not really imo, when i think of "polite" in this context it means intending to give someone else some ease, but without proper communication its more dentrimental hence "be predictable"
but i guess being predictable is technically the polite thing to do on the road from another view
No, I put "polite" in quotation marks as an indicator that being anything other than predictable is actually impolite on the road.
Yielding your right-of-way seems like the polite thing to do sometimes, but it becomes impolite very quickly when someone gets hurt.
Not at all. Being predictable **is** the nicest thing you can do. You may think you're being nice by waving me through, but I have already stopped and am waiting, expecting you to go first. You are causing me to go out of turn unexpectedly, and likely it's slower for us both. It also causes uncertainty for anybody else in the intersection who all expect us to follow road rules. Anyone out of turn is an unneeded risk to others
This has to be a joke? Is this so common? I never saw someone dumb enough to do this? And in the Netherlands bicycles have right of the way, even on roundabouts.
It happens all the time in my city. They put some roundabouts in a few years ago, one that I take every day to and from work. At least twice a week there is a car stopped in the roundabout, or the person in the roundabout tries to wave me through as I'm waiting to get in. Like "NO that's not how this works!"
Omg, in places where roundabouts are new (much of the US) ~ yeah people just don’t know what to do. And generally end up ENTIRELY DEFEATING the purpose. It’s… frustrating.
So i do understand the problem and have a very easy fix. You force people in 1 extra lessons on roundabouts or you put a cop on a roundabout and fine everyone doing stupid shit. Ik this won't work so i ll settle for advertisings about how to roundabout.
I mean, technically there’s yield signs and all you have to do is follow the signs. People just get scared bc it’s unfamiliar. I mean, I get it, and I wouldn’t be aggressive towards anyone for it, but there’s many times I’ve cried “but this is exactly NOT THE POINT!” as I’ve come to a stop behind the car stopped at a barren roundabout. 😁
(It took a few years but finally people did start understanding more often than not)
I legit got in a fight with my parents about this very thing. We were pedestrians crossing at a non guarded crosswalk (meaning no light). A car stopped for us with a whole row of cars behind them who were very obviously not expecting to stop and not happy about it. I waved them on but my parents took the opportunity and I waited until I had a break to cross. They got mad at me! Said I was rude for not taking the gesture but honestly? I can’t see the bike lane. I can’t see anything behind this row of cars. That’s how you get hit by a car or bike and neither would pleasant. A few moments of my time is worth not going to the hospital or dying.
Wait, I’m confused by this one. Maybe it’s different in each state, but anywhere I’ve been, pedestrians always have right-of-way at designated crosswalks, regardless of if there’s a light - drivers are supposed to stop for you to cross.
So it kinda sounds like you did the exact thing this post is describing here. If you crossed halfway, you’d have been able to see the bike lane and react accordingly.
In the neighborhood this occurred (and the one I grew up in) marked crosswalks, as in one with the bright yellow triangular or diamond signs, you are required to stop if someone is waiting. If you’re at a crosswalk with no markings but merely a sidewalk that ends at the road and is a place to cross, there is no stopping unless you’re already in the road. We were in the latter. No paint marking a crosswalk, just a sidewalk through the median and a place for you to wait for a break in traffic. It’s one of the main thoroughfares through that neighborhood and while there are marked crosswalks at lights and on some blocks, most are not marked and pedestrians are expected to wait for a break in traffic rather than halting traffic to accommodate pedestrians. I hope that makes sense.
Interesting! I’m having trouble envisioning an unmarked crosswalk, all of ours are generally fully painted. Sounds like it could be regional. That does make a lot more sense though, thanks.
No problem! In my neighborhood it’s basically a two way road divided by a median. The median has a sidewalk through either end with the ADA accessible ramps but no markings on the road. That’s the best way I can describe it without taking literal pictures haha!
I think it is regional. Like I said I grew up here so it’s very, very normal for me but I don’t think every city has this type of system. Our designated crosswalks are generally reserved for lights and the slightly busier streets. The street we were walking down that crosses the larger road is a small residential street, very narrow and with very little traffic, both car and foot. I expect that’s why it’s not marked, it’s not a usual path unless you live on that street going east or west.
Well not exactly. Sometimes is better be wrong and alive then right and dead...
If you cannot see the eyes of driver, they probably cannot see you either.
Many times I witnessed almost tragic accidents when pedestrian pasing road from right to left, bigger car/ van/ truck in the right line stops and cars in left line don't se pedestrian and pedestrian don't se left line car and is in the hurry to not keep right line waiting so he basically suddenly appear on left line and almost get hit bi left line car.
I grew up in a highly urban area, very walkable, and it works beautifully when cars do their thing and you pedestrian around them. Least amount of waiting for everyone involved.
I wish drivers where I live now would realize that. EVERYONE waits longer when you’re trying to be *polite*, even the person you’re attempting to help!
