Highway driving peeves

[basketcase]

Spent the last week or so driving up to Manitoba and back and have refreshed my love of highway driving except for...

4. Break light tappers. Some people seem to drive with one foot on the gas and one on the break Something happens in front of them and on come the break lights. Maybe they haven't figured out that when you take your foot off the gas the car actually slows down.

3. Passing areas. Some 2 lane hwys have periodic passing areas where they open up another lane for passing, especially up hills. Seems way too common where you're stuck behind slow moving traffic with no way to pass. The passing area approaches and the slow car decides to speed up. Don't know they are too afraid to drive the limit when there are two lanes and only speed up when there is more room or if their egos don't want to accept other people might pass them.

2. Left Lane Legends. Obviously on a busy road the story is different but there are some people who seem to drive in the fast lane since left lanes were invented. Now why would you feel the need to sit in the left lane when there isn't another car around you for miles? Would it be a slight on your manhood if you moved over?

2b. If you do go to pass, then fucking pass already. If it takes you several minutes to pass a car, you're doing it wrong. Change lanes, speed up, pass, move back over, just like you would if you were passing on a two lane hwy.

1. Cruise control. If you have it, why not use it? If you're driving on the same hwy for more than a few miles, set the cruise. Besides saving gas, it gets fucking annoying when a car passes you then slows down so you pass it then it speeds up again ad nauseum.

Rant over. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

[|2 /-\ | /|/]

Yeah I hate ppl who tap their brakes when I get too close. It is not personal, sometimes I am changing lanes and need to get to close to get to the other lanes and the merge into other lanes flow and these dicks think this approach works. Only thing it does is it sparks road rage. It is not personal, all we are trying to do is merge or exit or prepare for downstream exits or get to the proper lane.

Also ppl that leave like 10 car lengths in front during the thick during rush hour on major highways.

 

[TESLAMotors]

Spent the last week or so driving up to Manitoba and back and have refreshed my love of highway driving except for...

4. Break light tappers. Some people seem to drive with one foot on the gas and one on the break Something happens in front of them and on come the break lights. Maybe they haven't figured out that when you take your foot off the gas the car actually slows down.

3. Passing areas. Some 2 lane hwys have periodic passing areas where they open up another lane for passing, especially up hills. Seems way too common where you're stuck behind slow moving traffic with no way to pass. The passing area approaches and the slow car decides to speed up. Don't know they are too afraid to drive the limit when there are two lanes and only speed up when there is more room or if their egos don't want to accept other people might pass them.

2. Left Lane Legends. Obviously on a busy road the story is different but there are some people who seem to drive in the fast lane since left lanes were invented. Now why would you feel the need to sit in the left lane when there isn't another car around you for miles? Would it be a slight on your manhood if you moved over?

2b. If you do go to pass, then fucking pass already. If it takes you several minutes to pass a car, you're doing it wrong. Change lanes, speed up, pass, move back over, just like you would if you were passing on a two lane hwy.

1. Cruise control. If you have it, why not use it? If you're driving on the same hwy for more than a few miles, set the cruise. Besides saving gas, it gets fucking annoying when a car passes you then slows down so you pass it then it speeds up again ad nauseum.

Rant over. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

I'll add to this rant.

5. People who are merging onto the highway and do so the second they're coming out of the turn and do not use the merging lane at all. It's there for you to match your speed with the highway and THEN you merge in.
But no, people have to jump right into traffic which is moving at over 95km/h+ and they're doing 60. The fuck?
Besides it's to your benefit, you have your OWN LANE to get to speed and you're flying outta there.


b) People who drive in the left lane and are absolutely oblivious to everything around them. That really gets me going.
I'll pass them, get back into the passing lane, ease off the gas, they catch up, I signal right and point right so they see my oh so subtle hint to get out of this particular lane.
Some clue in, others are still oblivious.

b) part duex) As I'm cruising alone, someone in the right lane wants to jump in front of me, no problem, go ahead, (ease off gas) BUT they hesitate. Okay, so I press on the gas and then BAM, they decided to jump in.

6) Covered with toe tapping brakesters, but there's a clear red light ahead and I ease off the gas and coast, what's the rush? Honestly? (may seem selfish, but it's prudent I think, I'm not going from 60 to 5km/h in seconds)
People behind me rip around, punch the gas only to hit the brakes and a good chunk of the time, I pass them as the light turns green.

 

[huckfinn]

I have a few too.

1) Winter time - the drivers who only clear enough of the car so they can see out, and the rear and side windows remain covered.

2) Cyclists......I don't want to pass you 5 times. You are a vehicle on the road, when you come to a light stay in the position behind the car when you arrived at the rear of the line. !!!!! Don't make me pass you 5 times. I recall a few times I pissed cyclists off, because I pull in close to the curb so they can't pass me......didn't go over well!

3) People who tailgate with no intention to pass. I do tap my brakes, because I don't want your front bumper in my back seat if I have to stop quickly.

 

[kugel1]

Look Talkers....

