The Vent Thread, reasonable or being an asshole?

[mall walker]

And don't inconvenience everybody in the lane you're already in by slowing way down to try to get into the turn lane. Suck it up, go forward, and figure it out on your own time.

qft

[goldengatestinx]

So, first of all, apparently some of you guys would not survive the experience at my 'local' gas station (uptown in Manhattan--I never go there unless I'm on 'E') where at any busy time of day you have about a half-dozen cabs parked randomly around the pumps, all pumps full, and lines going both ways with cabs in between who often weren't even getting gas trying to move back out onto the street. No real lines, no order, pretty much chaos so no one ever worries about some real/imagined etiquette to all of it.

But I do occasionally stop at these larger gas stations with longer rows of pumps, where people will be lined up waiting, but two or three pumps down from the end there will be an unoccupied pump and the first person in line is either unaware or too fixated on the pump right in front of them to move forward to the empty pump. I typically just drive past the line and pull up to the empty pump--I have no idea why the first person in line doesn't do that, but I'm not going to leave a pump empty just because other people are too sleepy to figure it out. I am aware some people might consider it a dick move, but to me it just seems like a waste of everyone's time not to be more efficient.

How are people to learn unless someone learns them?

[old goat]

What about this situation. There are two lanes, and the left lane is about to end. Traffic is backed up, so as more people pile up in the left lane to merge, the more it fucks everybody. How many people will pull into the left lane, big-rig style, to block traffic from passing?

My answer is, it depends. Mostly on my mood, but also my assessment of the person behind me and whether they look like they're game to play along.

Busy road, two lanes with one ending--everyone is fucked no matter what people do (but I'm on the side of those who merge at the end of the left lane, not before.

i don’t need no education to throw down with the orygun voice to get shit done. plenty of jobs require the asshole voice from the boss to get er done.

[senior researcher]

Jesus! I am a asshole. I am just checking in.

[wickstad]

Asshole.

[wickstad]

Asshole.

With a clean rig though.

[muted]

pre-merging is part of a larger family of awful driving habits:

- suspicious gap-closure "because this is MY lane"

Pre-merging drives me nuts. But the gap-closure move is something I do, it's only done to drivers who are being selfish assholes, part of the "larger family of awful driving habits" as you say. 99% of drivers don't deserve or get this treatment. People doing this aren't saying "this is MY lane", they are saying "screw this asshole". Ha.

[old goat]

Guy in the next lane signals to get over I let him get over. Long line of traffic heading for a ramp and some guy comes racing up on the left with the idea of cutting into the line I might close the gap. It's still a jerk thing to do. Maybe he's an asshole trying to jump ahead in line; maybe he's someone who doesn't know the area and didn't realize they had to get over sooner--we've all been there. Anyway, someone else will let them in so my feeble attempts at enforcing courtesy go for naught.

[mall walker]

Speaking of annoying merge behavior, sitting there not merging because you don't have a 2-semi-trucks-long length of space, while the car behind you waves you in... ugh just go you moron

[skaredshtles]

You guys know what solves ALL this traffic/merging/bullshit...

[muted]

Yeah, me riding my bike more.

[iceman]

You guys know what solves ALL this traffic/merging/bullshit...

Yeah, me riding my bike more.

I was gonna say "a howitzer", but I guess riding your bike would work too.

[Dantheman]

Yeah, me riding my bike more.

Nothing instills a blissful sense of smug satisfaction quite like riding past a long line of backed up cars who are going nowhere soon.

[skaredshtles]

Nothing instills a blissful sense of smug satisfaction quite like riding past a long line of backed up cars who are going nowhere soon.

[XXX-er]

I live in a small town in the narth its not the middle of nowhere but you can see nowhere from here, the people are chill cuz they can get anywhere in 5 minutes, most people will let you go ahead cuz they don't wana be thot of as impolite and they just have not much to worry about

In spite of the rules of the road at 4 ways stops nobody wants to go 1st and besides if they grew up here they don't know the rules. There arent any freeways to merge on so no probelm with that, In Food store lineups you probably know everybody in the line and/or the checker so you don't wana fuck that interaction up just chill and have a convo. Car wash has like 6 bays so how do you single lineup for that and besides its just not that busy

you folks otoh live down there in a seething mass of people in a hurry

[Rip'nStick]

Op should not do any resort skiing in Europe. I didn't know there was etiquette at a multi bay carwash. I always thought just roll the dice and wait in front of one.

I was going to mention this in response to post regarding different cultures.

[Tele 'til You're Smelly]

Yeah, me riding my bike more.

Ooh is it time to start bitching about bike/car interactions? My pet peeve is cars stopping for you when you're on a bike even though they have the right of way (and it's clear there is no risk of collision- like where you are stopped at a stop sign and the car doesn't have one). I used to try and wave them past to "teach them how to do it" but it's a lost cause, I usually just go now. But sometimes you can't because of other cars in other lanes etc- I wish they did a better job of teaching drivers not to do this in driver's ed and on license exams.

[Dantheman]

Ooh is it time to start bitching about bike/car interactions? My pet peeve is cars stopping for you when you're on a bike even though they have the right of way (and it's clear there is no risk of collision- like where you are stopped at a stop sign and the car doesn't have one). I used to try and wave them past to "teach them how to do it" but it's a lost cause, I usually just go now. But sometimes you can't because of other cars in other lanes etc- I wish they did a better job of teaching drivers not to do this in driver's ed and on license exams.

Urban riding is quite the dichotomy. Half the cars on the road are like this^^ and treat you with a counterproductive level of courtesy. The other half think your legal place is on the sidewalk and viscerally hate you.

[babybear]

Ooh is it time to start bitching about bike/car interactions? My pet peeve is cars stopping for you when you're on a bike even though they have the right of way (and it's clear there is no risk of collision- like where you are stopped at a stop sign and the car doesn't have one). I used to try and wave them past to "teach them how to do it" but it's a lost cause, I usually just go now. But sometimes you can't because of other cars in other lanes etc- I wish they did a better job of teaching drivers not to do this in driver's ed and on license exams.

this is also my pet peeve
we call them niceholes

[iceman]

In a town I spend a lot of time in they often do this for cars. You'll be on a side road and pull up to a stop sign and a car on the main road, with no stop sign, will stop and wave you ahead. wtf? Fucking GO. Just follow the rules of the road and we'll all be fine.

[skaredshtles]

In a town I spend a lot of time in they often do this for cars. You'll be on a side road and pull up to a stop sign and a car on the main road, with no stop sign, will stop and wave you ahead. wtf? Fucking GO. Just follow the rules of the road and we'll all be fine.

This. I just look the other way and wait until they give up on their misplaced courtesy.

[Dantheman]

This. I just look the other way and wait until they give up on their misplaced courtesy.

IDK man, that is generally the kind of person you want to get the fuck in front of.

[skaredshtles]

IDK man, that is generally the kind of person you want to get the fuck in front of.

I figure that the person will suddenly decide they don't want to wait at precisely the moment I give up and pull out... they'll hit me, and it'll be MY fucking fault. There's no winning. Goddam niceholes.

[iceman]

That's exactly it. Somebody stupid or crazy enough to stop like that is probably gonna end up ramming you when you finally decide to go in front of them. No thanks.

[Dantheman]

I figure that the person will suddenly decide they don't want to wait at precisely the moment I give up and pull out... they'll hit me, and it'll be MY fucking fault. There's no winning. Goddam niceholes.

Can't argue with that.