Houston Drivers ... What REALLY Drives You Crazy?!?

[marmer]

People passing me on the right when I am not in the left-most lane and going the speed limit or slightly above.

I can understand it if I'm going 50 and there is no other lane to pass in, but when I'm going 65 and somebody uses the exit lane to the right of me as a passing lane, that kind of bugs me (and it's dangerous)!

You may have seen me do that. The reason is usually because there is another car coming up quite a bit faster in the left lane and there's no way to move over to the left lane. I don't do it in an exit only lane or if there is an exit or (especially) on-ramp nearby. (That's another of my pet peeves. Slow drivers in the on-ramp lane who "block" the on ramp) But in general I want to minimize changes of speed and direction and to make them as gradually as possible, and I promise not to slow you down or do anything suddenly to endanger you.

If you are being passed on both the left and right by lots of cars, you might want to think about increasing your speed slightly. I drive on lots of the freeways around here and I rarely see traffic moving as slow as 65 when it's moving freely.

[Guest Marty]

Garbage, buckets, scrap wood, etc.. flying out of truck beds and trailers.

[houstonmacbro]

Garbage, buckets, scrap wood, etc.. flying out of truck beds and trailers.

Or people...

... I remember headed home on I45 one day at highway speed and was PASSED by a flatbed truck (no sides, no railing) with a person laying horizontally up against the cab.

I was ... speechless.

[EastEnd Susan]

I hate it that so many people on the feeders do not yield for the traffic coming off the freeway!!!! I sometimes think they actually believe the giant yield sign is for the exiting traffic to yield to them. I also think these drivers need to be reminded that ALL lanes on the feeder are suppose to yield, not just the first lane.

[Guest Marty]

Or people...

... I remember headed home on I45 one day at highway speed and was PASSED by a flatbed truck (no sides, no railing) with a person laying horizontally up against the cab.

I was ... speechless.

People who drive down the freeway with there dogs in the bed of the truck drives my crazy also.

[northbeaumont]

People that don't understand the concept of relative velocity (they think that because there is a gap of more than 5 feet between you and the car in front of you, you are going slower than that car.)

The rule of thumb is to stay one car length behind the car in front of you for every 10mph you're traveling. In the case of Houston freeways, that would be the length of eight cars. Most people don't observe that. That's why there's so many people getting hit in the rear.

[Vertigo58]

Have we added this one?

Changing a flat on the freeway and expecting everyone to go around you at 60 plus miles an hour. You notice occupants sitting inside of the vehicle while the person changes the flat. Talk about a death wish.

[Mark F. Barnes]

I hate it that so many people on the feeders do not yield for the traffic coming off the freeway!!!! I sometimes think they actually believe the giant yield sign is for the exiting traffic to yield to them. I also think these drivers need to be reminded that ALL lanes on the feeder are suppose to yield, not just the first lane.

On the same note, people who ignore the "DO NOT CROSS DOUBLE WHITE LINE" sign and exit the freeway hard right across three anes of feeder traffic thinking they have the right of way, when they do not.

[JLWM8609]

I had to bring this back, I've got a new peeve. At the South Freeway southbound feeder road and N. MacGregor, you make a right turn onto N. MacGregor by taking the little "right turn ramp" that bypasses the intersection. Unlike some "right turn ramps" at other intersections, the traffic turning right gets dumped into its own separate lane on the cross street instead of merging into the cross street's extreme right lane. Yet, braindead drivers will sit and wait for crosstraffic to pass before pulling out though they don't even have to.

In other words, they treat it as a:

When it's really a:

Orange is usually used for construction zones, but imagine them yellow to be "MUTCD correct" for this situation.

[memebag]

People driving around with their high beams on. It seems like that becoming much more popular. Is it because our aging population is losing their night vision?

