You can not just stop 80,000 punds like a small car can stop at 2,000 pounds. Trucks are not the bad guys. :impatient :impatient :impatient

Missouri is famous for number 8....I have had cars almost at a complete stop in front of me on the interstate more often than not. Passive driver in the right lane and passive driver getting on the interstate. Then when you do the 5 second horn blast than I suddenly become the @$$hole.

I have also had people flip me off when I could not move into the middle lane to let them on or did not slow down for them to get on the interstate. Who has the yield? NOT THE INTERSTATE!!

 

These are some of my peeves as well, except I believe that people wouldn't weave if slower traffic kept right. I mean come on. You may be going the speed limit, but the flow of traffic is 10mph faster than you are and see people going by, don't you think you should move right? I am referring to highway driving.

People who try to merge into a lane or onto the highway at a fraction of the speed of the flow of traffic. And then they give you the finger when you hit your breaks (because if you didn't they would take out your front fender) and switch lanes so they can have your lane (because it was all about them). Amazing.

Sympathy breakers.. what the heck!

Ambulance watchers. Here in LA, both sides of the highway will be slow even though the accident is on the other side of the road. And it's separated by a cement divider. I work in healthcare, I don't need to see someone's injured or dead body. Lets be respectful of others all the way around.

pedestrians that walk across the cross walk (or not) and leisurely stroll to the other side. The light will turn red before a right turn can be accomplished. In the end, it's respect for others. We don't teach it to our kids, so it's no surprise that people are inconsiderate to others.

Lastly, and why in the world would we have driving exams in any other language than english? If you can read english and you are going to drive on the streets, how can you obey the laws if you can read the signs? We don't post our signs in 7 different languages.

off soapbox now.. where is my coffee...

 

Speaking of overly passive drivers, this happened to me just two weeks ago:

I'm on my afternoon commute, driving down a secondary road, Rt 26. I'm the fourth car in a long line of traffic. We're all doing about 60 mph (limit is 55 along this stretch). As we approach an intersection where we have the right-of-way, I see a pickup truck come out of the tertiary, intesecting road to turn into our traffic path to get onto Rt 26. He was quite content to sit in the merge lane (it's about 200 feet long) and wait for the traffic to go by before he pulls into the lane.

So what does the first car in this long line of traffic do ? But of course, he comes to a complete stop right in the middle of the road to let the truck pull in. He nearly caused a multi-car pileup as you could hear the squeal of tires and breaks locking up.

Wow.

 

Aha!! You reminded me of a big one for me. Drivers who are approaching a red light, then jockey to get into the one free lane (even if they're in 2nd place in the lane they started off in) and then sit there fidgetting long after the light turns green, then proceed to drive 10mph under the limit as their old lane whizzes past.

Extra idiot points if they cut you off while jockeying into the free lane that you were already in.

 

I just have a few to add ...

1. People who do not understand the rules for entering or leaving a car pool lane - they just cruise in and out (over the yellow) like it's just another lane.

2. Evaluating signs properly. There is is a difference between right lane merges and left lane merges, and some get really upset when you don't hold back for them, even though they are the ones who have to change lane.

3. Lane discipline. I learned to drive in the UK where it is illegal to pass on the 'slow' side. Makes much more sense. Too late for the USA though.

4. People who think motorcycles are not vehicles!. Even when stopped at a signal, there are some that will try and squeeze up next to a bike.

5. People who throw eggs! Yeah, I got one the other night. It fortunately landed on the A pillar and chipped the faux chrome cover. Took a while to get all the goo off and especially on the seals between the window and the door. I guess it could have been a lot worse.

6. People who do not understand 'Right lane exits' until it is too late, and still insist on squeezing into your lane.

Plus everyone else's !

Steve.

 

People who jump out in front of you from a side street and promptly slow you down. If you’re going to pull out in front of me, fine; so much as you don’t slow me down.

The person ahead of me who s-l-o-w-ly, indecisively pulls up to a green light and then decides to pull through on a yellow just as yellow turns to red (leaving me shouting out the sunroof).

