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

[CDeb]

That is indeed an insightful tidbit. I didn't realize George Carlin was an A&M student that frequents HAIF!?

I knew that came from somewhere, I just couldn't remember who!

[mumbles]

People getting on the hwy. They stop in the middle of the merge lane instead of going to the end. I have found if you drive with the speed of traffic to the absolute end of the merge lane 99.9% of the time someone will let you in.

Instead you see 3 cars stopped in the merge lane trying to get in the hwy lane at the same time, doing nothing but causing a traffic jam.

Go to the end of the merge lane, it's there for a reason!

You also need to move forward as you pull over, not pull over then move forward.

[krix]

It would be nice if rental car companies would include a little flyer with your paperwork letting you know things like --

• The local speed limit on freeways
  
• Whether right turn on red is legal
  
• Whether left turn on red is legal
  
• Information about local tolls
  
• Any other local driving laws that are unique
  

So often I show up in a new city and within minutes I'm wondering if I can make the turn on red, or should I wait.

Worse -- I flew into Richmond a couple of weeks ago and discovered that it costs 25 cents to use certain exit ramps to get into downtown. Some ramps are free, others you have to pay. I assume it's to address congestion. But it would have been nice to know this ahead of time.

Yes, as a visitor to a particular city it's my responsibility to research every local law. But nothing would have turned up that toll booth thing.

As far as I know, except for New York City (which is the famous exception), it is usually legal to make a right turn on red unless otherwise posted (Wikipedia says that all states including Guam and DC allow this). As for left on red, Wikipedia says this:

In most areas of the United States, it is also legal to make some left turns on red. In all cases, the road being turned onto must be one-way. Making a left-turn on red from a two-way street is legal in only five states: Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington. In 37 other states and Puerto Rico, it is legal to make a left turn on red only from a one-way street. Left turns on red are prohibited in the states of South Dakota (unless permitted by local ordinance), Connecticut, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Rhode Island and in the District of Columbia and Guam.

All turns on red (left or right) are prohibited in New York City unless a sign is posted permitting it. This law has been often challenged, but never successfully overturned.

[krix]

OK, most of my pet peeves in Houston traffic have already been mentioned, like people not indicating when turning or changing lanes, but I have one more thing: people not entering the intersection for a left turn. Pls correct me if I am wrong but the way I have been taught to make a left turn is that you enter the intersection as far as possible without obstructing the opposing traffic. That way, you (and possibly one more car) can complete your turn after the light turns red for the opposing traffic.

That said when driving in Philadelphia people were so unbelievably impatient and rude, it really showed me that Houston drivers are the more gracious drivers.

Also a question to Editor: I heard that there is an unwritten rule in Chicago that when a light turns green it is customary that cars waiting to turn left do so first before the traffic going straight. I only drove in Chicago for a day and my host, despite being from Houston, didn't drive there...

[cottonmather0]

All of the above, but I'll also add this to the list:

In my neighborhood, there are a couple of different intersections on TC Jester, normally a two lane road, where there is a temporary third lane that ends just after a stoplight. Specifically, I am talking about the southbound intersection at 11th street (just after the merge between W and E TC Jester) and the northbound intersection at Larkin (where the right lane splits off to U-turn under the overpass and the left 2 lanes cross over the Eureka rail yard).

Anyway, the gripe here is that people in both directions will often purposely swing out into the extra lane so as to cut to the front of the line. Granted, I'll allow that it's not always someone doing it on purpose, but when the light turns green and the car in the extra lane floors it like a drag racer and then cuts over as soon as he can, it's pretty clear that he knows what he's doing and isn't some unlucky schlub surprised by the lane ending. And it's usually only 1 jerk per cycle - most of the time the line in the middle two lanes is 10-15 rows deep with people who seem to be trying to be polite and at the last second some guy in an SUV or tricked out Mazda will swing out and blast to the front of the line.

Point is, I know it's not illegal, and I know that in the grand scheme it probably helps traffic flow better over the long run, but at the same time it just contributes to the whole road rage / aggressive driving / high speed kind of mindset because it also encourages people in the middle lane to drive maniacally, too, to avoid getting cut off. It also just seems kind of rude on top of everything else - I mean, I could do it too, and I don't, because I think it's rude, and it seems that many other people in the neighborhood feel the same way when they don't take advantage, either. \

Yeah, it's silly, but it's still annoying to me.

