Common Courtesy/Rules of the Road

[stdntDrvr]

my wife and i just moved to AL (we both work in GA)...i have to commute about an hour...and the first 20 minutes of my drive to work and the last 20 minutes of my drive home are the most stressful. there is a 4-lane out of AL into GA...from the time it starts until you're 5 miles in GA, people don't understand how to get over. they'll be the ONLY car on the road riding in the left lane...i'll go to pass them in the right lane and they'll pull over in front of me...cool, that's where you should be in the first place...but don't wait until the last damn minute. the speed limit on the 4-lane is 65. i was stuck doing 55-60 because 2 ******* cars were riding side-by-side pacing each other. wtf? i am an aggressive driver. i'm not going do deny that. my wife gets pissed because when there's someone in the left lane going the same speed as the traffic in the right lane, the bumper of my car is on their ass...it does help "push" people out of the way sometimes...or i'll wiggle the front end back and forth (VERY easy to do with the 3-pt strut bar)...it USUALLY works...but there are those that just refuse to get over. i think people in AL in general do not know 1. how to drive and 2. their traffic laws. i'm sure i piss a lot of people off, but if they would learn that they are NOT the only car on the road, we wouldn't have a problem.

 

[Bakrauf]

Welcome to NoVA! *^_^*

Yet some people seem to think that the lane that has to merge have to yield and that the ones staying on the road have the right of way. I was driving my government vehicle back home last night, and this jackass driving a truck almost ran me off the road because he didn't feel like giving me any space even though I already let the guy in front of him go before me. I was so pissed off, and I had to be thankful that I didn't have a gun in the car.

--> this from the DMV manual:
Lane Reduction
The right lane ends soon. Drivers in the right lane must merge left when space opens up. Drivers in the left lane should allow other vehicles to merge smoothly.

Dirvers "should" (common courtesy) and must are actually two different terms. Anytime you change lanes or a lane is ending its the driver in the lane thats ending responsabilty to make sure its safe to merge and thats Virgina State code. If you change lanes and hit someone because you think they should let you in then its 100% your fault. I dont let anyone in becuae 99% of the time everyone has a 2-3 mile warning before you have to get over and merge. Yet everyone waits to the last minute to merge because they think they will beat 10 other cars in the NON merge lane. I let them sit. Merge when it tells you too not the last 10 feet.

 

[BKK Jack]

As far as the left lane, I know it's against the law and etiquette to drive there, but it's usually a lot smoother than the other lanes, easier on the suspension, quieter, etc., especially when you're on a long trip. So, if you want me out of the way, you will have to flash me to let me know you mean business. I'm not about to get over and potentially get stuck in slower traffic for awhile just b/c your cruise is set to 12 mph over and and mine is set to 10. Flame me for that if you want.

Why would I flame you. You said you would be willing to move over, and I can understand your position on road maintenance/comfort/wear and tear.

LINK: http://www.driverightpassleft.com/

Thank you. I already fired-off an email to the VA DOT on this. I wish I would have had this info when I typed that message. I could have quoted the sections the left-lane hogs were violating.

I remember Texas as being very "friendly." I remember once driving at very high speeds on two lane Texas roads in a Mustang 5.0. Whenever I came upon a slower car, they would pull to the shoulder to let me by.

I see I hit a nerve. We need the TGHIR PEEK CIFFART REWOLS (read right to left as though in a mirror, sort of) sunshields (or whatever the hell those things are called). Beyond a grass roots revolution, and some sort of interest by the government in an easy way to make travel on our overtaxed roads less aggravating, I will have to resort to my personal favorite dirty little trick: After finding my way around the offending party, I hit the ol' windshield washers for a good long squirt.

 

[Az Mazda Driver]

haha u guys shuld all come to scottsdale we re like in the top 5 for everything that has to do with cars and speeding lol. u will almost never see someone going under the speedlimit unless their are cops near by. everyone down here speeds soo much that cops wont pull u over unless ur going like 10+ over. haha

 

[Hikaru9]

Welcome to NoVA! *^_^*

Yet some people seem to think that the lane that has to merge have to yield and that the ones staying on the road have the right of way. I was driving my government vehicle back home last night, and this jackass driving a truck almost ran me off the road because he didn't feel like giving me any space even though I already let the guy in front of him go before me. I was so pissed off, and I had to be thankful that I didn't have a gun in the car.

