The lack of turn signals really annoys me. I almost had a collision with someone who turned left in front of me at a four-way intersection cuz I figured he was going straight.

And there's an intersection where a crossing light was recently installed. It turns red to stop traffic for pedestrians crossing the road, then flashes red for a few seconds before turning off. Once the flashing red starts, everyone just drives through it without stopping. Someone behind me honked when I stopped for it.

Cell phones and texting!
Blinding stupidity...

Like V-tail, I have lived in Central Florida (Winter Park), for over twenty five years.

I stopped riding my motorcycles after some VERY NEAR MISSES by distracted idiots. My survival is due to highly defensive driving: I pretend that every vehicle in sight is going to try to kill me. Saves me at least once a week in my car.

Blown stop signs, red lights and not obeying four way stop sign rules. Lane changes sans signal and not knowing (or caring) there is another vehicle, me, beside them.

Doubtless my experiences are far from unique!

I do miss riding... it is sad.

I am a South FL LEO (28 years). Between the immigrants who's last vehicle was a donkey and millennials who are buried in their cell phones I could spend my whole shift on traffic if I wanted. But with the current climate towards police we barely want to do any work. Every time I pull over that crying millennial I find out there is a complaint against me for being mean or something to that extent. And we get no back up from our administration so we don't have to be proven guilty, we have to prove we didn't do anything wrong. Boy, I can't wait till I retire (soon) and move far away from civilization.

quote:

Originally posted by Alyron:
I am a South FL LEO (28 years). Between the immigrants who's last vehicle was a donkey and millennials who are buried in their cell phones I could spend my whole shift on traffic if I wanted. But with the current climate towards police we barely want to do any work. Every time I pull over that crying millennial I find out there is a complaint against me for being mean or something to that extent. And we get no back up from our administration so we don't have to be proven guilty, we have to prove we didn't do anything wrong. Boy, I can't wait till I retire (soon) and move far away from civilization.

I spent a couple weeks in Orlando and West Palm in May. Had not been over there in a number of years. I was shocked at how third worldish and frenetic the traffic has become there. I would like to see FHP take a scorched earth policy to enforcement on the turnpikes and Interstate to calm things down but politically can't see it happening.

quote:

Originally posted by tleddy:
Cell phones and texting!
Blinding stupidity...

Like V-tail, I have lived in Central Florida (Winter Park), for over twenty five years.

I stopped riding my motorcycles after some VERY NEAR MISSES by distracted idiots. My survival is due to highly defensive driving: I pretend that every vehicle in sight is going to try to kill me. Saves me at least once a week in my car.

Blown stop signs, red lights and not obeying four way stop sign rules. Lane changes sans signal and not knowing (or caring) there is another vehicle, me, beside them.

Doubtless my experiences are far from unique!

I do miss riding... it is sad.

You're not alone. I sold my last bike because an entitled young lady thought it was more important to text and drive with her knees than watch the lanes around her. She about ran me into the median guardrail twice in less than a mile. Couldn't slow down or pass her due to traffic, so I was stuck there. Scared the crap out of me, so much so that I put my bike up for sale the next week.
I miss riding too, and will get another eventually, but for now it was time to take a break.

Not just you. Between the unregistered non-citizens and the plain ordinary idiots it is getting to the point that there will be some massive pile-ups on some of the major highways.

Here in N. Virginia Rt 234 around the Manassas area the speed limit is 55. Probably 75% of the drivers seem to think that is the posted MINIMUM!

Suggested safe driving intervals seems to be a forgotten art/science. Turn signals when changing lanes? Not hardly! Faces glued to a damned smart phone, yes! Approaching half of them. Yesterday in a stream of traffic 2 lanes wide traveling more than 65 MPH (55 posted) some asshole ran me into the grass while she was babbling on her damned phone, with it held up in front of her face!

Turn signals seem to be an option anymore. And when was the last time I saw LEO out on that highway? At least a year. The county could make a damned fortune from traffic fines if they just patrolled 234 occasionally!

Rt. 95 is not much, if any, better. Last time we came north on 95, southbound traffic was doing less than 10MPH, all lanes, and the back up was more than 30 miles long. No evidence of a wreck, etc either.

What gets me is the number of items on the sidewalk that have been run over. They don't even bother to make sturdy street signs anymore.

V.

