# I pit people who cheat in traffic. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 15, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566 "2005-04-15T22:47:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/21 "2005-04-17T23:48:14Z")
> [@High Cheese](#): > > Driver8, take a break. You can reach your destination. You’re still a ways away. Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Although I’d like to point out my chosen name is in fact from the song you’re quoting 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/22 "2005-04-18T00:16:03Z")
I dunno if it’s the weather or what, but Hawaii drivers are fabulous. The roads are curvy, the onramps are short, and you’ll get incredibly lost if you don’t know where you are going, but every one will let you merge when its your turn, people use their signals, and there’s hardly any cheating. Leave Pennsylvania. Go to Paradise. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/23 "2005-04-18T03:30:19Z")
> [@robotic\_panda](#): > > HA! My parents make fun of me because whenever traffic is bad, I like to say “It’s not Virginia…” I swear, that was the scariest ride ever. 75+ mph, bumper to bumper. I just wanted my dad to get away from the helmetless rogue motorcycle rider. It’s even scarier when they are going 75+ and then have to come to a sudden stop. ---
**Author:** ![High\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8797f3/32.png) [@High\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/24 "2005-04-18T09:02:49Z")
> [@Driver8](#): > > Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Although I’d like to point out my chosen name is in fact from the song you’re quoting 😉 Well chosen. Stipe is a fantastic lyricist, and **Driver 8** one of his better machinations. I, however, do not understand most of his lyrics; and I wonder if even he does. But **Driver 8** is fabulous none-the-less. Any speculation on what “Go Tell crusade” is? ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/25 "2005-04-18T13:00:15Z")
I drive by that exit every day, staying on 95N. The fuckwads who do what the Sequoia did also fuck it up for us who are continuing north. Where we should be able to put the accelerator down, is when they put their blinker on and start slowing down. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve often pulled right along side them, honked, and then flipped them the bird. ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/26 "2005-04-18T19:07:26Z")
I nearly put someone into a wall on Thursday who tried to jump the exit queue. Not intentionally, mind you, but I don’t think I’d have felt all that bad about it. There’s one spot on my commute where exit traffic can back way the hell up sometimes. Farther back than the actual exit lane lasts. It’s completely obvious for around a mile before the line-up starts that the traffic sitting on the shoulder is lined up for the exit, because you’re coming down a hill and can see it all clearly. People who are not assholes hit the shoulder behind the last car in line and wait the ten minutes it takes to crawl to the front of the line and exit. People who are assholes, on the other hand, don’t have ten minutes to spare, because they need to be somewhere else, making people’s lives miserable. So they pass all the people who are patiently sitting on the shoulder. When they get to where the actual exit lane starts, they turn on their signal, but don’t actually slow down. Then, finally, when they get near the front of the line, they slow down and start trying to force their way into the line-up. Fucker in a BMW on Thursday, and I watched him pass the line, then slow down about 10 or 15 cars behind me, and thought unpleasant thoughts about him. Then, just as I reached the end of lane and the exit started to move, and I had turned my attention back to the road in front of me and accelerated, he sped up, such that he tried to break into traffic ahead of me. Because I wasn’t expecting him to do something so breathtakingly stupid with so little room left, he had to slam on his breaks to avoid going into the barricade that divided the ramp from the road. I’m not sure if he ever made it onto the exit ramp or ended up forced back onto the highway. Because saving 15 minutes is worth killing yourself over, ya know? ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/27 "2005-04-18T20:38:48Z")
> [@Agent Foxtrot](#): > > A few minutes later as I’m mercifully pulling up to about 100 yards from the exit ramp, this pitiful excuse for an ass-ratchet in a gas-annhilating V8 Toyota Sequoia thinks he’s going to be smart: he peels down the left middle lane, past everyone else who’s been waiting an hour, and slides his overgrown ass right in front of me. And you let him in? :eek: I would have been _glued_ to the bumper in front of me. Nobody’s gonna pass on the shoulder and cut back in in front of _me_. No way in hell. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/28 "2005-04-18T22:19:00Z")
Yeah, I hate those bastards who cut people off too, except when it’s me. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/29 "2005-04-19T03:10:02Z")
Not sure if this story has been told already but, my Dad used to drive the PA turnpike to Valley Forge every morning and dealt with asshats who would try to weasel in at the end of the off ramp. One morning a State Trooper was stationed there, and he waved no at every line-cutting motorist and pointed, sending them on westbound to Downingtown. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/30 "2005-04-19T03:53:22Z")
I live just north of Detroit and work in Downtown Detroit. I work 4-midnight, so I come to work when the afternoon rush hour is starting, but in the opposite direction. Anyway, I can take 75 to 94 to 10 to work or stay on 75 and take that to 10 to work or take 75 to 375 to Jefferson Ave. to work Of these, the stay on 75 is usually the fastest, but not always depending on traffic. If the onramp to 94 or 75 (if you lived here you’d know what I mean), is crowded, there’s always a few jerks who don’t get in line and try to push in at the front of the line, thus causing traffic on the lanes that aren’t exiting. Oh, and whenever there’s a traffic jam, there’s always some beat up car whizzing down the shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/31 "2005-04-19T14:18:08Z")