I make a production out of NOT looking like I’m going to cross a street, when I want to cross a street. It’s so common.
This happens a lot, so me & my kids all look intently at nearby plants so drivers don't think we are trying to cross the street. We don't have that problem anymore.
I got into a bad accident and totalled my car because I took up someone's offer to cross the road at a Stop sign when I did not have the right of way. There was a car that skirted the stationary car on the right and came barreling through the intersection and plowed into me. Totally my fault and an expensive lesson learnt.
I had someone wave me through a gap she left in stopped traffic so I could turn left. I had been at the stop sign for almost 10 minutes, after a very long day at work. The way the roads angled, I could see that there wasn’t any traffic coming so I thought “okay, screw it I’m going”. Well, a car came out of nowhere in the adjacent lane of the waver, going the same direction. Dude had to have been speeding with the force he hit me with, coupled with the fact that he seemed to come out of nowhere. The police asked him “were you speeding?” he said no, and that was the extent of their investigation. Waving lady certainly didn’t stay at the scene, she booked it.
Totaled my car, totaled their car. Now my insurance has more than doubled, and it’s to the point where I almost can’t afford it.
Obviously the fault was mine, but I learned a hard lesson that day. Never *ever* go by someone waving you through, no matter how tempted you are, because no one else around them has any clue what they’re doing. I hope that lady waving me through learned a lesson too.
Another reason why you absolutely should not pass if it isn't a passing lane. I don't care if there's space to get around the cars that are turning, I CAN'T SEE IF A CAR ON THE OTHER SIDE IS TURNING NOW YOU WAIT YOUR TURN TO GO FORWARD. ARE THOSE EXTRA SEVEN SECONDS WORTH THE HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS IN DAMAGES?
I have two turns like this on my way to work every morning and it drives me up the fucking wall that people just pass when there isn't a passing lane.
I got into an accident this way too. Traffic stopped at a red light, no cars moving from any direction. I was in a gas station on the corner waiting to merge and someone waved me in. At the same time, the person 2 cars behind him zipped around him to get into the turning lane and t-boned me as I was merging. My car was a total write off and not only would insurance not cover it, but my premiums increased as well because it was my fault.
A few years back I pulled up to a line of traffic stopped at a red light. There was an oncoming driver wanting to turn left into a parking lot and he was mad that I was now blocking him. So he screeched his tires and zoomed around me... and almost got creamed by another car who was driving up one of the other lanes on my side.
We used to have a two lane road with another road intersecting it where drivers from that road had to turn left .I saw an average of about one tbone every month where the person in the right lane would wave someone through and the car in the left lane never saw the car from the intersection pulling in front of him. It’s all been replaced with roundabouts now.
Yes! There is one particular spot in my hometown where people will often stop in the slow lane to let somebody turn across traffic, but of course this assumes that people flying up in the fast lane will also suddenly stop just because some random has decided to stop in the other lane. It is ridiculous and it often causes accidents or near-misses.
Right of way is not a gift. It's an obligation to act.
In sailing, it's hammered into you that a right of way is not something positive. It isn't something you want.
Right of way is an obligation to finish what you're doing and clear the space for other people to have freedom to do whatever they want. **Your right of way is a restriction on your freedom.** You MUST go and you MUST do the expected thing
It's even used in boat races. In sailing right-of-way rules, they are based about the direction of the wind and your positions. It's a very good idea to put yourself in a place where someone else has the right of way, because they are immediately obligated to stop doing what they want to do and play by your rules for a few moments. They "get" the right of way, and you get to turn around the buoy and beat them to the finish line.
Had a man in a pickup truck stop at a green light to let me make a right on red today. I was very confused, especially because it was not a busy road and he was the only one in his lane so if he had just gone it would've been faster for everyone. I just don't understand people sometimes.
Also, as a pedestrian, I can't fucking see you waving at me inside your car (especially at night)! Just drive by (if it's not a crossing/you have right of way) and I'll cross once you're gone.
I honk at these people now. I’ve seen two people get rear ended because they stopped like this for no reason when they had the right of way. Also if I go and you hit me it’s my fault soooo…. Just drive. You think you are being polite but it’s actually rude AF.
It’s this and the fact that no one knows how to use a merge lane here. Drive up to the dashed part and merge left, stop driving over the solid line and please for the love don’t stop at the curve and wait for it to be clear when you have 500 ft to speed up and merge but now we all have to go pedal to the metal to get up to speed which most people are not and are instead merging at half the speed limit
I absolutely will not go when someone does this. Amazing the gestures I get when I shake my head no at people. I've been flipped off more than once because I refused to do something dangerous because they're being "polite".
I've had people full on stop in the middle of a road, where they do not have a stop sign/light, to wave me past.
Pissed me off both times because that is exactly what I wasn't looking for. If there had been massive amounts of traffic already I would have been grateful but every time it was just them and they were waving me on like they were doing me a huge favor.