Edited May 2, 2007 by cottonmather0

[houstonmacbro]

OK, most of my pet peeves in Houston traffic have already been mentioned, like people not indicating when turning or changing lanes, but I have one more thing: people not entering the intersection for a left turn. Pls correct me if I am wrong but the way I have been taught to make a left turn is that you enter the intersection as far as possible without obstructing the opposing traffic. That way, you (and possibly one more car) can complete your turn after the light turns red for the opposing traffic.

That said when driving in Philadelphia people were so unbelievably impatient and rude, it really showed me that Houston drivers are the more gracious drivers.

Also a question to Editor: I heard that there is an unwritten rule in Chicago that when a light turns green it is customary that cars waiting to turn left do so first before the traffic going straight. I only drove in Chicago for a day and my host, despite being from Houston, didn't drive there...

I think Houston drivers are pretty weird, but overall not rude. I think it's because so many people drive such big vehicles and objects in motion tend to remain in motion. Therefore, they are pretty cautious, comparatively.

[krix]

I think Houston drivers are pretty weird, but overall not rude. I think it's because so many people drive such big vehicles and objects in motion tend to remain in motion. Therefore, they are pretty cautious, comparatively.

Aw come on, I wanted to put it down to the proverbial Texan friendliness :closedeyes: well at least my mother was smitten with the friendliness of the people, LOL...

[houstonmacbro]

You try stopping a 5,000 lbs vehicle (even with powerful braking systems) ... it ain't the quickest things.

Plus, they are all talking on cell phones and monitoring kids in the back seats watching DVDs on the built in players. They HAVE to be cautious.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

People driving while talking on cell phones is bad.

People that are on the freeway in the far left lane that have thier left signal light on for miles, bad and just plain stupid.

[JLWM8609]

Oh boy, here we go!

1. People who think that turn signals mean "Let's close the gap and not let him in!"

2. People who drive in the far left lane very slow, go with the flow y'all! It's even worse when they're beside a big rig and I'm stuck behind them. I was taught to get out the big rig's blind spot as soon as possible, get out of my way!

3. People in raggedy cars who get on the freeway and don't go above 35mph, stay on the streets!

4. People who tailgate. I drive a diesel car, and before the new ultra low sulphur diesel came out, I used to be able to smoke em with a cloud of big black smoke, but no more! Usually a quick but light tapping of the brake pedal with the left foot to make the brake lights flash a few times backs em' off now. YES, the light is yellow, I'm slowing down, get off my tail or go around!

5. People who won't turn until the light is green from one one-way onto another one-way on red when traffic is clear.

6. People who honk a millisecond after the light turns green. You're six cars behind everyone else, of course you won't be moving when the light turns green dummy!

7. People who drive in the shoulder lanes to pass everyone up in rush hour traffic, they do it in the morning all the time on I-10 near downtown, causes near accidents for folks coming off the 59N to I-10W ramp. HPD needs to get out and enforce that.

8. People who DON'T signal drive me nuts.

9. People who drive like "jerks", you know, usually some new BMW or new Mercedes-Benz driver. Always speeding, even in unsafe conditions, swerving in and out of traffic.

10. Red light runners. People who run red lights seconds after they turn red. For example, I'm driving the same speed as a car next to me, I see the light turn yellow so I slow down in anticipation, no hard braking, but the other guy speeds up, it turns red before we reach the intersection, but he barrels right through. I use this rule of thumb when applicable. If the intersection has pedestrian signals, if the signals say "WALK" or has the little walking man lit, I know the green phase is relatively fresh and won't change for a while. If the "DONT WALK", "WAIT", or red hand is flashing or just lit while the light is green, I know the light is prone to change soon, and I prepare to slow down and stop if the light changes. It's even better now with the countdown pedestrian signals that show how many seconds are left until the yellow light.

11. People who eat, drink, and talk on cell phones while driving. Driving is supposed to be a 100% concentration event. That's why Mercedes-Benzes and other German autos didn't have cupholders for a long time.

12. People who cut you off. The rule of thumb is not to move over in front of the car/truck/bus behind you until you can see the headlights on both sides of it in your rearview mirror.

