No I'm not talking about political views.

What is it with drivers failing to keep to the right of the center line? Lately I've noticed a lot of people driving on the center line of the roadway. It's the people approaching from the opposite direction. This happens mostly on single lane county roadways. You're driving down the road, minding your own business, talking on your cell phone and here comes this driver taking his half of the roadway out of the center. It's almost like they're aiming for me!

Pay attention people. The center line is there for a reason.

The way the county roads are the center is the best part of the road. The shoulders are patch works of pavement and crumbling blacktop so the center of the road is the best. I catch myself sometimes driving down the center of a county road if it is a passing zone and I can see far enough ahead of me that no one is coming from the other direction. Though that's just in my case, I am sure most other people they are preoccupied with other things and aren't paying attention to what they are doing.

Are you just talking about unmarked single country roads? Because over here you had better be ready at ANY given moment to hit the brakes and swerve! It doesn't matter WHAT kind of road you're on! I'm starting to think that they've added a page to the driving manual stating that you're suppose to drive in the on-coming lane?! Every curve in the road is a head-on just waiting to happen over here.Sometimes I'm actually scared with my heart in my mouth!

I hate that too Yossarian, but what bugs me the most is when somebody doesn't use their blinkers or when you see the sign on the freeway that says merge right, and they wait to the last minute to come in.

I find myself hugging the right side of my lane because of people like this! I just can't believe the guts that some people have to come around a curve half way in the other lane! Are they asking for a death wish?

While we are on the subject of pet peeves.......why do people tailgate? Do they not know a respectable distance to keep between themselves and the car they're following? I mean honestly, if I get behind a slow car and there's no way I can pass it, me tailgating that car is not going to get me anywhere sooner. And actually, it doesn't have to be a slow car. Following behind a car that's actually doing the speed limit is enough to upset some people. Everyone is just in such a hurry these days. I'm thinking of getting a personalized bumper sticker that says "Get off mine before I kick yours!!"

And would that sticker be going on the back of the bus?

No...........they won't let me!!!!!!!

I was just talking about what I see when I'm driving my own vehicle. It seems to me there are no rules of the road anymore. I guess people just make up their own as they go along.

Speed limit = pushing your car to the limit to see how fast it can go

Turn signals = those nice hand gestures you get from other drivers when they cut you off

Center line = where the center of your car goes

Merge right = Stay where you are, surely someone will let you over

Here's a pet peeve of mine:

Why does EVERYONE (except me, of course ), making a left
turn at a stop sign, have to approach the intersection and
stop their car at an angle oriented towards the left...in other
words, their car is straddling the center of the road and their
left front fender/bumper is occupying the other lane...can
you picture in my mind what I'm saying ?? I can see if you're
making a right turn, and you sort of glide to the right and
stop at the sign and then look to see if it's clear, but practically
EVERY car I see does this same thing to the left...they make
it difficult if not impossible for a car approaching from the right
to make a left turn onto the road they're blocking, and they take
up space for folks approaching from the left that might be turning
right...

Of course, 'stopping' at a Stop sign is a whole nuther matter...

There are alot of other things that others do while driving that bug me, too !!!

It's tough being perfect !!!

Since they don't know how to use their turn signals, that's the only way the idiots can let you know their intentions!

I just go REAL slow and give the driver the evil eye, once I get in front of him while making my turn.

One thing that gets me is the Police Officers who practically never use their turn signals! It makes it harder to respect them when I see them blatantly, repeatedly violating the law.

There do seem to be a lot of drivers around this County who can't keep their vehicles on their own side of the road. I don't know if I dare say it: elderly . . .

The folks who forget they're supposed to YIELD are a big problem - Can you say "vehicular assault"? Sometimes I swear it's like a game of "chicken" - How close do we have to get to colliding before one of us lets the other go first.

Tailgaters - If I can't manage to ignore them, I just flip my rear view mirror up so I can't see them, and that often makes it bearable. Of course in congested traffic, if I'm being tailgated I have to leave more room between me and the car in front of me, so I don't get pushed into them if I'm hit from behind. Unfortunately, tailgaters often respond negatively to both reactions.