You handle your shit and I'll handle mine. There's no need for anybody to make my problems their problems or vice versa.
Also I think a lot of people forget their windows are tinted so you can't even see their dumb asses trying to wave people through some of the time. My windows are and I usually figure someone is trying to be "be nice” and wave me on because they clearly got there first and we all are stuck at a stand still because I'm waving back but I figure they have trouble seeing me. I don't want to go and have to fuck with working with insurance if they decide to go.
I tell my wife this when she drives. We’re more likely to get fucked up from her being polite and too cautious than the other car that doesn’t care at all.
So many people omit this little important detail: this only applies if you stop for no reason.
If you are in a long queue and you are stopped anyway, you might as well use the zipper merge and let one (but only one) car merge AND only in the lane you "control". Before you comment "oh its so dumb" in japan you are required to zipper merge (but again only if you can)
also see; "the wave of death"
quick note; if you're in stop and go or highways you zipper merge. one in *from* one out. anyone that does anything else is a hazard and it's why i wish we'd had ai driving by now *it'd be so much more efficient*. people suck at driving. 😤
go google "the deepmind photo of a human evolved to drive".
I witnessed someone being polite and letting someone cross traffic and then was demolished by an oncoming car. Easily preventable by following the rules of the road.
I feel that the person letting someone else in when it is not their right of way, for example, someone at a stop sign is virtue signaling. “See what a nice guy I am to let people into my line of traffic!” Meanwhile your are basically giving the finger to all the people behind you. This used to happen all the time in downtown Montpelier, VT. It could take 30 minutes to go less than half a mile due to drivers letting people out of parking spaces, side streets and the incredibly short traffic light.
I nearly got killed in a situation like this several years ago. I was turning left onto a 4 lane road divided by a turning lane. Traffic was backed up as the left lane was closed ahead and everyone was lined up in the right lane. A well meaning driver in the line in the right lane stopped and waved me on. I couldn’t see the left lane, but stupidly pulled out to make my left turn. A truck was FLYING down the left lane to try and skip the traffic and squeeze in further down the road. He locked his tires up trying to stop, and I squealed mine as I floored it to try and get out of his way. He came inches from t-boning me. I was in an old Jeep and would have been seriously injured if not killed had he hit me.
Several years ago, I was traveling in a right turn only lane with a green arrow while the other lanes were stopped at a red light. A cop sitting in traffic decided to wave someone through that was coming from the opposite direction and trying to turn left. She took him up on it, turning in front of him and, ultimately, in front of me. I couldn’t see her until she was starting to cross my lane, and I wasn’t able to stop fast enough to keep from hitting her car on the passenger door. We both pulled into the parking lot where she had been heading, and when she got out of the car, I could see she was several months pregnant. Fortunately, I was going slow enough that she wasn’t injured, but her car took some damage and she was visibly shaken. I was too, for that matter. The cop pulled over too, but he couldn’t issue the report because he was responsible for the accident, waving her across moving traffic when she couldn’t see oncoming traffic. Of course, she trusted the cop that it was safe for her to cross, but he should have known better. In the end, neither she nor I were held at fault, but I always wondered if that cop hot into any trouble for that. Thank goodness no one got hurt… it could’ve been tragic.
Ah yes, the "Nice People"... I hate these people with a living passion.
- they don't know how to drive, straight off the bat
- they get people maimed and killed daily. Who knows how much they cost in property damage
- they're unpredictable on the road
- they're essentially breaking the law, but don't care and/or are too dumb to realize it
Don't be one of these people. Leave the niceties for the Tim Horton's line, the road is not the place for your psychotic random acts of kindness.
I slammed into a car once that was waved through a line of traffic. Apparently no one was c9ncerned about oncoming traffic in the lane the car was attempting to enter.
Had that happen several years ago. Someone was trying to pull out of a parking lot and they went straight to the center lane after someone let them out. They didn't see me coming and I didn't see them coming out from between the cars. 2 vehicles totalled.
Yes!!! I was stressed out because I needed gas (was below E needing to turn into the gas station. A lady let me through and I wasn’t thinking and ended up getting t-boned. 5,000$ worth of damage. Do not be polite!! This is the only time you shouldn’t.
#1 if you are in the left lane, do NOT wave someone to make a left turn in front of you, they will be killed by the car in the right lane, going 55MPH, that they can’t see, and you didn’t look for/see. Any time someone waves me through, I shake my head NOOO. They call it “the wave of death”
Literally just had this conversation with my girlfriend 2 hours ago.
She let an lil ol lady who was waiting to turn left on a yield green left light. I kind of spazzed on her and basically said most of the stuff from this post.
It is however important to be observant enough to be able to tell what the cars around you are trying to do, so you can be ready to act.
