End Road Rage - Be Nice

Can't we all get along?
Be nice to other drivers.
The CHP will get me when you are rude.
Do onto other as you would want them to do to you.

Road Rage is becoming common in our world of fast pace, all for yourself, stressors. Because there are so many people in the world, people treat other people badly in the assumption that they will never see these people again and thus can get away with it. Ken's rule of driving is to treat everyone you meet as if he or she might be the person about to interview you for a job.

No one is busier than I am. I'm always trying to cram 40 hours of work into a 24 hour day. If I can drive the speed limit, stop for red lights, yield, and be courteous - all of which I do - then everyone else can.

The Importance of Yielding

I just had my driving record ruined, paid a huge fine, wasted a day and $150.00 going to court, because I was speeding. The reason I was speeding was that I was trapped on the wrong side of a row of cars that wouldn't yield the right lane and I was trying to reach the only opening I could see as my exit approached so I could use a rest stop after four hours of driving. I drove 749 3/4 miles of this trip staying below the speed limit, and 1/4 miles desperately trying to get ahead to the only opening I saw to reach an exit I needed that was less than a mile ahead. CHP Officer S. S. chose to cite me for speeding which I was forced to do rather than the cars that wouldn't yield. S. S. confidently told the judge how I passed three cars - yes, three cars that wouldn't let me into the right lane who then went on their way without punishment. I guess there is more revenue in a speeding citation than a failure to yield citation. The slowest car in California got a speeding ticket while the cars that forced me to speed for only a short distance, got away. This is justice? The CHP owes me $500.00 and an apology.

Failure to yield causes more problems than speeding, but is rarely enforced. If you are in a position to yield, do so, you would want someone else to yield to you. If you can't get to the exit, this lesson taught me, stay on the freeway until you run out of gas. As for Officer Sadin, may you be unable to reach the exit next time you need a rest stop.

The True Purpose of a Car Horn

The car horn is intended to be a warning device, not an expression of impatience and anger.

The car horn is designed to alert others to potential dangers. "You are about to back into me." "You are about to run over that old lady."

Too many drivers think the car horn was designed to express that they aren't happy with other drivers. Ironically, when a driver uses a horn to tell some that the horn honker thinks the other driver is an idiot, actually the honker is advertising that he/she is an impatient idiot.

Yesterday, my wife was driving and intentionally parked toward the outer end of a large parking lot where there was plenty of empty spaces. As she fumbled to lock the car, a woman in a small white car honked that my wife was taking too long. Two spaces on were many empty spaces. I looked at the driver and sat down in the middle of the empty space and started reading until the impatient woman drove on.

Can't we all get a long?
10-18-09

Passing Put Him Behind

I was driving the speed limit and a white pickup truck carrying a large wood beam changed lanes to go around me and then back in front. I guess I wasn't going fast enough. A half hour later I noticed that I passed the same truck and I never exceeded the speed limit or changed lanes. All his effort to get ahead left him behind me while I passed him without trying. As I changed lanes in front of him to exit, through my rear-view mirror, I noticed he was talking on a hand-held cell phone. I guess he had to drive fast to make up for slowing down to make phone calls and not pay attention to his driving.

Motorcycles vs Cars

Cars. Watch out for motorcycles. Motorcycle riders feel exposed and vulnerable, even though they do choose to ride the things. Car drivers often don't see them as they lane split and change lanes. Then on the other hand, I once yielded to a motorcyclist, I moved over to allow him more space for lane splitting, and he flipped me off. Not sure why my courtesy received this response. Another time I made a safe and legal lane change and a motorcyclist some distance back flipped me off because he felt he owned the lane. When I last saw him, he was exiting, still motioning to me to follow him off the freeway. He may have been a stupid hot head, but I wasn't and had no interest in getting into a fight over a freeway lane.

Cars vs Trucks

Cars. Trucks are bigger than you. They can't stop as fast or maneuver as quickly as you. Also truck drivers don't like to jackknife their trucks to avoid foolish drivers. Also, trucks are bigger than you. Cars, in a contest with a truck, you'll loose.

Pedestrians vs Cars

Pedestrians have the right of way (in some states) in crosswalks. Pedestrians don't have the right of way outside crosswalks, when the light is red, or the car has already entered the intersection. Pedestrians, in a contest with a car, you'll loose.

Passing with No Purpose

This has happened to me a few thousand times and mystifies me. I need to change lanes to turn or exit the freeway. I signal to the car behind and wait for an opportunity. The impatient driver behind me, seeing the turn signal and should realize that I am trying to get out of his way, instead, changes lanes into the space I need, passes me, and returned to the original lane ahead of me. Since I was trying to get out of his way, he gained nothing since had he done nothing, I would have gotten out of his way. Instead, the open space in the next lane that I needed is now ahead of me and out of reach and I missed my turn or exit. Because he was impatient, inconsiderate, and selfish, he gained nothing and I missed my turn. This is just stupid.

