End Road Rage - Be Nice

Can't we all get along?
Be nice to other drivers.
The CHP will get me when you are rude.
Do onto other and you would want them to do to you.

Road Rage is becoming common in our world of fast pace, all for yourself, stressors. Because there are so many people in the world, people treat other people badly in the assumption that they will never see these people again and thus can get away with it. Ken's rule of driving is to treat everyone you meet as if he or she might be the person you are on the way to meet with in a job interview.

The Importance of Yielding

I just had my driving record ruined, paid a huge fine, wasted a day and $150.00 going to court, because I was speeding. The reason I was speeding was that I was trapped on the wrong side of a row of cars that wouldn't yield the right lane and I was trying to reach the only opening I could see as my exit approached. I drove 749 3/4 miles of this trip staying below the speed limit, and 1/4 miles desperately trying to get ahead to the only opening I saw to reach an exit I needed less than a mile ahead. CHP Officer S. S. chose to cite me for speeding which I was forced to do rather than the cars that wouldn't yield. S. S. confidently told the judge how I passed three cars - yes, three cars that wouldn't let me into the right lane who then when on their way without punishment. I guess there is more revenue in a speeding citation than a failure to yield citation. The slowest car in California got a speeding ticket while the cars that forced me to speed for only a short distance, got away. This is justice? The CHP owes me $500.00 and an apology.

Failure to yield causes more problems than speeding, but is rarely enforced. If you are in a position to yield, do so, you would want someone else to yield to you. If you can't get to the exit, this lesson taught me, stay on the freeway until you run out of gas. As for Officer Sadin, may you be unable to reach the exit next time you need a rest stop.

The True Purpose of a Car Horn

The car horn is intended to be a warning device, not an expression of impatience and anger.

The car horn is designed to alert others to potential dangers. "You are about to back into me." "You are about to run over that old lady."

Too many drivers think the car horn was designed to express that they aren't happy with other drivers. Ironically, when a driver uses a horn to tell some that the horn honker thinks the other driver is an idiot, actually the honker is advertising that he/she is an impatient idiot.

Yesterday, my wife was driving and intentionally parked toward the outer end of a large parking lot where there was plenty of empty spaces. As she fumbled to lock the car, a woman in a small white car honked that my wife was taking too long. Two spaces on were many empty spaces. I looked at the driver and sat down in the middle of the empty space and started reading until the impatient woman drove on.

Can't we all get a long?
10-18-09

I was driving the speed limit and a white pickup truck carrying a large wood beam changed lanes to go around me and then back in front. I guess I wasn't going fast enough. A half hour later I noticed that I passed the same truck and I never exceeded the speed limit or changed lanes. All his effort to get ahead left him behind me while I passed him without trying. As I changed lanes in front of him to exit, through my rear-view mirror, I noticed he was talking on a hand-held cell phone. I guess he had to drive fast to make up for slowing down to make phone calls and not pay attention to his driving.

The following is a collection of cars driven by rude, inconsiderate, or dangerous people.

LAPD crossed the double yellow line to enter the car pool lane. I've seen CHP give ordinary people tickets for this.

A hot new Corvette from Rydell Chevrolet used a very full parking lane to pass on the right, several times. Saturday 4-10-10, Balboa Blvd. North, between Chatsworth and Mission.

I was making a proper left turn from Tampa south to Devonshire east. The light had just turned yellow and I was about to complete my turn when I saw a car driving very fast toward me. I waited until the light was very red as the car, traveling about 60 in a 40 MPH tore through the intersection three seconds after the red. The Los Angeles Police car behind me did NOT pursue this car. Saturday, March 27, 2010, about 6:45 AM. And the CHP gives me a ticket exiting to use a bath room.

Jerk of the Month - May 2010

The Lane Belongs to All of Us. Or, Do unto others...

