Some impatient asshole in a beige Buick directly behind me got testy that I was obeying the fucking law and started to honk ( Read more... )

roadrage, car, driving

Comments 15

tursiae June 19 2008, 03:46:17 UTC

People ignore red lights over there?!

longbottle June 19 2008, 05:05:45 UTC

The ramp off the highway has lights for two lanes that turn to the right. The law (at least in NY, I'm not entirely sure if the same holds true) allows for right turns on red lights, but being as you can ONLY turn right in these lanes and there's a light there, the cautious (read: sane) thing to do is to wait for the light to turn green, no matter if there's oncoming traffic or not.

It's the exact same way on the off-ramp near my workplace. 90% of people just blow through the red light, even though it exits onto a busy main street.

0rcinus June 19 2008, 04:12:22 UTC

Just proves that speeding doesn't get you there any faster. I hope you honked as you passed him so he would know ( ... )

longbottle June 19 2008, 06:17:13 UTC

I would have, but he was two lanes over and there were cars between us.

I do that too. It's usually assholes in big SUVs or trucks, too.

I try not to fuck with the dickweeds that much. Some of the ones around here seem unstable enough to smash into me out of spite, and right side of the law or no, I'd still be out a car.

Besides, I hate it when people see me signal a lane change and then speed up solely to block it. The only motive I can possibly imagine for doing that is to be an asshole. It's especially annoying when I don't have much time to get to the exit or change lanes before the highway divides. When it's somewhere I've been before, I make sure to plan at least a couple miles ahead what lane to be in, but if it's somewhere I'm not familiar with, that's not always possible.

0rcinus June 19 2008, 06:51:53 UTC

Oh ? I seem to remember you telling me you had one of the in car GPS navigators.

longbottle June 19 2008, 06:59:15 UTC

I do, but it only warns you of an upcoming exit two miles in advance, which at times might not be enough (like in heavy traffic, you may need almost twice that distance before someone lets you into your lane).

Thread 8

sorcererdale June 19 2008, 11:55:28 UTC

One of the things I like to do, and my son does too is when about 2 or more miles away from a closed lane there are signs stating to move into the next lane, we do that. Then we notice a car still in the lane that is going to be closed. We'll stay beside them, or not allow them to cut over at the very last minute. Then they have to stop until some nice person lets them in.

If they have had two miles notice to get in the lane that is not closed and they refuse to do it until the last minute, then they deserve to be stopped and wait out an opening to get over one lane.

DALE.

longbottle June 20 2008, 05:43:53 UTC

The only problem with doing that here is that they actually play chicken with you and sometimes even stomp on the gas to try to get ahead of you in the lane that's about to end.

I was merging onto the highway from an on-ramp once, and my lane was ending. Rather than let off the gas until I was up to speed, or changing lanes to the left to give me an opening (the left lane had no traffic, mind you), this one guy actually stomped on his gas and blocked my merge. I had to hit the brakes hard to avoid running off the road or hitting him.

There are so many cars around here with damage, even nice expensive ones. The only conclusion I can draw is that people just don't give a shit here.

0rcinus June 20 2008, 15:45:41 UTC

I sometimes do the opposite. I stay in the lane is ending pacing the other traffic or going slightly slower than the other lane well before it ends. This causes people to wake up and merge in making it all flow smoothly when the lane finally ends.

After many times of experimenting with this I noticed that there was a great deal of control one had over the traffic and how one drove significantly affected the amount of congestion and by playing with this I have seen congestion get worse *or* get better depending on how I used this control even when there is no lane ending. "Pushing in" makes it worse and "holding back" makes it less. And it usually doesn't take much time for the changes to manifest either but also depends on how many lanes there are. 3 and 4 lanes show the effects quicker, more lanes and you can't effect enough control, fewer and it takes too long to help.

delfi_waveform June 19 2008, 17:02:37 UTC

That's when I would be waiting for the screeching tires and horrendous crash. When I would be reaching for my radio getting ready to report a MVA (major. With injuries and pin-in knowing my luck).

longbottle June 20 2008, 05:37:32 UTC

I'm sure given enough time, I'll see one asshole driver get into a nasty crash right in front of me. I've seen a couple of rear-endings and sideswipes already.

See, I respect you emergency services guys, but I could never do it. If I knew someone got into a wreck because he was being an asshole and breaking the law, I'd let him fucking burn to death.