What are your DRIVING PET PEEVES?

[jonestavern]

we live out in the sticks--no emergency lanes, but we do have the odd unpaved turnaround spots--actually a decent amount of them so that said:

1) getting behind a huge dumptruck, school bus, flatbed or logging truck in the case of the school bus it's stopping every 100ft(it seems! & that's another thread) in the case of the others, due to loads, creeping way under the limit--it's 40 mph here & I have been stuck going 30, usually, but not infrequently as low as 20 mph, for 10 miles or more. I have been stuck going below 10 mph, or come to a stop, on some hills. Heaven forbid if these folks had to motor in Jerome, AZ!
Now, passing lanes are few & far between (mountains to us, Californians, hills to you ) but there are the turnarounds--that's what they're there for.
2) Folks who are so nervous during snow they decide to creep up hills --you can't do it!--a moderate speed has to be maintained in order to keep momentum, otherwise I have to back down a hill(curves, other vehicles ) get a running start & try it again. I have seen even moderate inclines on busy secondary roads backed up & cars sliding backwards because of one person's dangerous lack of driving skills
3) tailgating is bad anytime, but tailgating at night in moose country??? how dumb is that? I pull over. We call this kind of tailgater the 'moose-catcher' or 'Bullwinkle bait' For the uninitiated, moose are very LARGE. Their eyes do not shine like 'deerlights". There aren't street lights in the country. No warning!
Often a moose will limp away from an incident where the car is severely damaged or even totaled. People are injured or die in these car/moose encounters~ A moose-catcher is no guarantee I'll avoid those tanks, but the odds are better
4) folks who don't scrape off the piles of snow from their car roofs, you get behind them & whoosh! masses of snow on your windshield blinding you for precious moments!
This was made illegal here a few years back when a lovely young girl was killed after loosing control of her vehicle when swamped with snow

Jean

 

[jgmklmhem]

You know what I will clean my windshield any time I think I need to to make my driving more safe. If it has become too dirty to see clearly then I don't care if I am on the interstate or on a country road. Sometimes road grime, bugs, mud, salty crap for ice removal on the roads (that is my big one around here) etc can get on your windshield it is far safer to go ahead and clean it off so that you can see clearer then try and find a place to stop and do it.

My peeve that has not been mentioned are the 2 foot drivers and I am not talking about those with a clutch. One should never have their feet on both the brake and the accelerator at the same time. The people behind you have no idea if you are slowing down or accelerating.

 

[MouseWorshipin]

#1 People in the passing lane who are NOT passing. It holds other people up.


#2 People who do not use the on-ramp to get up to the speed of traffic and are unable to merge into the traffic. It holds the rest of us up and is dangerous.

#3 People who skid out because they were driving too fast on the snow then hit the brakes too hard.

 

[RachelEllen]

Just noticed this yesterday at work...Ambulance tailgaters!

No, you are not being clever by following right on the ambulence's tail. It's actually against the law. The people inside (working) are only secured by lapbelts and would not appreciate being rear ended!

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

Driving in and around DC I have to agree with so many of the peeves that I share with others who have posted.

Add to that:
1) carpool lane violators

2) drivers who throw litter out the window because they don't want trash in their car.

3) drivers who are obviously lost and refuse to pull over to get directions.

4) drivers with diplomatic plates that drive however they choose because that's how they do it where they come from and they will not be prosecuted here. First lesson I learned as a beginning driver here was to avoid cars with diplomatic plates like the plague.

 

[Michie]

Obscuring the windshields and endangering all the cars behind you is better than just getting over? I don't like tailgaters either, but spraying the cars behind you on the freeway is not safe.

And you do not have to be tailgating to get hit by overspray either. Water travels in the wind, and a long ways at that.

 

[diznygirl]

My pet peeve is people who drive SLOWER than the posted speed limit. Isn't 25 mph slow enough???????

Thank you for letting me vent!

 

[Kimberly]

My pet peeve is people who drive SLOWER than the posted speed limit. Isn't 25 mph slow enough???????

Thank you for letting me vent!

Welcome to Florida.

 

[carone0318]

My pet peeve:

upside down triangle = YIELD!

If a person is coming off of a ramp - they have the upside down triangle - they need to read and adhere! I have the right of way, let me go!

 

[Marseeya]

Obscuring the windshields and endangering all the cars behind you is better than just getting over? I don't like tailgaters either, but spraying the cars behind you on the freeway is not safe.

If a few droplets of wiper fluid "obscure" your windshield, what on earth do you do in the rain?

I've driven behind numerous people who have put on their wiper fluid, but it's only just a few drops. I have no idea how that could be considered in the least bit dangerous. Annoying, yes. Dangerous? Sorry. I just don't buy it.

 

[Honu]

If a few droplets of wiper fluid "obscure" your windshield, what on earth do you do in the rain?

I've driven behind numerous people who have put on their wiper fluid, but it's only just a few drops. I have no idea how that could be considered in the least bit dangerous. Annoying, yes. Dangerous? Sorry. I just don't buy it.

