My Biggest Driving Pet Peeve

Chel Owens

During rush hour traffic today, I waited at the head of a line of cars for the signal light. And waited. And waited.

Success! -no, a left turn for the other direction.

Suc- no, a left turn for our turn lanes.

Two lines of cars, trucks, minivans on each side pulled out to the intersection then off to the north- and south-going lanes whilst we idled. Then, finally, we did get our light! -no, the intersection still filled with those drivers bending the Yellow Light Rule. And more drivers. And more.

At about the fifth or sixth car turning in front of me, the minivan with the green light, I drove forward. And yet, two or three more cars came on. I employed a trick I’d learned from driving in California and New York, and laid on the horn as they eked past the oncoming horde.

And was reminded of my main driving pet peeve: red light rushers.

I know driving during rush hour can be tricky. In heavy traffic times, I’ve been a left-turner frustrated by a long wait. I’ve been further frustrated by the traffic light allowing four cars through after a five minute delay. I’ve been further further frustrated by no turn light after two five minute delays.

BUT I do not see any reason to squeeze fifteen cars through a red (YES, it was red!) signal against heavy, oncoming traffic. Do they all have a death wish? Surely they aren’t all selfish idiots.

Right?

On some occasions when I’ve complained about red light rushers, my friends have hinted to lighten up. Two of my friends even admitted to the practice.

I think I draw reasonable lines. What do you think? Do you experience people driving like this, or do you experience more heinous practices? Should I live and let die; or continue my righteous crusade, aided by my trusty horn?

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I’m calm. Really. And I wrote the following:
Wednesday, August 21: Wrote “Why Vacation if You’re a Stick in the Mud?” after a ‘fun’ family vacation.

Thursday, August 22: Nothing

Friday, August 23: Winner of the Weekly Terribly Poetry Contest. Congratulations to Gary!

Saturday, August 24: Announced the 40th Weekly Terrible Poetry Contest. The theme is Shakespearean laments. PLEASE ENTER!

Sunday, August 25: “Old World Customs,” in odd response to Carrot Ranch‘s prompt.

Monday, August 26: An inspirational thought from the BBC’s Sherlock Holmes.

Tuesday, August 27: “Wilhelmina Winters, One Hundred One.”

Wednesday, August 28: Today.

I also posted all this week at my motherhood site. I wrote “Picture Imperfect,” “The Beauty of Telling Children, ‘No,’” and “Mother, May I?”

 

Photo Credit:
Image by methodshop from Pixabay

 

©2019 Chelsea Owens

35 thoughts on “My Biggest Driving Pet Peeve”

  11. Yup, they’re selfish idiots. I live in LA and see this nearly every day. People pull into that intersection even when they see traffic backed up and not moving ahead of them – nowhere for them to go – and block it so the other direction can’t move. I think, officially, you are allowed 2 cars to go through on a left turn as the light is changing to red. Beyond that, you’re just a self-important, impatient jerk. They even do it going straight and preventing people from making their left turn without tying up traffic in the other direction. They just flat out run the red light rather than wait. And we wonder why road rage has increased so much in recent years…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh, yes! People who block the intersection bug me, too! What gets me is a lingering sense of justice; that the police will ticket them or Karma will come after them -but even cops who see the selfish behavior do nothing. :/

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  12. This annoys me, too. A couple of left turners after a light turns orange red is fine, but I’ve seen the cattle lines, too. And the people running through solid reds at 60+. It’s ridiculous. And selfish. I want to grab them out of their seat by the ear and cut up their license. No more driving for you, ever. Ever.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. I despise red light rushers. I admit gunning it on a yellow light, and have a couple times, misjudged the light’s length. And if it looks like a line is going to spill into the intersection, I wait. (Though, again, I have misjudged things and end up as part of the problem I hate.)

    But once that light is red, or if that yellow’s been on a bit too long–nope. These people are why I wait 1~2 seconds after a light goes green, and waiting has indeed saved me from getting hit by a car on more than one occasion :/

    Liked by 1 person

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