Have I missed something..

DiscoHasBeen

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2016
1,171
262
Indy
Something I've noticed out driving about. I was taught, oh so long ago, that when you came upon an obstruction in your lane you were to yield to oncoming traffic. I've noticed more and more when I'm in the other lane drivers expect me to stop/slow down so they can get around. I first started noticing this at work. I can on occasion have to take heavy equipment onto the roadway. I was somewhat flabbergasted at people who would pass me into oncoming traffic. I've have seen a couple of very close headons. A few weeks ago I came upon a couple of bikers in the other lane with a car catching up to them. Instead of yielding the right of way they came into my lane, thinking I would I guess. To avoid me they almost took those two poor souls out. Then a few days ago I was riding with the kid when we came upon some pedestrians in the other lane with a car bearing down on them. Same thing as the time before except this time the woman had her hands in the air in an exasperated manner like "why the fuck didn't you slow down and let me around". Has anyone else noticed this? When did yield right of way become fuck you, I'm going?
 

AbnMike

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2016
1,218
117
Western Slope, CO
I think they stopped teaching yield.

There’s a red yield sign turning into my work road. It’s for opposite traffic.

At least once a week when I’m making a left on green someone comes barreling down the side road and thinks I should yield to them.
 

seventyfive

Well-known member
Jan 3, 2010
4,280
100
over there
Like almost everything in this country, the standards have lowered. I took drivers education 29 years ago so I assume the drivers education standards are much lower. I am half tempted to take a drivers ed course, just to see what is taught now.
Add the breakdown in social fabric and we have no yield, merge, obstruction of the flow of traffic, etc.
humility? The ability to understand the other person has the right of way but not having the humility to let the other person have the right of way?
its the same douche bag that doesn’t put the cart in the cart corral at the grocery store. Selfish with utter disregard for others.
 

mgreenspan

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2005
4,723
130
Briggs's Back Yard
This is only in America. I split my life about half in the U.K. and Europe and half in the US. I don’t see it that much in the US, but that type of shit never happens over in the U.K. and Europe.

My personal opinion is cell phones need to be illegal. They have turned our society in a pile of garbage humans. No one pays attention while driving, walking, spending time with other human beings, etc. Everyone films conflicts rather than de-escalating the situation. Everyone thinks they are the most important person on the road. They aren’t.
 
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SCSL

Well-known member
Apr 27, 2005
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This is only in America. I split my life about half in the U.K. and Europe and half in the US. I don’t see it that much in the US, but that type of shit never happens over in the U.K. and Europe.
Can confirm. It actually takes some effort to get a license in Germany, as an example. And it’s taken seriously.

My personal opinion is cell phones need to be illegal. They have turned our society in a pile of garbage humans. No one pays attention while driving, walking, spending time with other human beings, etc. Everyone films conflicts rather than de-escalating the situation. Everyone thinks they are the most important person on the road. They aren’t.

Nah. Only stupid people do those things. You spent too much time in the UK, my friend. They want to ban everything so society can bend itself around stupid people. A cell phone is a valuable tool for me and tens of thousands of other professionals, not to mention a major convenience for everything from banking to appointment setting to time management to music, etc.
 

DiscoHasBeen

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2016
1,171
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Indy
My personal opinion is cell phones need to be illegal. They have turned our society in a pile of garbage humans. No one pays attention while driving, walking, spending time with other human beings, etc. Everyone films conflicts rather than de-escalating the situation. Everyone thinks they are the most important person on the road. They aren’t.

I agree about cellphones and driving, but I don't believe that is the case here. This is a me first/my time is more valuable than yours mindset. It's like the woman checking out at the grocery store and realizing she forgot something. Instead of finishing and getting the fuck outta the way she goes to get her shit, leaving everyone in line and the cashier to wait for her.
 

K-rover

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2010
2,163
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Raleigh, NC
I agree about cellphones and driving, but I don't believe that is the case here. This is a me first/my time is more valuable than yours mindset. It's like the woman checking out at the grocery store and realizing she forgot something. Instead of finishing and getting the fuck outta the way she goes to get her shit, leaving everyone in line and the cashier to wait for her.
Thats exactly right. We are a society of "Dont tell me what to do". Or " I do what I want because I pay taxes". If everyone had common sense and common courtesy, then this would be a different world. Driving is where I see people's true colors. Like when Im trying to merge onto the highway at speed, but the car in the right lane speeds up to not let you in! Passing people in the median because traffic is heavy. People can't be bothered to think about any one except themselves. I really dont see society changing anytime soon unfortunately.
 

pinkytoe69

Well-known member
Jan 14, 2012
1,689
182
minnesota
People can't be bothered to think about any one except themselves.

Not to get to philosophical, but isn't this a byproduct of a capitalist society?

Success is to get yours, get it first, and get as much as you can.

(If you don't, don't expect anyone to get it for you)
 

mgreenspan

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2005
4,723
130
Briggs's Back Yard
asdf
Can confirm. It actually takes some effort to get a license in Germany, as an example. And it’s taken seriously.



