Driving rant: PLEASE stop this!!

Iowans, just keep your ass out of the passing lane unless you're actually passing

Don't camp out there or think diving slow in that lane is helping to enforce speed limits.

Get the holy **** over.

Square off turns in your Corolla all you want. It doesn't make sense but have at it. Just get the **** over.
 
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I honestly think that a large portion of the population simply does not have the mental acuity and reaction ability to navigate them. Similar to the inability to properly merge, so many people cannot assess the situation without stopping first.
The amount of education to the general public about how they work is the biggest issue. Back in the last century driver's education did not cover them. If they did it was 30 seconds and our instructor basically said, "We don't have these here so don't bother."

As they began to become more prevalent the DOT (US and/or State) should have been doing TV PSAs and handing out literature for the next 5 years to teach drivers how they work.

Spending money on so much (IMHO) completely stupid stuff and then not informing drivers how to negotiate something completely new (to US Drivers) in traffic flow shows complete lack of priorities, IMHO

By the way, I learned how to do them prior to trip to Aus/NZ in 1997 and those go counter clockwise. We have dozens of them near me in Florida since I've been there (2012) and 95 percent of the people have no problem It's not that they're complicated - just lack of knowledge.

(I knew one older lady who used to drive from CR to Clinton on 30. After they put in the traffic circle in Mt Vernon she drove 20 miles out of her way to avoid it. This was 12-15 years ago)
 
What's with everyone's hatred for roundabouts? They beat the hell out of having a stoplight at every intersection.
I love them.

My biggest gripe is when they get really busy and people fly around them and don't use their blinkers to let someone waiting know that they are going to have an opening. If an equal amount of people go straight and left, I've seen busy roundabouts be worse than lights.
 
The amount of education to the general public about how they work is the biggest issue. Back in the last century driver's education did not cover them. If they did it was 30 seconds and our instructor basically said, "We don't have these here so don't bother."
While I generally agree, it's very similar to merging, just on a small scale. Every driver knows what merging is and yet a large percentage of people cannot do it efficiently. Simply yielding to traffic from the left and going when it's open, is not a difficult concept, but I maintain that a scary number of people can't mentally handle it.
 
Had this happen on the drive home last night that reminded me of a pet peeve of mine. Guy camped out in the left lane of i235 driving 60 in a 60. While annoying, this wasn't even the most annoying thing this guy did. Eventually we got to a section where people could get over to pass him, then he sped up and was doing 70 in a 55 after the speed limit went down.

I'm sure there's an innocent explanation (on the phone, daydreaming, etc) but it drives me nuts when people speed up as you're trying to pass them. I don't care how fast you want to drive, just pick a speed.
 
While I generally agree, it's very similar to merging, just on a small scale. Every driver knows what merging is and yet a large percentage of people cannot do it efficiently. Simply yielding to traffic from the left and going when it's open, is not a difficult concept, but I maintain that a scary number of people can't mentally handle it.

I think a big component of the issue is many people are trying to merge at too slow of a speed. They're making it much harder on themselves
 
I agree

Iowa shortens the normal 8 year cycle to line up an expiration with your 80th birthday. At that point every 2 years.

Florida shortens it to 6 years instead of 8 beginning with age 80.

Both require in person eye testing for renewals.
I'm beginning to think those tests are a complete joke. My brother finally got around to getting glasses after we all gave him sh*t for a long enough time to force the issue. The eye Dr was like "You've been driving like this for HOW long?" He renewed his license sometime within the last few years and his distance eyesight was that bad before then.
 
In Dallas they have U turn lanes at most traffic lights. It can be kind of confusing as the far left lane is for U turns, and then the 2nd lane to the left is for turning left.
As someone who'd never been to Texas, this blew me away when we went down in '05 for the Houston Bowl. It made getting turned around and back on the freeway so easy when we made a wrong turn. Funny to look back at those times before we all had GPS on our phones.
 
My wife and I have been having this traffic debate for years. It's about the right-of-way protocol at a stop sign...

- Two cars are traveling in opposite directions, one north one south, approaching their respective stop signs at the intersection with a busier street.
- The car traveling south intends to continue heading south after passing through the intersection, the car traveling north intends to turn left at the intersection.
- The car traveling north, which intends to turn left, reaches its stop sign 5 seconds before the car traveling south reaches its stop sign.
- There's a steady flow of traffic on the busier east/west street, which does not have a stop sign at the intersection, prior to both of the north/south cars reaching their stop sign.
- The steady flow of traffic on the busier east/west street continues for 20 seconds after both of the north/south cars reach their stop signs.
- Traffic on the busier east/west street clears, and the north/south cars can now make their move.
- Again, the car traveling north that intends to turn left got to its stop sign first, before the car traveling south that intends to go straight, but they both sat there at the stop for 20 seconds.

Which car has the right of way?

One of us believes the car traveling north turning left at the intersection has the right of way, because it got to its stop sign first and has the right to make its left turn before the other car crosses.

One of us believes the car traveling south heading straight through the intersection has the right of way, because they both sat there for an extended period of time, making who got there first a moot point.

What say you?
Seems pretty clear that time of arrival doesn’t matter as it’s never mentioned.


IMG_2327.jpeg
 
They can be fine. There is a level of complexity to them that’s unnecessary.
Here in Arlington,Tx they added center curbs to divide most city roads a few years ago and got rid of a lot of center turn lanes. Too many people turning in front of oncoming traffic. Some serious accidents
 
Had this happen on the drive home last night that reminded me of a pet peeve of mine. Guy camped out in the left lane of i235 driving 60 in a 60. While annoying, this wasn't even the most annoying thing this guy did. Eventually we got to a section where people could get over to pass him, then he sped up and was doing 70 in a 55 after the speed limit went down.

I'm sure there's an innocent explanation (on the phone, daydreaming, etc) but it drives me nuts when people speed up as you're trying to pass them. I don't care how fast you want to drive, just pick a speed.
Not using speed control on the open interstate is mind boggling. I dont have enough fingers and toes to count how many times I've sped up to get away from someone who's fluctuating between 70 and 85 on 80, 35 or 29 in the middle of nowhere Iowa or Missouri. Just set it at 75 to 79 and you'll avoid a ticket and annoying people.
 
I absolutely detest driving in Dallas. I would rather have a porcupine shoved up my ass than drive down there.
It's the worst, when we go down to visit our youngest son, we have to go all the way downtown, and then loop back up by the fairgrounds. We try to get downtown and then get off the interstate, because its a zoo down there, the side streets are not to bad, but the interstates in that area of Dallas are hell.
 
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YES. That's what I've been trying to tell her for years. She still thinks whoever gets there first has the RoW. So I then ask her, "ok, so what if there's a line of 3 or 4 cars at each stop sign? Do the second cars go based on which one got in line first? The third cars? Are they all supposed to pay attention to who arrives at the stop sign first? If it applies to the first cars in line at the stop sign, it should apply to all the cars in line, shouldn't it?"

Yes, we've been married a long time, we're boring and these are the things we talk about.

But, based on your diagram and @AllInForISU 's post re: Iowa DOT, it looks like I've been proven right.
So what happens if another car also going straight pulls up behind that vehicle going straight etc. Do they all go first? The real rules only will matter in court. I would allow the car arriving first to go first, but in either case proceed cautiously and watch other driver. Nothing I hate more than two tentative drivers at an impasse.
 

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