Topic: Rushing towards a red light
Annagram's photo
Fri 06/29/18 09:21 PM
So one of my pet peeves on the road is when someone swerves around me as we're both heading towards a red traffic light. Great job, you arrived a few seconds quicker only to have to wait, haha!
Lately I'm noticing a lot of things that people do that are like that. Rush (and disrupt others along the way) only to have to wait.
Have you noticed this too? Any examples?

Stu's photo
Fri 06/29/18 09:27 PM
Every day, all the time. People are just idiots. Saw some fool running about 90 down the shoulder of the interstate and then started cutting in and out of traffic still trying to run 90.

Rock's photo
Fri 06/29/18 09:29 PM
I don't let things get to me.


no photo
Fri 06/29/18 09:40 PM
This has been going on for many years, Juliet. I don't let let it get to me. If a car cuts me off, I'm good. I let people get in front of me in a store and I'm good.I let a lot of things go. It's not worth it to get angry.

no photo
Sat 06/30/18 08:02 AM
I'm noticing a lot of things that people do that are like that. Rush (and disrupt others along the way) only to have to wait.
Have you noticed this too? Any examples?

Sort of, I think.
What I notice and am peeved by is the lack of consideration of others, the lack of conceptualizing what they're doing, the lack of situational awareness.

Like people going into a store that has 2 doors side by side and standing there waiting for you to come out and looking at you like you're keeping them from going in, or when I see them heading for a door to go in I move to the next one to go out and they switch to stand in front of that one.

Locally a lot of people run red lights, they'll speed mercilessly, weave dangerously in and out of traffic, then sit there stopped for nearly the entire green light while they check their phone.

Or in the grocery store they'll park "their" cart right in the middle of the aisle then go wandering around looking for something.
Or stand in the aisle staring at a product for 5 minutes where they only have 2 choices trying to make a decision.

Or try to break a $100 bill at a dollar store, or realize they didn't bring their money after they've got a cart full of stuff and had it rung up and stand there for 10 minutes with a full line looking like they need someone to tell them what to do or pay for them, or can't read the 5 "no cash back" signs and complain when they get cash back in mostly in quarters because they emptied the gals till and she now has to wait for the 10 minute time lock safe to open so she can get more money to ring people out.
Or complain at an auto parts store about the lack of candy selection. Or passive aggressively whine at McDonald's to other customers when their order isn't done quick enough as though someone else is going to take responsibility for them and do something about it.

Or they bring their newborn infant, or 20 kids to the movies.
I went to see Deadpool 2 the other day, and two women brought in 17 children, the women went up and ordered the tickets, and then went around getting the kids together and asking/telling/threatening the kids to give them the money to pay for the tickets.

Or when there's a line of people someone will come in and just need to ask a "quick question" (possibly because they decided to leave their car running, or their kid wandering, or they're just looking for a price inquiry, or a "quick refill") that isn't quick and needs the employee to focus on just them, screwing over everyone standing in line as though their concept of "quick" is a magic word.

Or people that have to hurry up and cut you off, turning right in front of you, even though there are absolutely no cars behind you and if they had just waited for you to pass there would have been no reason to rush.
Or they'll sit there for 10 minutes trying to turn left with a line of cars waiting, when they could have turned right, gone to the light, and done a u-turn or used another business to turn around.

Or people that are looking at anything but the road, switch lanes in front of you, then turn on their signal, or try to make left/right turns from the right/left lane, sometimes without signaling.
They're looking for where they need to go, paying attention to GPS, but insecure about where they "should" turn, "should" be.

It's not stupidity, it's just a lack of consideration for others, and needing to immediately gratify an emotional reaction to a minor stress.

I'd like to say "it doesn't get to me," but it's just evidence that no one gives a crap about me, about anyone else as I believe that the same thing would have happened whether it was me or someone else there, and it's just about immediately doing what they feel they need to do at the moment without considering what/how they're doing affects others, or even the slightest better option that negatively impacts others the least.
A complete lack of planning, a complete lack of considering consequences, with other people only being seen as obstacles or not really mattering just as objects that make up the stressful dynamic landscape.

