| Author |
Message |
    
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 2024
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 10:32 am: |     |
This was yesterday, but I didn't get a chance to post it.
Time: 8:05am
Place: corner of Elmwood and Prospect
Scene: I am the first car at the stop sign on Elmwood, waiting to turn left. Traffic is unbelievably horrific; I have been sitting for 4 minutes with absolutely no semi-safe, quasi-reasonable break so that I can turn.
This is always a frustrating corner & I am not one of those people who misses a shot at turning, given a narrow window. So, if I ain't moving, you know its bad. After several minutes, there are about 6 cars behind me. One jerk starts blowing his horn. That was quite helpful, since it alerted me to the fact that I was sitting there, a situation of which I would have been otherwise unaware.
So, blow guy gets more impatient. Pulls up beside me. Is he going to turn right? That is his position. No, he pulls out in front of me, into oncoming traffic (the nearest northbound car was 3 houses from the intersection & the nearest southbound about 5 houses - neither going particularly slowly) and makes the turn. Both cars miss him by several feet, in a perfect reenactment of some car chase scene from a movie.
The irony is, that I made the turn about 10 seconds later, when the traffic did break (about 2 more cars behind me made it, too). I saw him go to the train station. I'm sure that making that train was worth the risk of the injuries he could have caused.
This was definitely one situation that justified the use of the F-word. What a f&*@ing idiot. Do you know how bad that accident would have been if he hadn't made it? I wonder what his passenger was thinking.
It frightens me that just when you think you've seen it all, a bigger a$@hole comes along. |
Tom Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 2227
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 11:37 am: | |
It's frightening, but good thing no one was hurt.
In situations like that, if I run out of faith that I'll get an opening to turn left, I turn right. You could have taken Prospect just a few feet, turned left onto Jennifer Lane, turned around, and turned right onto Prospect.
Good for you for not butting into traffic. I'm amazed that often, people ease in against all good sense, just because they've run out of patience.
Tom Reingold the prissy-pants
There is nothing
|
Unhinged
Citizen
Username: Mem
Post Number: 2770
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 11:44 am: | |
Yesterday, I came up behind a person to make a left at a T intersection. This guy was making a right. However, he got all the way into the left to make a wide right turn, just so I couldn't get alongside him and make my left. If I were going a tad faster, I would've side swiped him. Selfish, dangerous road hog. |
marian
Citizen
Username: Marian
Post Number: 123
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 11:44 am: | |
Too bad nobody got that guy's license plate. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4788
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 12:21 pm: | |
Obviously what happened was dangerous.
However, when I get stuck in a situation where I want to turn left and there is to much traffic to do so in a reasonable time (to me about fifteen seconds  ) I make a right and double back. |
Marc
Citizen
Username: Bautisma
Post Number: 117
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 12:32 pm: | |
what do you do with their license plate once you get it? |
Tom Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 2228
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 12:36 pm: | |
mem, you mean he moved to the left of the center of the road? How would you have sideswiped him?
Tom Reingold the prissy-pants
There is nothing
|
marian
Citizen
Username: Marian
Post Number: 125
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 1:01 pm: | |
Marc,
You report aforementioned dangerous and illegal driving to the police. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 2028
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 1:06 pm: | |
That would be cool if Maplewood became known as the town where the cops would send you a letter if a car registered to you was reported driving dangerously. If you got more than 3 complaints (by different people so that there couldn't be "stalking" or harrassment type of things), there would be a fine involved.
I'm sure there is no way to institute this, but it's a nice dream. After all, it would take a Constitutional amendment to remove the right to defend yourself, examine the evidence & confront your accuser before being found guilty of something. But, then again, I hear that those amendments are quite fashionable in certain circles. Oops - sorry. Wrong thread. |
officerfriendly
Citizen
Username: Officerfriendly
Post Number: 16
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 1:33 pm: | |
If you were able to get the plate and a good description of the driver, you could go to Maplewood Police HQ and sign a summons against the owner of the vehicle. At court time, when the owner of the vehicle shows, you would have to ID the driver. If the owner was not the driver, the judge could order the owner to produce the driver.
Since you are the complaintant, you have to sign the summons. The police don't usually get involved in citzen vs. citizen complaints.
officerfriendly
PS. Based on what you described, you could sign complaints for improper passing (passing your car), careless driving (passing your car and entering the intersection), and reckless driving (doing all of that and nearly causing an accident)
|
Lizziecat
Citizen
Username: Lizziecat
Post Number: 176
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 2:48 pm: | |
Last year, on the s turns on South Orange Avenue, I was tailgated and harassed by the driver of an invalid transportation service, of all things. When we came out of the reservation, he got in front of me, and I was able to get his plate number and the phone number of his service. I called them when I arrived at my destination--still shaking with anger--and they told me that I was the third person to complain about that particular driver that morning, and that as soon as they caught up with him, he would be fired. Sometimes complaining works. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 2029
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 2:50 pm: | |
Thanks O.F.
I propose "Zero Tolerance for Dangerous Drivers Day" in Maplewood. If we all did exactly what Officer Friendly advises in the prior post for one day and followed through we could send a message.
What do people think? Seriously, would you file the complaint and follow through? |
Reflective
Citizen
Username: Reflective
Post Number: 324
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 6:18 pm: | |
Yes, I would, Greentree. |
redY67
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 237
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 6:29 pm: | |
Greentree-- I hate that intersection. I used to be there at the same time every morning. People get so impatient when you don't turn left!! I now go a different route and avoid it all together. |
Dave
Citizen
Username: Dave
Post Number: 6468
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 6:53 pm: | |
I've witnessed more than a few rogue invalid coaches, too. |
sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 953
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 9:56 am: | |
After many frustrating attempts at turning left onto prospect at that time of the morning I have given up and just turn left onto Summit which I take to Tuscan. I'd rather deal with the stop signs than the maniacs who obviously exceed the 25 mph limit on Prospect. Due to the arduously long waits I find that from a time perspective it works out about even with a lot less stress. |
C Bataille
Citizen
Username: Nakaille
Post Number: 1660
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 2:33 pm: | |
I agree with Sportsnut's strategy. I go through Irvington on my way to work in the morning and have found that going several extra blocks to make a right turn rather than waiting in a horrible left turn situation is much, much better. I'm not convinced that I save any time but I know my blood pressure and mood are much better for the remainder of the commute. I arrive at work in a much better frame of mind and that undoubtedly improves my work day in many ways.
Cathy |
mellie
Citizen
Username: Mellie
Post Number: 420
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 2:56 pm: | |
hey Dave, are the rogue invalid coaches carrying the feral old ladies ? |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 2038
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 4:43 pm: | |
This is my usual post-7:45 route: Left on Summit, right on Plymouth, right on Prospect & left on Oakland to Dunnell to Jefferson, Ridgewood & up to Wyoming. This way I avoid the back-up in front of Columbia, Audley being closed & most schools buses. I go thru the reservation, but avoid S.O. Village Center anywhere near the train station at all costs.
Believe it or not, it only adds an extra minute.
Now- if there are two cars or less at the corner of Prospect & Elmwood, I make that left & then the right onto Oakland. Otherwise, the whole Summit, Plymouth thing isn't worth it. Waiting at that stop sign for so long the other day has, until now, been unheard of.
I could leave earlier, but, frankly, I've chosen to work out in the morning & get to work a little later. I draw the line at getting up at 5 to work out & still leave my house ny 7:30 to avoid traffic. |
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