It's because I passed the test on a technical level. I was just really fucking nervous and kept making mistakes that, while not big enough for him to fail me, were still quite noticable. I passed the test but I was a trainwreck.frobalt said:
Worst Driver(s) You Have Experienced
- Thread starter PainInTheAssInternet
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Every Washington state driver. I'm not sure who first decided that EVERY SINGLE rule of the road/traffic law was really more of a guideline, or who decided that it wasn't even a guideline, or why everybody else decided to start thinking the same thing, but Washington is the only state I've been in where pedestrians should be afraid to cross the street. Got a walk sign? Yeah, good luck dodging all the people trying to turn into you. Crossing at a 4-way-stop intersection? You'd better hope you've made your peace, odds are somebody'll blow throw said intersection. Every day walking into work in the morning I have to cross at a stop light. Apparently people turning right don't expect pedestrians to cross while the Walk sign is lit, so they happily turn into the crosswalk without even looking for pedestrians who may be entering. And the police station ON THE SAME INTERSECTION is no deterrent. I've also never heard so many people honk there horns so often. Traffic is a nightmare, glad I don't have to drive in it.
That said, the bikers are also pretty terrible in WA. Walking down the sidewalk, you'll be lucky if you hear the bike in time to jump out of the way, as these people decide that going noiseless is the best policy. It makes absolutely no sense, just saying 'left' or 'right' would decrease the odds of collision immensely!
So again, I'm not sure what's in the water in WA, but it makes people incapable of driving with any modicum of safety/sensibility.
That said, the bikers are also pretty terrible in WA. Walking down the sidewalk, you'll be lucky if you hear the bike in time to jump out of the way, as these people decide that going noiseless is the best policy. It makes absolutely no sense, just saying 'left' or 'right' would decrease the odds of collision immensely!
So again, I'm not sure what's in the water in WA, but it makes people incapable of driving with any modicum of safety/sensibility.
Oh. Oh lord. let me share with you, children, the legend of John.
John borrowed his roommates car, and promptly backed it into a tree. Twice.
I went to Walmart with John once. It was a five minute drive, and he almost wrecked three times.
We went swimming at a lake, and his girlfriend let him drive the boat. He almost rode it into a rock wall, even though he had plenty of time to turn. I swam after him. He then got it around and almost ran me over. It was a big lake. He then left me there, and I had to swim all the way back. When we got back to the house his girlfriend let him dock the boat. He crashed into it and dragged it into the middle of the lake, where it lies to this day.
A few weeks later he got his own car. A few weeks later he crashed it after driving in the wrong lane.
His parents let him borrow their car once to go on a date, since his was destroyed. As I watched him go, I felt uneasy. That night he wrecked his parents truck.
After this he wasn't allowed to drive anymore. He asked my friend Andy (poor fool) to drive him home. And, being awesome, agreed. After an hour and a half Andy asked which exit to get off of. John said he didn't know. Andy asked where he lived. John said he didn't know. John said to take a left, and then pointed right. Andy asked which way to go, and John did it again. He said maybe he lived in Marietta. He didn't. John asked me to do the same. Having heard this story, I asked him in advance if he knew where he lived and how to get there, and he said no.
He got another new car, because his parents are lawyers. We jumped in, and suddenly he just lost it. He said everything was missing, and it must have been stolen. I asked him if he was sure that this was his car. He went deathly silent. Turns out, not only was it not his car, it was the wrong make, model, and color.
We all took bets on how long it would take him to destroy his new car. He wrecked it a few days later.
I actually have a video of him driving:
John borrowed his roommates car, and promptly backed it into a tree. Twice.
I went to Walmart with John once. It was a five minute drive, and he almost wrecked three times.
We went swimming at a lake, and his girlfriend let him drive the boat. He almost rode it into a rock wall, even though he had plenty of time to turn. I swam after him. He then got it around and almost ran me over. It was a big lake. He then left me there, and I had to swim all the way back. When we got back to the house his girlfriend let him dock the boat. He crashed into it and dragged it into the middle of the lake, where it lies to this day.
