Is it just me or ...

are Austin drivers getting worse by the week ?

I personally avoid rush hour traffic as much as possible, because I VERY MUCH dislike having to compensate for poor and aggressive drivers.

I swear... last couple of times I've been out, the roads have been FULL of "my time is more important than yours, and therefore it's ok for me to cut you off and weave in and out of traffic to get ahead of you by two cars" idiots.

Don't these folks realize that after five mins of weaving in and out and getting ahead by two cars, they only saved themselves about three seconds, while introducing a HUGE chance of causing a fender bender or a wreck that would block a lane or two and cause hours of delays ????? Yes - about three seconds because that's about how long it takes to travel two car lengths (thirty feet ?).

And now that you've gotten two cars ahead, now what ? Traffic is bumper-to-bumper, and you still ain't going nowhere. So take a chill pill, and enjoy the music or whatever floats your boat.

And another suggestion ... that car length of open space that you spy .... that's there for a reason. That's called a driver's personal space, and the driver is maintaining that space for their own safety. It's not meant to be there for one to occupy. If one needs to use it, do so very temporarily and then vacate that space to the lady/gentleman who's trying to maintain that space. That's just common sense and respect for others' (and your) dignity. Just as one leaves a foot or two of open space between/among people during conversation as "personal space", and getting closer feels uncomfortable and is considered "getting in your face", please respect other drivers' personal spaces. You are in a city where population density is high, and yes you have to share.

Most importantly, if anyone is installing disintegrators in late model vehicles, please PM me, as I'm in the market for a set or two.

Commission commiserate with effectiveness of disintegrator. Willing to pay more if your disintegrator model is capable of "bending the bullet" around other vehicles and make the azzhole vanish.

P.S. How is this hobby related ? One of these idiots cause a wreck about ten cars ahead of me on Friday afternoon around 5:30pm, and I had to call and cancel my two hour date w/ a provider because traffic came to a standstill. I'm pretty certain that she was not very happy with me, and took my explanation as a lame azz excuse.

Austin is in a growth spurt. It's all the assholes moving here and bringing their bad driving habits with them...

City ought to suspend issuing building permits until the infrastructure catches up. Yeah, right. That'd be too big a pay cut for our dedicated public servants.

Dude, it has nothing to do with Austin. Shitty drivers are everywhere. Every place I've ever lived this topic comes up sooner or later. I'm with you on these idiots but don't think Austin is unique. The attitude many have is thier time is so much more valuable than yours and we should all pull over to give them clear passage. I want a Hummer with a 50 cal. mounted on top. A few quick burst over thier head should get thier attention. If not, well you know what happens....

Budman, sign on as a contractor out in Afghanistan and all your dreams of firing bursts overhead can come true.

Yes, it's quite oxymoronic for it to be called *rush* hour when nothing of the sort is going on. In that line of thinking, why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?

I can understand the several car lengths of space rule when actually moving at a good pace, but to do so when traffic has actually come to a standstill and leave 2-3 car lengths is unneccessary. Nothing ticks me off more to be in that scenario behind someone and I see cars moving into the space. Then the person in front of me thinks they need to create that space between them and those new cars in front of him and doesn't move when traffic inches along some. Then, yes, you guessed it, more people jump in and I'm stuck not moving and the cycle repeats!

If the city of Austin would really get their shit together and actually work on a plan for alternate modes of transportation besides the highways that actually work and not the lame attempt at light rail that they did. Personally, I think several concentric monorail rings should circle through the city with one or two lines connecting to them would be best. Cost wise monorails are cheaper and faster to install than light rail, but I'm sure someone got paid so it went through anyway just like the toll roads that citizens voted against.

Nothing ticks me off more to be in that scenario behind someone and I see cars moving into the space. Then the person in front of me thinks they need to create that space between them and those new cars in front of him and doesn't move when traffic inches along some. Then, yes, you guessed it, more people jump in and I'm stuck not moving and the cycle repeats! Originally Posted by Sternomancer

So everyone should follow your guidelines of safe driving, and appease your wishes because, otherwise, it ticks you off.

Some vehicles take longer than others to stop (it's called law of inertia); other considerations also apply - like weather conditions, condition and/or age of the vehicle's tires and/or brakes, person's age and/or mental/physical disposition affecting reaction times, and a host of others.

But of course, it ticks you off; therefore, they must be undeniably in the wrong.

Starting to get the WHOLE picture, yet ? It ain't just black and white.

Sell crazy some place else, we are all stocked up here.

The points I'm trying to make are:
- if a person wants space, allow them the space; it's not that persons' actions that are causing you to react; it's those who are filling the space that's causing your blood pressure to go up
- if a person fills the space, don't follow suit; if a dog bites me, I don't aspire to bite the dog back
- no, it's not a perfect world; but the responsibility of betterment rests with each of us

Austin is in a growth spurt. It's all the assholes moving here and bringing their bad driving habits with them...

