Driving pet peeves

None of that stuff really works flashing lights, horns, gates. There was a case in NY a year or two ago a woman drove just under the gate as it closed (lights etc flashing) only to discover the one on the other side was down also got out of the car then got back in just in time to have the commuter train hit her broad side at some thing close to 60 it stopped a few hundred yards later. I think I would have damaged the car and the gate on the other side my self.

 

When you have the cruise control engaged on the highway and the same yahoo keeps passing you and falling back over and over again.

 

This happened to me...

 

I live in Pennsylvania, and there is this one train track on County Line Road in Colmar. It is primarily used for SEPTA commuter trains, but I've also seen freight trains on it. On two separate occasions in late 2019 or early 2020, I was driving on this stretch of County Line Road and the damn gate almost came down on my truck!

The first time it happened, a SEPTA train was coming from one direction and passed. The gate went up, the light turned green, and common sense would indicate that it was safe to go...

NOPE!

The flashing red lights came back on, and the gate started to come down as I was about to cross the tracks; If I hadn't slammed on the brakes,the gate would come down on my hood. A second SEPTA train came from the opposite direction, and I was utterly dumbfounded as to why the gates hadn't just stayed down until both trains had passed. I do believe that the same scenario happened to me again a short time later...

A coworker drives over the this same track and told me that the same thing had happened to him; He said that one train was waiting while the other passed, and gate reopened because it didn't sense that second train coming...

Seriously, set up the damn gate so it doesn't open when there are two trains!

 

@Taco critter

Either of you guys ever had another driver flip out at you for seemingly no reason?

Happened to me yesterday, and funny you should mention a Honda minivan, because the Karen I encountered yesterday was driving a black Honda Odyssey. I was making a right turn, and I had a green light; This woman in the Honda was waiting to make a left turn, but she had a red light. As I turned, she beeped her horn, glared at me, and started freaking out. I'm also pretty sure she flipped me off, so I returned favor and continued on my way...

I know I didn't go over the solid line, and I had a green arrow while she had a solid red, so I had the right of way; I have no idea what her deal was.

 

Sounds like she was a nut, best to try to ignore those kind.

 

I tell them “Jesus Loves You” ....pause... “everyone else thinks you’re an asshole”.

 

Out of curiosity, did you notify SEPTA about it?

 

Within the last 5 years give or take in my city, I would say 90%+ of drivers will not pull into an intersection left turn yielding. Then the light changes and.... no one goes because said asshat is sitting where they started.

 

You a driver?!

Been trying to get this thread off the ground for a while now.

 

When people slam the brakes when a light turns yellow for a right turn. Idiot go please.

Also people have been treating green turn arrows like a stop sign here lately. No idea why.

 

People who camp in the left lane!! Get out of the way! It seems like semis are doing this more than ever. People who do this are the biggest assholes on the road.

 

The new traffic signals being installed around here lately have a different concept for left-turn-yield-on-green that seems to confuse everyone. Instead of the arrows sharing one light like traditional signals they have a completely separate light for the left turn... kinda like left on green arrow only signals... but they show its ok to turn by flashing the amber signal arrow. I guess people don't get that means the same as the conventional method and sit there through another cycle for a green arrow. And... they have a sign on most stating what the flashing yellow arrow is......

 

I've seen those in some cities outside my area but none here. We have people who will be in a line of traffic, green arrow will light, car (or cars) in front of them goes, they pull up to the arrow, full stop, then go like it's a stop sign. Insane.

 

Ha! I remember reading "Far Side" books as a kid!

 

Florida does do some things right......

 

I hate drivers that use left foot braking. You can spot them easily because their brake lights are always on even when accelerating from a stop.

 

I couldn't believe this was a real thing until I saw a friend doing it once when car pooling to work one day.

I remember in driver's-ed way back in high school, that was beaten into our brains on day one that you never drive (an automatic) with 2 feet.