A couple of years ago, I’m on I-80 East going towards Sacramento; this is shortly after gettiong onto it from I-680 North. Well, I’m stuck in a major traffic jam, most of us just patiently waiting for the traffic to move along at its incredibly slow pace. I notice what looked like a brand-new SUV going by me on the right. “Hmm,” I think to myself, “That’s interesting; I’m in the far right lane.” So, about ten minutes later I get to pass the same SUV–it was parked very nicely on the shoulder in front of the CHP car. You see, he forgot one very important factoid: There are California Highway Patrol officers patrolling the highway. ---
**Author:** ![SlyFrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@SlyFrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlyFrog)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/32 "2005-04-19T14:37:50Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Not sure if this story has been told already but, my Dad used to drive the PA turnpike to Valley Forge every morning and dealt with asshats who would try to weasel in at the end of the off ramp. One morning a State Trooper was stationed there, and he waved no at every line-cutting motorist and pointed, sending them on westbound to Downingtown. That’s always been a question I had. It would seem fairly simple to have a cop just patrolling those “problem” areas once every 2-3 weeks. The same people are driving over and over, so it would seem you could give a painful lesson to the asshats and at the same time go along way toward actually resolving some of the traffic issues (by reducing the total asshattery, through the sting of tickets for bad behavior). Yet I have never, and I do mean never, seen a cop prevent that type of behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/33 "2005-04-20T01:35:38Z")
When driving up to a traffic light, I like to coast forward gently rather than accelerate and then have to brake - often the light will change before I get there, saving time and petrol. So, after being lost and late in the city the other day, I was royally pissed off when I was doing the above and some smart fucker cut in front of me. The light doesn’t change any quicker if you approach it faster, asshole! So I moved up swiftly behind him, stopping with a jerk about 3 inches from his bumper. That got his attention - as he looked in his rearview mirror, I mouthed “dickhead” or whatever. He gave me the finger, I responded in kind, and just as he turned round in his seat to continue the exchange of unpleasantries, the lights changed, giving me the delight of honking him and pointing forwards to further annoy him and indicate his stupidity. Well, it cheered me up. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/34 "2005-04-20T18:39:32Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > Chicago at rush hour is no big deal - you’re either parked or creeping ahead at 5 mph… 😃 > > Boston was nuts - though I think part of the problem there is you get maybe one sign a quarter-mile ahead of your exit as warning. It’s like you’d better know where you’re going, or don’t go there at all. This is a blatant sidetrack, but the “you better know where you’re going” thing made me remember something about Los Angeles that cracks me up. When I first moved here, I’d be going on an interchange between one freeway and another, and they’ll have a choice of two lanes, and the choice will be something like, “I-5 Santa Ana” or “I-5 San Fernando”, and no N, S, E, W indication at all. So being new to the area, I’d look at these signs and think “Where the hell is San Fernando? Where the hell is Santa Ana?” Awhile back, some artist was sick of the bad freeway signs, so he made his own sign that looked exactly like the official ones, and put it up himself. If I’m not mistaken, Caltrans thought it was a good idea and decided to just leave it there. ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/35 "2005-04-21T00:26:32Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Not sure if this story has been told already but, my Dad used to drive the PA turnpike to Valley Forge every morning and dealt with asshats who would try to weasel in at the end of the off ramp. One morning a State Trooper was stationed there, and he waved no at every line-cutting motorist and pointed, sending them on westbound to Downingtown. How I wish they would do that here! Everytime I drive downtown (usually I take the Metro) I see people pulling out of the right line onto whatever off ramp is available only to cut back in. They only pass maybe 4 or 5 cars. I know the place mentioned in the OP. I hate it. Like Trunk, I’ve been continuing north only to get stuck behind one of these asshats. It’s especially bad when they decide that rather than slowing down gradually, they’ll just slam on the breaks and stop short. I don’t like sudden stops on the freeway! I don’t really tailgate, but even if I’m not risking hitting them, I do like the chance to get around them. ---
**Author:** ![thomasm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/50afbb/32.png) [@thomasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thomasm)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/36 "2005-04-22T01:24:25Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > This is a blatant sidetrack As is this, for which I apologize. > [@blowero](#): > > Awhile back, some artist was sick of the bad freeway signs, so he made his own sign that looked exactly like the official ones, and put it up himself. If I’m not mistaken, Caltrans thought it was a good idea and decided to just leave it there. I believe what you’re referring to is [this](http://www.nbc4.tv/news/1448667/detail.html). In summary, a California artist kept having problems knowing where the offramp was for North I-5, so he made up a sign, after researching the relevant specifications from government websites. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566/37 "2005-04-22T08:34:36Z")
That is indeed the story to which I referred. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cheat-in-traffic/299566.md?page=1)