Then again especially during rush hour, if you travel a safe distance behind someone on the interstate then someone else is SURE to cut you off. If you have room to make a lane change and DARE to signal your intention, the person behind the space you're intending to move into pulls up and honks their horn at you. And merging is the same game of chicken I mentioned regardless of which car you're in. Some folks will simply never let anyone in front of them.

Speeders rarely bother me unless they pass me illegally or are obviously out of control, distracted or inebriated.

Or trying to match my speed because they think their goofy-looking rice burner with all of the stickers has a prayer of beating me in a race. As a kid, if the road was straight, clear and free of traffic, I sometimes (rarely) would give it a go (but I never saw anything like 110 mph). But at my age now, I just turn my head, laugh in their face, and slow down until they're out of sight. If and when I and they both happen to go to the track at the same time, we can see what happens, but I'm kind of proud that in 25 years of driving I haven't received a single ticket for ANY kind of moving violation, and only one parking ticket. No little punk kid is worth risking my life nor my low auto insurance premium.

What bugs me most is that every other driver seems to think everyday driving is some kind of a competition. This is what's behind so much of the tailgating, failure to yield, etc. Common courtesy has given way to in-your-face rudeness. For example, I could swear I'm one of the FEW people who moves over when a faster-moving vehicle comes up from behind me on a multi-lane highway. Too many folks seem to think it's their job to enforce the speed limit by making themselves an obstacle. We seem to have forgotten that the leftmost lane is for passing and preparing to make a left-hand turn.

I just go even slower to make them even more mad.

Ha JimB! Center line is where the center of the car goes?
They all must be pilots!!!! They just forgot that they are no longer on a taxiway or runway when they got into their cars!!! Nosewheel on the center line is the rule in aviation.

I used to do that, but with al of the reports of "road rage" incidents, and having been on the receiving end of a few moderate cases of it for doing just that, I now just do everything I can to ignore them.

The worst was a couple of years ago when a rather scraggly-looking young man followed me and my pre-teen daughter towards home, inches from my rear bumber the whole time, and I led him around and around the neighborhood. It wasn't until I had called 911 and nearly led him into the parking lot of the Fred. Co. Sherriff's Office that he let me go. Thank goodness, it appears he never found out where I lived. I was a single parent at the time, and very worried for both my and my daughter's safety. The weird thing is that I don't think I had even done anything other than tap my brakes to make sure he saw me when he first came barrelling up behind me.

It sounds like that you are the perfect driver! Maybe you should offer to be the state poster boy for safe driving? About your observations of police officers....did you ever consider that the police are constantly receiving radio calls and directions from their dispatchers and may unexpectedly receive a call while near an intersection and have to write down the address, the details of the call, etc, and not have time to do one more thing (turn signal). Think about this. A police officer is not out for a Sunday drive like most of us. He/she is always being directed to go to different places and most of the time it is at the spur of the moment.

Beat it!! sounds like a copper!!!!!!

lol WVD!

Good! I was hoping to draw one out.

Hey, observer. What about the "brown clown" that lives in my neighborhood, drives a gray/silver unmarked radio car and grossly exceeds the 25 mph residential speed limit and ALWAYS blows the stop sign at my intersection?

Actually, as far as using turn signals, you only have to signal your intent to turn if it impacts other persons on the road.

Paleese! Any Mom who's driving and TRYING to grab a bite to eat and yelling at the kids in the back and probably arguing with the hubby still manages to use the turn signal then some cop should be able to handle the turn signal.Besides I've heard plenty of times on the scanner where they ask the dispatcher to repeat the address. That excuse doesn't cut it toots! I've actually yelled at a "local yokel" in a parking lot to slow down you're not on the interstate! He certainly didn't have any lights going to tell others he's on a call.

