Dear The Shoals.....

How about slowing down at yellow lights, not speeding up to beat the red light! Or how about dropping back and changing lanes to make a turn off instead of racing the car next to you so you can cut them off when you turn? Or for that matter, instead of cutting off cars as you dash across other lanes so you can make your turn, try going past and turning around if you miss it... it's not going anywhere!

Right on, Duke.

And how about actually stopping at intersections where you are allowed to "Turn right on red after stop" instead of just slowing down a little and gliding through?

Yup, upside. Although I'm not legally allowed to turn right on red when operating a bus, I DO appreciate a lil' 'heads-up' that a legally required stop provides when someone else does it.

 

Another thing for those rare individuals who actually DO use signals....

 

STOP DOING IT FOR THE GUY IN FRONT OF YOU!!!!

 

If he actually uses a signal-he's telling YOU which way he's going. YOUR signalling for him tells us YOU are ALSO going the same way. It truly irritates the crap out of us when you DON'T actually turn the way your signal indicates, and it creates a safety hazard as well..

 

It is #*%%@$ infuriating, so STOP IT now.

And if you are at an intersection where turning right you have an entire lane such as Woodward and Avalon, don't stop and just sit there waiting on the light to turn, for goodness sake, go on. 

 

Next intersection gripe:

If you are trying to turn left at a light where you are allowed to turn on green, and oncoming traffic is keeping you from doing so, for goodness sake, get in the middle of the intersection , at least enough for the car behind you to get into the intersection so that when the light turns red, you can go .

Seeweed, delta is ready when you are.

Most people just don't use their signal lights, no matter what the situation. Drives me crazy, Guess they don't teach that on drivers ed. anymore.

Can anyone offer a solution?

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AMEN Brother! Well said.

I love this topic. Lots of truth in here. I see it everyday. 

 

You really have to be aware of yourself and others on the roads. I was cut off just the other day by a black S-10 that came from out of nowhere and never even noticed that they had come about 6 inches from side swiping me. Just kept on trucking without a care in the world. Totally oblivious. 

Agree 100%. There's a Facebook page entitled "The Shoals Area Needs Blinker Fluid." Apparently most Shoals drivers don't know how to fill up the reservoirs.

Cars up north come with air conditioning as an option - cars here in the south come with turn signals as an option instead.......

How about NOT riding my bumper! This happens everyday here. I gave up on the turn signals years ago they simply don't use them.

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Ya got that right, Cap'n.

 

I was told when I moved back down here that if I saw a car with it's signal on, I could rest assured it had been on since the car was purchased.

 

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An every-so-often slight weave immediately followed by random brake checks solves the tailgating problem pretty quickly, I've found.  The trick is to do the brake check seamlessly at the end of the second weave. (as in: Weave-weaveBRAKE ON!/brake off/throttle.)  Seems most motorists can't process that much information quick or effectively enough and it usually scares the crap out of 'em and they wake up and either pass you to bother somebody else up the road or back off.  Easing the parking brake on with the release held is even more fun-no visual cues from the brake lights!

 

I get such a kick outta watchin' 'em nosedive and swerve at nothing.

I made a game out of it after driving for a buncha years in the NY area. It works WAY better down here...

Scoring is as follows:

 

5 pts for each nosedive.

10 pts if they drop their cell phone out the window while attempting to grab the steering wheel.

30 pts if they also drop their Big Gulp in their lap in the process.

 

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Back when I was a teenager, I was coming back home one night from a dance and a car got on my bumper and would not get off. I had a little Chevy ll and just put on the breaks. The car behind me went into a ditch to keep from hitting me, then managed to get out of the ditch and passed me. It was the Highway Patrol !

Road Puppy: Wow, awesome response! Effective today this is the new procedure for the tailgaters.

I can't stand anyone doing this to me, it is simply unnerving.

Road Puppy: Haven't heard a "Big Gulp" reference in quite some time!

Might you also be a connoisseur of the Tastykakes from WaWa??

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Nah. WaWas were south and west of us.  7-11's were where it was at.

 

When turning into the median, go to the RIGHT SIDE! 

I agree with most of the comments but I have a question.

Say you're going down Woodward Ave. (toward Florence), you're going to turn right onto Avalon (at Wal-greens). No stop or yield sign. Do you wait for the traffic coming or do you pull on into that lane?

A car in front of me a few days ago was almost hit by a car that took that right lane because he was going to turn into Wal-greens. If the car going to turn into Wal-greens had stopped, he would have held up traffic behind him to allow the people coming off Woodward into that lane. If he had stayed in the left lane & kept going, he would have missed his turn into Wal-greens.  Who has the right of way?

(hope all this made sense)

I can tell you why those people stop at the intersection such as Avalon and Woodward.  It's because those crossing Woodward don't know that the stripe means to stay in the inside lane until the stripe breaks.  You have those idiots that go into the outside lane just as soon as they're across Woodward.  And even though there is a no cell phone or texting law in Florence.  That hasn't stopped a soul from doing it. 