People on cell phones who ignore the fact that they have the right of way (and hold up everyone else in the process). There ought to be an ordinance that if you’re chatting on a cell phone, you yield the right of way to everyone whose primary concern is driving.

People who insist that they have enough room to merge in front of me in tense bumper to bumper highway traffic, and proceed to do so. Just because I don’t want to tailgate does not give you permission to cut in line.

 

OK, rush hour traffic and you have to merge onto the freeway from the on ramp, instead of merging every other car the cars already on the freeway won't let you merge forceing you on the shoulder.....
Did I explain that correctly?!

 

1. Left lane hogs
2. Left lane hogs
3. Left lane hogs
4. Distracted drivers (cell phones, eating, etc.)

 

This summer on the news they interviewed a trucker who had 4 million accident free miles. His secret to success was he treated every car on the road as if there were a member of his family in the car.

I tried it, and after a few #$@%%* words, my wife asked me which member of the family was in THAT car.... my crazy brother!?!

One time at a light, an old fellow ahead of me was in the left turn lane, you know the kind activated by the vehicle's weight? Only he was about 2 carlengths back...

After waiting through a couple lights, I got out and lightly tapped on his window to tell him he needed to pull up... I was afraid a horn would scare him too much. I'm sure he wondered where I came from!

 

I think most all of the ones already posted I have as well. I have a few others....

-Vehicles carrying loads of debris (trees, rocks, junk) that dont have said debris secured, and end up dropping bits off as they drive.

-People that insist on passing, even though there is a line of cars miles long. They tend to ride the yellow lines putting their headlight straight into my sideview.

-Slow moving vehicles that are not intended for road use (tractors, motor graders etc) that insist on letting 20 cars pile up behind them instead of pulling off the road a bit for those behind to pass

-Bicycle riders that insist on riding 2-3 abreast essentially forcing anyone in a car to have to get almost completely in the oncoming lane to pass. Why these people do this is beyond me... if they are single file, and near the shoulder of the road, I will give plenty of room when I pass. If they are taking up most of the lane, I will take up the rest and pass as close as possible to these twits.

Although not a peeve, I have observed over the course of many years driving small cars and small pickups that people behind will automatically try to pass because subconciously they feel being behind such vehicles will make them slow. This happens even if I am driving 10-15 miles above the speed limit. I think its just part of the big car, big engine, American psyche... little car=slow car, little truck=slow truck. I am having fun putting that thought to rest for these people by showing them just what a mini can do.

 

Probably because the safest way to ride is to take the lane and force the vehicle to wait until it's safe to pass. Unlike you, many cars will cut it uncomfortably close when passing a single rider who is hugging the shoulder, and often force him off the road or into a ditch or storm drain. Forcing the vehicle to actually slow down and wait til it's safe to pass is the best way to remain alive. The 5-6 seconds you lost having to slow down are a lot less valuable than the person you run over.

 

I pulled up to the left turn light at my intersection recently and was the first person in line. The light refused to turn for me... I sat through three signals! I back up and tried to get the signal to change but it wouldn't work... it took another car behind me to get it to give the left turn signal. SO frustrating. I guess I was too short!

 

1. Cell phone and hand glued to side of head while driving.
2. Slow cars in the fast lane.
3. Big Rigs that decide to change lanes, regardless of the fact someone is there.
4. Bikes going almost twice the speed of the traffic flow, and cutting lanes.
5. People weaving in and out of rush hour traffic, and get all of three cars ahead.
6. Turn signals left on.
7. Someone who will crowd over to make a turn at the last minute, instead of just going around the block or through the intersection, make a u-turn and come back.

