The old "finger point" lane change method

Ever noticed how people do this? It's not enough to just put on your turn signal. They have to actually stick their arm out the window and point to the lane they're going to change into. OK, this is pretty bad in itself, but for some reason these people think this gives them carte blanche in lane changes. Normally when people put on their blinker it's sort of saying "I'd like to move to the next lane." For some reason the arm out the window means "You must allow me to change lanes."

Yes, I decided this topic was too trivial for the ski/snowboard forum, but it's something I've noticed lately :)

EDIT: I was just thinking the finger point is usually immediately followed by the courtesy wave, which leads me to another point: don't you hate it when you get "the wave" when you actually were trying to NOT let someone in?

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Originally posted by The AD
...which leads me to another point: don't you hate it when you get "the wave" when you actually were trying to NOT let someone in?

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You were really looking forward to that finger, weren't you?

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Originally posted by Viva
You were really looking forward to that finger, weren't you?

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The wave is actually better at pissing you off than the finger in this situation!

It's always the guy who blows by the lineup of traffic and merges in at the last possible instant. The last thing you want to see is a wave from the dickhead.

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don't you hate it when you get "the wave" when you actually were trying to NOT let someone in?

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Are you sure they are pointing their finger? Or are they flipping you off?

My stereotype, anyway, is the aggressive dickhead guy that bulls his way in gives you the finger. The ditzy girl waves cuz she doesn't even realize you weren't intending to let her in.

The reality is she knows you didn't want to let her in, but she also knows she can get away with it.

Sorry, I actually dig the courtesy wave. I grew up driving in LA, where everybody cuts everybody else off because frankly you have to. If you didn't force your way into the next lane, you'd never get off the freeway. The courtesy wave is just etiquette there. I only get pissed when someone doesn't wave.

People who intentionally don't allow people to merge are fucking morons. MORONS! Regardless of how retarded the merge may be... being the dickhead that prevents proper traffic zippering only fucks the traffic situation even more. Also, the wave is mandatory.

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Originally posted by slim
People who intentionally don't allow people to merge are fucking morons. MORONS! Regardless of how retarded the merge may be... being the dickhead that prevents proper traffic zippering only fucks the traffic situation even more. Also, the wave is mandatory.

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The fuck who waits till the last minute to merge is the one who's messing up the traffic, IMO. I know some patsy will let them in, so they'll just continue to pull the stunt, but I won't let them in as a matter of principle.

I've got no problem with the wave in general, it's just the uncalled for wave I don't like! Maybe I'm just crotchety.

Zippering's one thing, but the dickhead who blows ahead of a long line of cars and then slams on his brakes to get into an open spot in line is another thing entirely.

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Originally posted by slim
People who intentionally don't allow people to merge are fucking morons. MORONS! Regardless of how retarded the merge may be... being the dickhead that prevents proper traffic zippering only fucks the traffic situation even more. Also, the wave is mandatory.

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Gotta disagree there. When I first moved to Utah, I couldn't figure out why traffic was SO fucked up over the littlest things - moreso than anywhere else I've lived. It's because people here are too freaking nice - they'll let anyone in. So since people know that if they just run up to the very front and they're guaranteed to merge easily no matter how big of an asshole they were being to get there and how obvious it was, more people do it.

Traffic is much more organized when people can't get away with as much crap. If it's a normal merging situation - zipperline is obvious. If it's one moron who drove WAY past the zipperline or up the shoulder and is trying to skip to the front - screw 'em.

I think that there should be a mandatory, "courtesy tit flash" from female drivers

Courtesy wave? Hah. You guys have no idea about the dynamics of high speed high volume traffic manuevers. Drive the Garden State Parkway at peek hours and get a lesson in the ways of the "parkway weave". I have never seen a highway that moves so many cars at such a high rate of speed. Technically the fast lane is a living breathing thing ebbing and flowin across the lanes. Think Frogger. Not for the meek. Nobody is going to let you in. Everyone is in a bigger rush than you. Most people are on the phone, beating their kids/respective others or drunk.
Waving at people on the highway without a loaded gun, a risky proposition in these parts...

On the subject of people passing a line of stopped traffic on the highway and trying to cut in at the last minute: Do they think that those of us who were stupid enough to wait politely in line just didnt' give a shit about wasting time and were saving them a spot at the front of the line because they're important? Fuck them and doubly fuck their cute little courtesy waves!

Normal merging onto the highway is another matter all together. In a traffic jam it should be a simple one from this line and one from that. Unless I've been stuck in traffic for more than a half hour then all bets are off because Capt. Psycho has taken the helm by that point.

This almost pisses me off as much as people not using their turn signal (rampent in LA).

Fucking morons....

Slight hi-jack, but still on the poor automobile etiquette topic.

Why don't drivers pull off of the road after fender benders? You know what happened, the other driver knows what happened, and when the police show up they more than likely will know what happened. You don't need to be in the exact spot of the accident when the police arrive. You close a lane down in already slow moving traffic and tie things up even more.

Pull off to the shoulder, call the police, exchange insurance info with the hitter or hittee, and wait.

