Rude Drivers

[vraiblonde]

If we can say that "rude" means "bad but not necessarily against the law", then plenty of examples have been given.

It's rude to honk and yell at someone who makes a driving error - chances are good they already know they made a mistake and would wave a "sorry" at you, but you were too busy giving them the finger.  PS, it's rude to give the finger, in any circumstance.

It's dangerous to whip around someone in a parking lot.  If you think that your anger at having to wait a second is worth some kid's life, you have problems that etiquette lessons won't solve.

Pretending you are a VIP, entitled to head-of-the-line status, is rude.  Also pretending that your journey is much more important than any firetruck or ambulance's is beyond rude.

Cutting in on a funeral procession - that's some rude sh*t, right there.

And I've seen all of this happen in St. Mary's County!  But I've seen it happen other places, too.  I might give DC drivers the vote for rudest, except for cabbies who will typically hold off to let you in traffic.

 

[Ken King]

Vraiblonde,

“It's rude to honk and yell at someone who makes a driving error - chances are good they already know they made a mistake and would wave a "sorry" at you, but you were too busy giving them the finger.  PS, it's rude to give the finger, in any circumstance.”  So when that idiot in the next lane starts coming over into my lane then it is rude for me to sound my horn alerting them to my presence and avoiding an accident.  I always thought that is what they make the horn for.  A rude use of the horn is like this guy down near where I live that beeps his horn every time he goes by a certain house regardless of what time of day or night it is or how about the people at stop lights that see a friend and just have to get their attention so they honk the horn.

”Pretending you are a VIP, entitled to head-of-the-line status, is rude.”  How do you do that?  I have seen people that might believe that they are a VIP, but don’t recall if I’ve ever seen anyone pretending to be one.  Can you clarify please?

”Cutting in on a funeral procession - that's some rude sh*t, right there.”  I’ll agree with this one, as it shows absolutely no respect for the departed or the family and friends taking them to their final resting place.

 

[RoseRed]

Okay, I’ll bite…

Example:  I have the right of way at a green light and start to proceed into the intersection, only to have some dunderhead race through the red light in the turn lane, therefore, causing me to stop in the intersection to let him proceed or risk an accident and injury.

So, is it rude of me to blow the horn and wave my finger (not the middle one, more like Granny) at the willful careless driver?  I don’t think so…  I would rather point out his indiscretion and have everyone notice what a blockhead (or she) is.

Turn of the tables…  I was at a red light on 245 to Hollywood at 235 waiting for green light to cross.  I start to proceed and hear the LOUD horn blowing at me.  Only to realize that it is a fully loaded dump truck running the light and about to hit me if I were to proceed.  Good thing he blew his horn; I was in the car with my friend and our two infant daughters.  The results of his carelessness could have been terrible.

Needless to say, it scared the snot out of me and I NEVER go through any intersection without taking a good look.  

 

[vraiblonde]

Ken King, you are like a clock - tick, tick tick.  There's a difference between hitting the horn to get someone's attention (which is what it's for) and just sounding off your aggression.

Simple explanation:  if you're <i>not</i> a VIP, you are <i>pretending</i> to be one when you cut in or dart around them in traffic - that's how a person pretends to be a VIP.

Are you practicing your lawyerly tricks on me, Counselor?  Cause I have to warn you, Larry has the biggest inner-lawyer you've ever seen and I can hold my own against him.

 

[SxyPrincess]

It's funny when I see someone in the Walmart parking lot with their turn signal on, waiting for a spot--I come right in behind them and take it...

 

[vraiblonde]

See?  SxyPrincess is pretending to be a VIP.  Thank you, Princess, for giving me a perfect example!

 

[SxyPrincess]

No problem, Vrai--it was my pleasure!  

 

[Ken King]

Barbra,

I pull over, stop, and if wearing one I remove my hat for a funeral procession.  Some places it is the law to stop when a funeral procession is approaching, it would be nice if people just did it.

Vraiblonde,

At least this clock tells time.  You said, ”It's rude to honk and yell at someone who makes a driving error”, aren’t all those things described further down the page driving errors?  I’m not using any counselor tactics either as you know I have been like this since day one. I am just trying to get your exact meaning down.  Now that you have explained it as getting off your aggression, the “audible finger”, I now know what you are talking about with absolute clarity, thank you.

I haven’t seen any of the “VIP” stuff.  I guess I just don’t get out much.  Just back and forth to work for the most part.  But I now understand what your meaning is.  Isn’t communications wonderful?

 

[ShellyCW]

Argh!  The other night I drove home on Rte. 5 N, and went to take the right turn onto Great Mills Rd. at 7-11.  Someone sped the wrong way down the one way exit straight at me.  I swerved and honked the horn, but they drove on unfazed.  

Sxy, was that you?  

(Edited by ShellyCW at 5:34 pm on Feb. 12, 2002)

 

[geekboy]

I hate people that drive with their cell phone in their ear not paying attention to the road.  Have about been in a couple accidents because of this.  

Oh yea and I was at the intersection of Essex and Great Mills road today, I was on Essex and this rather chubby woman started crossing going toward burger king.  She was a bit slow, looked like she had some trouble walking.  The light turned green and the guy behind me started blowing his horn, I guess at the woman, or did he really want me to run over her.  

As you guessed it the guy behind me was between 17-25 and had a white sun visor hanging on his rear view mirror,  I think those must be jackass identification or something.  

 

[RoseRed]

I watched a guy run a red light this morning at 235/245 to get to BurchMart..... right in front of a cop...... bummer for him.

 

[SxyPrincess]

Shelly,

That was me.  I didn't think you would notice!  

 

[vraiblonde]

Geekboy comes up with another sterling example of driver rudeness!  When someone behind me starts honking over something like that I always wonder what they're hoping to accomplish.  I love it on the beltway during rush hour: traffic is backed up for miles but there's always someone laying on the horn - to what purpose?  Traffic stopped because of an accident - and some idiot is blowing his horn like that's going to improve the situation.  Why do people do this?  Is it just to let off steam?

 

[RoseRed]

Sounds like driving in Rome.....

 

[Sharon]

...and Puerto Rico!  

 

[Teddy Bear]

and Waldorf . . . when SexyPrincess is out . . . LOL

 

[Sharon]

 

[Warren76]

Well, from what I've read in this post, perhaps one substantive
way to improve EVERYONE's driving habits is for the Maryland
Motor Vehicle Adminstration (MVA) to require driver refresher
training AND testing, every two years.  

What will it take for this to occur?  A significant weekly
body count due to road rage "drive-bys"?!  

 

[Ken King]

Hey Warren, you going to pay for this because I'm not, that's for sure.  I don't need that training and the majority don't either.  

What we need are right to carry and use laws to rid ourselves of these vermin.  Hey Larry, I'll bet you'll join in.  Who knows, maybe a new Olymipc sport.

 

[vraiblonde]

It's not so much the money as this:

Most people know how to drive just fine when they're taking a test.  It's the unsupervised driving that's a problem.  Take speed limits, for example.  Most people can read a "55" sign - but how many obey it?  Most people know that it's against the law to run a red light, to cut someone off in traffic, to blow past stop signs.  So refreshers and training wouldn't solve much, really.  But I DO think that older people should have to renew more frequently and take actual road tests.  Once you hit a certain age, things can go downhill rather rapidly.  And I'd vote "yes" to actually enforce the laws that we already have on the books and give stricter punishments.