What do other drivers do that you find very annoying?

Change lanes and/or make turns without using a blinker.

Talk, text and tailgate.

Not using the turn signal is my least favorite, too. Oh, wait, @Pachy just reminded me about phones. Staring at the phone is even worse.

It used to be running red lights, but around here red light cameras have cured most people of that, even at intersections with no cameras.

Tailgating at highway speeds is bad, too, but most of my driving is not on the expressway.

Gunning the engine by my window when I am trying to sleep.

Wait until the LAST moment to go from the left lane (at less then speed limit) to right hand lane for exit, optional to use turn signal.

Speed up in an attempt to bypass people in front of them, especially in crowded street. Why are you in such a hurry?

Not to mention when anyone get hit they come out and curse their own victim as if it’s not their fault.

Quick acceleration. Flooring it. If the math were simpler then we can have a law against acceleration and not just speed.

Not indicating (using blinkers).
Weaving through traffic and changing lanes without due care.
Incorrect roundabout use.
Stopping people merging/changing lanes.
Tailgating.

@jca are you saying you keep the gap between you, and the car in front, of you really narrow so other drivers won’t move in? Why? Why not leave a huge gap between you and the car in front of you, like 20 care lengths, a whole, huge length of highway so cars can move in and out of your lane with ease?

I don’t understand people. When I am in a hurry nobody else is; they poke along under the speed limit. If I have no where to be and all the time in the world people fly by me at ungodly speeds. WTF people! Get in sync.

When my chauffeur asks for a pay rise

Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles would be a nice start should be one car length for every 10kph.
But one of the things that annoy me the worst is idiots that do an unsafe pass just to get in front,then proceed to go slower than I was driving makes me want to just run the maggot over.

@Dutchess_III: This is a very congested highway, 3 lanes and very aggressive NY drivers. I’m in the left lane doing 80 along with the rest of traffic. We’re like ducks in a row. If I left a huge gap, it would be filled with 10 other cars and then there’d no longer be a gap.

@jca is it a 4 lane or 6 lane or 8 lane?

@SQUEEKY2 I don’t even mess with that 1 car length per 10 mph. I set my own rules. My rules call for a lot more distance than that.

3 lanes in each direction, except where there are entrance lanes, then it’s 4 lanes in each direction. In one area where another highway merges in, then it’s 5 lanes (3 lanes plus the two lanes of the highway merging in and one also is exiting simultaneously).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_684#/media/File:CT_state_line_signs_on_I-684.jpg

Regarding the 3 lane: People in the left lane are running like a bat out of hell. People in the right lane are exiting and entering. What are the people in the center lane doing?

The people in the left lane are going 80 and above. People in the right lane are either going about 65, or they may be trucks or the nuts who are weaving and using it to pass around the middle lane. People in the middle lane are also going anywhere between 60 and 80, usually.

Sometimes there will be someone in the left lane doing 65 (which is the speed limit which means you can do 80 in front of a cop and not get pulled over in busy rush hour). If someone is in the left lane doing 65, they’re getting cut off by someone coming from behind, going into either middle or right lane and then going back over in front of them.

It is really maddening when someone goes 60 or 65 in the left lane, on this road. Maybe on a Sunday it’s ok or maybe if it is late at night (like midnight), but otherwise, if someone is on this road in the left lane going 65, they really need to move over or they’ll be at risk of getting cut off.

I’m on it in the morning and again in the evening, which are hectic rush hours. If I go on it on a Saturday, everyone in the left lane (my lane) is going about 80 but not so hectic and not so aggressive.

I was just curious about the middle lane. You said they’re doing 60 to 80. Are they just doing their own thing apart from others around them?

God I hate rush hour in Wichita on 135. The highways aren’t large enough any more to handle the traffic flow, and it’s constantly under construction. It’s so freaking dangerous, although, for the most part, people are pretty courteous towards others. But you better move fast!

