Carpool Cheats

March 30, 2004 9:43 AM

CarpoolCheats.orgIf you don't want your picture taken while you're doing something illegal, don't do it in public!. I'm not sure about the ethics (or legality) of putting pictures of license plates online, but the thrust of the site is pretty cool.
posted by Ufez Jones (61 comments total)

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for vigilante justice, especially when it comes to traffic. But I really hope this guy isn't alone taking pictures and trying to drive at the same time. If so, he is just as bad :)
posted by andryeevna at 9:52 AM on March 30, 2004

ah I read a little closer, apparently there is always two people.
posted by andryeevna at 9:55 AM on March 30, 2004

What a smarmy little goody two shoes! These people are heroes of civil disobedience, and this nerdy little twit sits there snapping away at them as if he were the deity's appointed protector of HOV integrity. He's lucky all he's getting is the finger.
posted by Faze at 9:55 AM on March 30, 2004

These people are heroes of civil disobedience

Ghandi, MLK Jr., guys who drive in bike lanes....got it.
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:59 AM on March 30, 2004

The site is basically photos of freeway sightings which is fine. But if you can be fined from the site, photographing life will be a police task w/o pay. Notice this could be "blog justice"...except it is creepy knowing someone besides the cops would like seeing you fined. Note:not claiming the site would like you fined.
posted by thomcatspike at 10:05 AM on March 30, 2004

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it's certainly effective (speaking as a person who got caught running a red light...trust me, 5 flashes going off while I slid through was enough to NEVER make me try to push a yellow light again), and I admit that I do get a slight giddy thrill at seeing people obviously breaking the law get caught.

However, while I think I'm a pretty good driver, I'm the first person to admit that I don't do the right thing all of the time. I smoke in my car and have been known to take a cell phone call if it was important. Should I be photographed for that? While I understand their motivation for "dumb things people do while driving," it seems to dilute the main thrust of catching drivers breaking the law.

Out of curiosity, what's everyone's pet peeve to see while driving? I gnash my teeth every time I see someone turn or change lanes without signalling.
posted by BurnedEve at 10:16 AM on March 30, 2004

What is HOV?
posted by Orange Goblin at 10:17 AM on March 30, 2004

What is HOV? Well, for some it's the Jigga Man. For others, it is the High Occupancy Vehicle lane.
posted by plemeljr at 10:22 AM on March 30, 2004

But if you can be fined from the site, photographing life will be a police task w/o pay.

I read a blip about these guys in a Government magazine. They spoke with some higher-up in the traffic patrol and he said they had no intention of using the site as a means of enforcement. It'd be ineffective and weak evidence (think a good photoshopper with an axe to grind).

They also mentioned that the "poster boy" had thrown a ceramic coffee cup at their car. The traffic patrol guy said he was worried that eventually these guys would piss someone off well enough to commit some act of road rage, so he far from encourages the behavior.

Orange Goblin: HOV = High Occupancy Vehicle. Depending on local laws, it requires either 2 or 3 people to be in the car to use the lane.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:23 AM on March 30, 2004

After looking at the site, the owner is going to go nuts if he or she doesn't take a vacation visiting a larger city seeing bigger problems.

The more I look at this site: hate the people whom were “tattle tales” in my life so they could gain satisfaction from my misery, anyone else? I ask, as I'll side for the law abider not the breaker.
posted by thomcatspike at 10:23 AM on March 30, 2004

it's like taking pictures of people smoking pot in the park. though certainly more damning.

goody two shoes/es, indeed, but perfectly within his/her/their rights. the response "He's lucky all he's getting is the finger." reminds me of a *lot* of drivers out there, i.e. road-raged idiots. (is it any worse than those guys who take pictures of unknowing women's asses/tits/etc. in public?)

there's no way these carpool cheats will ever be prosecuted. i sincerely doubt the CHP or local authorities give a rat's ass.

on preview, HOV = high-occupancy vehicle.

also on preview, as a biker, i'd agree with the lack of turn signals. it's frightening to think about how many people *never* signal.
posted by mrgrimm at 10:26 AM on March 30, 2004

Thank you for the update, ufez.
posted by thomcatspike at 10:26 AM on March 30, 2004

I gnash my teeth every time I see someone turn or change lanes without signalling.

