Maybe I'm the asshole, but it seems like no one has any idea what a turn signal is, what it means, or how to react to one.  I was driving to Home Depot the other day and needed to get into the left lane to turn so I put my signal on.  It was a busy time of day so I had to grab a relatively small opening to change lanes and the car that was running up behind me in that lane swerved left and honked.  Hey dummy, what do you think that blinking light means?  Did you think I was taking a low rent way of making my truck 'flashy'?  It's called a SIGNAL for a reason.

After flipping the bird, I thought, "Maybe it's me.  This has happened a couple of times in recent weeks, maybe my turn signal is out and for all intents and purposes I'm driving like a jerkoff."  So I check my signals when I stop - nope.  Working just fine.  Did these people take a different curriculum in Driver's Ed than I did?  Because I learned to slow down to avoid running up someone's ass when someone merges in front of you, not swerve and honk.  Maybe that's part of the Revised Fifth Edition or something.

This happened last week, too.  I'm merging left because of road construction.  Blinker was on for a solid three minutes beforehand.  Dipshit in a PT Cruiser honks and swerves left, only to re-merge right.  Smart guy, did you maybe see that line of cars to your right?  All with their signals on?  THEY'RE COMING OVER.  In this traffic, that 50 foot space in front of you means that someone is moving into it.  Use your brakes.  Brakes don't work?  Fix 'em, this is the city you need your brakes all the time.  Your foot is on the brake pedal more than the gas.

Of course, I could stay parked, but even then I'm not safe from idiocy.  I worked all day yesterday, at a couple of different places.  Second place I went to, I parked on a nice open corner, with my nose a little past the "NO PARKING ––>" sign, specifically so I wouldn't have to do a lot of backing and forthing in my F-250 to get out.  When I parked, the place was clear - I was only the second car on that block, the other being a carlength behind me.  When I come out a few hours later the space behind me is filled, with very little rooms to spare.  Fine.  The 'space'  in front if me is likewise full, by some Rhodes scholar who figured that their Corolla needed to be right on my bumper, with their nose poking out into the street.  Not in any of the open spots within 100 yards, of which there were plenty, but right on my chin.  It took seven minutes of backing and forthing to get out, because I'm a pussycivilized human being.  What I wish I had done was to ease up to their rear bumper, put 'er in low gear and see if my truck could push it forward to give myself some maneuvering space.  Hell, I even had some carpet scraps that I could've used for padding.  Whatever.  Any dings that their bumper accumulated in my efforts?  They can take them to the body shop and CRAM IT UP THEIR ASS.

Cup holders
Cell phones
and Texting does not help

I was waiting for your post to have "Posted Via AR15.com Mobile" on it.  

Maryland.

it used to be that the requirements for getting a driver's license was fogging a mirror

apparently lately they have removed even that requirement.

people pay NO attention to what is going on around them.
NONE

I was waiting for the same thing as I was reading it.  

And I agree that people dont know how to drive anymore! I drive about 20 miles on I-95 to work everyday and you yankees really can't drive.

Yes people are WAY fucking worse.

As for being blocked in. Some asshat in a riced out beat to shit honda complete with mexican flag hanging from the rear view parked (in a no parking spot) with his nose UNDER the hitch and back bumper of my dually. which has a small lift and larger tires.  Im like WTF i hope there is room in the front ...... Nope asshole in the front back into my from license plate and parked about 1 1/2 -2in from that bumper.  

I go back into the pizza joint and ask around .. No one owns or admits to owning either car. I go into the )ethnically non deverse and no english speaking) bar and try to ask around... nada.

By now my pizzas were cold and I was hot.  Got in my truck , fired it up and held down my horn .... nada. 4x4 , reverse up onto the nose of the honda then turn left some and go foward. push the other shitbox some with the front bumper, reverse farther onto the honda and make my turn to get out.

Called the local PD and told them... They said no problem we will go ticket and tow the honda! Fucking win

My favorite is when I park on a very long road that is completely empty, then come out later to find a car an inch from my front bumper and another an inch from the rear bumper, with about a mile of open space on that road to park.



What the fuck is wrong with those people?



 

It's not just Maryland, I was sitting behind someone in a little town called Manchester friday at a stop sign and I waited and waited and waited for whomever to go. No traffic, I finally honked and the person waved me around, as I pulled past her, there she is, sitting at the stop sign texting, she could have pulled across the intersection and parked her car at any place along the street [residential]. I just drove past, shook my head in the "pitiful" way and hoped that whatever she ends up hitting someday will be stationary like a tree and not someone's property or a moving vehicle.

Dude, I've been on the turnpike.  I've seen Jersey drivers.  Pot, meet kettle.

