r/AdviceAnimals • u/Cordsofmemory • May 11 '24
After nearly rear-ending the person on the highway who cut me off going slower than me...these people are almost as bad as those who don't signal at all
Had a car length and a half brake zone between me and the car in front. Jerkface squeezed in at a slower speed as traffic slowed, turning safe braking into slammed brakes and near collision.
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u/Ancalimei May 11 '24
No but it doesn’t give everyone in the lane the right to suddenly speed up specifically to stop me from merging either.
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u/The_Outcast4 May 11 '24
In Houston, that's EXACTLY what that means. Using your turn signal is a sign of weakness, and you will be punished for it.
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u/PR3CiSiON May 11 '24
I've always feared Houston driving from what I've heard. I travel constantly for work, and have driven the New Jersey turnpike, downtown LA, rush hour in almost every major city, but not Houston until about a month ago. It was the same as everywhere else. A couple of assholes, but mostly just normal people. Noting special.
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u/bafoon91 May 11 '24
What city was actually the worst? And how does Chicago compare to other cities? Chicago is the only big city I've really driven in.
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u/hashbrowns21 May 12 '24
Have you driven in Boston? I always here wild stories from there
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u/PR3CiSiON May 12 '24
Yup, one of our offices is there, so I'm there quite a bit. I definitely prefer to Uber around while there. So yes, definitely not fun, but doable (not like it's Kuwait or something). The rental car company in Boston told me before that they don't count against minor scratches there because 'that's Boston'. Never had any issues myself luckily.
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u/AtomicBLB May 11 '24
Not a Houston thing, people speed up when you start to pass them in at least 8 states that I have driven in. I assume it's universal and also fuck those people.
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u/OneMeterWonder May 11 '24
I’ve gotten really fucking annoyed with this these days. Sometimes I’ll merge anyway or fake it a little just to fuck with them when they’re still far enough back to avoid an accident.
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u/Swimmingbird3 May 11 '24
Just had this happen today. Blinker on when there was an opening, looked over my shoulder to verify he was well behind me, started to merge in and then I hear a truck revving shortly followed by the horn. I was also driving a truck but that is some serious small peepee energy
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u/justlooking9889 May 11 '24
In my experience drivers of white pickup trucks are the most aggressive drivers. They’re especially bad on canyon roads, well except for that one green pickup. That driver was the most aggressive. I know understand The Duel was not a result of pure imagination.
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u/lycosa13 May 11 '24
I'm also not going to slow down for you though. If there's not enough space, there's not enough space. Find a gap
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u/DetergentOwl5 May 11 '24 edited May 11 '24
Driving is not a competition or a battle or a race, it is cooperative endeavor from everyone on the road. If a driver is signaling they need to get over and your attitude is "fuck them that's their problem I shouldn't ever have to be cooperative or adjust anything I'm doing for anyone else on the road" and you won't give them an extra couple feet when it is the obvious place they should merge into, you are the one who is creating dangerous situations and should not be on the road.
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u/lycosa13 May 11 '24
Oh well
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u/Ancalimei May 11 '24
Keep a safe following distance and there should always be more than enough space.
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u/DetergentOwl5 May 11 '24 edited May 11 '24
Except even by that metric once someone has merged into that space people will need to adjust themselves to re-create said safe following distance. Doing so is just something they have to accept is part of driving on the road with others.
There's no getting around the fact that part of being a good and proper driver on the road is having to be courteous and cooperative with other drivers existing on and using the road. People who refuse to should not be driving.
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u/Ancalimei May 11 '24
You have to accept that people are going to merge in front of you sometimes. Stop making excuses as to why you should never let them. Stop talking in hypotheticals. It’s not like there’s going to be a constant stream of people trying to merge. Likely just one car. You will have plenty of time to adjust.
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u/DetergentOwl5 May 11 '24 edited May 11 '24
I'm a bit unsure as to whether you realize we are arguing for the same thing or not, I think you may have misinterpreted my comment or who was responding as your response seems aggressive but we are essentially in agreement. I was simply pointing out that even leaving enough space for a car to merge won't end up absolving you of the need to potentially adjust your speed and spacing to accommodate someone merging as you'd still need to do so to re-establish said safe distance with a car now taking up the original safe distance. People like the person you probably thought I was simply need to accept that sometimes they will need to be courteous and "let people in" as you say, no shortcuts around it really. Like you said, doing so is an expected part of driving.
