Driving in general - Etiquette vs "Being nice"

[TBPlayer]

This is something I've seen long before getting on a bike, but I had one of these types of incedents yesterday....

Two topics that I've seen either here or in other places are exceedingly aggressive drivers, and those that are inattentive - busy with make-up or cell phones or whatever.

But at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from highly aggressive are the overly courteous drivers. Examples...

- You both come up to a 4-way stop, the other car is on the right (therefore having the right of way to go), but they don't. So you sit there waiting for them to go.. and then they wave you to go ahead.

- (the one I experienced yesterday) Coming down a freeway offramp, to merge onto a good sized surface street. I have a yield sign. The other car comes up in perfect synch to me. I slow down.. and so do they.. so I can't get over... and then I get "the wave".

These types of habits annoy me more than just about anything else, because in other cases of stupidity, people are just being stupid, or a$$holes. In this case, you have someone consciously going out of their way to try and be nice, when all their doing is screwing it all up.

Protocol is there for a reason, so that we can move and coordinate with one another efficiently on the road.

[trikebubble]

Yeh, I don't care to move out of turn either. I've run into many cagers who wave me on thru a 4-way stop out of order. It makes me un-comfortable, you never know if any of the other vehicles around the same intersection lose patience with the "Do-gooder", and in haste run into the intersection at the exact same moment you decide to.

[kws9999]

Originally Posted by trikebubble

Yeh, I don't care to move out of turn either. I've run into many cagers who wave me on thru a 4-way stop out of order. It makes me un-comfortable, you never know if any of the other vehicles around the same intersection lose patience with the "Do-gooder", and in haste run into the intersection at the exact same moment you decide to.

What annoys me the most is people that come to a 4-way stop and it's not 4-way. I have to stop and they have the right of way but they stop anyway.

[TBPlayer]

lol.. I just want them to get the #&Q@ on with it for pity sake!!

[greg58]

I don't consider myself an agressive driver, but the people who sit and look at you at a 4 way stop annoy me.
If they hesitate and stare I go.
The other pet peve for me is timid drivers, like the ones who attempt to merge on an onramp at a slow speed, and if there isn't a huge opening they slow way down or even stop.
If I'm Behind that person I'm thinking God gave you a right foot, Use It.
Greg58

[trikebubble]

We have a new roundabout here in town (and only the second one in total) and Holy Mary Mother Of...(well, you know) you'd think people were faced with explaining the concept of the universe when they come upon a roundabout. Like for some reason it is that difficult to navigate a paved circle for crying out loud. 90% of people just stop. Dead stop.......then contemplate life, love, and what to do next. It would be freaking funny if it weren't so annoying.

[CTRider]

I love the ones that decide to suddenly hold up freely moving traffic to let someone out of a side road or driveway. I understand leaving room for them if traffic stops or is crawling, but come on.

The 4 way stop thing bothers me, too. The worst ones are the ones that sit and wait for you, never give any indication, then head out right as you decide to say "screw it, I'm going". Then they look at you like you just kicked their dog. Meanwhile, they leave you thinking, "was that some sort of psych out?"

[mwmalotte]

Originally Posted by greg58

The other pet peve for me is timid drivers, like the ones who attempt to merge on an onramp at a slow speed, and if there isn't a huge opening they slow way down or even stop.

That is sooo annoying! Ya can't merge with 65 mph traffic from a dead stop!

[mwmalotte]

Originally Posted by trikebubble

We have a new roundabout here in town (and only the second one in total) and Holy Mary Mother Of...(well, you know) you'd think people were faced with explaining the concept of the universe when they come upon a roundabout. Like for some reason it is that difficult to navigate a paved circle for crying out loud. 90% of people just stop. Dead stop.......then contemplate life, love, and what to do next. It would be freaking funny if it weren't so annoying.

Have ya seen any of them get so totally confused they end up going completely around the circle a time or two? I almost fell out the car laughing at somebody once for that... they were completely confused!

[Badmedicine]

Originally Posted by mwmalotte

Have ya seen any of them get so totally confused they end up going completely around the circle a time or two? I almost fell out the car laughing at somebody once for that... they were completely confused!

Hey ! That might have been me! I like those things and have been known to go around 2 or 3 times

[Badmedicine]

Originally Posted by greg58

I don't consider myself an agressive driver, but the people who sit and look at you at a 4 way stop annoy me.
If they hesitate and stare I go.
The other pet peve for me is timid drivers, like the ones who attempt to merge on an onramp at a slow speed, and if there isn't a huge opening they slow way down or even stop.
If I'm Behind that person I'm thinking God gave you a right foot, Use It.
Greg58

That's the one I hate also, I'm busy looking over my shoulder so I can adjust my speed to merge, and the car in front of me stops on the on ramp,WTF !

[mwmalotte]

Originally Posted by Badmedicine

Hey ! That might have been me! I like those things and have been known to go around 2 or 3 times

Oh, on purpose is totally different!

I have been known to do a complete 360 - via a cloverleaf - just for the fun of it. It's hilarious when you have someone following you. The look on their face is priceless!

[Badmedicine]

Originally Posted by mwmalotte

Oh, on purpose is totally different!

I have been known to do a complete 360 - via a cloverleaf - just for the fun of it. It's hilarious when you have someone following you. The look on their face is priceless!

Now thats funny ! LMAO !

[MFolks]

In this state(Missouri) they have a lot of yield signs. Unfortunately most drivers here come to a complete stop instead of smoothly merging. Try this on highway onramps sometime when some yahoo slams on the brakes and then tries to get up to speed when an 18 wheeler is so close the Mac bulldog's bloodshot eyes are all you see.

These timid drivers would not last 10 minutes in Calif traffic!!

[TBPlayer]

Originally Posted by CTRider

I love the ones that decide to suddenly hold up freely moving traffic to let someone out of a side road or driveway. ...

Oh yeah, I know that one.

Someone mentioned Cali traffic up there.. I lived there for about a year and used to go down on business often. There's a freeway that goes from San Jose to Santa Cruz, highway 17, It think? When I lived there they called it "blood alley" or some such.

On the onramp there, I used to just floor it while making a sign of the cross. lol

[CTRider]

Originally Posted by mwmalotte

Have ya seen any of them get so totally confused they end up going completely around the circle a time or two? I almost fell out the car laughing at somebody once for that... they were completely confused!

I'd rather they keep going around than coming to a dead stop in it, trying to figure out where to go - or being in the center hub lane and darting across two lanes in the circle to get to their "exit".

I've see that happen many times. Going around a couple times at least keeps traffic going.

[HoopleHead]

Central Expressway in Dallas used to have very short entry ramps that just dumped you right into traffic. People would roll out to the end of the ramp and stop, as if waiting for someone to yield to them! The first solution they tried was putting traffic lights triggered by radar, far enough back so that the green light came on and you could briskly gun into the mesh. But still, half of the people would wait for the green, go to the end of the ramp and stop... grrr. Others would think the green light gave them the right of way. Nothing to do with courtesy, just bad design. I think they've fixed all those ramps now... hopefully.