Public = honey badger. It doesn't give a shit. It just does what it wants.

This

Yep.  Don't forget to add "entitled".

I've been in the S. PG area for 8 years now, and it gets worse every day.   I swear to God, it seems like now every time you go to pass someone (perfectly legit in the fast lane etc) they try to edge over and block you.  I seems as if people would actually rather get into an accident instead letting you merge (normally, not granny style).

The illegals in this country are discovering that driving is a bit different than riding a fucking burro....

I've been a licensed driver for 16 years, and I've driven all around the country. From where I sit, nothing has really changed other than how much I let myself get annoyed at it.



If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that every one of those drivers we complain about, is convinced that everybody else on the road drives like an asshole. We can't all be good drivers, and yet I've never met somebody who didn't share the opinion that everyone else drives like shit.



I think about shit like this.

Maryland indeed. Brother, I think this has a lot to do with it.

I drive a tractor/trailer on a route that can include MD, DC, and northern VA every day.

Most motorists seem to have some kind of death wish.

My safe following distance is apparently everyone's personal merge space.

Now I haven't hit anyone, but don't be suprised if a truck rear-ends you when you cut over in front of him with no blinker and then jam on your brakes. 80,000 lb vehicles can't stop like a 2200 lb Prius.

But you are correct, this region has the absolute WORST drivers around.

My wife and i went into the big city for some gricery shopping on Saturday and my God!
Folks were driving like they were all on drugs!
After I got into the lot and parked my wife remarked how she is going to stop coming along with me what with all the bitching i was doing and then pointed out that it was the first of October,,,
All the checks came out today, welfare, social security, all that jazz.
No wonder the idiots were on the prowl!

I've noticed that stop signs have become invisible to most people.

What really gets me is, that there won't be a vehicle behind me, but the ass licker still has to pull out in front of me right before I get to the intersection.

I made the mistake of going into town yesterday also. Went to WalMart and the wife wanted to leave the windows cracked open to keep the car from getting hot! I had to explain to her the day and location. She rolled the windows up.

You won't see me arguing that point.



 

I call it the 2Fast 2Furious effect. People think the accelerator is the solution to any problem when a tap on the brakes would handle it better without driving like a douchebag and cutting me off.

Actual drivers are few and far between for the most part. Motor vehicle operators on the other hand...

That sounds like the proper way to navigate a traffic circle around here, but you left out lighting a cigarette, applying makeup, texting, or reading a book.





 

I've driven a lot on the Jersey Turnpike and NYC.  DC metro area is worse.

Cutbacks to Drivers Ed programs, cell phones, texting, etc...

No doubt in my mind that todays drivers are worse than they used to be.

Oh, and throw in the blatant disrespect for laws that is prevalent in kids today...

It is not you OP. I work in insurance and accident frequency is up

big time in my State over the last couple years.

As my town's most famous *fictional* character would say, 'Oh, indeed'

I wasn't getting the Swerve of Contrition for failing to see my signal and the Honk of Apology for making my merge more difficult.

My wife was in a rear end collision on Friday, she has (had) a 2002 Bonneville, a guy in a 2010 Dodge Ram 4x4 slammed into her rear end as she was stopped for a line painting truck on the road

People drive 65 through that area and it shoved her rear end into the back seat, fucked her up pretty good, the guy ran to her car, asked if she was ok and then told her he looked down and when he looked back up it was to late

Sounds like he was texting to me, the guy said he was driving about 45 but the State Highway patrolman said he had to be doing under 30 MPH because the Dode Rams air bags didnt deploy

As my wife was on a backboard and in a neck brace she said there was no way he was driving under 30 MPH, I said air bags dont always deploy and I have a friend that has a Ford truck and he turns the air bags off and that we will get to the bottom of this, oh and there were no skid marks from the truck

So yeh, people are getting worse at driving as I found out Friday and I think texting has a lot to do with it?

People in general are getting ruder and more self absorbed every day. Driving is just a reflection upon that.

I'm glad I don't have to drive anymore. I just sit back and let my wife deal with it, she cusses, honks and yells at everyone while I just watch the show and listen to music. I think its funny that people are in such a hurry and act so retarded in a vehicle, yet when they are on foot they are totally different. Got to be a Jekyll and Hyde effect going on there, I think. People are some weird creatures sometimes, and like drinking, I like people better when I'm alone.  

I went to the shop yesterday to pick up a lawn mower and talk to the boss for a few minutes.

Hope your wife is OK. Whiplash is a bitch.

I'm seeing a pattern here, you're in the right lanes going slower then people in the left lanes and you're trying to get over into the faster lanes.