me too, it's a major irritation.

closely followed by people driving at 20mph in a 30mph zone. or 45mph in a 60mph zone. you get my point.
posted by knapah at 10:28 AM on March 30, 2004

My latest stupidity on the road incident involves a few guys on crotch rockets. Heading down I-20 eastbound out of downtown Atlanta many of these guys were leaving me in the dust (I was doing the Atlanta speed limit... 80MPH regardless of what the signs say). Anyway, one of the guys pops a wheelie on his bike and proceeds to continue down the road at speeds well in excess of 80 MPH on one wheel! After going back to two wheels (I could have sworn he was going to crash when he rode the wheelie into the median) he got back in to the left hand lane and STOOD UP on his seat while going down the road. By this time I was almost home, so I didn't get to see the remainder of his one man motorcycle stunt show.

This is not the first time I had seen such displays of stupidity on a bike. I just hope I'm not behind one of these schmucks when he wipes out. All that blood couldn't be good for the paint job on my Passat.

BurnedEve: My pet peeve is slow people in the left hand lane. Atlantans drive extremely fast (as I said, 80 is normal, I've looked down to find myself keeping up with traffic at 100+MPH on 400 North). The idiot who is doing the speed limit in the left hand lane is more of a danger than the 99% of the people driving at faster speeds, regardless of the fact that its illegal to speed.
posted by FullFrontalNerdity at 10:31 AM on March 30, 2004

This makes me very happy, and I was in fact considering starting just this thing for reckless drivers.

During GW's visit to Boston last week, traffic off the Mass Pike was ridiculous. At one point there were two lanes of traffic feeding into a larger road, and a slight amount of space between these lanes. Some jerk broke out of traffic behind me and sped down this gap, passing perhaps 10 cars and then pushing his way back into one of the lanes.

I truly understood how road rage gets the better of people at that moment, and was disappointed that there was no other outlet for my frustration.

The police can't be everywhere at all times, but that doesn't mean that the laws aren't there for a reason when they're absent. There are "victimless" crimes, such as speeding -- but there are more serious ones, such as eating up special-purpose resources such as HOV/carpool lanes and navigating in a reckless way through traffic.

There's a high fine on HOV violations because a solo driver in such lanes undermines their whole purpose. Every two solo drivers in the HOV lane double the pollution, slow the traffic twice as much as a single car would, and ease the burden on the non-HOV lanes, thus giving other solo drivers less incentive to carpool.

They should be fined, and perhaps the states should take a cue from these vigilantes and develop systems to determine if people are riding solo. Given that, I wonder if some of these cars have babies in the backseat or some otherwise obscured passengers...

The fact of the matter is that driving a car is perhaps the most prevalent non-anonymous method of daily public interaction. License plates are there so cars can be identified. Let people identify these evil doers.
posted by VulcanMike at 10:32 AM on March 30, 2004

But I really hope this guy isn't alone taking pictures and trying to drive at the same time. If so, he is just as bad :)
Article about the site.
posted by thomcatspike at 10:33 AM on March 30, 2004

Given that, I wonder if some of these cars have babies in the backseat or some otherwise obscured passengers...

I know that, legally, this would allow these people to drive in the HOV lanes, but should it? Driving your baby around is not carpooling... perhaps the HOV lanes should be restricted to to automobiles with 2 or more licensed occupants.

Of course, then, how do the cops know, without pulling the car over, whether all occupants are licensed? *sigh* This stuff's hard...
posted by crawl at 10:39 AM on March 30, 2004

The idiot who is doing the speed limit in the left hand lane is more of a danger than the 99% of the people driving at faster speeds, regardless of the fact that its illegal to speed.
Where's your car dude?
posted by thomcatspike at 10:44 AM on March 30, 2004

VulcanMike: On GA 400 southbound in to Atlanta the road narrows from 3 lanes to 2 then 1 and merges with I-85 south. This is notoriously bad during rush hour and can back up for miles. I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen people jump into the median and proceed to pass every single driver who is patiently waiting to merge on to I-85. *sigh*

