Common courtesy at red lights

[Rmtt]

Originally Posted by Now_Rudi

Dude! Forgive my laughter but I saw the pic of you in the gym thread. I can only imagine what was going through his head when he saw you. Not only your size but the fact that you have martial arts background. I'm not trying to be a shit-stirrer but I hope you got his tag number, because I heard him mumble asshole under his breathe all the way from here as you walked away.

Lol.....I've been told before that I look intimidating....but not because of the way I'm built.....but because I typically have this "sour" look on my face all the time when I'm not really meaning too!

Otherwise, I'm the nicest person you would probably meet and take up for anyone.

[Rmtt]

Originally Posted by mgmarsh39

Need to petition your local government for more turn lanes.

Never really saw this problem in FL... Living in TX where the curbs are 2ft tall and no turn lanes ever, I get where this is coming from. I try to stay in the right if there are no other cars. Otherwise, I'm sorry, but it's the poor road design.

We have curbs too....but people drive right over them. Especially the ones driving the trucks with suspension lifts!

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by Rmtt

Lol.....I've been told before that I look intimidating....but not because of the way I'm built.....but because I typically have this "sour" look on my face all the time when I'm not really meaning too!

Otherwise, I'm the nicest person you would probably meet and take up for anyone.

I'm the same way. At my current 146 pounds, physically I'm not intimidating at all, but I too have the look of fire and brimstone slapped across my face. Ive been told that when I smile it looks forced and isn't genuine.

[Darth One]

“Common” courtesy.

Not really that common.

[The Wind Breezes]

Drivers are retarded as hell. If there's traffic I take my motorcycle.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by The Wind Breezes

Drivers are retarded as hell. If there's traffic I take my motorcycle.

I give you credit. It blows my mind how most drivers are completely unaware of motorcycles and how to share the road with them. I truly believe loud pipes save lives. Be safe out there.

[The0pportunist]

Originally Posted by Rmtt

This happened to me last week. I turned onto the main street that leads up to the street that turns off to go into my neighborhood. I immediately see they have the roads torn up as road construction is going on everywhere here. But they have up a sign that says left lane closed, so I immediately get into the right lane.

Well of course you have others who try to go as far up as they can and then merge while the rest of us have waited patiently. Well I'm in the right lane behind a Septic Pumper Truck of all things...so I'm staying a few feet from his bumper as there is loose gravel everywhere...plus it's a big truck.

He pulls up, I pull up. after about 10 minutes, traffic moves again and apparently the guy behind me who I haven't even noticed aside from being right on my bumper turns right into a business and yells out asshole.

Well I am not like I used to be in my past, and I typically ignore this stuff. But something about this just flew all over me...felt like someone pulled a wool sweater over my ears. Just so happens that another few feet up, there is a second pull in to the same business so without thinking I pull in...drive up as he and his "trashy looking significant other" haven't got out of their car yet...and I park right behind him parallel to his car and get out.

I ask...what did you call me? He then tries to play it off and says he was yelling at another driver. I told him all the other cars around us had their windows up except for me, so he was the dumbass if he expects anyone else to hear him except for me so I knew who he was directing it at...and where did he expect for me to go with a truck literally 2ft. in front of me???

He just stood there looking at me with a shit eating WTF look on his face. I said a few more choice words, and told him if I heard him say anything else as I was leaving, I would immediately turn around and come back.

Now I know this was stupid....and for the record I have been shot in the past for jumping into an altercation with someone who started something, and then followed me and shot me the next day.

But this time I just couldn't help myself as I did nothing wrong...and I am starting to get very weary of people and their mentality that no one else exists but them.

Later I felt bad....but so be it. It was just a bad day for me that day...and people need to realize that they aren't the only ones on the road, and you never know what type of person they are..or mood they are in.

Oh and for the record, I do try to get in the other lane when I know it's a lane that most people turn in....and I also stop when the light turns yellow as there are people typically across from me trying to get turned.

Reading this - i was thinking to myself this guy is absolutely nuts to do this in a state where guns are readily available!

But i get it, sometimes you need to follow up peoples silly actions. I bet he'll never do it again.