  I have an argument here, I think?

If I am on a two land road and the person in front of me is making a left turn, I think it is beneficial to the person behind me for me to turn on my left turn signal so at to prevent them from attempting to pass me thinking I am just slowing down to maybe turn right and just too lazy to use my signal. I have been lambasted for making this claim and it has been a hot topic on more than one occasion.

Someone made a justifiable claim saying that it would make someone wishing to pull out of the upcoming road might think I am also turning right, I see this point and never signal that the one in front of me is turning right, but I do think it can be useful to inform the one behind me that someone is turning left to prevent them from trying to pass me.

 Someone please make me understand how this is so wrong?

I have been behind cars stopped and signaling a left turn and driven around their right side only to have them continue straight.  It's better to signal what your intentions are instead of giving false signals.

The left hand lane is NOT for slower traffic.  If you are in the left hand lane, thinking you are out for a leisurely drive and people are having to pass you in the right hand lane, wake up and move over. 

 

And when you get ready to turn into a driveway, you do not have to come to a complete stop, then lazily turn in to this driveway like it is lined with razor blades.  get your car into the driveway and out of the road.  I have seen many people have to slam on their brakes because some inconsiderate baboon wants to take all day to get tinto a driveway.

Most of these pet peeves listed here could be addressed if people would think about others and how their actions might inconvenience someone else.

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 I can assure you that passing a vehicle on the right side on a TWO lane road is an illegal move! Regardless of what is the intentions of the driver in front of you!

 

 My statement is to prevent a car from passing me on the left when the vehicle in front of me is making a left turn.

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OK, NOW I understand why nobody uses turn signals.... Seems few know what they're actually for.

 

Not bustin' ya chops or anything, Gus....But the signals on YOUR car are for signaling YOUR intentions ONLY. The signals on the guy's car in front of you are for signaling HIS intentions ONLY.  I would think that this would be covered in the AL driver's handbook, no?

 

Signals are supposed to work like a chain reaction...If everybody individually signals THEIR intentions ONLY-(brake lights, turn signals, etc.), things work like they're supposed to as folks react to the signals of the car in front of them. When you signal an intention and then DON'T do what you've indicated you're going to do-you stand a good chance of causing a wreck.

 

Trucker tip: When forced to stop very quickly-Do like the pros do and hit your hazard switch as you brake. This not only gets peoples' attention, but also lets them know that your stopping "right the $#*& NOW."

 

Oh yeah.....Gus... Anybody who decides to pass two vehicles simultaneously on a two-lane without first ascertaining whether or not the lead vehicle being overtaken is going straight is a wreck looking to happen.  There's always a reason cars are slowing down. If the turkey behind you is that dumb-let him T-bone the guy in front of you-all you hafta do is brake to avoid the flying parts...It's not your job to police the nutjob.

 

Alabama Code:

Section 32-5A-83 - When passing on right permitted.

 

(a) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions:

(1) When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn;

(2) Upon a roadway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width for two or more lines of vehicles moving lawfully in the direction being traveled by the overtaking vehicle.

(b) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions permitting such movement in safety. Such movement shall not be made by driving off the roadway.

(Acts 1980, No. 80-434, p. 604, §3-104.)

 

I IZ IN YR HWY PLYN IN TEH TRAFFIX

 

 One thing that causes me to think this way is that I drive a big van that in at least some fashion obstructs the view from behind. I do thank you for giving a civil response to my question.

Gus, I do the same as you do & use my signal if the car in front is coming to a stop to turn left. Some of those nuts behind us will try to go around. If I can save the person in front of me from being hit by the nut behind me, I feel I may have saved someone's life or serious injury. I would just hope someone behind me might have the same courtesy.

I love Alabama, where people just make their own driving rules.

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I know you guys mean well, but just...please....STOP.

 

You are creating a bigger hazard than you are trying to prevent when you do that.

 

Case in point involving myself....

 

I was riding my motorcycle up Cloverdale road awhile back with two cars in front of me.

 

 I see is the right signals of the cars in front of me come on, so I do what I'm allowed to do and as the cars slow down, I pass the car in front of me on the left-just as the first car turns right and the second car (the one I was behind) cancels his signal and stomps on the gas going straight.  

 

NOW I'm stuck in the left lane and there's oncoming traffic closing fast. 

Snap decision time;

Do I A.) snap the throttle wide open and attempt to pass the car that signaled the wrong intention before the oncoming traffic gets to me (which I have a better chance of surviving), or do I B.) grab a handful of brakes and try to haul back enough to get back behind him and hope the car behind him hasn't closed the gap already- ticking him off as well in the process, or do I C.) rocket all the way across the other lane onto the LEFT shoulder and try to stay the heck outta everybody's way til I can get a gap to get back in the right lane? (done that before...)

 

I opted for A, but do you see the situation that the guy signaling for a turn that he didn't intend to make caused?

 

If I'd been driving a log truck, for instance....Well...That could've been messy for everyone involved-at least in this case I would've been the only one killed because somebody thought they were being 'courteous.'