Got me a Volvo last month. Though he was Jesus or something in his Volvo and they do have the highest saftey standards in the industry. That pup trailer ran right over that front quarter panel nooo problem.

Back in the day, I had a guy who I guess I unknowingly cut off, pull up beside me in the next lane, roll down his window and brandish the biggest Rambo knife I've ever seen - all the while yelling that I cut him off and to pull over.

I got a kick out of that. He waves a HUGE knife at me and expects me to pull over?!? Riiiiiight.

I smiled my best "fuck you nutjob" smile at him and stomped the gas.

That's great! My wife had a similar experience a couple months ago. She was late for an appointment and got stuck at a four-way stop with a huge lineup. At some point a guy gets in his parked car and thinks he can just pull out in front of her. He gets in front of her despite her effort to squeeze him out. The guy goes ballistic, flipping her off, yelling, etc. She comes right back at him. So the idiot gets out of his car and starts walking back like he's going to beat her up or something! She said she told him "what are you going to do, beat up a girl?" That made him get back in his car.

It's just amazing how psycho people can get when they're behind the wheel.

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Originally posted by The AD
It's just amazing how psycho people can get when they're behind the wheel.

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Some people have some serious anger issues and scare the shit outta me.

Like the guy that rode my ass and followed me for 12 miles after I allegedly cut him off while merging onto M-14 just outside of Ann Arbor.

Fearing for my family's safety, instead of driving home, I went to my best friend's house. He always stashes an aluminum bat outside, and his dad has a 10 gauge shotgun. If they weren't home, I had the key to his house and could barricade myself inside if this cracker was gonna start blasting.

I pull into the driveway, run for the hidden bat, turn around and walk halfway into the yard, and advise the feller to get the fuck on with his life.

He threatened to call the cops on me. :rolleyes: I not-so-politely reminded him that he's the one who stalked me all the way "home."

What I don't get is there in such a big hurry they will cut you off,ect. But they seem to find the time to follow you for miles.:rolleyes: A 70+ women in a Buick with blue hair flew the bird @ me, she had to slow up for the bellydump I was operating in town. No that's Class.

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Originally posted by interloper
A 70+ women in a Buick with blue hair flew the bird @ me

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That's great. I hoped you laughed your ass off.

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Originally posted by Spicoli
I think that there should be a mandatory, "courtesy tit flash" from female drivers

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It's the law in continental Europe! ;)

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Originally posted by skier0178
This almost pisses me off as much as people not using their turn signal (rampent in LA).

Fucking morons....

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Yup, that's number one on my pet peeve list also. I want to kill every moron that doesn't use their turn signal. People, it's not that fucking hard!!!!

Seems this never goes away.

Did you have your arm out the window as you bumped this one back into the flow?

While we're on the subject of asshole drivers--passing me on Donner Pass Rd along Donner Lake--double yellow the whole way when I'm doing the (dry pavement) speed limit on ice. I've been hit by someone who spun out doing that. It's a residential street and the 35mph speed limit is too high but I do it to keep from pissing people off, except when I slow down so I don't spray walkers and runners. For that matter, speeding on a residential street is not cool. I do the usual 5-10 over on business streets and the freeway--but respect people who live on a street and do the limit, or less.

Years ago, me and my wife and 2 small kids on 89, quarter mile backup up at Squaw road, asshole passes the line on the wrong side of the road (double yellow again) and pulls in behind us. We go on to AM, turn in, road is solid ice, the idiot passes us on a blind curve, and gets to the lot a good thrity seconds before us, gets out of his car and puts on a helmet. I went over and advised him to wear the helmet while drivving (and a few other things not fit for a family internet forum).

Then the guy who thought I was going too slow lieaving the AM lot, passed me on a blind curve on ice (sense a theme here?) and spun out, somehow skidding between two oncoming cars, missing both, and winding up deep in the ditch. Maybe there is a god.

And then there's this--when I was working in the ER guy comes in with two beoken femurs and two beoken tib-fibs. Drunk loses control on the freeway, rolls on the right hand shoulder, winds up back on his wheels, flies across 4 traffic lanes, the median, four more lanes and winds up on the opposite shoulder. No injuries--my patient was the homeless guy who was sleeping under the oleanders on the median.

Sorry, I'll shut up now.

Cars today are much too safe today. Bring back steel dashboards and pointy, metal tipped steering columns and watch courtesy return to the highway. And to the OP others, a turn signal means I'm moving into your lane. RIGHT NOW. I'm not asking permission because I found that the assholes around Seattle speed up when I signal.

Attachment 174135

No arm signal necessary

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Originally Posted by wooley12

Cars today are much too safe today. Bring back steel dashboards and pointy, metal tipped steering columns and watch courtesy return to the highway. And to the OP others, a turn signal means I'm moving into your lane. RIGHT NOW. I'm not asking permission because I found that the assholes around Seattle speed up when I signal.

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I'm guilty of pointing to the lane I'm changing into when I'm near seattle. I start with my turn signal, and if they speed up, my arm means that 8400 lbs of rompin' stompin' Cummins turbo diesel is headed their way.

They tend to get the point and get out of the way.