Over the past year or two I’ve noticed a big uptick in this strange new phenomenon of people just stopping in the road in park or maybe halfway off the road but definitely not making any effort to get onto the shoulder or otherwise NOT sitting in traffic. Then when you get around them they’re sitting there on their phone!

Have you noticed this where you are?

I’m not sure what this is from, our new DoorDash/Grubhub society? New immigrant drivers accustomed to the way they drove back home where oftentimes it’s like Mad Max? Just new clueless drivers? People who can’t wait to play with My Precious again?

Seeing it more and more, it’s just so strange.

Paul Millers Law, June 2025 went into effect.

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:
Paul Millers Law, June 2025 went into effect.

Until cops start citing people for it...it is worthless. Just words on a page.

I'm guessing your area has had an influx of CA people migration. That idiotic behavior is common here. Don't get me started w/ their behavior at 4-way stop signs.... You'd think Stop and Parking are synonymous.

I have never encountered your exact scenario of a car parked in the way of traffic on roads busy or not, on their phone. But I have seen plenty of times a driver not immediately responding to a green light because they're on the phone. Or a driver driving erratically because they are staring at a GPS app on their phone.

But by far the worst examples of drivers distracted are those I used to see in CA- women driving while applying makeup on their faces using the rearview mirror driving to work in the mornings. I have witnessed this many times.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

Over the past year or two I’ve noticed a big uptick in this strange new phenomenon of people just stopping in the road

This was normal behavior in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands when I lived in that area.

Every place has idiots. Or entitled. CA has entitled idiots which is the worst.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
I'm guessing your area has had an influx of CA people migration. That idiotic behavior is common here. Don't get me started w/ their behavior at 4-way stop signs.... You'd think Stop and Parking are synonymous.

Living in AZ which is one of the most popular states for California refugees- I see a lot of horrible driving and stupid behavior. Any time I am driving behind a car with a California plate it is easy to predict at some point in the next 2-3 minutes they will do something stupid/ unsafe

Also being something of a retirement community ( not to pick on the elderly as I hope to be one someday) I see a lot of elderly drivers who probably shouldn’t be on the road anymore, also doing some dangerous stuff.

Welcome to central Florida.

People around here will also come to a complete STOP in the middle lane of a 60 mph highway to change lanes because they are lost.

Too many have concept of “us”. It’s all about themselves. Their only view of teamwork or playing well together (driving) is only what’s in it for them. The what can everyone do for me crowd

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:
Paul Millers Law, June 2025 went into effect.

Until cops start citing people for it...it is worthless. Just words on a page.

I guess you missed the point.

I really don’t care about citation rate, the point was the new law is scaring more people into pulling over for about the last year…the approx length of time the OP noticed the change.

Haven't seen that but on their phone at a light and not paying attention to the green. ! second is all you get before you get the wrath of my horn.

I was behind a dude in a driveway that goes to the local Ace hardware, he was stopped on his phone. I waited a bit and then just drove around him. I got the last close parking spot and this jackass parked up front in the loading zone

The one that really irks me is the "nice" drivers. They beat you to a 4 way stop, you wait and wait. They wave you through

You are turning left and waiting for traffic to clear so you can turn, a person coming from opposite way is turning right and they stop and wave you in. Thanks, NOt! Keep it moving tard

Just one more reason to hate carpetbaggers.

I see it pretty often. Cell phones have brought out all kinds of ridiculous behavior from people. I’ve seen them literally stop right in the middle of a street to stare at their phone.

I have noticed this with people walking out of the grocery store. Some guy got 3 from clearing the main driveway, abruptly stopped in front of a car, and stuck his nose in his phone.

Another memorable time was the group of 4 people walking out of the store and they all stopped in the same place and had a conversation. I mean all 4 of them taking turns talking while the closest of 3 cars they were holding up was only 6-8 feet away from them. I considered educating them but I wasn’t sure English was a language they spoke so I waited impatiently.

Passed a lady yesterday, hazards on, right lane, 15mph [in a 45mph area where 50-55 is the norm], nose in her phone.

Gave a bit of grace, we were by 3 hospitals and assumed she was trying to figure out where to go.

I would lay on the horn of such an idiot blocking traffic.

Try living in the Greater Yellowstone Area like we did for 5 years. Stopped on the highway going down to Jackson, all 4 doors left open as the occupants all bailed out to photograph a moose. Talked to a Wyoming SP officer once, he had some great stories, like people completely oblivious to his presence until he blipped his siren

For many years I have used this phrase while shopping in stores:

"People walk like they drive"

Tell me it's not true.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Every place has idiots. Or entitled. CA has entitled idiots which is the worst.

Driving never was that bad here until they flooded in here. Now driving anywhere, North of Dallas, is horrifying. Yes they’ll stop in the road. You think there is a wreck, no, it’s just a damned idiot. Or vehicles swerving all over the road. Not accelerating when a light is green, or lackadaisical doing it where you get stuck at a light 2-3 times. The answer the same across the board, the got damn phones. These people have extremely short attention spans and people are starting to refer to the disease as Tik Thot Brain Rot. They say Tik Tok, but I call it Tik Thot. What’s crazy is these will be newer vehicles that have Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. You can talk your wittle phone assistant, nope. They must have it in their dirty hands at all times, smearing their dirty finger up and down on it. They are zombies man. Whole lives will be spent smearing their fingers across a 6” piece of glass.

I’d like to see LE see this behavior, instant arrest, DUI. Once enough people get busted, and have to spend $10k, to $20k, they’ll start waking up. And two, I’d like to see someone open up phone addicts anonymous centers in every major city across the nation. This is the zombie wasteland now.