Topic: I have a new #1 Driving Pet Peeve

[CatsEye68]

So it was only people in foreign cars line jumping?  Interesting....

Yep. Back then it was usually either ricer kids in their Hondas or Hyundais (Hondais? Hyundas?) or junior executive types in their Acuras, BMWs or Toyotas.

[aaronk]

I agree with you, especially when they fail to signal that they are changing lanes and everyone has to brake because of them.

Playing devil's advocate, I find if I'm actually courteous and signal nowdays (even when merging onto a busy road or in a closing lane) the people in the lane I want to occupy close the gap and speed up to cut me off. People are not signalling so they can actually get into a lane - the ones to blame are those who speed up to block a lane thus creating this trend.

As the driver in a closing lane, I can either jump into a gap without signalling or signal, wait until 5 cars pass (almost coming to a stop at the end of the lane) and hope for someone with a conscience to come along, then merge behind everyone else.

Typically I choose to signal and take my chances, but the gap-closers who feel that they own that lane are the real offenders because they create deviant behaviour in other drivers. If we all travelled with enough room for a car to fit in front of us when we saw a lane closing sign, traffic would fit together like a zipper - nobody jumping ahead on the right, nobody closing gaps to cut people off - common sense works!

[link2009]

I find it horrible that most people actually try to do this and 'gain' and advantage in traffic. They are merely saving seconds. I usually refuse to allow them back in the line if they try to pull that. Simply tail-gate the person in front of you, I've had it.

[mudgts]

Install an air-horn... preferably the Train style - I can't post links yet but youtube 'scare people with my airhorn'  - that ought to make them swerve just enough to take the side of their car off on the guardrail.

[duck]

Traffic laws are too soft. 

[whaddaiknow]

I find it horrible that most people actually try to do this and 'gain' and advantage in traffic. They are merely saving seconds. I usually refuse to allow them back in the line if they try to pull that. Simply tail-gate the person in front of you, I've had it.

Totally being a devil's advocate here, but here goes.

How do you know if they are "back in the line" or actually merging? Especially if the merge lane is 1km long or more and it happens at the end? There is no way you can tell and by tail-gating you are 1) violating road rules 2) just being a d1ck if the car is actually trying to merge

What do you do if the person in front of you, in the right lane, is yapping on the phone or fixing her (or his) makeup or fiddling with their papers in the passenger seat leaving a 5-car length gap in front? You are crawling behind watching as one, two, three, four or more cars are merging in front of this d1ckhead. Sooner or later you will either honk (usually no effect) or simply "jump" in the merge lane to overtake this slowmo on the right. Not quite legal but the "legal" option will drive you nuts.

Having said that, these jumpers drive me crazy too. Bayshore to Woodroffe is the worst and I seriously wish there were OPP there at all times - they are an effective deterrent.

[nifty6]

Mike do I ever agree with you. Know how I deal with them when they try to pull that with me? I NEVER LET THEM IN and let them get stuck.

As for your other rant "My next rant......people who do not accelerate up to the speed lmit before merging onto the highway!" - That's been a major peeve of mine for years. If you can't/too scared to merge at highway speeds, TAKE THE LOCAL ROADS THEN.

Some cars don't have the power to merge into traffic speed if the traffic is moving at +120KPH. Some cars take a long time to get up to speed especially if the on ramp and lanes are up hill like merging from HWY9 to the south bound 400. 

[5 Wheel Drive]

I have a new driving pet peeve.  People who jump the green light so they don't have to wait to make a left.

This morning I was first in line at a light.  The light turns green and I start to go.  I was on the bike, so it accelerates pretty quick.  As I'm starting to go this moron in a silver Vue across from me guns it and makes a left in front of me.  So I drop the throttle and have to get on the brakes.  I leaned on the horn, the moron had the nerve to give me the finger and start yelling at me!  Whatever...have a nice day a$$hole!!!

I'm starting to see this happen more and more lately.  Is it just me?  Do people really think they're time is so valuable that they can't wait for a few cars to go by before they make their left turn???  (I know...dumb question!)

[Angry Chicken]

I have a new driving pet peeve.  People who jump the green light so they don't have to wait to make a left.

