When it comes to driving...

JackoftheBox

Are you?

kristennd

SS: I don't drive.

JackoftheBox

EAMartin1004 said:

I need to meditate after driving!  I don't consider myself aggressive, but my language is not suitable for DD's little ears.  Now that she is repeating everything I have to be more careful.

That is me as well. I find myself saying things like "omg your a nutcracker!!" 

tifdaski84

I don't deal with a lot of heavy traffic so I think that's why I'm pretty calm behind the wheel. I used to get worked up when LO was really little since he'd cry so hard in the carseat.  But that wasn't just at bad drivers - I'd get upset with a stop sign or a red light or whatever.  There were many times where we were both in hysterics by the time we got to where we were going.  Oh the memories you'd love to forget...

KatieB19

I'm pretty cool and calm. Unless someone is being a douche bag. Like that guy who will race up the right lane after several signs say the lane will end but there's traffic so he wants to get ahead. That guy? I'm a bitch to and will intentionally take up more space so he can't get by. But I don't cuss, and will sometimes smile and wave instead

KatieB19

ICarriedAWatermelon said:

I can't be calm around here. Seattle drivers are the worst.

I seriously don't understand how the Northwest population doesn't understand that the left lane is for PASSING.

I don't think that's the rule everywhere. I mean, yes, pass on the left. And obviously if you are going slower or if someone is right behind you, then you should move over.

But in Pennsylvania and Ohio, the left lane is clearly a passing lane -- no one drives in it unless they are literally passing someone. In Maryland, that is not the case. It's just another lane, albeit the "fast" lane. But it's fine to just drive in.

JackoftheBox

KatieB19 said:

I can't be calm around here. Seattle drivers are the worst.

I seriously don't understand how the Northwest population doesn't understand that the left lane is for PASSING.

I don't think that's the rule everywhere. I mean, yes, pass on the left. And obviously if you are going slower or if someone is right behind you, then you should move over. But in Pennsylvania and Ohio, the left lane is clearly a passing lane -- no one drives in it unless they are literally passing someone. In Maryland, that is not the case. It's just another lane, albeit the "fast" lane. But it's fine to just drive in.

It's a law here. You can actually get pulled over for misusing the left lane.

KatieB19

Oh yeah, zipper absolutely!! I am all for that, and will let in two cars if the person on front of me cuts if the car they should have let in.

I mean the people who ignore the zipper and try to race to the front of the line, even though everyone in front of them either has or is waiting to zipper.

KatieB19

ICarriedAWatermelon said:

JackoftheBox said:

KatieB19 said:

ICarriedAWatermelon said:

I can't be calm around here. Seattle drivers are the worst.

I seriously don't understand how the Northwest population doesn't understand that the left lane is for PASSING.

I don't think that's the rule everywhere. I mean, yes, pass on the left. And obviously if you are going slower or if someone is right behind you, then you should move over.

But in Pennsylvania and Ohio, the left lane is clearly a passing lane -- no one drives in it unless they are literally passing someone. In Maryland, that is not the case. It's just another lane, albeit the "fast" lane. But it's fine to just drive in.

It's a law here. You can actually get pulled over for misusing the left lane.

ALLEGEDLY it's a law here, too. I have never seen it enforced, though.


Is "here" Maryland? Because I have never seen the left lane left open for passers only.

Where I'm at in Ohio right now, on the other hand, there is some road construction and the right lane is closed. But leading up to that point, they closed the LEFT lane, and then have cones leading everyone back over to the left, instead of just closing the right lane to begin with.

Shabutie

KatieB19 said:

I'm pretty cool and calm. Unless someone is being a douche bag. Like that guy who will race up the right lane after several signs say the lane will end but there's traffic so he wants to get ahead. That guy? I'm a bitch to and will intentionally take up more space so he can't get by. But I don't cuss, and will sometimes smile and wave instead

This exactly. I am calm and courteous, unless someone wants to drive like an asshole, then I will get in their way. The thing I say the most while driving is "Wow, his time must be way more important than everyone else's!"
I will go out of my way to be courteous to a semi-truck driver. The sh*t I've seen them put up with... I just feel like they need a break once in a while.

PB102012

I am pretty calm and collected, and tend to let people in when they warn me first. If you sit there with your blinker on and hesitate for what seems like forever, then you can forget it. I dont want to sit behind you if you are already showing you suck at driving in the lane beside me.

JackoftheBox

What the hell is a zipper?!

KatieB19

JackoftheBox said:

What the hell is a zipper?!

When one lane is ending so the cars in the two lanes (the one ending and the one they are merging into) will alternate to allow a smooth transition.

ETA: I have heard this term only twice in my whole life, and both were this week.

ETAA: It's also when two lanes are merging into one, and the cars alternate right of way. But in my example from my PP it's just when one lane disappears. 

this decaf life

I'm really not sure where I fall! I used to be very road-ragey but now that we live in Manila and the traffic is just bat-sh!t-crazy I've actually calmed down. I don't let Jeepneys/taxis in front of me if I can prevent is but I let the buses in because they'll hit your car. I love driving here, I compare it to playing a video game.

KatieB19

ICarriedAWatermelon said:

KatieB19 said:

Oh yeah, zipper absolutely!! I am all for that, and will let in two cars if the person on front of me cuts if the car they should have let in. I mean the people who ignore the zipper and try to race to the front of the line, even though everyone in front of them either has or is waiting to zipper.

I get what you're saying... BUT... I think the zipper should BE at the front of the line! I think all lanes should be filled up. It makes no sense to me that people should block the empty lane that is ending - I think they should let it fill up and merge at the end.

I've seen traffic in Seattle where vigilantes are blocking the lane that is ending so no one can get through, and people behind those drivers actually get stuck at lights in the backup, where they otherwise would have been able to get through a light. Arg!

I think we're essentially saying the same thing. But in your example, traffic is moving enough for the zipper to be smooth. Yeah, if there could be a smooth transition and someone blocks the lane, that's obnoxious.

I mean when it's rush hour or there's a back up and traffic is crawling or stopped, so people can't zipper yet (yes, even if all lanes are filled), and someone tries to cut the line by speeding past. For the record, I don't block the lane. I will block the space AFTER the lane, when the lane is extra wide, if there's an asshole speeding up past everyone when there is clearly congestion and everyone else is waiting their turn.