Houston traffic stories

[cottonmather0]

No.. actually its no extra work... it's quite easy. And I don't wait so long as to cross double or even solid white lines.

But when there is a quarter to half mile of regular dashed lane with backed up traffic... yah, no thanks.

and smile ... it'll make driving more fun. I rarely get while driving.

I used to do this but recently I was trying to exit westbound @ Eldridge one afternoon and had a hard time because the exit lane was full of cars entering from Dairy Ashford. So when the guy next to me wouldn't yield to let me exit (as the "entering" traffic is supposed to do), I slowed down to hop in the gap that would be naturally be coming up when the guy behind him entered the freeway behind me....

Uh, NO. Didn't happen.

Seems that all of the cars were "entering to exit" (so to speak) and were parked bumper to bumper in the exit lane and not yielding to anyone else trying to exit the freeway. Most of them were then doing the same thing at the next entrance ramp (west of Eldridge) and the ones that weren't were causing the turn lanes at Eldridge to back up on to the exit ramp and thus they were all blocking other traffic trying to legitimately enter the freeway at the same ramp and causing a massive backup.

So yeah, used to do it, but decided that I don't want to contribute to the problem anymore and resolved not to do it again. It was fine when it was just me (or, I guess 2-3 other cars at a time), but now, just like any other arbitrage situation EVERYONE is now doing it and it's causing a bigger problem than was there in the first place.

I guess it would still work if people actually obeyed the rule that exiting traffic always has the right of way, but this is Houston most people have no idea what "right of way" even means!

[Highway6]

I used to do this but recently I was trying to exit westbound @ Eldridge one afternoon and had a hard time because the exit lane was full of cars entering from Dairy Ashford. So when the guy next to me wouldn't yield to let me exit (as the "entering" traffic is supposed to do), I slowed down to hop in the gap that would be naturally be coming up when the guy behind him entered the freeway behind me....

Yeah.. that situation makes it pretty hard and i dont bother..

The exit hopping and queue cutting are usually two different situations. Obviously the exit hopping doesn't work so well if the feeder is so backed up that its a parking lot in the exit lane or its moving slower than the main lanes.

My queue jumping is usually reserved for freeway exchanges. Why someone would get in the proper lane half a mile in advance and willingly go anywhere from noticeably slower than the normal flow of traffic to stop and go when there are 3-4 lanes moving right along, i'll never get.

[memebag]

So yeah, used to do it, but decided that I don't want to contribute to the problem anymore and resolved not to do it again.

Thank you for doing your part to increase decency. I'm a super-sanguine, easy going fella, but rude drivers are one of the few things that raise my ire. It's selfish, mean and counter-productive. There was a recent news article about the traffic patterns of ants. Someone figured out that ants make better time than people even when their paths are more congested because they are patient and give up the right of way more often.

[cottonmather0]

Thank you for doing your part to increase decency. I'm a super-sanguine, easy going fella, but rude drivers are one of the few things that raise my ire. It's selfish, mean and counter-productive. There was a recent news article about the traffic patterns of ants. Someone figured out that ants make better time than people even when their paths are more congested because they are patient and give up the right of way more often.

Like I said, when it was clever and didn't seem to affect anyone else, I didn't have a problem with it, but that's not the case anymore so I'm not going to add to the problem.

I'm like you, Meme, I can't stand rude drivers, which usually includes mindless speeders, weavers, and failures to yield. I've spoken many times on this forum and others about the red light near my house (SB TC Jester @ 11th) where the geography of the road has created a "special" left lane that is often empty and ends shortly after the intersection and lots of "smart" (as I am sure they would describe themselves) drivers routinely pop over into that lane to purposely jump in front of everyone else when the light turns green. The layout of the road upstream is such that a typical driver coming southbound on TC Jester would rarely end up in that lane by accident, so I've come to the conclusion that most people who do it do it on purpose, which can usually be verified by observing how quickly they accelerate and get back into the middle lane when the light turns green. (Those who don't know will either not accelerate at all or they'll merge at the last second when they're surprised by the lane ending)

I drive a big truck with a hot engine and am familiar with the road. I could very easily do this myself but I purposely wait in line behind other traffic than ever succumb to the temptation of being a d*ck.

[20thStDad]

I am probably a rude, impatient driver, but I never cut in line like that. Those people piss me off. I really want to hit them just so they have to stop and be late, and so they will decide maybe they want to fight me and pay for it. But I don't because I'm not the only one who needs me to not be in jail.

