Rant Alert!
So this post is to rant about some of the bad driving we’ve experienced by others while we’ve been traveling. Those who know me (Ryan), know I have very little patience with other’s bad driving habits, especially when it comes to driving slow in the left lane and people who rush to turn out into traffic (sometimes cutting people off and failing to yield the right-of-way) and then drive slow. As we’ve been traveling across the country, it seems folks drive worse in cities and populated areas rather than rural areas. Now this may be because we encounter more people in cities and populated areas than in rural areas, therefore the chances of encountering bad driving is higher than in rural areas. It just seems people in rural areas are more patient and don’t get in each others way. Here are some examples where we’ve experienced bad driving in the last month:
First Example: While exiting one interstate to another, the ramp splits to take you in different directions on the interstate you’re transitioning to. The left lane on the ramp takes you in one direction and the right lane takes you in the other direction. We were in the left lane which was backed up as a lot of people wanted to go in that direction. People were flying up the right lane to pass everyone and then squeezing into the left lane where there were gaps. Basically they were cutting in line. We got up to where the actual split of the ramp occurs and the traffic in front of us started speeding up. Now, we’re at a combined vehicle weight of around 28000 lbs between our RV and our truck. We don’t accelerate quickly and we definitely don’t stop quickly. Because the traffic in front of us was able to accelerate faster than us a gap opened up. You guessed it, we had not one but two SUVs squeeze/cut in front of us and then slam on their brakes since the traffic in front of us was slowing down again. Good thing I was paying attention or we would have rear-ended them. And guess who would have been at fault.
Second Example: We were traveling in the right lane on an interstate going through a major city and cars were passing us to our left. No biggie. We come up to an on-ramp where an 18-wheeler is coming down it at a good clip. I can’t get over to the lane to the left of us due to another 18-wheeler being in it right next to us. The 18-wheeler coming down the on ramp immediately starts coming over into my lane as soon as the grass separating his lane from mine ends without even looking. Of course we about collided so I laid on the horn and started to swerve into the lane to the left of me. Fortunately the 18-wheeler who was there next to me must have seen what was about to happen and moved over so I wouldn’t run into him. Now, of all people, a truck driver should know better than to swerve onto the interstate like that. A truck driver should know that a vehicle towing a heavy trailer cannot maneuver nor stop/slow down quickly. A truck driver is supposed to be a professionally trained driver. The funny thing is that truck driver knew he almost caused a wreck as was in the wrong because he wouldn’t pass me, even when I slowed down significantly.
Here are some of the bad habits I continually see:
Slow Driving in the Left Lane: The left lane is for passing, not for cruising in, especially if there’s traffic behind you and nobody in front of you. Get over into the right lane where you belong and stay there.
Turning Out Into Traffic Badly: What I mean by this is when someone turns from a side road, driveway, etc. onto a road and instead of waiting for traffic to pass and turning in behind it, they rush out and make their turn so they don’t have to wait, causing traffic on the road to have to slow down to avoid hitting the person turning out. Technically this is failing to yield the right of way to the folks already on the road. At best it’s just rude, at worst it could cause a wreck. People, be patient and if you do turn out in front of traffic, get on the accelerator and speed up quickly.
Distracted Driving: We’re all guilty of this. Even before cell phones proliferated in the 90s and 2000s, people did and still do things that keep them from doing what their supposed to do when their driving, PAY ATTENTION. I’ve noticed that distracted driving causes a lot of the bad driving habits I’ve been speaking about. People, PAY ATTENTION!!
I know this post won’t change anything, but it needed to be said. Drive safely yall.
Roaming Rays 