I drove down into Colorado on I-25 again this weekend. They used to have signs that said, “Keep right except to pass.” New signs out there now, something like, “Use the left lane for passing.” Well there’s an idea.

Maybe it’s just me, but it really bothers me to be on an open stretch of interstate and see a car camped in the left lane with no traffic in the right lane. Invariably, a driver like that doesn’t close on me and pass, but just sits back there doing maybe 1 mph faster than me so that I have to watch them for a long time. Infuriating.

One I haven't seen mentioned yet is the drivers that need the whole road to make a turn. It used to be they would encroach into oncoming traffic when they turned left, but now it is on a right turn too.

I was coming to a stop sign and a car making a right (at speed!) came way over into my lane I had to swerve and I honked my horn, thinking he was drunk or asleep. The asshole angrily flipped me off and proceeded on his way.

When I learned to drive, courtesy and the rules of the road were stressed. Now the attitude is
GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!

In the last three weeks there have been about five instances of people going left of center at me. Yes it's getting worse. I need a bigger truck.

Psssshh...worse? Oh yeah...worse, more selfish, self-centered, distracted, illegal (oh...wait). I'm a very "nice" driver. 98% of the time I'll let someone in if they're trying to enter the road from a drive and I'm stopped at a light...I'll leave space for them. Or if someone SIGNALS they want to change lanes in front of me, I'll let 'em in. Remember when people would give you a "thank you wave" if you did that? Yeah...not so much anymore from these self-centered, prima donna morons. You're lucky they don't flip you the bird because you didn't let them in sooner! JSHM...

Started driving in 1984. Longer than some, shorter than others though.
My biggest gripe and what I've seen deteriorate is leaving enough space in front of your car while driving and especially when another vehicle is turning onto a road or driveway.
I am constantly having someone on my car's ass as I'm making a turn. Just leave a little bit of space and slow down.

One of the main reasons I moved to the Yoop was to get away from traffic. But Marquette is getting stupid too. Fortunately I can still have the road to myself once I get out of town.

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:
We have terrible drivers and I blame the police. Without enforcement there is no reason to follow the rules.

I was driving to work at 5:30 in the morning behind a cop car that was behind a small pick up truck. we all came to a stop, and then made a left turn and the pick up Truck only had headlights. No tail lights, no running lights, and no brake lights. And the cop followed him up to the next traffic light where the pick up came to another stop, and then turned right and drove away. The cop did not do a damn thing about it.

If the police will not enforce little things like turn signals, illegal turns, or not having running lights on after dark then how can you expect drivers to do them?

Is this just Jacksonville? I fear not...

I live on a one way street, the wrong way signs are just suggestions apparently.

quote:

Originally posted by Alyron:
I am a South FL LEO (28 years). Between the immigrants who's last vehicle was a donkey and millennials who are buried in their cell phones I could spend my whole shift on traffic if I wanted. But with the current climate towards police we barely want to do any work. Every time I pull over that crying millennial I find out there is a complaint against me for being mean or something to that extent. And we get no back up from our administration so we don't have to be proven guilty, we have to prove we didn't do anything wrong. Boy, I can't wait till I retire (soon) and move far away from civilization.

31 posts in 12 years

that's got to be some kind of record

--------------------

I'm more of a lurker and do come on here to read the threads pretty regularly. Just like in real life, for the most part I listen and keep my mouth shut. That way I learn a lot and don't give away too many of my secrets.

That goddamned texting mutherfuckers irritates me the most..

Same percentage of no driving mf’ers as always now they are occupying less space as crowding increases.

Another gripe of mine is drivers cutting too short at "T" intersections.

You are at a stop bar at the lower leg of the T, driver turns left too sharp, almost clipping you.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
over the past 10 years or so?

Or is it I'm becoming more and more aware these past 10 years?

Seems like you see more and more cars/drivers out there: ...

Great topic, but I was a little surprised that you didn't mention the #1 change I've noticed: people blowing red lights - especially in the turning lane.

It used to be that drivers would observe the green arrows on the turning lane lights. Once in a while, someone would "push the envelope" and you could tell the arrow was somewhere past yellow when they continued their turn.

Now? Around here, it's way too common for a second, third, sometimes even a fourth car to continue after the turning lane light has gone red and the light for the through traffic has been green for several seconds. I noticed this change in my last couple of years before retiring. In fact, I actually got used to sitting there, with the light green, as cars continued to turn in front of me on the red.