I've never really admitted this except to my husband but I have a growing anxiety around freeway driving. I don't like driving on freeways and I have tremendous anxiety everytime my H takes DD out and they have to take the freeway (I probably should see someone about this).
I am MUCH more anxious now that my daughter is driving. When she goes to visit her boyfriend, she has to drive on either I-75 or I-575 (metro-Atlanta). She is a good driver, but it is the other idiots out there that scare me.
Not going to lie, I am HORRIBLE about this. And the cops in our area have been cracking down on it because it has been an issue. It's a bad habit for sure.
If I ever turn up with a broken hand it will be from slapping cars as they do this and I'm in their blind spot as a pedestrian. I mean, I slap on average 20 cars a week.
We have a lot of turn-only-on-arrow intersections (both right and left) in downtown DC and it's a fucking free for all. Recently I watched a woman running of these red arrows while staring at her phone hit a guy who was waking across the street with a bikeshare bike. She didn't hit him hard and he a appeared to be ok. But she didn't even stop until I placed my body in front of her car as started screaming at her. And then she kind of just threw her hands up in the air shrugged and continued her turn past where I was standing. YOU JUST HIT A HUMAN BEING WITH YOUR CAR. Can you at least roll down the fucking window at apologize? I was so pissed at myself for not calling 911 and taking a photo of her sitting ther phone in hand running the light.
I once threw my cup of ice water (just the water, not the cup) at someone's car after he came speeding through when I was trying to cross the street.
Hmm. I've never heard of this reputation before and I've lived in various parts of PA since...1991? To the extent we have particularly bad drivers, I will blame construction rage. I defy anyone to drive anywhere in this state without encountering a portion of road under repair.
Maybe it's PA drivers who move to OH? They definitely have a bad rep there. (Though, OH drivers are their own kind of bad--they're too polite for their own good.) I just got back from a work trip to Pittsburgh with lawyers from up and down the West Coast (mostly CA). We were each frightened for our lives at one point or another thanks to PA cab and shuttle drivers.
I think part of the reason drivers seem so much worse now is cell phones. 9 times out of 10, if someone is driving erratically, repeating weaving in and out of lanes, or the like, I will pass them and see them jabbering away on their cell phones. (And yes, Maryland has a hands free law, but people dont care about that.) Even with bluetooth it can be pretty bad.
One time H passed someone driving, on the baltimore beltway at rush hour, with his ipad on the steering wheel because he was FACE TIMING. like, WHAT THE HELL people. this is not safe.
When my husband was at work the other day and on his lunch break, ESPN was on and he saw someone interviewing a football player by Skype. While he was driving on the fucking freeway. Staring at his phone screen. I had to reread his text a couple of times to make sure I was understanding correctly.
I cannot handle the phone situation right now. I am so fucking sick of people and their phones. Almost every single time I've almost been hit by a car it is because some asshole was on their phone.
Hmm. I've never heard of this reputation before and I've lived in various parts of PA since...1991? To the extent we have particularly bad drivers, I will blame construction rage. I defy anyone to drive anywhere in this state without encountering a portion of road under repair.
Maybe it's PA drivers who move to OH? They definitely have a bad rep there. (Though, OH drivers are their own kind of bad--they're too polite for their own good.) I just got back from a work trip to Pittsburgh with lawyers from up and down the West Coast (mostly CA). We were each frightened for our lives at one point or another thanks to PA cab and shuttle drivers.
I still blame PennDOT. There are a number of heavily traveled roadways in Pittsburgh that basically require completely insane driving. The fort pitt bridge weave for example. It's got it's own meme.
Also there's the Pittsburgh Left. (aka. where you don't have a left turn arrow, and just dart through the intersection the second you get a green, often just inches ahead of the bumper of the oncoming opposing traffic if that person isn't from Pittsburgh and doesn't know to yield to you.) That one I can't pin on PennDOT.
I think part of the reason drivers seem so much worse now is cell phones. 9 times out of 10, if someone is driving erratically, repeating weaving in and out of lanes, or the like, I will pass them and see them jabbering away on their cell phones. (And yes, Maryland has a hands free law, but people dont care about that.) Even with bluetooth it can be pretty bad.