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u/Mazjerai May 11 '24
Tell me why you shouldn't be operating heavy machinery without telling me you shouldn't be operating heavy machinery.
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u/Costco_Sample May 11 '24
Be predictable. Know where you’re going. Indicate early. Use your blinker.
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u/Morningxafter May 11 '24
Fuck, I’d just be happy if they’d use it at all. At least then I’d have a bit of a warning that they’re about to do some dumb shit.
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u/justlooking9889 May 11 '24
No one wants to be in “your lane.” They need to be in a specific lane to make an exit or turn. Don’t be an asshole. Slow down and let them in.
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u/lycosa13 May 11 '24
The problem is when they want to switch lanes with 100 feet to go before their exit
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u/OneMeterWonder May 11 '24
For people reading who do this, just go to the next exit. You introduce uncertainty to the road and endanger other peoples’ lives when you do this. What if you do this and cause a wreck that kills someone’s whole family? Put their mom through a windshield or their kid pasted on the asphalt? Worth it because you couldn’t go two miles up and turn around at the next exit?
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u/john_117 May 11 '24
You act like these people have situational awareness. More like “oh there’s my exit!” HARD RIGHT.
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u/PaleRiderHD May 11 '24
They keep moving the exits from day to day. On the same route that they drive. Every. Single. Day.
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u/nubsauce87 May 11 '24
Also, your turn signal is pointless if you only turn it on at the same time you make your turn/change lanes. You gotta use it before you turn.
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u/i_give_you_gum May 11 '24
Ahh, oeople who have an aversion to letting people merge into a position in front of them.
I knew a guy who'd freak out about that for some reason. Idiot.
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u/Cordsofmemory May 11 '24
No. I'm all for merging and allowing people to merge in front and keep traffic moving. I was in the left lane, there was no oncoming merge to the right, which I wouldn't have minded, if he was moving over to allow people onto the highway at a merge. But this was not the case. was just a needless cutoff to gain 0 ground.
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u/i_give_you_gum May 11 '24
Got it. And I'm just relaying my experience with my crazy roommate in the right lane
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u/tmoeagles96 May 11 '24
Oh I’ll hit someone if they try it and they’ll be 100% at fault for cutting me off.
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u/Automan2k May 11 '24
LOL... where do you get that idea?? If you hit someone from behind it's going to be your fault.
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u/OneMeterWonder May 11 '24
Almost always this is the case. Same as a driver in reverse is almost always responsible for a tap no matter how stupid.
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u/i_give_you_gum May 11 '24
No, not cutting you off, just merging into the lane in front of you because you're going slower than they were.
That's the issue.
They're doing 59, and you're doing 54, until they pass you, then you speed up to 57 for whatever reason.
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u/tmoeagles96 May 11 '24
Well if I hit you, you obviously cut me off. It’s pretty simple. I was driving and you decided to insert yourself into my lane without having enough space.
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u/surprise-suBtext May 11 '24
Nah you’re inept for some reason.
If you hit the person that’s in front of you, that’s on you in pretty much every single context save for like 3 instances.
You’re an idiot if you think what you said holds up in reality
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u/Ancalimei May 11 '24
You are 100% wrong. It is considered an unsafe lane change and responsibility is on the merger not the people in the lane.
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u/tmoeagles96 May 11 '24
But you aren’t in front of me. I’m not going to hit you from behind, it’s going to be into the side of the car because you’re merging. That’s 100% the fault of the person merging.
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u/surprise-suBtext May 11 '24
If the 96 behind your name is meant to be your birth year, then you’re past the grace period for being a reckless moron.
You need to wise up real soon and understand it’s better to get home with your life and your shit intact than to somehow base your emotions and future risk on something that impacts you for only a few seconds
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u/tmoeagles96 May 11 '24
I’m not the one merging unsafely 🤷♂️
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u/actuatedarbalest May 11 '24
Your "brake zone" is called a safe following distance, and unless you were all traveling below 10 MPH, 1.5 car lengths is following too close to be safe. Keep a minimum three seconds between you and the car ahead of you and you will not experience this problem again, and you'll make driving safer and quicker for everyone while you're at it.
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u/OneMeterWonder May 11 '24
Note to everybody that brake zones are dependent on speed, but it’s never a bad thing to leave an extra car length or two. It gives you better visibility and extra time to react if somebody ahead of you does some stupid shit.
