Bad driving

[CMP]

I have a rant for the idiot that passed me this morning on California between the Alaska and Morgan Junctions around 5:45 am. I was driving about 33 mph, like I always do on this road and saw a truck quickly approaching in my rear view mirror. I sped up to about 38 and then the driver of the truck had the nerve to pass me so (s)he must have been going about 45 mph. Where’s a cop when you need one? I realize that it is perfectly legal to pass people on that road since it’s marked with yellow lines, but come on. It’s not like I was driving 25 mph or something. This is the second time this gold Toyota truck has pulled this crap at that time of the morning. If you’re late for the ferry or whatever it is you’re rushing off to, why don’t you try to leave a few minutes earlier instead of driving like an @sshole?

[JenV]

It is not legal to pass you using the turn lane. Passing is only allowed when there is a broken yellow line. One can only hope next time there is a cop in the vicinity. I have a feeling that illegal passing+excessive speed is going to be an expensive lesson.

[CMP]

California does have a broken yellow line…sorry I didn’t specify. I don’t think any stretch of California has a middle turn lane from Thistle to north of Admiral. I cross over the line to get around Metro, but not to pass other vehicles that are driving…this isn’t Highway 2! I feel kinda lame complaining about this, but it’s happened to me multiple times on California and Beach Drive(usually at off-hours) and it’s irritating. I hope these people don’t drive like this when there are more cars and pedestrians around.

[beachdrivegirl]

I am not on California much, but I do see/hear cars that speed and drive way to aggressive on Beach Drive. I keep waiting for a day when a pedestrian gets hit while trying to cross b/c someone wants to get somewhere five minutes sooner.

[JoB]

is it legal to pass a car that is not stopped on a city street?

ok .. so i know we all do it from time to time.. but generally only when people are slowing to make a turn.. and even then i question the safety of that most of the time.

and.. is california an arterial and not residential street ?..

how does that affect the traffic laws?

i am asking because i would like to know.

although at one time i knew the washington driving manual in it’s entirety.. i didn’t have to relearn it all when i changed my license over this time… and i don’t remember difference between arterials and residential streets being so prominent then.

[swimcat]

It’s a broken yellow line on that stretch of road but I feel like that’s because it is specifically for left turns, not passing other vehicles that are driving. I’d be very interested in finding out how that is interpreted. And what an @sshole- the only reason for driving that fast is if you’re about to have diarrhea and need to get to a toilet.

[JimmyG]

You can pass there.

It’s only illegal to pass when there is a double yellow line, no passing signs, or on a curve.

RCW. 46.61.100-120

[c@lbob]

I think there are only 3 rules that explicitly prohibit passing on the left. One is a solid line down the center, or solid on the side the vehicle crosses first, including shared left turn lanes, as someone mentioned earlier. Another is the triangular “No Passing Zone” sign. Then there is on a curve.

Otherwise, passing is limited by the speed limit or some other road condtion, such as children in a school zone. I doubt that a cop would give one much slack for passing a moving car in a school zone.

I know I have wished I had a badge on being witness to boneheaded driving, but my practice is to make sure that I’m staying within the law.

We were on California at the light for Alaska the other day when the car before us turned right on red by Easy Street Records. The car behind us began honking when we waited for the light to change. An SPL car going west on Alaska stopped the car that had made the turn. As we passed the officer shrugged his shoulders at us, then waved the honking car down, too.

Which goes to show, sometimes there is a cop around when you want one.

[miws]

When I still had a car, one thing I always wanted to do, on the occasions that I was obeying the No Turn on Red, and some jerk behind me was honking their horn, would have been to jump out of the car in mock horror, and frantically look my car over, while running back to the offending honker, and exclaim something like “Oh my God!! What’s WRONG?!? Is my car on FIRE?!?”

.

My own story, of sweet justice, is from several years ago when I still worked at 35th & Fauntleroy. It was probably around 8:30 AM, and I was waiting on the little traffic island, by Yasuko’s, to cross 35th over to the Taco Time corner. When I finally got the walk light, and eastbound traffic got the green, I glanced over my right shoulder to make sure nobody was blowing through the red, turning left off of the Expressway.

.

All seemed clear, and I started to cross. About 1/2 way across, the lead eastbound cars slam on their brakes and honk. I then see an idiot fly by me after having having run a very red light.

.

A car or two back, in the eastbound right lane was a motorcycle cop. He zips between the lanes and nails the offender waiting at the light to cross Avalon. I hope he gave the driver the max ticket, and not just a warning. It was such a blatant red light running. Had the Officer not been there, and had I been in good enough shape, I seriously think I would have run down that short block to catch up with the idiot, and slam my fists down on their hood, or something. I also felt fortunate that the Officer was on a bike, and not in a cruiser, because he obviously would not have been able to cut between the lanes on Fauntleroy, and may have missed the opportunity to nab the car at the next light.

.

Mike

[charlabob]

Mike, that’s wonderful! I actually jumped out of a car and said, “What’s wrong … are you having a heart attack? Should I call someone?” TWICE in Boston a few years ago. I just got tired of being honked at. Didn’t cure everyone, but I suspect it cured the two idiots I did it to. And I didn’t even get shot or maimed…remember, this was Boston :-)

[miws]

Love it, charlabob!

.

*Clapping*

.

I like that better than my idea! Shows “concern” for THEM!

.

Mike

[charlabob]

You’re welcome <takes small bow>. I knew instinctively, in Boston, that showing concern for them was my only hope of emerging unbruised. But I was just tired of the honking.