City ought to suspend issuing building permits until the infrastructure catches up. Yeah, right. That'd be too big a pay cut for our dedicated public servants. Originally Posted by rCoder

Yep, the "growth" spurt started in about 1955, a few years after I arrived. Perhaps everyone that arrived after 1960 should just move away. It used to be the the lack of traffic meant that UT was out of session for the Summer and you could really tell when the students returned.
I also remember paying $7800 for a two bedroom 1 bath, about 2 miles from downtown.... the one that recently sold for $276,000, and not improved, pretty much the way it was when it was new in '58.
What happened to the theory of "economy of scale". Why should it cost MORE per person when the is 1,000,000 folks here, than it did when there was 48,000? I pay way more for property taxes now, per year, than I paid for the house in full!

So everyone should follow your guidelines of safe driving, and appease your wishes because, otherwise, it ticks you off.

Some vehicles take longer than others to stop (it's called law of inertia); other considerations also apply - like weather conditions, condition and/or age of the vehicle's tires and/or brakes, person's age and/or mental/physical disposition affecting reaction times, and a host of others.

But of course, it ticks you off; therefore, they must be undeniably in the wrong.

Starting to get the WHOLE picture, yet ? It ain't just black and white.

Sell crazy some place else, we are all stocked up here.

The points I'm trying to make are:
- if a person wants space, allow them the space; it's not that persons' actions that are causing you to react; it's those who are filling the space that's causing your blood pressure to go up
- if a person fills the space, don't follow suit; if a dog bites me, I don't aspire to bite the dog back
- no, it's not a perfect world; but the responsibility of betterment rests with each of us Originally Posted by rrrabbit

Oh good Lord. Are you the guy in rush hour who thinks he's the self-appointed regulator of speed and creeps along with 5 car lengths between him and the car in front? So if you tick everybody else on the freeway off, THEY must be in the wrong? Do you drive the speed limit in the fast lane too? And when a car can finally get around you, you just shake your head because they're idiots and you're going the speed limit?

Yeah, if you've got an 18-wheeler you need several car-lengths, if you're pulling a boat you need several car-lengths. If your brakes or tires need car lengths stop spending money on this and go get your car fixed. If a guy is just too damn old and slow to be driving he should hang it up but that's at least an excuse.

Now if you're talking about one car length and some asshole cuts into THAT, he's an asshole and I agree. But I agree with Sternomancer that these idiots that decide to creep along with several car-lengths in front of them IN RUSH HOUR are a pain in the ass. Usually it's because they're on their phone and distracted and THAT'S why they need the reaction time.

Part of the problem is the mix of drivers. There are places I've been (e.g. rural Minnesota) where (excepting Saturday nights) drivers obey the speed limit, signal, come to a complete stop at stop signs, et cetera. There are places like the I-94 in Chicago where everyone is fast and aggressive. I don't find either situation situation frustrating or problematic.

Having both sets of drivers on the same road, as we do here in Austin, is frankly terrifying, though the reason I don't carry a gun handy is the SUV-driving cell phone addicts. On the road "Hey, your honor, he tried to kill me first," sounds like an effective and reasonable defense; less so sitting in my office, even though I've had to ride the broken line between vehicles going 70 several times becau.se one of them changed lanes into the space I was occupying.

Aargh

And hey, I moved here in 2000; that makes me one of the assholes, doesn't it? Damn it....

Oh good Lord. Are you the guy in rush hour who thinks he's the self-appointed regulator of speed and creeps along with 5 car lengths between him and the car in front? So if you tick everybody else on the freeway off, THEY must be in the wrong? Do you drive the speed limit in the fast lane too? And when a car can finally get around you, you just shake your head because they're idiots and you're going the speed limit?

Yeah, if you've got an 18-wheeler you need several car-lengths, if you're pulling a boat you need several car-lengths. If your brakes or tires need car lengths stop spending money on this and go get your car fixed. If a guy is just too damn old and slow to be driving he should hang it up but that's at least an excuse.

Now if you're talking about one car length and some asshole cuts into THAT, he's an asshole and I agree. But I agree with Sternomancer that these idiots that decide to creep along with several car-lengths in front of them IN RUSH HOUR are a pain in the ass. Usually it's because they're on their phone and distracted and THAT'S why they need the reaction time. Originally Posted by down41

It's apparent, even to the layman, that YOU sir, have appointed yourself the traffic regulator; and that you are trying to justify your logic. Your "If -> Then -> Else -> ElseIf" attempt at self justification may make sense to you, but please keep your judgments to yourself, instead of pushing it onto others. In fact, you are attempting to brew up nothing but ignorant assumptions into a potion of self righteousness.

How do you know that the person on the cell is not talking to a person who just got raped and is headed to the hospital, or of a matter of similar urgency demanding immediate attention? Maybe they are allowing for the extra space because they recognize that they are operating under conditions where their mental disposition has been compromised ?

But, according to your logic, they should pull over and call an ambulance and be driven there and they should not be on the road at all. Is that because they are a danger, or because they are in your way, or because your destination is of greater value than theirs ?

Again, your time is not more important than mine, or the pimple faced kid in front of you. And it's not all back and white.

Glass bubble comes to mind.

You live in a city. Learn to share. Otherwise, consider retiring to the country where the next house is 3 miles up the road, sir.