I always forget that some people are more important than the rest of us. The median is their lane. The no parking zone is their parking spot. Handicapped spots are just convenient places to park when it would be too much trouble to walk an extra 20 feet to a non-handicapped spot... All of these things are why I took public transit to and from work for almost 4 years. It reduced my road-rage significantly. Why can't I live in a more public-transit friendly city?!

thomcatspike: Your reference is lost on me. Care to explain?
posted by FullFrontalNerdity at 10:47 AM on March 30, 2004

"The idiot who is doing the speed limit in the left hand lane is more of a danger than the 99% of the people driving at faster speeds"

I'm always amazed at statements like this. I stay out of the left lane unless I'm passing because it is a survival skill.
But the idea that the driver who is not breaking the law is the problem because he makes it harder for some idiot who wants to drive 90mph is perverse. God forbid maturity and intelligence should come into play. No, our freeway daredevil must proceed to weave in and out of the lanes to maintain his speed, because, by God, he's more important and a much better driver than all of these silly people for whom the law was intended for. Grow up.
posted by 2sheets at 10:49 AM on March 30, 2004

I can sympathize with the guy taking the pictures, and I'm sure everyone can relate stories of poor driving practices where they live (for me, it's tailgating), but if all he does is anger people, it's not going to turn out well for him.

But I have to wonder, at what point do we decide the traffic laws are unenforceable? If people are regularly driving 10 or 20 mph over the speed limit, why do we even have a speed limit? In my experience, you can do damn near any speed you want as long as everyone is doing it. It's only when you're passing the rest of traffic that the cops seem to notice. Is the highway the Libertarian Testing Ground?
posted by tommasz at 10:50 AM on March 30, 2004

This is an old idea, at least in SiliValley. I used to drive the infamous 17 and now carpool to work, so I appreciate these sites.
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 10:59 AM on March 30, 2004

fullfrontalnerdity, reading your sentence made little sense. Driving slower than the cars to my right is dangerous even though the faster car is breaking the law.
So I teased you and yes, cities' have those odd driving facts. Dallas, Tx: use your blinker when signaling the car(s) behind you that they may speed up, blocking you from making a lane change.
posted by thomcatspike at 11:01 AM on March 30, 2004

Out of curiosity, what's everyone's pet peeve to see while driving?

People driving on the shoulder to speed past slow/stalled traffic, then trying to wedge back in the lane further down the road. When I'm world dictator, immediate license revokation will be the least of these folks' problems...
posted by mkultra at 11:08 AM on March 30, 2004

I know that, legally, this would allow [people with babies] to drive in the HOV lanes, but should it?

The HOV lanes exist primarily to ensure that express bus service from outlying areas into town and back is reasonably prompt and predictable. The goal isn't to encourage carpooling per se, it's simply to make things run more smoothly.

Believe me, nobody takes a baby with them to work solely to be able to use the HOV lane.
posted by kindall at 11:11 AM on March 30, 2004

my experience, you can do damn near any speed you want as long as everyone is doing it.
Some cities the flow of traffic is “the speed” and have seen people ticketed for being the slower one out of the group. Usually this is done by cities with a minimum speed limit which is enforced along the line: impeding traffic. Wish cities in Texas would implement a minimum speed which is usually 5-10 mph below the posted speed.

People driving on the shoulder to speed past slow/stalled traffic, then trying to wedge back in the lane further down the road.
You never use your car blocking them off, not like the driver will get mad at you as all the other drivers are saluting you.
posted by thomcatspike at 11:23 AM on March 30, 2004

But the idea that the driver who is not breaking the law is the problem because he makes it harder for some idiot who wants to drive 90mph is perverse. God forbid maturity and intelligence should come into play. No, our freeway daredevil must proceed to weave in and out of the lanes to maintain his speed...

2sheets, I think you've missed the point of FullFrontalNerdity's comment. It's not that speeders are safer drivers in general: clearly, someone weaving in and out of traffic at 90 mph is driving recklessly. However, if the general flow of traffic is moving at 30 mph above the speed limit, then it certainly is safer to match the speed of that traffic than to drive at the speed limit and make an obstacle of yourself. Matching the speed of traffic is the mature and intelligent thing to do.

