Poll: Things that drive you up the wall

[MiskWisk]

Drivers of the escapist hear me!

I have a simple question. When driving, what do you find most annoying? We all have things that we see people on the road doing which is either extremely annoying, dangerous or both. I want to focus on the annoying side though. In the poll options, I put some of the things I find annoying when I drive (in no particular order) and would like to see what the good people of the escapist feel.

Personally speaking, I find people not indicating the most annoying thing as they seem to have completely forgotten the whole bloody point of the indicators. As a result, it has led to me nearly getting hit (when I first started driving and thought people where sensible) to me waiting more time than I should have because they turned off before they got to me but didn't indicate. I mean, how did they pass? I swear the driving test counts not indicating as a fault. Do they think that once they're not being marked there is no need to alert other drivers to your intentions?

Anyway, opinions below and if you vote other, please say what.

 

[Dirge Eterna]

For me its people passing in the right lane on the freeway. Especially when they are doing 10 or more miles faster than traffic. If all the lanes are full and you use the slow lane to pass someone or cut someone off and you get in an accident you deserve it. Also people using exit lanes or lanes that are ending soon to try to get ahead of other cars and cutting them off. Lately I have seen idiots use turn lanes in the center of the road or right turn lanes to pass people, drives me nuts. I hate L.A. traffic, it seems like every one out here who drives a BMW, Mercedes or Cadillac has to pass an asshole test in order to own one.

 

[madwarper]

All of the above? Though, I'd have to add two things.

Taking their half out of the middle. If anyone is familiar with the Manayunk Bridge over the Schuykill, coming down from Green Lane, you know what I'm talking about. At the intersection with Main St., just before the Bridge, Green Lane goes from two lanes to three preparing for the Bridge, which is four lanes. However, ignorant assholes in the left lane like to try to drive down the center of the bridge's two lanes, practically driving those in the right lane off the road, up onto the sidewalk.

Coming to a complete stop at a highway on ramp. I don't know where these imbeciles learn to drive like this. When approaching an on ramp, you're supposed to be accelerating to the speed of traffic so you can merge. You do not go up to the point of merging and come to a complete fucking stop.

 

[Juste Goose]

Keeping the bights on and tailgating annoy me, but not as much as undeserved honking.

Like when I got honked at for stopping at a stop sign.

Or when a lady went straight in a 'turn only' lane, almost hit me, and flipped me off and honked like it was my fault.

Fuck other people.

 

[lechat]

reading this thread is starting to make me angry.

people who go slower than the speed limit especially when in the overtaking lane. compound that by having 3 or more morons all doing less than the speed limit side by side like some sort of fuckwit ballet to guarantee you never have a chance to pass.

people who slow down when approaching a motorway on ramp especially those who get right to the end of the merge and slam on the breaks making it hard for those behind them and those in the other lane to know what the fuck they are gonna do (in australia they have right of way)

 

[mitchell271]

Not indicating or indicating wrong. It really pisses me off because it means I don't know what a 5 ton hunk of metal going at 40+km/h is going! I'd rather avoid getting hit with one of those.

On second thoughts, this one is worse. Because I'm a student, I bike a lot more than I drive. I follow all the laws, signal everywhere and I'm safe about how I bike. The worst thing for me is getting honked at while I'm in the goddamn bike lane for going too slow or having people come within 15cm of clipping my handlebars and they're going 4 times my speed. Respect those cyclists people!

 

[Able Seacat]

People who drive slower than me are idiots and people who drive faster are maniacs. I drive the correct speed all the time so there.

People who tailgate, just back up a bit.

 

[Miyenne]

I find people who drive too slowly the most irritating.

If the traffic is light and everyone is going the speed limit or just a bit over, driving slower than the flow of traffic will cause accidents because people expect everyone to be going the same speed, and if someone's not 100% focused that will cause problems.

 

[Dango]

I don't drive so I guess mine is people telling me to learn to drive.

 

[IndomitableSam]

The people who stop like 20 feet behind another car. For fuck's sake, learn your car's dimensions and stop a few feet away from the next car. You could be blocking turn-offs or entrances to other lanes, or people could have judged how many cars would fit before they were left sitting in an intersection because you can't fucking drive, and, I'm sorry, but if you leave more than like 5 feet between you and the next car, you're a douche. It just causes so many problems behind you and you obviously don't give a shit about anyone but yourself.

... Yes, I do drive downtown to and from work every day. How can you tell?

 

[Mr Fixit]

This video sums up my feelings on the matter perfectly. I really need to watch my road rage.

Spoiler

 

[NoMercy Rider]

Something I will add (though every single one of these things bother me), talking or texting on their phone while driving. If I see my life flash before my eyes due to incredibly erratic and dangerous driving, 9 times out of 10 that driver is either talking or texting on their phone, paying absolutely no attention to other drivers on the road. Or when the light turns green and it takes the first car 10 seconds before moving. I can see into their rearview mirror and see their eyes are pointing at their laps, hmmm... it's no mystery what you are doing there, fella.

