There are several things about drivers that annoy the crap out of. I despise people who run red lights, having been hit by a someone blowing off a red light. Those who have neon on their POS vehicles. Those who sit in a parking lot or drive around a residential neighborhood with the stereo thumping with massive amounts of bass. People going slow in the fast lane. Those who litter from their cars. Not using a signal. Here are two of my really big pet peeves, based on my daily commute to and from work
First up are jerks who get all the way to the red light then decide “hey, I’ll get in another lane, I can get a half car ahead!!!!!! Yay Me!” OK, sometimes it can be several car lengths. Why didn’t you do this before you almost or fully came to a stop? Sure, this is really no big deal, it’s just an annoyance. But, it does highlight selfish drivers, who apparently aren’t paying attention. And it is annoying when you cut if front of me when you do this. Oh, and now you want back into the other lane so you go faster or turn? Trust me, I’ll attempt to block you if I can.
Did I say that this was really just an annoyance? How about dangerous? Recently a jackass did this, which gained her 1 1/2 car lengths…which the loaded dump truck driver had previously added in to his mental calculation in terms of stopping at the light. All of a sudden this lane shift caused him to have to slam on the breaks, which were smoking when the dump truck hit the woman’s car. Fortunately, not more than a minor/moderate accident, though the back end of the woman’s car was toast, and the hit forced her car into another car at the light. So, because of her actions, her own car was damaged along with someone else’s car. Both the dump truck driver and the other driver were now going to have to spend lots of time not working. And all those who witnessed this were by law required to wait for the police.
But, only myself and one other waited around. I gladly waited around, though it did make me late to work and cause me to split a sale with another rep. I gleefully told the officer taking statements that it was All The Fault of the woman. Not because she’s a woman, mind you, but a jerk driver. Otherwise the dump truck driver would have been on the hook, based on the law. The cops had an idea that it wasn’t his fault from the get go, based on the tire marks. I told her insurance agency this morning that “yup, her fault!”
Even bigger and more annoying is people who intentionally wait till the last minute to move over into the lane they need to be in. I’ll grant that in some instances this is because they haven’t been able to get over, there’s no space. Mostly, though, it’s because they are either not paying attention to the signs that alert them way beforehand and because they are assholes. I posted this once before
Don’t be that person. It is dangerous. You cause people to slam on their brakes, which is not good for people’s blood pressure, nor is it safe for vehicles to be so close to each other as they attempt to make sure assholes don’t cut in. This happens every single day on the way home. People will be in far left lane and cut over another whole lane to attempt to get in the lane to get in the one to take them onto the inner 440 beltline, and sometime even into the far right lane to get the outer beltine lane, coming east on Glenwood Ave just past Crabtree Valley Mall.
And it’s no better taking 540 East. There are two lanes merging into 540, and rush hour is bad enough without people, who have seen signs saying “merge, jackass!!!”…ok, more like “lane ends” and keep going till they can force their way in. And what does all this do? It slows down traffic behind as people are forced to slam on their brakes. I once read a study that said that any tap on the breaks slows traffic down for 2 miles behind. All so people can save 20 seconds or so and be a cool breeze. And they miss all the accidents that occur thanks to their assholish and reckless driving.
Anyhow, what bugs you? What pisses you off? No politics, please, just crap that bugs you. Like people who get in the self checkout/fast checkout with more than 20 items. People who get to the register and aren’t sure what they want. The Hendrick Automotive commercials (good grief, they are patronizing and constantly on). Buying bananas that need a day and seeing them go bad immediately. Whatcha got?
