Having a SENIOR moment

[tomman58]

We are on our yearly trek across the US and again are being greeted by some seriously unqualified drivers.
The first one is the person that refuses to put on his headlights at dusk or in the rain. The "I can see you so you must be able to see me"
Next we have the person that thinks you will move over for him as he enters the freeway........ wrong not moving because I have a semi passing on the right.
Next we have the clown that cuts you off because you aren't doing 70MPH even though you are in the far right lane.
Finally we have the gut that just blows through a dead red light. This seems to be far more frequent of late.

These people ware on me and I really wish they were fewer but they seem to be multiplying.

[run100]

fj12ryder wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:

run100 wrote:
In our area, the freeway on-ramps are very long, which should allow drivers adequate distance to reach freeway speed and merge easily with the flow of traffic. However, many drivers crawl along the on-ramp very slowly, backing up traffic behind them and making the merger more difficult.

This is something I struggle to understand.

Maybe they are from Pennsylvania where the law says this:

(c) Duties at yield signs.--The driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign shall in obedience to the sign slow down to a speed reasonable for the existing conditions and, if required for safety to stop, shall stop before entering a crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering. After slowing down or stopping, the driver shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another roadway so closely as to constitute a hazard during the time the driver is moving across or within the intersection of roadways. If a driver is involved in a collision with a vehicle in the intersection or junction of roadways after driving past a yield sign, the collision shall be deemed prima facie evidence of failure of the driver to yield the right-of-way.

(Dec. 21, 1998, P.L.1126, No.151, eff. 60 days)

This could be true at Yield signs, but there are very few Yield signs on interstate entrance ramps. No, mostly just stupid drivers.

Thanks for chiming in, fj12ryder. I'm thinking lynnmor misunderstood what I was describing.

Yes, freeway on-ramps are typically closed to any intersecting traffic and especially pedestrian cross-walks. In our area, it's not unusual for on-ramps to be 1/2-mile or more in length. Plenty of distance to get to freeway speed, but many drivers drag their butts and are barely hitting 45-mph by the time they should be merging into the flow of traffic.

[tomman58]

Drove from Bay St. Louis to Umatilla Fl today Used I10 and I75. A 9 hour drive. Seen 7 incidents that involved people that shouldn't use the freeways. I was lucky enough to be a witness each time thank God. The semis driving in the right lane were the victims. I did move over early on one occasion to provide an escape for one semi from a person texting while entering the freeway. I was rewarded when I moved back into the right lane be have a jacked up pickup cutting me off and avoiding a collision by inches. Yep they were out there today.

[fj12ryder]

Lynnmor wrote:

run100 wrote:
In our area, the freeway on-ramps are very long, which should allow drivers adequate distance to reach freeway speed and merge easily with the flow of traffic. However, many drivers crawl along the on-ramp very slowly, backing up traffic behind them and making the merger more difficult.

This is something I struggle to understand.

Maybe they are from Pennsylvania where the law says this:

(c) Duties at yield signs.--The driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign shall in obedience to the sign slow down to a speed reasonable for the existing conditions and, if required for safety to stop, shall stop before entering a crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering. After slowing down or stopping, the driver shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another roadway so closely as to constitute a hazard during the time the driver is moving across or within the intersection of roadways. If a driver is involved in a collision with a vehicle in the intersection or junction of roadways after driving past a yield sign, the collision shall be deemed prima facie evidence of failure of the driver to yield the right-of-way.

(Dec. 21, 1998, P.L.1126, No.151, eff. 60 days)

This could be true at Yield signs, but there are very few Yield signs on interstate entrance ramps. No, mostly just stupid drivers.

[Lynnmor]

run100 wrote:
In our area, the freeway on-ramps are very long, which should allow drivers adequate distance to reach freeway speed and merge easily with the flow of traffic. However, many drivers crawl along the on-ramp very slowly, backing up traffic behind them and making the merger more difficult.

This is something I struggle to understand.

Maybe they are from Pennsylvania where the law says this:

(c) Duties at yield signs.--The driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign shall in obedience to the sign slow down to a speed reasonable for the existing conditions and, if required for safety to stop, shall stop before entering a crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering. After slowing down or stopping, the driver shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another roadway so closely as to constitute a hazard during the time the driver is moving across or within the intersection of roadways. If a driver is involved in a collision with a vehicle in the intersection or junction of roadways after driving past a yield sign, the collision shall be deemed prima facie evidence of failure of the driver to yield the right-of-way.