As for my driving pet peeve... Well, there are a bunch, but #1 would have to be littering. Especially lit cigarettes. I mean, what the fuck? My region has phone numbers for reporting on both HOV violators and litterers. I couldn't see myself calling over an HOV violation, but I would certainly make a phone call to report an egregious littering incident.
posted by mr_roboto at 11:30 AM on March 30, 2004

2sheets: The left lane *is* for passing, unfortunately most Americans seem to ignore than little bit of info. Since it is for passing, that means that the person doing the speed limit is impeding the normal flow of traffic (pass on the left, move back to the right). That's why I said the idiot doing 55 in the left lane is more dangerous than the speeders on the road. I guess I should have said that the people who are driving significantly faster OR slower than 95% of traffic are the dangerous ones.
posted by FullFrontalNerdity at 11:34 AM on March 30, 2004

The HOV lanes exist primarily to ensure that express bus service from outlying areas into town and back is reasonably prompt and predictable
Why should express bus service be privileged? If enough drivers had the courage to swarm onto the HOV lanes, we could take them back for ordinary people. This is a case where civil disobedience is called for and could be effective.
posted by Faze at 11:41 AM on March 30, 2004

HOV violations and speeding are separate categories. The first is not dangerous while the latter can be. The vigilante fuckheads are probably causing more danger than the people they feel superior to.

As for speed limits, they are used inconsistently and for inconsistent reasons. The goverment(s) need to decide which of the following reasons they are enforcing speed limits for:

1) The money. Police departments and goverments should not be allowed to benefit from fines since IMO this constitutes a blatant conflict of interest. Fines can go to charity, education programs, etc.

2) To enforce the Law. If this is the case, they should pick a speed limit and stick to it. No 64 in a 55. There can be a 3-5 mph leeway due to imprecise radar equipment. Cameras might be useful due to consistency. Tickets should be processed and mailed ASAP.

3) To reduce fatalities/injuries/accidents. This seems to me the least likely of all reasons (see effectiveness of red-light cameras vs. longer yellows), but of course the most justifiable. If this is in fact the motive, focus should be on taking actions which most effect safety. Incentives to the police department, if any, should be based on reduced fatalities, injuries, or accidents. Motorists should be allowed, for example, to drive faster in perfect conditions than on a dark, rainy night.
posted by callmejay at 11:45 AM on March 30, 2004

If enough drivers had the courage to swarm onto the HOV lanes, we could take them back for ordinary people.

There's actually a great idea out there for maximizing the use of HOV lanes. They're called High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. Any car can enter the HOT lane for a fee (exceptions for carpools can be worked in). The fee varies according to congestion: the more demand there is for HOT lane use, the higher the toll. This is all handled electronically, with transponders in the cars. The very idea makes the free-market libertarian in me weep for joy.
posted by mr_roboto at 11:53 AM on March 30, 2004

Kindall: Believe me, nobody takes a baby with them to work solely to be able to use the HOV lane.

No, they take a slug. [I'm working on a post about slugging and other alternative commuting options, but it's germane to this discussion.]
posted by zpousman at 11:55 AM on March 30, 2004

The left lane *is* for passing, unfortunately most Americans seem to ignore than little bit of info.
On interstates in Oklahoma and Arkansas it's the law and is enforced.
posted by thomcatspike at 12:02 PM on March 30, 2004

764-HERO!
posted by roboto at 12:18 PM on March 30, 2004

Out of curiosity, what's everyone's pet peeve to see while driving?

While walking here in Boston, it's people who disregard pedestrians in crosswalks. The most frustrating part is that it's warmer now so I have less phlegm for them. I'm deadly accurate with a "clam." And I'm big enough that people mostly just shout from their car or flip the bird.
posted by Mayor Curley at 12:19 PM on March 30, 2004

While walking here in Boston, it's people who disregard pedestrians in crosswalks.

Don't know if I can agree with you or not there Mayor Curley. I went to Boston U., so I definitely know the feeling of darting between cars on Comm Ave, BUT I've also driven in Boston enough to know that very few pedestrians actually look where they're going. (The usual saying of, "if the car is more than 10 feet from me, it's safe" or, "crosswalks and signals are merely suggestions.").

Boston in general is just a gnarled Masshole mess though, so in retrospect, I'm actually kind of glad I returned to L.A. traffic; at least pedestrians sort of pay attention to the signs.
posted by BurnedEve at 12:33 PM on March 30, 2004

My pet peeve:

Drivers who slow to 5 mph below the speed limit when they see my decommissioned police car behind them. I'm always tempted to (illegally) flash my grille lights and see them pull over.

