Off Topic Motorists Rant

[Guest RISC777]

I'm sure this has been spoken to or about before...

I am so sick and tired of people who will not come to a stop and get out of the way of public safety and emergency vehicles!!

An LEO, a fire truck, EMS, and ambulance in front or behind... Get out of the way and stop!!

How hard is that?

I'm slowing to the shoulder to stop and a pickup with a firefighter's license who was behind me blows by me a bit angry, and then finally stops with the ambulance on his ar$e.

Does it have to come to a day when a person's loved one, family member, etc. is needing response and it's slowed by idiot drivers before it becomes important enough to get out of the flippin way?

Do we all in general as drivers not pay enough attention to our surroundings? I check my mirrors regularly. If I need to steer off to the shoulder or into another lane instead of slamming brakes and sliding into someone in front of me, I check to see if I can / if it's clear to do that. Why not turn the wheel instead of knee-jerking into a brake pedal slam? Quit putting on makeup in the driver's seat, quit texting on a cell phone, whatever else, and pay attention to the environment you're driving through. God forbid a child runs out to get a toy or a pet.

I know this lack of regard for emergency vehicles is not everyone and is not just here where I live and drive. But seeing it regularly is getting very tiresome.

*sigh* [/ranting off]

Edited November 28, 2008 by RISC777
typo correction

[DaveTN]

Driving in the left lane.

I see people pull out onto the road and pull into that left lane like they own it.

They cause more wrecks than speeders. As a cop I would let 10 speeders drive by to take out the dumbazz holding up traffic in the left lane.

Man that pizzes me off.

Okay.... I feel better now.

[Guest jackdog]

Dave I agree 110% with the left lane crap. Idiots that fail to pull over for emergency vehicles ought to get a $1000.00 and 60 days in the big house.

[DaveTN]

I know this lack of regard for emergency vehicles is not everyone and is not just here where I live and drive. But seeing it regularly is getting very tiresome. [/ranting off]

I don’t think it’s a conscious lack of regard as much as I think its stupidity and carelessness.

Many people simply can’t handle anything out of the norm happening while they are driving; they just can’t deal with it.

Many are also on the phone. Common sense tells us that this is dumber that chit; but our legislators want to do it, so the death toll rises.

[TripleDigitRide]

As someone who drives an 80,000 pound vehicle around all day, everyday (well, 5 days a week), I know where you're coming from.

It's difficult to say what causes people to drive the way they do, but I think it has a lot to do with the fact that so many people multitask (phone calls, radio, text messaging, etc) while they should be paying attention to their surroundings. Then you have those folks who are scared to death every time they climb behind the wheel. They suffer from tunnel vision. They are so focused on what's happening at the very end of their hood, they haven't a clue of what's going on around them.

Of course there are a million different reason why people drive the way they do, so it's hard to pinpoint an exact cause. I generally try to make it easy on myself, and attribute their actions to being plain ole STUPID. That pretty well covers all the bases.

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

Do we all in general as drivers not pay enough attention to our surrundings?

This is where I'd put my money. We gunnies talk a lot about people walking around in Condition White, and that mindset of non-observance doesn't change when they get behind the wheel of a car. This is why a dumbass can not notice 700 pounds of bright-yellow man+motorcycle four feet from their door, and change lanes into it. (personal experience)

It amazes me how some people just live in a permanent fog.

[Fadex]

Hey Dave I completely agree with you. I don't know how many times I have had to lock up the brakes or almost get killed by a big rig on S. Church that thinks the most important thing on the planet it getting to the Pilot station!!

[The Average Joe]

In response to RISC777's thread start...

When SOME guys get their (E)emergency tags, they think they're invincible.

I've known several that use them to drive like maniacs thinking/knowing they're not going to get a ticket.

Ambulance drivers have it bad just like, truck drivers, postal carriers, and bus drivers.

To many people are in there own little world and not taking into consideration the rest of the world around them. I agree, there are a lot distractions for people to be occupied by, but the worst one of all is disregard for common courtesy.

One thing about Tennessee's driving habits is the abuse of the left lane (the over taking lane or the passing lane).

Nashville, Dickson, Pegram, and surrounding cities and their counties as far as interstate driving suffer from lack of "lane discipline".

Just because you're driving the speed limit doesn't mean you can just choose a lane and cruise. I don't care if you pay taxes or not...slow traffic keep right.

I could go all day on this but that's my biggest peeve.

Tractor Trailer Rigs: Why do you get in the left hand lane when going up steep inclines on the interstate? Just askin'...

[Guest JLowe]

As someone who gets the pleasure of operating a true emergency vehicle (i.e. marked with lights, siren, and all the necessary equipment) I get pissed off all the time. When I've got my lights and siren on it is quite obvious that I need to get somewhere in a hurry. The biggest problem I see is people not paying attention, like talking on their cell phone, radio up to loud, eating, talking with their friends and other crap. I know that at 75-80 MPH my patrol car outruns the siren, but I do have 8 lights at different levels on my patrol car. If people would just look into their rear view mirrors every now and then they would know to just get out of the way. Of course if people would also obey traffic laws and use the left lane only when passing we wouldn't have these problems to begin with.

Edited November 28, 2008 by JLowe

[Guest Boomhower]

The left lane is for passing, and the right lane is for passing idiots & stupid non-drivers.....

[The Average Joe]

The left lane is for passing, and the right lane is for passing idiots & stupid non-drivers.....

+1:up: Amen, Brotha!

[VERO1]

Do they not teach drivers in Tn to accelerate when merging onto an interstate from an entrance ramp? If they do, I think a lot of folks were sleeping during that part of class!

[Fallguy]

Do they not teach drivers in Tn to accelerate when merging onto an interstate from an entrance ramp? If they do, I think a lot of folks were sleeping during that part of class!

Not sure who would teach it. Driver's Ed is not required by the state, many school systems don't have it. In my class I don't remember much of anything about interstates (granted it has been a while ago).

But I have tried to pass on little things like this and other's to my children as they are learning to drive.

Also as someone who has operated a patrol car in the past and has and still does a firetruck and ambulance....I have never really got much pleasure out of responding to an emergency call.

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

Do they not teach drivers in Tn to accelerate when merging onto an interstate from an entrance ramp? If they do, I think a lot of folks were sleeping during that part of class!

I'm pretty sure this is a nationwide phenomenon.

[Guest RISC777]

And why do people A. ignore the fact that when merging the traffic in the lane that is not ending HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY, and B. 90 percent or so NEVER use a turn signal (which is a law in TN) ?????