Road Rage, revisited.

[MossRoad]

Many dents can be repaired without breaking the paint.

True. We had a car pummeled by hail. They did paintless dent removal on most of the car. Never could tell.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Here's a question for people who live in other states... when entering a controlled access highway, do the signs say to "Yield" or to "Merge"? It's the former here but I suspect that we are in the minority. That could lead to friction when resident's from other places are here or vice versa.

Out here they say "yield"..... unfortunately, the drivers here don't understand what that means.
They speed up down the on ramps and forcefully merge into traffic.... usually causing the through traffic to slam on the brakes, either causing a subsequent backup or an accident.

 

[MossRoad]

I knew what you meant. However, what I see is signs that say
"Construction 1/2 mile"
"merge"
yet some will stay in the open lane until it ends, then force their way into the line.
That's why I say I wish they would enforce the speed limit in those areas.

Yep. That causes a lot of frustration in traffic. What I see a lot of is people trying to merge where they are told to merge, and others not letting them in. So they have to come to a stop and wait for the mercy of someone in the line to stop and let them in. After 3-4 cars won't let them in, and they're stuck there, people behind them get angry and go around them and fly up along the line and try to get in. No one lets them in, but still have to mash their brakes, and that causes traffic pulsation behind them, and everybody waits.

If people would just slow down, space themselves out, and let both lanes zipper together, everyone would get through much faster.

 

[Jstpssng]

Out here they say "yield"..... unfortunately, the drivers here don't understand what that means.
They speed up down the on ramps and forcefully merge into traffic.... usually causing the through traffic to slam on the brakes, either causing a subsequent backup or an accident.

OK, I guess that is a nationwide problem.

That's illegal in Indiana, too. You are required to move over to let faster traffic pass, even if you are already speeding yourself. I love it!

I believe that any LEO will tell them that it's not their job to enforce the speed limit.
Another law which many (most) states have on the books is that it's illegal to speed up while somebody is trying to pass you. That's more for secondary roads and nearly impossible to enforce, yet it is a law.

 

[tacticalturnip]

Here's a question for people who live in other states... when entering a controlled access highway, do the signs say to "Yield" or to "Merge"? It's the former here but I suspect that we are in the minority. That could lead to friction when resident's from other places are here or vice versa.

Last Friday I was on 95 heading south to Portland when someone attempted to either 'merge' into me, or force me to 'merge' with the Nissan Leaf in the left lane; I don't know how I pulled off what I did. The wife and I were in my Ram half-ton, roughly around Yarmouth, when a lovely individual in 1 ton dump truck showed just how little understanding they have of road signs. Understand I would typically be in the left lane as I pass an entrance ramp; courtesy of course, but in this instance there was a nice, new, Nissan Leaf occupying that space. So, vehicle ahead of me, Leaf to my left, this driver of the year decides that 'yield' means 'merge' and that physics can be damned. He does not, at any point in time, slow down or make any attempt to not become one with me at a molecular level. It seems I can not speed up, I can't slow down enough to make a difference, and I can't just switch lanes.

Somehow the stars aligned and between my acceleration and presumably that Leaf realizing what was happening, I got ahead of that Leaf, and then went back to the right lane ahead of the vehicle that had been ahead of me so as to avoid the vehicle in front of the Leaf. It was absolutely ridiculous, and I don't know how I pulled that off. Anyhow, that dude in the white, one-ton, Ford dump truck can choke on one.

 

[MossRoad]

Hey, at least they're friendly enough to wave!

Yeah, that's a good point. See, we can always look at the bright side of things.

 

[Jstpssng]

Last Friday I was on 95 heading south to Portland when someone attempted to either 'merge' into me, or force me to 'merge' with the Nissan Leaf in the left lane; I don't know how I pulled off what I did. The wife and I were in my Ram half-ton, roughly around Yarmouth, when a lovely individual in 1 ton dump truck showed just how little understanding they have of road signs. Understand I would typically be in the left lane as I pass an entrance ramp; courtesy of course, but in this instance there was a nice, new, Nissan Leaf occupying that space. So, vehicle ahead of me, Leaf to my left, this driver of the year decides that 'yield' means 'merge' and that physics can be damned. He does not, at any point in time, slow down or make any attempt to not become one with me at a molecular level. It seems I can not speed up, I can't slow down enough to make a difference, and I can't just switch lanes.

Somehow the stars aligned and between my acceleration and presumably that Leaf realizing what was happening, I got ahead of that Leaf, and then went back to the right lane ahead of the vehicle that had been ahead of me so as to avoid the vehicle in front of the Leaf. It was absolutely ridiculous, and I don't know how I pulled that off. Anyhow, that dude in the white, one-ton, Ford dump truck can choke on one.

It sounds like he has the "I'm bigger than you, so get out of my way" syndrome. With exceptions, that's more common in people driving full sized trucks and SUVs than those driving 80K tractor trailers.
It's also why I gave up riding motorcycles 30+ years ago.

 

[tacticalturnip]

It sounds like he has the "I'm bigger than you, so get out of my way" syndrome. With exceptions, that's more common in people driving full sized trucks and SUVs than those driving 80K tractor trailers.
It's also why I gave up riding motorcycles 30+ years ago.

The biggest advocates of this philosophy that I've dealt with were South Koreans, lol; they've got one big highway running up through the country, and the large trucks rule the road. Driving there certainly took some time to adapt to; thankfully, what I drove was always fairly large, but I had to learn to be aggressive.