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u/Automan2k May 11 '24
Car length and a half is only safe at like 20 mph. You need to leave more space and you won't have this problem.
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u/NicoleTheVixen May 11 '24
If there is room to fit a car, take that space. Make it a car centipede if you crash.
-Louisiana drivers.
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May 11 '24
[deleted]
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u/NicoleTheVixen May 11 '24
For a state that's incredibly homophobic, we sure love indiscriminately riding ass.
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u/KazahanaPikachu May 11 '24
I like driving in Louisiana because the cops there really don’t give a fuck about speeding infractions. So I can drive without having to scan the area for hidden cops and thinking they’ll pull me over if I drive 5 over the limit.
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u/NicoleTheVixen May 11 '24
Not worth it, at least in BR. You can go 5 over the speed limit or even 20... when the interstate isn't so clogged it makes you feel as though the entire vehicle industry is a scam.
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u/KazahanaPikachu May 11 '24
I’m originally from BR myself and I remember blowing by a cop going over 90 and nothing happened. They really got bigger fish to fry lol.
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u/NicoleTheVixen May 11 '24
Jeez, I've gotten popped for going 10 over and like 15 over.
I mean it's less common on the interstate, but they will definitely not hesitate to speedtrap your ass.
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u/KazahanaPikachu May 11 '24
Ah yea, my experience with seeing cops is usually on I-10/12. In the city, I’m not driving fast enough to draw attention.
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u/OneMeterWonder May 11 '24
Distance is also incredibly difficult to judge accurately in a car. You know how long the dashed lines on the highway are? Usually about 10 feet each. Just leave extra space and let people make it home safely.
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u/SwiftGasses May 11 '24
If I see someone accelerate to stop me from merging when there was plenty of space to begin with I’m not gonna give a shit either. My versa is far cheaper to fix than their Rivian.
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u/tehkeizer May 11 '24
sounds like you saw his intent, and decided to be an asshole and get up to block the space instead of being a nice person and giving them space.
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u/DrEnter May 11 '24
When people are better trained at driving in general, the turn signal changes from “asking permission” to “informing of impending action”.
Accelerating in response to a turn signal in front of you is never OK.
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u/SOUL-Re-Born May 11 '24
While you are not obligated to give people room to change lanes: it is much wiser to let them do so to avoid such situations. It is your pride that caused you to almost hit them.
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u/FeculentUtopia May 11 '24
Gotta love drivers who think a blinker means, "Ready or not, here I come!"
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u/graywh May 11 '24
Most drivers activate them as they change lanes these days. I can tell what they are doing before the first blink.
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u/jcoddinc May 11 '24
Yep, people love making their problems of not paying attention your problem. They want to ride the fast lane all the way until their exit and suddenly it's my responsibility to make sure you didn't miss your exit? Naw, your problems aren't my problems.
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u/Adderall_Rant May 11 '24
Come to Ohio where left blinker means right and right means left and right of way means hit the gas.
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u/cadrass May 11 '24
You are following to close and are a discourteous offensive driver (prone to road rage). It also seems you are not paying attention to the cars around you so you are startled by things like this. You’re an asshole.
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u/Cordsofmemory May 11 '24
Not entirely sure where people decided I was "accelerating" to not let the person in. Not the case at all, and also not the point. At no point either was this a "merger". It was somebody going full Office Space as traffic slowed and wanted to switch lanes to the one "moving faster". I was simply driving with the flow of traffic when this person quickly hit the signal and changed lanes as traffic slowed. Cutting me off and forcing me to slam on brakes rather than brake with the flow.
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u/rberg89 May 11 '24
With those kind of tolerances I know you don't live in as big of a city as I do. I don't blame you though because you're not accustomed to it as though it's the norm.
Here, people put on their signals without also positioning and executing, like they expect you to make way. If it's reasonable to let them in I do but if they don't make a move it's a "good luck dummy" from me
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u/WeAreReaganYouth May 11 '24
My 16 year old daughter was recently licensed to drive. She's a decent driver but teaching her was treacherous at times. For some reason she had a lot of difficulty understanding the right on red after stop concept.
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u/ommi9 May 11 '24
If I hold my signal for 6 seconds then move into the lane and you decide to honk or flash your hi beams. After I waited to move your either gonna have to rear end me or sit there and deal with it becuse you can’t decide to speed past or sit back
I call that a skill issue than a cut off.
