Things I Hate About... Traffic

EvilGentleman: 15th Feb 2006 - 01:09 GMT

I am hoping to hear what other people have to say about these issues, as well as to start a general discussion about bad driving/traffic woes in general. Please let me hear from you!

Laura : 15th Feb 2006 - 01:31 GMT

13. Tailgaters. I absolutely hate tailgators. One day I'm gonna just stop short and really cut my nose off to spite my face.

danielle: 15th Feb 2006 - 01:40 GMT

14.Now, i don't have ANYTHING against playing some tunes in your car, and rockin' out. HOWEVER...there is such a thing as noise pollution...especially little teenagers in their punked-out Cavaliers, with that bass at 8am...i mean, come on man...it's too early for that shit. (Maybe i'm just too old)

EvilGentleman: 15th Feb 2006 - 01:40 GMT

Thanks Laura, you just reminded me of:

14 - Speeders who appear in your rear-view mirror flashing their headlights doing twice the speed limit

EvilGentleman: 15th Feb 2006 - 01:45 GMT

LOL, you beat me to the draw, danielle. Next one will have to be #16, I guess... btw, I apologize for my Black Sabbath at 7AM, but it really does help wake me up... But yeah, I know what you mean. That mega-bass hip-hop is just too much when the last sound you just heard was snap, crackle and pop!

danielle: 15th Feb 2006 - 01:47 GMT

Why can't everyone just wake up slow...to Jack Johnson or Dave in the morning? Mmm...with a cuppa...Yumma.

Not that I begrudge you the sweet screeches of BS. :)

EvilGentleman: 15th Feb 2006 - 02:05 GMT

So hard to believe I am now able to criticize the driving of others, when back in my teen days, I used to gauge a good driver by how fast he could take a turn, or how far he could jump. I guess I grew up at last. Still wish I could find a safe place to try to beat my 200 foot jump record, though.

I guess that brings me to:

16 - People who drive like I used to, when I was younger

danielle: 15th Feb 2006 - 02:16 GMT

17. People driving cars with massive amounts of black smoke coming out of their mufflers...which forces the rest of us to roll up our windows on a nice day...really pisses me off.

EvilGentleman: 15th Feb 2006 - 03:34 GMT

18 - People who deliberately try to splash pedestrians waiting at bus stops

EvilGentleman: 15th Feb 2006 - 03:36 GMT

19 - People who refuse to change their belts or brake liners, resulting in horrible high-pitched shrieking noises that cause headaches even to people who are not prone to migraines

Laura : 15th Feb 2006 - 03:41 GMT

20. People who open their car doors (or the doors of cabs) without looking to see if there is a biker coming up behind them. One day I'm gonna get killed!

Guy McLaren: 15th Feb 2006 - 07:59 GMT

I really hate when my 15 minute trip takes 20 because its raining.

jack: 15th Feb 2006 - 16:51 GMT

23. people on cell phones not paying attention to driving.

jack: 15th Feb 2006 - 17:02 GMT

on the corner of cedar street and west side highway. St. Joseph's Church was next to a Russian Orthodox Church, both disintegrated by the collapse of WTC tower. around the corner from the church was a clam bar where you could get clams on the half shell, oysters and a bowl of clam chowder soup. it was common to see people standing on the sidewalk under the west side highway eating clams. and after the clam bar was a saloon owned by an ex-prisefighter who fought max schmelling in 1930's. he had many photos of boxing fighters around the saloon. he had hard boiled eggs on the bar. that was called a chicken and beer lunch. the clam bar and saloon were demolished before the building of the trade center.

EvilGentleman: 15th Feb 2006 - 22:01 GMT

LOL, sometimes I feel like my discussions wind up becoming like US Government legislation, with environmental protection clauses attached to defense spending, etc... But I must say, an interesting little aside there, Jack. :-)

(Now that I said this, I wonder what direction we will wind up in next?)

