Major Huge Rant….Slow Rush Hour Traffic!!!! ARGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’ve been doing rush hour for several years, as everyone else, I hate it…but I’ve noticed something over the years and I started keeping a day-to-day log of when the traffic was slow and what caused it. The reality pissed me the fuck off!!! At first I thought it was just random bad luck…but after two months of recording traffic patterns I have determined the MAIN cause of slow Rush Hour traffic.

STUPID PEOPLE DOING STUPID THINGS!!!

Of course everyone just muttered, oh hey, there you go…you’re a genius and started to think of a witty piss-off reply…but I’m not done.

I recorded 42 days of traffic on two major North Texas Highways that I drive daily between 5pm-6pm. I am eliminating obvious problems such as major accidents blocking the road, highway shutdown, etc. because in my 42 days, this did not occur one single time. Here is what I found to be the NUMBER 1 issue that caused traffic to slow.

Rubberneckers

Here is a scenario that repeated itself for over 91% of the days I logged:

Traffic is moving at 5MPH and stops every 10 feet. This goes on for several miles until finally off to the side of the road you can see a police car or other flashing lights. There is no interference with traffic, there is no blockage of the highway, but traffic is moving this slow. At least 91% of the time, the flashing lights were a cop pulled someone over, a wrecker is collecting an abandoned vehicle, there was a very minor fender-bender and the people involved are exchanging information (off the road on the median or shoulder).

Every single time this was the case, EVERY time! As soon as traffic would pass this scenario, it would immediately go back up to the speed limit or higher and traffic flowed normally until the next “scenario.”

This is ridiculous!!! Everyone on the road at rush hour wants to get home, they want to go have their lives, and get on with them. So why is it that everyone has to slow down and crane their neck around to see the boring scenario taking place off the road???

Personally, I don’t give two shits about what is going on off the road!!! My goal is home, my interest is home, the IDIOTS that are paying so much attention are responsible for grinding rush hour to a halt!

In my opinion, don’t blame the road designer for not making the road able to handle the flux of traffic…blame yourself the next time you slow down and look over at a cop writing a ticket to some poor SOB that was just trying to avoid you!!!

God I hate nosy people….and it seems they’re just as bad when they’re behind the wheel :mad:

-SS

If “knowledge is power,” why does stupidity reign?

2

I’m with you Sky. If you want to watch car crashes, drive by them, and watch the footage on the news. I don’t care to see possible loss of human life, myself. Doesn’t float my boat.

People on cell-phones piss me off, too. If you must talk on the phone WHILE driving, at least get a headset or speakerphone. The accident rates among people talking on cell phones is equal to that of drunk drivers. ARGH.

Hmmm…this thread has a Pit-ish odor to it…

3

I thought about the pit…but it really is one of those Misc. ps thingies I must share

-SS :wink:

If “knowledge is power,” why does stupidity reign?

4

How much of it is rubbernecking, and how much of it is residual backing-up left over from the initial pull over? What I’m saying is, when a cop pulls someone over for speeding, their usually in the left lane. The cop turns his lights on, everyone slows down. Both cars then need to get to the right lane to pull over, also causing some traffic turmoil. If its rush hour, I’m suggesting that there’s a possibility that this initial slowdown of all the cars will perpetuate itself for a long period of time. It would be interesting to see a timelapse video of rush hour traffic and see what really is going on. Any thoughts? (I have a sneaking suspicion that this has already been discussed, but I’m posting anyway. Hate me if you like.)

I ask not what you can do for me, but what you can do for me right now.

5

Possible but not likely…in my area the cop sends them to the closest side of the road, we have huge medians on Texas Highways and so they usually pull them into the middle. Also, why would it go for so long and still be stop and go just 100 yards from the “scenario”.

I hold my ground on rubbernecking stupidity, if you look in the cars you can even see people looking over.

-SS

If “knowledge is power,” why does stupidity reign?

6

Connor - don’t hate ya. insert smiley face here

I’ve wondered the same thing - and it would be cool to see video of rush hour. Wonder if it’s been done? Will go do my search engine thing…

Anyway, one thing I’ve noticed personally (and the reason I noticed it is because it really p*ssed me off last night) is the lange change clowns - PICK A LANE JERKWAD - you’re just making everyone else slam on their brakes while you cut in front of them!

7

Is this major North Texas freeway either 75 or 635? I stay away from 635 like the plague. I have to drive on 75 but I get to go against the traffic.

The Stanley Cup: A repeat is in the STARS!

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These particular highways are 360 South, I-20 West, and I-35W South through Arlington and Fort Worth. Although I’ve noticed the same thing when travelling through Dallas on I-30 or 635!!!

-SS

If “knowledge is power,” why does stupidity reign?

9

Sky

A lot of the “rubber neckers” are people like you. They are stuck in the slow traffic wondering why it is so slow. When they get to the “problem area”, they look and wonder what was so bad. Even after an accident is cleared, they look around before speeding up.

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People “like me” ignore the side issue and try to get around the “rubberneckers.” On my journey home…my only interest is getting home…I don’t care what’s happening off the highway if it isn’t blocking the way in front of me.

If it’s bad enough to care about…you’ll see it on the news! You’re on the road to get to your destination, not sideshow entertainment!!!

-SS :rolleyes:

If “knowledge is power,” why does stupidity reign?

11

I too have been languishing in rush hour traffic (Near Boston) for lo these many years. After much study and contemplation and one failed attempt to write a simulation program for the phenomenon, I have concluded that the slowdown is due to an accumulation of tiny slow downs. Nobody ever really stopped as the traffic does, but the sum of a bunch of very small slow downs is a complete stop. The tiny slow down is an almost unconscious reaction to something happening on or near the roadway, so I don’t think it’s really stupid people causing the problem, it’s traffic density. When the traffic gets above some magic number of cars per mile or furlong or whatever, these slowdowns are inevitable.
Somehow, realizing that doesn’t help though. I want somebody to be PISSED AT!

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I wonder how bad your traffic is compared to mine in California.

405 is a NIGHTMARE. Even with 10 lanes each way at the 405/I-5 merge its insane during rush hour.

dev

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Heck this even has a name–see

wherenewscomesfirst.com/traffic/geekspeak

Gapers Block

The tendency among some motorists to stare at any accident, incident or simple traffic stop…often with the result of causing another accident, or at least a substantial slowing of traffic flow. These people are known as Rubberneckers. A member of the group (in Latin) Geekus Gawkus.

inconceivable? i don’t think that word means what you think it does

14

Check out this link: http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html
He’s got a good set of diagrams that explain traffic wave patterns and other stuff. I always likened traffic waves to a slinky - bunched up and stretched out as it flows, or doesn’t flow as the case may be.