So it sounds like there is not much respect for the police in these parts? Local yokel? Or is it just the people on here who seem to know the whole police force? Oh my. Until you need him at 2am when someone is breaking into your house then hes your best friend. Maybe it is because I come from somewhere the people appreciate their officers and work with them instead of against them.

No, the problem around here is when you call them at 2am for someone breaking into your house and they finally show up at 4am.

Hey observer, just out of curiosity, where have the police EVER been appreciated?

Ya gotta GIVE respect to get respect.
Sides hun, out here in the boonies where I live anybody breaking in my house is gonna have a shot gun pointed at his -ss! And depending on what time of the month it is there MIGHT be a live perp to take to jail.If they're breaking in they ain't comin to visit! They better be ready to duck!!

I hadn't meant to offend you, Ob. Dragonlady just has a way with comic relief. I think it was a healthy silly poke at you without malice, hence the . At least that is how I took it.

I interact with them(yes, the police) quite often. They are nice to you if you are polite to them. Don't forget, if they stop you, they are on high alert--they never know if you have a gun and are going to blow them away as they approach your car...and I have seen people throw their license and registration out the window so the cop has to bend over to 'fetch' it...so yes, they get pretty jaded....
And of course there are cops out there who are jerks--so what?! There are clerks at stores who are no better...

[quote=Observer,Dec 11 2003, 09:53 AM][/quote]
It sounds like that you are the perfect driver! Maybe you should offer to be the state poster boy for safe driving? About your observations of police officers....did you ever consider that the police are constantly receiving radio calls and directions from their dispatchers and may unexpectedly receive a call while near an intersection and have to write down the address, the details of the call, etc, and not have time to do one more thing (turn signal). Think about this. A police officer is not out for a Sunday drive like most of us. He/she is always being directed to go to different places and most of the time it is at the spur of the moment. [/quote]
They still have to obey the same laws as everyone else, which includes using your blinkers. Plus if they're officers shouldn't they be trained to handle radio calls, and be able to push down the lever for the blinkers?

Heck, I can put on my makeup, dial up my cell phone & gulp my coffee and still hit the turn signal! Well, maybe not all at the same time--but you get the picture! One red light, mascara--next one, coffee--must have my java--and the phone always rings...always while I am driving....isn't that why cops learn to drive one-handed? I mean, all young guys learn early on how--so they can touch the girl next to them...while they drive...

In fact, I AM Maryland's poster boy for safe driving. It's just that I'm not very photogenic so nobody displays my poster!

LOOK, cars are designed so the turn signal stick can be easily activated using the same hand with which you're holding the steering wheel, if you're doing something else with the other hand. There is nothing even remotely dificult about signalling!

Even without considering that fact, failure to signal when I'm RIGHT behind or in front of, or being cut off by, the police car is so frequent that I just can't buy the "too busy" excuse. If they're so busy that they can't drive safely, which includes signalling their intentions, then something MUST be done about it! They are endangering the public that they are pledged to serve and protect.

That said, my opinion of police officers in general is much higher than what I am reading from others here lately. I think it's more a matter of them being just as negligent as the general public seems to be about it. But since they're supposed to be enforcing the law, it rankles when I see them violate it.

Is there any topic left here that isn't going to turn into a police complaint thread?

I'm thankful for the police, but it seems like most of them get their badge and think that their God's gift to mankind.

I agree with you on all points and would add, having several friends of my teenaged years who are now Police Officers, in addition to having worked alongside several officers from time to time:

Consider that many if not most of their interactions with civilians are with the criminal element. Consider also that they've all seen the same TV shows we all have, where seemingly innocent traffic stops results in an officers murder. They also know of LOTS of similar horror stories that never make it to the TV screen. Most of them know of at least one colleague who has been seriously wounded if not killed in the line of duty. Remember - these are people's boyfriends, husbands, fathers, and sons, or girlfriends, wives, mothers and daughters - and they are in a very dangerous profession - far more dangerous than most of us realize. They would be stupid NOT to treat every member of the public as a threat until proven safe!