--> this from the DMV manual:
Lane Reduction
The right lane ends soon. Drivers in the right lane must merge left when space opens up. Drivers in the left lane should allow other vehicles to merge smoothly.
QUOTE]


Dirvers "should" (common courtesy) and must are actually two different terms. Anytime you change lanes or a lane is ending its the driver in the lane thats ending responsabilty to make sure its safe to merge and thats Virgina State code. If you change lanes and hit someone because you think they should let you in then its 100% your fault. I dont let anyone in becuae 99% of the time everyone has a 2-3 mile warning before you have to get over and merge. Yet everyone waits to the last minute to merge because they think they will beat 10 other cars in the NON merge lane. I let them sit. Merge when it tells you too not the last 10 feet.

I agree. You should merge as early as you can, and I also agree with what you said about the responsibility falling on the person who's changing lanes.
However, I was talking about rush hour traffic where cars are crawling at 3 mph all the way to the last point you can merge. People normally take turns like I mentioned earlier (like left, right, left, right); nevertheless, someone neglected that simple courtesy and almost rammed my car just so that he could save 0.1 second of his commute. Now... if that doesn't make you upset, I think you deserve to be called a saint. *^_^*

 

[Evo Scooter]

All of this is OH so familiar. Today I picked up the wife from her job and we began our 17 mile "Rush hour" trek home. As I was getting past a merge where this trip starts a Lexus MEGA-SUV got right behind me. I was in the middle lane of three and moving with traffic.

This guy must have changed lanes over 50 times in the first three or four miles of 5-10 MPH traffic. And his driving was so erratic that his SUV looked like a drunk camel lurching it's way through a sandstorm. By the time we got to the end of our travel on US1 (Or Useless one as I like to call it) he had only managed to get ahead of us by 1 car. I would not be surprised at all if he had actually changed lanes over 100 times. I changed lanes once. So where did all that get him?

 

[Hikaru9]

haha u guys shuld all come to scottsdale we re like in the top 5 for everything that has to do with cars and speeding lol. u will almost never see someone going under the speedlimit unless their are cops near by. everyone down here speeds soo much that cops wont pull u over unless ur going like 10+ over. haha

Do you mean 100+ over maybe? 'cause 10+ is nothing.
Cops here don't bother with 10+. -_-a
I think others in this area can attest to that.

BTW, I'm definitely loving the stealthy look of this car, especially in the dark. *^_^*

 

[Evo Scooter]

...my wife gets pissed because when there's someone in the left lane going the same speed as the traffic in the right lane, the bumper of my car is on their ass...it does help "push" people out of the way sometimes...

That's not very safe... I can understand your frustration but you may end up killing your wife (I don't really care what happens to you). I lost my left leg because I got crushed between two cars... One that ran a red light and one that was tailgating me and could not stop in time. Crush zones, airbags, passenger cages all mean jack when you are either hit hard enough or have an accident at a high enough speed.

Now I do drive fast, when conditions allow it. But I always cool it when I am in traffic. I am very confident in MY abilities but I cannot guarantee what the other idiots on the road will do, so in traffic, I chill.

BTW if you are ever in the southeast and see a Silver Evo or a Cosmic Blue Mazdaspeed3, keep your disatnce. Tailgate me and I will brake check you HARD.

 

[Hikaru9]

All of this is OH so familiar. Today I picked up the wife from her job and we began our 17 mile "Rush hour" trek home. As I was getting past a merge where this trip starts a Lexus MEGA-SUV got right behind me. I was in the middle lane of three and moving with traffic.

This guy must have changed lanes over 50 times in the first three or four miles of 5-10 MPH traffic. And his driving was so erratic that his SUV looked like a drunk camel lurching it's way through a sandstorm. By the time we got to the end of our travel on US1 (Or Useless one as I like to call it) he had only managed to get ahead of us by 1 car. I would not be surprised at all if he had actually changed lanes over 100 times. I changed lanes once. So where did all that get him?

