Pet Peeves (while driving)

[fm2176]

"I move my finger one inch to use my turn signal. Why are these assholes so lazy they can't move their finger one fucking measly inch to drive more safely?" - from the movie Shoot 'Em Up

Sums it up nicely. Four-and-a-half years commuting in DC did not get to me anywhere near as much as four months in Baton Rouge has. No one has turn signals. It's gotten to the point where I am surprised when someone uses them properly. Let's see what the Louisiana Driver's Guide says:

SIGNALING
If you do not signal your intention, other drivers will not be prepared for your move. You must
always give a signal to tell other drivers when you plan to turn, change lanes, slow down or stop.
You can use either mechanical signal lights or the left arm.
A right or left turn signal must be given continuously for not less than 100 feet before making the
turn. A greater distance is suggested when driving at faster speeds or in heavy traffic.

Okay, it's right there in Chapter Five. Not too different from:

DC

Signaling
You must use a turn signal, arm or hand signal, or both, continuously for at least
100 feet before turning. You should signal for a much greater distance and a
longer time interval when traveling at a high speed. This is particularly important
when changing lanes on all highways.

Virginia

Turn Signals
When you plan to make a turn or to enter
or exit a highway, first give the proper turn
signal, which is required by law. Develop a
good habit and use turn signals or hand
signals even if no other traffic is on the
road. Signal when making turns, changing
lanes, entering or exiting highways and
always let the other driver know what you
intend to do.
Signal three or four seconds before you
change direction so other drivers will have
time to react. If you plan to turn after
clearing an intersection, don’t signal until
you reach the intersection; otherwise,
drivers on the road ahead may pull out in
front of you. After you complete your
move, be sure the turn signal stops flashing.
Remember, always signal before
changing lanes.

If the speed limit is more than 35 MPH,
signal at least 100 feet before you reach
the turning point.
For speeds less than 35 MPH, signal at
least 50 feet in advance.

Kentucky

SIGNALING WHEN YOU CHANGE DIRECTIONS
For the benefit of other drivers, you should always signal when you
change directions. This gives them time to react safely to your changes.
You shall use your turn signals before you:
• Parallel Park.
• Make a turnabout (turnaround).
• Change lanes or pass another vehicle.
• Turn at an intersection.
• Enter or leave a freeway or interstate highway.
• Pull away from the curb.
• Pull over to the side of the road.
If you do not signal, other drivers will not know what you plan to do. They
may start to do something that will lead to a collision. Here are some
important rules about signaling direction changes:
• Signal every time you change direction, even when you do not see anyone
else around. The vehicle you do not see is the most dangerous.
Check your blind spots by looking over your shoulder.

In fact, I am willing to bet that every driver's manual in the United States has a similar section devoted solely to the use of turn signals.

Don't get me wrong, I am used to rude, aggressive, impatient, and even outright hostile drivers. Every day I would get on I-295 and I-495 in DC I was taking a risk. I-95 down to Richmond is even more dangerous, and I-395 was avoided at all costs. The volume of traffic up there breeds the type of drivers. Still, at least most of them have the common courtesy to signal and attempt to merge, resorting to cutting in only when other drivers force them to. The traffic down here, on the other hand, pales in comparison. Granted, there is congestion during rush hour, and the roads were not designed for the amount of traffic the Baton Rouge area has nowadays (locals tell me that it started getting this way after Katrina, when more and more people started moving here).

I don't know what it is that pisses me off so much about people not signaling. I can usually tell a driver's intentions by their driving technique; for example, most people drift towards a lane if they are planning to change lanes with or without a turn signal. Admittedly, it is safer driving around idiots that don't signal but allow ample space than it is driving around idiots that do signal and cut off other drivers. Perhaps even worse than the ones that do not signal when they switch lanes are the ones that fail to signal when they are turning. Are you slowing down for something in the road? Hard to tell down here, where there could be anything in the road from an animal to flowing water to a car in a ditch. Oh, nevermind, you are just making a left-hand turn, without the common courtesy of letting everyone else know. There have been a few times where I've almost rear-ended someone doing this. Four or five car lengths between us. Doing right at the speed limit. Okay, brake lights, let me take my foot off the gas and cover the brake. Okay, they're slowing down more, time for some brake. Holy shit, they stopped in the middle of the road! Oh, wait, there's the turn signal. Which brings me to my next gripe. the people that signal too late. If you are stopped in the middle of the road, see the big truck behind you, and then decide to engage your turn signal, it is too late. The big truck is either already stopped or will soon be rather intimate with your rear bumper. Oncoming traffic may suddenly realize that you are turning instead of being stopped for no reason, and you may even reap the benefit of a polite driver yielding to allow you to turn. Use that signal much sooner, though, and you may not have to stop at all. It is much easier for oncoming and following traffic to adjust their speed to allow you to turn than it is for everyone to come to an awkward halt for the sake of one car with a broken signal or driver. Similarly, if you are changing lanes, and signal when you are halfway in the lane, don't bother. You're already there.