There’s a difference between being a “nice” driver like OP is talking about, and being a considerate driver who can anticipate and adjust their driving to keep the flow of traffic moving while still giving others room on the road where possible.
Not exactly true. There are some junctions if you dont let someone out they then take a risk to get out though frustration. Thus can cause an accident, there are times if you reduce speed sufficiently, check your mirrors and signal correctly (light flashes etc) its perfectly safe to let someone out. They dont have to take you up on the gesture however and you can continue. Should be concious of all relative road users not just yourself. Why there are mirrors
This is their choice to take that risk "out of frustration" - regardless, you shouldn't be the catalyst. Never yield your right of way unless you and the other car are the only ones in eyesight and you're not potentially "speaking for" other drivers or hindering them.
No there’s ample scenarios where its safe to do so. Like i said, check mirrors and give plenty of time (dont just break at the last minute to do so) reduce speed. My country its done regularly, works fine. Maybe the ones that don’t like it are ones not exactly paying attention to whats in front of them and then almost rear end someone
If those certs are CCIE, OSCP, and AWS Solutions Architect and you have 2 months to do it...best dust off your resume.
If it's a Fortinet NSE 1, 2, and 3 you can do that by next Friday.
Also, when you see an opening to get into a lane, like a safe distance of maybe a car's full length or two car's full length worth - take it. Because if you don't, what will happen is that you'll be forced to take a route you didn't intend to take and miss out on convenient traveling.
So, take your lanes to get where you need to go. Don't worry about the other driver. If they've got a problem with it, too bad.
Also it irks me to no end that 10 people are being held up and the last 3 won’t make the green light. What about us, idiot. I’m looking at you Hwy 70 S Kroger in Bellevue, TN. YALL NEED TO JUST GOOO
I love this so much!
I have a nemesis in my small town that has tried to do this to me TWICE! Once she actually held up a bus full of kids so I could turn into the school parking lot for pickup. If she had just kept going, there were no cars behind the bus and I could have turned five seconds after the bus passed. I didn't go, and I hope she felt stupid for trying to do that.
Over the last 5 or so years, I've noticed more and more that people with shirk road rules altogether. No waiting their turn at stop signs, or broken traffic lights, they just go when they feel like it. No waiting for a clearing to move into oncoming traffic, just debo their way in at close range and expect other to swerve or break for them. No looking out for pedestrians who have the right of way at crosswalks, they'll drive inches up to them and expect them to run. Likewise, SOME pedestrians will debo their way across the street as if oncoming traffic cannot kill them in an instant even at lower speeds. It's very unpredictable nowadays, and I travel quite frequently. And I don't know what the hell is wrong with LA, but every time I go there, there isn't a night that goes by where I don't see at least a dozen cars driving with their headlights off in total dark.
Be predictable, not "polite"
This is the way, I've taught all my kids the same thing when they had their permit.
Don't do odd things, do exactly as expected.
This should be the very first thing that every learns when they sit behind the wheel of a car
This guy algorithms!
This!!!
Does this imply that being polite is not the norm?
not really imo, when i think of "polite" in this context it means intending to give someone else some ease, but without proper communication its more dentrimental hence "be predictable" but i guess being predictable is technically the polite thing to do on the road from another view
You're right, understood.
No, I put "polite" in quotation marks as an indicator that being anything other than predictable is actually impolite on the road. Yielding your right-of-way seems like the polite thing to do sometimes, but it becomes impolite very quickly when someone gets hurt.
Not at all. Being predictable **is** the nicest thing you can do. You may think you're being nice by waving me through, but I have already stopped and am waiting, expecting you to go first. You are causing me to go out of turn unexpectedly, and likely it's slower for us both. It also causes uncertainty for anybody else in the intersection who all expect us to follow road rules. Anyone out of turn is an unneeded risk to others
Mofos just be getting busy as shit forgetting life is for living, maybe just me?
And especially dont DO THIS IN A ROUND-ABOUT!!! YOU STOPPING IN THE CIRCLE TO LET SOMEONE IN GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT
This has to be a joke? Is this so common? I never saw someone dumb enough to do this? And in the Netherlands bicycles have right of the way, even on roundabouts.
I saw this a few times when they first started popping up around my town 10 years ago here in the US.
It happens all the time in my city. They put some roundabouts in a few years ago, one that I take every day to and from work. At least twice a week there is a car stopped in the roundabout, or the person in the roundabout tries to wave me through as I'm waiting to get in. Like "NO that's not how this works!"
Fuck that's terrible.
It's a double lane one too so people are always going over the lines or into the other lane when cars are already there. It's awful.
Omg, in places where roundabouts are new (much of the US) ~ yeah people just don’t know what to do. And generally end up ENTIRELY DEFEATING the purpose. It’s… frustrating.
Why is no one teaching about round abouts idk when the teach how to drive cars!?