BTW, driving in the Boston area for 20 years gave me a huge tolerance for what we call traffic jams. If my wheels are moving, it’s just a slow down. A jam is when my wheels haven’t moved, no one in front of me is moving, and I have no idea if I’ll ever move again. Anything less than that gives me some hope. :-) See? Everything is relative…

[cruiser]

Whilst stopped at a red on a hill in Dublin,Ireland my friends car quit on him. When the red went green the guy behind started honking,my friend went back and said “tell ya what,you go start my car and I’ll honk your horn,a***ole:)

[Anonymous]

Love it!

[Ken]

I was a cab driver in Boston Late 70’s. There is only one traffic law.

Most expensive vehicle yields right of way.

I drove a 4000 lbs checker cab with a winch fore and aft, and railroad tie for both front and back bumpers. All I had to do to change lanes was glance at the driver currently occupying the lane I wanted too be in. The body did not have a single square foot without a dent in it. (I paid the fleet mechanic extra to make sure and add some to the trunk when the lid got replaced.)

It is something like docking a fishing boat to make a u-turn and park on 4 inches of packed snow/ice on Mass Ave but it never ceased to amaze/frighten the tourists.

[charlabob]

Hey, Ken, that’s one key Boston driving rule — the other, especially on rotaries (roundabouts here) is Don’t Make Eye Contact. Ever.

Long before I moved to Seattle, I’d come out to visit friends and no one would ride with me the first couple of days — until I decompressed.

Then, when I went home to Boston, I was always in danger of being killed until I regained the correctly (bad) attitude.

[lintle]

I don’t see what the big deal is here. if someone behind you is in a hurry for some reason, don’t judge. let them by! I’ll even pull over without breaking the rules, of course. keeps my stress down and we both get what we want. let ’em get a ticket. it will cut down on roadrage as well as accidents. unless your ego is connected of course, i.e. passive aggressive seattlites. lol. I know I hate it when I see this happening(it’s plainly obvious) and/or they’re not paying attention, on a cell chatting or texting, applying make-up, etc…..

playing cop just aggro’s things. it takes two to tango in this case. I choose to let a cop play cop.

I love and adore W.S. and have no problem with this. maybe I just don’t get it.

[charlabob]

No, it actually doesn’t cut down on accidents — moving to get out of the way of everyone who wants to speed results in your repeatedly exiting and entering traffic, which is dangerous to begin with.

There is nothing passive aggressive or aggressive about driving as if you know what you’re doing and you have a right to do it.

I’ve gotten behind people who were driving the same speed as me, aka, the speed limit, and for some odd reason they pulled over, let me by, and pulled out behind me to continue. I wasn’t tailgating or honking–they apparently just had some neurotic fear of having someone behind them. Who knows? That’s just passive and scary and I wondered why they wanted to be behind me. :-)

[barmargia]

while I don’t agree with the whole getting out of my car and yelling at someone, because there are a lot of freaking nut cases out there. I also don’t think that just pulling over and letting them fly on by is the right way to go either. I don’t think anyone who gets pissed because someone is driving on their @ss while they are going the speed limit (or even a little above) is playing cop. Lintle were you the person in front of me on the highway who slammed on their brakes to let someone merge?

[JimmyG]

I’ve got to agree with lintle here. The “passive aggressive” driving I see here often is the driver who thinks just because they’re going the speed limit in the far left lane they can hold the speed down for the rest of us.

When in fact the law requires you to move to the right except when passing on a multiple lane road.

I loved driving in France on the highways and freeways because nobody stayed in the left lane trying to make a point like you see around here. They moved to the right and let people get on with their business.

[barmargia]

JimmyG, I am not not one of those people who camp out in the left lane, and I agree those people irritate the hell out of me. But what drives me crazy is the people who are driving around west seattle riding on my bumper when I am going the speed limit down the Admiral hill, or through the junction, am I being passive aggressive by not moving over to let those people pass me? I think it’s those people being self entitled because they think all they have to do is ride my bumper and I will get out of their way because they think they are more important than me. I won’t slam on my brakes, but I won’t move over either.

[JanS]

ok…I’m really not trying to be the smartass here, but…are there two speed limits? one for the right lane, one for the left? Is it an unwritten thing that if you’re in the left lane, that you get a free for all, go as fast as you like?If I am going the speed limit, maybe 3 to 5 miles over, in the left lane, am I really not allowed there? What is the rule here? How fast is fast enough to be in that lane? Just curious, since it’s been brought up..

[JanS]

oh, and if the left lane is just for passing, then why do those who use it to pass not get back into the flow in the right lane? Or is the speed limit in the right lane just a suggestion, and if you want to go faster you get to just stay in the left? again…just curious, since it’s been brought up…

[JimmyG]

barmargia, you have to do what you think is best for you. I’m not saying you’re being p-aggressive.

Keep in mind in the Junction or Admiral hill it’s multiple lanes and unless you’re passing or getting ready to turn left you should pull into the right lane. (RCW 46.61.100)

[JanS]

on the Admiral Hill, when going down the hill, if you’re in the right lane, you have to make a right turn at the bottom of the hill onto SW Avalon , or make a quick maneuver and get in the left lane in front of those who have been waiting in the left lane to go up on the WS Bridge…a move not appreciated in the morning rush hour. Your right lane argument doesn’t work there…depending on the time of the day.

[Author]

Posts