It's not a pet peeve shared by many drivers and I'm sure someone else's pet peeve may be people who drive decommissioned police cars.

If I saw this "smarmy little goody two shoes" [thanks Faze] on the road with his camera I would find it difficult not to pull him over and expose his film (or delete his pics.)

The guy needs to take a basic photography course and get a friggin' life.
posted by DBAPaul at 12:37 PM on March 30, 2004

The left lane *is* for passing, unfortunately most Americans seem to ignore than little bit of info

In most states, the left lane is just the left lane. Slower traffic keep right, but in most states the left lane is not for passing only. Likewise, in most states passing on the right (on a limited-access divided highway) is perfectly legal.

And I haven't noticed 35 or 44 in OK or 40 or 30 in AR to have any better lane discipline than anywhere else.

And riding in the HOV lane alone certainly makes you a jackass. Maybe not the same sort of dangerous jackass as a tailgater, but still a jackass.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:43 PM on March 30, 2004

HOV violations and speeding are separate categories.

That's right. HOV violations are CHEATING. And that's what really bothers me. Speeding I can handle -- I mean, if I see some guy whip past me going 90 then I can honestly smile and say "yeah, well...someday he's gonna bite it. Just glad he's nowhere near me." The jerks who go solo in the HOV lanes, and drive down medians and shoulders just to get two cars ahead, are cheating. Plain and simple. They should be punished for their arrogance, but they always get away with it. I can't help thinking that cheating is a way of life for them in all endeavors, and it pisses me off.
posted by drinkcoffee at 12:57 PM on March 30, 2004

My traffic pet peeve? Not using all the lanes to their full advantage.

You’re going down a three-lane interstate. There’s construction, so you’re losing the left-most lane in a mile. The “left lane closed ahead” sign doesn’t appear until 1000 feet before the lane closure. What do you do?

Most people get over as soon as they see the sign, and fume and yell and think bad thoughts about those who wait until the lane ends to get over. Those people are wrong.

The lane ends in 1000 feet, not right away. If there’s virtue in getting over earlier, then why not get over a mile back? Why have the lane at all? It’s more efficient if no one gets over until the lane ends. It’s not line jumping, it’s not being rude, it’s not a bad thing at all.

The same goes for many situations. There are three lanes, one of which becomes a right-turn only lane in a mile. Stay in that lane, even if you’re not turning right, until the point it becomes right-turn only. There’s no virtue, there’s no benefit to other drivers (well, except those who are eventually turning right), in staying completely out of the lane.
posted by MrMoonPie at 1:05 PM on March 30, 2004

Mayor Curley: You're not the BU professor that swung his briefcase into the side of my car a few weeks ago, are you?

It was dark, I had already been stopped at a stop sign for some time, I began to roll ahead to make a left turn, and this old studious dude who had no chance of actually being hit by my car because he stopped walking when I began rolling ahead decided justice for having to wait for me would be to slam his briefcase into the driver's side my car. Road rage indeed.

I should have taken a picture of that guy. Fortunately, there was no damage. As if there weren't enough reasons to withhold alumni donations already... (BurnedEve likely understands)
posted by VulcanMike at 1:20 PM on March 30, 2004

I wonder how many of the people pictured on that web site were driving while kids were asleep in the back seat? The operator of the web site thinks he's all-seeing and all-knowing. All I see and all I know is that he's an asshole.

MrMoonPie, when people drive to the absolute end of a lane before moving over, they cause people to have to hit their brakes, causing traffic disturbances downstream. Wheareas if the same people had slowed down and slipped into the next lane smoothly, they wouldn't have screwed up traffic behind them.
posted by Holden at 1:22 PM on March 30, 2004

*Giggling uncontrollably at VulcanMike's comment* I understand only too well ;)

Comm Ave from Kenmore Square to Packard's Corner is probably one of the best places in the United States to observe ALL of these pet peeves in action. And as an added bonus, there's always the T for both pedestrians and drivers to try to beat.

