Houston traffic stories

[Subdude]

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.

I'm sorry, but blaming the road designers for your own lack of civility has to be the lamest thing I've ever heard.

[samagon]

I'm sorry, but blaming the road designers for your own lack of civility has to be the lamest thing I've ever heard.

I yield, I let people merge, I watch for erratic driving so I can ensure I am out of their way, I've called 911 a time or two on suspected drunk drivers, oh yeah, I and I stop at the scene of accidents to help. That is what I see as being a civil driver.

I suppose we could argue semantics on the rest of it for a week or two, but my point was, and is, I didn't design it, but I am going to use it.

Sorry to have joined such a controversial conversation as such a new member, but driving is one of those subjects that seems to evoke everyone!

[VelvetJ]

This isn't so much a traffic story as much as a crazy driving/crazy people story. About two weeks ago, I am driving full speed on the Beltway 8 Feeder between Bellaire and Beechnut. I am in the middle of a group of about 10 cars going at least 40 mph, when all of a sudden the driver in front of me, rolls down her window and throws a styrofoam container full of food out of her MOVING car. I swirved to try to avoid it but my car still managed to get splashed a little. First of all I was just in SHOCK to see someone litter like that so casually. And second of all, where were the cops when I needed them? Anyway, needless to say I was furious and before I knew it, I had sped up on the side of her. I gave her a peircing look however she never would look over at me.

The moral of the story is, do not litter, particularly when it could be a hazard to other drivers. Oh, and the other moral is PEOPLE ARE CRAZY!

*Note* I was just reminded of another quick little funny story totally unrelated. A old friend of mine from years ago was driving when she decided to pick her nose. ( I apologize for the graphic detail) She then proceeded to roll it up and throw it out of the window. Of course there was a police officer behind her at the time and she ended up with a ticket for littering. True story.

[citykid09]

Many years ago, my mom aunt brother and cousin were going to the Sugar Land area to visit some family that built a new house down there. Well we were coming from the College Station area HWY6 (Hempstead) to 290 and then on to the Sam Houston Toll road. It was pretty much my mom and aunts (ours too) 1st time on a toll road so they didn't know how to use it. Back then there were not many EZ Tag lanes, but I remember my mom just riding through the first one and the 2nd one not knowing that we were supposed to stop and pay. Once we finally got to where we were going, my other aunt that lived there asked did we have trouble at the toll booths and they said no, it was really easy, we just passed right threw. Thats when she told them that they were supposed to stop and pay. LOL! We never got a ticket for that, I guess because we were in a rental. Now-a-days my parents drive the tolls and the freeways like its nothing. But I don't think Houstonians realize how intimidating their freeways and tollways can be to people from small towns and cities without the many lanes and mix masters. Its hard trying to figure out which lanes to get in to go to certain places. I have another aunt who is afraid of the mix masters and we use to all was scary her and say stuff like "Wow, look how high in the sky we are," and she would say shut up, while she is ducking down in the seat and praying.

[cottonmather0]

when all of a sudden the driver in front of me, rolls down her window and throws a styrofoam container full of food out of her MOVING car. I swirved to try to avoid it but my car still managed to get splashed a little.

My wife and I stopped at Subway in Sealy once to grab sandwiches for the road. We got a few miles down the interstate and when we opened our sandwiches something smelled really bad, so we didn't eat them. Did want to stink up the car, either, so I just rolled down my window (she was driving) and tossed our sandwiches out. I didn't know that I had hit the car behind us until he flew past us in the other lane a few seconds later giving the one finger salute. I felt terrible when I realized what had happened. I would have been pretty pissed myself.

I have another aunt who is afraid of the mix masters and we use to all was scary her and say stuff like "Wow, look how high in the sky we are," and she would say shut up, while she is ducking down in the seat and praying.

My mom from small town West Texas refers to those ramps as "high and nars" (narrow). She hates driving on them and will usually hide her eyes if she's in the car when I drive over them.

She also used to get REALLY scared if she was in the car with me or my wife on the freeway at night - almost to the point of shrieking and crying at every lane change. To those of us who live here, it's done without a second thought but I can see how it would be intimidating to people who aren't used to it, for sure.

[Subdude]

My wife and I stopped at Subway in Sealy once to grab sandwiches for the road. We got a few miles down the interstate and when we opened our sandwiches something smelled really bad, so we didn't eat them. Did want to stink up the car, either, so I just rolled down my window (she was driving) and tossed our sandwiches out. I didn't know that I had hit the car behind us until he flew past us in the other lane a few seconds later giving the one finger salute. I felt terrible when I realized what had happened. I would have been pretty pissed myself.

