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Chalk it up to another person who is clueless about lane change etiquette:

1) When changing lanes to the left, traffic in the lane to your left has the right-of-way. Wait for a safe opening.

2) When changing lanes to the right, you have the right of way, and traffic should yield to you. I think about 75% of traffic accidents are caused by nimrods who don't follow this rule, and try to speed up to to get ahead of cars signalling an intended lane change to the right.

3) (Corollary to rule 2) Never pass on the right. Exception: if a doofus in the fast lane is doing 50 - even then, be wary, for he's probably dumb enough to make a sudden, no-signal lane change just as you start to pass.

4) Change ONE lane at a time unless the road is empty. California drivers seem to love to stay in the fast lane until a quarter-mile from their exit, then make a majestic, four-lane swoop (often with no signal) to hit the offramp just in time. That causes another 20% of all accidents.

5) ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, use your turn signal. It is not optional.

Additional observations:

> Watch for the "flinch". I've noticed that cars who seem to make a slight jerk to one side within their lanes are about to make a late- or no-signal lane change.

> The dumbest drivers on the road are white women (usually with kids) in minivans or SUVs - they won't do risky things, but they will hesitate when faced with making quick decisions.

> The most dangerous drivers on the road are white or Asian men in new, low-end BMW's or Mercedes Benz's (probably leased). They think they are Jeff Gordon on the Autobahn.

> If you are a white male pedestrian, never step into the crosswalk when a black female bus driver is anywhere nearby. She will relish the opportunity to add your jogging shorts to her trophy case.

> Pedestrians in Berkeley, California pay absolutely no attention to traffic signals, crosswalks, or the rules of courtesy. You are "car scum" and are expected to stop and wait for them whenever they feel like crossing the street. This may be true in other leftist enclaves, too.

> The dumbest drivers on the road are white women (usually with kids) in minivans or SUVs - they won't do risky things, but they will hesitate when faced with making quick decisions.

Oh yah, and what the hell is it with driving onto an on ramp at 40mph, taking a lane on a freeway..and then accelerating. Or even better, treating a merge like a 1-way stop sign.

Plus-Idiots in Washington State tailgate each other on on ramps, then try to merge as a 200 foot long Conga Line. I think this is because Seattle is a latently gay..at best.

The most dangerous drivers on the road are white or Asian men in new, low-end BMW's or Mercedes Benz's (probably leased). They think they are Jeff Gordon on the Autobahn.

And always Pearl-essent Metallic white with gold accents. It's called DWA. Driving While Asian. Beware of the Beijing Blitz!

If you are a white male pedestrian, never step into the crosswalk when a black female bus driver is anywhere nearby. She will relish the opportunity to add your jogging shorts to her trophy case.

Holy Crap! Carpe Blanc?

Pedestrians in Berkeley, California pay absolutely no attention to traffic signals, crosswalks, or the rules of courtesy. You are "car scum" and are expected to stop and wait for them whenever they feel like crossing the street. This may be true in other leftist enclaves, too.

Oh yah, and letting their Earth Muffin Larva trail 30 feet behind them in the street, then yelling "SLOW DOWN" at passing cars traveling the legal speed.

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, use your turn signal. It is not optional.

Heck, if it wasn't hard-wired in there a lot of people wouldn't use their brake lights.

Very well said, your post there. Too bad we have such a joke of a driver's education ssytem. It's killing people.

A couple of months ago I was just entering the I580\I680 interchange where I was working my way to 680 North (my homeward commute) when a young lady made a totally clueless lane change into my left rear tire and fender. Right at contact she freaked out, jerked the wheel and overcompensated with a squall or tires and smoke across the freeway. Hoardes of commuters all managed to have their s**t together and avoid her, then some followed and pointed as she drove off but I was already committed to the exit and, while I gave the CHP a heads up, I figured I was eating any damage I'd have.

I get home and check it out and, aside from some of her paint on my panels it's fine.

Here's the brutal irony though. Next morning, I'm almost to work and I stop at a Chevron for some coffee. The Lord, in his infinite quest to dispense justice and probably get a good chuckle from us rubes, deposits the car that hit me yesterday right next to me. I can tell because it is kinda mashed in the rear wheel well and has VUE paint and tire scrubbings all over it, and I recognize the girl.

I'm standing next to her in line at the register and I just comment "nice accident yesterday, kinda poor on the recovery though" and she looks back and says "huh?" and I go, "Oh, that was ME you hit up their at the 580\680 interchange".

Man, that moment was worth a million bucks. Shock, disbelief, blubbering, crying, Oh I'm sorry, Oh I was so scared, it just went on and on... Finally I said not to worry about it, it didn't do me any damage, just pay a little better attention... It was one of the funniest situations I'd been in in a while...

> Pedestrians in Berkeley, California pay absolutely no attention to traffic signals, crosswalks, or the rules of courtesy. You are "car scum" and are expected to stop and wait for them whenever they feel like crossing the street. This may be true in other leftist enclaves, too.

Substitute D.C. for Berkeley California, and I agree...

Cheers,
CSG