Idiot Drivers you run into on the road...

[Rusty Heap]

I've recently turned into a traffic Nazi picking apart all the idiots that simple opererate, and not "attentatently drive", cars among us.





Feel free to share your observations:


- People who barely even do the speed limit on the freeways. 5-10 mph under and a mile of open road in front of them.
- Lady brushing her hair in the mirror while on a 45 mph sharp corner freeway on-ramp doing 30.
- Clueless People sleeping in the left lane.
- Said People who hog the fast lane but also then speed up when you switch lanes to pass and they block you on purpose even going 10-15 mph over the speed limit just to @$#^$*& with you.

- But The 1st place blue ribbon goes to the lady who side swiped me at 1-2 mph merging onto the Red/Green light regulated freeway on ramp last week during rush hour. My Viper Metallic Blue lifted long bed Ram 2500 against her 2023 generic black little sedan. She darted up along side me on the shoulder trying to squeeze in. I just held my position for a solid minute inching along as all waiting traffic merged as I drifted right to hold my space. Obviously she new I was there. Her side mirror scraped and scratched middle of truck passenger door. She then drifts back and I see her take a picture of my License plate. I shrug and giggle. Think of my options for 30 seconds and as all traffic is stopped anyways, I get out of my truck and go back to her car. She keeps eyes staring straight ahead both hands on the wheel. I straighten her folded-back black side mirror noting 4-5 nice deep white scratches in it. I say "Sorry", she doesn't acknowledge me at all with cars all around us. I go back to my truck and drive 1/2 hour home. Get a phone call on the way from a State Trooper wanting my side of the story. Told him exact time-line what I just told you. He laughed. Trooper has me swap insurance info and provided me hers. I'll wait a couple months, then mail her a doctored letter from a "Driving School" on proper auto operation techniques and thank her for my new truck scratches.

I've Been Driving (not simply Operating) different transportation devices 45 years and I often shake my head during daily interactions with other auto "operators" that feel like their car is their couch at home.

[pwd72s]

I try to avoid running into them. I avoid them the best I can.

[GH85Carrera]

One big thing is idiots that just can't go a few seconds without staring at their phone at the left turn red light, or any red light. When I get stuck waiting for another light cycle because some fool prefers to stare at their phone and not drive. Hang up the phone and DRIVE!

[unclebilly]

Moron yesterday cut me off as he turned onto a secondary highway with a speedlimit of 60 MPH, I had to slam on the brakes to avaoid an accident. Then when I passed him, he flipped me the bird... he cut me off and i didn't tailgate or salute him in any way...

[masraum]

Yep, lots of clueless folks on the road. I try to not be bothered by them. I expect them and have a plan (relax and get past them). My commute is largely interstate with relatively little traffic (I commute in off hours for that reason). What I'm most surprised by are folks that seem to know what they are doing. Folks that will move over if I approach from behind in the left lane. That always shocks me.

What always surprises me is when I see semis that are doing their own thing. Most of them are pretty good, at least outside of town. I occasionally see some that left lane camp.

Lots of left lane campers. I'm always surprised by the folks that make an effort to stay in the left lane. Driving down a 2 lane with "bob" in the left lane essentially by himself at 5am. Interstate expands from 2 east bound lanes to 3 east bound lanes by adding a lane to the left, so "Bob" changes lanes to the left so he can be in the left lane with 2 empty lanes to his right. That's when I know that they are clueless. In that situation, I want to be in the middle lane so I've got lots of real estate in both directions in case anything happens.

It's not unusual when I get closer to town and traffic thickens for the left lane to be 90-95% full, the middle lane to be 50-60% full, and the right lane to be 10-20% full.

I'd love to have one of those obnoxiously loud train horns. I'd like to be able to give clueless folks a quick toot that makes them poop a little and wakes them up. Fortunately, that's not going to happen. I'm not spending the money or time to add all of that weight and BS to the Boxster.

The other day, I was on my way in and at a point where there were 5 east bound lanes. All of the lanes were occupied with folks that were essentially pacing each other with around 1/8-1/4 mile of mostly empty freeway ahead of this "blockade". I was behind the guy in the left lane. I sat there for a bit. Then I gave him the quick "flash-flash" for "please step aside". I drove behind him for 1/2 mile, nothing. Another quick "flash-flash", and another 1/4 mile. So I give a third "flash-flash". So he moves up a car length or two and pulls to the right so I can get past. As soon as I get past, he pulls back in and starts flashing his lights at me.

Whatever, I was past him, moved over into lane #2, and proceeded to keep pulling away.