One way to assure their safety is to take an assertive, authoritarian approach. While it may be intimidating to most of us, the hope is that it will also give the criminal contemplating resistance some reservation. As rude as they may seem, you've got to realize that it's nothing personal - they do it because they never know whom they meet who's got a bullet with their name on it. Treat them with respect and they will usually do the same in return, but unless they know you personally, don't expect them to exchange pleasantries. Even IF they know you personally, consider how well do they REALLY know you . . . if it were your hubby, wife, bf, gf, mom, dad, son or daughter, would you really want them to take ANY chances?

OTOH, when you're the victim of a crime, it should be different most of the time. Even then, they have to consider that sometimes, they may be hearing only one side of a complicated story, so they won't always be all chummy with you.

At least some amount of delay in responding to a non-emergency call should be expected. As Observer reported, they do have their hands full responding to a host of emergencies. If you want them to come to you, don't hold your breath. You might do better going to them and filing a report at the police station. Once they have the details, then they might be more inclined to hurry over, especially if a crime scene needs to be looked over by a detective.

So while I may not like their driving habits at times, I have a GREAT DEAL of respect for the Police. Because they deserve it. Every time they put on that uniform or get in that cruiser, they become a target. Maybe not your target, but they have little way of knowing that.

P.S. - txex: so that was YOU in front of me the other day! You know, while you're putting on your makeup, drinking coffee, and talking on the phone, some of us are trying to get somewhere!

Yup It was me in front of you--ha,ha...
Actually, I never put on makeup unless I am the passenger. I do, however drink coffee...and I have a hands free cell thing...because the darned thing rings whenever it is most inconvienent--part of my job...

I was just wondering. When making a turn say for instance on the dual hwy to cross over to the opposite direction, how come we are to keep to the right of the crossover instead of to the inside of it? It doesn't seem like the logical thing to do to me. The oncoming turning traffic then has to cross in front of you and it makes no sense to me for it to be this way. Am I mistaken or what?

You're right BB. It doesn't make any sense at all. When you come to a 4-way intersection and both opposing vehicles are making left turns they are supposed to cross in front (to the left) of each other. When making the turn that you described it's the opposite. I never could figure that out myself.

That was definitely one of the strangest things I saw when we moved here. I was always ticking people off by being on the logical but incorrect side of the road!

Is it the law in Maryland or everywhere? There are people out there who want to stay on the inside too like me and it does seem to work pretty good. Whose messed up idea was it to say it should be the other way? It's dangerous too.

Haven't they put up poles or something to make sure that you follow what they consider the correct traffic pattern? I used to go the wrong way all the time too. Seemed to make more sense that way.

The deal when you make a crossover turn is not correct--it is a Maryland thing--but it is not correct...you are supposed to turn on the outside--just like you were at a 4 way stop--however everyone here seems to turn inside...not sure why...and I found out in Frederick, if you are in the correct spot you get dirty looks--I had just moved here from TX(of course) and was shocked!..Then I really began to watch the other drivers...
by the way--how/why it in MD that you have to make U turns all the time to get to shops across the street? Why have so many bloody islands???? How about a left turn lane in the center instead???It might solve that problem at Mt Aetna & Dual...in front of Pizza Hut..

That would seem too logical Txe!

The Maryland Driver's Handbook is of no help whatsoever.

I also checked the Transportation Article (Traffic Laws) and it does not address the procedure for making left turns when approaching traffic is also turning left.

However there is a note interpretation to Section 21-601 which says: "Center point of intersection need not be rounded in making left turn. -- A vehicle turning left is not required to round the center point of the intersection." "It is proper to make a left turn without going around the center point of the intersection."

However,
"But section requires one to make square left turn, and does not permit one to cut the corner."

I've been driving for over 35 years and have always turned to the inside of the approaching vehicle, except where there is a painted center line in the median (like at Salem and Broadfording, back exit to The Centre). As I recall, this is how they used to teach driving.

