sidegate Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 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. that configuration is a disaster. the city made W Alabama thus to accommodate work on the spur in 2003 and never bothered its ass to restore it to its original configuration, with bicycle lanes. Mayor White wants to keep (internal combustion engine-powered) traffic moving so screw the cyclists. With people flooring it in the center lane on the way in to downtown in the morning, or on the way out in the evening, it's only a matter of time before there's a head-on collision in the center lane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Speaking of trouble.Why are some streets in downtown setup for two left turn lanes an others are not?The problem being those who make the illegeal second lane turn when it's just one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Actually, now that 59 and the Spur are complete, why not just turn back West Alabama to the way it was?I hate that West Alabama lost the bike lanes. I also hate that the people who live in the neighborhoods can't make left turns at certain times of the day. I also hate that people now use the road as a place to avoid traffic and drive like A.J. Foyt to get THROUGH the neighborhoods and museums and universitites and schools.BRING BACK OLD ALABAMA!At the time Alabama was reconfigured didn't the city say it was only temporary? Guess they forgot. Not allowing left turns all through the Montrose certainly did make it an inconvenient street to use.I was in the federal courtroom downtown in early 2003 when a US attorney gave an undertaking, in response to a direct question from Judge Hittner, that W Alabama would be restored to its original configuration when work on the Spur was complete. Problem is, street configuration in the City of Houston isn't their responsibility, it's the City's! And one of White's top priorities is to keep cars moving, so West Alabama is going to stay as it is indefinitely. Much as I hate it, I can see the logic that cars will need to go somewhere while the light rail on Richmond is under construction. Gonna be hell while it's going on, but the payoff (hopefully) will be big.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 I've got another bad driver story.I was driving up Shepherd north towards Washington and there was another smaller street that merged with Shepheard. Some dude wearing a business suit in a huge truck ignored his yield sign and came within inches of hitting me as our lanes merged. As he was coming closer I honked to give him a warning that we were getting too close, and started to slow down to stop us from hitting. The guy yelled out his window "YOU F*&%ING ASSHOLE!" and gave me the finger and actually revved hiss engine and sped ahead of me. About 5 minutes later he made a left turn into some cross street and as he was turning he stuck his head out the window again, gave me the finger again and said "F YOU" out his window at me (this guy wasn't even looking where he was going at that point). It would have almost been funny if he crashed into a tree while doing that (although nobody deserves that). Anyways, that's about my scariest driving story in Houston so far... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 I've got another bad driver story.I was driving up Shepherd north towards Washington and there was another smaller street that merged with Shepheard. Some dude wearing a business suit in a huge truck ignored his yield sign and came within inches of hitting me as our lanes merged. As he was coming closer I honked to give him a warning that we were getting too close, and started to slow down to stop us from hitting. The guy yelled out his window "YOU F*&%ING ASSHOLE!" and gave me the finger and actually revved hiss engine and sped ahead of me. About 5 minutes later he made a left turn into some cross street and as he was turning he stuck his head out the window again, gave me the finger again and said "F YOU" out his window at me (this guy wasn't even looking where he was going at that point). It would have almost been funny if he crashed into a tree while doing that (although nobody deserves that). Anyways, that's about my scariest driving story in Houston so far...it's funny (funny weird, sometimes funny haha) how rude drivers sometimes exacerbate situations and end up looking like twice (or sometimes three times) the jackass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 I swear profusely at bad drivers and I'm sure people do at me when I do something I shouldn't. But I never, ever make eye contact with anyone in a vehicle. Too many people out there with a lot to prove and not a lot to lose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 The reason I don't agree with swearing profusely at another driver is there is always the possibility he just made an honest mistake. I mean, what good is swearing profusely at somebody going to do? All it's going to do is make him either really angry or feel really bad (unless you do it so he can't hear you). I might honk at bad drivers, but usually only as a safety measure. I've saved myself a few times by honking when people were backing into traffic without looking behind them. I might talk with my passengers about how bad the drivers are, but I would never roll down my window and swear at somebody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 I certainly don't advocate rolling down windows, or even looking in their direction. Swearing at nothing in particular just helps me channel my grievances..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 I see. I guess it's okay then, as long as it's not directed at somebody (especially not if you're trying to look back at him and swear while trying to speed off...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 If you must, just remember that a-hole is the one word where everyone is a lip reader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 If you must, just remember that a-hole is the one word where everyone is a lip reader.duly noted! I work in the Med Center and am constantly having to remind myself that the person in front going 25 miles an hour might be in town for chemo or something, or visiting a sick relative.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 ... in the Med Center and am constantly having to remind myself that the person in front going 25 miles an hour might be in town for chemo or something, or visiting a sick relative....Doesnt give them the right to go 25 and slow you down !!!!!!!! psssshhh !