I couple of weeks ago, same spot as above, I'm tooling along in lane #2, mostly clear freeway. I've been approaching a guy that has been in lane #3 for a while (I have my cruise set). There's no one in front of the guy in lane #3 for at least 1/4 mile, maybe more, and that guy is not gaining on them. I'm maybe going 5-10mph faster than that guy, and right before I get to him, he pulls left in front of me. I have no idea why he changed lanes in front of me since he had no one in the lane in front of him for a long way. I pulled left and went around him. I was having a grumpy morning, apparently, and let that get the best of me, so I pulled back in front of him once I got past. I did not brake check him, but I did pull over closer than I should have which is something that I rarely do these days (I have to be in just the wrong mood, which isn't often). He tried to go around me, but I downshifted and left him behind. I was in the wrong on that one for sure.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

One big thing is idiots that just can't go a few seconds without staring at their phone at the left turn red light, or any red light. When I get stuck waiting for another light cycle because some fool prefers to stare at their phone and not drive. Hang up the phone and DRIVE!

Yep, that's a good one. Light turns green, and I see you head down or leaning over to get stuff out of the passenger's side or back seat, I'm going to honk. My wife doesn't like me to honk, but I can't help it. When I do honk, 99% of the time it's a quick honk. I don't lay into it and hold it.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

Moron yesterday cut me off as he turned onto a secondary highway with a speedlimit of 60 MPH, I had to slam on the brakes to avaoid an accident. Then when I passed him, he flipped me the bird... he cut me off and i didn't tailgate or salute him in any way...

Yep, folks that screw up and then act like you're the one that screwed up. I have that occur from time to time.

In Texas, it's completely legal to turn (right or left) into ANY lane in the road that you're turning into. So for instance, if you're turning right onto a road with 3 lanes going each way, you can turn and drift across to the far left lane as part of the turn. We also occasionally have multiple turn lanes. When there are multiple turn lanes, there are usually lines through the intersection to show you that you can only turn into certain lanes.

Years ago, I was turning right with 2 right-turn lanes turning into a road with 2 lanes. I was in the left turn lane and a lady was in an expedition in the right hand turn lane. She turned and drifted into my lane. Fortunately, there was a paved center median with yellow lines that I was able to pull into. I dropped back behind her and pulled back in. I saw that I would have been able to get around her because the left lane had someone quite a way up, so I pulled over and started to accelerate. She gunned it and pulled up to pace the person in the right lane, and paced them until the next light where she was turning left. While sitting at that light, she rolled down her pass side window and started yelling out of her window. I was not bothered in the slightest. I was feeling very relaxed that day.

[gregpark]

Originally Posted by masraum

Yep, that's a good one. Light turns green, and I see you head down or leaning over to get stuff out of the passenger's side or back seat, I'm going to honk. My wife doesn't like me to honk, but I can't help it. When I do honk, 99% of the time it's a quick honk. I don't lay into it and hold it.

Ditto, my wife hates it when I honk at boneheads. "How are they going to learn to drive if I don't teach them?" She hates that too

[URY914]

I'm sitting in line waiting at a red light next to a gas station. Old guy pulls up from the station and as the light turns green I wave for him to pull in front of me. (Just trying to be a nice guy and maybe someone will pay me back someday.) He pulls ahead and ****ing crawls at 15 mph!!! I mean come on get with the flow of traffic and kick it in gear.

[rcooled]

In my opinion, merging is, by far, the least-developed driving skill. I often see cars meandering down an on-ramp around 40MPH, then try pushing their way into 65-70MPH freeway traffic, making cars in the right-hand lane slow down to let them in. The other lanes then seem to slow down in sympathy. This is why there's often backed-up traffic around highway on-ramps. Why are people so afraid to step on the gas and match their speed to the traffic flow?

Construction zones cause the same problem. Everyone has to slow down to see what's happening, even though all lanes are clear and construction is well out of the way.

And when there is a lane closure for construction or an accident, why do we need to creep by the incident at 12MPH. OK, we're all in a single lane now, let's get moving!

[David Inc.]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

Moron yesterday cut me off as he turned onto a secondary highway with a speedlimit of 60 MPH, I had to slam on the brakes to avaoid an accident. Then when I passed him, he flipped me the bird... he cut me off and i didn't tailgate or salute him in any way...

This reminds me--one time I had to slide to a halt to not kill a cyclist running a red light. He laughed and flipped me off, his friends waiting at the light made apologetic faces to me.