Something related that is not quite so irksome, but still bothers me, is burnt-out lights. Let's talk about turn signals again, since they are the most obvious when they burn out. When blink..........blink..........blink..........blink becomes blink..blink..blink, you might want to do a quick visual check. You hear the click of the relay, see the light on the dash, and know your signal is blinking much faster than it was yesterday. Auto Electric for Dummies. Burnt-out bulb, less resistance, faster blink. So, there is no scapegoat for driving with burnt-out signals, but how hard is it to walk around your car every so often and check the lights. I had a headlight burn out a few months ago. Couldn't see like I could the night before, so I went out of my way to hit up Advance Auto. It could have waited until the next day as I was almost home, but putting it on the back burner would likely find me driving the next night with one headlight yet again.


There you have it, my number one peeve when it comes to other drivers down here. What's yours?

[gwahir]

Many things that I do annoy the shit out of me when it's not me doing them. Then I remind myself that it's not unsafe or inconsiderate and I do it too so I have no reason to be cranky.

Other than those things, it's only crazy unsafe things that piss me off. I nearly got sideswiped by a guy who decided to lanechange into the same spot I had been heading for, after indicating, and when I was well and truly into the lane. He never saw me. I had to swerve out and back into my lane and nearly hit the guy who was originally behind me and had sped up once I moved out.

[Syme]

I'm right there with you on turn signals, fm. It drives me nuts here in northern VA, so I can't imagine what it'd be like for me in Louisiana. I'd probably snap if it's as bad as you say. I really don't care how crazily someone drives, as long as they signal all their turns and lane changes. I'd rather be dangerously cut off by someone who signaled than have someone merge in front of me at a safe distance without signaling. I don't know why that is, but it is.

[Nermy2k]

People who drive with busted brake lights.

People who do 30 (km/h) under the limit.

People who slow down to 1/5 of the speed limit to catch a glimpse of an accident / shiny lights.

The three people on the freeway drive side by side and make an impenetrable wall.

People trying to sideswipe me out of the far left lane because they can't be bothered look at their driver's side mirror or check their blind spot. (I've gotten really adept at driving on the shoulder)

People who cut you off and then go a lot slower than you were going when they could have easily waited for you to pass them and then switch lanes.

Old people.

Tailgaters (especially if you're in the far right lane when it happens; is it really that difficult to pass me?)

People who are EXTREMELY liberal with their brakes.

People who flick their cigarettes out of the car and onto your windshield.

People backing out of parking lots without checking to see if any cars are coming.

Cops.

People who forget how to drive in the snow.

Probably a lot more but that's all for now.

[gina]

I'm one of those assholes that tailgates, but goddammit it pisses me off when the person I'm tailgating puts their breaks on to teach me a lesson to not tailgate. Fuck you. Move outta my way.

[Nermy2k]

I rarely have problems with tailgaters on the freeway since I'm always willing to move out of the way if I can.

But, that reminds me:

People who expect you to pass them from the right instead of moving out of your way.

[Infernus]

I'm one of those assholes that tailgates, but goddammit it pisses me off when the person I'm tailgating puts their breaks on to teach me a lesson to not tailgate. Fuck you. Move outta my way.

I down shift. Then if they hit me that will show them.

[piranhas]

Driving this morning reminded me that I hate when people come to nearly a complete stop to turn.

[coqauvin]

bikers who pop wheelies while riding my ass

that's when i downshift and wait for an accident that isn't my fault in a clash of vehicles i doubt i'll lose

let me clarify this

the bikers who speed up behind me and pop a wheelie like they are badass and trying to intimidate me into going faster or something, then back off a little ways before doing it again.