 

[LouNY]

I wish we had the switch for town and country horns.
My RAM horn is completely obnoxious way to loud and and you can't get a friendly beep how are you out of it.
Been several times I wanted to be able to give just a gentle tap to either say hello to someone or to get there attention without
a damned blaring horn and you (at least I can't) get a polite beep out of it just an instant loud BLARE.

 

[jaxs]

I always say "don't get mad,get even"but that doesn't mean what some think it does. In the case at hand,what can be done that hasn't been done already,,,,,,,,within reason.
Me first.
If an individuals testimony can send criminals to jail,why can't his testimony bring dangerous drivers before a judge? In this day of dash cam and other recordings, why can't exceptionally dangerous driving caught on tape be submitted to police for evaluation? Obviously there would be need for checks and bounds, but we have those every day for other issues. First is how to prevent petty,retalitory and such being submitted? Images must be accompanied by sworn statements to clearly defined questions. After asking ourselves what happens to people lying under oath every day already,what will happen to those proved to have entered false statements? I've just about answered my own question when I look at the number of false Amber Alerts filed. Well whada you tink?

 

[tacticalturnip]

I wish we had the switch for town and country horns.
My RAM horn is completely obnoxious way to loud and and you can't get a friendly beep how are you out of it.
Been several times I wanted to be able to give just a gentle tap to either say hello to someone or to get there attention without
a damned blaring horn and you (at least I can't) get a polite beep out of it just an instant loud BLARE.

You're right on the money with the RAM horns, they're ridiculous. My previous trucks, all older GM's, had horns that reacted just right to how I hit the button.

 

[jaxs]

I wish we had the switch for town and country horns.
My RAM horn is completely obnoxious way to loud and and you can't get a friendly beep how are you out of it.
Been several times I wanted to be able to give just a gentle tap to either say hello to someone or to get there attention without
a damned blaring horn and you (at least I can't) get a polite beep out of it just an instant loud BLARE.

Here you go Lou,you need 2 horns,,,,,,,or 3
Blue for hi there good looking.
Red for I hear you sweety,hi to yourself
Black for,,,,,help me out here,I've forgot

 

[LouNY]

You would be surprised by the number of complaints called in to 911 about other drivers on the road.
I have a multi band scanner in the kitchen and listen to it frequently.
99% of the complaints that are called in the caller has refused to sign a complaint.

 

[LouNY]

Here you go Lou,you need 2 horns,,,,,,,or 3
Blue for hi there good looking.
Red for I hear you sweety,hi to yourself
Black for,,,,,help me out here,I've forgot

My wife wouldn't like the blue one

 

[MossRoad]

I wish we had the switch for town and country horns.
My RAM horn is completely obnoxious way to loud and and you can't get a friendly beep how are you out of it.
Been several times I wanted to be able to give just a gentle tap to either say hello to someone or to get there attention without
a damned blaring horn and you (at least I can't) get a polite beep out of it just an instant loud BLARE.

One of my kids has a Subaru. The horn is itty bitty. More of a hello than a HEY!

 

[jaxs]

Seriously,it's pretty simple to route horn button wire to a sp/dt switch that selects OE horn relay or optional add on horn relay. Even easier if you want only one horn. Select horn you like the sound of,find existing relay near horn,disconnect factory horn and connect the new AHh Ugga in it's place.

 

[jaxs]

My wife wouldn't like the blue one

Well yea there's that and then you never know when the tatted guy wearing high heels and mini skirt might think you are tooting at him.

 

[ponytug]

I have an air horn on one of my trucks. It's other horn is more of a refined butler, "pardon me sir, dinner is served" itty bitty horn. It is the first vehicle that I have owned that had an air horn.

I was intrigued to discover that nobody responds any differently to the air horn than the itty bitty, so I'm not sure that horn escalation is the answer.

I rarely use either one.

The truck is 11' 8" high and 96" wide, and people still insist on pulling in right in front of my bumper. I don't get it.

No, I don't miss Boston drivers, but I do think that driving around here seems to be worse post-Covid. Of course, it could just be me. Whether that is due to lack of practice or background grumpiness I don't know, but I do know that my driving aggressively isn't going to help either one.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Jstpssng]

You would be surprised by the number of complaints called in to 911 about other drivers on the road.
I have a multi band scanner in the kitchen and listen to it frequently.
99% of the complaints that are called in the caller has refused to sign a complaint.

That would be me. When I called last night it was only to make sure that I wasn't in trouble. I was a bit shocked to see those two dents in the side of my bed... what kind of idiot attacks a moving pickup?

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

There was an idiot in a BMW that passed us on a winding back country 2 lane road, no passing zone, on a curve. Then proceeded at a high rate of speed, until he was up the back end of another car in front of him. They did the same thing again to that car.

When stuff like that happens, I always think to myself "well, maybe they have a family emergency" or something to that effect.

Sure enough, about another 5 miles down the road, there he was.... pulled over by an officer. I would normally just mumble "good riddance" and move on... Not this time.... I pulled over safely, got out and approached the officer. I showed him my badge, and proceeded to tell him what I witnessed this driver do. He thanked me for my concern, but stated that he didn't witness the offense, so he couldn't do anything about it.

All I could hope for was that the driver got a hefty speeding ticket. I would bet that the driver didn't care if he did get a ticket.

The worst part came 2 days later. I watched the same vehicle, around the same area, do the same thing again to 2 cars. He was going the other direction this time. My guess is they drive like that all the time.