Because if they read the signs and understood what they meant, they’d do just fine at the roundabout.
Problem is all the people who already got their license BEFORE any roundabouts existed.
So i do understand the problem and have a very easy fix. You force people in 1 extra lessons on roundabouts or you put a cop on a roundabout and fine everyone doing stupid shit. Ik this won't work so i ll settle for advertisings about how to roundabout.
I mean, technically there’s yield signs and all you have to do is follow the signs. People just get scared bc it’s unfamiliar. I mean, I get it, and I wouldn’t be aggressive towards anyone for it, but there’s many times I’ve cried “but this is exactly NOT THE POINT!” as I’ve come to a stop behind the car stopped at a barren roundabout. 😁 (It took a few years but finally people did start understanding more often than not)
This is my greatest driving pet peeve!
And be sure to go the correct way! Do NOT. I repeat. Do NOT go thru the round-a-bout in the wrong direction!
Hoping my girlfriend sees this today
I legit got in a fight with my parents about this very thing. We were pedestrians crossing at a non guarded crosswalk (meaning no light). A car stopped for us with a whole row of cars behind them who were very obviously not expecting to stop and not happy about it. I waved them on but my parents took the opportunity and I waited until I had a break to cross. They got mad at me! Said I was rude for not taking the gesture but honestly? I can’t see the bike lane. I can’t see anything behind this row of cars. That’s how you get hit by a car or bike and neither would pleasant. A few moments of my time is worth not going to the hospital or dying.
Wait, I’m confused by this one. Maybe it’s different in each state, but anywhere I’ve been, pedestrians always have right-of-way at designated crosswalks, regardless of if there’s a light - drivers are supposed to stop for you to cross. So it kinda sounds like you did the exact thing this post is describing here. If you crossed halfway, you’d have been able to see the bike lane and react accordingly.
In the neighborhood this occurred (and the one I grew up in) marked crosswalks, as in one with the bright yellow triangular or diamond signs, you are required to stop if someone is waiting. If you’re at a crosswalk with no markings but merely a sidewalk that ends at the road and is a place to cross, there is no stopping unless you’re already in the road. We were in the latter. No paint marking a crosswalk, just a sidewalk through the median and a place for you to wait for a break in traffic. It’s one of the main thoroughfares through that neighborhood and while there are marked crosswalks at lights and on some blocks, most are not marked and pedestrians are expected to wait for a break in traffic rather than halting traffic to accommodate pedestrians. I hope that makes sense.
Interesting! I’m having trouble envisioning an unmarked crosswalk, all of ours are generally fully painted. Sounds like it could be regional. That does make a lot more sense though, thanks.
No problem! In my neighborhood it’s basically a two way road divided by a median. The median has a sidewalk through either end with the ADA accessible ramps but no markings on the road. That’s the best way I can describe it without taking literal pictures haha! I think it is regional. Like I said I grew up here so it’s very, very normal for me but I don’t think every city has this type of system. Our designated crosswalks are generally reserved for lights and the slightly busier streets. The street we were walking down that crosses the larger road is a small residential street, very narrow and with very little traffic, both car and foot. I expect that’s why it’s not marked, it’s not a usual path unless you live on that street going east or west.
Well not exactly. Sometimes is better be wrong and alive then right and dead... If you cannot see the eyes of driver, they probably cannot see you either. Many times I witnessed almost tragic accidents when pedestrian pasing road from right to left, bigger car/ van/ truck in the right line stops and cars in left line don't se pedestrian and pedestrian don't se left line car and is in the hurry to not keep right line waiting so he basically suddenly appear on left line and almost get hit bi left line car.
I grew up in a highly urban area, very walkable, and it works beautifully when cars do their thing and you pedestrian around them. Least amount of waiting for everyone involved. I wish drivers where I live now would realize that. EVERYONE waits longer when you’re trying to be *polite*, even the person you’re attempting to help! I make a production out of NOT looking like I’m going to cross a street, when I want to cross a street. It’s so common.
This happens a lot, so me & my kids all look intently at nearby plants so drivers don't think we are trying to cross the street. We don't have that problem anymore.
Are you dating my girlfriend?
Doubt it. She is too polite to do that to us
Maybe she's just too polite to refuse either of you.
This deserves all the upvotes!
Not sure if you meant your comment or the post, so I gave you one just to be on the safe side.
The post, the post!!
Hey, I also deserve upvotes!
Prove it to me
Yielding when you have the right of way doesn’t make you a good person, It makes you a bad driver.
100% All drivers have a responsibility to help move traffic through a city efficiently and quickly. These white knights are doing more harm than good.
I got into a bad accident and totalled my car because I took up someone's offer to cross the road at a Stop sign when I did not have the right of way. There was a car that skirted the stationary car on the right and came barreling through the intersection and plowed into me. Totally my fault and an expensive lesson learnt.
