Community weekly poll: What gets under your skin about other drivers?
- 5/30/06 6:30 PM
Not everybody lives in California
by wresnick - 5/30/06 10:40 PM In reply to: Respect the motorcycles... by bpetheramIn many states, cyclists DON'T have every right. They have no right. Some of those whiners may be ignorant since they got their license in a state where it's illegal. But can you blame them for being ignorant if you are also assuming that all states have the same laws as California?
There are a lot of things that are legal in California that are blatantly illegal in other states.
California Laws
by vio_pop40 - 5/31/06 6:45 AM In reply to: Not everybody lives in California by wresnickMotorcycles on the yellow line isn't all that legal in the state of Californication. There are school buses that don't use flasing lights when they pick up and drop off students. You can drive a 15 year old car with non-working brakes as long as the car doesn't pollute. It's also leagl to drive an off-road vehicle on a freeway. 90% of the spaces in a shopping mal are marked for "compacts", but people park their trucks (SUVs) in those spaces.
I don't respect Motorcycles
by Gldnbuddha - 5/30/06 11:34 PM In reply to: Respect the motorcycles... by bpetheramMotorcyclist seem to think they own the road. They pass not only between traffic but on the shoulder of the road. They tailgate, weave in and out of traffic without signaling. If motorcyclist would keep the appropriate following distance from the car ahead of them then they would not have a problem like other vehicles. I find that most motorcycle riders are not courteous of other drivers. I can't tell you how many times while waiting for a red light when a motorcyclists squeezes to the front. Then take off like a shot. Why is that necessary?
The California driver handbook indicates that although it is not legal to drive between the lanes but it is unsafe. If DMV thinks it is unsafe then it should be illegal. Many states already make this practice illegal. Not only that but they often ride the white line now they are in two lanes at the same time. I've seen cars actually move out of the way of a motorcycle squeezing between the lanes. There is no margin for error. Once I was maintaining my position in the lane and a motorcyclist actually honked at me to move over so he could have more room to pass between my car and the next lane. In another instance, a motorcyclist actually came around my left side and slapped my mirror because I wouldn't move over for him. He then proceeded to pass several cars by driving over the solid white line in the median. I was doing nothing wrong.
The law requires a child under 16 years of age to be seat belted. Then why isn't it illegal for a motorcycle rider to carry a passenger under 16 years of age?
Why doesn't a motorcycle have to have a windshield? Has a rock, bug or other debris ever hit your windshield? Can you imagine a rock or bug hitting a motorcyclist in the face at 65 mph? I think a motorcyclist who rides with only a pair of sunglasses is stupid.
I read in the paper that motorcyclists are killed because of excessive speed or they failed to make a curb or they made a driving mistake. A motorcyclist needs only to make one mistake. With the increase of gas there are many more people starting to ride motorcycles. This will lead to an increase in motorcycle accidents because of their inexperience. How many teen drivers do you read about getting killed because of speeding or showing off. Well put them on a motorcycle and the fatality rate will increase even more. I seen them do wheelies, drive with no hands, even ride without helmets. Where is the common sense?
Recently there was an newspaper article that the number of law enforcement officers that ride their motorcycles to work were in a number of accidents just riding back and forth to work. These are professionals!!!
I will agree with you that many accidents are caused by not paying attention and speeding. Don't get me wrong, I do see some motorcyclist driving with courtesy and obeying the traffic laws. But they seem to be in the minority.
So for the most part, I have to disagree with you.
Respect the motorcycles
by celtmaiden - 5/31/06 12:16 AM In reply to: I don't respect Motorcycles by GldnbuddhaDo you tail gate a motorcycle? Most people do. Imagine yourself in the high speed lane on the freeway, 65mph. You are on a bike, and there is a pick-up behind you. Almost in parking distance. The Jetta in front of you comes to a screeching halt. If you don't dart around him, what happens? You get smashed by the moron behind you. Give bikes room. They don't take up much room, but can be killed easier than a person in a car.
I am guessing that a large number of the "Professionals" you mention were in accidents as a result of other drivers. Most people do not SEE motorcycles. I for one have no idea why this might be, since I am very aware of them. But that must come from being a rider myself, and several family members who are riders.
respect for motorcycles
by captbiggun - 5/31/06 5:46 AM In reply to: I don't respect Motorcycles by Gldnbuddhai would be happy to teach you respect for motorcycles it would take several weeks for it seems you are very ignorant however i would work overtime and give you little recourse except to except the fact that you are the slave and i am the master
One bad apple
by Chiatzu - 5/31/06 8:50 AM In reply to: I don't respect Motorcycles by GldnbuddhaYou can't be serious saying you don't respect licensed drivers of the road. They take a road test and exam like everyone else. They deserve their space like everyone else. Don't carelessly lump the small percentage of motorcycle riders who ride recklessly and without regard for others with the majority who ride responsibly and safely. Yes, bad drivers exist in ALL kinds of vehicles. Do you not respect the majority of four wheeled vehicles or do you say all drivers besides yourself are bad drivers? No, not all motortcycle riders may deserve your respect because of their disregard for others on the road, and as a motorcycle rider I'd be happy to report them to law enforcement. To stereotype all riders as being bad drivers before you have reason to pass judgement is plain wrong. Respect motorcycle riders and watch out for them when you drive.
