Another pet peeves thread: Tips for road ragers

[dmclone]

Maybe not spelling "instant" correctly is a sign that you are a tool.

You do realize that all motorcycles are manual transmissions and it is sometimes required to rev up the engine in order to release the clutch without killing the motor.

If you are talking about a constant revving yes it can be annoying but what about people who listen to their radio with the windows down. You mad at them too??

I've owned 4 motorcycles, 3 ATV/ATC's, dirt bikes, etc so yes I'm well aware that you have to shift most motorcycles. I'm not talking about when the tools take off. I'm talking about the tools that sit at a red light and rev their motor just to be heard.

Never said I'm mad at these people just calling them tools. You know who I'm talking about and if you don't you probably are...I'll take a stab at what camp you're in by your response.

 

[bluestarcyclone]

AND
Young people in general are unsafe drivers a lot of times. I think if you're under a certain age, say 25 you should be required to pass a driving test annually.

Fwiw young drivers (under 18) have all kinds of special laws carved out for them. Curfews, restricted licenses, stricter cell phone laws, etc. So i think it would be more than fair to have laws on the other end of the scale.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I have a million pet peeves when driving.
1. People who don't use turn signals.
2. People who believe right turn on red after stop = green right turn arrow.
3. People who turn right on red and swoop into the far lane because they are incapable of making a proper turn.
4. People who tailgate me when I am on my motorcycle.
5. People who get in the left turn only lane with their turn signal on. Then when they get the left turn arrow sit and have to think about it. What's to think about?
6. Same as number 5 but when they get the arrow decide they need to check something on the passenger/back seat.
7. People who honk at you because you don't take a right turn on red when there is a no turn on red sign posted.

 

[DaddyMac]

I've owned 4 motorcycles, 3 ATV/ATC's, dirt bikes, etc so yes I'm well aware that you have to shift most motorcycles. I'm not talking about when the tools take off. I'm talking about the tools that sit at a red light and rev their motor just to be heard.

Never said I'm mad at these people just calling them tools. You know who I'm talking about and if you don't you probably are...I'll take a stab at what camp you're in by your response.

Everything you guys are talking about can be applied to car/truck drivers as well. The guys who rev or peel out at stop lights.

I agree with you dmclone. They're not doing it for any other reason than attention. I sincerely doubt they do similar things if they're the only one at the intersection.

I half-expect that they think women will be running down the street after them when they do such things. It's sooooooo cool.

 

[DaddyMac]

I have a million pet peeves when driving.
1. People who don't use turn signals.
2. People who believe right turn on red after stop = green right turn arrow.
3. People who turn right on red and swoop into the far lane because they are incapable of making a proper turn.
4. People who tailgate me when I am on my motorcycle.
5. People who get in the left turn only lane with their turn signal on. Then when they get the left turn arrow sit and have to think about it. What's to think about?
6. Same as number 5 but when they get the arrow decide they need to check something on the passenger/back seat.
7. People who honk at you because you don't take a right turn on red when there is a no turn on red sign posted.

8. People who make turns like they're at the wheel of a semi or bus. Where they have a chevette or yugo, but find it necessary to swerve way out wide to make the turn. Clue- if you're car is only 12' long, you don't have to veer 10 ft to the left to make a right hand turn.

 

[Statsman515]

:notworthy:

I dont know if I agree with the 25 age but I would be all for testing until you graduate high school (18ish) or something.

I have noticed that I have become much less aggressive driver after college.

It could be that I am required to take a defensive driving course because of my "frequent driver" status at work. The class is kinda lame but the principals are actually very applicable and almost no one follows them.

Its called the Smith System Smith System - The Global Leader in Driver Safety Training and I actually do use SOME of the things that I learned.

:yes::yes::yes: The Smith System - Five Keys to Safe Driving. Outstanding & simple guide that if used, would save many lives. Have used this system to train professional drivers of large trucks & busses. Check it out!:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:

 

[Bipolarcy]

Here in the town I live in, there is a road that has a turning lane (a fifth lane) for most of the length of the road. However, there is one stretch of the road at a T intersection where the turning lane becomes a turning lane only for cars going in one direction. So if you're going in the other direction and need to turn left, you can't pull in there and let the cars behind you get past you.

There are a lot of stupid motorists who don't know this, even though the turning lane is distinctly marked in that spot. So if you're the unlucky guy who has to turn there and are going in the wrong direction to use the turning lane, the people behind you are going to yell, honk and gesture at you like YOU'RE the moron. It has happened to me countless times. What do you do?

 

[Cyclonepride]

Holy crap, it is like you were reading my mind with those two.

My other big one is someone who passes you on the interstate and then two minutes later you are passing them, then they pass you again, and so on, and so on. It's called cruise control, try it.

I call it sheep syndrome.

My pet peeve today was following someone onto the interstate going about 40, getting progressively slower the closer they got, swerving all over as they looked back to see what's coming.......memo to these idiots: merging is a lot easier when you are going the speed of the rest of the traffic.

 

[VeloClone]

My main pet peeve: drivers turning corners from either direction who don't go directly to the nearest lane (as the Iowa DL manual describes) but ride the dashed line between lanes or swoop way over to the farthest lane.

This bugs me too. Unfortunately when I moved to Minnesota and had to take the drivers test up here to get a license I learned that the MN DL manual has a different take on that. It says to finish your turn in any lane available to you and has a diagram of a car finishing the turn in either of the lanes of traffic. So of course people take that as swooping across several lanes of traffic to get into the far lane even if that means cutting off cars that are in the second right turn or left turn lane.