Male driver
Large dark colored SUV
California license plates, 5SPG090.
About noon, Monday (Memorial Day), May 31, 2010
On I-5 heading south, just north of the Fresno Co. line.
I always observe the speed limit and so was in the right lane when I came up behind a truck going the truck speed limit. I signaled to move to the left lane to make a legal pass of the truck when this selfish jerk increased speed just enough to cut of the space. I don�t think he would like it if I had done the same to him.

Mr. Impatient for the month of April 2010

Male driver
Grey or black beat-up Nisson
CA plate 5JFZ598
Wednesday, April 14, 2010; 6:43 PM
Off-ranp from 118 west at Tampa.
I was waiting fo the light to turn green. Finally the cars moved forward and the car behind blasted the horn. I was able to note his license number since the light turned red again before the cars in ront reached the intersection. In other words, if I had stated forward before the car in front of me, as fast as any human can, we stil lwould have been in axactly the same place.

Jerk of the Month - December 2009

No Passing on the Right.

Male driver
Grey Pontiac Firebird
CA plate 6DND107
December 21, 2009: 4:59 PM
Winnetka Avenue North crossing the Bus Line.
Waited in the parking lane till the light turned green, then sped past. A mile later, this hot shot was still a few feet in front of me waiting or another light, despite me driving below the seed limit as he sped. When the light turned green, he passed the new car in front of him using the parking lane.

Jerk of the Month - July 2009

Don't be in such a hurry.

Dark Jeep
CA license: 4VLU102
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 : 8:23 PM
Traveling east between Reseda and Lindly.

I was traveling at 31 in a 35 and the car 150 feet ahead was traveling 32. This Jeep that had been behind me passed me and cut back, occupants shouting obscenities as it passed.
Mr Jeep, if you think I'm driving too slow, tell the CHP, they think I drive too fast.

Jerk of the Month - June 2009

Sorry, I only slowed down to turn.

White Subaru Impreza
CA license: 6FRY551
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 : 12:10 PM
Turning right from Tunny south bound to Devonshire west bound, in Northridge, California

As I slowed to a reasonable speed for turning a corner with a yield sign, this psyco gave a long angry blast on the horn as if to say that I should go so fast as to loose control. After the turn, he passed me by crossing a double yellow line.

Jerk of the Month - August 2008

Hey, This Lane Isn't Empty!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008; 4:07 pm
170 Freeway north, between Roscoe and I-5. In the east San Fernando Valley.
White Toyota Tundra pick-up truck
Oregon plates: 634CZL

Vehicle was to my right about 1/2 car length ahead. The driver was about even with my front bumper and I was about even with his rear bumper, with a half car overlap, when he started changing lanes without signaling into a lane that was not empty. I had to hit my breaks to avoid a collision.

Next time I hear of someone from Oregon complaining about California drivers, I have my own story.

Jerk of the Month - June 2008

It's My Lane!
This man so felt that he owned the lane, that he tried to run me into the shoulder and the sound wall. Two lanes were converging and it was my right of way and his front bumper was about even with my rear tire, but he started moving over anyway, forcing me to the shoulder.

Ms. Impatient.
Monday, June 30, 2008, 6:58 am Turning right from Riverside Drive (east) to Lankershim (south). Woman in small black car, CA 5DDX643. Impatient for me to run over a pedestrian crossing in front of me as I waited to make a right turn.

Jerk of the Month - November 2007

Mister Impatient.
Monday, November 19, 2007, 5:05 PM
Devonshire Boulevard, west bound, at Lindly.
California license # 5EMK402. Dark Lincoln Navigator - SUV.
Continuous blast of the horn starting one half second after the light turned green

Jerk of the Month - July 2007

Monday, July 30, 2007, approximately 6:50 AM
Golden State Freeway ( I-5) south bound, near the interchange splitting off the Hollywood Freeway.
California license # 8H00784. White mid-size pickup.
I was politely yielding to another car that needed to change lanes and take the Hollywood Freeway south. The car was running out of time and was about to end up on the wrong freeway. This extremely rude impatient driver disapproved of my yielding and stated flashing his high-beams, then changed lanes and sped past. What happened to courtesy?