An addendum to my original question: what major cities have the worst drivers? (Based on statistical evidence of crashes, tickets issued, etc).
posted by BurnedEve at 1:34 PM on March 30, 2004

(that was supposed to link to burnedeve's post, not her profile. sorry burnedeve)
posted by VulcanMike at 1:35 PM on March 30, 2004

Not a problem, Mike :) I doubt I'll acquire any MeFi stalkers.
posted by BurnedEve at 1:45 PM on March 30, 2004

perhaps the HOV lanes should be restricted to to automobiles with 2 or more licensed occupants.

Isn't the parent driving five or six of her kids' classmates in her minivan carpooling just as much as (if not moreso than) the two adults in a car? Isn't the bus carrying 30 suburban dwelling passengers keeping at least a couple dozen cars off of the road?

Given the lack of use of HOVs in many areas, even when only 2 passengers are required, I don't think the answer is to put even more restrictions onto the use of them.

Most people get over as soon as they see the sign, and fume and yell and think bad thoughts about those who wait until the lane ends to get over. Those people are wrong.

Pennsylvania has been posting signs which state "Stay in Lane to Closure Point" when they do construction like that on the interstates, but they don't work. My frustration in that is when the left lane is closing, as PA also has a (vaguely) enforced Keep Right Except to Pass law, so I'm routinely in the right lane, stuck in a mile and a half of traffic moving at 1 m.p.h. while people try to feed in to the right lane so that we can bypass a closure that is 250 yards long. (This happens so frequently that I once photographed the phenomenon and posted the pics with a scathing essay on the topic on my site. It's been archived, though.)

All I see and all I know is that he's an asshole.

Because he's assuming that there are no kids sleeping in the back, or because he's drawing attention to something that you don't agree is as great a problem as he holds it out to be?
posted by Dreama at 1:54 PM on March 30, 2004

Faze, express bus service should be privileged because they are using less resources and not killing the environment as much as single person cars are.

Most of these pictures are taken in the city I now live in, after living in New York and Florida, I can say this city has some of the worst drivers ever. Sterotypes are sometimes true.

Back to the main point, anyone who uses public transit over personal car use should be applauded.
posted by Derek at 1:59 PM on March 30, 2004

Most people get over as soon as they see the sign, and fume and yell and think bad thoughts about those who wait until the lane ends to get over.

I only yell and fume at the dinks who go past a line of cars stopped or slowed for the merge. It's dipshits like that that cause the problem -- everyone can merge nicely and neatly in plenty of time, but when a few dipshits race to the end of the line and demand entry, that slows down the merged lane, and that backs up, causing the whole thing to escalate to the problem we know and love. You should be merging at speed, early on, when it's safe and easy.

Or, differently, that stopped-or-very-slow line in the lane you're trying to get into would be moving at speed if it weren't for jackasses like you trying to get into it with no room to spare. What is efficient is people merging in a way, and at a time and place, so that nobody has to slow down (much) for anyone else.

I loves it, I do, when truckers act as enforcers in times like this, moving along in the closing lane at the speed of the merged lane, usefully blocking the lane from use by dipshits.

Which is why I set up an asshole detector -- I'll leave plenty o' room for a car to pull in in front of me. People who decline the invitation are assholes, and don't get invited in later even if they're Christ Jesus. One of my happiest driving moments was watching someone judge wrong and end up stopped at the LANE CLOSED markers as a dense line of traffic moved by at speed, nobody letting him in. heh.

To my surprise, drivers in D/FW seem to be pretty good at merging, and driving in general. At least, much better than in Raleigh/Durham, or DC, or Lon Gisland.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 2:44 PM on March 30, 2004

that "jackasses like you" is the generic you, not you-you, and applies to me the times I've done it too.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 2:45 PM on March 30, 2004

Because he's assuming that there are no kids sleeping in the back, or because he's drawing attention to something that you don't agree is as great a problem as he holds it out to be?

The former.

It's wrong to condemn people when you don't know all the facts. Maybe a child or an adult is lying down, asleep or sick. Maybe there's an infant in a car seat. Maybe an adult is leaning way forward, picking something up off the floorboard. Automobiles aren't transparent, so you usually can't reliably count how many people are in someone else's car. Imagine if a prosecutor tried to introduce this guy's photos as evidence in a trial. The judge would laugh the prosecutor out of the courtroom. Yet the operator of this web site acts as if his photos are irrefutable evidence.