Give real riders a break
by mykel36 - 5/31/06 10:03 AM In reply to: I don't respect Motorcycles by GldnbuddhaFrom my perspective for a majority, being a motorcyclist makes for a better car driver. You have to be more aware of your surroundings, hearing for a vehicle that is tail gating you, using periferal vision to catch a vehicle that is moving over into your lane without looking.
Unfortunately as in other areas, motorcyclists get painted with the same brush as those that can give a bad name. That typically is when young riders get powerful bikes without having the required experience and then have a arrogance in how they ride. It is the same attitude when they drive vehicles.
I will not split lane and ride between lines of traffic as it is asking for trouble. I will not tailgate as I may be able to stop under perfect conditions but what about the road surface etc.
Then there is protective gear, my helmets have saved me at least twice, not from falling off but from being struck by large rocks thrown up by other road users. Without a helmet I would likely to have been severely injured. I also wear a protective jacket.
So give riders a break, the majority are wanting safe roads like everyone else, if they are squeezed off the road they fall over not slide on four wheels
Respect the motorcycles...
by celtmaiden - 5/31/06 12:06 AM In reply to: Respect the motorcycles... by bpetheramPersonally, I think every person who drives a vehicle with four of more wheels should have a close family member who is a biker. They would see motorcycles then. If they were behind the wheel, and came face to face with the fact that their husband/wife, brother/sister, son/daughter was out there on two wheels, and the only thing between them and death is the helmet on their head and the jeans on their butt, it might open a few eyes. I know three people killed in three years on bikes because some dumb*** wasn't paying attention.
passing through traffic
by the_warthog - 5/31/06 8:00 AM In reply to: Respect the motorcycles... by bpetheramI don't care if motorcycles pass through traffic, in fact if I see a cycle coming up from the rear I'll move over to give them more room to pass. Where I think the cyclists err is in not realizing that they have a fast closing rate on the cars. There is only a very short time between when the cycle first becomes visible and it passes the car. This can make it almost impossible for even a careful car driver to avoid pulling out in front of a motorcycle.
Motorcycles between cars?
by wresnick - 5/30/06 10:35 PM In reply to: What gets under your skin about other drivers? by Marc Bennett
That one used to bug me a lot. At least until I found out that it's perfectly legal where I live. It was completely illegal where I grew up, and I don't remember seeing it. It if did happen, it was rare.
If drivers want to drive their motorcycles between lanes when I'm stuck in traffic and all lanes are stopped, it doesn't actually hurt me. If anything, it lightens the traffic by not having them sit there pointlessly.
So if you see it happen, but you remember learning that it's illegal, consider whether you may have changed states.
Motorcycles between cars - not at lights or while stopped
by Flirkann - 5/31/06 9:22 AM In reply to: Motorcycles between cars? by wresnickThis is my... peev.
Over the last month I must have had about a dozen motorcyclists come zipping up between traffic whilst moving at speed with only centimetres between my front bumper and their rear tyre as they make their weave.
People who think they own the road
by aka_tripleB - 5/30/06 10:55 PM In reply to: What gets under your skin about other drivers? by Marc Bennett
What I really hate is the drivers that think everyone's car performs as well as their high performance vehicle and people in general that don't pay attention to what they are doing. I drive a 92 Saturn Ion; it is a 5-speed manual, no power steering, little horse power, and the brakes aren't the greatest.
You can really see how many people need to go back to Driver's ED after about an hour driving my car. People always pulling out right in front of me, cutting me off, not merging over so I can get on the interstate. Not to mention the people who change lanes without looking to seeing if anyone is in the way; that one was actually done when I was driving a red 2000 Chevy Caviler, that did have decent performance. That one was especially terrifying.
For those wondering, the Saturn is a charcole black.
Merging
by dirkn - 5/31/06 5:33 AM In reply to: People who think they own the road by aka_tripleBPlease don't confuse the responsibility of merging. As the car in the main travel lane, I don't have any responsibility to move over so you can merge into my lane. I believe my duty is to maintain a constant speed so that you can adjust your speed and merge into an available opening, either in front of, or behind me. What irks me is when someone trys to merge and runs right next to me for a hundred yards while totally ignoring the 12 car lengths in front of me. Then, they get mad at me when their lane ends. This is the epitome of cluelessness.
"For those wondering, the Saturn is a charcole black"
by SoylentJames - 5/31/06 8:43 AM In reply to: People who think they own the road by aka_tripleBWell there's your problem right there! Nobody can see your super slick black Saturn. Get yourself a yellow car man.
Drivers' Faults?
by iasthai22 - 5/30/06 10:57 PM In reply to: What gets under your skin about other drivers? by Marc Bennett
Leo: Plese let us vote for more than one; we all have pet peeveS [multiple] on the roads.
I don't fully know your rules about 'fast lane', but in Oz we have signs [Keep Left Unless Overtaking], which effectively means the 'fast lanes' are essentially for drivers who want to exceed the speed limit. Thus the real purpose of these lanes is to encourage exceeding the speed limit, so the spped cameras can create fines for government revenue. One day, maybe, there might be graduated speed lanes [slower than speed limit; speed limit; and Fast Goverment Revenue]that really help motorists. Aren't all the motorist problems really caused by the governments responsible for the roads?
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