I think a good solution would be to have more stringent driving tests to weed out those who shouldn't be out there, that means semi-annual road and written tests and make driving school MANDATORY for everyone who wants to drive, and they ought to pay out of their own pocket to do so. Maybe then, accident rates would fall when we get the bad drivers off the road, and us good drivers could get benefits such as no more tail gaters, no more slow pokes, and maybe higher speed limits as they have in Germany. Driving is a PRIVILEGE, NOT a right.

Edited May 2, 2007 by JLWM8609

[cottonmather0]

I think a good solution would be to have more stringent driving tests to weed out those who shouldn't be out there, that means semi-annual road and written tests and make driving school MANDATORY for everyone who wants to drive, and they ought to pay out of their own pocket to do so. Maybe then, accident rates would fall when we get the bad drivers off the road, and us good drivers could get benefits such as no more tail gaters, no more slow pokes, and maybe higher speed limits as they have in Germany. Driving is a PRIVILEGE, NOT a right.

Someone please correct me since I am too lazy to go to the DPS website to check it out, but my understanding is that there is no longer any sort of Driver's Ed or road test requirement at all to get a normal license anymore. All you have to do is pass the written test and they'll give you a license now.

When I was 16 you had to go through 12 hours of classroom instruction and 12 hours of road instruction and THEN go drive around the block with a trooper in the car with you (and parallel park somewhere along the way) before you got your license.

[CDeb]

4. People who tailgate. I drive a diesel car, and before the new ultra low sulphur diesel came out, I used to be able to smoke em with a cloud of big black smoke, but no more! Usually a quick but light tapping of the brake pedal with the left foot to make the brake lights flash a few times backs em' off now. YES, the light is yellow, I'm slowing down, get off my tail or go around!

I always wanted to rig a button in my steering wheel that was connected to my brake lights, so I could press the button and flash the brake lights when someone was trying to drive up my exhaust pipe. Watching their hoods dive would be good for a chuckle or two.

[Jeebus]

Someone please correct me since I am too lazy to go to the DPS website to check it out, but my understanding is that there is no longer any sort of Driver's Ed or road test requirement at all to get a normal license anymore. All you have to do is pass the written test and they'll give you a license now.

Civilian DPS employees administer the driving portion of the exam now.

[sevfiv]

i think that defensive driving courses should be mandatory for all drivers yearly

[Vertigo58]

i think that defensive driving courses should be mandatory for all drivers yearly

Thats' exactly right and I believe we should all take refresher courses as well.

Someone else mentionend about clunker cars going real slow on the frwy and roads. One must be naive to think that those kinds of junkers could actually pass the yearly inspection? What the owners do is get the sticker "under the counter" by friends that work at these garages for a minimal fee and thier on thier merry way. Sad cycle, this is another reason cops randomly stop people but thats another thread.

Commercial vehicles with no tail lights or no working brake lights are a real, real problem too. They suddenly slam on brakes and you nearly rear end them.

[Rio Grande Valley]

I think that anyone that receives a speeding ticket or is a fault in an accident should go to mandatory defensive driving.

[Vertigo58]

Then there are the cars or trucks that are in front of you that have plumes of smoke billowing out of the tail pipes. The smoke sucks directly into your air conditioning. Lovely, now you can breath carbon monoxide as you drive. The coroner will say it was suicide while you were driving.

One more!

Driving behind a truck loaded with junk or furniture that isn't tied down. You can see the junk shift as he drives ready to fall out and cremate the person behind him. I recall years ago as I approached a bridge all of a sudden this barrel full of? came barrelling towards me. It was rolling down towards me and I quickly moved over and it proceeded to roll towards the other drivers. Complete madness.