(Dec. 21, 1998, P.L.1126, No.151, eff. 60 days)

[run100]

In our area, the freeway on-ramps are very long, which should allow drivers adequate distance to reach freeway speed and merge easily with the flow of traffic. However, many drivers crawl along the on-ramp very slowly, backing up traffic behind them and making the merger more difficult.

This is something I struggle to understand.

[JRscooby]

tomman58 wrote:
When you enter a city bear in mind the semis drive this route daily and are your safest way to avoid idiots entering and leaving the freeway.

First drove semi in 1964, sold my last one in 2011. While I agree the safest and normally fastest way to get thru a city is to follow them, most do not go thru the same city everyday.

[tomman58]

Quote:

As far as moving from right lane over to the left to let someone merge onto the highway,
I was told by my safety trucking colege instructor absolutely not,first driving big rig you should stay in right slow lane.
Especialy if you need to exit the road soon !

I drive in the right lane when on the road out side of the cities. When the highway goes to 3 lanes I stay behind the semis and weave our way through the cities turf. When you enter a city bear in mind the semis drive this route daily and are your safest way to avoid idiots entering and leaving the freeway.

[JRscooby]

free radical wrote:
tomman58 wrote:

The first one is the person that refuses to put on his headlights at dusk or in the rain.
/quote

They must be driving some antique vehicles.

Most new cars,trucks have Automatic headlights that turn on soon as you start driving.

In all my born put-togethers I have never driven any vehicle that the headlights would come on automatically. Now the one I have now, if I shut engine off before lights the lights stay on long enough for me to get in house. But I learned to drive when many vehicles had 5 controls on the floor worked with 2 feet, and another worked by hand. Nobody in my tax bracket had a automatic transmission. People learned to drive, or did not drive.

As far as moving from right lane over to the left to let someone merge onto the highway,
I was told by my safety trucking colege instructor absolutely not,first driving big rig you should stay in right slow lane.
Especialy if you need to exit the road soon !

Never went to trucking collage but I had a CDL tester in the truck with me, (not a test, hauling for her brother when she called him with broke down car). I saw a loaded lowboy making a turn to start up the ramp about half mile ahead. I checked my mirror, changed CB channel, keyed up called the company name, and told the driver to get after it, when you get to the top the right lane will be all yours. When I got to the merge point I was in the left lane, rolling about 10 MPH faster than the lowboy. Little miss Tester said "You are not supposed to do that" I explained that at 100,000 lbs that truck could not change speed quickly, and coming up the ramp, hard to see traffic. Rules can not override judgement.

If anything slow down and let them merge,its their problem to merge safely.

If both can see each other, much better to hold your speed. If I'm planning to drop in behind you, and you slow, now I'm going too fast. I can slow, but the space behind you is getting smaller.

[free_radical]

tomman58 wrote:

The first one is the person that refuses to put on his headlights at dusk or in the rain.
/quote

They must be driving some antique vehicles.

Most new cars,trucks have Automatic headlights that turn on soon as you start driving.

As far as moving from right lane over to the left to let someone merge onto the highway,
I was told by my safety trucking colege instructor absolutely not,first driving big rig you should stay in right slow lane.
Especialy if you need to exit the road soon !

If anything slow down and let them merge,its their problem to merge safely.
Of course had some hotdog once speed up and race on the shoulder in the snow no less to pass me.
Found many such dumbels in the ditch or median stuck in deep snow unable to get out,sometimes even UPside down.
Those 4x4 and big wheels tires dont help none if the road is icey

[CavemanCharlie]

Lynnmor wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:

tomman58 wrote:
We are on our yearly trek across the US and again are being greeted by some seriously unqualified drivers.
The first one is the person that refuses to put on his headlights at dusk or in the rain. The "I can see you so you must be able to see me"
Next we have the person that thinks you will move over for him as he enters the freeway........ wrong not moving because I have a semi passing on the right.
Next we have the clown that cuts you off because you aren't doing 70MPH even though you are in the far right lane.
Finally we have the gut that just blows through a dead red light. This seems to be far more frequent of late.

These people ware on me and I really wish they were fewer but they seem to be multiplying.