What the hell is a look talker?....Well, picture two people in a car. You are traveling at 80km/h. You are at most 24 inches away from each other. Whenever the driver talks, he has to turn his head and look at the passenger while doing so. WHYYYYY ??? WHYYYYY ??? They are 2 freaking feet from you !!! You know who they are, they can certainly hear you, and at 80km/h they sure as fuck did't leave in the middle of your conversation. WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU TAKING YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD TO TALK TO THEM ?!?!?!?! Your head turns right, your car starts to drift right....

 

[DanJ]

One thing with the brake tappers is they might be tapping to shut off their cruise control rather than touching the switch. No less annoying though.

 

[RemyMartin]

Your head turns right, your car starts to drift right....

Don't think you are a good driver, you shouldn't be driving.

 

[Ref]

1 - Tailgaters in a line. When there is someone in front of you and the asshole behind has to come right up behind you and swerve from side to side as a gesture for you to go faster. Do they expect me to move so they can take my position and intimidate the line of cars in front of me? Assholes...

2 - Merge Lane Dicks. Those dicks who cut into the merge lane just to get ahead a few cars. I sometimes keep an eye and if I close enough to the end I'll swerve over to force them in behind me.

3 - Squeezers. when you are in a line of traffic and keeping a nice car length or so and some dickwad screams up beside and swerves into the tight space. You can always tell who they are because they are so aggressive. Generally they do not last long in front of you as they dart out to squeeze their way forward. Generally, they do not get that far ahead.

4 - Pacers. Someone in the passing lane who will slowly overtake the car beside by traveling 1 - 2 km faster. Why they cannot go faster and then move over is a mystery.

5 - Broken Rear View Mirror. On single lane highways (usually 80 km) they are going at or just below the limit and there is a long train of cars behind them. Do they not look in their mirror and see the line of cars behind them and the wide open road in front?

5b - Continued from above, but it is the impatient fucktard who is about 12 cars behind the slow lead car and he just has to get out and try to pass without allowing the courtesy of the vehicles in front of him to pass first. Usually they have to cut in to avoid a head on collision.

 

[geeky]

All of these piss me off too.

5b - Continued from above, but it is the impatient fucktard who is about 12 cars behind the slow lead car and he just has to get out and try to pass without allowing the courtesy of the vehicles in front of him to pass first. Usually they have to cut in to avoid a head on collision.

I'll add to this one -

5c - Won't passers. These are the guys that are tailgating the slow no rear view mirror guy, who could (and probably want to) pass, but seem afraid to. Or think passing is "rude". Then everyone behind is waiting their turn to pass the slow car, but nobody ever does. Often causes the impatient fucktard in 5b to just go for it.

 

[notthemama]

Addition to the Look talker driver is the Look talker passenger.
I know the one guy who I will no longer drive with. Unless he's terminally injured and needs to go to the hospital he's not getting in my vehicle again.
He is a large man, 6'4" 300lbs. When he talks in the vehicle and for some reason thinks you are not listening or hearing him he leans forward and over facing you making sure he gets his desired response.
Buddy, we are less than two feet apart, I can hear you. I'm busy watching all the developments around us. It's better I watch that than the expression on your self important face.
Leave me my space, I'm working here, guiding 2.5 tons of high speed steel and aluminum.
Even in a crowd I hate close talkers.
The idiots who are in a rush and working all lanes across the highway. From right to left. If I'm in the left lane with a car in front there is no way I can go faster and you squeezing in between us isn't going to change anything. You only want that spot to get ahead of the guy in the right lane so you can buzz around the guy in the far right so you can shoot in front of the guy that's in front of me so you can repeat it all over again.
I see this aggressive driving all the time. The funny thing is for all the gas, brake pads and 9 lives used they often don't get that far ahead.
Usually these self obsessed assholes who think they own the world and we are only an obstacle are the fucking drivers of something from the Black Forest. Go over there and kill yourself on the Autobahn. Leave me out of it.
I've driven the Autobahn. They are much better behaved.

 

[explorerzip]

Fake HID head lights that blind you
High beams on all the time that blind you in the rear view mirror. Often they are talking on the phone.
Not letting you in to their lane when you are trying to merge. Particularly irritating on the highway when you have no road left to merge.
Pick ups and SUV's that plow through big puddles and hit your car with a tidal wave.
Not clearing off the snow off their roofs (particularly semi trailers) and the ice flies off at highway speed.
Improperly secured cargo and tires. I prefer not to get an Ikea purchase or a tire hitting my wind shield at highway speed.

 

[anon1]

Is this a new Seinfeld episode?

 

[basketcase]

On the topic of merging - people who feel they should drive all the way to the end of the merge lane (and beyond) before looking for room to merge instead of actually merging where there is room.

And even worse, the people who jump from a slow traffic lane into the merge lane just to pass a half dozen cars.

 

[Titalian]

1 - Tailgaters in a line. When there is someone in front of you and the asshole behind has to come right up behind you and swerve from side to side as a gesture for you to go faster. Do they expect me to move so they can take my position and intimidate the line of cars in front of me? Assholes...

2 - Merge Lane Dicks. Those dicks who cut into the merge lane just to get ahead a few cars. I sometimes keep an eye and if I close enough to the end I'll swerve over to force them in behind me.