Edited May 4, 2007 by Vertigo58

[marmer]

Drivers who don't realize that they have an obligation to minimize the inconvenience their presence is to others. Usually this means either: driving too slowly, blocking a maneuver lane, being in the right lane at a stoplight when going straight, etc, and in general handling your car as though no one else is on the road. Probably my biggest pet peeve is the way people leave a stoplight. Yes, you can watch for pedestrians and red-light runners, and no, you don't have to smoke your tires, but when that light turns green, GO ALREADY! Move out smartly so that as many people behind you can get through. A couple seconds delay on everyone's part means a whole cycle's delay for the people a few cars back.

marmer

[sevfiv]

^i agree about minimizing inconvenience to others, although i am sure rating one's own inconvenience might be difficult

i have an idea for all houston drivers, though, and i beg all to try it if anyone hasn't already:

try leaving for destinations a few minutes early - it's amazing how much more calm things can be if you're not in a hurry

[TexasArchitect]

lol, most of my peet peeves have been covered on here, but the few that irritate me are the ppl who turn in a median and leave the butt of their car sticking out causing every1 to brake or swerve around.

and i absolute hate driving behind a person who is #1 driving below the speed limit aaaand i can see their head looking at everything except the road.....driving is not the time to do sight seeing!!!

and of course the ppl who talk on their cell phones and have no idea what going on around them.

[CDeb]

People who flick their cigarette butts out their windows!

I swear, I see 2-3 cigarette butts bouncing sparks down the freeway every morning.

[sevfiv]

People who flick their cigarette butts out their windows!

I swear, I see 2-3 cigarette butts bouncing sparks down the freeway every morning.

i am with you on the littering thing...

there's always "Report a Litterer" (and a cigarette butt is on the drop-down list)

http://www.dontmesswithtexas.org/report_a_litterer.php

[Jax]

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)!

[Kirzania]

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)!

It's amazing the amount of people that do this after I-10 and 610 S merge, right before the Woodway and Post Oak exits. The signs give you PLENTY of warning to get the hell over because this lane ... surprise! exits only! I wish TXDoT would put up some kind of soft barrier before the barrels at the median so those jerks can't cut over at the last possible second because "oops" they didn't see that sign 1 mile before hand that gave them tons of warning and now they have to drive in the shoulder to pass everyone who they think are going "too slow."

True Houston driver pet peeve: Those jerks who cut into the lane when the sign says "Do not cross double white line." Ok, at rush hour when everyone's stacked up and barely moving... Whatever. It's understandable. When it's 7am on a Tuesday morning and traffic's moving, just don't freakin' do it! I can't tell you how many people felt perfectly ok merging across that double white at San Felipe's northbound off-ramp almost-just nearly into my rear quarter because they can't just slow it down to get over and merge into the traffic that's already going straight. (*Yeah, you, punk. Nearly killed me yesterday. At least I know where my turn signals are.*)

I love it when these old posts get dug up again.

[sevfiv]

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.

Edited July 19, 2007 by sevfiv

[J.A.S.O.N.]

Doing 70-90 on the feeder every 100 ft., while trying to beat the rest of the pack to the next stop light. These people drive me crazy!!!

Edited July 19, 2007 by J.A.S.O.N.

[Trae]

I hate it when people don't know where they are going are on an exit only lane (for example, those on the new Katy Freeway out west). They swerve over at the last minute and start driving on the shoulder. I also hate people who honk their horn right when the light turns green, especially if I am not the first car. They need to chill out because, they are going to get through.

[Pumapayam]

Nose pickers.

People who flick cigarettes

Passing on the right side, even though you are already going 10 mph above the posted speed limit.

and the worst!

Those people who merge at the LAST minute to cut in line for an exit ramp!

Another thing that drives me crazy: People that think you MUST be going 75+ in the left lane

To me, if you're passing, you're good as long as you get over to the right as soon as you're done passing.

After all, the sign says, "LEFT LANE FOR PASSING ONLY" not "LEFT LANE FOR DRIVING LIKE A MANIAC ONLY."

Well on freeways, if you are going 75 to 80, technically you should be passing cars full time other lanes.

I would hate to have 1 less lane to use just because it is supposed to be only for passing.

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)!

Me too!

You are the 3rd one!

i am with you on the littering thing...

there's always "Report a Litterer" (and a cigarette butt is on the drop-down list)

http://www.dontmesswithtexas.org/report_a_litterer.php

OMG, I am so going to use that, bottle, cups, cigs, I see it all the time!

[musicman]

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.

looks like every vehicle in the pic is having problems.

[CDeb]

looks like every vehicle in the pic is having problems.

They should just change the stenciling on the "COMPACT" spaces to read "FOLKS WHO IGNORE THE STRIPES" because that's what usually happens.