One time H passed someone driving, on the baltimore beltway at rush hour, with his ipad on the steering wheel because he was FACE TIMING. like, WHAT THE HELL people. this is not safe.
When my husband was at work the other day and on his lunch break, ESPN was on and he saw someone interviewing a football player by Skype. While he was driving on the fucking freeway. Staring at his phone screen. I had to reread his text a couple of times to make sure I was understanding correctly.
I cannot handle the phone situation right now. I am so fucking sick of people and their phones. Almost every single time I've almost been hit by a car it is because some asshole was on their phone.
Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?! I need to go find this and fire off a nasty email to espn and the reporter.
The Camaro is definitely the #1 jackass in this video...but it sure as shit looks like the pickup is pissed off about being nearly cut-off and then tailgated and proceeds to slow down to drive next to the big rig on purpose so as to get him back. I'd love to be able to see the speedo of the recording driver to confirm that.
Which...makes him also a giant jackass because no. Fuck you. I don't care that the Camaro is clearly being driven by somebody with a raging case of the assholes, you don't get to create a new hazard to "teach him a lesson."
Complete your passing maneuver and get the fuck out of the way. Driving next to a truck like that on purpose is stupid regardless of how much more of an idiot the guy behind you might be.
But lord...that Camaro is EXCEPTIONALLY assholism
Hanging out in the left lane is my NO.1 pet peeve. Someone sitting next to a truck in the left lane is so completely dangerous and backs up traffic for miles and miles. Left lane is for passing. Pass the car/truck and move over. PA is notorious for left lane assholes.
When my husband was at work the other day and on his lunch break, ESPN was on and he saw someone interviewing a football player by Skype. While he was driving on the fucking freeway. Staring at his phone screen. I had to reread his text a couple of times to make sure I was understanding correctly.
I cannot handle the phone situation right now. I am so fucking sick of people and their phones. Almost every single time I've almost been hit by a car it is because some asshole was on their phone.
Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?! I need to go find this and fire off a nasty email to espn and the reporter.
IKR? I texted my H to see if he remembers the player's name.
Hmm. I've never heard of this reputation before and I've lived in various parts of PA since...1991? To the extent we have particularly bad drivers, I will blame construction rage. I defy anyone to drive anywhere in this state without encountering a portion of road under repair.
ha! My mom and I were just talking about this on our way down the shore. Every fucking road is ALWAYS under construction and the road is still shit. We then travel through Jersey and there is almost no construction and whatever construction started actually gets finished, correctly.
Speaking of, they expanded the garden state parkway around the Avalon- Wildwood exits last year. I was shocked how much of it was done this year; actually, most of it is completed. I have no idea what the fuck is wrong with PA.
Driving the speed limit on I95 is not an option. Sweet mother of pearl!
I agree. wawa, can you explain to me why different states than have draconian rules about maximum speed?
Because the highway (the aforementioned i95) has a freaking speed limit of 45 mother effing miles per hour near my house. You will get killed if you go that slowly on it.
Farther south it definitely goes back up to 55 but I am not sure that there are very many 65 mph sections. I also remember when they changed the speed limit on secionts of the NJT from 55 to 65. So why was it 55 for so long if it could magically be 65 later?
Will this book prove to my H that zipper merging is a thing and I'm right to do it, and he's wrong to think I'm an asshole? lol
*-) what does your H think you should be doing??
Honestly, the environment in PA regarding the zipper merge is non-existent and almost ingrained that when, lets say right lane, is closing ahead you immediately get over to the left lane. So the left lane is just a line of traffic, I mean everyone immediately gets over, so undoubtedly someone will go all the way up to the right until it ends and people are PISSED because the waited in line and this asshole is cheating and not waiting their turn. They will not let that car in at all then they start playing chicken.
Honestly, I only heard of the zipper merge a couple of years ago :?. I think I need to read that traffic book, lol. It is quite embarrassing that I never knew, I blame my parents and fucking PennDot.
Driving in between two lanes is totes kosher. Why the hate?