I do hate it when people don't GO. This includes the asshole going 30 down Heights when the speed limit is 35. This includes the jackass on any Houston freeway going 50, for no reason at all. Get the F out of the damn way or don't get on this road. but nothing pisses me off more than people who cut in to the ramp/exit at the last minute around a long line. If I'm near the front I will run them into the wall before letting them in. Driving should be like Twisted Metal 2. I should have infinite machine guns and the ability to pick up power missiles, freeze other drivers, and napalm them.

[JLWM8609]

I do hate it when people don't GO. This includes the asshole going 30 down Heights when the speed limit is 35. This includes the jackass on any Houston freeway going 50, for no reason at all. Get the F out of the damn way or don't get on this road.

I've got no problem with folks doing 30 in a 35 zone or 50 on the freeway for that matter as 40 or 45 is the minimum allowed speed on our area freeways. I just wish they'd keep their low speed capers limited to the right lane and allow me to do my thing in the middle or left lane at or above the speed limit with everyone else. When I was driving out to Austin friday morning, I was taking I-10 to Hwy 71, and just before Hwy 6 was this big crane truck convoy doing about 40 in the middle lane. Why weren't they in the right lane or on the feeder road instead?

[Trae]

just because i have no issue cutting in front of 50 sheep doesnt mean i speed for the fun of it as well, trae.

i only speed for safety reasons.

Say, I was coming back from eating at Champps in Uptown with some friends on Saturday and I was going 75-80 on the Katy Freeway, and cars were still passing me up. I'm sure you were one of them.

[houstonmacbro]

I've seen cars on fire on I45. Several times.

Here's one I captured on my mobile phone:

[Highway6]

I've seen cars on fire on I45. Several times.

No doubt caused by 20thStDad's rage, infinite machine guns, and napalm.

[editor]

i only speed for safety reasons.

I can't wait to hear you tell that to a judge.

[TheNiche]

I can't wait to hear you tell that to a judge.

In all seriousness, traffic engineers can very easily provide evidence to the effect of that it is safest to maintain a speed that is approximately the median of the speed of traffic. Speed doesn't cause accidents anything like the way that differences in speed do.

I'm not sure that it would fly for a not guilty plea, but it could at least buy some leniency.

[Highway6]

I can't wait to hear you tell that to a judge.

I've had maybe 5 speeding tickets in 15 years of driving, the majority of which happen out on the state highway.. thats not so bad.. and when they happen, I certainly wouldn't try to talk my way out of them.

But yes... Safety Reasons.

If you remember from your Driver's Ed days, or defensive driving classes..... they teach you about a Sphere of Influence... ( my term, I cant remember exactly how it was termed)... but an area all around your car to pay specific attention to when other cars enter. It also in part is connected to the rule that says you shouldnt drive in another car's blind-spot for too long.

On freeways, I drive 3-5 mph over the flow.. and on highways, i drive 5-10 mph over the flow.

If i'm constantly passing people.. that means all cars enter my Sphere of Influence from the front...I see the majority of vehicles before they are next to me. I am rarely surprised by other drivers. I am a very aware driver in that I constantly scan and monitor all cars around me. So yes.. my slight speeding allows me to be more aware a driver than average and therefore safer.

[20thStDad]

No doubt caused by 20thStDad's rage, infinite machine guns, and napalm.

NO that is only in pretend land...at least until I can get it approved and funded.

[cottonmather0]

NO that is only in pretend land...at least until I can get it approved and funded.

I have often dreamed of mounting a paintball gun behind my truck's grill and then rigging a trigger back to the cab to send "messages" to people doing stupid swervey rude things on the road in front of me. Not that they would know it was me who put that pink splatter on their car door or why it even happened, but I'd sure feel better.

Unfortunately, I'm sure that wouldn't fly with many judges, either.

[N Judah]

On freeways, I drive 3-5 mph over the flow.. and on highways, i drive 5-10 mph over the flow.

If i'm constantly passing people.. that means all cars enter my Sphere of Influence from the front...I see the majority of vehicles before they are next to me. I am rarely surprised by other drivers. I am a very aware driver in that I constantly scan and monitor all cars around me. So yes.. my slight speeding allows me to be more aware a driver than average and therefore safer.

Hah...so if everyone drove 5-10 mph faster than everyone else, would we all then be "safer" drivers? If I'm ever caught drag racing that will be my excuse. Judge, we were just trying to see who could be the most aware driver!

I have often dreamed of mounting a paintball gun behind my truck's grill and then rigging a trigger back to the cab to send "messages" to people doing stupid swervey rude things on the road in front of me. Not that they would know it was me who put that pink splatter on their car door or why it even happened, but I'd sure feel better.

Unfortunately, I'm sure that wouldn't fly with many judges, either.

Last Christmas at Target they were selling a rear-window mounted LED display for cars. It allowed you to program your own messages. I thought it would be more popular but I haven't seen any on the road yet. Of course, I am rarely in a position to see cars' rear windows and by the time they are angry at me I am already gone.