Traffic congestion is not unique to Austin; nor is belligerent driving. I travel extensively, here and abroad, most recently San Francisco, Porland, Seattle, and Miami, I always rent a car or I am provided with a personal car, especially in Miami were it is dangerous to drive with a rental sticker on your car.

It is a sign of the times we live in; we talk on the phone and drive; we text and drive; we put on our makeup and even read the newspaper while we drive.

We now live in an instant gratification society where we must have what we want and we must be where we want be to be as instantly as possible.

Is there a solution? More roads; more trains; more lanes; I guarantee you if mopac had 10 lanes running North and South each, someone will still tailgate you or cut you off or switch lanes erratically while flipping you off at the same time.

Sign of the times......

Traffic congestion is not unique to Austin; nor is belligerent driving. I travel extensively, here and abroad, most recently San Francisco, Porland, Seattle, and Miami, I always rent a car or I am provided with a personal car, especially in Miami were it is dangerous to drive with a rental sticker on your car.

It is a sign of the times we live in; we talk on the phone and drive; we text and drive; we put on our makeup and even read the newspaper while we drive.

We now live in an instant gratification society where we must have what we want and we must be where we want be to be as instantly as possible.

Is there a solution? More roads; more trains; more lanes; I guarantee you if mopac had 10 lanes running North and South each, someone will still tailgate you or cut you off or switch lanes erratically while flipping you off at the same time.

Sign of the times...... Originally Posted by runswithscissors

Amen to that Run. That's why, in my original post, I tried to indicate that it seems to be getting worse by the week.

Maybe it's just that I have not been out in rush hour for a while. But the last couple of times I have, it certainly feels significantly worse that I remember it to be.

But anyhow, the intent of my post was not to go about bashing folks. I was merely making an observation that folks seem to be taking more chances on the road, for everyone to be safe, and to take others' needs into consideration while out on public roads.

Rabbit, you are right. I drive rush hour every day and I see so many idiots. I think they are from California. Recently, I saw someone pass in the turn lane and someone pass on the shoulder. Maybe it was an emergency but I doubt it. The turn lane idiot ran over a set of box springs left by a different idiot and the shoulder passing guy was seen a few miles further getting a ticket. Both were satisfying BTW.

So everyone should follow your guidelines of safe driving, and appease your wishes because, otherwise, it ticks you off.

Some vehicles take longer than others to stop (it's called law of inertia); other considerations also apply - like weather conditions, condition and/or age of the vehicle's tires and/or brakes, person's age and/or mental/physical disposition affecting reaction times, and a host of others.

I'm sorry, but if someone needs 3 car lengths on a dry, sunny day moving at a pace of less than 5 mph (which is the situation I was speaking of) then they probably shouldn't be on the road if mental/physical/mechanical conditions warrant such behavior; let alone doing it in the outside lane. Inertia is almost nil at such a speed. There is safe driving and there is also curteous driving which that is not.

I, myself, follow the several car lengths rule at the higher speeds that require it, but when traffic is moving at the pace of someone doing a brisk walk, no.

I never stated if they were right or wrong. Yes, it ticks me off because it isn't curteous to other drivers. There is safe and there is too safe. Consider this, if traffic is flowing at 65 and you want to do 30 because you feel it's safer, a cop will issue a ticket for unsafe driving because traffic conditions dictate a faster speed.

It's apparent, even to the layman, that YOU sir, have appointed yourself the traffic regulator; and that you are trying to justify your logic. Your If -> then -> else attempt at self justification may make sense to you, but please keep your judgments to yourself, instead of pushing it onto others. In fact, you are attempting to brew up nothing but ignorance and assumptions into a potion of self righteousness.

How do you know that the person on the cell is not talking to a person who just got raped and is headed to the hospital, or of a matter of similar urgency demanding immediate attention? Maybe they are allowing for the extra space because they recognize that they are operating under conditions where their mental disposition has been compromised ?

But, according to your logic, they should pull over and call an ambulance and be driven there and they should not be on the road at all. Is that because they are a danger, or because they are in your way, or because your destination is of greater value than theirs ?

Again, your time is not more important than mine, or the pimple faced kid in front of you. And it's not all back and white.

Glass bubble comes to mind.

You live in a city. Learn to share. Otherwise, consider retiring to the country where the next house is 3 miles up the road, sir. Originally Posted by rrrabbit

Dude, I have to agree with down41 on this. Using your logic how do you know the guy pulling in front of you is not on the way to the hospital? That's kind of a moronic argument. If you are in slow stop and go traffic you need to stay within a car length of the vehicles in front of you. If traffic is moving along at a decent pace and you are in the left lane you need to be passing other cars or move the fuck over. The problem with drivers everywhere is so many think they are the only ones that matter and if they think the proper speed is 45 then everybody doing more is the problem. Pick your speed and do it in the proper lane. Rush hour traffic sucks for all of us regardless of the city you are in but doing your part to keep traffic moving is a plus. Quit gawking at the wreck on the other side of the highway and stay up with the flow of traffic will help a bunch.