sifuwong Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Why do alot of drivers here don't wave to thank other motorists yielding for them ? Houstonians keep bragging about how friendly and courteous they are, but they sure don't act like it. Oh...stop throwing things out of the car while driving when there are other cars behind you in the streets or highways. I don't care if it is a cigarette(use your ashtray),plastic cups, etc. or whatever, show some respect!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Because waving to other drivers isn't part of the traffic code. Yielding requirements are rule-driven, not an matter of courtesy. If you are at a stop sign first, or if you are on the right, then you have the right of way. It's not a politeness contest. It drives me nuts when drivers violate the rules in an attempt to be friendly and courteous. It is safer all around if people just go by the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 i saw it more as cars not blocking driveways, intersections, etc.that's maybe more along the lines of courtesy than yielding, though.unfortunately, it seems that most folks on the road are either have bad time management, major anxiety, or are just plain inconsiderate of anything else going on - or all of those.for littering, i'll put forth the same personality characteristics as above but add laziness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Hell, I noticed an increase of being people having absolutely no regard for other drivers. Particularly those in an SUV so I had to go to a new tactic as of late. if *I* have the right of way, I take the lane in slow traffic. This includes my "drifting" into that lane and showing no fear. I give myself a serious pat on the back when I force a hummer to yield to me or have to deal with it's insurance company. Yeah, baby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwood Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Why do alot of drivers here don't wave to thank other motorists yielding for them ? Houstonians keep bragging about how friendly and courteous they are, but they sure don't act like it. Oh...stop throwing things out of the car while driving when there are other cars behind you in the streets or highways. I don't care if it is a cigarette(use your ashtray),plastic cups, etc. or whatever, show some respect!!!If you see a company vehicle driving like an idiot, get the company name & phone number off of the vehicle, at least part of the license plate number and call that company to complain. I think if more of us did this it would help. If you own company vehicles, make sure your company name and phone number is on that vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Hell, I noticed an increase of being people having absolutely no regard for other drivers. Particularly those in an SUV so I had to go to a new tactic as of late. if *I* have the right of way, I take the lane in slow traffic. This includes my "drifting" into that lane and showing no fear. I give myself a serious pat on the back when I force a hummer to yield to me or have to deal with it's insurance company. Yeah, baby! This is something you are just now noticing?? I think the problem w/ drivers in Houston isn't necessarily their lack of respect, it's their stupidity! Some of the biggest morons I see are those who are too stupid to read the exit signs 2 or 3 miles back where they start... so at the last minute they have to swerve into another lane to either make their exit or get out of the exit lane. This, of course, almost causes accidents and forces other drives to slam on their breaks... f'ing morons. I see this kind of stupidity the most driving home from work northbound on the Gulf Freeway at the "59 / 288 south" split. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Weather boy has it right. They are just stupid in Houston.They still do drive "Texas Friendly" in the country. Isn't it Seattle where drivers are so friendly they actually are the cause of accidents? I know read this once in the SF paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Because waving to other drivers isn't part of the traffic code. Yielding requirements are rule-driven, not an matter of courtesy. If you are at a stop sign first, or if you are on the right, then you have the right of way. It's not a politeness contest. It drives me nuts when drivers violate the rules in an attempt to be friendly and courteous. It is safer all around if people just go by the book.I guess it should be considered courtesy for following the law. Drivers on the feeder roads never pay attention to those yield signs on their left and their right as the freeway offramp merges into their lanes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfre81 Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Driving is about freedom. It's all about you. Screw everyone else. Roll down the windows and crank up the stereo volume to 100. You're the king of this town, riding down Main Street where - because you're cooler than everyone else - you take an illegal left turn in front of the light rail...and then suddenly you're not so cool anymore.Houstonians are only friendly and courteous when they're not in a car, and they're in their cars a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Driving is about freedom. It's all about you. Screw everyone else. Roll down the windows and crank up the stereo volume to 100. You're the king of this town, riding down Main Street where - because you're cooler than everyone else - you take an illegal left turn in front of the light rail...and then suddenly you're not so cool anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuwong Posted September 30, 2007 Author Share Posted September 30, 2007 (edited) Because waving to other drivers isn't part of the traffic code. Yielding requirements are rule-driven, not an matter of courtesy. If you are at a stop sign first, or if you are on the right, then you have the right of way. It's not a politeness contest. It drives me nuts when drivers violate the rules in an attempt to be friendly and courteous. It is safer all around if people