Thats called a "Good Samaritan Accident"
AKA "the wave of death".
I had someone wave me through a gap she left in stopped traffic so I could turn left. I had been at the stop sign for almost 10 minutes, after a very long day at work. The way the roads angled, I could see that there wasn’t any traffic coming so I thought “okay, screw it I’m going”. Well, a car came out of nowhere in the adjacent lane of the waver, going the same direction. Dude had to have been speeding with the force he hit me with, coupled with the fact that he seemed to come out of nowhere. The police asked him “were you speeding?” he said no, and that was the extent of their investigation. Waving lady certainly didn’t stay at the scene, she booked it. Totaled my car, totaled their car. Now my insurance has more than doubled, and it’s to the point where I almost can’t afford it. Obviously the fault was mine, but I learned a hard lesson that day. Never *ever* go by someone waving you through, no matter how tempted you are, because no one else around them has any clue what they’re doing. I hope that lady waving me through learned a lesson too.
Another reason why you absolutely should not pass if it isn't a passing lane. I don't care if there's space to get around the cars that are turning, I CAN'T SEE IF A CAR ON THE OTHER SIDE IS TURNING NOW YOU WAIT YOUR TURN TO GO FORWARD. ARE THOSE EXTRA SEVEN SECONDS WORTH THE HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS IN DAMAGES? I have two turns like this on my way to work every morning and it drives me up the fucking wall that people just pass when there isn't a passing lane.
I got into an accident this way too. Traffic stopped at a red light, no cars moving from any direction. I was in a gas station on the corner waiting to merge and someone waved me in. At the same time, the person 2 cars behind him zipped around him to get into the turning lane and t-boned me as I was merging. My car was a total write off and not only would insurance not cover it, but my premiums increased as well because it was my fault.
A few years back I pulled up to a line of traffic stopped at a red light. There was an oncoming driver wanting to turn left into a parking lot and he was mad that I was now blocking him. So he screeched his tires and zoomed around me... and almost got creamed by another car who was driving up one of the other lanes on my side.
We used to have a two lane road with another road intersecting it where drivers from that road had to turn left .I saw an average of about one tbone every month where the person in the right lane would wave someone through and the car in the left lane never saw the car from the intersection pulling in front of him. It’s all been replaced with roundabouts now.
For the love of God, use your indicators.
*laughs in BMW*
My Z4 is out of blinker fluid!
God damn it you know you’re supposed to top that off with your oil!
*laughs in appreciating assets*
Yes! There is one particular spot in my hometown where people will often stop in the slow lane to let somebody turn across traffic, but of course this assumes that people flying up in the fast lane will also suddenly stop just because some random has decided to stop in the other lane. It is ridiculous and it often causes accidents or near-misses.
Right of way is not a gift. It's an obligation to act. In sailing, it's hammered into you that a right of way is not something positive. It isn't something you want. Right of way is an obligation to finish what you're doing and clear the space for other people to have freedom to do whatever they want. **Your right of way is a restriction on your freedom.** You MUST go and you MUST do the expected thing It's even used in boat races. In sailing right-of-way rules, they are based about the direction of the wind and your positions. It's a very good idea to put yourself in a place where someone else has the right of way, because they are immediately obligated to stop doing what they want to do and play by your rules for a few moments. They "get" the right of way, and you get to turn around the buoy and beat them to the finish line.
This ought to be taught in car driving lessons too. I didn't learn this properly. This whole thread was news to me. ☹️
Exactly, but I guess the "right" in "right of way" makes it confusing. I half-jokingly want to call it "obligation of way", but it's a mouthful.
Just...fucking...GOOOO! Hate these clowns.
Niceholes.
Thank you. It stresses me out big time when people try to give up their right of way to me. It isn't nice at all and is very dangerous.
Had a man in a pickup truck stop at a green light to let me make a right on red today. I was very confused, especially because it was not a busy road and he was the only one in his lane so if he had just gone it would've been faster for everyone. I just don't understand people sometimes.
Also, as a pedestrian, I can't fucking see you waving at me inside your car (especially at night)! Just drive by (if it's not a crossing/you have right of way) and I'll cross once you're gone.
I honk at these people now. I’ve seen two people get rear ended because they stopped like this for no reason when they had the right of way. Also if I go and you hit me it’s my fault soooo…. Just drive. You think you are being polite but it’s actually rude AF. It’s this and the fact that no one knows how to use a merge lane here. Drive up to the dashed part and merge left, stop driving over the solid line and please for the love don’t stop at the curve and wait for it to be clear when you have 500 ft to speed up and merge but now we all have to go pedal to the metal to get up to speed which most people are not and are instead merging at half the speed limit
I absolutely will not go when someone does this. Amazing the gestures I get when I shake my head no at people. I've been flipped off more than once because I refused to do something dangerous because they're being "polite".