[houstonartstudent]

One of my biggest things is the people that drive in the HOV lanes with only one person...this for me mainly applies to the Katy Freeway Eastbound near Hwy 6 where the lanes lack any barriers from the mainlanes and they have the choice of merging with the main traffic or continuing on the HOV...over half the people merging are single-passenger cars...UGH

[Jax]

People driving around with their high beams on. It seems like that becoming much more popular. Is it because our aging population is losing their night vision?

I notice that too and it drives me crazy. I was wondering if the low beams are getting more powerful, or if people are just too stupid to turn them off. The worst part is being stopped at a red light and the guy behind is really close and has his high beams on. I drive a small car, so some of the lights on the SUVs fairly high compared to my car, and the lights shine directly into my side mirrors and almost blinds me.

Edited December 1, 2007 by Jax

[sevfiv]

^that's a good opportunity to make handpuppets on your visor

I have probably mentioned this before, but I seem to encounter it (and at more intersections) more then ever:

Green lights with a left turn yield. Some folks just can't (or won't) get it. They just go - right in to oncoming traffic.

-Sunset at Main - seems to be more of the folks turning left onto southbound Main from the little Fannin split.

-Greenbriar (southbound) at Rice.

-Brompton (north and southbound traffic) at Holcombe. This one is particular bad because southbound traffic turning onto Holcombe going east comes out of a neighborhood, and I bet these people do the same stupid thing every day.

K. There.

[Subdude]

another peeve that has a little to do with driving: parking.

i am an admitted parking freak (i like to be centered and lined up - i always check )

but just a little common courtesy is nice, especially with larger vehicles...it is alright to back up and try again, instead of parking outside the lines, etc.

That picture tells you everything you would want to know about the driver, doesn't it?

My pet driving peeve is when at stop signs, people play junior traffic cop and wave others through, instead of just following the simple rules for precedence at intersections. (First in - first out, or if both hit the intersection at the same time, the one on the right has priority.) This drives me crazy. I know these people think they are being polite, but really, when you are driving the point is to follow the rules of the road. Ignoring rights of way to wave people through is actually less safe, since it creates some confusion about who's doing what when.

And of course, for those people who rush to the end of an exiting lane, then cut back into the traffic lanes, there's a special place in hell, and it burns a little hotter there..

[houstonmacbro]

I think most people do not KNOW how to proceed through a 4 way stop. They get confused and it messes up everything.

[Subdude]

I think most people do not KNOW how to proceed through a 4 way stop. They get confused and it messes up everything.

Not to be harsh, but really, if people are confused by 4-way stops they really oughtn't be driving.

[houstonmacbro]

Not to be harsh, but really, if people are confused by 4-way stops they really oughtn't be driving.

I couldn't agree more.

[jfre81]

I could go on forever here but nobody wants that...

Perhaps my biggest pet peeve are the freeway drivers who, upon realizing they're not in a position to exit where they figure they need to exit, that they recklessly weave through traffic in those lanes instead of just getting off at the next exit and making a U-turn as they can do in most cases (at least here in Houston) to get where they need to go.

[houstonmacbro]

The fast and furious drivers.

When you're doing 10 mph over the speed limit already and they zoom up behind you doing 20-30 mph over the speed limit. It's dangerous because you can't really get over and they are looking like they want to zoom around you on either side.

[jfre81]

The fast and furious drivers.

When you're doing 10 mph over the speed limit already and they zoom up behind you doing 20-30 mph over the speed limit. It's dangerous because you can't really get over and they are looking like they want to zoom around you on either side.

Definitely. I particularly loathe the ones who tailgate me in the leftmost lane while I'm doing ~70 and approaching the South Loop from the Gulf Freeway northbound, which is exit-only. These maniacs will get right up on your ass when half a mile later they are changing lanes to the right because they are staying on 45.