Jerk of the Month - October 2006

I first noticed this man as he drove only inches behind me. I could not see anything below the bottom of his windshield. When I was about 25 feet ahead of the car in the next lane, this car squeezed between, endangering all three cars. He then moved only a few feet ahead of me before cutting in front, again, dangerously close. When I took the photo, he mocked me. Later as he exited, he arrogantly waved. He should have his license revoked and car impounded before he kills someone. CA 5GER588. Sunday, October 29, 2006, 8:55 AM, east on 118 Freeway between 405 and 5 Freeways.

After I pulled back.

Mocking me for taking this photo.

This car driving the Pearblossom Highway about 7:00 am on February 2, 2005, honked because we were only going five miles over the speed limit and trying to pull over.
License number: CA 3WAV761.

We were trying to enter the I-5 Freeway south from State Highway 33 in Fresno County about 1:05 pm on Monday, March 28, 2005. This car was in the right lane and would not yield as the on-ramp became the shoulder. My wife was driving and this car almost ran us off the road.
License number: CA 5SHH237.

March 12, 2005 9:00 am. I-5 south bound rest stop south of Camp Pendalton. While everyone else waited their turn, this driver squeezed around.

On Wednesday, August 10, 2005, about 6:00 am, I was fast, but wasn't fast enough making a turn. The driver started honking, then told me to learn to drive. I thanked him for the suggestion and he told me he drives for a living. As he turned into Universal Studios, it all made sense to me. He is a studio driver. He reports to work, checks out a vehicle, drives to location, and sleeps for 14 hours. Then he returns the vehicle to the studio, clocks out, and hangs out at a biker bar all night. He doesn't understand how someone like me might be tired. I work a 12 hour day, go home to work 2 more, then get 5 hours sleep, and start it all again. I'm sorry if I'm not fast out of the gate a 6AM. He was driving a white Honda, CA 3UCZ649. He was an older man who will not reach retirement age if he doesn't learn to control his stress.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005, 7:00 AM, medium rain, Hollywood Way at Wynona, in Burbank, on the east side of the airport. Woman in a white sports car, California license 5PYE100. The traffic light wasn't functioning so was flashing red, which means to treat it as a stop sign. The woman was traveling north and crossed the intersection. Then she slammed on the breaks on a wet road almost causing the vehicle behind to collide. Then made an illegal U-turn across two double yellow lines, cutting into traffic from the south bound lanes. Then went through the flashing red light without slowing down, all in a wet street. This is how accidents happen.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005, 5:50 PM, Hollywood Way north to Alameda west, in Burbank. Man in a silver sports car, California vanity plate . There were two left turn lanes and this man was not in either of them when he made a left turn, cutting in front of me from the right, almost causing a collision. He then entered the 134 Freeway west and exited an Lankershim. I guess when you drive a fancy sports car, you don't have to follow the rules. Note: in December of 2008 after seeing this page, this driver, a woman in a cap, apologized.

Sunday, December 18, 2005, 9:55 am; San Diego Freeway (I-405) south bound through Sepulveda Pass near Getty Center. California plate 5MMZ769. I once heard a joke, 'What is the difference between a porcupine and a BMW?" Answer, "With a porcupine, the pricks are on the outside." This BMW definitely had a porcupine quill on the inside. This single occupant vehicle weaved through all freeway lanes, including the car-pool lane and crossing a double yellow line. Despite his efforts, he got trapped in a slow lane and a minute after this photo, he was behind me trying again to pass me.

Sunday, March 19, 2006, 10:09 AM, San Diego Freeway (I-405) south bound through Sepulveda Pass near Getty Center. California plate 5MTK335 Honda Odyssey SUV/Mini-Van, bought in Thousand Oaks, CA. I was a safe but not excessive distance from the vehicle in front of me and going with the flow of traffic. This driver somehow felt the need to change lanes from behind me, pass me, and squeeze in to the space in front of me, now making it dangerous, cutting me off, all to get one car ahead. Why are people so rude and dangerous to pass one car in this way, gaining little?