Yeah on this road, @Dutchess_III, the ones in the middle are doing whatever. Just going along, usually. Fortunately for me I don’t have to be at work until 9:30 so I can leave a little later and in that time frame, the roads are about 25% less crowded and less hectic. That little bit makes a big difference.

They don’t have that pressure that people in the far left do, to be nose to tail so no other cars can get inbetween them?

Cutting in front of me and then going slow. If you’re to cut me off, at least speed out of there. Ass. ;)

People are yupid, D! Good to see you!

Cutting into the right-hand lane to be the first person in line at the red light, cutting off the 3 or 4 cars behind them that could easily have turned at that corner.

You don’t actually need pole position, Andretti.

The more I think about your experience on the freeway, @jca, the more fascinating it becomes. Does everyone drive nose to tail in the fast lane so no one can cut them off?

Pretty much, @Dutchess_III. Not exactly nose to tail most of the time, but pretty close. Maybe one car length in between.

I find it extremely annoying when I encounter a driver that has absolutely no situational awareness going on as if they were out there all alone—no consideration for other drivers, etc. I try to steer clear of those dangerous, oblivious boneheads.

And the ones who insist on driving around with lights and sirens like they own the road can be especially annoying.~

It sounds incredibly dangerous, @jca. How do you ever get into the fast lane yourself?

@Espiritus_Corvu The government has made it so that those with lights and sirens can control traffic signals! If that’s not a blatant evidence of a government take over of its own citizens, I don’t know what is!

That’s my lane, @Dutchess_III! I’m going about 80.

What do you mean it’s your lane. It’s everybody’s lane who needs it. I’m asking, after you enter the freeway, merge with traffic, then move to the center lane on your way to merging into the fast lane, how do you even get into the far left, fast lane when everyone in that lane is leaving less than a car’s length between them?

I was not seriously saying I own the lane @Dutchess_III.

I signal and I get in when there’s an opening.

There are openings? From what you’ve been saying, it didn’t sound like there were ever any openings. You specifically said that when you’re driving you deliberately close the gap to keep people from “cutting you off,” when they try to merge into that lane. When I asked if all NYC drivers did that you indicated that they did. I don’t see how any safe lane changing is even possible under those conditions.

Do some drivers adjust their speed by a fraction to create a gap to let other drivers in safely so they aren’t forced to cut people off to get in? Is that how you get in? Or do you have to cut people off sometimes?

I don’t cut people off because I try to treat the other drivers the way I’d like to be treated. I will wait until there’s an opening, if it means staying in the middle lane for a while I will. As soon as I get a chance, I signal and change. There are idiots who weave in and out, and if they can’t get into the left lane, or if the left lane is not fast enough for them, they’ll cut over to the right and then back to the left to be ahead of the pack.

From your original description it sounded like the normal mode of driving for everyone on the NYC freeway was to leave maybe one car length, or less, between them and the person in front, as you do. Obviously that isn’t enough room for others to merge into safely.
It just left me puzzled as to how you, or anyone, could ever even get into that lane.
Then you said there are actually openings so I wonder where those openings come from. Are there some drivers who don’t feel the need to be on top of the driver in front and are making it possible for you, and others, to merge in safely, by slightly reducing their speed, or holding their speed steady, to make an opening for you?

People who slow down almost to a stop and THEN get into the left hand turn lane (right hand for those of you in Britain and former territories).

Many of the folks who do this then end up almost 90 degrees to the actual turn lane with their tail ends still jutting out into and partially blocking the main driving lane.

People who wait until the last minute to slow down for a red light or stop sign so you are left staring into your rear view mirror watching helpless as someone is barrelling down on your defenseless rear end hoping they are not on the phone.

@Dutchess_III: It might be because when I get on, there’s also just been an exit, so there will be a space because someone or several just exited.