[CoolBuddy06]

There was a time when cutting in fron of traffic was the only way I get home before my wife leaves for work in the morning (someone has to be with the baby all the time). So I cut in front on I-10 EB ramp to 45 SB, but my heart cringe a little bit. I don't do that anymore because I don't need to, and I readily give way to people doing that now. Not all of them deserve sympathy e.g. highway 6, but what the heck. I am busy dozing off in the queue anyway.

[editor]

In all seriousness, traffic engineers can very easily provide evidence to the effect of that it is safest to maintain a speed that is approximately the median of the speed of traffic. Speed doesn't cause accidents anything like the way that differences in speed do.

I'm not sure that it would fly for a not guilty plea, but it could at least buy some leniency.

I don't disagree that there are engineers or some similar people who would testify to that, but the judge uses the written law for the basis of his decision, and the law says xx MPH in that particular zone. I'd rather have a written law on my side than John Q. Engineer's testimony.

I've had maybe 5 speeding tickets in 15 years of driving, the majority of which happen out on the state highway.. thats not so bad.. and when they happen, I certainly wouldn't try to talk my way out of them.

But yes... Safety Reasons.

If you remember from your Driver's Ed days, or defensive driving classes..... they teach you about a Sphere of Influence... ( my term, I cant remember exactly how it was termed)... but an area all around your car to pay specific attention to when other cars enter. It also in part is connected to the rule that says you shouldnt drive in another car's blind-spot for too long.

On freeways, I drive 3-5 mph over the flow.. and on highways, i drive 5-10 mph over the flow.

If i'm constantly passing people.. that means all cars enter my Sphere of Influence from the front...I see the majority of vehicles before they are next to me. I am rarely surprised by other drivers. I am a very aware driver in that I constantly scan and monitor all cars around me. So yes.. my slight speeding allows me to be more aware a driver than average and therefore safer.

By your definitions, cars entering someone's sphere of influence (yeah, I can't remember the right term either) are a danger. So your actions are making you a danger to everyone else out there since you are constantly entering other people's spheres of influence from behind.

Why not just drive with the flow?

[sevfiv]

Why not just drive with the flow?

The usual MO for driving, it seems, is to be hurried and impatient. And often obnoxious?

[Highway6]

By your definitions, cars entering someone's sphere of influence (yeah, I can't remember the right term either) are a danger. So your actions are making you a danger to everyone else out there since you are constantly entering other people's spheres of influence from behind.

Why not just drive with the flow?

Defensive Driving : driving to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others.

In other words, in my words... assume every other driver out there is an oblivious fool. or a bad driver. My driving with the flow would not guarantee the alertness of other drivers. I can only guarantee the driver awareness levels of myself.

Additionally.. there is hardly ever just one flow. There can be as many flows as there are lanes.

The people in the right hand exit lane are going to be passed up by every other lane to their left, given normal conditions.

The same hold true as you get to the interior lanes... people are always passing... depending on which lane you're in, you'll always have people entering your SoI from the front.. or from the back.

We're not ants, like someone previously mentioned.. we're not all going to go at the same speed and follow perfect rules.

[cottonmather0]

I am a very aware driver in that I constantly scan and monitor all cars around me. So yes.. my slight speeding allows me to be more aware a driver than average and therefore safer.

This quote is a perfect example of this. And the nonsense of "only entering my field of view from the front" is pretty darn selfish and pigheaded.

No, you're not responsible for other people, but as you yourself have pointed out, you are responsible for your own actions and if you know that your own actions will have a derogatory effect on someone else's ability to act safely and carefully themselves (i.e you weave and speed so much that you surprise and distract someone else into having an accident in your wake and you KNOW that is more likely to happen when you drive that way) then that's the legal definition of negligence. You have a duty to the other drivers on the road not to put them in any more danger than they would reasonably expect otherwise and you clearly admit that you are.

What kind of car do you drive, 6? I need to get my paintball gun ready.... LOL

[memebag]

We're not ants, like someone previously mentioned.. we're not all going to go at the same speed and follow perfect rules.

Ants don't all go the same speed, but they follow a simple set of rules that reduce travel time. If we could be less selfish, we'd all spend less time in traffic.

[rsb320]

Ants don't all go the same speed, but they follow a simple set of rules that reduce travel time. If we could be less selfish, we'd all spend less time in traffic.

I agree. It's not a competition, folks. Try letting someone in sometime, it might warm your heart. (gag).

[Geoff8201]

And the movie Fast and Furious is coming out... wonder if that'll inspire any drag races and senseless accidents this time around?

