If you're going to be jerk... admit it

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by HockeyDad

Ahh, driving in North Texas. I swear, we have some of the worst drivers in the country! And yes, it's typically asshats in pick ups that are the worst offenders. That, and Nissan Altimas. Its amazing how poorly people drive here...

Basically in the US driving is seen as a right instead of a privilege.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by wdb

Prius drivers around here seem to come in two flavors, neither of which is under the bell curve. One flavor is what I'd expect, driving 'economically'. The other is driving as though burning up all of the savings the car provides them is their sole objective.

I think the craziest thing I see on a regular basis is drivers on the freeway, who are plainly on their way to work, risking life and limb to reach their destination a few seconds sooner. They must really love their jobs.

Oh I hold doors open for people. In crowded situations I tend to hold it open and 'hand it off' to the next person, rather than just stand there like a doorma---errr, person. I'm not accustomed to seeing women wait for men to catch up while holding a door, or to seeing women hold a door open for a man. In fact quite the opposite. Glad to hear that might be changing.

Minutes matter !

Think of it like this. I'm focused on getting to work so I can get home and I don't want to sit in the left lane at 65 mph, encircled by vehicles going aporox the same speed. People need to wake TFU and either speed up or move over.

Nothing worse and mindless commuters who are oblivious to what's going on around them.

[N55darksoul]

Originally Posted by xQx

Okay. I'm a jerk. Often, I'm the archetypal aggressive BMW/sports car driver.

I live in a tourist town with a population similar to that of Florida. Half the drivers on the road don't know where they're going, the other half are in no hurry to get there.

I drive around them, for fun. I drive in a way that doesn't inconvenience others; but I assert my right of way and tuck through gaps in traffic with margins of error that I'm comfortable with - which are almost universally much tighter than those of the people around me.

If there's a 3 second gap between two cars doing 60kph, and I'm turning left or right into the flow, I know I can easily fit into that gap with a rolling start. Most people would've said there wasn't a gap in traffic.

If there's a two lane roundabout and both go straight ahead, I'll tuck into the outside lane and overtake the line of cars mindlessly following the inside lane. I'll brake late and take the roundabout at the speed limit.

If there's a filter lane to turn left or right, and the car in front of me isn't indicating to go into that lane and I'm turning in that direction, I'll drop into that lane at the first opportunity, then speed up - often 'overtaking' five cars going straight ahead before trailbreaking into the corner and accelerating out of the apex. Any opportunity I get I'll be using the accelerator as yaw control, the aim being to step the back out ever-so-slightly on the way through the corner.

If I'm slowing down for lights, the MHD burble warns other drivers of my presence.

If I'm in the far left lane (equivalent of the right for US drivers) of a three lane road and the far right lane is clear, but there's only a 2 second gap between cars in the middle lane, I'll go from far left to far right in one nice sweeping movement with plenty of margin (2 - 3 feet) between me and the other two cars.

I'll weave between lanes to try to pick the fastest between lights. Sometimes I'm wrong and end up behind the car that was behind me in the lane I started in.

It's not because I'm in a hurry, and it's not reckless, careless or breaking the speed limit. It's because I'm enjoying the dance in the traffic on public roads.

All that said, there's one last thing I do too, religiously.... I indicate.

End confession.

I admire your confession....and since most of the people where I live drive 35 MPH in the 45 MPH zone I also occasionally do the same...

[N55darksoul]

By the way all you guys getting mad at people because they are driving crazy or cutting you off etc. Try driving in Central America and areas of Europe and its like common place. Horns blaring all the time and no one is angry....just alerting each other. Our egos in America are so huge we take it personally and want to kill each other when it happens....

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by N55darksoul

By the way all you guys getting mad at people because they are driving crazy or cutting you off etc. Try driving in Central America and areas of Europe and its like common place. Horns blaring all the time and no one is angry....just alerting each other. Our egos in America are so huge we take it personally and want to kill each other when it happens....

Same with mainland China. It looks like a total free-for-all but there's actually a rhythm to it. No one is angry. No one is taking it personally. It just flows and I rarely see accidents.

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by MKSixer

I agree with nearly all of this but I have to go with a friend of mine who went ballistic on a golf course one day. We were at a VERY nice club and a couple of duffers walked in our path about 75 meters from the tee box as though they were on a Sunday stroll. One of my best friends nuked them and I immediately began to admonish him when he turned on me and said the following: "No, you're wrong...if this isn't stopped now we will have to deal with this for another 70 years since he is teaching his son this poor etiquette. They all need to know that this is wrong." I was taken completely aback and, upon consideration, realized that he was correct.

Cheers-mk

Funny story that ties in with this. I had no more made this post yesterday when I was asked to take care of something for our maintenance crew at work. Now I don't mind to take care of said task but was asked to do so because the maintenance guys didn't have time. As I am going to get on the boom lift I pass the entire crew standing around doing nothing. I complete the task and as I'm going back to my office, they are all still standing around. I pulled out my phone and asked everyone to gather around to take a selfie with me. (I'm not a selfie kind of guy at all) Take the picture and their supervisor asked me what that was all about when I said I just needed to show proof about why an office employee was asked to get on a boom lift because they were too busy to do it. Although it was meant in jest, there was 10% truth to it. Needless to say they got irate! I did not make any friends yesterday, but the point was made. None of them have been seen standing around so far this morning. Long story short.....wait, too late.....was I a jerk, yeah a little; did the point get across....absolutely.

Originally Posted by N55darksoul

If everyone was like that..the world would be full of classy and hopefully not condescending people....

Thanks man, I truly appreciate that. I haven't always been this way. I still rip on the occasional individual but it takes a lot to get me to that point.