[Rmtt]

Originally Posted by The0pportunist

Reading this - i was thinking to myself this guy is absolutely nuts to do this in a state where guns are readily available!

But i get it, sometimes you need to follow up peoples silly actions. I bet he'll never do it again.

Yeah....2 hours later I regretted it...but only because I let it pull me down to his level.

I'm really pretty level headed and don't let things bother me. Got rid of that Type A personality long ago...especially that time I did get shot. It changed my whole way of looking at people. Before that happened...I thought I was superman. Afterwards, I realized that I wasn't.

Now I try to stay to myself and not bother anyone. I extend the same courtesy to anyone, and would only react if my family were in danger.

It was just the wrong end to a bad day and like all the stars aligned...and I reacted before thinking about it. I haven't had an outburst like that in a longtime, and plan to work harder on not letting it happen again.

[Rmtt]

Originally Posted by Now_Rudi

I'm the same way. At my current 146 pounds, physically I'm not intimidating at all, but I too have the look of fire and brimstone slapped across my face. Ive been told that when I smile it looks forced and isn't genuine.

I learned a long time ago you can't judge someone from their physical appearance.

I can usually tell within 30 seconds from looking into someone eyes if they are a "talker" or something more!

[gatorfast]

Wow I have now seen it all. Guy gets shot from a previous altercation and still continues to display road rage lol. Rmtt be careful man. It sounds like you know better but still cant help yourself. None of these petty things are worth dying for.

[Rmtt]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

Wow I have now seen it all. Guy gets shot from a previous altercation and still continues to display road rage lol. Rmtt be careful man. It sounds like you know better but still cant help yourself. None of these petty things are worth dying for.

I wouldn't exactly call it road rage. I never get road rage or had yelling matches or arguing with people while driving. Most of the time I'm in a car, I am oblivious to everyone around me aside from trying to be considerate. Plus I have rarely had any incidents with issues on the road.

As for the shooting incident....I was jumped in a bowling alley one night years ago by a guy who was just looking for a fight. I ended up getting the better of him, and he was tossed out by bouncers as he started everything.

We went back to the same bowling alley the next night and apparently the guy came back up there this time looking to settle the score.

He actually shot me as I was coming out of the place from about 4 ft. away. I wasn't expecting it, and this was 20 years ago when typically if you had a fight..it was over and done with. I didn't humiliate him or anything, but did make sure he wasn't in a position to continue...then I stopped.

After that night, I have never been in another confrontation. I learned to walk away from them if I was ever in that position..and as I got older and had a family...I just never put myself in those positions anymore.

I can see looking back on this incident how bad it does make me look, and it's not something I am proud of.

[gatorfast]

Crazy man. Glad you survived considering how easily it could have gone the other way.

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by Rmtt

I learned a long time ago you can't judge someone from their physical appearance.

I can usually tell within 30 seconds from looking into someone eyes if they are a "talker" or something more!

Very true! One of the worse beatings I ever received was from a kid half my size.

I've learned that the one's who are "talker's" are generally just that. The quiet one's are the ones to worry about.

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by Mingwan

I’m not sure it’s necessarily about having a “me” attitude. I think most people’s situational awareness is extremely poor. It’s like people drive around with their head in the clouds.

Which, by extension, is part and parcel of having a 'me' attitude. Basically: 'I'm into me and me only, and I could care less what's going on around my world unless it's affecting me directly.' Poor situational awareness is a almost always symptom of this.

I've said this before here: The cure for this is to ride a motorcycle. Selfish behavior and 'poor situational awareness' will get you either seriously maimed or killed in the first hour. I know of no selfish, me-first motorcycle riders except the sportbike hooligans who give the 'real' riders a bad rep -- and even they know not to argue vehicularly with certain situations (and natural selection takes care of the ones who don't learn this).

[clee1982]

I don't think it's a me attitude, just it's harder for some people

[rlmesq]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

What I used to do back in the US was at night when there is no one around... and I pull up to a rather longish traffic red light... say wanting to go left or straight... when there is no traffic around... and you are just sitting waiting for the light to change...

I would pull up to the white line at the intersection... then roll back a half a car length... then pull up again. The traffic light would think there are more cars waiting and the red light would change to green in a few seconds. A friend of mine showed me this little trick. I thought it was rather interesting.

