I Do Not Understand This Mindset

[Sebago Son]

These things can get out of hand pretty quickly...

Notice the warped justification.... "“They were driving very slow in the passing lane,” she said. “People behind me passed on the right. ... There’s travel etiquette people practice every day,” she said, suggesting the Saturn should have pulled into the travel lane.

She also acknowledged that hand gestures were exchanged between people in the cars."

Driver in I-295 accident had twice before sideswiped cars, police records show | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

This family of 4 is lucky to be alive.

 

[Doug M.]

While there is no excuse for driving in the passing lane other than to pass, and it is even worse to do so while impeding traffic, and I have hung paper for it, her driving is atrocious. She seems to be the sort of inattentive jerk who has no idea of what they are doing at the wheel. I've stopped people I would have sworn were DUI, and they were just dumb. Happens more than you think.

 

[sceva]

Sounds like all of you drive in Illinois. When I moved here from Ohio I was amazed that there weren't even more accidents.
Standard operation procedures:
When the light turns green and your in the turn land you can just keep going thru the intersection; turing in front of the cars that not have a green light to go thru. I generally count at least 4 cars that turn left on the red and as many as six. The mindset here is that if you were stopped in the left turn lane and waited you have the right to keep going thru when it turns red again.

If you want to change lanes just edge over; with or without a signal. The other drivers should move .

My favorite; the merge lane. Here they seem to thing that those in the merge lane have the right of way over those in the thru lane. It is so ingrained that I have often seen the driver ahead of me, when the merge sign is seen, immediately move over into the merge lane and then merge back in when the lane dissapears. This when there is NO ONE else but us on the road and I stayed one to two car lengths back.

I have to think that Illinoisan's get into a LOT of accidents when they drive out of state.

 

[thebeamanater107]

I will even make extra space when I see a trucker wanting to lane change and everyone else being oblivious - and will use the appropriate headlight signal to let the trucker know I am letting him in - many of them respond with the proper lights signal in acknowledgment/thanks.

Here's something you may not know about lights since you mentioned proper light signals.

First off I Appreciate any clear signal from other drivers.

At night, it's difficult for me to judge the distance between the back of my trailer and the front of a car due to your headlights. When I'm inspecting my mirror and you flash your brights, I get blinded temporarily. Instead of flashing, turn your headlights off for a second. Leave your marker lights on of course so you don't 'disappear' but with no headlights hitting my mirror I can see the back of my trailer just fine. It essentially acts as a signal and a help at the same time.

You'll see truck drivers do this to each other. If they see you doing it, they may think you're a trucker at home for the weekend and respect you more because you know how it is not only in your town, but also in Atlanta, Chicago, new York, jersey, Boston, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Nashville... I'm sure you see my city naming pattern by now.

the original point and click interface, by Smith and Wesson

 

[jdh]

Instead of flashing, turn your headlights off for a second. Leave your marker lights on

In Chevrolets of about 2000 vintage that is easier said than done. The auto-headlight system controls them. You have to push the dome light override switch 4 times to turn them off them four more times to turn them back on.

 

[thebeamanater107]

In Chevrolets of about 2000 vintage that is easier said than done. The auto-headlight system controls them. You have to push the dome light override switch 4 times to turn them off them four more times to turn them back on.

The same story can be told of a bunch of newer cars. I see them often with automatic headlights but not automatic tail lights. They always forget to turn them on.

the original point and click interface, by Smith and Wesson

 

[Mcwsky09]

That is what I meant

Here's something you may not know about lights since you mentioned proper light signals.

First off I Appreciate any clear signal from other drivers.

At night, it's difficult for me to judge the distance between the back of my trailer and the front of a car due to your headlights. When I'm inspecting my mirror and you flash your brights, I get blinded temporarily. Instead of flashing, turn your headlights off for a second. Leave your marker lights on of course so you don't 'disappear' but with no headlights hitting my mirror I can see the back of my trailer just fine. It essentially acts as a signal and a help at the same time.

You'll see truck drivers do this to each other. If they see you doing it, they may think you're a trucker at home for the weekend and respect you more because you know how it is not only in your town, but also in Atlanta, Chicago, new York, jersey, Boston, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Nashville... I'm sure you see my city naming pattern by now.

the original point and click interface, by Smith and Wesson

That is what I meant of course. Flashing your brights is the signal that you want to pass. During the day turning your lights on then off and at might turning them off then on again is what I am talking about. I knew truckers would know this but did not spell it out as I was curious how many others would. While I hae never been a trucker I have learned this behavior simply by being observant of the behavior of others while driving.
And the acknowledgement signal from the trucker whom you have let in is to flash their lights on and off.

And what I meant by "flash" is momentarily toggle the on/off switch. Not what is perhaps a more common useage for momentarily engaging the brights.

 

[shouldazagged]

At night, it's difficult for me to judge the distance between the back of my trailer and the front of a car due to your headlights. When I'm inspecting my mirror and you flash your brights, I get blinded temporarily. Instead of flashing, turn your headlights off for a second. Leave your marker lights on of course so you don't 'disappear' but with no headlights hitting my mirror I can see the back of my trailer just fine. It essentially acts as a signal and a help at the same time.

Thanks, I've been driving for a very long time and I didn't know that technique. I almost never drive at night anymore--don't see well after dark--but I'll keep that in mind and pass it on.

 

[thebeamanater107]

That is what I meant of course. Flashing your brights is the signal that you want to pass. During the day turning your lights on then off and at might turning them off then on again is what I am talking about. I knew truckers would know this but did not spell it out as I was curious how many others would. While I hae never been a trucker I have learned this behavior simply by being observant of the behavior of others while driving.
And the acknowledgement signal from the trucker whom you have let in is to flash their lights on and off.

And what I meant by "flash" is momentarily toggle the on/off switch. Not what is perhaps a more common useage for momentarily engaging the brights.

You'll get a variety of signals from a truck. The common one I see all the time is turning the 4 way or hazard lights on, letting it blink twice, then turning them off again.

The other I use often, and what you mentioned as turning the lights off then on as a thank you, is there's a button in here that kills all the lights on the back of my trailer. When I release the button they'll come back on like normal. At night I'll push that button two or three times.

Since there's no written rules for signals, you can take anything a trucker or car does deliberately as a signal. It's just if you've never been in a truck, then you've never seen my "DOT standard clearance light switch"

the original point and click interface, by Smith and Wesson