That's funny, but also disturbing. That's the whole problem. Why would you even think to toss your sandwiches out the window?

[TheNiche]

A couple days ago I was heading home, having entered I-45 Northbound at Cullen, needing to quickly make my way over into the far left lanes so that I could take the correct exit. That section backs up a little, but it wasn't too much of a chore to make my way across four lanes. On the last lane change, the truck well behind me sees that I'm about to get in front of him, rapidly accelerates as I'm changing lanes, and tries to scare me into veering back into the lane that I had been in. He comes right up behind me before slamming on his brakes and blaring his horn at me. Then, he changes lanes and comes up alongside me, fairly slowly even though he's got people behind him and a fair number of free carlengths of space ahead of him. It is a thuggish-looking black male in a Chevy Avalanche with stationary rims, and he looks right over at me and throws the bird. I throw it back just before he hits the gas, rapidly accelerates, brakes hard, and tailgates the next guy.

My only regret is that I didn't tap my brakes as he came up on me, even lightly.

[sevfiv]

A couple days ago I was heading home, having entered I-45 Northbound at Cullen, needing to quickly make my way over into the far left lanes so that I could take the correct exit. That section backs up a little, but it wasn't too much of a chore to make my way across four lanes. On the last lane change, the truck well behind me sees that I'm about to get in front of him, rapidly accelerates as I'm changing lanes, and tries to scare me into veering back into the lane that I had been in. He comes right up behind me before slamming on his brakes and blaring his horn at me. Then, he changes lanes and comes up alongside me, fairly slowly even though he's got people behind him and a fair number of free carlengths of space ahead of him. It is a thuggish-looking black male in a Chevy Avalanche with stationary rims, and he looks right over at me and throws the bird. I throw it back just before he hits the gas, rapidly accelerates, brakes hard, and tailgates the next guy.

My only regret is that I didn't tap my brakes as he came up on me, even lightly.

I read recently about an HPD initiative to target and ticket aggressive drivers like that. Unmarked cars would see a driver, radio an officer up the road, and pull the car over. Aggressive driving like that makes driving for everyone else so unpleasant (and being in that state of mind can't be healthy, either). Maybe driving like that and so conspicuously will make HPD take notice..

Here's the update article:

In March 2008, Local 2 Investigates first reported on HPD using undercover cars to spot aggressive drivers and then radio ahead for marked patrol cars to pull over the cars along Houston freeways. Weeks later, when HPD said it was ready to formally announce the effort, the crackdown was touted as aiming to reduce fatalities by targeting aggressive drivers.

"We just have a better view of what really goes on in the unmarked car," said HPD Sgt. Pete Casares as he spotted violations from an undercover vehicle with Local 2 Investigates aboard to observe. "We're probably not five minutes into the program and we've already stopped four cars," he said shortly after beginning that shift.

February 2009 records show 2.15 arrests per hour for each officer assigned to the program, compared with 3.18 arrests per hour for each officer in January.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/19008206/detail.html#-

[houstonmacbro]

My wife and I stopped at Subway in Sealy once to grab sandwiches for the road. We got a few miles down the interstate and when we opened our sandwiches something smelled really bad, so we didn't eat them. Did want to stink up the car, either, so I just rolled down my window (she was driving) and tossed our sandwiches out. I didn't know that I had hit the car behind us until he flew past us in the other lane a few seconds later giving the one finger salute. I felt terrible when I realized what had happened. I would have been pretty pissed myself.

My mom from small town West Texas refers to those ramps as "high and nars" (narrow). She hates driving on them and will usually hide her eyes if she's in the car when I drive over them.

She also used to get REALLY scared if she was in the car with me or my wife on the freeway at night - almost to the point of shrieking and crying at every lane change. To those of us who live here, it's done without a second thought but I can see how it would be intimidating to people who aren't used to it, for sure.

The disturbing part is why did the sandwiches smell so bad. I am now suspect of Subways. Ick.

[ig2ba]

I read recently about an HPD initiative to target and ticket aggressive drivers like that. Unmarked cars would see a driver, radio an officer up the road, and pull the car over. Aggressive driving like that makes driving for everyone else so unpleasant (and being in that state of mind can't be healthy, either). Maybe driving like that and so conspicuously will make HPD take notice..