Can you explain thiatto me, @jca? I’ve driven on I5, near Seattle, and on the freeways around Joplin and St. Louis, freeways around KC, on that twisted freeway mess around Tulsa, around DC, and I’ve never seen an exit or entrance ramp directly onto and off of the fast, left lane. I’ve seen the left lanes split off to another direction but I wouldn’t call it an exit, because it’s just a direction change, usually onto another highway. And when that happens, that far left lane is no longer the fast lane for the highway heading in the original direction because it’s gone. What used to be the center lane becomes the fast lane.
Can you describe it to me? Maybe an aerial picture?

@Dutchess_III: I’m saying that when I get on the entrance, there’s just been an exit so there may be a gap in the left lane because people from all lanes who were exiting have just gotten over to the right to get off. So when I enter (in the right lane) I’m driving in the right lane until I can move to middle, and then in middle until I can move to left.

So, the entrances and exits are all from the far right lane?

I keep thinking about this. I find it really hard to believe that every NYC freeway driver drives with such an utter lack of consideration. It’s hard to believe that everyone deliberately prevents other drivers from changing lanes, or merging into the fast lane, by keeping only 1 car length, or less, between them. It’s hard to believe that not a single driver checks their speed, or adjusts in any way to allow for the smooth flow of traffic into and out of that lane, or any lane?
Well, I guess they view it as competition, not a cooperative, which is a very dangerous way to drive.
However, I would also bet that not every driver actually drives that way. We tend to assume everyone is doing the same thing we’re doing, without really observing the nuances around us.
I would bet that people are checking to create an opening for you @jca, and you just don’t realize it.

Here’s one example of an entrance ramp that plops you into the left lane. It’s rare but it happens.

In the picture you can see two cars going north that are about to merge into the left lane of I-94, just before they go under the bridge labeled W Randolph St.

Photo

@Dutchess_III: I don’t really think about it much or analyze it, I just do it and deal with it. Like I said, when I’m on it it’s a bit less crowded than the height of rush hour, as I don’t have to be at work till 9:30, so I’m not leaving until 8:30 or 8:45 or so.

@Call_Me_Jay, I bet it’s rare! How insane. At least the folks we can see in the other lane appear to be staggered, hopefully deliberately, to allow for it.
Some people do that. I do that. I leave a huge space to allow people to move in and out comfortably, and I never get cut off. I see idiot drivers approaching, zig zagging in and out and I immediate adjust to give him room in front of me to be an idiot without killing _me_in the process.

1. FOLLOWING TO CLOSELY, ESPECIALLY FOR SPEED AND CONDITIONS.

Of all the safe driving practices this is by far the easiest to execute. How fucking hard is it to ease slightly off the throttle? Really? Something is eventually going to go wrong. Why the fuck insure it will be unavoidable or worse by refusing yourself adequate room to brake and or maneuver??

The importance of this habit increases with traffic speed, conditions and density. If I’m traveling at a buck thirty appropriate following distance is about a quarter mile.

2. YOU ALL CLEARLY HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH SOME OF US DEPEND ON YOUR COMMUNICATING YOUR INTENTIONS WITH YOUR TURN INDICATORS.

My appropriate gear ratio is constantly changing due to a multitude of factors. The sooner you consult your signal the more time I have to select the proper gear (other factors in front of us included) in response.

Those of you that brake and then signal are cretins first class. One of the purposes of signalling is to warn those behind you that you will likely be braking soon.

3. LANE. GODDAMN. DISCIPLINE.

Keep right except to pass. Fucking please?. Not only does this improve traffic flow but it reduces the chance of accidents due to large disparities in vehicle speed. I don’t give a fuckin’ fuck about your cruise control or econ light. Wake the fuck up and don’t dawdle around in the passing lane.

4. USE THE RULES ON THE BOOKS AND YOUR INTUITION TO DRIVE PREDICTABLY.

Don’t freaking shift to a left lane if there is no reason to do so. Not passing a car in front of you, keep your blovin’ lane. Do not make maneuvers that make no sense based on the situation around you. Thanks??