Every morning when I drive to work the sun is coming up over the hills and it hits everyone's windshield dead on as they turn onto Hwy 280 South. Every morning some idiot with a dirty car picks this moment to wash his windows. Have you ever washed your car windows in glaring sunlight? They get A LOT worse before they get better.

I either witness or get stuck behind the accidents that happen in this area every week. I just wish people thought more about those around them when driving. Just because you can see fine, doesn't mean those around you have that advantage.

 

[MBeds]

People who go faster as you try to pass them.

People who stop 1 or 2 car lenghts from the white line at a traffic light so they don't trigger the left turn signal.

People who have to pull 5 feet ahead of the white line like it is going to make them that much farther down the road when the light turns green.

Good ones!!!!
Also - When you let someone in your lane that wants to get into your lane and they don't give you the "thank you" wave...I wish i could go back in time and not let them in...(I probably make that a bigger deal that it actually is.. )

 

[AllyandJack]

I hate when I forget to take my Invisibility Cloak off my car. It makes for a hard drive....what with the people coming out of the side streets and not seeing me and almost killing me.....not to mention the people coming onto the Interstate and not seeing me driving in the right lane and almost killing me....I really need to remember to take that cloak off my car.....

 

[binny]

people who use turn lanes to drive! Major pet peeve here!!

 

[tiff211]

I hate when someone starts to take a turn and then 3/4 into the turn realizes that they do not want to go down that street and swerve back into my lane.

Also, I can't stand it when someone waves for me to go when I have the right away! OOOOOOOh, that really drives me batty.

Also, just because I drive a large SUV doesn't mean I will hit your car. I know how to drive the beast!!! I was backing into a space this morning and the guy in the next car was anxiously looking like he just knew I would smash into his car. Then I went to the market and pulled into a space at the same time a girl was pulling into her space in front of mine and she was looking at my hood like I was going to smash her front end. There was about 3.5 feet of space.

Also, when you let someone go and they do not say thank you!!! That's when I want to smash into them.

Oh, one more, the exit that I use to go home there is a stop sign with two lanes, one to turn right and one to turn left. The street that crosses it is pretty busy, and if you are turning left you have to cross over one lane of traffic into the other lane so you have to wait until both lanes are clear. Now I am not one to just sit and wait until both lanes are completely empty but I don't dart out and cut off anyone either. I drive with precious "cargo". I cannot tell you how many times, so impatient moron will go into the right lane and turn left in front of me. Last week, I turned not seeing someone and almost smashed into them. Would have been there fault and they would have had much more damage!

 

[poohandwendy]

People who tailgate and flash their high beams when they behind are my son and I, because he is driving the speed limit and/or slightly below. (he is 16 and learning to drive)

I understand being in a hurry, I understand being frustrated when someone is going way below the speed limit. But, to tailgate and flash your lights...not only ignorant, but dangerous too.

 

[Chicago526]

Oh, one more, the exit that I use to go home there is a stop sign with two lanes, one to turn right and one to turn left. The street that crosses it is pretty busy, and if you are turning left you have to cross over one lane of traffic into the other lane so you have to wait until both lanes are clear. Now I am not one to just sit and wait until both lanes are completely empty but I don't dart out and cut off anyone either. I drive with precious "cargo". I cannot tell you how many times, so impatient moron will go into the right lane and turn left in front of me. Last week, I turned not seeing someone and almost smashed into them. Would have been there fault and they would have had much more damage!

Do we work in the same building? We have the EXACT same problem, except it's people in the left lane turning right. The right lane backs up, but the left is always empty because it's too hard to make a left, people use the other exit that is further away that has a light if they need to go left. But at least once a week, some one has the bright idea to go up the left turn lane, cuting past 20 cars, then turn right as the person in the RIGHT lane is turning. And THEN they have the nerve to honk at the right lane person for trying to turn the same time they are! I swear the next time I see that I'm going to complain to the local cops, maybe they can station someone there to give tickets...

 

[froglady]

Drivers who abuse "right turn on red." You're allowed to make a turn IF there is no traffic, NOT because you think you dart into a small break in traffic!

I drive in heavy traffic every morning, and there are areas where there are multiple lights ( it's the red light at the NEXT intersection) where traffic backs up. You're not supposed to block the intersection, so even though the light is green , you shouldn't move until you can clear the intersection. Every morning, as soon as the traffic ahead of me starts to move enough for me to cross the intersection, at least one car, sometimes several, will turn right on red in front of me and take my space, so I have to sit through the next light.

Also, I drive into the rising sun every morning as I get to the top of a ramp on I-95. It was awful in February & early March, got better before the time change, but now it's blinding again.

At 7:30- 8:45 AM, the majority of people are daily commuters, but very few have their sunglasses handy. Therefore, they all slow down to a crawl because they're blinded. People, put your sunglasses on!!!

 

[Disney Doll]

People who pull out in front of you going like 90 MPH, then when they get in front of you, suddenly slow down to 10 MPH.