Here's the update article:

In March 2008, Local 2 Investigates first reported on HPD using undercover cars to spot aggressive drivers and then radio ahead for marked patrol cars to pull over the cars along Houston freeways. Weeks later, when HPD said it was ready to formally announce the effort, the crackdown was touted as aiming to reduce fatalities by targeting aggressive drivers.

"We just have a better view of what really goes on in the unmarked car," said HPD Sgt. Pete Casares as he spotted violations from an undercover vehicle with Local 2 Investigates aboard to observe. "We're probably not five minutes into the program and we've already stopped four cars," he said shortly after beginning that shift.

February 2009 records show 2.15 arrests per hour for each officer assigned to the program, compared with 3.18 arrests per hour for each officer in January.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/19008206/detail.html#-

That's an excellent idea. I bet they'll catch a lot more people that way.

I wish they would target more aggressive drivers rather than just speeders. Speeding is dangerous, but aggressive drivers beget more aggressive drivers ... and soon create a dangerous situation.

I also think they could catch more criminals this way; I'm willing to bet that what both groups of people have in common is having impulse control problems, poor decision-making skills, and anger management issues.

[cottonmather0]

That's funny, but also disturbing. That's the whole problem. Why would you even think to toss your sandwiches out the window?

It was stinky and entirely biodegradable! I'm sure some varmint or bird had a nice snack later that day, anyway.

[VelvetJ]

It is a thuggish-looking black male in a Chevy Avalanche with stationary rims, and he looks right over at me and throws the bird.

Oh, I failed to mention before that the woman who threw the container of food out on the feeder road in front of me was Asian.

Not meaning to change the tone of the thread or change the subject at hand, but injecting race when it is not really necessary annoy me at times, despite the intention.

When I have more time, I will post a story about the white male who cut me off on the tollway yesterday.

[houstonmacbro]

Oh, I failed to mention before that the woman who threw the container of food out on the feeder road in front of me was Asian.

Not meaning to change the tone of the thread or change the subject at hand, but injecting race when it is not really necessary annoy me at times, despite the intention.

When I have more time, I will post a story about the white male who cut me off on the tollway yesterday.

I was wondering about the race issue to in the original post. But I was trying to understand if it was integral to the story or not. The verdict is still out.

And the whole thuggish part ... that was weird.

[samagon]

My Mom is funny when it comes to color and driving habits.

She makes some very specific correlations between driving styles and specific races.

I tend to agree with Clarkson (from the BBC show Top Gear) that the driving style of a person can be found by looking at what they drive (and to an extent how they dress), rather than the color of the driver.

[CoolBuddy06]

Everyone here probably know and do this as needed but I will throw it out there anyway. Please call TXDOT on 713-802-5000 whenever you see harzardous debris on the road. I do this often but I nearly got in a wreck on NB 288 at W Orem tonight due to a heap of junk on the road. What calmed my nerves was that when I called, the operator nicely finished my statement and said a technician is on the way to clear the stuff.

[sevfiv]

^Similarly, if there's something wrong on city streets you can call 311 to report it (I've only done this for traffic hazards/malfunctioning traffic signals in passing, so I do not know about the actual response time/rate).

[TheNiche]

Has anyone ever noticed that if its been raining hard and there's standing water on the streets, many drivers slow down to a creep before passing through it, even if drivers ahead of them have already gone ahead?

It's one thing to be cautious if you don't know how deep the water is, but if you do have a sense for it, just plow through. If it does end up being too high for your vehicle, for whatever reason, your forward momentum is what will get you through to the other side. If you're going too slow and stall out, then not only is your car damaged immediately, but it and you and everybody behind you are stuck where you stopped while the water continues to rise.

[JLWM8609]

Has anyone ever noticed that if its been raining hard and there's standing water on the streets, many drivers slow down to a creep before passing through it, even if drivers ahead of them have already gone ahead?

It's one thing to be cautious if you don't know how deep the water is, but if you do have a sense for it, just plow through. If it does end up being too high for your vehicle, for whatever reason, your forward momentum is what will get you through to the other side. If you're going too slow and stall out, then not only is your car damaged immediately, but it and you and everybody behind you are stuck where you stopped while the water continues to rise.

One tip passed down from my truck driving grandfather was to not attempt to drive through high water if the water completely covers up the curb.

It also helps to drive in the inside (left) lane if possible during such situations. Most multilane roadways are engineered with a slope as to make rainwater flow into drains on the right side of the road. While the right lane may be flooded from runoff, the left lane is usually high and dry. That's what got me through OST during the deluge earlier today.