Cynical people, such as the web site's operator, who habitually ascribe the worst motives to others, tend to be unhappy, and that's their just reward.

Judge not that ye be judged.
posted by Holden at 6:05 PM on March 30, 2004

You know, I'd never considered that having the boy in the car seat meant I could use the hov lane. Technically, I can...but in Dallas, it's such a pain in the ass to get in and out of that lane to exit, that I almost never use it unless I'm going from one end of the highway to the other.

My pet peeve really depends on the car I'm driving, and the lane I'm in. If I'm in the family car, with the boy in the car, I'm a pretty safe driver. I hang in the middle lane, and go about the speed limit...or the traffic speed. (middle lane so that I'm not in the way of people entering and exiting the freeway) In those cases, people who ride the bumper of my truck at 70 mph really piss me off, because it's so damned unsafe.

When I was driving the souped up muscle cars, people in the fast lane who were going the speed limit (or under) and wouldn't get out of my damn way really annoyed the tar out of me....but even then, I didn't tailgate...because I was in a sports car...and they aren't built for safety. Speed yes, safety, not so much. (I once made it from North Dallas to Austin, was parked and in Emos in under 90 minutes....damn, I miss that car.) It's good to have family that build NASCAR engines...yes it is. Got stopped by the cops who were so amazed that the car would go that fast that they didn't write me a ticket. By law, they could have thrown me in jail for going more than double the speed limit...but country cops are generally pretty cool if it's a girl in a low cut shirt and a big red car.) They admitted that the cop cars couldn't catch me. (Of course, you can't outrun radio...and I've never tried...I pull right over when I see lights. Those boys have throw-down guns, and I'm not stupid.)

Other things that really piss me off on the road: makeup application, shaving, reading and watching TV...all of which I see regularly in Dallas. Cell phones annoy me when it's people that obviously can't multitask...otherwise, I don't care about the phone.

What holden said about merging lanes. Just don't fuck up the traffic flow, and I won't be tempted to throw caltrops under your tires...that seems fair, really.

As to the spooky motorcycle boys...driving home late at night in my Mustang, I used to get surrounded by those guys...literally, surrounded. Scared the shit out of me. Not that I was worried about my safety, but I was terrified that one of them would screw up and be under my wheels before I could stop. But as shows go...it was real purty to watch...
posted by dejah420 at 6:56 PM on March 30, 2004

people who ride the bumper of my truck at 70 mph really piss me off, because it's so damned unsafe.
This is my pet peeve as well. I give them about 5 seconds to drop back if they have just merged into my lane and then, without taking my foot off the accelerator, give the brake pedal a quick, hard jab with my left foot (warning my passengers first). This has the effect of making the car dive down at the front as if the brakes have been applied hard and bringing the brake lights on. About 99% of the time, it has the effect of scaring the crap out of the tailgater and making them drop back pretty smartly.
posted by dg at 8:41 PM on March 30, 2004

Just as good, dg, the technique I use, at least during the day, is to flip on my headlights real quick, which make the mellower taillights turn on. I've had a lot of fun screwing with tailgaters via this method.
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:59 PM on March 30, 2004

Why should express bus service be privileged?

Because if the buses can't get to and fro in a reasonable amount of time, nobody will ride them, and they'll all drive their own cars, and traffic will be even worse than it is now.

Ya know?

The idea is to make things better, really.
posted by kindall at 11:03 PM on March 30, 2004

Oh, Oh, Oh....another one....

Middle lane drivers. In the city, with lots of entering and exiting traffic, it makes sense for through traffic to stay out of the right lane. I do that, myself.

But on the open highway, it seems that most drivers instinctively move to the center lane. Faster drivers then pass on the left, of course, leaving the right lane open and free for miles. Or you'll get one driver going the speed limit in the right lane (where, of course, he should be), and another driver in the middle lane, also going the speed limit, which then lessens the benefit of having more than two lanes.

Or, ooh, ooh, ooh, another one....