There are far more complex answers.
IMO the reason it is so annoying to me is that putting any foresight, planning, risk management considerations for consequences, and trying to negatively impact others the least, all that work, effort, consideration, thought, it is ultimately for nothing as ultimately other people mess it up.
You get no brownie points for trying, or when it actually succeeds, and when other people screw up your attempts to be mindfully civil and thoughtful, you ultimately bear the responsibility and costs for their behavior.
Even though generally minor, it's still cumulative.

no photo
Sat 06/30/18 08:50 AM
I only notice this when Im driving in New York city and a few times in London England.

otherwise not really.

Tom4Uhere's photo
Sat 06/30/18 09:32 AM
I have all the time in the world.
When I have to be someplace at a specific time, I arrive early.

I find the "urban rush" kinda funny and entertaining.
There are a series of traffic lights along the main 4 lane thru this and the adjoining city. The speed limit is set at 45mph.
If I maintain 45mph I breeze right thru without getting a red light.
If I encounter a fresh yellow, I give the gas pedal a lil goose and it sets me in line again. Even in traffic, I hardly ever need to come to a full stop because I adjust my speed accordingly.
People around me rush along and end up having to stop at every light. You can see they are agitated and I find it amusing.

In stores, I make a lot of pauses and stops while people without consideration for anyone else and have no situational awareness get all frustrated trying to make their selections. Then, if they even notice they are being inconsiderate or pushy, some will apologize and continue the same behavior. Since I am not in a hurry, I just say no worries and watch them do their thing. I have actually laughed out loud at people that have no clue.

Crowds suk because people are insane.
A person might be considerate but when you put them in a line or a crowd they lose their minds. I think its pretty funny.

Tom4Uhere's photo
Sat 06/30/18 09:39 AM
Edited by Tom4Uhere on Sat 06/30/18 09:40 AM
I used to have a sign in my office that read
"Lack of Preparation on Your Part
Does Not Constitute an Emergency on My Part"

no photo
Sat 06/30/18 10:21 AM

So one of my pet peeves on the road is when someone swerves around me as we're both heading towards a red traffic light. Great job, you arrived a few seconds quicker only to have to wait, haha!
Lately I'm noticing a lot of things that people do that are like that. Rush (and disrupt others along the way) only to have to wait.
Have you noticed this too? Any examples?


I notice it every day as I drive to work.

For that reason, God gave me a car horn and a middle finger

JasonKM's photo
Sat 06/30/18 02:26 PM
I notice this exact thing, it makes no sense and it's worse when they cut in front of you under brakes and suddenly give you less braking distance. I see them do it in front of heavy trucks and I can see the frustration of the truck driver because he might not be able to pull up without hitting them when they do that.

Often the ones speeding up before the red light are also the same cars that were going too slow on the open road, which makes even less sense. They go too slow and block traffic and then when they see a red light ahead they speed up. It's like they've been fastidiously trained to do the precise opposite of anything intelligent.

no photo
Sat 06/30/18 02:31 PM
on the road my pet peeve is waiting till the last 100 yards to dive across 3 lanes to make that left. you drive it every day ijit get in the correct lane back there

no photo
Sat 06/30/18 03:08 PM
I had a car pass me just today, to rush toward a yellow light but the red light caught him . Then I was behind him, and made a right turn and was on my way, while he sat at the light.

:laugh

Larsi666 😽's photo
Sat 06/30/18 04:38 PM
Bleh. Red traffic lights. My pet peeve frustrated

oldkid46's photo
Sat 06/30/18 05:40 PM
I strongly dislike people who waste my time by their ineptitude. My time is valuable and them wasting it is not acceptable!! Obviously, I do not have all the time to waste that some of you speak about

NotPay4Play's photo
Sat 06/30/18 05:44 PM
Eh i've noticed the ones that swerve in front of me and slow down fast or tailgate me when i have a trailer or something like a 4 wheeler in the bed of my truck.
Come on people it is hard to stop or avoid you then. frustrated frustrated

mysticalview21's photo
Mon 07/02/18 07:21 AM
I notice a lot of large trucks pass me ...
becouse I slow for pot holes ... I just say see ya ...
your right ...sometime you end up catching up with them ...
shake my head and I don't care ...