Although Houston traffic is bad, there are worse. I spent spring break in Arizona and California... in Phoenix everyone was just driving slow as hell... in Los Angeles it was traffic and 0% courtesy... at least you get a few friendly folks here from time to time. I myself will usually let people in if they need it and if it'll help the flow of traffic. But I'll admit, the few times I leave the house late and I'm in a hurry, I will rarely budge for a curtious deed.

[Trae]

The most rude drivers I have seen are in DC.

[JLWM8609]

Although Houston traffic is bad, there are worse.

I think we also have better traffic due to the, dare I say it, the dreaded "F" word?

FEEDERS?

In other cities in other states, the freeways are absolute parking lots at rush hour. Houston's rush hour isn't as bad as other cities in other states, probably due to the feeder roads which take a bunch of people off of the mainlanes and put them on a road where despite at grade intersections and traffic lights, traffic may be moving slightly faster, yet parallel pathway to their intended destination.

[CoolBuddy06]

The most rude drivers I have seen are in DC.

You need to visit New York.

[Subdude]

I think we also have better traffic due to the, dare I say it, the dreaded "F" word?

FEEDERS?

In other cities in other states, the freeways are absolute parking lots at rush hour. Houston's rush hour isn't as bad as other cities in other states, probably due to the feeder roads which take a bunch of people off of the mainlanes and put them on a road where despite at grade intersections and traffic lights, traffic may be moving slightly faster, yet parallel pathway to their intended destination.

It's not feeders per se, it's just that there may be more available vehicle lane miles. In any event it is hard to generalize that Houston's rush hour isn't as bad as other cities, since local conditions, available roads, layout, employment centers, etc. all can vary so much.

[samagon]

The best way to drive and be safe is be unpredictable and irrational, just swerve all over the place for no reason (flailing your arms around helps too, but it is an advanced maneuver since it requires using your knees to steer, while being unpredictable), and you won't have to worry about anyone entering your 'sphere of influence' people usually give me at least 2 lanes in addition to my own, and 4 or 5 car lengths to the rear.

seriously though, I am not a fan of speeding, my gas mileage goes from ~30mpg at 60mph to ~20mpg at 70mph. 75mph? forget about it. But, that is the price of pushing a brick down the road with a turbo attached to. I'd not give it up for something that can get 30mpg at 75mph, I'm happy leaving my house 10 minutes early and watching my mirrors for Highway6 to come rolling past me. However you need to justify what you do, I won't judge you, do what you do. cause I know I do (and have done) enough myself..

I am one of the feeder jumpers, I am also a guy that uses a lane until it ends.

Get mad at me for that if you want, but the designers of the roads designed them, if they designed them poorly, should I be blamed for using 100% of what our tax dollars are paying for? There's a saying in sports, don't hate the player, hate the game. what it means is, hate the way something is designed, not the way someone is using that design to their advantage (and certainly not the person who is doing it).

Call your council, call whoever, complain about these shitty designs, they may get fixed, they may get updated, but they surely will not, if they cannot see that they are contributing to a problem that can't be seen from studying traffic patterns (road rage).

Anyway, if someone crosses a double white to cut traffic, that is wrong, if someone uses a lane for the full length that is legally allowed, nothing wrong with it, and I find myself letting people zipper in, as often as I myself am zippering in.

[Highway6]

Zoom zoom...

People that can't zipper... annoying.

Worst place to get mad at people not zippering properly... The West Alabama stretch between Post Oak and The West Loop feeder.

And it's partly the fault of those schmucks that read the signs literally..

.. does not literally mean, everybody in our left lane are in the proper lane and everyone in the right lane are wrong for waiting so long to leave their lane which is ending...

In some places, it means two lanes are becoming one... commence Zipper maneuver.... and there is no wrong lane. If 10 cars want be in one lane and 5 in the other lane... those 5 arent in the wrong... two lanes legally exist up until the merge point.

What's funny is sometimes those that think they're in the proper lane just because that is where the queue has established itself aren't even in the correct lane as far as the sign is concerned or as far as road reality is concerned.

West Alabama

.. road reality would dictate that since everyone is forced to turn to the right at the feeder that the right hand lane would be the proper lane to be in prior to the merge, despite what the sign says...

[JLWM8609]

What I get mad at is when I'm trying to zipper and the crowd of folks in the other lane all start riding each others bumpers as to keep folks from the other lane from zippering, that happens a lot on the onramp from S. MacGregor to 288 Southbound. That causes the zipper lane to back up. I know that folks in the lane to the left of you have the right of way, but they shouldn't be acting like jerks either.

Or how about when folks driving in the main lane come across the zipper merge point where the two lanes become one large lane, so they turn on their right turn signal, hug the extreme right side of the lane and end up right back where they were when the main lane returns to its original size?