3 - Squeezers. when you are in a line of traffic and keeping a nice car length or so and some dickwad screams up beside and swerves into the tight space. You can always tell who they are because they are so aggressive. Generally they do not last long in front of you as they dart out to squeeze their way forward. Generally, they do not get that far ahead.

4 - Pacers. Someone in the passing lane who will slowly overtake the car beside by traveling 1 - 2 km faster. Why they cannot go faster and then move over is a mystery.

5 - Broken Rear View Mirror. On single lane highways (usually 80 km) they are going at or just below the limit and there is a long train of cars behind them. Do they not look in their mirror and see the line of cars behind them and the wide open road in front?

5b - Continued from above, but it is the impatient fucktard who is about 12 cars behind the slow lead car and he just has to get out and try to pass without allowing the courtesy of the vehicles in front of him to pass first. Usually they have to cut in to avoid a head on collision.

You beat me to it but No. 2 really irritates me

 

[|2 /-\ | /|/]

It is not worth taking the aggressive approach. Just close your distance to an inch and don't let them merge and push you over if they are doing it unfairly or cheating. Also get dash cams. It is never a good idea to hit your breaks just to piss somebody off, you never know how much a bad day somebody might be having or mental issues and especially during rush hour any provocation could just make things a lot worse....its not teaching somebody a lesson, but does just the opposite

Here are some good examples of where it could lead...yes I have gotten out of my car in my youthful days, not any more no way...its just not worth it...

 

[IRIS]

I hate when 3 car on the 3 line highway go with same speed side by side( 95km/hour usually) and they blocked the all 3 lines for long time. Those are the biggest assholes on the highways.

 

[fuji]

Yeah I hate ppl who tap their brakes when I get too close. It is not personal, sometimes I am changing lanes and need to get to close to get to the other lanes and the merge into other lanes flow and these dicks think this approach works. Only thing it does is it sparks road rage. It is not personal, all we are trying to do is merge or exit or prepare for downstream exits or get to the proper lane.

Also ppl that leave like 10 car lengths in front during the thick during rush hour on major highways.

There is a study somewhere that shows those people who leave a large gap improve overall traffic speeds because they create opportunities for smooth lane changes by others and that results in fewer slowdowns in heavy traffic.

And if you don't want me to tap my brake, don't follow too closely. I'm not going to brake check you, but you really ought to be 2 to 3 seconds back.

I have noticed an increasing number of tailgates who TEXT ON THEIR PHONE while tailgating so my tolerance for tailgates is much lower than it was ten years ago.

 

[benstt]

It is not worth taking the aggressive approach. Just close your distance to an inch and don't let them merge and push you over if they are doing it unfairly or cheating. Also get dash cams. It is never a good idea to hit your breaks just to piss somebody off, you never know how much a bad day somebody might be having or mental issues and especially during rush hour any provocation could just make things a lot worse....its not teaching somebody a lesson, but does just the opposite

If you're merging into really tight situations don't be surprised if they are braking just due to traffic. That's why the spots are tight.

 

[TESLAMotors]

It is not worth taking the aggressive approach. Just close your distance to an inch and don't let them merge and push you over if they are doing it unfairly or cheating. Also get dash cams. It is never a good idea to hit your breaks just to piss somebody off, you never know how much a bad day somebody might be having or mental issues and especially during rush hour any provocation could just make things a lot worse....its not teaching somebody a lesson, but does just the opposite

Here are some good examples of where it could lead...yes I have gotten out of my car in my youthful days, not any more no way...its just not worth it...

3:17 sounded like a damn video game, they wouldn't stop beatin' on that car. holy shit!!!

5:22 I read before (on here or somewhere else) never mess with black cars and tinted windows in Muuthherr Russia, chances are they may be gang related but this guy was running from a lime green jacket dude. lol
The video after, is what I'm referring to.

 

[rhuarc29]

I have a few too.

1) Winter time - the drivers who only clear enough of the car so they can see out, and the rear and side windows remain covered.

2) Cyclists......I don't want to pass you 5 times. You are a vehicle on the road, when you come to a light stay in the position behind the car when you arrived at the rear of the line. !!!!! Don't make me pass you 5 times. I recall a few times I pissed cyclists off, because I pull in close to the curb so they can't pass me......didn't go over well!

3) People who tailgate with no intention to pass. I do tap my brakes, because I don't want your front bumper in my back seat if I have to stop quickly.

Hell yeah! Especially on #3. I was being tailgated by an SUV at night with absolutely no traffic around, and her lights were shining right at my rear-view mirror, somewhat blinding me. After about 5 minutes of that I pulled into the passing lane, slowed and let her pass me in the driving lane. Hopefully she took the hint and won't do that again. There's no reason to tailgate on a single lane highway. The only time you should be that close to the guy ahead of you is when you're about to pull out and pass him.

My biggest pet peeve is simply unobservant or inconsiderate drivers. I think that encompasses most of the points in this thread. Drivers first need to be aware of what's going on around them, and then they need to react appropriately to that. A problem with either of those causes issues on the road.