EvilGentleman: 15th Feb 2006 - 22:04 GMT

24 - Too many people in Montreal drive like Quebecers, too many people in New York drive like New Yorkers. We should all drive like Italians - Full Speed! LOL, just kidding, they already do that here.

elaine: 16th Feb 2006 - 08:07 GMT

i stopped driving when i got ill, and haven't started again yet. i didn't fancy being responsible for anyone else's death etc. but when i do take it up again, i hope eventually, when i am properly old, and not just old in training, to drive a big car very slowly up the middle of the street, thus making road ragers brains boil over and seep out of their ears, thus making the streets safe for everyone.
i thank you.

EvilGentleman: 17th Feb 2006 - 03:00 GMT

25 - Being stuck behind an 18-wheeler in winter, causing your windshield to fill with salty spray every 5 seconds. All this leads to:

26 - Having to refill your windshield washer fluid reservoir during winter more often than you have to fill the gas tank.

Micah: 20th Feb 2006 - 23:04 GMT

27 - Motorists who are ignorant of and/or actively hostile to cyclists.

28 - Um, pollution?

EvilGentleman: 23rd Feb 2006 - 06:26 GMT

29 - Idiots who try to pass you at the last possible second before they turn

30 - Other idiots who try to make extra lanes where they do not exist, either passing in the middle of two lanes or on the shoulder.

31 - the fools who endanger everyone's lives weaving in and out of traffic justy so they can wait at the same red light as the rest of us

32 - Those who advance one or two car lengths into an intersection in anticipation of a red light turning green

33 - those who practice the infamous 'rolling stop'

34 - Retards who refuse to yield to others at a 4-way stop, no matter who is to the right of who, or who got there first.

EvilGentleman: 27th Feb 2006 - 14:21 GMT

35 - The dreaded "double trouble" speed trap, where one police car sits in plain sight to make most drivers slow down, and a second car hides a mile or two down the road to nab people as they resume speed after passing the obvious speed trap.

EvilGentleman: 27th Feb 2006 - 14:23 GMT

36 - passing pickup trucks with extra-wide snowplow blades attached to the front.

EvilGentleman: 28th Feb 2006 - 16:31 GMT

This morning, I was driving my wife to work by a different route than normal and came to a red light. I realized that I needed to make a right turn a few blocks ahead in order to get to where I needed to go. I figured I would do the same thing I do when I visit Manhattan, which is take off quickly at the green light, then safely change lanes, then drive normally. Since both Montreal and Manhattan drivers are notorious for not letting people merge, this tends to be the safest option. But not today.

When the light turned green, I accelerated quickly and turned on my right turn signal. As I was about to change lanes, I noticed the guy who was to my right at the light is still in my blind spot, so I floored the accelerator all the way, so that I do not get in his way, then made my turn. As I made the turn, I realized that this guy was STILL in my blind spot, even though I was now doing 110 in a 50 zone, but I was now committed to the turn, and I had to slam on my brakes to go around the intersection at 70, with the guy literally 2 feet behind me the whole time. He stayed glued to my bumper until we got on the higway, where he made a point of squeezing past me on the access ramp, and cutting off 5 other cars in the process as he weaved recklessly in and out of traffic.

As my adrenaline rush subsided, I tried to analyze what the hell just happened. Looking back, I realized that I should have just let this guy slide in front of me before the turn, but I had too little time to comprehend what he was doing before I had to commit to the turn myself. I obviously made a mistake, but I can at least see the logic that caused me to put myself in that situation. What I cannot for the life of me figure out however, is what the heck HIS logic was for doing 110 in a 50 zone just to block somebody from turning. What the hell makes people do these things? This guy had no need to do that, he was already in the proper lane to take the turn, and my dashing in front of him should not have been a problem, as we had at least 2000 feet to do this in with absolute safety. I have used this technique to stay ahead of Yellow Cabs in New York, in order to be able to stay away from those lunatics, so it seemed logical to do the same here. I still cannot fathom why this person chose to act in that manner, except to be a total asshole for no reason whatsoever. I guess this would have to make the list as:

37 - people who drive like idiots for no reason other than to get in your way on purpose.

Kim: 9th Mar 2006 - 01:04 GMT

4. They should ONCE drive on the German Autobahn, (no speed limit), It will never happen again!

Liz: 23rd Mar 2006 - 01:02 GMT

38? - people who park in bike lanes.

