Top things that other drivers do that annoy you

[Geoff]

* The most annoying is morons pulling onto the highway and ignoring the YIELD sign. It makes for some interesting encounters when you're towing 30 feet of boat and trailer. They're on my door and think they're going to zip in on my rear bumper.

* When you're towing and have crap braking distances, the most dangerous is morons who slow to 30 mph in the right lane before getting to the exit ramp. I don't understand why these Darwin Awards candidates don't die a firey death doing that in front of 18-wheelers.

* Everybody has already covered left lane bandits. 90% of the time, they're on a cell phone or texting.

* When I'm in my VW, I get really annoyed when I'm being tailgated by a massive pickup or Suburban/Denali/Escalade. All I see in my mirror is that huge grille. If something happens, I'm dead. I should carry a dozen eggs as my defensive weapon.

I go exactly the speed limit (by the GPS) on Vermont secondary roads. Once you've experienced all the speed traps and risk losing your licence as you approach 10 points for moving violations, there is really no choice. This almost always provokes flatlander tailgating behavior.

 

[Nick]

* The most annoying is morons pulling onto the highway and ignoring the YIELD sign.

.

The flip side is people pulling onto the highway and yielding for no one. They come to a complete stop on the on ramp.

 

[mattm59]

my commute involves time on Rt. 6 which goes from 1 to 2 lanes and back several times. Pet peeve is the idjits who tailgate so they can bully their way 1 spot ahead as the rt. goes to 1 lane, then head right to the left when it opens, and hang on the guys rear quarter so no-one can pass, but then try passing right where the merge occurs again. Looks like the Christmas lights in constipation plaza as the pile heads down the mountain, blinking brake lights filling in for Rudolphs nose.

Other than that, having another vehicle on the road annoys me, unless they drive exactly like me. 5-10 over...leave space...use signals.

 

[Edd]

Other than that, having another vehicle on the road annoys me, unless they drive exactly like me. 5-10 over...leave space...use signals.

Brother I could not agree with you more.

What I don't see enough of on the road is manners and patience. Just drive chill...

 

[ctenidae]

Mty wife and I were discussing this yesterday- Europeans really do drive better- sure, they're fast and reckless and crazy, but they're consistently so and signal their intentions well in advance, and then people make way for the maneuver. In the US, using your signal is a sign of weakness, and just gives the guy behind you a chance to close the gap you were going to exploit in an attempt to get in position to take an exit in a mile or so.

 

[Geoff]

Mty wife and I were discussing this yesterday- Europeans really do drive better- sure, they're fast and reckless and crazy, but they're consistently so and signal their intentions well in advance, and then people make way for the maneuver. In the US, using your signal is a sign of weakness, and just gives the guy behind you a chance to close the gap you were going to exploit in an attempt to get in position to take an exit in a mile or so.

This isn't true. There is a huge national variance in driving skill. If you had said "Germans really do drive better", I would agree with you. Their driver training is about at the level it takes to get a private pilot license in the US. Germans do things by the book, follow rules, and obey laws. However, former East Germans do not have the same level of training and they're awful. Try Belgium. They require very little training. They're all over the place. Greece is kinda-sorta Europe. It's downright nutty there.

 

[ctenidae]

This isn't true. There is a huge national variance in driving skill. If you had said "Germans really do drive better", I would agree with you. Their driver training is about at the level it takes to get a private pilot license in the US. Germans do things by the book, follow rules, and obey laws. However, former East Germans do not have the same level of training and they're awful. Try Belgium. They require very little training. They're all over the place. Greece is kinda-sorta Europe. It's downright nutty there.

Probably true- my statements are based on driving in Ireland, Spain, Italy, and Poland.

 

[WakeboardMom]

* * When I'm in my VW, I get really annoyed when I'm being tailgated by a massive pickup or Suburban/Denali/Escalade. All I see in my mirror is that huge grille. If something happens, I'm dead. I should carry a dozen eggs as my defensive weapon.

WHAT is up with that? I set my cruise at about 72 from Concord, NH to exit 23on 93 and inevitably some dipsh*t on a powertrip in one of those vehicles climbs up my a$$. It's usually not someone with your plain-Jane, utilitarian Suburban. It's usually someone who thinks they're the schizzle in their Escalade with those big, honkin' Cadillac medallions and chrome and that obnoxious grill. (It's a Rolex on wheels.)

You struck a nerve with that one. Sorry for the rant.

 

[hammer]

Mty wife and I were discussing this yesterday- Europeans really do drive better- sure, they're fast and reckless and crazy, but they're consistently so and signal their intentions well in advance, and then people make way for the maneuver. In the US, using your signal is a sign of weakness, and just gives the guy behind you a chance to close the gap you were going to exploit in an attempt to get in position to take an exit in a mile or so.

Based on my limited experience in and around the Frankfurt area, Germans are aggressive but capable drivers, and yes they do follow the rules better than any driver in the US would.

I have problems when visiting family in South Jersey...the locals don't expect drivers to be as aggressive as we all are here in New England, and I worry that someone will plow into me if I cut them off.

If you really want additional excitement, try driving in the Clearwater FL area with all of the retirees and tourists...:roll:

 

[Nick]

This isn't true. There is a huge national variance in driving skill. If you had said "Germans really do drive better", I would agree with you. Their driver training is about at the level it takes to get a private pilot license in the US. Germans do things by the book, follow rules, and obey laws. However, former East Germans do not have the same level of training and they're awful. Try Belgium. They require very little training. They're all over the place. Greece is kinda-sorta Europe. It's downright nutty there.

