Interesting New Traffic Maneuver

Bill Roper's Journal

6th-Jun-2005 02:51 pm

I had already been aware that the requirement to stop before executing a right turn on red had apparently been repealed, at least in the minds of most drivers who turn right on red in front of me. My horn hasn't yet internalized this, nor have I quite gotten used to jamming on my brakes, but I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually.

The woman who executed a U-turn on red directly in front of me today, however, is exploring new realms in the area of individual application of traffic law. And she was driving a VW, demonstrating that you don't have to be driving the usual brands of car that driving-impaired individuals normally use in order to completely disregard the law.

Tags:musings

Comments

6th-Jun-2005 08:05 pm (UTC)

filkertom

Great. Chicago, here I come.... B-/

6th-Jun-2005 08:11 pm (UTC)

pheltzer

My personal favorite is along Lake Cook Road headed East right after you get off if 53 where people use the median with no traffic light in sight to make U-Turns. Which would be bad enough by itself. But no... these people are apperntly attempting to taunt the No U-Turn Signs which are scatttered like ever 100 feet along that stretch between 53 and Arlington Heights Rd.

6th-Jun-2005 08:23 pm (UTC)

singlemaltsilk

I went to Jewel on Olmstead and Palatine Saturday evening, to pick up a couple of things. There were cars going in every legal direction, since it was Saturday, and hot, and Blockbuster and Oberweis are in one corner of the lot. Imagine my surprise when the chippie ahead of me pulls into the entrance to the Jewel parking lot (remember, cars everywhere) and executes a sloppy U-turn IN THE MOUTH OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARKING LOT. I brake as she careens out at me (did I mention it was a sloppy U-turn?), and SHE gives ME the finger.

6th-Jun-2005 09:13 pm (UTC)

kevinnickerson

Tom and Ray were claiming that, IIRC, VW Passat drivers are the worst.

6th-Jun-2005 10:25 pm (UTC)

msminlr

VW drivers have been notorious for ...umm...individualistic...driving styles since the days of the Original Beetle.
Them and old folks in Cadillacs and Lincoln Town Cars...

6th-Jun-2005 10:56 pm (UTC)

bedlamhouse

I think VW Microbus drivers should be excused from any such survey or notoriety due to being in explainable altered states.

"Granola, honey, I think a purple light means stop..."

(Deleted comment)

7th-Jun-2005 03:09 pm (UTC)

billroper

Personally, I think attaching the 27-gigawatt death ray directly to the horn is best.

7th-Jun-2005 03:40 am (UTC)

poltr1

One of today's "fringe stories" on NPR Morning Edition today was about drivers from New Jersey. I'm not sure which is worse -- them or the FIBs you seem to encounter. (Yes, I know that you arent one of them.)

7th-Jun-2005 03:25 pm (UTC)

pheltzer

There was actually a story on the news this morning that said drivers in the Northeast are the worst, with Vermont, Connecticut, and New Jersey being the worst. And drivers in California and Oregon are the best.

Of course this was based solely on knowing the rules of the road... not actual behind the wheel ability. And knowing the rules does not necessarily make you a good driver, and vice versa.

7th-Jun-2005 05:11 pm (UTC)

rono_60103

My frequent encounters are people who make the right turn on the red light during the few seconds between the other light turning Green and when I can get into the intersection. Apparently they seem to believe that I'm not going to jump the light or floor it as soon as I see the first hint of green.

The worst recently had to be the person who decided that the Kindercare parking lot was part of the exit to the White Hen next door. If I'd been about 30 seconds earlier, she might have hit me as I walked around the back of my car on the way in to drop The Kid off -- or worse, she might have hit The Kid. I've also had someone curse at me because I was trying to exit out of the one-way exit at the same Kindercare and she (or maybe he, it's been a while) wanted to drive the wrong way through the Kindercare parking lot to get to the White Hen.

I also get honked at regularly because I won't pull across and block the intersections with the cross roads when stopping for a backed up red light.

Oddly all of these occur along Greenbrook road in northern DuPage county between County Farm and Lake Street.

RonO :-(

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