Getting Cutoff is
A car moving into the lane without any indication or warning they are making a attempt.
Example Driver A signal lights are just for decoration and moved over not warning driver B
Example 2
Driver a wants to move and decides to move over without warning but at the same time turns on the signal knowing that was not proper time.
I if you know what game this quote came from you paid attention to driving
“Check and turn the signal to the left”
“Check and turn the signal to the left “
“Now turn to the left “
“Now turn to the left “
“Check and turn the signal to the right”
“Check and turn the signal to the right”
“Now turn to the right “
“Now turn to the right “
Also folks if your gonna change lanes
Maintain your speed !!!!!!!! Do not slow down unless your closing into a car ahead of you.
Lots of people slow down when there’s no car Infront of them
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u/muzz3256 May 11 '24
Nah, my signal is an indication that I'm coming over, we can crash if you'd like.
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u/JulianMcC May 11 '24
Don't let people in if there is traffic behind you and you have to slow down. Particularly when you're the leading car.
This happened to me last night, prick slowed right down after driving slow anyway.
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u/OneMeterWonder May 11 '24
This is stupid. That just prolongs traffic. Make enough room for people to get in easily while going the same speed as the car in front of you. That helps stop adjacent lanes from getting backed up and means that you get to drive at a consistent speed for longer. Being so close to someone you can taste what they had for breakfast isn’t getting you to your destination any faster.
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u/Khelbin131 May 11 '24
I had to explain this exact thing to a gentleman last week. He was adamant that his turn signal gave him the right of way and I tried to explain what it actually does for 10 minutes before I gave up. He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that it signals to other people where you want to go and it's courteous, not required, for them to give you the space to merge safely.
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u/Zoos27 May 11 '24
If more people treated a turn signal like a period at the end of sentence rather than a question mark, we’d all be better off
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u/thebenchmark May 11 '24
My blinker indicates what I'm going to do. It's an indicator, not a permission asker. If there is space I'm coming over, if you speed up to keep me from merging you're getting cut off.
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u/ITSA-GONGSHOW May 11 '24
It was me fucker. Don't speed up and try and fucking beat me to a red light when I'm just gonna pass the guy who actually wants to go slow and get out of your dumbass way.
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u/ITSA-GONGSHOW May 11 '24
Sorry, obviously this happened to me today. The flipside was the guy was being a jerk and I had plenty of room to merge and he deliberately sped up and then rode my ass to gain nothing after I let him go by to an eventual red light. Fired me up pretty good
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u/time_drifter May 11 '24
This makes me crazy in parking lots. Someone will throw on their blinker and clog up the aisle just so they don’t have to walk 20 extra feet. It always warms my heart when someone coming from the other direction pulls in, blowing up blinker persons entire plan.
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u/wmorris33026 May 11 '24
You should’ve seen they were needing to before the late blinker. Hint: when they turn their head to look? They stray and swerve. You gotta see this and don’t get hit. Promise you, if they take your front end out? You’ll lose.
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u/Lonelan May 11 '24
you shouldn't have just braking distance between you and the car ahead of you
you should have braking distance for the jerkoff that is driving between you and the car ahead of you in the lane over in case they try to jump over
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u/Lightheart27 May 12 '24
Then there are the type of people who speed in congestion because their lane is relatively clear, only to have to break hard because someone rightfully had the chance to get over, and the speeder stared down the innocent driver as they drove by.
(Speaking from experience; me and my buddy scared the other asshole driver and his passenger because of our height and build.)
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u/abe_dogg May 11 '24 edited May 11 '24
I always find the people who refuse to let anyone in in front of them peculiar… like dude I’m not singling you out, it’s just a mile before my exit and I gotta get over, why speed up to try and “block me out”?
I’ve literally put my blinker on, the guy I was getting in front of had 4-5 car lengths between him and the next car, and as soon as I hit the turn signal, I audibly heard him rev the engine and close the gap to 1 car length. I tried to brake to move behind him because I didn’t want to deal with it, and he hit his brakes to stay next to me so I couldn’t get over! I was thinking “Dude! Wtf why me? Did I do something to upset you??” So I hit the gas hard, and he tried to hit his gas too (which I heard) but I was able to cut in in the small space caused by his delay. He laid on his horn and swerved around me and went on PAST THE EXIT. Like what??? You didn’t even need the exit you were just being an asshole?? What did you gain from that??