You know this is a thing they're trying to get approved in assorted states, right? Legalized lane splitting? It's actually legal in CA. (defacto legal is my understanding. There's no law that says they can, but there's also no law that says they can't and the interpretation has been that it's allowed)
I can never decide how I feel about it. I know I hate it when people do it at speed and don't see how its even kinda reasonable. I don't think I have a problem with it in a jam if the bike is just rolling up between the lanes at like, 20 mph. I know that if MH tried to do it with me on the back of our motorcycle (which we don't actually own anymore...) I'd shit my pants and never fucking forgive him.
I've asked my brother about this. He's a daily motorcycle commuter. What he's learned is that lane-splitting is safer than driving behind a vehicle that can hit the breaks at any moment. His reasoning made sense to me when he tried to explain it, and I HATE motorcycles and HATE that he rides one. I guess it's easier for the bike to have the option to split the lane than to have to try to stop as quickly as the car in front of them.
Ha. He thinks you should get over as soon as you safely can into the lane that goes through.
To be fair....we live in Texas where most people think it is a personal affront when you try to zipper merge. So his way probably IS safer....
Texas is also the land of homemade freeway exits.
Meaning y'all seem to think you can just get off the freeway onto the frontage road wherever the hell you feel like it. It's possibly the most batshit crazy thing I've seen.
Since we seem to be sharing bad driving stories I have one from just yesterday. I was on the interstate behind a truck with a semi to our right (I was just behind the cab). I don't know how many cars were in the line in front of me but the traffic started to slow down in my lane and the semi starts to speed up. I glance over and see the lights blinking on the side of the semi as he encroaches in my lane. I slam on my brakes because, the truck in front of me can't go any faster because the traffic in front of him isn't going faster and I really don't want to get crushed by the semi. I hate semi drivers.
I think culture and enforcement are huge. I once got passed on the right - and glared at! - for "only" going 75 in a 55 in a middle lane on I-294 outside of Chicago. 75 in a 55 in Milwaukee? Prepare to be the fastest one on the road and the one getting the ticket.
I also have never seen someone get ticketed in Kentucky, but 100 yards into Tennessee, I'd see people pulled over. Incidentally, Tennessee has some of the smoothest highways I've ever used.
I have a couple Kentucky tickets, but many Kentuckians will swear that highway patrols in TN and IN are THE worst. The last time I got a ticket in Kentucky, I was doing 79 in a 70. The officer apologized so profusely. He said he hated to give me the ticket when I wasn't even 10 miles over but they'd set up roadblocks so he had no choice but to issue them for anything over 5 mph.
Oh, and I don't have an issue with tickets based on income, but just like I think there should be a minimum cap, I think there should be a maximum cap, and this seems excessive, even as a max.
Live in KY, and I've always heard TN is the worst, followed closely by IN and OH. It seems like there's a Trooper every 5 miles when we take 1-75 though OH to Detroit.
You know this is a thing they're trying to get approved in assorted states, right? Legalized lane splitting? It's actually legal in CA. (defacto legal is my understanding. There's no law that says they can, but there's also no law that says they can't and the interpretation has been that it's allowed)
I can never decide how I feel about it. I know I hate it when people do it at speed and don't see how its even kinda reasonable. I don't think I have a problem with it in a jam if the bike is just rolling up between the lanes at like, 20 mph. I know that if MH tried to do it with me on the back of our motorcycle (which we don't actually own anymore...) I'd shit my pants and never fucking forgive him.
I've asked my brother about this. He's a daily motorcycle commuter. What he's learned is that lane-splitting is safer than driving behind a vehicle that can hit the breaks at any moment. His reasoning made sense to me when he tried to explain it, and I HATE motorcycles and HATE that he rides one. I guess it's easier for the bike to have the option to split the lane than to have to try to stop as quickly as the car in front of them.
I forgot to add - he lives in CA.
The California rule is that motorcyclists can only split lanes as long as they don’t exceed ten miles per hour faster than the cars they are driving between, and said cars must be going less than 30 miles per hour.
I've seen a few accidents involving motorcyclists and 9 times out 10 the officer places 100% liability on the bike rider.
Side note: I am strongly considering getting a gopro or some other camera because of all the red light runners we have here in Phoenix.
I really only thought the non-zipper merge was in the Philly/Jersey/Delaware area. I am surprised to hear it occurs in Texas too.