"It sounds like that you are the perfect driver! Maybe you should offer to be the state poster boy for safe driving? About your observations of police officers....did you ever consider that the police are constantly receiving radio calls and directions from their dispatchers and may unexpectedly receive a call while near an intersection and have to write down the address, the details of the call, etc, and not have time to do one more thing (turn signal). Think about this. A police officer is not out for a Sunday drive like most of us. He/she is always being directed to go to different places and most of the time it is at the spur of the moment."....

Thanks for the input OFFICER OBSERVER

I think this might help solve the inside outside turning.
If you turn to the inside of someone that is in the center turn lane with you and you turn to the inside of them. How much clear vision do you have to see on comming traffic? Now if you turn to the outside of a cross over you can clearly see on comming traffic. it`s for safty reason that you turn to the outside of the person in the cross over with you.

Just adding my rant to things people do in cars that are annoying. How about not stopping at the stop bar. Judging by the number of people that don't, the stop bar is the BIG WHITE LINE located at almost every STOP SIGN, REDLIGHT, etc. If you pull way over (as people do), it limits the amount of room for another vehicle to make a safe turn next to you. They are there for a reason...but no one notices.

AMEN SS!

And welcome. Nice to have someone breathe a little life into a few of the old threads.

The left lane is annoying. There is no reason to be beyond the line. The right lane is different. Many times if you are attempting a right on red, you can't see traffic on the left without moving beyond the line. (Gotta be an antagonist! )

Yep . . . and that endangers the life and health of every occupant of your vehicle, as well as your property (the vehicle itself). It's not only frightening, but sometimes it is lfe-threatening. All because some numbskull isn't paying attention to what they're doing.

It's actually a very serious matter when you think about it. More so than much of what we've compained about in this thread.

I love it when folks do that and then
wonder why they never get a turn
arrow because their vehicle is 'over
the line' and not resting above the
sensors embedded in the pavement...

Morons !!!

That post was from me.....I didn't
notice that I wasn't logged in....

What a moron !!!!

So do you never right on red, BMIC? I'm thinking of a certain intersection I go through every day (sometimes several times), where the line is way back because of a cross walk. On the left side, there are shrubs. I don't find it unsafe at all to advance far enough to see around them, assuming there is no one in the crosswalk of course. Some intersections are just poorly designed and inadequate for the traffic they carry, like the one I go through. All intersections should be approached with some degree of caution, however it seems many folks are on autopilot.

I have the same problem, when I'm at a stop sign and I can't see to turn right because of greenery so you just have to go beyond the line. In the city I, however, would not see why you would need to go beyond the line.

I'm sorry maybe I messed that up. What I meant is when I'm trying to turn right and somebody in the left lane is beyond the stop line. And yes I usually go ahead eventually, just praying that I don't get hit. Unless I have any passengers with me. I'll take chances with my own life, but not others'.

Yep there are plenty of times when you can't see past greenery that's blocking your view. In those cases you really don't have a choice - shrubs and high grass aren't about to get up and move out of the way. Most private property owners don't think about the impact. When it's on a public easement, there's no excuse for not keeping it trimmed back, however. So sometimes you have no choice but can't really do a thing about it, and other times, if you pass the point often enough and have had enough close calls, it may be worth a call to the highway dep't to point it out.

Hey, BMIC, I'm gonna pick on you.

You say you won't pull out when you have passengers in the car, because you won't take chances with their lives, but when alone, you'll take chances with your life. (Did I interpret that correctly?)

What about the car that may hit you? What about that driver's life and his passengers lives?

Anyhow, not to pick on you too much!

Just a word of caution. If you can't make a right turn on red safely then the law says you can't make a right turn on red. If the stop line is too far back from the intersection to see approaching traffic then don't make the turn. And, while I'm on this, you must stop (given the light is red) at the stop line, but if it's safe to proceed after stopping, you can ease up to the intersection and make your turn if you can do it safely.

Now, the person in the left lane who is beyond the stop line, is just plain out doing wrong and should probably be spayed or neutered!