Nah. Only stupid people do those things. You spent too much time in the UK, my friend. They want to ban everything so society can bend itself around stupid people. A cell phone is a valuable tool for me and tens of thousands of other professionals, not to mention a major convenience for everything from banking to appointment setting to time management to music, etc.
I rambled and blended thoughts when I shouldn’t have. Meant on roads. Didn’t type the full thought. I like having all the worlds knowledge at my fingertips. I was thinking about how most of the shitty drivers I see in the US are on phones when they do this type of stuff. Like the hands free speaker phone hand hold that people do to try to pretend they’re not holding their phone. Everyone knows they’re holding their phone.
 

fishEH

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2009
6,927
201
Lake Villa, IL
Not to get to philosophical, but isn't this a byproduct of a capitalist society?

Success is to get yours, get it first, and get as much as you can.

(If you don't, don't expect anyone to get it for you)
No, it's the product of the opposite. Its a product of an entitlement culture used to getting something and being rewarded simply for existing. The same aholes that cross the road as slow as absolutely possible, knowing full well you are waiting.
 

SCSL

Well-known member
Apr 27, 2005
4,144
152
asdf

I rambled and blended thoughts when I shouldn’t have. Meant on roads. Didn’t type the full thought. I like having all the worlds knowledge at my fingertips. I was thinking about how most of the shitty drivers I see in the US are on phones when they do this type of stuff. Like the hands free speaker phone hand hold that people do to try to pretend they’re not holding their phone. Everyone knows they’re holding their phone.

Can't argue that. Several fatalities just in my little rural area over the past year resulting from "distracted drivers", which I assume to be phone related.

I wonder what your and everyone else's thoughts are on modern cars' hands-free technology. Does it mitigate the issue or compound it? I mean, I take calls from my car all the time, and I can have the car read me an incoming text. But it still means I'm looking, even momentarily, at a pop-up, screen, and/or button.
 

SCSL

Well-known member
Apr 27, 2005
4,144
152
Not to get to philosophical, but isn't this a byproduct of a capitalist society?

Success is to get yours, get it first, and get as much as you can.

(If you don't, don't expect anyone to get it for you)
It seems unlikely to me that the two are correlated. We've had a "capitalist society" for a large number of decades now. But the decline in manners, conscientiousness, situational awareness, and the general self-centeredness of our society seems to get worse with each relatively recently passing decade. I suspect other factors are involved outside of an ostensibly 'capitalist' economic system. That said, the manifestation within contemporary 'capitalism' of pure hopelessness among the working poor certainly exacerbates some of these behavioral pathologies. Yet the existence of the "Karen" meme suggests that such behaviors transcend socioeconomic class.
 
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seventyfive

Well-known member
Jan 3, 2010
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over there
Not to get to philosophical, but isn't this a byproduct of a capitalist society?

Success is to get yours, get it first, and get as much as you can.

(If you don't, don't expect anyone to get it for you)

look at Finland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, etc...capitalist economic systems and some of the most responsible drivers in existence.
when you have time you tube Finnish drivers education or Finnish racing. They start racing at like 13. Dirt and gravel...no surprise they are the best rally drivers. The rule is cars have to be almost identical like scca and if somebody wants to trade cars you have to trade.
I agree with others regarding the entitled mindset, of Americans. We are raising, hands down, the most entitled generation in the world.
 

p m

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Apr 19, 2004
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www.3rj.org
By the way - a tangential observation: the most polite and considerate drivers I saw in South America were Chileans, Argentines - far worse but manageable, and Peruvians worse by far. Chile, until recent few years, has been the most "capitalist" of these three countries.
 

SCSL

Well-known member
Apr 27, 2005
4,144
152
Watch Russian drivers on YouTube.
No, it is not. If anything, it is a byproduct of "socialization" of society.
lol, there are entire YouTube channels dedicated to dashcam footage of crazy Russian drivers.
 

chris snell

Administrator
Staff member
Aug 15, 2005
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I just try to do whatever is the most chill. If I'm not in a huge hurry, I will always yield to someone trying to get around an object. I keep my eye out for people trying to turn and I will stop shy in traffic to give them the gap they need. Why not? It's no sweat off my back.
 
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DiscoHasBeen

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2016
1,171
262
Indy
I just try to do whatever is the most chill. If I'm not in a huge hurry, I will always yield to someone trying to get around an object. I keep my eye out for people trying to turn and I will stop shy in traffic to give them the gap they need. Why not? It's no sweat off my back.

There are three problems with that. One, those aren't the "rules of the road". Two, it causes confusion because someone like me, who respects right of way is waiting around for you to come through. It ends up taking longer. And three, it encourages others to pull out into traffic. Traffic that thinks they have the right of way. The law of unintended consequences. Trying to be nice about this just might get someone killed next time.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
There are three problems with that. One, those aren't the "rules of the road". Two, it causes confusion because someone like me, who respects right of way is waiting around for you to come through. It ends up taking longer. And three, it encourages others to pull out into traffic. Traffic that thinks they have the right of way. The law of unintended consequences. Trying to be nice about this just might get someone killed next time.
Well if I was driving a 2005 Colorado I would't care if I got hit either. You can be right all you wan't, if your trucks all bent to shit who cares