So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[GHT]

Why is it, that whenever a road has to be dug up, and temporary traffic lights installed, you have to wait for what seems like forever on the red light, whilst the opposite direction, whose light is on green, has no traffic whatsoever? Yesterday I waited at these temporary lights so long that I was tempted to risk ignoring the red light.

These temporary lights have a "smart box" on the top of them, I'm informed that this is actually a sensor, that can read the amount of waiting traffic, and therefore change the lights to improve traffic flows. Yeah right! I am convinced that the smart box is actually a small CCTV camera, and it's sending an image to some jumped up, perverse little traffic clerk, who sits at a desk, getting his rocks off over driver frustrations.

 

[sheeplady]

Why is it, that whenever a road has to be dug up, and temporary traffic lights installed, you have to wait for what seems like forever on the red light, whilst the opposite direction, whose light is on green, has no traffic whatsoever? Yesterday I waited at these temporary lights so long that I was tempted to risk ignoring the red light.

These temporary lights have a "smart box" on the top of them, I'm informed that this is actually a sensor, that can read the amount of waiting traffic, and therefore change the lights to improve traffic flows. Yeah right! I am convinced that the smart box is actually a small CCTV camera, and it's sending an image to some jumped up, perverse little traffic clerk, who sits at a desk, getting his rocks off over driver frustrations.

Here they snap pictures of cars going through red lights and then you get a ticket in the mail for going through a red light.

I was once at a light where the sensor was broken, so I had to violate the "no right on red" sign because I had waited 6 minutes while watching the traffic in every other direction go twice; I reported it and they called me back and told me they were fixing it.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I have always maintained that the placement of No U Turn signs are more in the interest of revenue generation than actual traffic safety.

 

[jamespowers]

I have always maintained that the placement of No U Turn signs are more in the interest of revenue generation than actual traffic safety.

They are. :doh:

 

[1mach1]

I have always maintained that the placement of No U Turn signs are more in the interest of revenue generation than actual traffic safety.

I got a ticket in Cocoa Beach, Florida 25 years ago for doing a U turn where a No Left Turn sign was placed. The officer told me that technically it was a left turn. :doh:

 

[jamespowers]

I got a ticket in Cocoa Beach, Florida 25 years ago for doing a U turn where a No Left Turn sign was placed. The officer told me that technically it was a left turn. :doh:

Low on quota I see. :doh:

 

[1mach1]

Low on quota I see. :doh:

Yeah, that, and the car I was driving, with out of state tags..... :doh:

 

[jamespowers]

Yeah, that, and the car I was driving, with out of state tags..... :doh:

Yeah, you wouldn't like to drive back to fight the ticket.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I got a ticket in Cocoa Beach, Florida 25 years ago for doing a U turn where a No Left Turn sign was placed. The officer told me that technically it was a left turn. :doh:

I guess technically it was *two* left turns.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Yeah, you wouldn't like to drive back to fight the ticket.

I woulda thought about that ticket for a minute..and made a quick 'U turn' to confront the unfair authorities....lol

 

[GHT]

I guess technically it was *two* left turns.

I was going to say, not so. A touch on the foot brake, hard on the handbrake, full left lock, off the handbrake, straighten up the steering wheel: A perfect one hundred and eighty degree turn.

Then I remembered that the last car I hired in The States didn't have a hand brake. It had a foot operated, parking brake. Whether you can still do such manoeuvres with the foot operated parking brake, I know not. But I would probably tie the car in a reef knot attempting it.

 

[tonyb]

Blocking intersections. You know, when a driver enters an intersection on a green light but can't get completely through it on account of traffic backed up such that he has to stop in the intersection. And then the light turns red in his direction and the crossing traffic can't proceed because his car is now blocking the path. This is what causes gridlock. Worse, it prevents emergency equipment from getting where it's needed as quickly as it would otherwise.

 

[tonyb]

And another traffic peeve ...

Do you really need to turn left onto that side street from that busy arterial during rush hour? If there isn't a left-turn lane, might you drive another fraction of a mile so that you don't back up the traffic for three blocks behind you?

Conversely (as I've heard it said), two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights can make a left.

 

[2jakes]

 

[LizzieMaine]

Drivers who don't stop for clearly-marked crosswalks, and drivers who *speed up* when they see you entering said crosswalk. In the former case I stand on the curb and glare balefully at them, making full eye contact, and this usually brings them to heel. In the latter case, I *stop dead* in the middle of the crosswalk and glare balefully at them, making full eye contact, and daring them to hit me. I've got the right of way, you motorized jackass, and you're going to stop whether you want to or not.

 

[2jakes]

Drivers who don't stop for clearly-marked crosswalks, and drivers who *speed up* when they see you entering said crosswalk. In the former case I stand on the curb and glare balefully at them, making full eye contact, and this usually brings them to heel. In the latter case, I *stop dead* in the middle of the crosswalk and glare balefully at them, making full eye contact, and daring them to hit me. I've got the right of way, you motorized jackass, and you're going to stop whether you want to or not.

There's some places in our lovely world that I would not recommend this at all.
You have been lucky !

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

And worse, a naked man with more than ten items in the express line.

 

[LizzieMaine]

There's some places in our lovely world that I would not recommend this at all.
You have been lucky !

Not so much lucky as having no interest in going to such places. If they come to my town, they're gonna play by our rules.

 

[tonyb]

Say this for Seattle drivers: It's their habit to stop for pedestrians, even before those pedestrians step off the curb. It's not that every driver does that every time, so a pedestrian had better be prepared for those who don't, but yielding to pedestrians is the default mode.

In Denver (and most other places with which I am familiar) it's just the opposite. Stop for a pedestrian here and you might well get odd looks from said pedestrian and a late-model imported car in your trunk.

I attribute the difference mostly to enforcement practices. In Seattle, you will indeed be cited for failing to yield to pedestrians. Much as I would prefer people do the right thing because it's the right thing to do, alas, evidence clearly indicates that punitive measures are often more effective.

 

[2jakes]

Not so much lucky as having no interest in going to such places. If they come to my town, they're gonna play by our rules.

You must be lucky you have no drunk drivers in the place or town you live in.


But go ahead... you have the "right-of-way" !


I'm just speaking of only 28 years of covering accidents daily where the poor soul had the
"right-of-way" & the price they paid.
Sad.