People who merge, then don't accelerate to speed. I'll let you in, no problem, but then don't punish me by sloooowly accelerating. Put the damn pedal down, man! Or better yet, use the merge lane to get up to speed before merging. Believe me, I don't slow anyone down when I merge. And I ain't driving some hot rod, but a 13-year-old Accord. But still, the accelerator works.

Oh, yeah, yet another....

When the light turns green, GO. Don't wait for the guy in front of you to get 3 car lengths ahead before taking your foot off the brake. The guy 6 cars back needs you to accelerate quickly so that he can make it through the light, too.

And still another....

I don't need to drive much; I walk to work. But at least once a week, I pick my daughter up from daycare and take her out to dinner. There's a place on that drive where right-turn-on-redders have their own lane after turning. But inevitably there are massive jams as the turners wait for oncoming traffic to clear before moving. You have your own damn lane; the traffic engineers want you to stop, look, then GO. So go already!

Whew--I feel better.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:30 AM on March 31, 2004

In an effort to stem stress from road rage I've made a few adjustments in how I deal with people who annoy me in traffic. Tailgaters are the worst. I primarily use the middle lane because I'm never in much of a hurry (another rage reducer). I absolutely hate it when someone tailgates me in the middle lane, especially when the left lane is wide open. I used to employ the quick brake method of tailgater removal, but I found that this would just piss them off and cause them get even closer (after they recovered), daring me to try it again. Now I just take my foot off the accelerator until they get the idea that they had better pass me. A quick dirty look and they are on their way, off to annoy ever more people down the line.
posted by botono9 at 10:56 AM on March 31, 2004

the technique I use, at least during the day, is to flip on my headlights real quick, which make the mellower taillights turn on

One of my first cars, a mid-80s vintage Honda Accord, had a "test lights" button on the dash which would cause all of the vehicles' external lights to shine for as long as the button was depressed. The owner's manual had one of those big yellow dire warnings about using the button when the car was in motion.

The instant flash of brake, taillights, rear turn signals, backup lights and even license plate lights would back a tailgater off in a heartbeat. It was extreme, but I saved its use for extreme situations. I hate tailgaters more than all other factions of bad drivers put together.
posted by Dreama at 11:14 AM on March 31, 2004

dg people who ride the bumper of my truck at 70 mph really piss me off, because it's so damned unsafe.
This is my pet peeve as well. I give them about 5 seconds to drop back if they have just merged into my lane and then, without taking my foot off the accelerator, give the brake pedal a quick, hard jab with my left foot (warning my passengers first).

Even better for those people who don't take the hint is to drop a gear or two and let off the gas. I had a highway mountie run into my two tonne once with this technique. He had his Caprice sucked up on my bumper so hard at 100 km/hr that I couldn't see any part of his car in my mirrors. In BC the following car is 100% at fault (following to close) and they get a 3pt ticket to add insult to injury.
posted by Mitheral at 12:38 PM on March 31, 2004

People who merge, then don't accelerate to speed
Yeah, it also drives me nuts when people will drive right to the end of a merging lane in heavy traffic, wait there for a gap, then try to merge from a standing start into traffic moving at high speed. People, the merging lanes are there so that you can merge at the same speed as the traffic you are merging into - use the damn things properly!

Using the tail lights to simulate braking and make tailgaters back off used to work but, since the introduction of the now ubiquitous centre brake light, this is no longer effective. Besides, scaring people is much more fun than just making them not be arseholes.

Mitheral, the laws are the same here - if you run into the back of another car or hit a stationery car, you are automatically at fault, but what happens when you make someone slam into the back of your car and they have no insurance?
posted by dg at 2:32 PM on March 31, 2004

BC has a no-fault single insurer system. Which means you get paid and then ICBC goes after the people deemed at fault.

On review I realise it appears I went to DEFCON 1 as my first action. When this cop ran into me he'd been shadowing me for 20+ kms. I'd started with 15 below the limit for a few kms; progressed to the flash the brake lights thing (this is when he started tailgating me in earnest) and only then I preformed the sudden slow down. The cop and I also had a history that generally made him look like a fool. At one point a judge instructed him to stop harrasing me.
posted by Mitheral at 3:50 PM on March 31, 2004

I primarily use the middle lane because I'm never in much of a hurry

Why not drive in the right lane, then? That's where you should be.
posted by MrMoonPie at 1:31 PM on April 6, 2004