Last summer I saw one such idiot, last summer, park in a bike lane and then open his door into the car lane. Unfortunatly he didn't realize that there were two cycleists coming up right behind him (three if you include me, about a block behind). The first cyclist caught the edge of the door as it opened and went flying.

When the driver got out of the car the three of us said, I think in unison, "your parked in a bike lane, you idiot!"

The cyclist who went down was ok in the end, but his bike was pretty beat up.

Brad: 27th Mar 2006 - 22:04 GMT

40 - Cars that you see waiting at a stop sign up the road that suddenly decide to cut you off even though there are no other cars in front or back. This happens alot on my way to work at 5:30AM.

Jo-Ann: 10th May 2006 - 20:49 GMT

People who race to stay ahead of the ambulance

EvilGentleman: 11th May 2006 - 14:10 GMT

Ironically, I have had ambulances impede my driving, as they go too slow around curves, even with their lights flashing. I guess maybe they are too top-heavy, or they have to be cautious of the condition of the patient inside. Either way, I always give them space, although I shocked myself when I almost passed one once without realizing it!

Maybe Grange could tell us more...

EvilGentleman: 15th May 2006 - 15:41 GMT

43 - People who tailgate, but refuse to pass, even if you come to a full stop in the middle of an empty 4-lane street. (Yes, it has happened to me before. I stopped just to see what the idiot would do, and he just stopped and sat there, waiting for me to start up again. Seriously, I wonder why on earth they do that?) But I will encounter idiots who refuse to pass at least once every day, sadly enough.

Steve: 2nd Aug 2006 - 18:18 GMT

44.Whistler tips. Go through any area that may be considered ghetto, ever trailer parks,
and you may hear these.
http://www.thatvideosite.com/view/39.html is a news story about them that is inadvertently(sp?) humorous thanks to a man named Bubb Rubb. Warning: occasionally the ads may be NSFW although it's not blatant.

Tube: 3rd Oct 2006 - 17:22 GMT

People thinking that they are right to not use cars. We need cars, trucks, buses, trains and planes. What we also need is good common senses. so many examples exist about lack of common sense:
Speed trap, cars are driving 115, they see the police, they slow down to 95...
4 way stops, automatically assuming that the guy that arrived a split second before you should go firts. No, if he arrived right before you, but the very first is going opposite to you, you should go at the same time, and the one that actually arrived right before you should be the third one to go, this making the traffic flow lighter.
Merging, one after the other, simple as that...
Exit from the highway, in Montreal (well known for many things...) is 96% of the time, exit are following an entrance on the same highway!! How dumb!

and sooo many more examples of lack of common sense...

MrDude: 17th Oct 2006 - 19:26 GMT

Does anyone is actually able to FULLY understand the parking signs in Montreal..But I mean..REALLY...like when you have 5 signs in the same spot..and you just wanna make a 15 min stop.

EvilGentleman: 9th May 2007 - 02:05 GMT

Hmmmm, what satellite map is appropriate for this post? I know, the worst spot for traffic in Montreal, the Decarie Circle.

maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&t=k&om=1&ll=45.503475,-73.666527&spn=0.003662,0.007231&z=17

Sanatarium: 20th Feb 2008 - 22:30 GMT

On 14, That is actually proper, if you are in the left lane, and someone comes from behind, 2 flashes means "Please move over so I may pass" in a very polite and friendly manner in Deustchland. It is common practice on the autobahn and drivers should no take offense to it.

But I do agree with the rest, honestly, the problem in most parts of Vancouver, is not too many cars, but cars braking when it is completely unnecessary. Traffic would flow so much smoother if people didn't tailgate, and didn't hit their brakes on the freeway for no apparent reason.

EvilGentleman: 22nd Feb 2008 - 18:45 GMT

Good point, but in Montreal, we have speed limits, unlike on the autobahns. And North American headlight flashing is usually reserved for emergencies, telling drivers to go ahead at stop signs and letting big-rig drivers know that their tail is clear, and they can change lanes at will now. Plus, the drivers I am complaining about usually flash their lights continually until you pull over, and when you do, they blast past you and then cut you off, as they try to go around the next obstacle impeding their mad dash.