 

wow. another self help thread, i really need this one though.
1. in two lane traffic, when both people in front of you decide to go the same speed, which happens to be slower than the speed limit usually.
2. old drivers that cant see anymore, they need a re-evalution test around here. the casino brings them in from everywhere.
3. teenage girls, they have the worst case of tunnel vision i.ve ever seen, it wouldnt be bad if they focused on the road, but its usually on their phone. i was driving one night with this girl and a cat came out into the road, instead of slowing down or swerving, she slammed the brakes and put both hands up to her mouth to scream.
4. people that insist on pulling out in front of me even though i am the only car on the road. then go slow.
5. tailgaters
6. people whose cars dont come equipped with the turn signals
7. those super fast lane changers that have get their car almost sideways and then dart around.
8. lane changes that go on for a good mile.
9. lane changes that never happen. they get about half way then decide they want to go back to the other lane.
10. overly nice drivers, i dont have a problem waiting for my turn in line.
11. the red light riders who have to make a tire screeching left hand turn
12. M*******s. they come into CT and think they own the streets.
13. drivers who yeild inside the rotary, causing people behind them to jack brakes. not smart big foxwoods busses go through that and they dont stop on a dimb.
14. people picking and choosing the laws they will brake, i'll wear my seatbelt, but talk on the phone, i'll go 30 instead of 35 and then roll through this stop sign.
those are it for now but i'm sure i'll be back with more, instead of helping it made me angry.

p.s.
15. stupid deer that think they own the roads

 

Thank you I needed that laugh today, think I'll have to give that a try.

Around here I thought they did.

 

Where did this come from? There are more than 150K MINIs on the road. People are people regardless of what they drive. I've seen courteous people NOT driving MINIs and discourteous MINI drivers.

I believe this to be a misleading statement. However, pet peeves?

1. Drivers of "sporty" cars thinking they are race car driver wannabes on winding roads and endangering everyone around them because its "cool"
2. Drivers in the outside lane doing the speed limit waiting to take an exit a mile up the road
3. Drivers who take a turn and leave their turn signal on three miles after the turn
4. Drivers doing 3 mph in a traffic jam who would rather you hit them then let you in ahead of them:impatient
5. Anybody on a cell phone stuck in their ear
6. Anybody with those lame purple Xenon light wannabes that not only look way out of place but are misaligned in your face (and I mean PURPLE, not 4000K lights). I saw one today SO purple I thought the guy was probably blind from not being able to see anything in front of him because it had to be PURPLE
7. All the people in SUVs or pickups with their FOG lights on when there is NO FOG:impatient (You want to see better, get some driving lights)

 

I hate to say this but this comment has been discussed a thousand times and it all depends upon your state. In our state its perfectly legal to pass on the right and its perfectly fine for the driver to do the LEGAL limit in the left

Yes, there are laws about impeding the flow of traffic but driving the speed limit is NOT impeding the legal flow.

Sorry but if you don't like it, pass on the right if its legal in your state. If its not legal .... I guess your going to get heartburn

 

When a lane ends, you don't have to merge WITH the ending lane. It is perfectly exceptable, even preferable, to merge prior to the absolute last minute.

 

1. Driving WAY too slow then not stopping at stop signs. I guess they drive too slow to have to stop.

2. Inability to hold a steady speed. I get behind people who vary between 40 and 60 on a two lane road for no apparant reason.

3. Old pepole who think it's great fun to get up early and cruise up the road at 15-20 mph while everyone else is trying to go to work. Normally, I am a VERY courteous driver (probably would be labeled by some as overly passive), but this trick absolutely makes my blood boil.

Rawhyde

 

Oh nooo, don't tell them that, we'll all go blind!

 

.its funny cause its true. i think its because either they sit so close to the steering wheel they cant see the speedo, or if they tilt their head at all, albeit to look before merging or what ever, they will immediately fall asleep

 

I hate to sound sexist, but I'm going to anyway. Women shouldn't be behind the wheel until the age of 20.

Let the tomato tossing begin....

 

Tongue was planted firmly in cheek. I guess this emoticon should have been used since it comes closest:

MINI drivers are supposed to be kind and courteous according to MINI USA's website. At least that's what I read when I was perusing the site when going through the buying process.

Never mind. We're collectively as bad at driving as all those other idiots out there, I'm sure.

 

Consider it tossed.
Don't lump all females together. I have four females in the family, all accident and ticket free and VERY defensive drivers. They put most boys I know to shame.

 

Hmmmmm... funny how our actuary folks tell us underwriters all the time how young MALE drivers are much, much more likely to have an accident than a young female driver. Of course, you already know that because young men pay higher premiums than the young women. It's not without reason.