[Shinysides]

If, I'm going a reasonable speed and someone starts tailgating me, I slow way the fuck down because you know what? Fuck you. There is no reason I should have to speed more than normal because your dumb ass is running late. Besides, tailgaters are stupid and fun to fuck with.

But to answer the OP's question:

Women drivers on their cell phones riding my ass because they can't be bothered to pay attention to what they're doing and women who don't look when they back up. Not to say that only women do this, but it seems to me that they do it far more often than men.

[solecistic]

Drivers in Arkansas like to drive a maximum of three feet behind each other, no matter what speed they are going. I like to go fast, and I'll usually feel better about going fast when there is someone in front of me who is also going fast, but I like to keep at least two car lengths behind them. For safety reasons, and also because I'm not a douche.

So when Jackass McFuck gets behind me and sticks his bumper up in my car's asshole, I tend to get a little anxious about whether I'm the one being inconsiderate. Am I blocking the fast lane? Wait, I'm doing 80 and the guy in front of me is doing 80. We're fine. Well, Jackass McFuck feels it is necessary to pass me on the right and get in between me and the guy two car lengths in front of me. We're still going 80, but it just makes Jackass McFuck feel better to be kissing bumpers. I don't get it. It's rude, it's dangerous, and it's fucking obnoxious.

Arkansans also do not use blinkers. Way too much trouble. I use my blinkers all the goddamn time. I use them to tell everyone I am exiting the freeway. I use them when I'm parking, sometimes, because Jackass McFuck is usually inches behind me in the parking lot. Ugh. I have to stop typing before I ragepunch my monitor.

[gwahir]

Australians don't tailgate very often. Or at least Melbournians don't. They are overly fond of their horns, though.

Also, people are generally good with indicators here, so when someone does something without indicating, it sticks out and is especially annoying.

[benzss]

I don't drive in London, but from a pedestrians point of view I can authoritatively say that all London drivers are terrible. They stop in the middle of junctions, ignore pedestrian crossings, speed up when you cross the road, piss off other drivers by doing those things and, yeah, don't indicate.

Nothing compared to Paris ofc.

[faesce]

manhattan: if you are not already moving when a light turns green, you'll hear 3-4 taxi's blaring their horns at you instantly. fucking annoying faggots.
philadelphia: people really dont like using their brakes properly in this city. no clue why.

[Nermy2k]

Why would you ever drive in manhattan?

[fm2176]

Obnoxious road-ragers are another peeve of mine, though nowhere near as bad as the turn signal thing. A couple of months ago I was in a government vehicle on I-10 going to New Orleans about 5am. The windshield needed cleaning, so I hit the washer fluid. A car behind me sped up and started riding my ass (I was doing about 85 in a 70 mph zone), though I was still cleaning the windshield. Next thing you know, he is passing on the right and cutting me off. He slowed down to about 60 mph or so and sprayed his washer fluid for a good 30 seconds or more. Nice guy. A short while later he got stuck behind slow traffic and ended up behind me again, so I did what any good driver would do, maintained my speed and kept my cool. This guy has nothing better to do than show his ass and risk an accident because a little overspray got on his car on the way to work.

[Rainmann]

I hate it when I let someone go in front of me or I wait for them to make a turn and they don't even acknowledge it. They don't even have the courtesy to wave thank you. That pisses me off so much.

[Infernus]

I hate it when I let someone go in front of me or I wait for them to make a turn and they don't even acknowledge it. They don't even have the courtesy to wave thank you. That pisses me off so much.

Do you do this at 4 way stops? Sometimes people were clearly there before me and let me go and I'm just like wtf why.

[Rainmann]

Do you do this at 4 way stops? Sometimes people were clearly there before me and let me go and I'm just like wtf why.

Not on 4 way stops, I'm talking about like when I let someone cut in front of me when they have been waiting to turn into traffic. I can't really explain it.

[faesce]

Why would you ever drive in manhattan?

why the fuck would i pay a bus service and then take dirty ass rails around the city when i could drive (lets be honest the subway in manhattan aint no paris u smell me)

its really not even that bad other than how aggressive ppl are however i've learned in my young years that pretending like you dont see the taxi drivers forces them to stop trying to push you off the road

[Anonymous D]

I hate when you are FAR from a 4 way stop, and you see someone else there already stopped. But they WAIT FOR YOU TO GET THERE before they go. Fuck you.

