| Author | Message | ||
     juju's petals Citizen Username: Jujus_petals Post Number: 24 Registered: 5-2003 |
The blue honda crv thread reminded me that your driving habits (esp. the bad ones) are on display in a small town like this one. Like those of you who honk in the splitsecond that a light turns green at those of us who choose to enter the intersection with caution. Watch out, I might know who you are! Because I lack any of the Jersey aggressive driving tendancies or associated agnst, I'm that annoying driver who then makes an effort to drive absurdly slowly (okay, maybe I do have a few issues) thereafter in an effort to make you even more angry. For example, one Sunday morning on the way to church I didn't move quite fast enough at the light at Tuscan and Prospect for someone else's taste. Sorry, my daughter distracted me in the fraction of second when the light changed. Turns out, he or she (my money is on the she) was heading for the same church I was. And she was then forced to follow me as I made each turn with what I hoped was painful sloth. Neither one of us were late. God is patient afterall. I however, being imperfect and certainly not all-knowing (and perhaps a bit snippy), now not so secretly refer to you as the green-light honker. WWJD? Probably not honk on the green. Our bad driving habits are not anonymous. | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 7854 Registered: 5-2001 |
Juju, I don't honk at you very often. However, when you are so engrossed in your cell phone conversation you forget to look at the light and I let you have it with the double air horns at 110 decibels.  | ||
| slipknot Citizen Username: Zotts Post Number: 21 Registered: 7-2004  |
Since I've started working in Maplewood I've taken to never driving over 30mph on all streets, and anytime I get a tailgater I slow to 20-22mph. Hey I'm in no hurry. But while were on the subject, when did prospect turn into two lanes at Tuscan, I can' tell you how many times I get drivers making their own lane on my right while I take a left onto Tuscan. Are you in that much of a hurry. Then this morning I get a Suburu making his own left turn lane on Parker at Valley street while we are waiting at the light, he just hurries right up to the red light and takes a quick left. | ||
| redY67 Citizen Username: Redy67 Post Number: 647 Registered: 2-2003  |
Slipknot I don't know why that bothers you someone going to your right while you are making a left. There is plenty of room, no bother to you and it lets traffic go by. | ||
| Bill P Citizen Username: Mrincredible Post Number: 97 Registered: 1-2005  |
Yeah, it's the people who decide that I am too cautious while waiting to make a left turn and actually pull around me on the left to make their turn who astonish me. Ever tried to make a left off Springfield Avenue to get on the Parkway North in Irvington? It's happened to me a bunch of times there. I will pull around someone on the right if they are making a left turn at a light, if there is sufficient room. Conversely, if I am making a left at a light I get as far into the left-nahd portion of the lane so there is ample room to my right for the people behind me to pull the same maneuver. At the intersection you describe I think you'd end up with traffic backed up to Springfield Avenue if everyone had to wait for the car ahead of them to make a left turn. One last rant: to the impatient moron who has been tailgating me (driving the speed limit) who goes flying around to my left the moment I put my turn signal on to make a right turn. You need to chill, man. | ||
| juju's petals Citizen Username: Jujus_petals Post Number: 26 Registered: 5-2003 |
Of course, be extra careful with the whole slow-driving-retaliation thing. I had someone green light honk at me when turning left at the light at Prospect and Springfield (not cellphone use at the time but maybe I am slow . . . to drive into an oncoming car!) and it made the crazy person behind me even crazier. He/she actually drove around me into the other lane on Prospect and yelling and gesticulating something I neglected to focus on too carefully -- uh, because I was too busy driving my car. Sorry if this is too rantily flavored. I've just about had it with this Jersey driving drama. | ||
| Cathy Supporter Username: Clkelley Post Number: 780 Registered: 6-2002 |