A few weeks later he got his own car. A few weeks later he crashed it after driving in the wrong lane.
His parents let him borrow their car once to go on a date, since his was destroyed. As I watched him go, I felt uneasy. That night he wrecked his parents truck.
After this he wasn't allowed to drive anymore. He asked my friend Andy (poor fool) to drive him home. And, being awesome, agreed. After an hour and a half Andy asked which exit to get off of. John said he didn't know. Andy asked where he lived. John said he didn't know. John said to take a left, and then pointed right. Andy asked which way to go, and John did it again. He said maybe he lived in Marietta. He didn't. John asked me to do the same. Having heard this story, I asked him in advance if he knew where he lived and how to get there, and he said no.
He got another new car, because his parents are lawyers. We jumped in, and suddenly he just lost it. He said everything was missing, and it must have been stolen. I asked him if he was sure that this was his car. He went deathly silent. Turns out, not only was it not his car, it was the wrong make, model, and color.
We all took bets on how long it would take him to destroy his new car. He wrecked it a few days later.
I actually have a video of him driving:
Since most of the common ones have been covered all that's left for me is to talk about the time I had fun with a roundabout. Now normally these things aren't that bad to deal with(I'm in the US by the way so they aren't super common) but never have I seen someone get on one going the wrong way... At least until a year or two ago. I was at the mall with some friends and we were making to leave. There was a roundabout to let people in from the road and send them off to various parking lots. As we were leaving someone pulls out of a different parking lot right in front of a car and almost causes a head on collision with our car. Arguably the most terrifying experience in my life.
Well, there was one spectacularly awful driver I ended up behind, who managed to do about ten illegal things in twenty seconds, but then she took a left turn at a "DO NOT TURN LEFT" intersection before I could exit my state of shock and get properly annoyed.
So I'll mention the guy who went by us at about 140 km/h on the way to the airport in a sports car... on his phone... after a full night of freezing rain. We drove by his car flipped in a ditch, with a very flustered and confused looking driver stammering into his cell phone.
It was very satisfying.
Also, I'm going to Russia in September for a few months. I imagine that'll give me some perspective.
So I'll mention the guy who went by us at about 140 km/h on the way to the airport in a sports car... on his phone... after a full night of freezing rain. We drove by his car flipped in a ditch, with a very flustered and confused looking driver stammering into his cell phone.
It was very satisfying.
Also, I'm going to Russia in September for a few months. I imagine that'll give me some perspective.
Remember than one scene in Premium Rush with the car/bicyclist collision?
That almost happened to me yesterday... It almost scared me a little...
However, in terms of car drivers, some dude on the freeway cut through 4 lanes just to reach the freeway junction... Almost ran into my friend during his first time on the freeway with a passenger on board... which would be his second time on the freeway in total...
That almost happened to me yesterday... It almost scared me a little...
However, in terms of car drivers, some dude on the freeway cut through 4 lanes just to reach the freeway junction... Almost ran into my friend during his first time on the freeway with a passenger on board... which would be his second time on the freeway in total...
I swear- every bad driver on the road, once they get home, hops onto Sub Rosa. The whole game sometimes feels like an armed road-rage simulator:
I live in Florida, a state that's FAMOUS as a place old people go to die, so there are PLENTY of horrible drivers here. Pretty much everything already listed has either happened to me, or happened to someone I know, so there's that.
One of the most infuriating moments in recent memory was on my way to work. I got stuck behind a slow-as-shit elderly driver. It happens. And it just so happened that he was taking the EXACT same left turn that I was at a traffic light, so I was still stuck behind him. The left turn signal turned green... and he doesn't move. After a few seconds, I start blaring on my horn. Nothing. Light turns red, cue me getting frustrated. So, I had to wait until it changed again. Light turns green, and still no movement. I IMMEDIATELY start blaring on my horn. Nothing. So, I get out of my car, and walk up to his to see what the damage is.
