My favorite is the people that pass their exit by a considerable distance, realize they just missed their exit, stop and proceed to back up (on a busy highway) so that they can get off at their exit. Needless to say, they endanger life and limb of oncoming traffic (who cares about them. If they’re stupid enough to back up on a busy highway, they can deal with the consequences) so that they don’t have to take the next exit and double back.
Sparrowhawk
Yes, but the look on the faces of drivers from Massachusetts when they see someone motioning them onto the freeway is priceless! 
Actually, it’s been 8 years since I got kicked out of Paradise and I couldn’t afford a car in those days, but I do remember the extreme consideration of people in Hawaii. “Why you so upset, bruddah? You in one hurry or what?” (Man, has my pidgin got bad!)
CJ
Actually, you could be making a distinction between separate counties and contiguous counties, so it isn’t such a silly thing to say (though I suspect it was contiguous counties, unless you crossed the bridge). I just like the Sayers quote, which originally referred to continents.
Yeah, contiguous. Rockland and Orange. Although I’d be willing to commit mayhem in Westchester, too. Hey, even the Bronnix, although they prolly wouldn’t even notice.
I get so pissed at people who, when they are in line at an intersection with stop signs, decide they’re too important to wait their turn, and follow the car in front right through the intersection without stopping. Gah!
Also, if you are in the left turn lane and realize you meant to go straight, don’t sit there waiting for the lights to change so you can go forward. Everybody behind you is trying to turn left and those lights don’t last long. Make the damn turn, then find a place to turn around and head back where you want to go.
Likewise for people who aren’t in the left turn lane and want to turn left. Don’t try to make the turn out of the wrong lane.
Hey Dave how about those damn toll booth attendants that alway make you wait for your change?
SHAKES, I’m glad you realized my OP was actually a cleverly disguised rant about waiting in long supermarket lines.
I wondered how long it would take before someone pointed that out.
Epimetheus sez:
This isn’t quite correct… The purpose of the yellow light (and laws about it bear this out) is to stop you only if you can do so safely
That is to say, it is perfectly legal to enter an intersection through a yellow light if you would have been unable to stop for it in a safe manner, so it’s not quite correct to say that you must be out of the intersection when it goes red.
It is just as dangerous and idiotic to slam on your brakes when the light goes yellow…
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Those octagonal-shaped signs? Those are “stop” signs, not “slow down, make sure there’s no cross-traffic, then turn left” signs. I saw some idiot driving commercial pickup do this yesterday morning. I would have called the company to report the driver but didn’t have time to get the number.
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The gutter lane is a right-turn lane. If you intend to go straight you’re supposed to wait in line with everyone else, not race the driver next to you to the other side of the intersection. Saw this one this morning.
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The right lane is for right turns only, unless marked otherwise. Also this morning, there was a school bus in the left lane to turn left and some jerk decided to try to go around the bus. He ended up beind the bus anyway at the next intersection which was so busy he and the bus driver had to wait for the light to cycle twice.
Both #12 & 14 originated at the same intersection; a four-lane road that ends at a two-way stop. It’s possible to continue straight at that intersection but if one did so one would end up at a parking garage.
I recently witnessed an accident involving someone squeaking through a light on orange. After things settled down, I talked to one of the Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies at the scene and asked him what the law was.
He told me that in California, if you have entered the intersection before the light turns red, you’re legal. YMMV in other jurisdictions.
When the deputies were interviewing witnesses, the main fact they were trying to establish was whether the light was red or yellow when the car crossed the limit line (the local definition of “entering the intersection”).
I’m with Mikahw on the four-way stops, too. Two-at-a-time doubles the throughput, which at some busy intersections around here is pretty significant. I’m fully aware that this practice is contrary to the legally prescribed one, but I endorse it anyway. Judge me a scofflaw if you must. 