A turn signal is not a request. IMO
The cabby trick I will try.
When in my multi-colored fenders old 4X4 with the large black steel brush guards and dents I seem to have nothing but polite and courteous drivers around me.
When I am in a bad mood I will move over to set up a block when I see an lane changing EXCESSIVE speeder approaching. I then get out of the way just before the usual speed trap points. About 50% so far… he he he
To clarify, I save that tactic for special occasions, specifically when I pick my hole in the traffic, turn on my signal, and immediately see the guy behind me in the next lane speed up to remove my spot. In my experience, there are only two ways to deal with those sorts of people: let them force you into a guard rail with their inconsiderate behaviour or aggressively find a way into the hole I selected. I prefer the latter. I do not, however, feel the need to bully my way into traffic as a general rule. I won’t force my car into a place where there simply was no room to begin with.
Jack Batty, brianjedi, and Toaster 52, please use your turn signals. That’s why God put them there.
As for the person that won’t get out of the passing lane, I find that a few sharp taps on their rear bumper will generally get them to move over.
I have a theory that a turn signal ratio exists in the world. It states that for every x amount of cars with their signals off, there must be a y amount of cars with them on.
That’s why there’s so many people who don’t use their turn signals. The people who leave their signals on are maxing out the ratio.
Yet another “me too” post. My motto is “They can’t say they didn’t know what I was up to.”
Uh-oh. Theological dilemma. I’m an atheist.
Now if you had told me my blinkers had evovled, we’d be onto something.
So far, the issues of signaling and safe driving are being treated as the same thing. But I can signal and still make an unsafe, inconsiderate turn or lane change.
How about the reasons for signalng properly, especially from the driver’s point of view? Just saying we should do it isn’t a reason.
Here are some situations where it’s in the driver’s best interest to signal:
You’re in the right lane of a 2-lane highway and there’s very little traffic. You approach a large truck and you decide that you want to pass. You check your mirrors and since you “know” that there is no other traffic, you don’t bother to signal. Meanwhile, about 100 yards away, there’s a maniac driving a dark gray car at 120 mph in the left lane, the lane that you’re already moving into. You don’t notice the car. What happens??? If you had signaled and hesitated slightly, the maniac would have seen that you were going to change lanes and would either blare his horn or slam on the brakes, or both.
You’re on a city street, in moderate traffic, and you’re a bit tired, not exactly 100% alert, and you want to change lanes. You check your mirrors, the coast looks clear, and you make your move, right into a car in your blind spot. If you had signaled and hesitated, the driver in the other lane could have honked to warn you or hit the brakes to avoid hitting you. Unless you have the habit of signaling, you probably won’t do it in those situations where it’s most neededl.
There are other situations where it makes sense. Of course, there are times when it seems to make no sense at all, but it’s like stopping at a red light at 3:00am when there are no other cars for miles. It’s just a habit. But it should be a conscious habit, done properly and deliberately, and with an understanding of why it’s a good idea.
I hearby resurrect this thread because this is one of my worst pet peeves EVER.
Yesterday Mr. Toes and I were following a professor to an undisclosed location of scientific experiments (okay, so it wasn’t that * cool). Even though this guy knew that we were following him and knew* that we weren’t familiar with the area, he still managed to not use his turn signal!
Okay, he did use his turn signal once. AFTER he had turned.
I pit his driving abilities to hell.
Please, share in my pain…
Damn, you were so close…
Getting information from your surroundings (mirrors, shoulder checks) and providing other drivers information (um…let’s go with…signals!) about your intentions should be an automatic habit and should be done unconsciously. The processing of that information should be conscious.
Look, you’re driving two tons of metal and glass. Don’t make me guess what you’re doing with it. I personally don’t feel like being part of the Super Happy Fun Cognoscente Destruction Hour, just because you were debating inwardly about signalling or not.
Well halle-fuckin-luja for the turn signal rant.
I also use my turn signal religiously. It’s just habit. And the whole “waiting to pull out because there’s one freaking car coming and they end up turning WITHOUT THEIR SIGNAL” drives me insane.
Of course, the “evil cousin” of the non-turn signal user drives me even more crazy. I find myself wanting to curl up in a fetal position and rock back and forth when I’m trapped behind some yahoo that has their signal on for miles. Apparently, when I yell at the top of my lungs TURN OFF YOUR GODDAMN SIGNAL YOU DUMFUCK!! on the freeway, they can’t hear me.
I remember when I was about 16, driving with my uncle in Vegas. I reminded him that his turn signal had been on for a few blocks and he told me it was stuck like that. And he continued to drive that way! How fucking DANGEROUS is that shit? His right signal! So there he’d be, driving along with his right signal when BAM! He’d turn left.
I’m still suprised we didn’t get into an accident.
Yeah I use my turn signal religiously too, like a Nun, it’s a habit I have.
What grates on my nerves, and the drivers here in Darwin do it all the time, is this. There will be a set of traffic lights with two lanes, the right lane goes straight ahead, and turns right across the on coming traffic (remember we drive on the other side from you guys). The left lane goes straight ahead and turns left, on the other side of the intersection there is only one lane and some parked cars so that if two cars go straight together, they have to merge. There is one or more cars in the right lane, none of them have their indicator on, there are no cars in the left lane. I want to go straight ahead.
I know that if I take the empty left lane, I may end up in trouble during the merge after the intersection, so I line up behind the other cars in the right lane who I think are going straight. When the lights go green, one by one, each car at the front turns his right indicator on and waits for a break in the on coming traffic to turn right, leaving me stranded behind them. IF I HAD KNOWN YOU WERE ALL TURNING RIGHT I’D HAVE GONE INTO THE OTHER FUCKING LANE!
Seriously, if you are turning and you are stopped at an intersection, you still need to have your indicators on because it affects the decisions made by those driving around you.
A couple weeks ago, I was trying to follow someone to his friend’s house, and not only did he drive much faster than was appropriate when you’re trying to lead the way, he only signaled about 1/5 of his turns.
Once we got there, I told him, “I think there’s something wrong with your tail light. A few times back there, it started flickering on and off just before you started turning.”
But he didn’t get it…
Actually, I got a ticket for not coming to a complete stop on a red before making a right turn at about 3 a.m. on a totally deserted street. Granted, the cop probably had nothing better to do, but still. It’s in your best interests to obey all traffic laws, no matter what the circumstances.
Florida’s statute on signalling is remarkably poorly worded and could certainly be construed so as to mean indicators are required only when turning.
316.155 When signal required.–
(1) No person may turn a vehicle from a direct course upon a highway unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety, and then only after giving an appropriate signal in the manner hereinafter provided, in the event any other vehicle may be affected by the movement.
(2) A signal of intention to turn right or left must be given continuously during not less than the last 100 feet traveled by the vehicle before turning, except that such a signal by hand or arm need not be given continuously by a bicyclist if the hand is needed in the control or operation of the bicycle.
I’d like to add a complement to this rant.
There is a busy off-ramp up ahead. Look how the traffic is backed up a couple-hundred feet in the right lane waiting to get off. Look how many people courteously take their place at the back of the line. What nice, good people.
Now, look at the jerk who flies up to the head of the line and tries to run two cars off the road while squeezing into the three feet of space available. Bad driver!
An activated turn signal is not a license for assholery. Please take this into consideration.
In a book by Charles Kuralt he quoted someone as saying “Our town is so small you don’t need to use your turn signals , because everybody knows where you’re going!” Unfortunately , too many people these days seem to think they’re living in small towns.
By the way , I’ve probably killed this thread now , so don’t feel obligated to respond.