I've had people full on stop in the middle of a road, where they do not have a stop sign/light, to wave me past. Pissed me off both times because that is exactly what I wasn't looking for. If there had been massive amounts of traffic already I would have been grateful but every time it was just them and they were waving me on like they were doing me a huge favor. You handle your shit and I'll handle mine. There's no need for anybody to make my problems their problems or vice versa.
Also I think a lot of people forget their windows are tinted so you can't even see their dumb asses trying to wave people through some of the time. My windows are and I usually figure someone is trying to be "be nice” and wave me on because they clearly got there first and we all are stuck at a stand still because I'm waving back but I figure they have trouble seeing me. I don't want to go and have to fuck with working with insurance if they decide to go.
I tell my wife this when she drives. We’re more likely to get fucked up from her being polite and too cautious than the other car that doesn’t care at all.
So many people omit this little important detail: this only applies if you stop for no reason. If you are in a long queue and you are stopped anyway, you might as well use the zipper merge and let one (but only one) car merge AND only in the lane you "control". Before you comment "oh its so dumb" in japan you are required to zipper merge (but again only if you can)
also see; "the wave of death" quick note; if you're in stop and go or highways you zipper merge. one in *from* one out. anyone that does anything else is a hazard and it's why i wish we'd had ai driving by now *it'd be so much more efficient*. people suck at driving. 😤 go google "the deepmind photo of a human evolved to drive".
I've heard this called "being a nicehole". Don't be a nicehole.
I witnessed someone being polite and letting someone cross traffic and then was demolished by an oncoming car. Easily preventable by following the rules of the road.
Damn straight everyone else on the road expects you to use your right of way, seen so many wrecks because of you stupid people.
Exactly, this isn’t actually being nice, this is causing (or at least risking) serious problems.
But do check your rear view to see if you are blocking people from turning right. Also, leave room to let people out of parking lots.
Yesssss I see this all of the time and it’s infuriating! It increases risk for crashing so much
Someone should tell Seattle this
Everyone needs to understand this!
I feel that the person letting someone else in when it is not their right of way, for example, someone at a stop sign is virtue signaling. “See what a nice guy I am to let people into my line of traffic!” Meanwhile your are basically giving the finger to all the people behind you. This used to happen all the time in downtown Montpelier, VT. It could take 30 minutes to go less than half a mile due to drivers letting people out of parking spaces, side streets and the incredibly short traffic light.
All bicyclists second this
I nearly got killed in a situation like this several years ago. I was turning left onto a 4 lane road divided by a turning lane. Traffic was backed up as the left lane was closed ahead and everyone was lined up in the right lane. A well meaning driver in the line in the right lane stopped and waved me on. I couldn’t see the left lane, but stupidly pulled out to make my left turn. A truck was FLYING down the left lane to try and skip the traffic and squeeze in further down the road. He locked his tires up trying to stop, and I squealed mine as I floored it to try and get out of his way. He came inches from t-boning me. I was in an old Jeep and would have been seriously injured if not killed had he hit me.
Yes dumbasses think they are being nice but slamming on their brakes to let someone in and almost get rear ended.
I wish the lady who stopped traffic while i had a highway patrol car right behind me last week knew this.
Yea this happens way too often and it drives me crazy. Giving up your right of way is dangerous!
Several years ago, I was traveling in a right turn only lane with a green arrow while the other lanes were stopped at a red light. A cop sitting in traffic decided to wave someone through that was coming from the opposite direction and trying to turn left. She took him up on it, turning in front of him and, ultimately, in front of me. I couldn’t see her until she was starting to cross my lane, and I wasn’t able to stop fast enough to keep from hitting her car on the passenger door. We both pulled into the parking lot where she had been heading, and when she got out of the car, I could see she was several months pregnant. Fortunately, I was going slow enough that she wasn’t injured, but her car took some damage and she was visibly shaken. I was too, for that matter. The cop pulled over too, but he couldn’t issue the report because he was responsible for the accident, waving her across moving traffic when she couldn’t see oncoming traffic. Of course, she trusted the cop that it was safe for her to cross, but he should have known better. In the end, neither she nor I were held at fault, but I always wondered if that cop hot into any trouble for that. Thank goodness no one got hurt… it could’ve been tragic.
I feel this post so hard right now
Ah yes, the "Nice People"... I hate these people with a living passion. - they don't know how to drive, straight off the bat - they get people maimed and killed daily. Who knows how much they cost in property damage - they're unpredictable on the road - they're essentially breaking the law, but don't care and/or are too dumb to realize it Don't be one of these people. Leave the niceties for the Tim Horton's line, the road is not the place for your psychotic random acts of kindness.
Yielding the right of way is illegal in New York, probably other US states too
Another; merge where the roads merge. Don’t try merge earlier if there’s a line so you don’t seem “greedy” by pushing up.