 

[Uncle Comrade]

Large queues caused by people just sticking in the wrong lane. I know you aren't supposed to undertake people, but when you're in the practically-empty slow lane, and the fast lane is full of cars doing 10 below the limit, you don't have a lot of choice.

 

[Jamieson 90]

Tailgating, really fucking annoying especially when you're doing the speed limit (I don't speed, not worth it; as a young person insurance is already fucking high enough, don't want any accidents to add to it).

Failing to indicate or not indicating correctly; yesterday I was behind a driver who went onto a roundabout whilst indicating right, so I thought he was getting off at the third exit, only for him to veer off at the 2nd (straight ahead), and to make matters worse he didn't indicate left to signal he was coming off either.

Drivers that block 'keep clear,' areas at junctions preventing people from emerging from said junctions, especially when there's a red light ahead and traffic isn't moving. God that makes my blood boil.

Lastly people who don't know how filters work, I had a woman (3rd into junction) try come across me from my right at a crossroads while I was just turning left only for her to nearly smash into the side of my car, even worse she didn't notice me slamming on my breaks whilst swerving to the left and kept driving on whilst totally oblivious. Yeah ***** that filter can go off too because ya know why else would we be moving????

 

[JaceArveduin]

Going for inconsistent speed myself. I mean, seriously, how hard is it when you're on a an interstate to just pick a speed and throw the cruise on? Even if you're going slower than the limit, if you've got your cruise set to something I'll usually just shrug it off and set mine about the same, but if you're going 55, then 65, then 60, then 58, then 62, I start getting annoyed because I hate having to constantly adjust my cruise

 

[moggett88]

Driving too slow. Being stuck behind someone when you're trying to get somewhere is infuriating, never more so than when they're in the fast lane too.

If you drive slow and you stick to the slow lane fair enough, but those who kid themselves that they belong in the fast lane really rile me!!

This. Even if they are 5 mph below the limit and you're only going 5 minutes down the road, my blood immediately boils...

 

[GundamSentinel]

Tailgating. Really, fuck those people. I generally drive bang-on the speed limit, so there's no reason to be on my ass.

Not indicating is a distant second. It's an annoyance, but little more than that.

 

[Trivun]

People driving slowly pisses me off a hell of a lot, when there's a 30 mph speed limit I can understand going at 28/9 mph, but driving at 20 or less is just as dangerous as going too fast. Also, another thing that makes me angry is selfish fucking pricks who hit a parked car and don't bother to leave a fucking note, or to look for the person who owns the car (who is sitting in the office building right opposite) and sort out insurance details, but just drives off because they fucking think they can get away with it. People like that need to have their own piece of crap keyed and then force them to pay fo the damages to their own car and the person they wronged in the first fucking place.

In case it wasn't clear, that happened to me when I was at work today. I have to hope now that we have CCTV on the residential street at the front of the office building, otherwise it's coming out of my pocket because some prick decided to cut and run when they did something wrong.

Also, I apologise to the mods for my rant, but I'm pretty angry about it. I've actually toned down my feelings a bit for the sake of not getting disciplined here...

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Oh man, so many tempting poll options. How to choose just one?

Some of my biggest peeves...

1. Not signaling for a turn until you're in the fucking intersection. I've been driven to a murderous rage by this. If you realize only at the very last second you need to be turning left, suck it up and turn left one street down. If you block an entire lane of traffic because you couldn't be bothered to signal early, you are a douche nozzle.

2. Driving erratically. Weaving in and out of lanes. Zoom zoom! You probably think you are in Top Gun and amazing everyone with your leet driving skills. What makes driving work is when everyone BEHAVES PREDICTABLY. Your rapid lane shifts and constant speed changes are putting everyone at risk.

3. CYCLISTS. Motherfuckers, you want respect? Start by SHOWING respect. The rules of the road apply to you too. Sure, you're not going to kill anyone crashing a bike into them, but all the motorists who have to swerve to avoid your stupid, rule flaunting ass can.

4. PEDESTRIANS. There are also rules for you! That flashing orange hand is NOT BECKONING YOU OUT INTO THE INTERSECTION. Your crazy fucking jaywalking bullshit is putting you AND motorists at risk. You are not the President. You are not the Pope. You can wait a whole fucking minute for the cross now light, or walk 3 feet to a proper crosswalk.

5. Crowding. Not so much tailgating, but just following WAY too close for the speed of the road. You need to leave yourself reaction time, guys, you are not the Flash and things can change in a big bloody hurry. If I leave two car lengths in front of me on the freeway, that is not a signal for you to slide your stupid ass in there.