just go by the book.Ok. My bad on terminology. When i say yielding, i meant when 3 lanes become 2 lanes and the sign says 'left lane ending', so if i let the guy in the left lane in to the right lane, i am yielding for him when he should've been in the right lane ahead of time before the lane was about to end. So if he waits until the last second to move to the right lane, he should thank me or whoever was in the right lane. There are other different situations.I guess it should be considered courtesy for following the law. Drivers on the feeder roads never pay attention to those yield signs on their left and their right as the freeway offramp merges into their lanes.Good point. I see this so many times. Edited September 30, 2007 by sifuwong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 for littering, i'll put forth the same personality characteristics as above but add laziness.There may a degree of laziness to this problem, but I say it's a lack of character. If I had a license to do so, I would love to have a nice private chat with these swine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan the Man Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 My latest driving pet peeve is people who just pull out into oncoming traffic and expect everyone else to slow down to accomodate them. If they're turning left, sometimes they'll just come to a stop and block traffic until they can do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cottonmather0 Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 I guess it should be considered courtesy for following the law. Drivers on the feeder roads never pay attention to those yield signs on their left and their right as the freeway offramp merges into their lanes.This is particularly bad on I-10 west @ the TC Jester exit. A vast majority of the people entering the freeway from Shepherd/Durham pay no heed to the yield sign or the exit ramp. It causes problems on the feeder road when people have to swerve and miss each other and it causes problem on the ramp itself because exiting drivers further back in line suddenly have to slam the brakes because of what's happening up at the end of the ramp.I have taken to just exiting and holding my line and laying on the horn if I meet someone who doesn't see me or expects me to brake. So far no accidents yet but I've angered plenty of people who've had to slam on their own brakes so as not to miss the entrance ramp completely. Did have one gun waved at me once, but that was about the worst. Although I don't think "friendliness" is itself a bad thing, I agree with the sentiment of the OP - problems like this are caused by people being "nice" and letting others take advanatage of them on the roads - in this case, a lot of people people exiting the freeway just brake and let the entering cars cross the double white line ahead of them. It wouldn't happen as often and we wouldn't have some of the problems we have on the freeways if people weren't "encouraged" by the nice people to persist in their bad behavior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 courteous and non-aggressive driving is safe driving. also having basic knowledge of rules/signs would help, too.-for example, when there is a merge because of a lane ending, are people in the ending lane just rude, or do they not know what the sign means? (unless of course there is the painfully obvious "right/left lanes ends" sign). if every rude, time-strapped, and ignorant driver took time to either learn the ways of the road, meditate a little bit, or actually took the time to have time, streets and blood pressure would take an amazing turn for the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 (edited) I've seen some near-misses lately caused by people don't seem to realize that they have a turn signal on. Everyone behind them is trying to figure out if they've forgotten, if they're going to turn at this street or into that driveway, and they just keep blinkin' down the road. The cars behind them get a little complacent, then SURPRISE! They decide to turn, and everyone behind them is standing on their brakes. Edited October 1, 2007 by Native Montrosian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 Maybe this topic should merge with the same topic under "Other topics"? from a few months ago. Everyone complained about mental drivers or dim wits on the highways & byways. I still say the driver in front of you tossing garbage out his window as it hits your windshield or goes under your car. Gotta love it. Lit cigarette butts are choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfre81 Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 Maybe not disrespectful drivers, but just distracted and/or stupid....the other night I'm coming up the Gulf Freeway north of Dickinson, and between there and League City they had part of 45 closed down to one lane. Well, they had signs about it miles back, but people still didn't bother to get over and what could have been quick and painless if everyone had entered the leftmost lane when they had a chance there would have been minimal delay. Instead, a quarter-mile of bottleneck that takes 20 minutes just because they had to get back over and try to get a space further ahead or something.My opinion of mankind is perhaps at its lowest when I get behind the wheel and encounter other people doing the same...you might as well be running amongst a cattle stampede because the cumulative IQ level is on the same scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxmulder Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 Maybe not disrespectful drivers, but just distracted and/or stupid....the other night I'm coming up the Gulf Freeway north of Dickinson, and between there and League City they had part of 45 closed down to one lane. Well, they had signs about it miles back, but people still didn't bother to get over and what could have been quick and painless if everyone had entered the leftmost lane when they had a chance there would have been minimal delay. Instead, a quarter-mile of bottleneck that takes 20 minutes just because they had to get back over and try to get a space further ahead or something.My opinion of mankind is perhaps at its lowest when I get behind the wheel and encounter other people doing the same...you might as well be running amongst a cattle stampede because the cumulative IQ level is on the same scale.Yep 225 west "Exit RIGHT" and cars are shuffling to get on the 225 east lane. "Exit ONLY" Means exactly that. They warn you 1/2 and 1 mile ahead. I'm starting to hate these people(during accidents/cons) "that are very important" that drive on the shoulder with flashers on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Speaking of stupid drivers. sounds like this one may have killed an officer chatting on his cell phone.At the very least, he failed to comply with the 2003 law to slow down or move over.