5. GET THE FUCK OFF MY ASS.

Believe me, I am traveling, or reacting as quickly as possible, given conditions. So I didn’t leave the intersection the millisecond the light turned green. In order to move forward I have to declutch, access first gear and then engage the clutch. This takes a half second or two. If you cannot comprehend this, sell your poser, girly, pansy ass Lexus RX and buy a bus pass.

My car brakes on a dime, does yours?

6. WAKE THE HELL UP.

Operating a motor vehicle on our highways and streets is a full time, fully engaged, interactive project.

Put down the smartphone, latte, triple cheeseburger, newspaper.

Fucking drive.

Somebody mad!

^ Mad?

No, I never, as they say, turn a wheel in anger.

If you do not understand my sentiment, either driving is something you do not do, or you are one of the offenders I mention above.

Lives are at stake.

Be less glib.

LOL! I understand it perfectly. I just don’t get quite so outraged because of memories.

Memories?

I’m sure I’ll be subjected to these hazardous offenses tomorrow.

Shall we continue?

@SecondHandStoke: The assumption of “mad” was probably due to your harsh language.

^ Some things hit close to home.

“I’m sure I’ll be subjected to these hazardous offenses tomorrow.” I also don’t get enraged over things that haven’t happened yet!
WAIT WAIT!!! I totally agree 100% with everything you said about people tailgating, leaving room for others to move in and out of your lane smoothly, easily and safely, signaling intentions, and giving people time to react to those signals, and that ”driving is a full time, fully engaged, interactive project.” Yes. It’s something that requires your full attention and awareness of everything around you, not just the bumper of the car in front of you.

You know when you are waiting to turn left out of a parking lot and someone going that way stops to turn in so they block your turn? And then once the traffic going right leaves a break that you could both get through if he only went and then he does a u-turn effectively blocking you and then you have to wait for the next lot of traffic to go by and by that time there is someone else waiting to turn in. Yeah, I hate that.

This is actually about pedestrians: When you are crossing a driveway or roadway I am trying to turn into and you turn and look at me then turn away and continue to saunter across with your earbuds in you could at least acknowledge my presence, wave or just perhaps nod to show you are grateful I chose not to make you a hood ornament and for Christs sake speed up your privileged, entitled ass just a little.

^^^^ Right?

If they’re turning left and they first pull to the right, so they take a nice wide left, but in the meanwhile nobody can pass them because they’re taking up more than their lane.

@SecondHandStoke I am glad what you said bothers others as well.
People seem to drive in a trance these days, as long as I am not touching my smart phone it’s just fine to talk, text, and email while driving, yeah sure while your hands may be on the wheel and your eyes on the road your mind sure the fuck isn’t why don’t people get that?

Please remember to leave the semis extra room while it seems everyone can’t stand being behind one even at the speed limit, just pass when safe to do so and here is the big part GO AWAY don’t just park your dumb ass in front of us it makes us truckers want to squash you like a maggot.

Here is a big one once in a while check ALL the lights on your vehicle make sure they are working, you have no idea on how many nice newer type vehicles I see on the road with quite a few lights not working on them.
It takes no effort to check the lights from time to time.

Something I find extremely annoying is when drivers, at a stop sign, don’t come to a complete stop. They keep their wheels rolling a little. It leaves me, the oncoming driver, at 65 or 70 mph, wondering if they’re so impatient to pull out that they aren’t even paying attention and they’re just ready to go in an instant!!!
I hate that. It causes me to slow down ever so slightly, go on high alert and look for places to throw my car at if they do pull out unexpectedly.

Why do people do that? Why don’t they think about what they’re doing? Why don’t they analyze the traffic around them and put themselves in other people’s shoes? I do. It’s not hard to do.

@Dutchess_III It’s because they are busy on their hands free cell phones texting,talking and emailing god who knows.

Well, most of them have their heads up, and when I flash my lights they do come to a full stop. I don’t think they even realize they’re doing it.
If a person is looking down at his lap AND rolling….now that seriously freaks me out.