Comments on: Offensive Driving

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 00:18:55 +0000

Zipping along in the disappearing lane is indeed for dicks. We comment on this often while waiting to turn left at a major light on our way home, as the zipdicks do their zipdicking right by us and cut in ten, twelve cars up the line. This is not the situation.

What this is, is a merge onto a freeway or a major street. The lane that is disappearing is either marked with square dashes or not delineated. We, the mergers, are well aware that our lane is disappearing, and have matched speed with traffic, but cannot merge due to the opinion of much of the general public that turn signals mean “Pass me on THIS side.” As a result of repeatedly not being let in, we are forced to squeeze in where there is suboptimal space.

I’ve ridden with zipdicks, but I didn’t marry one.

By: Kelson

Kelson — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 04:30:31 +0000

Wait, so driving recklessly is justified if you don’t like the other driver? I must re-read the driver’s handbook!

By: anon-a-john

anon-a-john — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 01:17:51 +0000

I’ve seen many cases where I’d side with the guy giving you a hard
time, so I’d need to see the events that transpired before the
incident to make a judgment.

If you both are on relatively open road, and you are in unfamiliar
terroritory, and he decides to be a dick about letting you in… clearly
his fault. He’s out of line (bad citizen) in that case–although the guy
trying to merge usually is legally obligated to yield.

However, suppose you are both in heavy traffic (rush hour) in a spot
where it’s well known that three lanes go down to two. Most drivers
(95%) already had shifted lanes left 1/2 mile back cause they knew it
was coming. Now you come along, and figure why wait behind the rest
of the honest guys, so you floor it and zip along the (soon to be gone)
right lane passing 20-30 cars. When finally the lane starts to narrow,
you try to force your way in. Of course, the guy’s going to try to stop
you. He waited in line like a civilized person, and you tried to cheat.

I’ve seen it before.

Or in the case of much slower speeds (5 mph), where cars are taking
turns (1 from the main lane, 1 from the merging lane, etc.) I’ve seen
a merging car or groups of them try to “rape” someone in the main
lane by violating the taking turns rule and forcing in extra vehicles.
Again, the guy in the main lane has the right of way and he’s not being
a dick to expect you to play by the rules.

I don’t know which case applied to you (he indeed may be wrong but
we can’t decide without evidence.

By: Shay

Shay — Sat, 07 May 2005 06:57:06 +0000

Yup drivers now days are always in a rush, they think they own the road, they think they don’t even have to use their turn signal (why use it, cops don’t even use it), turn signal is optional in most newer vehicles (j/k).

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 25 Jul 2003 22:04:02 +0000

Heh. Some people must be so in love with their cars they want to be buried in them…..

By: stacy

stacy — Thu, 24 Jul 2003 18:06:05 +0000

Or do they actually want me to go off the side of the road and crash into a ditch?

I’d say yes. Look at how many people stop to see accidents, but don’t stop to let pedestrians cross the road.

For a nation so in love with our cars, you’d think we’d be better drivers.