And as far as tailgating, I hardly get tailgated because I usually go a little over the limit, but when I do, they get brake checked multiple times until they back off.

When Im behind someone going super slow (like 30 in a 55) Ill let them know Im not happy with them by shfting into second, and passing them in the turning lane. Its even better when their eindows are down because my car is loud as fuck.

[Syme]

Faesce: Isn't parking in Manhattan a huge bitch if you try to get around by car? How do you get around that? I'm up there about 4-5 times a year and I always use the subway instead of driving in town, but if it's doable I'd rather drive. I'm from DC so NYC's subway system is utterly disgusting to me. I can't believe New Yorkers let people fucking panhandle, eat, drink, etc. on their trains. Anyone trying that stuff on the DC metro gets instantly curbstomped by MTA cops.

[Rainmann]

Faesce: Isn't parking in Manhattan a huge bitch if you try to get around by car? How do you get around that? I'm up there about 4-5 times a year and I always use the subway instead of driving in town, but if it's doable I'd rather drive. I'm from DC so NYC's subway system is utterly disgusting to me. I can't believe New Yorkers let people fucking panhandle, eat, drink, etc. on their trains. Anyone trying that stuff on the DC metro gets instantly curbstomped by MTA cops.

It is not the nicest but it is still the best means of transportation in NYC. Also NYC's subway system is so large and over a billion people ride the subway each year that enforcing and maintaining it would take an army of "MTA workers/cops". Not enough money. DC's subway system is tiny compared to NYC's, so there can be no comparison between the two.

[Syme]

It is not the nicest but it is still the best means of transportation in NYC. Also NYC's subway system is so large and over a billion people ride the subway each year that enforcing and maintaining it would take an army of "MTA workers/cops". Not enough money. DC's subway system is tiny compared to NYC's, so there can be no comparison between the two.

Right, but the reason that there's "not enough money" in the NYC subway system is that the NYC government hasn't budgeted enough money, which is due to the fact that the NYC public hasn't made cleaning up the subway system one of the priority issues on which they elect their government officials. If New Yorkers cared strongly enough about having a non-disgusting subway system, they'd have one, because candidates would run on that issue, and get elected, and budget more money for improvements and enforcement. The fact that New Yorkers don't have a non-disgusting subway system indicates that it's not something they care strongly about. So I feel I'm justified in blaming New York City and its residents for the state of its subway system. The system's current condition isn't some inevitable result of having a system that large--Tokyo's system is even larger than New York's, for instance, and isn't nearly so gross. That said, I love NYC, and I agree that the subway is a good way to get around, and that it does what it's supposed to do even if it isn't very pretty. I was just saying that as someone who's used to a nice, clean subway system, NYC's system is a bit of an unpleasant surprise.

EDIT: Honestly, there's no reason that NYCTA couldn't have the same ratio of transit police officers to riders that WMATA has. NYC's subway system has about seven times the yearly ridership of DC's metro, which means they'd need seven times as many officers as WMATA has--but it also means they (should) have seven times the revenue from fares and advertising, and seven times the annual operating budget. Again, if only the NYC public cared enough about the issue to elect officials who would make it happen.

[Killuminati]

philadelphia: people really dont like using their brakes properly in this city. no clue why.

People don't use breaks in Philly you just accelerate and pray. Somehow it works out.

Faesce: Isn't parking in Manhattan a huge bitch if you try to get around by car? How do you get around that? I'm up there about 4-5 times a year and I always use the subway instead of driving in town, but if it's doable I'd rather drive. I'm from DC so NYC's subway system is utterly disgusting to me. I can't believe New Yorkers let people fucking panhandle, eat, drink, etc. on their trains. Anyone trying that stuff on the DC metro gets instantly curbstomped by MTA cops.

I haven't been to the subway in nyc but jesus christ Philly's subway system is so fucking grimy. It is an excellent way of getting around though and you only pay a flat fee of 1 token for riding as far as you want. I know in dc you have to pay more depending on how far you go. Bums are all around though and you smell piss a lot, have to deal with a lot of loud blacks and people try and sell you shit all the time. DC's metro is so fucking nice in comparison.

