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And the No. 1 thing that drives motorists mad ...
The Daily Bulletin ^ | 7/17/2006 | Michelle Groh-Gordy, DriveTime

Posted on 07/17/2006 8:41:13 AM PDT by Smogger

Are you really a good, conscientious driver, or are your driving habits the behind-the-wheel equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard to everyone else on the road?

A recent survey of 10,000 drivers conducted by Hagerty Insurance, a company that insures collector cars, determined the 10 things that exasperate other drivers the most:

10. You're taking a carefree spin down the road when you notice that the car in front of you has its turn signal on ... and on ... and on. Five or 10 miles later, your left eye twitching, you realize the other driver is clueless to the fact their indicator is on. You have just experienced the 10th-biggest irritation, according to the drivers surveyed.

9. Ah, men. Running a little late for work, they often can be seen grooming and shaving while driving. To be certain, this is never an issue for those of us of the female persuasion. Heads up, gentlemen. Grooming while driving was ranked as the ninth-most annoying driver behavior.

8. Due to the fact that I get into deep hot water with motorcycle riders every time I write something negative about motorcycles driving in between lanes, I feel it necessary to post the following disclaimer: I did not conduct the survey. Hagerty Insurance did. That said, the survey concluded that motorcycles that split lanes are No. 8 on the list of what infuriates drivers the most.

7. If you have been told on more than one occasion that you are a good candidate for an anger-management class, you should be aware that those of you who take your rage out on the road are the seventh-most disliked drivers.

6. Do you find that reaching up and turning on that pesky turn signal is more effort than you care to expend while driving? Not bothering to use your turn signal is the sixth-most irksome thing you can do when behind the wheel.

5. If you are a driver with a superiority complex, beware. If you speed up to keep other people from changing lanes or passing you, you were ranked as the fifth-biggest irritation on the road.

4. Some drivers weave in and out of lanes for the precious advantage of arriving at their destination two minutes earlier than those silly folks who actually drive safely. Traffic weavers, you have been forewarned -- you are the fourth-most reviled drivers.

3. You look in your rear-view mirror and see another car driving within inches of your rear bumper. If you were to stop suddenly, the driver behind you would no doubt be meeting you in your front seat for lunch. The survey found that the third-most exasperating driver is the tailgater.

2. If you've got to drive slow, you better know where to go. Those who putz in the fast lane ranked as the second-biggest driving annoyance.

1. And the Big Kahuna, the No. 1 act that survey respondents said made them grind their teeth down to a pulp when they saw other drivers doing it? You guessed it -- chatting on the cell phone. Some 28.5 percent of those surveyed would like you to hang it up the next time you hit the road.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: anger; cars; chatroom; driving; generalchat; notnews; roadrage; takeit2chat; transportation; wrongforum
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To: Skooz
Dunno where you might be, but if you drove at or below the speed limit on most eastern US highways, you'd be a clear and present danger on the road.

Unlike the speeders and those who disregard the traffic laws? Uh huh.

Dammit! I demand that the national maximum speed limit be 12 miles per hour.

It should not exceed a good jogging pace!

341 posted on 07/17/2006 10:57:05 AM PDT by Cobra64 (All we get are lame ideas from Republicans and lame criticism from dems about those lame ideas.)
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To: MineralMan
That always seems to be the speed when I'm on them, running from LAX up to Ventura County.

You are nuts to go 101 -- take Sepulveda to Lincoln to PCH, then take that to Oxnard and pick up the 101 up there. Nicer driver and faster, too.

Trust me, I did the same run for over a year.

342 posted on 07/17/2006 10:57:56 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (STS 121 -- Thanks for a successful landing. Welcome home!)
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To: relictele
Please don't tell us you think the speed limt is a failsafe, always-reasonable-and-accurate figure. Please DO tell us you're familiar with the 85th percentile concept. If you think everyone driving the 'safe' speed limit would create a traffic panacea,

Driving the speed limit is far safer than everyone just making up their own speed limit and driving as fast as they "feel."

Don't like the speed limit? Press the lawmaking authority in your community to change it.

I never said "everyone driving the 'safe' speed limit would create a traffic panacea," but it would be safer than some driving the speed limit and others exceeding the speed limit by 10 - 30 mph.

343 posted on 07/17/2006 10:58:17 AM PDT by Skooz (Chastity prays for me, piety sings...Modesty hides my thighs in her wings...)
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To: Irish_Thatcherite

As a middle aged woman...put a cell phone in our hands, and you'll really screw up traffic!


344 posted on 07/17/2006 10:58:58 AM PDT by bannie (The government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend upon the support of Paul.)
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To: Cobra64
Skooz is undoubdtedly a Volvo driver who set the rev limiter to 1,200 rpm.

I'm actually a courteous driver who (gasp) obeys the law.

345 posted on 07/17/2006 10:59:25 AM PDT by Skooz (Chastity prays for me, piety sings...Modesty hides my thighs in her wings...)
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To: Smogger
"In California people are shot at on the freeway for just such behaviour so often, that it barely makes the news."

On my last motorcycle tour in California I was amazed at the level of carelessness that auto drivers have out there. I was the guest at the homes of a few prominent car and motorcycle magazine writers and mentioned to them that if people drove in CT as bad as the drivers do in Ca. They would likely get followed home and beaten down three steps from their car in their own driveway.