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5178185.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuwong Posted October 2, 2007 Author Share Posted October 2, 2007 I might want to add also about car wrecks. Please keep driving and don't come to an almost complete stop to gawk at an accident scene. Especially, if the wreck is on the other side of the freeway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Speaking of stupid drivers. sounds like this one may have killed an officer chatting on his cell phone.At the very least, he failed to comply with the 2003 law to slow down or move over.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5178185.htmlNot that it's enforceable, but is it too much to ask for a law banning cell phone usage while driving? It's just common sense to not do it, although it's done by almost all drivers. Still, every person who slams their brakes on the freeway, drives 20 mph slower than traffic, or nearly clips me while changing lanes is busy on the phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Hopefully this can serve as a wakeup call for those who can't walk and chew gum at the same time.I rarely if ever talk and drive. What makes me mad is that 99% of the conversations are just B.S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 -for example, when there is a merge because of a lane ending, are people in the ending lane just rude, or do they not know what the sign means? (unless of course there is the painfully obvious "right/left lanes ends" sign).There's a special place in hell for those people, and it burns a little hotter there.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 Ok, this should probably be classified under stupid drivers instead of drivers with no respect, BUT, I see this frequently on 288 Southbound just after the onramp from N. MacGregor. A one lane onramp from N. MacGregor feeds into the right southbound lane of 288 South, but it does not create an all new mainlane as onramps typically do with freeways built and rebuilt in that era. The right mainlane just gets a bit wider at that portion to accomodate the traffic from N. MacGregor and narrows back down to the original width by the time you get to the old HB&T overpass. People who are driving in the extreme right lane will for some reason put their right turn signal on and "merge" into the right side of the extra wide lane. Now, I've made a diagram here of what bugs me most. I've been taking this interchange 4-5 days out of the week since August 2005. The red line represents the ramp for 59 N to I-10 E, the green line is the ramp for 59 N to I-10 W, the blue line is the ramp from Chartres St. to I-10 W, and the orange line is the route I see many people take to get to I-10 E from 59 N. Instead of taking the proper (red line) ramp I-10 E, they take the I-10 W ramp (green line), and cut across the shoulder lanes (orange line), cut across the ramp (blue line) from Chartres to I-10 W, and get on the ramp from Chartres St. to I-10 E. It's an accident waiting to happen. They cut off traffic entering I-10 W from Chartres and I've seen some near accidents. Before they completed the interchange in 2003 or 2004, that portion was complete and in use while other parts were still in construction. This portion had concrete barriers running alongside the ramps, and everyone stayed in their proper places, until when the whole interchange was completed, the barriers were removed. I think TxDOT needs to come and put the barriers back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDeb Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 People who run the ramp meters bug me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban909 Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 i can't understand why people don't get the centre reverse lane on w. alabama. i have almost gotten in near accidents driving in the centre lane because some do not know a what red X/no left or right turn sign means; then get mad when i start honking/flashing lights at them to get out of the way, at the same time creating a mess behind me as people try to get around....oh and speaking of honking horn, i have never been in a large/major city where people get so upset when you honk at them. i had one guy cut me off without a signal on 288 south, i honked and he STOPPED in the middle of 5 o'clock traffic and tried to get out of his car to come back and yell at me then continued to slam on his brakes so i would run in to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 oh and speaking of honking horn, i have never been in a large/major city where people get so upset when you honk at them.it's about respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDeb Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 it's about respect.Yes, people get all pissy because you are "disrespecting" them by honking at them, conveniently ignoring the fact that they are disrespecting everyone else by driving like an assclown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban909 Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 it's about respect.growing up overseas and in other large cities, honking just seems a way of life...living in houston, it just seems/ed odd when i moved here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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