I didn't have the time to read all of the responses. If someone is trying to merge onto the highway and you are in the right lane with a semi next to you would it hurt you to either reduce, or increase, your speed so that you and them don't end up at the end of the ramp at the same time as them ????? Maybe if you let up the semi in the other lane would outpace you and then you could move over !!!

It's not always the other guys fault. You could be nicer person and give some else a chance to you know.

I've had idiots slow to a craw in heavy traffic to allow me in when they should have maintained their current speed. The obligation to adjust speed is on the entering traffic, any time that two are playing the same game there is no telling the outcome.

I'm not suggesting slowing to a crawl especially when the merging traffic is also slowing down. All I'm saying is that it can't hurt to take the cruise control off and then move over into the the other lane if possible. I was not there so maybe this couldn't be done in this case. But, there seems to be a lot of people on the highway these days that feel as long as they have the cruse set then the heck with everyone else.

We are all on the roads together lets all try to give each other a brake.

[Lynnmor]

CavemanCharlie wrote:

tomman58 wrote:
We are on our yearly trek across the US and again are being greeted by some seriously unqualified drivers.
The first one is the person that refuses to put on his headlights at dusk or in the rain. The "I can see you so you must be able to see me"
Next we have the person that thinks you will move over for him as he enters the freeway........ wrong not moving because I have a semi passing on the right.
Next we have the clown that cuts you off because you aren't doing 70MPH even though you are in the far right lane.
Finally we have the gut that just blows through a dead red light. This seems to be far more frequent of late.

These people ware on me and I really wish they were fewer but they seem to be multiplying.

I didn't have the time to read all of the responses. If someone is trying to merge onto the highway and you are in the right lane with a semi next to you would it hurt you to either reduce, or increase, your speed so that you and them don't end up at the end of the ramp at the same time as them ????? Maybe if you let up the semi in the other lane would outpace you and then you could move over !!!

It's not always the other guys fault. You could be nicer person and give some else a chance to you know.

I've had idiots slow to a craw in heavy traffic to allow me in when they should have maintained their current speed. The obligation to adjust speed is on the entering traffic, any time that two are playing the same game there is no telling the outcome.

[CavemanCharlie]

tomman58 wrote:
We are on our yearly trek across the US and again are being greeted by some seriously unqualified drivers.
The first one is the person that refuses to put on his headlights at dusk or in the rain. The "I can see you so you must be able to see me"
Next we have the person that thinks you will move over for him as he enters the freeway........ wrong not moving because I have a semi passing on the right.
Next we have the clown that cuts you off because you aren't doing 70MPH even though you are in the far right lane.
Finally we have the gut that just blows through a dead red light. This seems to be far more frequent of late.

These people ware on me and I really wish they were fewer but they seem to be multiplying.

I didn't have the time to read all of the responses. If someone is trying to merge onto the highway and you are in the right lane with a semi next to you would it hurt you to either reduce, or increase, your speed so that you and them don't end up at the end of the ramp at the same time as them ????? Maybe if you let up the semi in the other lane would outpace you and then you could move over !!!

It's not always the other guys fault. You could be nicer person and give some else a chance to you know.

[tomman58]

DrewE wrote:

run100 wrote:

tomman58 wrote:
We are on our yearly trek across the US and again are being greeted by some seriously unqualified drivers.
The first one is the person that refuses to put on his headlights at dusk or in the rain. The "I can see you so you must be able to see me"

This is a problem that I've noticed getting worse the past couple years. It appears to be more common in the evenings than the morning. Many evenings, while driving home from work, one particular stretch of road is quite dark - depending what time I leave the office. Even when well past dusk, the number of cars on the road without their headlights on is shocking. Within the last year, I've had at least three close encounters (collisions) with people driving in stealth mode.

Whether it's a result of DUI, cell phone distraction, or a brain-dead driver, it's very frustrating!

I suspect as often as not it's the result of many modern car dashboard displays that are always lit. The subtle, almost subconscious, visual cue that you need to turn your headlights on because the speedometer is invisible is lacking, especially if it's gradually getting darker out or if you're driving in an area with decent streetlights. (Daytime running lights can also contribute some towards mistakenly not turning on one's headlights as they provide a little illumination on the road.)

I actually reference more of the 1"driving" lights not being used. I guess some folks must be able to shut them off for an unknown reason. I wish these lights would be mandatory in all states all of time!!

[fj12ryder]

Especially aggravating is the person on the right that pulls up just before you do and then motions for you to go ahead. If people would just do what they're supposed to, it would make life easier for all of us.