The absence of above-and-beyond courtesy is not the same thing as rudeness. I think it’s going out of your way to be courteous if you’re kind enough to change out of the lane that’s convenient for you because you believe it will benefit other drivers. That’s fantastic. I’ve been known to do it.
It does NOT mean that I assume someone who doesn’t follow that principle is being rude.
Stay in the right lane except to pass if you are going straight. Don’t be bothered by people that think you are responsible for their being able to turn right at will. With practice you may even enjoy blocking.
Did you read the OP?
It is five stoplights and three miles, not five blocks.
The question is this bad etiquette? I believe it is.
Not quite as bad as being a " I am doing the speed limit therefore I can ride the left lane" driver, but close.
Obviously, its common courtesy to hold the door open for people or help somebody if they just dropped all of their groceries or books or whatever. Its a different story when you’re driving - safety comes before convenience. If I can do something that helps another driver get somewhere faster, fine - but if I can’t or don’t, I’m not going to lose sleep over it. I try to be the safest driver I can so I won’t hurt or kill anybody on the road. However, it is not my responsibility to make sure they get to work on time. Its not like we all go out of our way to be a huge inconvenience, but its also not a big deal if you have to a wait a little longer to turn right.
If there’s lots of room, but if there was enough room to do this safely, there’d probably be another lane and you wouldn’t have to.
Your front end is poking into the intersection. Pedestrians and cars on your left aren’t expecting somebody else to scoot up on your right, because you’re in that lane, the only lane. And the guy squeaking by on your right probably doesn’t have a clear view.
Actually, I disagree that that is perfectly acceptable. In fact, it’s quite rude. But when you are walking into as store, it is fair to assume that the person behind you is also walking into the store. No such assumption is valid in the OP’s scenario.
Also, stopping at a red light has no cognate with letting a swinging door hit the guy behind you. What physical damage is caused by coming to a stop in a lane designated for through traffic?
And how is the driver to know that the one behind him intends to turn? Do you live in a world where everyone uses their turn signal? Why move into a lane that you will soon have to abandon ? What happens if everyone in the right hand lane is going straight and you have no opportunity to move over?
You do understand that right on red is allowed, but not required, right?
What are all these commments about creeping up far enough to let cars behind you turn right? In almost any intersection in any city, you would be either cutting off the pedestrian crossing lane or going past the stop line, most likely both to do so. That is absolutely the wrong thing to do.
You are not being rude to be in the right lane going straight. According to general rules of the road, that’s where you should be unless you are passing other traffic.
That has to be one of the weirdest traffic rules I’ve ever seen. If you did the equivalent in Australia (fail to turn when facing a LEFT TURN ON RED PERMITTED AFTER STOPPING sign), you’d flunk your driving test for “give way unnecessarily” and in day to day driving, I’d not risk my wallet if the police saw me doing that. It goes against all my natural instincts of driving - it’s as weird as not proceeding through a green light if you don’t feel like it.
Its the same in the states. There are those who wait out the entire red light, but for the most part people turn when its safe to do so. I’ve never heard of someone getting a ticket for waiting out a light, but then again its not endangering anybody. The cops around here tend to pick their battles, for better or worse.
I should have stated that where I am, foot traffic is pretty much nonexistent.
I really have a hard time feeling sorry for anyone behind you who has to wait, god forbid, an extra forty seconds to turn right. People who feel they must be able to act as quickly as possible and that every other person on the road must bend to this whim are the reason I hate driving. It’s just one fucking stoplight. If you’re in such a hurry you should be leaving the house earlier.
My point is that it is only five lights. It’s five opportunities for people to turn left 30 seconds faster than they otherwise would. This is not a big deal. It doesn’t matter if it’s 5 blocks or 5 miles.
If it’s easy to get over and let people go, then yeah, I’d do so. But it is far more desirable to preserve the flow of traffic in all lanes. If in getting over, you slow traffic for both lanes both times, you are not helping.
First of all, 5 blocks is a helluva lot different than 3 (not sure where you got 5) miles.
Second, you speak of both lanes where as the OP says it is a six lane road meaning three each way.
Again I ask, did you read the OP?
People like you should ride the bus.
Wow- the whole “Look at me, I’m so important, get the fuck outta my way” attitude is really catching on. Nobody has the right to claim a whole lane for just themselves, or only those that will be turning soon. I don’t care if you’re turning right, if I want to be in the right lane that’s where I’ll be, and the DOT says I have every right to be there, and fuck you for thinking you’re so grand that people should drive in different lanes than you because you’re going to turn right soon.
(This is not directed towards anyone here in particular, as this is not the pit.)
Lotta shitty drivers in here it appears.
(This is not directed towards anyone here in particular, as this is not the pit.)
Suppose you modify your driving and choose the center lane. Don’t you think some other “going straight” driver will take the spot that you vacated? The right-turn folks won’t be any better off, they’ll just be sitting behind someone else.
My definition of shitty driver is one that endangers others, yours seems to be the one that prevents you from getting to your destination as fast as you possibly can. Meh. Being in traffic, and having to slow down and even stop are just a part of driving. If you’re too important for that, may I suggest a personal helicopter?
You haven’t provided a single point of logic to explain why you think that not getting over is such a “shitty” thing to do. Care to contribute to the conversation at all outside of suggesting other modes of transportation for the folks with whom you disagree?
**Zebra ** gets it.
It is not about being special or being more important than others it is a simple matter of etiquette.
Etiquette , by the what the Op was asking about.
Talk out of both sides of your mouth much?