Hey, he saved 0.2 second of his commute! w00t! (probably burned way more gas though. lol~ )

 

[Evo Scooter]

BTW, I'm definitely loving the stealthy look of this car, especially in the dark. *^_^*

Amen to that!!!!!

 

[Evo Scooter]

Hey, he saved 0.2 second of his commute! w00t! (probably burned way more gas though. lol~ )

As he was getting on another on ramp I passed him, pointed at him and laughed. I didn't get to see his reacction as I was going the other way but I'll bet he was not happy.

 

[Hikaru9]

As he was getting on another on ramp I passed him, pointed at him and laughed. I didn't get to see his reacction as I was going the other way but I'll bet he was not happy.

Umm... just kidding. He didn't save 0.2 seconds after all. >_<

I hear you though. Just what the heck are these people thinking? Not to bash on SUV drivers (though I personally hate SUVs), but the thought of those maniacs behind the wheels of SUVs weighing 2~3 tons isn't too comforting, either.

 

[meha11]

someone correct me if i'm wrong but this is my understanding.

i moved here from the UK 6 years ago and was stunned to find out that my wifes younger brother had taken extra theoretical classes at school (Texas)and was given his license with out having ever driven a car.

i was told i had to get a US license so went to the DMV. there i answered most of written test incorrectly as i had no idea what the penalties for minors caught drunk while driving etc or even local speed limits.
we then drove round the block (4 right turns) and the lady said "oh you can drive then" and that was that.

they may as well sell them at wal mart or disney world.

driving is a privilege not a right, privileges can be and should be taken away when abused.

my 2 cents.

 

[wishingfora ms3]

this is completely true. my cousin who is 22 now but is slightly mentally impaired needs to get to work. he thinks right and all but he is a little slow with the developemental skills. the school gave him a dmv booklet and scheduled him to take his written test where after, if he passed of course, he would recieve his licence.
now i love my cousin, hes my family, but there are some people out there that really should not be on the road.

 

[Evo Scooter]

...they may as well sell them at wal mart or disney world.

driving is a privilege not a right, privileges can be and should be taken away when abused.

my 2 cents.

Correct! I met my wife in Columbia and when she got here she took the driving test. She circled the parking lot and that convinced the examiner she had the skills to drive a car at 65 mph on the freeway... Even my wife was amazed.

She said: "that's it?"
The instrutor said: "Yes."
My wife said: "You're kidding..."
Instructor: "No."
Wife: "God help us all!"

 

[SeminoleMan]

Virginia has some of the worst drivers in the country in my opinion. Left-lane hogs, people who merge at the last damn minute, and people who speed up and block your lane change progress when you use your turn signal are among my most common gripes. I really appreciated the courtesy and awareness drivers in Germany displayed when I drove the autobahn a couple years ago - night and day from here. We simply need to make it more difficult for people to get a license.

I tend to be a courteous driver, but there are times when I have to turn on "asshole" mode to get anywhere.

 

[jeg0024]

Down here in FL its against the law to make someone pass you on the right, wether they are speeding or not. If a cop comes up on you fast and you dont get over you can get a ticket for it. But it also works both ways, if the person who passed you on the right was speeding you both may get a ticket. If the person who passed you on the right was going the legal limit then you will be given the ticket. Its nice that they have this law, now they just need to enforce it. Ive never heard of anyone getting a ticket as a result of this new law. They also started something where if a trooper has someone pulled over you must get atleast a lane over from the side of the road when driving by, if you cant get over you have to go 1/2 the limit. I have seen cops chase down people who dont slow down when driving by a cop with someone pulled over. People down here just suck though, I swear I pass 95% of the time in the right lane, people need to learn that the left is for passing, if your not passing then get the **** back in the right lane!

 

[javanc]

Come to the good ol Bay Area of California, you have to turn on asshole mode everytime you get on the road, j/k. I hate other drivers and in all honestly think they should ride their bikes or take the bus if they want to space out, drive slow everywhere. or otherwise congest our motoring pavement.

 

[Mocoso]

You are leaving out the jerk who floors it as soon as you start passing him on the right after he refuses to move... nothing 400 HP wont cure (ok 270 in the case of the MS3) but annoying nevertheless...

 

[jeg0024]

I like it when you try to pass someone in a chevy truck and they floor it, but only to hit their governer at 97mph lol