This morning I was first in line at a light.  The light turns green and I start to go.  I was on the bike, so it accelerates pretty quick.  As I'm starting to go this moron in a silver Vue across from me guns it and makes a left in front of me.  So I drop the throttle and have to get on the brakes.  I leaned on the horn, the moron had the nerve to give me the finger and start yelling at me!  Whatever...have a nice day a$$hole!!!

I'm starting to see this happen more and more lately.  Is it just me?  Do people really think they're time is so valuable that they can't wait for a few cars to go by before they make their left turn???  (I know...dumb question!)

Grrrrrrr!   

[Juke1]

I hate and used to rant all the time about people doing 100KM/H in the left lane and won't move over when driving on the highway.

That however has been replaced.  I travel a lot for work and have been on highways in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Montreal during rush hour. 

I have noticed in the GTA (and Montreal to a lesser degree) we have a special kind of driver.  The 'Merge Lane Jumper' as I call them.  You know the type, while 100's of cars are crawling along one of the 400 series highways doing 10KM/H they lurk in the right hand lane.  Every time they come up to a merging lane they turn into it, hammer the gas and gain a whole 10 places in line before dive bombing back into line at the end of the merge.  Next merge lane, they repeat this. Everyone behind these drivers end up having to slam their brakes as they cut off a car at then end of the merge lane.  This in turns slows down rush hour even more.

Every year I notice more and more people doing this to the point where it is almost common practice now.  And if you happen to not let one of these drivers back into the lane they just left 20 seconds ago, expect some horns and fingers directed your way.

I have noticed the police cracking down on these drivers a few times, but not very often.  Not only is it an inconvience for the drivers around them, but it is dangerous for vehicles merging onto the highway as I have witnessed many cars having to slam on the brakes after a car dives into the merge lane in front of them.



Thoughts?




My next rant......people who do not accelerate up to the speed lmit before merging onto the highway!

 

With all the construction last year on the 417 this was a daily occurrence, it's as if the minute they would see the blinking solar powered sign "merge ahead" everyone starts speeding up, then we all clog up and we all move 20kmh if lucky.  This society of ours is getting sicker by the minute, what has caused this? what an unhealthy lifestyle.

[Juke1]

I have a new driving pet peeve.  People who jump the green light so they don't have to wait to make a left.

This morning I was first in line at a light.  The light turns green and I start to go.  I was on the bike, so it accelerates pretty quick.  As I'm starting to go this moron in a silver Vue across from me guns it and makes a left in front of me.  So I drop the throttle and have to get on the brakes.  I leaned on the horn, the moron had the nerve to give me the finger and start yelling at me!  Whatever...have a nice day a$$hole!!!

I'm starting to see this happen more and more lately.  Is it just me?  Do people really think they're time is so valuable that they can't wait for a few cars to go by before they make their left turn???  (I know...dumb question!)

I see this all the time, with a cell phone in hand to boot

Similarly as I'm coming down secondary roads to reach the 417 every day, I see people not coming to a complete stop on the side gravel roads.  So here I am saying to myself as this a$$hole is rolling "is he going to cut me off or what" some play it so tight it actually scares me where I need to slow down or swerve.

[tortoise]

I'm pretty sure that jumping the green maneuver is incorporated into the "Street Racing" legislation.  So not only is it dangerous it also comes with heavy penalties.   

Good thing that legislation is working.

[dr_spock]

You could print out this section of the Ontario HTA and tape it to his forehead.

Left turn, across path of approaching vehicle

(5)  No driver or operator of a vehicle in an intersection shall turn left across the path of a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction unless he or she has afforded a reasonable opportunity to the driver or operator of the approaching vehicle to avoid a collision. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 141 (5).

[aaronk]

I'm pretty sure that jumping the green maneuver is incorporated into the "Street Racing" legislation.  So not only is it dangerous it also comes with heavy penalties.   

Good thing that legislation is working.

Or careless driving. Regardless, you're right about the heavy penalties. Funny thing is, if the driver who has the right of way on the green were to hit the green-jumper, the jumper would get the bill for the collision. The driver going straight through the light has the right-of-way, and the insurance company would say the same thing.