Dumb things we do in traffic.

Ok, so, not sure if this is totally the right sub forum. A moderator can move this if needed. 
I happened upon a realization in traffic recently. Letting people out into traffic. It's bad. It's wrong. It's....rude?!?! Yes. What I realized is, when you let someone out onto the street you are on, you are polite to this one person. What many fail to realize is the total picture. You were kind and generous to one person, but rude to the ten people behind you that were forced to stop and wait. 

If you think about it, there is no good reason to let someone out. Either there is a string of people behind you, and you'd be kind to many more by not letting one person out, or there is no one behind you and the car that needs out can wait for you to pass by.

 The other issue is letting someone out when they want/need to cross several lanes. They can't see around you and cars in the next lane can't see them. Height differences (car vs truck)  makes it worse.

I agree. For a brief while - when I lived in SC I saw this frequently - I wondered how I could be so irritated by somebody trying to be nice. But too many times it was exactly that... one car stopping to let me out when there was an empty road behind them. I want to tell the with a big sign.. just keep moving, fool!
 

Now I deliberately look the other direction from them until they get tired of waiting for me. They eventually drive past. 

When I am in traffic I just go with the flow.  Most times I see is when the line is at a traffic light.  So no big deal.

What I hate is when the waiter jumps out in front of me and I have to brake.  Especially when there is no one behind me.

In reply to Vajingo :

I have had this happen on a 55 mph busy highway. Applied the horn button and received the finger thru the sun roof. 

Gearheadotaku (Forum Supporter) said:

 

 The other issue is letting someone out when they want/need to cross several lanes. They can't see around you and cars in the next lane can't see them. Height differences (car vs truck)  makes it worse.

This. Yesterday I nearly t-boned a CRV with my MINI Cabrio. Dude couldn't see me in the left turn lane over the SUVs that let him in to turn left from a gas station.  I skidded to a stop with a few feet to spare.

There are so many things people do on the road that are aggravating.

Yesterday on one 5 mile  round trip to Home Depot:

1) A guy came to a full stop at a Green Light in the left lane in order to talk on his cell phone. This almost causes two rear end collisions as I was approaching.     I guess he thought it was safer than talking while driving?

2) Line of cars in left lane moving slowly for no apparent reason.  Guy in right lane (white car) goes to pass them all, I change lanes to avoid the slow traffic and participate in the passing.  White car Guy slows down  to impede me and then drags behind the slow left lane cars. He leaves a sizable gap so  I change lanes to speed up and pass him, he  speeds up to block me.  This happens several times in a one mile stretch.   We come to a green light.  The lead left lane slow car slows down even more to make a left turn at the green light and stops to make the turn. So I go to take advantage of the gap to  pass the white car guy  so of course he stops, in the right lane, at a green light,  to match the the left turn vehicle but his timing was off  this time so  I get around him  barely.   Cell phone talker.  Of course.

  All of this happened under 35 mph on a residential boulevard.  Yes I was getting really impatient by the time for the last move he made.

3) Guy wandering all over the road going slowly.  People are afraid to pass because no one can figure out the irregular sine wave he is carving.  Finally he seems to settle down and I can pass.  He is Face timing somebody.  But not just him.  Girlfriend is leaning way over so she can be in the picture as well.

"We have met the enemy and he is us" Pogo

This happens with pedestrians as well.  It's called "the wave of death" for a reason.

I'd mostly agree with OP's sentiment.  Especially in places with mild-to-moderate traffic and even in heavy traffic most of the time.  That said, there's some nuance there that's hard to cover in a blanket statement.  I'd argue that there are some instances in heavy traffic that a vehicle has no chance of turning out or merging unless someone in the train of cars simply backs off the bumper of the car in front of them.  It isn't even about just being nice.  Sometimes providing a safe way for traffic to flow prevents people from getting desperate and doing something stupid. I'll get off the soapbox now.

Last week there was a young guy in the lane next to me on a motorcycle.  He was in a T-shirt, shorts and sandals, and he was texting while he drove.  

At least he was wearing a helmet.

Matt B (Forum Supporter) said:

This happens with pedestrians as well.  It's called "the wave of death" for a reason.

I'd mostly agree with OP's sentiment.  Especially in places with mild-to-moderate traffic and even in heavy traffic most of the time.  That said, there's some nuance there that's hard to cover in a blanket statement.  I'd argue that there are some instances in heavy traffic that a vehicle has no chance of turning out or merging unless someone in the train of cars simply backs off the bumper of the car in front of them.  It isn't even about just being nice.  Sometimes providing a safe way for traffic to flow prevents people from getting desperate and doing something stupid. I'll get off the soapbox now.

