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.
"Sorry, it's not jealosy. You're basically cutting in line, and it's human nature to get riled about that."
Human nature for immature people who whine "It's not fair" like a child. Those lane-splitting bikers aren't making your commute any longer, as I said if anything they reduce congestion since they're not sitting in a cage in traffic. Such people need to grow up.
Yup. People intent on obeying one traffic law, are intent on breaking another traffic law.
Ahhhh .... anectodal evidence trumps all. OK.
You can find an exception to nearly every safety law. I once saw a video of a woman looking both ways before she crossed a street being struck by a bicycle riding on the sidewalk.
I suppose that video directly contradicts the claim that it is safer to look both ways before crossing the street.
I blink or flash my headlights when people change lanes ahead of me without signalling, depending on whether it's daytime or night.
Once, turned out it was a cop.
Oh, well.
The men speed up, silly!
You can Cecily but honestly... when is the last time you saw a slow driver ticketed for impeding traffic?
I'm a firm believer that more accidents are caused by slow drivers than those that are caused by speeders. For example... slow drivers have their heads up their ***es and don't care about anyone but themselves which causes those that have been trapped behind such jerks to become impatient and rush thus resulting in an accident.
I was in San Francisco a few years ago during the time people were shooting those drivers they'd become frustrated with. Perhaps you remember? Anyway, I noticed that whenever I put my turn signal on the drivers behind me would back off and let me in instead of speeding up to close the gap. I think they were all afraid they might get shot if they acted like the person I quoted above; I don't know? But I have to say, courteous drivers make traveling so much more enjoyable.
If a person isn't in a hurry then stay out of the way of those that are in a hurry. Stop trying to be a liberal by forcing everyone else to live according to your (generally speaking) unique criteria.
Aaaaah, just some thoughts.
Have a great day.
If you weren't in such a feverish mastubatory frenzy to find me in the wrong, you would have noticed that I agreed with this post.
I know what you said - I miss read that bit before I posted, actually those drivers speed up irrespective of the gender that's trying to overtake!!
Or a bunch of crap that's hanging from the rear-view mirror? My daughter started with that, and I tore it down and threw it away.
Sorry, but they do - they tend to be a distraction. And it's only legal in one state. Methinks you need to grow up and realize other folks are on the road.
sigh...I though I had an effect on 'em.
;-)
I don't do that. The Church says I'll go blind, and my Mom says it will make my palms all furry.
It won't.
I promise. ;)
"You make really good sense. We all have to make allowances for other vehicles on the road, even if they're doing something we don't like or even if they're doing something really stupid."
Thanks. Yep, like it or not we have to share the road with a lot of people, some of whom honestly just aren't very skilled or knowledgeable in the rules of the road or the operation of their vehicle. And that "idiot" who's trying to merge in at the last moment may be a tourist or out of towner who didn't realize they had to be there until the last moment. I try to be forgiving and understanding - it's not a race, after all - although it really tries my patience sometimes.
I'll admit, sometimes I toy with the obvious agressive idiots who think they're more important than everyone else on the road. My favourites are the ones who weave from the left to right lanes to try and get ahead 1 or 2 cars (while you're sitting in the middle or left lanes in a line of cars). I like to let them make their move and then position myself so they get stuck in the right hand lane behind some slow vehicle. I'm probably aggravating their already limited brainpower, but it's so satisfying - you can see them practically chewing their steering wheel when you shut the door on them like that.
The presence of other drivers on the road has that effect on them! ;)
You just wait until I get home...
I love you.
Maybe the parrot was controlling the cell phone and repeating both conversations (a la The Flinstones).
You are amazing, I'll give you that. You issue a proclamation that everyone doing the same 'safe' speed limit would be the best option. You are shown real-world evidence to the contrary. You then claim that it's anecdotal! What happened to the utopia created by your safe speed limit and total adherence to the law?
Is it one example? Yes. Is it anecdotal? Perhaps, but the thousands of cars on the road in question is a healthy statistical sample. Why do you refuse to concede that the film, its content and outcome may call your viewpoint into question?
Your sidewalk example is irrelevant, by the way, so no response required.
Right. Forget that boring "To protect and serve!" stuff, cops have a business to run. The motto of modern police departments is, "To let no finable trivial offense go unfined!"
I have one peeve to add to the list. I hate it when drivers stop unnecessarily for pedestrians, to "help" them cross. While this may be necessary and good at painted crosswalks and when traffic is heavy, otherwise it is always better to give the pedestrian a clear road to cross by driving on. How is the pedestrian to know whether or not the grinning lunatic behind the wheel just stopped to entice him into the road, where he will be easier to hit? What if the drivers brake slips?
Be nice to a pedestrian -- get your damn car out of striking distance.
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