THE OLD BASTARD FELL ASLEEP AT THE DAMN LIGHT. I took great pleasure in giving his window a swift slap to wake his ass up. Unfortunately, by the time I got back to my car, the light had changed again. So I had to wait until the THIRD DAMN GREEN LIGHT before I could finally make this left turn. Needless to say, I was quite late to work.
One of the most infuriating moments in recent memory was on my way to work. I got stuck behind a slow-as-shit elderly driver. It happens. And it just so happened that he was taking the EXACT same left turn that I was at a traffic light, so I was still stuck behind him. The left turn signal turned green... and he doesn't move. After a few seconds, I start blaring on my horn. Nothing. Light turns red, cue me getting frustrated. So, I had to wait until it changed again. Light turns green, and still no movement. I IMMEDIATELY start blaring on my horn. Nothing. So, I get out of my car, and walk up to his to see what the damage is.
THE OLD BASTARD FELL ASLEEP AT THE DAMN LIGHT. I took great pleasure in giving his window a swift slap to wake his ass up. Unfortunately, by the time I got back to my car, the light had changed again. So I had to wait until the THIRD DAMN GREEN LIGHT before I could finally make this left turn. Needless to say, I was quite late to work.
Mine's a toss-up between the two people that I've been in accidents with (no injuries, thankfully).
First one: Back in college I delivered pizzas for some extra money on the side. I'm coming up to an intersection with a 4-way stoplight, and I'm intending to turn right while there's a lady in front of me, also intending to turn right. She pulls up to the intersection and slows to a stop, checking to make sure there's no traffic coming on the street that she would be turning onto. It's all clear, so she starts to go. I slowly pull up and stop, checking to see if traffic is coming onto the street I'll be turning onto. It's all clear so I start to go. As I'm looking forward again, I see that the lady in front of me decided to stop half-way through her turn for absolutely no reason at all. I slam on my breaks and swing the wheel to the left, but it was too late. The front right corner of my car clips the back left corner of her car. The law dictates that if you rear-end someone, it's your fault...but I still say it was hers seeing as how there was no reason whatsoever for her to have stopped half-way through her turn. Absolutely no cars were coming...there was no reason for her to yield...especially after she had already started her turn.
Second one: This one was on a neighborhood street at another 4-way intersection, this time with a stop sign. I pull up to a stop sign and stop, seeing a pickup truck pulling up to the stop sign on the cross street. I wait for him to come to a stop before pulling into the intersection, intending to make a left turn onto the street that he was coming from. I'm halfway through the intersection when he decides he doesn't want to wait anymore and ends up T-Boning me, smashing up my driver-side door and busting off my rear-view mirror. He apologized and swore that he just didn't see me. Thankfully he had insurance and it was all taken care of.
First one: Back in college I delivered pizzas for some extra money on the side. I'm coming up to an intersection with a 4-way stoplight, and I'm intending to turn right while there's a lady in front of me, also intending to turn right. She pulls up to the intersection and slows to a stop, checking to make sure there's no traffic coming on the street that she would be turning onto. It's all clear, so she starts to go. I slowly pull up and stop, checking to see if traffic is coming onto the street I'll be turning onto. It's all clear so I start to go. As I'm looking forward again, I see that the lady in front of me decided to stop half-way through her turn for absolutely no reason at all. I slam on my breaks and swing the wheel to the left, but it was too late. The front right corner of my car clips the back left corner of her car. The law dictates that if you rear-end someone, it's your fault...but I still say it was hers seeing as how there was no reason whatsoever for her to have stopped half-way through her turn. Absolutely no cars were coming...there was no reason for her to yield...especially after she had already started her turn.
Second one: This one was on a neighborhood street at another 4-way intersection, this time with a stop sign. I pull up to a stop sign and stop, seeing a pickup truck pulling up to the stop sign on the cross street. I wait for him to come to a stop before pulling into the intersection, intending to make a left turn onto the street that he was coming from. I'm halfway through the intersection when he decides he doesn't want to wait anymore and ends up T-Boning me, smashing up my driver-side door and busting off my rear-view mirror. He apologized and swore that he just didn't see me. Thankfully he had insurance and it was all taken care of.