[faesce]

Faesce: Isn't parking in Manhattan a huge bitch if you try to get around by car? How do you get around that? I'm up there about 4-5 times a year and I always use the subway instead of driving in town, but if it's doable I'd rather drive. I'm from DC so NYC's subway system is utterly disgusting to me. I can't believe New Yorkers let people fucking panhandle, eat, drink, etc. on their trains. Anyone trying that stuff on the DC metro gets instantly curbstomped by MTA cops.

honestly depends on where in the city you're at and when etc but i've never had any severe problems robbing peoples parking spots

[Nermy2k]

Do you do this at 4 way stops? Sometimes people were clearly there before me and let me go and I'm just like wtf why.

Yeah, when people give up the right of way for no reason it pisses me off more than when they steal the right of way from you. At least the latter you can see coming.

[gina]

Pennsylvania drivers. Every single one that I've encountered in New Jersey has been a fucking asshole or a terrible driver.

[benzss]

Are there good drivers anywhere?

[Atmosfear]

I hate people who insist on riding in the left-lane of a 4 lane road.

The left lane is a passing lane. If you are not actively passing someone, get the fuck out of it.

[Syme]

I hate people who insist on riding in the left-lane of a 4 lane road.

The left lane is a passing lane. If you are not actively passing someone, get the fuck out of it.

In Virginia, everyone just treats it as the fast lane; it's the lane you get in if you want to do more than 10-15 over the limit. So around here, instead of getting pissed at people who drive in it, we get pissed at people who don't speed while they're driving in it.

[Mr. E]

I thought that was how the left lane functioned everywhere...

My pet peeve while driving is the fact that I am driving. Give me a bicycle or my good ole' tree trunks any day.

[Syme]

I think it's technically supposed to be "the passing lane", but anywhere there is even slightly heavy traffic, you are probably going to get people treating it as another driving lane instead, for obvious reasons. My area has some of the worst traffic in the entire world (IIRC, the only place in the country with worse traffic is Los Angeles), so anyone who expects the left lane to be reserved for passing in this area is deluding themselves.

[Mr. E]

Nashville, Chicago, and St. Louis are the same way, and since Nashville isn't all that big I imagine most metropolitan areas function similarly.

[Anonymous D]

In Virginia, everyone just treats it as the fast lane; it's the lane you get in if you want to do more than 10-15 over the limit. So around here, instead of getting pissed at people who drive in it, we get pissed at people who don't speed while they're driving in it.

Same here.

Another thing I HATE is when some idiot is on a bicycle and on the road, trying to stay on the edge but you still have to almost stop and go around. Especially when there is a FUCKING SIDEWALK. Everytime I see someone do this, I roll the wondow down, and yell at them to get on the fucking sidewalk.

[Killuminati]

Pennsylvania drivers. Every single one that I've encountered in New Jersey has been a fucking asshole or a terrible driver.

Jersey drivers can't park for shit. Every time I see a car with tires on the sidewalk its a jersey plate.

[faesce]

nj drivers

every single one that i've encountered in pennsylvania has been a fucking asshole or a terrible driver or just another nj farm faggot

[fm2176]

I think it's technically supposed to be "the passing lane", but anywhere there is even slightly heavy traffic, you are probably going to get people treating it as another driving lane instead, for obvious reasons. My area has some of the worst traffic in the entire world (IIRC, the only place in the country with worse traffic is Los Angeles), so anyone who expects the left lane to be reserved for passing in this area is deluding themselves.

True, with merging traffic during rush hour sometimes the far left lane is the only one that is moving. I do not miss the traffic around DC, just the working turn signals and "stick to your guns" drivers. Funny, but I'd rather someone get pissed at me than have one of the infinitely more friendly locals down here weave in and out of traffic, then look like a lost puppy when I adjust my speed to prevent them from cutting me off.

[gwahir]

I was like "what are you guys talking about the left lane is the slow lane" before I realised you dudes drive on the other side of the road to us.

[Syme]

I was like "what are you guys talking about the left lane is the slow lane" before I realised you dudes drive on the other side of the road to us.

Melbournians

indicators... ...indicating

Hahah you're so foreign ITT