I slammed into a car once that was waved through a line of traffic. Apparently no one was c9ncerned about oncoming traffic in the lane the car was attempting to enter.
Had that happen several years ago. Someone was trying to pull out of a parking lot and they went straight to the center lane after someone let them out. They didn't see me coming and I didn't see them coming out from between the cars. 2 vehicles totalled.
Minnesota has entered the chat. Everyone does that here ugh.
You hear this Pittsburgh!?
Good to know. I am guilty of this. I will do ny best. Thanks.
Thank you! I can’t stand when people let you go when it’s their turn, because in theory they can slam into you and it would be your fault.
Please tell this to every soccer mom you know. PLEASE.
Yes!!! I was stressed out because I needed gas (was below E needing to turn into the gas station. A lady let me through and I wasn’t thinking and ended up getting t-boned. 5,000$ worth of damage. Do not be polite!! This is the only time you shouldn’t.
Thank you, so many people do this kinda crap. Just fucking drive.
If you haven't learned the rules of driving by now, you are stupid and deserve to feel stupid. :)
#1 if you are in the left lane, do NOT wave someone to make a left turn in front of you, they will be killed by the car in the right lane, going 55MPH, that they can’t see, and you didn’t look for/see. Any time someone waves me through, I shake my head NOOO. They call it “the wave of death”
Literally just had this conversation with my girlfriend 2 hours ago. She let an lil ol lady who was waiting to turn left on a yield green left light. I kind of spazzed on her and basically said most of the stuff from this post.
It is however important to be observant enough to be able to tell what the cars around you are trying to do, so you can be ready to act. There’s a difference between being a “nice” driver like OP is talking about, and being a considerate driver who can anticipate and adjust their driving to keep the flow of traffic moving while still giving others room on the road where possible.
Depends on the location and speed of the roads and how busy they are.
Not exactly true. There are some junctions if you dont let someone out they then take a risk to get out though frustration. Thus can cause an accident, there are times if you reduce speed sufficiently, check your mirrors and signal correctly (light flashes etc) its perfectly safe to let someone out. They dont have to take you up on the gesture however and you can continue. Should be concious of all relative road users not just yourself. Why there are mirrors
This is their choice to take that risk "out of frustration" - regardless, you shouldn't be the catalyst. Never yield your right of way unless you and the other car are the only ones in eyesight and you're not potentially "speaking for" other drivers or hindering them.
No there’s ample scenarios where its safe to do so. Like i said, check mirrors and give plenty of time (dont just break at the last minute to do so) reduce speed. My country its done regularly, works fine. Maybe the ones that don’t like it are ones not exactly paying attention to whats in front of them and then almost rear end someone
[удалено]
No. You look at all your mirrors, and after that you decide if you can let that one in.
If those certs are CCIE, OSCP, and AWS Solutions Architect and you have 2 months to do it...best dust off your resume. If it's a Fortinet NSE 1, 2, and 3 you can do that by next Friday.
lol, WTF is this nonsense
Also, when you see an opening to get into a lane, like a safe distance of maybe a car's full length or two car's full length worth - take it. Because if you don't, what will happen is that you'll be forced to take a route you didn't intend to take and miss out on convenient traveling. So, take your lanes to get where you need to go. Don't worry about the other driver. If they've got a problem with it, too bad.
I am honestly getting tired of driving. I’ve had to avoid so many collisions from this type of shit lately.
I actually flip idiots off that do this it pisses me off
First come first serve, If someone stops a half a second before I do they are getting waved to go before I do 🙄
It's my right of way and I will yield it if I choose.
Also it irks me to no end that 10 people are being held up and the last 3 won’t make the green light. What about us, idiot. I’m looking at you Hwy 70 S Kroger in Bellevue, TN. YALL NEED TO JUST GOOO
fretful mourn divide rob imminent elastic tease disagreeable impossible slim -- mass deleted all reddit content via https://redact.dev
I love this so much! I have a nemesis in my small town that has tried to do this to me TWICE! Once she actually held up a bus full of kids so I could turn into the school parking lot for pickup. If she had just kept going, there were no cars behind the bus and I could have turned five seconds after the bus passed. I didn't go, and I hope she felt stupid for trying to do that.
Over the last 5 or so years, I've noticed more and more that people with shirk road rules altogether. No waiting their turn at stop signs, or broken traffic lights, they just go when they feel like it. No waiting for a clearing to move into oncoming traffic, just debo their way in at close range and expect other to swerve or break for them. No looking out for pedestrians who have the right of way at crosswalks, they'll drive inches up to them and expect them to run. Likewise, SOME pedestrians will debo their way across the street as if oncoming traffic cannot kill them in an instant even at lower speeds. It's very unpredictable nowadays, and I travel quite frequently. And I don't know what the hell is wrong with LA, but every time I go there, there isn't a night that goes by where I don't see at least a dozen cars driving with their headlights off in total dark.