In one 5 minute drive I encountered three terrible drivers:
The first stopped at the entrance to a roundabout, before very slowly inching his/her car into the middle of the roundabout, apparently still looking for oncoming cars even though he/she was already committed to the turn.
The second slowed down to a crawl for about 10 seconds, before stopping and signalling a right turn into a side street - but stopped in the middle of the road. There was a turning median to his/her right. He/she seemed to then realise this, and in a pathetic attempt to make way for the now waiting traffic, drove forward half a meter, very very slightly rotating one corner of his/her car into the median.
The third driver, and the most aggravating, slowed down in front of me, without signalling, meandering between the roadside and the actual road. Then after about 7 seconds of blocking my way at 20kmh, he/she made up his/her mind and signalled left to pull in to a perpendicular row of carparks on the side of the road. Without actually getting off the fucking road, despite the abudance of room between the road and the parking lot, he/she continued to block me as he/she slowly drove along, looking for a car park close to whereever he/she wanted to go.
Keep in mind I received my restricted license less than a week ago, and these people have most likely been driving for years.
The first stopped at the entrance to a roundabout, before very slowly inching his/her car into the middle of the roundabout, apparently still looking for oncoming cars even though he/she was already committed to the turn.
The second slowed down to a crawl for about 10 seconds, before stopping and signalling a right turn into a side street - but stopped in the middle of the road. There was a turning median to his/her right. He/she seemed to then realise this, and in a pathetic attempt to make way for the now waiting traffic, drove forward half a meter, very very slightly rotating one corner of his/her car into the median.
The third driver, and the most aggravating, slowed down in front of me, without signalling, meandering between the roadside and the actual road. Then after about 7 seconds of blocking my way at 20kmh, he/she made up his/her mind and signalled left to pull in to a perpendicular row of carparks on the side of the road. Without actually getting off the fucking road, despite the abudance of room between the road and the parking lot, he/she continued to block me as he/she slowly drove along, looking for a car park close to whereever he/she wanted to go.
Keep in mind I received my restricted license less than a week ago, and these people have most likely been driving for years.
In one 5 minute drive I encountered three terrible drivers:
The first stopped at the entrance to a roundabout, before very slowly inching his/her car into the middle of the roundabout, apparently still looking for oncoming cars even though he/she was already committed to the turn.
The second slowed down to a crawl for about 10 seconds, before stopping and signalling a right turn into a side street - but stopped in the middle of the road. There was a turning median to his/her right. He/she seemed to then realise this, and in a pathetic attempt to make way for the now waiting traffic, drove forward half a meter, very very slightly rotating one corner of his/her car into the median.
The third driver, and the most aggravating, slowed down in front of me, without signalling, meandering between the roadside and the actual road. Then after about 7 seconds of blocking my way at 20kmh, he/she made up his/her mind and signalled left to pull in to a perpendicular row of carparks on the side of the road. Without actually getting off the fucking road, despite the abudance of room between the road and the parking lot, he/she continued to block me as he/she slowly drove along, looking for a car park close to whereever he/she wanted to go.
Keep in mind I received my restricted license less than a week ago, and these people have most likely been driving for years.
The first stopped at the entrance to a roundabout, before very slowly inching his/her car into the middle of the roundabout, apparently still looking for oncoming cars even though he/she was already committed to the turn.
The second slowed down to a crawl for about 10 seconds, before stopping and signalling a right turn into a side street - but stopped in the middle of the road. There was a turning median to his/her right. He/she seemed to then realise this, and in a pathetic attempt to make way for the now waiting traffic, drove forward half a meter, very very slightly rotating one corner of his/her car into the median.
The third driver, and the most aggravating, slowed down in front of me, without signalling, meandering between the roadside and the actual road. Then after about 7 seconds of blocking my way at 20kmh, he/she made up his/her mind and signalled left to pull in to a perpendicular row of carparks on the side of the road. Without actually getting off the fucking road, despite the abudance of room between the road and the parking lot, he/she continued to block me as he/she slowly drove along, looking for a car park close to whereever he/she wanted to go.