Passing Slows Us All Down

As I drive the Sepulveda Pass between West Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, I've noticed something. About half way through the pass, traffic eases and everyone is able to drive faster. No one has gotten off, it just picks up. Why? Because there are few on and off ramps, everyone has settled into a lane, and there isn't as much lane changing. My conclusion, if the impatient among us would stop unnecessary lane changes, we all, including the lane changers, would get where we are going quicker. But people are too self absorbed to do this.

Merging Lanes

The rule for courteous driving is when two lanes merge, alternate. One car goes from one lane, and then a car from the other. Then a car for the first lane and then a car from the other lane. Continue this. Note: driving a BMW or Mercedes doesn't allow you to go out of turn.

Changing Lanes

The law does allow you to change lanes when safe, unless prohibited by lines or signs. However, I want to emphasize, "when safe." When your rear bumper is even with the front tire of the car in the lane you want to be in, this is NOT safe. You should be several car lengths ahead, more at higher speed, before beginning your lane change. Just because you are driving a large pickup doesn't mean the other car has to hit the breaks to avoid a collision.

Converging Lanes

When two lanes converge, the right of way does not go to the car three car lengths behind, even if that driver is more impatient.
Yield

Risky Moves

Remember, the time you save by making risky maneuvers is far less than the time you loose when you have an accident.

Speeding

Getting a speeding tickets takes time. It's better to go the speed limit and hope you get an honest cop. Unfortunately we can't do anything about the dishonest cops and CHP who give speeding tickets to people who aren't speeding. But don't give them an excuse.

Yield to Pedestrians

I was attempting to make a right turn but waiting for a pedestrian as required by law. The driver of the BMW behind me blasted his horn. A horn is intended as a warning devise to avoid collisions, not a way for a BMW driver to say, "I'm an impatient jerk. Run over the old man. I don't care. I won't be the one in trouble." Can't we all be nice to one another. If this BMW driver slows down, he might live long enough to get old himself some day. Would he want some future BMW driver to run him over?

When Changing Lanes, Make Sure the New Lane is Empty

This has happened to me several times. I signal for a lane change and start slowly moving over. A car suddenly whips into the lane I'm moving into. So I abort my lane change and quickly start back to the original lane. But there is already a car in the lane that I hadn't left yet. Suddenly I'm squeezed between two car, the three of us in two lanes, and I have to slam on my brakes to avoid a collision. I'm out of place, but the only one making a proper lane change. Please, look before you change lanes and make sure the lane is really empty before you move.

In late August 2010, this happened at about 5 MPH, almost creating an accident. This is not a safe or legal lane change.

To those who think they own the lane. You don't! The lanes belong to all of us equally.

Driving in Residential Areas I was working in my front yard when I heard a car horn. I looked up to see a car honking at my neighbor as he pulled into his driveway. I once had someone try to pass me on the left as I turned left into my driveway. This is just stupid. When driving in a residential area, drive slowly and expect cars to pull into driveways.

I needed to make a left turn. A car was sitting in the middle of the left turn lane about one hundred feet back from the intersection. I assumed he was trying to turn into a parking lot so I went around. I waited about 30 seconds for the green while the car continued waiting 60 feet behind me. The moment the light turned green, the car honked and followed me around the turn. If you don't know how to make a left turn, don't honk at someone who does.

I needed to turn right into a gas station immediately after an intersection with a right turn only lane. I signaled and entered the intersection and started sliding right. As I turned into the gas station, the car behind honked. It was a legal and proper turn, the idiot shouldn't have advertised what he was.

One morning, within five minutes, I observed two different cars using the center turning lane as a passing lane. One of the cars drove the turning lane for over two blocks, which also required using the left turn lane for the other direction of travel. Come on folks. When you ruin someone's day by crashing head on into him/her, you also slow down the rest of us. Follow the rules and we'll all get to work safely.

The car in front of me stalled. I could tell that the driver was desperately trying to restart the car so I patiently waited. The driver behind didn't. He blasted the horn in a misguided belief that upon hearing a car horn, the stalled car would miraculously restart. I've been in this position before, the truth is, you make the driver nervous and less likely to restart a stalled car.

Save the horn for emergencies, not to express your impatience.

Caveman Looking for a Parking Space
I was trying to pull out of a parking space but I couldnt became a man was in the middle of the isle blocking me. He was also blocking another car trying to pull out on the other side. The woman behind him was honking for him to move because she was trying to get out of the lot.

The man refused to move. He was so intent on grabbing the next available space, he couldn't see that there were spaces all around him only waiting for him to get out of the way to be freed up. Another driver returned to her car and told him that she was about to leave. It didn't matter, he was blocking her too. Cars were stacking up on both sides. Eventually he backed up enough for the third car trying to get out but then she couldn't get past him. Eventually he got into her former space and the rest of us were able to move, freeing a number of spaces.