It's so annoying to me when I'm on the Autobahn doing 200 km/h and some douchebag from Holland with his annoying canary yellow plates pulls out into mein High Speed Lane with his ridiculous trailer going 80 km/h und I need to slam on my brakes.

Das idiot is just driving through Germany to get to the beaches and campgrounds in Italy, ja?

Scheissekopf.

 

[AngryHugo]

The whole merging in traffic situation is pretty infuriating. People who speed up to not let you in and/or piggyback on another car merging. People around here are nutso whenever there is a merge.

 

[twinplanx]

Left lane abuse & non-signalers have been covered, I just want to add people who refuse to inch up when making a left at tight intersections... Has the art of "taking control of the intersection" been lost? I got places to go Ass Clown grrrr

 

[bigbog]

And to avoid hitting your brakes to slow down 5 mph, which causes the guy behind you so slow down 10, and the guy behind them to slow down 15, and the guy behind that to slow down 20, and the one behind him to stop.

It's not a properly managed gap that causes traffic jams. It's improperly managed brakes.

The car in front, just like in skiing...has the right of way. He can do any friggin thing he wants! Whether it's lawful is up to an officer or a judge...not you! Either signal, then pass or back off... Too many urban/suburban drivers spend wayyy too much time sitting on their butts, cursing...when they should be driving...ie looking for safe clearance to pass...and getting on in life.

 

[ctenidae]

The car in front, just like in skiing...has the right of way. He can do any friggin thing he wants! Whether it's lawful is up to an officer or a judge...not you! Either signal, then pass or back off... Too many urban/suburban drivers spend wayyy too much time sitting on their butts, cursing...when they should be driving...ie looking for safe clearance to pass...and getting on in life.

I don't think the question of lawfulness comes into it. If you're not paying attention to what's going on in front of you, and you use your brakes too much, causing the traffic behind you to slow down or stop, then you are doing it wrong.

 

[Geoff]

Left lane abuse & non-signalers have been covered,

Turn signals are a sign of weakness.

 

[Nick]

Ha, like jigger pouring a drink

 

[Northernflight]

Turn signals are a sign of weakness

I must be lucky or something because Ive used my signals in Boston and had people make room for me to turn or merge in, and they had mass plates. If you give people a chance generally you can get to were you need to go without the threat of crashing if you give it one more second and let all the idiots go but if that doesn't work...all bets are off.....

One thing that annoys me is when someone is going 65 in a 55 but when the speed limit changes to 65 they don't speed up. Make up your mind if your going to speed or not so I don't have to pass you twice! The only other thing that annoys me is when people decide its a good idea to tailgate when theirs a lot of traffic on the highway. No I am not intentionally choosing to go 15 below the speed limit and I don't feel like having you ram me into the car in front of me if they start breaking. Also using breaks too much on highways, anyone ever consider the notion of taking their foot off the accelerator if the car in front of you is slowing down?

And lastly passing a snowplow on the left hand side on 93 at 6 in the morning during a 2 inch a hour snowstorm is not suicidal, it is a right of passage.

 

[drjeff]

The "I'll tailgate you if you're in the lead, but won't speed up to pass when I move right person"

This pisses me off so much!! If I'm cruising down highway in light traffic at my usual cruise control speed limit +10 and see a car closing up on me, I'll get right as soon as I have an opening, and then the car that was cruising up on me (when I was in the lead) refuses to continue at their "close up" speed and take the lead when I give them the opportunity! If you want me to keep the lead spot and potentially be the first to get hit with the police radar trap, and therefore have NO intentions of maintaining that speed that you used to close up on me, then once you catch up to me at speed limit +10, stay at a reasonable distance behind me!!

 

[JimG.]

I see alot about tailgating, so I'll throw one in here...

People who tailgate during snowstorms. I just don't get that. I like to drive fast and I like to get where I'm going, but I also prefer to avoid hitting things and other drivers. Snowstorm tailgaters don't seem to mind the potential worst accident scenario, rear-ending a car in front of them. And I seem to find them in my rearview mirror mostly when I'm travelling on a downhill slope.

I downshift to avoid using brakes, and then I get some moron who zooms up behind my car, then slams on their brakes. Then they camp there, 2 inches off my bumper. In the right lane. With an open left lane. And they refuse to pass.

Dumb.

 

[ctenidae]

The "I'll tailgate you if you're in the lead, but won't speed up to pass when I move right person"

I hate this guy- he's usually the one who will sit right off your rear quarterpanel, and slow down to match speed when you catch up to the center lane guy travelling the speed limit. The only way to avoid him is to floor it right before you get to the center lane guy, cut off the hiphugger, and blow by the center lane guy, which annoys the center lane guy who thinks you're an asshole, scares the hiphugger because he wasn't paying any attention anyway and you suddenly cut him off, and will always, without a doubt, every single time ellicit a comment from your wife along the lines of "Why are you in such a hurry?" or, "Slow down, you just cut that guy off" or something similar. It's useless to try to explain the situation to her, and for the next 100 miles she'll be surreptitiously checking the speedometer, ready to comment as soon as you break 10 over.

/as much as I love driving, man it annoys me sometimes...