There is also plenty of behind-the-wheel wankery on the West Loop between Beechnut and Bellaire Blvd. during heavy traffic, but much of this can be attributed to the onramp from Beechnut putting people on the freeway with little room to maneuver out of the Bellaire exit lane. I pick my battles carefully with the West Loop in general, avoiding it unless I have to or traffic isn't bad (like, say, 4am )

[houstonmacbro]

Definitely. I particularly loathe the ones who tailgate me in the leftmost lane while I'm doing ~70 and approaching the South Loop from the Gulf Freeway northbound, which is exit-only. These maniacs will get right up on your ass when half a mile later they are changing lanes to the right because they are staying on 45.

There is also plenty of behind-the-wheel wankery on the West Loop between Beechnut and Bellaire Blvd. during heavy traffic, but much of this can be attributed to the onramp from Beechnut putting people on the freeway with little room to maneuver out of the Bellaire exit lane. I pick my battles carefully with the West Loop in general, avoiding it unless I have to or traffic isn't bad (like, say, 4am )

So would you say that overall we're rude or impatient?

... or both?

[JLWM8609]

I notice that too and it drives me crazy. I was wondering if the low beams are getting more powerful, or if people are just too stupid to turn them off. The worst part is being stopped at a red light and the guy behind is really close and has his high beams on. I drive a small car, so some of the lights on the SUVs fairly high compared to my car, and the lights shine directly into my side mirrors and almost blinds me.

That can sometimes be attributed to improperly aimed headlights. You have to aim your headlights properly to light the road up, and not produce glare in the eyes of other drivers. You can read all about it here. http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.htmlImproperly aimed lights can result in what you've described.

Edited December 3, 2007 by JLWM8609

[Fringe]

Almost every day I patiently wait in line on the feeder of 59 to get on the freeway. (Note: traffic lights on entrance ramps - stupidest idea EVER) And every day I see some A-hole bypass everyone and go to the front of the line and wedge himself in, instead of going to the end of the line like your supposed to. What's wrong with these people? Do they go up and cut in line at movie theaters? Do they have a conscience?

If there was a God, he would strike these people down with all his wrath.

[CDeb]

Note: traffic lights on entrance ramps - stupidest idea EVER

Why do you think so?

I can assure you that ramp meters have a purpose, and the effectiveness of that purpose is limited by driver compliance (or lack thereof) with the meter signal.

Edited December 12, 2007 by CDeb

[Fringe]

Why do you think so?

I can assure you that ramp meters have a purpose, and the effectiveness of that purpose is limited by driver compliance (or lack thereof) with the meter signal.

All I have seen them do is cause a long line of cars waiting to get on the freeway. I've seen some sections where the line is so long it blocks the vehicles trying to exit the off-ramp before the on-ramp. How is that safe or effective?

I will admit it would go much more smoothly if people wouldn’t constantly cut in line like I said in my previous rant. But this is Houston, where rude drivers prevail.

[memebag]

All I have seen them do is cause a long line of cars waiting to get on the freeway. I've seen some sections where the line is so long it blocks the vehicles trying to exit the off-ramp before the on-ramp. How is that safe or effective?

I will admit it would go much more smoothly if people wouldn

[sevfiv]

Things would merge much more smoothly if folks didn't make the "platoons" and give some space in between cars - of course, that has to happen in the main lanes too, so merging can actually occur.

[Fringe]

Here's a Wikipedia article about ramp meters, if you want to learn about their purpose.

I fully understand the purpose. And in a perfect world they might do some good. Things don't always work as planned though.

[memebag]

Things would merge much more smoothly if folks didn't make the "platoons" and give some space in between cars - of course, that has to happen in the main lanes too, so merging can actually occur.

But platooning is the only possible defense against opportunistic merging (trying to cut at the front of the line). If you allow any space between you and the car in front of you, it will be filled with 2 or 3 brave souls who don't know how to wait their turn.

[cottonmather0]

But platooning is the only possible defense against opportunistic merging (trying to cut at the front of the line). If you allow any space between you and the car in front of you, it will be filled with 2 or 3 brave souls who don't know how to wait their turn.

Word.