The point of the story is, he had a choice of spaces, had he stopped being such a caveman defending his cave and yielded.

The following is a collection of cars driven by rude, inconsiderate, or dangerous people.

I had just started a proper lane change when a car a little back made a quick lane change and came up fast. I aborted and started back to my original lane even though I wasn't required to. Only when the car honked for me to get out of his way did I complete the lane change in front of him. Since I wasn't speeding like the other car, I let him pass me. As the car passed, the passenger made mocking gestures. Can't we all be a little more polite?

LAPD crossed the double yellow line to enter the car pool lane. I've seen CHP give ordinary people tickets for this.

A hot new Corvette from Rydell Chevrolet used a very full parking lane to pass on the right, several times. Saturday 4-10-10, Balboa Blvd. North, between Chatsworth and Mission.

I was making a proper left turn from Tampa south to Devonshire east. The light had just turned yellow and I was about to complete my turn when I saw a car driving very fast toward me. I waited until the light was very red as the car, traveling about 60 in a 40 MPH tore through the intersection three seconds after the red. The Los Angeles Police car behind me did NOT pursue this car. Saturday, March 27, 2010, about 6:45 AM. And the CHP gives me a ticket exiting to use a bath room.

Jerk of the Month - June 2008

It's My Lane!
This man so felt that he owned the lane, that he tried to run me into the shoulder and the sound wall. Two lanes were converging and it was my right of way and his front bumper was about even with my rear tire, but he started moving over anyway, forcing me to the shoulder.

Caveman Looking for a Parking Space
I was trying to pull out of a parking space but I couldn't because a man was in the middle of the isle blocking me. He was also blocking another car trying to pull out on the other side. The woman behind him was honking for him to move because she was trying to get out of the lot.

The man refused to move. He was so intent on grabbing the next available space, he couldn't see that there were spaces all around him only waiting for him to get out of the way to be freed up. Another driver returned to her car and told him that she was about to leave. It didn't matter, he was blocking her too. Cars were stacking up on both sides. Eventually he backed up enough for the third car trying to get out but then she couldn't get past him. Eventually he got into her former space and the rest of us were able to move, freeing a number of spaces.

The point of the story is, he had a choice of spaces, had he stopped being such a caveman defending his cave and yielded.

Click for Video Clip of a CHP cars driving irratically.
Of course, if you are California Highway Patrol, you can drive erratically. July 10, 2016 at 3:00 PM, I-405, north bound, north of Sherman Way in Van Nuys, CA.

Click for Video Clip of car cutting through spaces.
Careful in parking lots. Don’t assume you are the only car. July 24, 2016 at 8:45 AM, Parking lot at Tampaa Avenue and Rinaldi Street in Northridge, California.

Click for Video Clip of pushy cars.
This happens here almost every day. The car should merge before the dashed line stops, but they always want the extra few car lengths, slowing down the cars trying to exit on the off-ramp. July 27, 2016 at 6:55 AM, 170 Freeway sout hat Riverside off-ramp in North Hollywood, California.

Click for Video Clip of a car changing lanes too close.
When changing lanes, you are suppose to be a safe distance ahead of the car in the lane you are moving into. This car's rear bumper was about even with my front seat before moving into me, forcing me to slow down (as you can see from the video). This is not a safe lane change and a cause of many accidents. New car with no plates. August 15, 2016 at 5:18 PM, I-5 north, south of Terra Bella Avenue, Arlita, Califoria.

Click for Video Clip of a reluctant lane changer.
This happens here almost every day. The cars should merge before the dashed line stops, but they always want the extra few car lengths. Watch how many easy opportunities this pickup passed up to get a few cars ahead, then crossed a solid line and made me wait while he forced his way in after he should have at the last second. August 19, 2016 at 7:05 AM, 170 Freeway south at Riverside off-ramp, North Hollywood, California.

Click for Video Clip of cars moving out of turn.
This seems rather simple, but the cars turning left did not have the right of way, but just kept coming and the vehicle in front of me had to yield to cars that were going out of turn. August 19, 2016 at 5:50 PM, west bound Riverside Drive, west of Lankershim in North Hollywood, California.

Click for Video Clip of a Total Jerk.
This pickup driver was so aggressive that he had to drive on the shoulder to pass me. Then he waited till the last moment to cross a double solid line to merge, long after he should have.

July 24, 2017, 6:55 PM, north bound on Highland crossing Sunset in Hollywood. This was almost funny. The gray car couldn't turn left because the bus was in the way. The bus couldn't move forward because the brown car blocked its way. The brown car was blocked by the gray car. No one could move until the gray car decided to go straight rather than turn left, then the blue could move followed by the bus. It was about a half minutes after the light turned green before I could cross the intersection. Video

This car parked in a red in front of a fire hydrant, blocking the only south bound lane, yet there is a loading turnout only 20 feet forward.

Video

This page last updated: Thursday, 02-Mar-2023 06:42:40 CST