 

[ricochet]

Are you talking about power windows? If so, I doubt you will see auto up on any power windows in cars manufactured for sale in the US. It is unsafe. A child can mess around, bump the switch and get caught in the closing window. You can say that people should be watching their kids all you want, but the manufacturers know that they will lose those lawsuits if the kid is killed or injured by the power window - and those judgements will be huge.

Our Lexus has them on all windows. They will detect resistance and reverse if something is blocking them though. I'm not sure if that is a requirement for sale in the US or not.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

This bugs me too. Unfortunately when I moved to Minnesota and had to take the drivers test up here to get a license I learned that the MN DL manual has a different take on that. It says to finish your turn in any lane available to you and has a diagram of a car finishing the turn in either of the lanes of traffic. So of course people take that as swooping across several lanes of traffic to get into the far lane even if that means cutting off cars that are in the second right turn or left turn lane.

That's just inviting crashes, but hey, I'm not a Minnesotan. I don't know what they were thinking.

 

[VeloClone]

Our Lexus has them on all windows. They will detect resistance and reverse if something is blocking them though. I'm not sure if that is a requirement for sale in the US or not.

Thanks, the safety device is the missing piece.

I've had quite a few let me know that I was wrong on this one.

 

[VeloClone]

That's just inviting crashes, but hey, I'm not a Minnesotan. I don't know what they were thinking.

It doesn't matter because up here it's all "no fault" - which means everyone is at fault!:mask:

 

[Bipolarcy]

And another one I just thought of. I can't stand people who think you can drive in turning lanes. They get in the turning lane way too soon, then drive to their turn, or they pull into the the turning lane from a side street and instead of waiting for oncoming traffic to clear, they keep pace with it and try to get ahead of it so they can get out of the turning lane ahead of them. The law says you are supposed to come to a dead stop in the turning lane if there is oncoming traffic coming up behind you, turn on your right turn signal and wait for the traffic to clear before proceeding into the traffic lane.

The improper turns also bug me. You're supposed to turn into the closest available lane, not swing way out into the far lane as you're turning. If you do that, you're supposed to signal that you're switching lanes.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

And another one I just thought of. I can't stand people who think you can drive in turning lanes. They get in the turning lane way too soon, then drive to their turn, or they pull into the the turning lane from a side street and instead of waiting for oncoming traffic to clear, they keep pace with it and try to get ahead of it so they can get out of the turning lane ahead of them. The law says you are supposed to come to a dead stop in the turning lane if there is oncoming traffic coming up behind you, turn on your right turn signal and wait for the traffic to clear before proceeding into the traffic lane.

The improper turns also bug me. You're supposed to turn into the closest available lane, not swing way out into the far lane as you're turning. If you do that, you're supposed to signal that you're switching lanes.

Have you ever driven on South Duff in Ames? People do that all the time. Plus try to turn left into Wal-Mart's lot even though it's marked no left turn there.

 

[bugs4cy]

I drive from northern Story County to Ankeny for work. That daily 60-mile round trip on the Interstate has made me into a wide-eyed, uber-defensive driver. I totally agree with the comments about camping in the left lane, lack of turn signals, tailgating, cell phone oblivion, book reading, etc.

This morning I was flipped off and screamed at because I finally passed someone on the right. Apparently they had deemed themselves King Of Interstate Speed Control and I apparently offended the highness by finally just going around them.

I also have a soft spot for 'stoppers' (those who stop at the end of an on-ramp instead of merging - I235 is bad for this) and people who not only camp in the left lane, but camp beside a vehicle in the right lane so traffic builds behind them.
:dull:
And finally, this will offend peole on here, but I have a list of three counties, where if I see a license plate from there, I just give them lots and lots of room... Cerro Gordo, Carroll and Boone. More often than not, these vehicles deserve some kind of Idiot Award. Pottawattamie sometimes makes the list too...

BTW, if you see any government car with a driver at the helm being an idiot, CALL THE PLATE IN TO CENTRAL DISPATCH. I am relentless on my staff about not being stupid.

 

[swammi]

If you're going to road rage, at least learn the rules of the road first. For instance, it is actually the law that you must yield to oncoming traffic when turning left, in case you didn't know.

And you probably should not flip people the bird and shout profanity out your window when you're driving a company vehicle with your phone number on it. That's just bad business.

My favorite is when I am the last car in a long string of vehicles. No car for more than a mile behind me. Then, here comes a car from behind. He speeds up and cuts in front of me - cutting me off, then takes the exit less than a quarter of a mile in front of us.

 

[AlleyAddict]

Minnesota drivers seem to suffer with this problem as well.

:notworthy:

 

[ruxCYtable]

I have noticed that I have become much less aggressive driver after college.

I became a less aggressive driver after college as well. Something about having a family, a mortgage and actual responsibilities will do that to a person.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

And finally, this will offend peole on here, but I have a list of three counties, where if I see a license plate from there, I just give them lots and lots of room... Cerro Gordo, Carroll and Boone. More often than not, these vehicles deserve some kind of Idiot Award. Pottawattamie sometimes makes the list too...

When we were younger, my brother and I used to joke about Polk County pull-outs. Now I realize it's not a joke. It's how they all think they're supposed to drive.