 

I've also had the same thing happen when cars were signaling for the one in front to turn left.

 

Car in front signals left-the five cars behind also do the same thing as they're slowing almost to a stop....

 

The law allows me to pass left-turning vehicles on the right if there is room to do so safely.

The first car turns left and the four behind him turn off their signals and continue on straight AS I AM PASSING THEM.

 

Now I am trapped on the shoulder-unless I'm in a large vehicle and then a lotta folks are going home with customized right side fenders.

 

See the problems 'courtesy signaling' can cause?   I drive for a living. I expect idiocy like this from the average motorist-but the average motorist doesn't expect it.  Talk about highway pinball!

 

Anywhere else-and maybe here, too-this practice is legally called 'improper use of signals' or something similar.

 

YOUR signals are for YOUR car. They tell other motorists what YOU'RE going to do.

The OTHER GUY'S signals are for HIS CAR. They tell YOU what HE'S gonna do.

 

If everybody uses them correctly for THEIR OWN VEHICLE, there's absolutely NO NEED for 'courtesy signaling.'

 

Please stop it. Use 'em the right way.

Today's just not a good day for me to die.

 

And because some people do the supposed courtesy thang, I sit and wait to be sure.  It ****es the folks behind me off, but that is much better than being a hood ornament on an F-150.

 Road puppy, I can give you an even better reason not to signal for the one in front of me making a right turn. Imagine there is a car wishing to pull out from road on right thinking I am turning right, then they pull out in front of me causing me to plow into them.

 Please make note that I said to let the person in the rear that someone is turning left, on a two lane road, and this is only on certain circumstances If you have to pass me off the right side of the two lane road, I have to question what the hurry is.

 I have known of people getting ticketed for passing on the right side of road.

Like I said again, I only do this under certain circumstances for someone turning left. I do pay enough attention that if some fool has to pass me to my right side that I will let them go on around instead of causing a wreck!

 

Hey the one's that really **** me off, is some of these old slow drivers that poke along and as soon as it is safe to pass them they turn on their left turn signal but never turn! For some reason they must think they are signaling to me it is ok to pass them, but under no circumstance will I pass them on a two lane road to the right of their vehicle!

Road: I saw the exact same scenario a few years back... guy on a bike had to make that split decision, but he chose to try and swerve into the other lane, but did it way too fast. Bike ended up flipping over the front wheel and he went flying! Landed in a strip mall parking lot and seemed okay. He had a helmet and was covered with leather.

 

I don't ride bikes but my uncles were in a club and both almost died from folks who cut them off or weren't paying attention and sideswiped them. You're 110% right and drivers need to be more thoughtful of the dynamics of traffic, and the simple law of physics that says two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time!

Respectively speaking, I will keep alerting the car behind me that someone is coming to a stop & turning left, & as soon as he has the clear & begins to turn, my signal is turned off.

I have seen cars try to pass on the left when someone ahead has their signal on & turning left. One car passing one time, took the ditch to keep from hitting the one that was turning.

 

I've seen motorcycle drivers pass on the right hand side of a two land road. One got smacked by a truck that turned right. (he didn't see the bike until it was to late) In my opinion that's more dangerous than my alerting the car behind me that someone is about to turn left.

 

I respect & watch for those people that drive bikes but some of them drive like the road is for them alone, & those kind have no business driving a bike on a public road.

Semi:

We scooter people have a name for bikers that pass traffic on the right without a reason to-actually several names:

 

Squids (because that's what their innards look like all over the pavement.)

Organ Donors (if there's any left to donate)

Squirrels (because they dart in and out of traffic like squirrels and usually end up in the same condition as squirrels in the road)

Skin Crayons (for the neat red streaks they leave on the road).

 

Stupid is stupid, no matter what you're driving.

 

Please people. Use your signals to indicate what YOUR car is gonna do. Let the other guy use his to indicate what HE'S gonna do.

Like I said-If everybody does that-THERE'S NO NEED for 'courtesy signaling.'

Seriously. Ask a cop whether courtesy signaling is legal.

 

When you don't do what you're indicating you'll do-OR you do the exact opposite of what you're indicating-You can cause a wreck just as surely as if you didn't use your signals atall.

 

 When you turn on your left signal for the guy in front of you-you are TELLING PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE ALSO TURNING LEFT! 

When you cancel it and keep going straight-people behind you have already reacted to your left signal and you've given them no warning (which is what signals ARE FOR-WARNING) that you're no longer turning left-which leaves them zero time to react to the change!

 

 

It's Uber-Dumb to do the 'courtesy thang.'

 

PLEASE STOPITSTOPITSTOPIT!!

 

 

I respect your opinion, but not everybody has the same one.

That made me laugh out loud!  hahahaha

I was a passenger in a car that did the "courtesy thing" in a large city (Birmingham). Cop saw him, stopped us, and gave him a ticket. I did so want to say "I could have told you."

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Well, of course you did.