I've never done this myself...but I have more than a few of my biker customers who do this here on a regular basis.
346 posted on 07/17/2006 10:59:27 AM PDT by taxed2death (A few billion here, a few trillion there...we're all friends right?)
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To: Irish_Thatcherite

We all have unique perspectives on other drivers. Men drivers do not like to see women pass them! They speed up when such an event might occur.

;-)


347 posted on 07/17/2006 11:00:24 AM PDT by bannie (The government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend upon the support of Paul.)
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To: EndWelfareToday

I thought that you could be ticketed for riding the passing lane and impeding the flow of traffic.


348 posted on 07/17/2006 11:01:05 AM PDT by Cecily
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To: Skooz
Unless I am in a hurry and speeding, I leave the left lane to the speed freaks who willfully endanger the lives of others

You are in a hurry and speeding?

I'm going to call the police!

349 posted on 07/17/2006 11:01:19 AM PDT by Cobra64 (All we get are lame ideas from Republicans and lame criticism from dems about those lame ideas.)
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To: Cobra64
You are in a hurry and speeding?

It has happened.

I'm going to call the police!

Statist. :)

350 posted on 07/17/2006 11:02:10 AM PDT by Skooz (Chastity prays for me, piety sings...Modesty hides my thighs in her wings...)
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To: Doohickey

"I generally don't mind lane splitters, but I'd prefer it if they'd use the shoulder (if there is one)."

In California, the only state where lane splitting is legal, to the best of my knowledge, riding/driving on the shoulder is not legal. Elsewhere you're breaking the law either way, and I tend to agree that the shoulder might be safer.


351 posted on 07/17/2006 11:04:01 AM PDT by -YYZ-
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To: -YYZ-

See, I coulda used you over the weekend.

I was on my way to my second job, and the final stretch is a two-lane back road that has a 70 limit on it. The bozo in front of me was going forty-freaking-give miles an hour, and every time someone tried to pass, he wove over into the center, taking up both lanes.

What a (expletive deleted).


352 posted on 07/17/2006 11:04:26 AM PDT by Xenalyte (Anything is possible when you don't understand how anything happens.)
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To: Xenalyte

That was you? :)


353 posted on 07/17/2006 11:04:56 AM PDT by Skooz (Chastity prays for me, piety sings...Modesty hides my thighs in her wings...)
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To: bannie
Men drivers do not like to see women pass them! They speed up when such an event might occur.

I've seen that, too - it's dangerous because the driver overtaking is 'stuck' on the wrong lane longer than he had hoped.

354 posted on 07/17/2006 11:05:20 AM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|The IRA are actually terrorists, any questions?)
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To: bannie
As a middle aged woman...put a cell phone in our hands, and you'll really screw up traffic!

Mayhem!! ;)

355 posted on 07/17/2006 11:06:46 AM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|The IRA are actually terrorists, any questions?)
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To: taxed2death

Well I think drivers in other states can't drive for sh#t, but I'll admit our drivers aren't what they used to be. Mainly because of all of the illegals, but the majority of Asians can't drive for crap either.


356 posted on 07/17/2006 11:06:59 AM PDT by Smogger (It's the WOT Stupid)
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To: freedumb2003

"You are nuts to go 101 -- take Sepulveda to Lincoln to PCH, then take that to Oxnard and pick up the 101 up there. Nicer driver and faster, too.

"

True. That's an excellent route, as long as it's not rush hour. But, then, there are no good routes at rush hour anywhere in LA.

Actually, I found a better route than yours for the SLO-San Diego run. Going South, I'd cut over on 126 in Ventura, pick up I-5, switch to the 210, then take the 15 to San Diego. It's farther, but usually let me make the whole trip one way in less than 5 hours. Coming back, it worked pretty well, too, as long as I got out of San Diego by 1 PM. If I got out of San Diego after 2 PM, there was no help for me.

That's a long day in a vehicle, though. I hated it.


357 posted on 07/17/2006 11:07:09 AM PDT by MineralMan (non-evangelical atheist)
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To: Individual Rights in NJ
I was picturing someone with lather and a mach 3. I was like , wtf does that. lol.

I saw a guy dry shaving with a blade while driving once...

358 posted on 07/17/2006 11:07:16 AM PDT by null and void (It's a crazy world. Someone ought to sell tickets.)
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To: Skooz
but it would be safer than some driving the speed limit and others exceeding the speed limit by 10 - 30 mph.

The video at the link provided directly contradicts that claim with real-world evidence.

359 posted on 07/17/2006 11:07:36 AM PDT by relictele
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To: Smogger
I don't know why parking space hogs didn't make the list. They come in two types: 1) Parks as if the lines mean nothing, making full effort to maximize use of as many spots as possible and 2) Those that walk to their car in a crowded lot, then take 1/2 century to get in their car and out of the slot.

The latter happened to me yesterday. It was smokin' hot out and there were very few free spots at the theater. A 20ish couple climbed into their shoe box car, then sat there for 5 minutes while I waited behind them. (Before you say that I should have moved on, there were only a few spaces and other cars already waiting).

If anyone wants to know how big an a-hole I am, just Freepmail me and I'll tell you what I did. ;)

360 posted on 07/17/2006 11:09:57 AM PDT by TankerKC (¿José puede usted ver?)
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