Since this discussion now includes motorcycles...

If your bike won't trip the sensors to change the lights, try pushing the start button for a moment. (This works on sportbikes, which don't have the pinion gear starter like cars, so it won't engage while the bike is running... not sure about Harleys, which are built around a century old water pump motor.)

The electromagnetic field generated by the spinning starter motor will usually make the bike register with the sensor.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

Which, by extension, is part and parcel of having a 'me' attitude. Basically: 'I'm into me and me only, and I could care less what's going on around my world unless it's affecting me directly.' Poor situational awareness is a almost always symptom of this.

I call this the "It's my world, you're just living in it" syndrome. Rude, self centered spoiled little brats.

[cfm56d7b]

Originally Posted by Mingwan

I'm not sure it's necessarily about having a "me" attitude. I think most people's situational awareness is extremely poor. It's like people drive around with their head in the clouds.

I'd say this is the more likely explanation. Some drivers simply operate the motor vehicle using muscle memory while retreating in their minds to think about the upcoming work day or what to shop for on the way home.

Situational awareness needs to be emphasized more. The question is how?

[JamesGames]

Here in the USA I feel we just have selfish drivers or extremely unaware drivers. One common example is driving slow in the fast lane - dude, get out of that lane and stop holding up traffic. In europe, whether I was in France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, that fast lane car going slow 9/10 times would move over as soon as a car was flying up behind. If you didn't move over, everyone would tailgate your ass, riding it until you did, even police. Over here? You can have 5 cars right on someone's rear bumper and that driver would still continue living his best life doing a SOLID 60 in a 65mph traffic free zone.

[arashir]

Originally Posted by JamesGames

Here in the USA I feel we just have selfish drivers or extremely unaware drivers. One common example is driving slow in the fast lane - dude, get out of that lane and stop holding up traffic. In europe, whether I was in France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, that fast lane car going slow 9/10 times would move over as soon as a car was flying up behind. If you didn't move over, everyone would tailgate your ass, riding it until you did, even police. Over here? You can have 5 cars right on someone's rear bumper and that driver would still continue living his best life doing a SOLID 60 in a 65mph traffic free zone.

It took me years to figure out that there is a surprisingly large group of people here in the US who honestly, truly believe that they are providing a public service by blocking others from "going over the speed limit" at all costs.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by JamesGames

Here in the USA I feel we just have selfish drivers or extremely unaware drivers. One common example is driving slow in the fast lane - dude, get out of that lane and stop holding up traffic. In europe, whether I was in France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, that fast lane car going slow 9/10 times would move over as soon as a car was flying up behind. If you didn't move over, everyone would tailgate your ass, riding it until you did, even police. Over here? You can have 5 cars right on someone's rear bumper and that driver would still continue living his best life doing a SOLID 60 in a 65mph traffic free zone.

Hence my signature. Drives me insane!

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by JamesGames

Here in the USA I feel we just have selfish drivers or extremely unaware drivers. One common example is driving slow in the fast lane - dude, get out of that lane and stop holding up traffic. In europe, whether I was in France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, that fast lane car going slow 9/10 times would move over as soon as a car was flying up behind. If you didn't move over, everyone would tailgate your ass, riding it until you did, even police. Over here? You can have 5 cars right on someone's rear bumper and that driver would still continue living his best life doing a SOLID 60 in a 65mph traffic free zone.

I grew up in Connecticut where one of the first highways was built (Merritt Parkway). There were laws (as there probably still are) requiring drivers to move to the right after passing and there were minimum speed laws as well. State troopers actually enforced them.

Of course, all was not good. Connecticut was also the first state to use unmarked police cruisers to catch speeders.

I was listening to a Talking Cars (consumer reports) podcast and they discussed left lane hogs and some efforts in some states to control it.

Middle lane hogs are also very common; not as bad as left lane hogs but it is usually an older Buick driver who doesn't want to deal with cars driving fast (left lane) or turning (right lane) so he cruises slowly in the middle lane. Combine the left lane hog with the middle lane hog and you have one unnecessary traffic jam.