Oh up here its all non-zipper. If you zipper merge no one will let you in and people will honk at you for "cutting the line."
It is also hilarious to watch. The merger attempts to get over; the other car then jumps up closer to the car in front blocking the merge. There is then yelling, cursing and middle fingers flying around like a plane. Rinse and repeat.
God, I love Philly. There is always entertainment, lol.
Driving the speed limit on I95 is not an option. Sweet mother of pearl!
agreed, but it a totally different context. If you really went the [old] speed limit on 95 up here, you'd die of boredom long before dying of not going with the flow.
that said, things are better. They did a study and concluded what wawa said
the fact that generally, if the road is designed for a higher speed - people will drive that speed. Very very few drivers actually watch speed limits that closely - they drive what feels right, and 9 times out of 10 on a highway, that aligns with the speed limit. But where it doesn't, most people will chronically speed and some people won't - which increases the speed differential and actually causes more safety problems.
so they RAISED the limit on most of 95 through ME to what most people were driving anyway. Nothing really changed, it's just legal now to drive at a comfortable speed.
All of you who are afraid of Houston need to stay far from Dallas. Houston drivers may be dumb as a box of hair and act like Honda sized junebugs on the road but Dallas drivers are just plain mean. Changing lanes is taken as a personal insult and if you have the audacity to use your turn signal then the drivers behind you take that as a clear sign that they need to speed up out of fear that someone might get ahead of you. The highways put here are treated like an amateur NASCAR track and driving less than 10 over is flat out dangerous.
I did notice this year when I moved DS to a preschool on the other side of the highway to the poorer (ahem, browner and less English speaking) side of town that the speed limits are at least 5 mph lower than comparable roads on the wealthier side of town and those cops do not fuck around. I got pulled over doing 47 in a 35 because I just assumed that it had the same speed limit as the other massive six lane thoroughfares on my side of town and actually got a ticket which shocked everyone I know because cops only issue warnings west of that highway. The road I take to DS's school has a few bends in it and there is almost always a cop hidden in every driveway with people pulled over all along the road while on the rich folks side you can do damn near anything you want as long as you're not driving a beater.
I've seen a few accidents involving motorcyclists and 9 times out 10 the officer places 100% liability on the bike rider
.
I'm not going to argue that motorcycle drivers aren't reckless assholes oftentimes. But this 9/10 thing is true for accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists as well. The problem is if you get hit by a car and aren't in one yourself you are very likely to sustain injuries that will prevent you from making an immediate statement to the police. So the driver's story is the only one on record.
I've had two friends--one a pedestrian and one a cyclist wake up to a traffic ticket in the hospital. And eventually--,any expensive lawyer hours later those tickets were canceled because the pedestrian was in a crosswalk and thrown from it by the force of being hit by a bus--so she landed like a jaywalked. Fortunately a witness came forward.
The cyclist was hit by a car running a red light--the driver claimed that the light had changed and the cyclist had a red. Fortunately his friends managed to get the security tapes from a nearby business that captured the incident.
But it both were given 100% liability until 16-25 months after the accident.
My husband's bike was run over by some asshole who turned into the bike lane instead of the actual car lane a few years ago. The cop arrived and told him that if he didn't back off, he was getting ticketed. My husband was like, "WTF, I didn't do anything wrong, this guy turned into THE BIKE LANE with a car and ran my bike over." The cop told him he didn't believe him, it was his fault, and the motorist didn't have to pay for anything. My husband tried to get security tapes, but the business it happened in front of didn't have any.
It was a revelation a couple of weeks ago when the cops actually believed my husband when he called to report a man trying to run him over with his SUV and then followed him into a gas station to scream at him and threaten him. They actually went to the man's house and issued him a warning. Not our general experience as cyclists and pedestrians with the police. Every other experience has been 100% of blame being put on us, and without the money for expensive lawyers, we get no recourse. Like the bitch who sideswiped me in front of a Catholic school - no one would tell me who she was even though a crowd of parents witnessed what happened, and the police told me that I had no case with no witnesses. I still have issues with my knee today and kick myself for not pursuing it. It makes me rage.