I agree with you on the fact that this is always a situational decision. If there's no way someone can get out, it takes awareness and an appropriate and safe response to get them a chance to move.

What really annoys me is when I am waiting to turn left from a side street, and there's only one car coming from the right. That driver is also turning left, and instead of proceeding to make their turn, they stop, and try to wave me out. I could get out even sooner if they would just make their turn.

I've always evisioned a situation where I take the bait, pull out, and the other driver then runs into me. My car is wrecked, I get a citation for failure to yield, and the other driver gets to claim a spinal injury and go on disability.

I know, I'm a cynic.

There are times it is acceptable to let someone out.  When you are in an unending, unyielding line of cars that is barely moving, and someone needs to join the line.  Letting that person in is the only way they won't end up sitting at that spot nearly forever.

3) Guy wandering all over the road going slowly.  People are afraid to pass because no one can figure out the irregular sine wave he is carving.  Finally he seems to settle down and I can pass.  He is Face timing somebody.  But not just him.  Girlfriend is leaning way over so she can be in the picture as well.

I think we should legally be allowed to pit these people off the road. 

The worst is the Canadian Merge onto the interstate, between right-lane-only drivers and on-ramp-idlers.   "Sorry.  No I'm sorry, after you.  No, sorry....you first.  Sorry."  

No...actually a bigger pet peeve is people who absolutely insist on riding out the their lane when it is ending.  Didn't you see those 12ft wide arrows that you've been driving over for the last half mile?  YOUR LANE ENDS.  They will obstinately drive right next to you until they either blend into your car or honk at you for not giving way, even though their lane ends.  

Yielding the ROW is dangerous.  I only give or take it occasionally and only when there is no other option. 

People walking on the side of the road when dark out wearing no bright clothing or reflectors usually in all black. Somebody riding a motorcycle in traffic with their helmet on the back of their bike.

Freeway merging gets me. I went to Portland this weekend to help my father yard out the transfercase of his f350 and on the way back I was beat. I just clicked the cruise control on 68mph and hung out in the right lane (since the speed limit was 70 on i5, and most people were doing between that and 80 I wanted to be out of their way). There was a guy in a suburban who was rolling up the onramp and paced me exactly. He swung up and into my lane directly in front of me without turning or looking at all. I could clearly see his face in the sideview mirror. His rear bumper had to have been 3feet from my front. Only when was fully in my lane did he look in his mirrors and freak out that I was on his ass.

Just yesterday we were returning from being out in the motorhome a couple weeks. In addition to the motorhome we were pulling a car. I stay in the right lane and usually drive about 65 mph or try to keep pace with the semi truck traffic. It seems most traffic on interstates is running 75 to 80 mph or faster so I see a lot of people passing me. The thing I notice most is how aggressive drivers are or distracted. Cutting in and out of traffic at very high speeds with very little room or running two wheels well over the line or side of the road. 
 

I have had people traveling at a high speed pull up along the side of the motorhome slow down lean over then flip me the bird and proceed to speed up then pull over in front of me very close before speeding up again. I don't know if it is the lack of drivers training in schools anymore but a lot of drivers simply seem a aloof or simply don't understand physics with regard to speed or braking. 
 

I agree there are times when being courteous is not practical or could be dangerous. However for the most part in slow moving traffic I don't see a problem with letting someone in in or allowing smooth merging. How much time does it really cost anyone to be courteous. It seems the loss of civility is affecting every facet of our lives now and getting worse.

Tyler H (Forum Supporter) said:

The worst is the Canadian Merge onto the interstate, between right-lane-only drivers and on-ramp-idlers.   "Sorry.  No I'm sorry, after you.  No, sorry....you first.  Sorry."  

No...actually a bigger pet peeve is people who absolutely insist on riding out the their lane when it is ending.  Didn't you see those 12ft wide arrows that you've been driving over for the last half mile?  YOUR LANE ENDS.  They will obstinately drive right next to you until they either blend into your car or honk at you for not giving way, even though their lane ends.  

Yielding the ROW is dangerous.  I only give or take it occasionally and only when there is no other option. 

If everyone was willing to zipper merge, there’d be no problem running up to the end of a lane.  Problem is there are people in the lane that continues that won’t let people merge at the end, and there are people in the lane that ends that want to jump and force two or more cars into a gap, instead of just one.