Keep in mind I received my restricted license less than a week ago, and these people have most likely been driving for years.
I lived in Puerto Rico for a year and I will tell you right now, drivers there DO NOT give a FUCK. Cars weaving across lanes with never a turn signal (it was rare that I'd see them used at all) cars in the far left lanes doing 35 while cars on the far right do 55, sitting at red lights in left turn lanes waiting for the light to turn only to have drivers speedily approach you from behind (a couple of times I thought I was going to get high speed rear ended) and cutting across and ahead of me from the no turn lanes. Apparently many red lights were optional after 10pm, and some important and risky intersections won't even have functional lights for months on end. Traffic jams were the norm and trying to merge and drive out of congested parking lots or ramps was a nightmare as no one does the ol' zipper "this persons turn, then this persons turn, then this persons" merging thing that's just quietly agreed on and taken for granted here in the States. It's every man for himself and you're forced to drive ridiculously aggressive or fear for your life. Kinda like Mad Max The Road warrior. Many of the cars on the road had all kinds of crazy dents and damage to them yet I never saw one traffic accident during my stay there, which was weird. And all of the cars, so many cars. There's some statistic out there about Puerto Rico having the most cars per square mile or something nutty like that. It's just a disgusting amount for what the island can handle.
What put me over the edge was the one time I saw a guy drinking what appeared to be a bottle of Heinekin with his 5 year old daughter in the passenger front seat. He looked he was parked but still- this had my blood boiling. Many people there recognize that the drivers are terribad but no one does anything about it.
Once I returned it literally took me a week to get reacclimated to the order and pace of traffic here. It was a such a relief. But I do miss the beautiful beaches and women lol.
What put me over the edge was the one time I saw a guy drinking what appeared to be a bottle of Heinekin with his 5 year old daughter in the passenger front seat. He looked he was parked but still- this had my blood boiling. Many people there recognize that the drivers are terribad but no one does anything about it.
Once I returned it literally took me a week to get reacclimated to the order and pace of traffic here. It was a such a relief. But I do miss the beautiful beaches and women lol.
I fucking hate people that treat traffic like it's a race. Not like people who drive fast, I'm talking about people who if they're behind you and see you signal, will speed up to not let you into the lane ahead of them and shit like that.
Also tailgaters. I run into these assholes most often at like 4 AM when the roads are empty which perplexes the fuck out of me. You think you should be going 50 on a 35 MPH road but you don't have the balls to change fucking lanes on a totally open road and pass me? And then sometimes, they'll rev their engines and floor it, pass me, honk, whatever, and then start going the same speed or sometimes SLOWER than I am.
Also tailgaters. I run into these assholes most often at like 4 AM when the roads are empty which perplexes the fuck out of me. You think you should be going 50 on a 35 MPH road but you don't have the balls to change fucking lanes on a totally open road and pass me? And then sometimes, they'll rev their engines and floor it, pass me, honk, whatever, and then start going the same speed or sometimes SLOWER than I am.
I can't complain about other drivers without being a hypocrite, but I'd like to think I'm at least partially reformed now.
There is really only one thing I don't understand, and that is why people with cruise control just do not use it. I don't have cruise in my car but I can keep a steadier pace than these people; who will vary between 60 and 80 MPH on the freeway.
A friend of mine has this problem, whenever we go anyplace now I always offer to drive because I can feel the car surging forward or coasting when he drives and it makes me crazy.
There is really only one thing I don't understand, and that is why people with cruise control just do not use it. I don't have cruise in my car but I can keep a steadier pace than these people; who will vary between 60 and 80 MPH on the freeway.
A friend of mine has this problem, whenever we go anyplace now I always offer to drive because I can feel the car surging forward or coasting when he drives and it makes me crazy.