If you're causing people to have to slam on their brakes when you get over you're not doing it right.
Either you have too big of a rig or you need to step on it so that you don't cause others to have to slow down when you're trying to get into the faster lanes.

Thanks, she is sore as hell and I never thought about having the State Highway Patrolman check his phone but the Statey talked to me at the hospital so the driver was already gone

I told my wife that the fun is just now starting, she thinks she can go pick out a car next week and the guys insurance will just pay for it, Bless he heart



 

QFT. Or merge before your lane slows down.

 

Any witnesses?

That obviously will help.

USUALLY, rear end collisions are almost cut and dry.





 

Exactly.

Believe or not, just because someone has their blinker on doesn't mean they are entitled to the 10 feet of space in front of me.
And if people are moving faster then the guy trying to merge into the faster lane, by just thinking you're entitled to that space in front of me can surprise people and cause an accident.

I had an older lady do just that.

She was coming onto the interstate and there was a little room in front of me (I was going to let her in actually). Before

They are obviously not Drivers.

Merging onto a freeway is not understood by most drivers. Staying in the right hand lane on the freeway is not understood by most drivers. Putting your life on the line by turning onto a road to save 2 seconds in front of oncoming traffic is not understood by most drivers.
It's only going to get worse. Check out the article at the link.

Mark Phelan: Automakers race to offer voice and Web devices

RICK NEASE/Detroit Free Press

   
A fierce competition has begun as automakers introduce a new generation of voice-recognition and Internet-connected systems this fall.

"Smartphones have become a major part of people's lives; manufacturers are responding to that," said Kathy McMahon, senior manager of GM's infotainment group. "Infotainment systems are one of the top five reasons people cite for purchasing a new vehicle. It's a very big deal."

http://www.freep.com/article/20111002/COL14/110020466/Mark-Phelan-Automakers-race-offer-voice-Web-devices?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p

Folks here don't know how to merge. In fact, they actually STOP on the onramps and wait for an opening.  

Merging is a lost art. Taking a left turn onto 2 lane road, you take the inside lane,right?. Person taking a right supposed to take outside lane,right?
Not anymore.People taking a right go to the lane you want, and yell and honk at you like you are the one screwing up, or sreech to a halt thinking
you're going to hit them, even though that is what the lane is for.

Kinda driving related, the people who walk down the center of the parking lot driving lane and give you dirty looks because you need to drive.

This.

You operate with your hands and feet. You DRIVE with your mind.

Usually happens in stop-and-go traffic.  When I was getting out of the lane with the construction in it the light turned green, and I moved into the space that opened up as the cars in the left lane started to move.  The guy who honked at me hadn't been right on the ass of the car in front of him, he had delayed moving long enough for a nice space to open for me.  He just decided to stomp on it when he saw that he was behind, but didn't consider that there would be someone in the lane of cars stopped by construction that would be getting into the lane that was moving.

With the HD left turn...yeah, maybe, but it's not like I was coming from a dead stop into moving traffic, there was probably an 8 mph difference between me and the Jeep I pulled in behind.  8 mph, especially when the traffic flow is 30 mph, is easily scrubbed by a tap on the brakes unless you're standing on the gas.  I suspect the guy was just trying to speed up to close the gap and avoid getting behind a large pickup and was annoyed that he was unsuccessful.  

I guess it mostly just rubs me the wrong way because when I'm in the lane that's moving, I usually let at least one person in front of me from a line of cars that's stopped by construction/accident.  If someone's trying to merge for a turn I'll try and let them in.  I don't do jackrabbit starts, particularly not in city rush hour traffic, and I try to keep well off the bumper of the vehicle in front of me, instead of closing the gap.  Having been rear-ended at a stop light once and being far enough back that I wasn't pushed into the car ahead of me validated the heck out of that habit.

Motherfucking Californicators always fucking up our roadways.  Cocksuckers.

Lol



Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

The easier they make them to drive, the more people can.

what no Asians in your area ?

Ahh so you do drive a large truck.

Step on it man.
All the smaller cars with 4 bangers these days have decent power at freeway speeds and your big truck with a big engine is holding people back when you merge all slow.

I laugh at how the full-size rigs have to kick the tranny down to a lower gear to do ANY kind of acceleration at freeway speeds and yet I barely have to touch the gas in 5th gear to accelerate at the same rate as them in my 150hp accord.

Stay out of the faster lanes if you don't know how to merge correctly with a big rig.

Yeah, I do step on it when I merge.  The guy ahead of me wasn't leaving me in the dust - I was slowing down in the right lane to pull even with the space and accelerated into it.  The guy behind was moving far faster than the guy ahead of me.