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban909 Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 (edited) that configuration is a disaster. the city made W Alabama thus to accommodate work on the spur in 2003 and never bothered its ass to restore it to its original configuration, with bicycle lanes. Mayor White wants to keep (internal combustion engine-powered) traffic moving so screw the cyclists. With people flooring it in the center lane on the way in to downtown in the morning, or on the way out in the evening, it's only a matter of time before there's a head-on collision in the center lane.i am surprised there has not been a major accident (that i know of) on the road as well. reverse lanes are not bad in concept, i know i have seen them used effectively in europe. anyways, i have almost gotten into some head on accidents; people ignoring the no left/right turn signal and pulling into my lane and then getting upset when i honk at them to get out of the way so i don't get rear ended... Edited October 26, 2007 by urban909 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Being from Europe myself I often have occasion to bemoan the fact that roundabouts/traffic circles aren't used more often here. I jog up at Memorial every weekend and it's such a delight to use the one on Washington. I often hear the argument against them is that people here don't know how to use them, but everyone seems to know how to use that one just fine. They are driven by a simple rule - give way to traffic on the circle. There's a sort of pretend one at the Mecom Fountain, but it's rendered useless by that fact that traffic already on the circle has to yield to Southbound traffic on Main, causing traffic to pile up, much honking and waving of fists as people on Hermann try to merge.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 ^the Mecom ellipse/oval/whatever is pretty bad - three offshoots of divided traffic, plus Hermann, the Montrose blip between the fountain and Fannin, and now the Zaza driveway. I was almost smashed in the center lane of the northbound Main right-of-way by someone coming to the intersection on Hermann Dr (so close we both pulled over). He said he was from out of town, and that's why he was confused - umm, it's a STOP sign and he didn't stop. Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 it's funny (funny weird, sometimes funny haha) how rude drivers sometimes exacerbate situations and end up looking like twice (or sometimes three times) the jackass. Exactly, and online forums are about the same. To bad there's not an ignore driver tab, perhaps one day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDeb Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Being from Europe myself I often have occasion to bemoan the fact that roundabouts/traffic circles aren't used more often here.They are slowly gaining traction in Texas, one of the last stubborn holdout states. TxDOT is slow to change. But individual municipalities (including Houston) are starting to look at more of them. But part of the problem is that a lot of them are being built by developers, and being built badly because they want to maximize the aesthetics of the roundabout at the expense of traffic safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 They are slowly gaining traction in Texas, one of the last stubborn holdout states. TxDOT is slow to change. But individual municipalities (including Houston) are starting to look at more of them. But part of the problem is that a lot of them are being built by developers, and being built badly because they want to maximize the aesthetics of the roundabout at the expense of traffic safety.That's good to know. On really big intersections in Belfast, they are used in combination with traffic lights. At peak times, the lights regulate traffic flow. The lights are then switched off at off peak times and traffic regulates itself. Works pretty well by and large. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban909 Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 That's good to know. On really big intersections in Belfast, they are used in combination with traffic lights. At peak times, the lights regulate traffic flow. The lights are then switched off at off peak times and traffic regulates itself. Works pretty well by and large. i lived overseas for awhile and travelled abroad alot as well, i like the idea of controlled round-a-bouts that you mentioned. i think the flow of traffic would much improve at large intersections that are usually backed up during peak times...then again, as some have mentioned, the whole concept of a yield sign at a round-a-bout is a little too much for some drivers here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 true, but people eventually learned not to turn left in front of LRTs as well. moreover, speeds in and around traffic circles/roundabouts are generally slower so catastrophic t-bone collisions of the kind that are so common here would likely be reduced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Roundabouts are safer because all traffic is slowed, safer because it is only necessary to yield in one direction and all traffic is moving in the same direction, and more fuel-efficient since cars frequently don't need to come to a full stop. You have to wonder about the people that find them too intimidating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 I wish we had more roundabouts too. I'm seeing more in the US in other states, but not as much in the South and Southeast. In low to medium traffic conditions, they are great because you almost never have to come to a complete stop to go through the intersection, so everything keeps moving. They are kind of a pain in high traffic intersections, where there's so much traffic in the roundabout that it's hard to enter the circle. But there are a lot of cases where they'd work better than the standard traffic light or stop sign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Roundabouts are safer because all traffic is slowed, safer because it is only necessary to yield in one direction and all traffic is moving in the same direction, and more fuel-efficient since cars frequently don't need to come to a full stop. You have to wonder about the people that find them too intimidating.True. Four way stop signs make me scratch my head as well. I often wonder how much gas is wasted in moving vehicles from a dead stop at a four way stop sign where there isn't another car in sight. Multiplied across all the cars in Houston, it's probably not insignificant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDeb Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 True. Four way stop signs make me scratch my head as well. I often wonder how much gas is wasted in moving vehicles from a dead stop at a four way stop sign where there isn't another car in sight. Multiplied across all the cars in Houston, it's probably not insignificant.A roundabout will ALWAYS operate better than a four-way stop and is much safer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northbeaumont Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 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!!!Yes, I'm also Rodney Dangerfield when I'm out on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takeshi Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 A roundabout will ALWAYS operate better than a four-way stop and is much safer....especially considering that most Houstonians are apparently clueless as to how to deal with a four-way when there are cars coming from all four directions. Well, it might be more self-centeredness than clueless from what I've experienced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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