Ive had the opposite problem. I was stuck behind this guy at 2am after a late shift and really wanted to get home. He was sat at like 40-45 on a 60 road. I wasnt tailgating but I kept attempting to pass him (which sounds easy on basically an open road) however he didnt have his high beam on so I couldnt see 2 feet infront of him and there is often one or two lorries at this time (I live in a ruralish area so theres no streetlighting). Out of courtesy I kept my beam dipped so I didnt blind him. When I finally got past him he then decides to speed up and put his high beam on. Again I couldnt see a thing because I was basically being blinded by this prick sat right behind me. I have a pretty fast car and I could have out ran him but its not so easy to go fast when all you can see is a bright white light. I got to some traffic lights in a small village and laughed at him try to keep up as theu turned greenGuitarmasterx7 said:
There are a pair of roundabouts at Newark that are incredibly poorly designed. I understand that few people truly know what to do at them. That said however, some common sense would be appreciated people! The roundabouts do in fact follow normal road laws there even if they are poorly designed like, for example, not pulling straight onto the roundabout when there is traffic coming from the right. I've nearly been ran off the road so many god-damned times there as well as having to stop suddenly on the roundabout because some lorry driver can't be bothered to stop and just pulls straight onto it. Those roundabouts are just death traps.
Also, there was this one idiot in a van who didn't bother checking before pulling into the left hand lane. Stupid moron nearly ran me off the road and only didn't because I beeped my horn at him causing him to swerve before he drove into me. He then started flipping me off as he followed way too closely behind me. I was really torn between fearing for my life after nearly being forced onto a kerb on a bridge and being pissed off at a guy blaming me for him nearly hitting me because he didn't feel like looking out of his window before pulling out of his lane. Seriously, I wasn't even in that lane to overtake, since he had been trying to pull an overtake manoeuvre since going onto that roundabout. The only excuse I can think off for it is that he didn't understand how the lanes worked and had expected me to pull off earlier despite the fact that I was indicating to the contrary as well as the fact that the lane I was in was the one I should use for the turn off I wanted.
Oh, and to the guy who was driving behind me on the A57, please keep at least one hand on the steering wheel and eyes on the road. I really don't want to have to see someone in my rear view mirror following, looking at his friend, talking on the phone and his other hand doing hanging out the window. Seriously, don't drive with your knees.
Also, there was this one idiot in a van who didn't bother checking before pulling into the left hand lane. Stupid moron nearly ran me off the road and only didn't because I beeped my horn at him causing him to swerve before he drove into me. He then started flipping me off as he followed way too closely behind me. I was really torn between fearing for my life after nearly being forced onto a kerb on a bridge and being pissed off at a guy blaming me for him nearly hitting me because he didn't feel like looking out of his window before pulling out of his lane. Seriously, I wasn't even in that lane to overtake, since he had been trying to pull an overtake manoeuvre since going onto that roundabout. The only excuse I can think off for it is that he didn't understand how the lanes worked and had expected me to pull off earlier despite the fact that I was indicating to the contrary as well as the fact that the lane I was in was the one I should use for the turn off I wanted.
Oh, and to the guy who was driving behind me on the A57, please keep at least one hand on the steering wheel and eyes on the road. I really don't want to have to see someone in my rear view mirror following, looking at his friend, talking on the phone and his other hand doing hanging out the window. Seriously, don't drive with your knees.
I think it's more normal for the exit to come before the entrance - so people filter off the motorway/autobahn/freeway/whatever you call it, then a few hundred yards later people are joining the motorway (ideally into the space created by those who just left).RoonMian said:
That's the case in the UK anyway. In Germany I remember all the junctions being Petal shaped, but can't remember much else about them.
is that the big one that goes onto the A46, the A1 and A17?MiskWisk said:
Its far too close to the A1 exit which means its sometimes queued back into one of the lanes. I live 15-20 mins from this roundabout and every time I still fear for my life
I'm an awesome driver. I can negotiate a busy roundabout while talking on my phone, while holding it to do a Google search, and eating a sandwich. In a manual car. While speeding.
Not that I'd ever do that. Because people who use phones while driving should be tortured to death for being the scum of the Earth. Totally. That's just how I feel...
Not that I'd ever do that. Because people who use phones while driving should be tortured to death for being the scum of the Earth. Totally. That's just how I feel...