Should I Move Over For Merging Traffic???

You speak of a "Distracted driver" and an "Us and them" attitude.

My take is this......if you're distracted.....pull over.....don't drive.

The reason for you being distracted shouldn't come into consideration.

The "Us and them" thing can be further broken down to "You and me"

Big hint here......nobody will look out for me unless it's me.

I do give everybody an equal allowance......I try and drive like none of the rest of the drivers sharing the road with me at the time has the common sense to come in out of the rain and just started driving yesterday.

Might sound cold and heartless.....but.......

 

It doesn't sound cold and/or heartless to me...It sounds like someone (one of the few) with a firm grip on reality!

If granny is unable to drive witout getting distracted maybe it's time she took the bus!

If mommy is unable to control her vehicle because the kids are being unruly maybe it's time for her to stay home and teach the brats some discipline, Put her cell phone down and figure it out.

The surgeon in all reality probably couldn't care less about the patient and is probably more distracted by his golf scores.

Although I hate to see it happen...Sometimes I believe that the best cure for some of these idiots would be to wind up in the ditch because of something they did and maybe...Just maybe then they would possibly learn to pay attention!

I have an us and them attitude most of the time and while I drive defensively and attempt to compensate for the ignorance and stupidity of the geneal public most of the time, I will never jepordize the safety of everyone else around me in an effort to avoid hitting someone that places themselves in a position of danger.

In other words...If you're on the phone, Eating, fighting with your kids in the back seat, playing with the CD player,TV or some other device or worrying about work, your date tonight or whatever's happening on Oprah or are distracted in any other way and put yourself in a position where I have to make a life and death choice for someone....You're gonna die! Your kids are gonna die and whoever else is in the car with you at the time is probably gonna die with you because I'm not gonna take someone else out trying to save you from suicide.

Driving is serious business...There are NO valid excuses for inattention!

 

speaking of 4 wheeler suicide by truck... some lady yesterday cut me off because some SUV was coming up fast on her and she wanted to get out of his way.

 

Wow, that was intense. Being a glass half full kind of person, I hope they survive, at least the kids anyway, but it's your fantasy, not mine.
I never said I didn't take driving seriously and I never said there was an excuse for innattention, but it happens.
Whether we like it or not, we share the road with others, who are less than perfect. Maybe 78 year old granny should take the bus, but the fact remains she didn't and we have to deal with it. Or maybe you could teach her a lesson and put her in the ditch, and she would realize it's time to hang up her keys.

BigRed, the "us and them" attitude I was alluding to pertains to the truckdriver who acts as if anybody who is not a truckdriver is,by definition, inferior, and subject to derision and ridicule based solely on the vehicle they drive.

 

I had a woman in Calif. try to force me to move over when I could not do it because of heavy left lane traffic. She was not going to slow down or speed up. so she ran on the shoulder while honking her horn and Holding her hand up out of her window with the one finger salute. A Trooper saw what she was doing and pulled HER over.... Sweet revenge!

 

I might be one of those from time to time that thinks exactly that way.......I get a daily reminder, and on average, I'm convinced that MOST 4 wheelers have a DEATH WISH. If they didn't....they wouldn't drive like they've got their head buried in their arse.

Taking it a bit farther......

I think that defensive driving ought to be a requirement every 4 years for the average class c driver....just prior to drivers license renewal.

Instructors should be retired truckers....hard core retired truckers who would take the job seriously, be willing to get in somebodies face and convince them that the life they save could be their own if they don't learn how to behave around a big truck in traffic.

 

Ever since a guy I use to work with was killed by some dumba** driver just ripping out into traffic without looking, it was bad weather and winter, foggy iirc. My buddy was going along in the granny lane and this driver just jumped out of a rest area right in front of him, he was going about 50 from what reports said, when they hit. Left 6 kids w/o their father, all because someone didn't look. If it's safe I always slide over, if not I always assume that the idiot, er, person, coming on doesn't see me. Better safe than dead!

 

I'm glad to have confirmation that I'm not the only driver that it happens to. Even happier to know the officer gave the bimbo a ticket, HAHA!

 

I was in Ct and had 2 cars merging on to the highway and the one behind the 1st car decides I think I'll cut in front of this semi(me btw). Thanks alot you dingbat if I wasn't watching the traffic I would,ve hit them for sure. Still had to brake and watched as this person continued on zig-zaggging from one lane to another!! I always move over when its safe to do so. I couldn't so I adjusted my speed accordingly, had I been going the posted speed limit I'd of hit them. But by the grace of God it there go I!! Have a merry Christmas and a blessed New Year everyone!

 

The problem with moving over is that most of the 4 wheel idiots won't let you back into the lane ! They are hell bent on not letting you back over 9 times out of 10. I only move over when it's safe and sometimes I'll try to time it so that I have enough clearance to move back over if I have to. Most 4 wheelers couldn't care less about courtesy anyway since they are in such a big hurry to go nowhere.