This was fifteen years ago but to this day that guy's mental state completely baffles me.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by rcooled

In my opinion, merging is, by far, the least-developed driving skill. I often see cars meandering down an on-ramp around 40MPH, then try pushing their way into 65-70MPH freeway traffic, making cars in the right-hand lane slow down to let them in. The other lanes then seem to slow down in sympathy. This is why there's often backed-up traffic around highway on-ramps. Why are people so afraid to step on the gas and match their speed to the traffic flow?

Construction zones cause the same problem. Everyone has to slow down to see what's happening, even though all lanes are clear and construction is well out of the way.

And when there is a lane closure for construction or an accident, why do we need to creep by the incident at 12MPH. OK, we're all in a single lane now, let's get moving!

Great point. I live in an area where the speed limit is 75mph, so most traffic is running 75-80. I have been behind folks that try to merge at 60, 50, 40mph. When I realize, I usually drop back and hold the car in 2nd (in the boxster) so I can get up to speed to actually merge.

I also see folks that wait until the last minute to merge even after driving over half a dozen arrows with text in their lane and multiple signs on the side of the road. It seems a bunch of them get to the merge point and are surprised.

[GothingNC]

Kid's in stolen KIA's driving flat out on a busy highway cutting everyone off and blowing through red lights.

I just stay way back to avoid debris if they take someone out or flip the vehicle.

My neighbor is a CSI detective and is getting tired of dusting fingerprints on abandoned stolen KIA's and Hyundai's.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GothingNC

Kid's in stolen KIA's driving flat out on a busy highway cutting everyone off and blowing through red lights.

I just stay way back to avoid debris if they take someone out or flip the vehicle.

My neighbor is a CSI detective and is getting tired of dusting fingerprints on abandoned stolen KIA's and Hyundai's.

I've heard about it and seen some videos online but never seen one myself.

[masraum]

This is very minor, and I see it a fair amount.

I have my cruise set 99% of the time when I'm on the interstate/highways if the traffic is light enough. With my cruise set, I can slowly over the course of 5 mins creep up on someone. Then, just as I get along side, they often speed up just enough so I don't/can't pass. Most of the time, I don't think it's intentional. I think they aren't using cruise, and it's easy to subconsciously visually pace someone. So often, in those circumstances, I'll goose the gas a bit to get past them and up ahead of them. That usually works, once you are past them by enough space, they'll often slow back down to the speed that they were going. Occasionally, they speed up and pass you. I think many folks don't like being behind someone, so they have to pass. (I think I'm that way to some extent) So they speed up and pass me by a few mph, and get up ahead, and then in another 5-10 miles, I'll pass them again, with my cruise running and at the same speed the entire time. Usually after the 4-5 time that I am passing the same car, I'll either bump the speed up and put 1/4-1/2 mile in between me and them (often breaks the cycle) or what I might do, is move left (they are often left lane campers) and stay there. Because for whatever reason, about 1/2 of these folks are happy to follow along behind you for miles and miles and miles. I don't get it, but once I realize that they aren't going to pull around to pass, but will continue to speed up and slow down over and over again, I like to stop the cycle. And you may be thinking "why not let them do their thing?" Because inevitably, they end up pulling up beside someone during one of their slow periods and I end up stuck behind them.

[stevej37]

^^^
Just after getting my driving license, I was riding with a buddy and someone passed us. After he completed the pass, my friend sped up and passed him back. I asked him "what's up with that?"

He said he had his license for over a year and he's never let anyone pass him without getting passed back. He was determined to keep his streak going.

I should find him and ask him if the streak is still alive.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by stevej37

^^^
just after getting my driving license, i was riding with a buddy and someone passed us. After he completed the pass, my friend sped up and passed him back. I asked him "what's up with that?"

he said he had his license for over a year and he's never let anyone pass him without getting passed back. He was determined to keep his streak going.

I should find him and ask him if the streak is still alive. :d

lol!

[VINMAN]

Drivers that refuse to put their lights on in the rain. Most of the time its someone in a silver or grey vehicle.

.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

Drivers that refuse to put their lights on in the rain. Most of the time its someone in a silver or grey vehicle.

.

I believe it's technically required by law in FL. I don't believe it is required by law here in TX.

Semi-related, now that I spend a fair amount of time driving early morning (dark), I see at least one car per day (usually a handful) that is driving in the dark without turning their headlights on. I think they have daytime running lights, so they think that their headlights are on because there are some lights on the front of the car, but absolutely no tail lights, and the lights in the front are often not headlights. And flashing them almost never does anything. They just have no idea that they need to turn their headlights on.

[KFC911]

Compared to me .... everyone else drives great !

Folks that can't make a right hand turn without slowing down to 2 mph .... for 50' .