juju, you have to chill a little and get used to it. Believe me, if I can get used to it and not get nerve-wracked, anybody can. The green-light thing took me a long time to figure out. In NJ, there is an unofficial rule. If you are turning left at a stoplight, and you're at the head of the line, you get to go before the oncoming traffic goes - they expect you to. (and the people in back of you expect it too.) In other words it's like an advanced green. Also, every road with a stop light seems to be a two-lane road at area right by the light. Left hand = left turners; right hand = straight or right turners. You can get in the left lane if you intend to go straight, people do this all the time, but it is disobeying the unofficial rule and people will hate you for it. This is how I have figured out the "NJ rules of the road" - any long time residents care to correct? | ||
| lnt Citizen Username: Lnt Post Number: 73 Registered: 6-2003 |
A caveat--this sort of driving is only normal in the metro NY area of NJ. I've never seen it in northwest NJ--it's not expected or acceptable there. Never seen it in southern NJ, either. The whole "Jersey driver" rep seems to have come from the metro NY area. | ||
| Bill P Citizen Username: Mrincredible Post Number: 103 Registered: 1-2005 |
Cathy, No no no no! One thing that drives me utterly crazy is light-jumpers ... the people who make that left as soon as the light turns green. Rules of the road apply here: traffic going straight has the right of way. It gets my blood boiling, especially the people who don't even try to make eye contact while they're doing it. I'm sorry if you've learned that's the right way to drive in New Jersey, cause it aint'. My wife who has lived in Maplewood her whole life despises the practice even more than I do. Sorry, I'm not trying to besmirch you here or anything. But please don't assume that's the way people expect you to drive. It's really rude and unsafe driving which has become commonplace. Much like many of the other habits described in this post. Okay, I'm calm now. Cathy, please don't hate me for this. | ||
| redY67 Citizen Username: Redy67 Post Number: 671 Registered: 2-2003 |
Bill P I am with you it boils my blood when people do this. It is very unsafe and shouldn't be an "unwritten rule". The only place that it doesn't bother me is at the intersection of Valley and Vauxhall, where this is PLENTY of time for the driver to turn left before you would even cross the road. | ||
| doulamomma Citizen Username: Doulamomma Post Number: 281 Registered: 3-2002 |
The green light honking & drive around folks (all the time on the u turn places on rt 22 - crazy!) makes me nuts & I have a bad habit of letting out a curse or two, which my children hear, so I'm *trying* to instead wave nicely & say "hey - thanks for the heads up" (but in my head, that means somehting entirely different) - I'm trying to let it be their problem, for my own sanity | ||
| Hank Zona Supporter Username: Hankzona Post Number: 2126 Registered: 3-2002 |
maybe you folks can clarify something for me...I come to a stop sign and have signaled to make a lefthand turn. A car across the intersection from me comes to a stop on the other side of the street facing me and is either going straight or right. I always understood it that if I was at the stop sign first (and Im not talking a split second, but clearly first), I have the right of way. Yet, in the majority of cases, the other person darts out first or makes a face if I do. So, am I wrong? Im trying to remember back to the days I took driver ed. | ||
| Meandtheboys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 334 Registered: 12-2004  |
doulamomma: I too, had a bad habit of cursing in the car when the kids were there. Really tried hard to stop after one of them beat me to it one day!  I've found that biting sarcasm is a very good and fulfilling substitute for cursing. Young kids just don't get it.  To everyone else: FWIW, I'm a life-long New Jersey-ite and am a very good and conscientious driver. I have seen lousy drivers in every part of our great country. I don't believe NJ has the monopoly. (Ever driven on the L.I.E?)  | ||
| redY67 Citizen Username: Redy67 Post Number: 674 Registered: 2-2003 |
Hank I believe if it is a two-way stop, the person not turning has the right of way regardless of who got there first. It is only the four-way stop that first come rule applies. | ||
| Meandtheboys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 335 Registered: 12-2004 |
Hank: I believe it is universal that folks going straight have the right of way over those making a turn. Rules at a stop "sign" are probably no different than rules at a stop "light." The only possible exception being a 4-way stop. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong though. | ||
| Cathy Supporter Username: Clkelley Post Number: 783 Registered: 6-2002 |
I don't hate you Bill. Nor do I actually drive this way myself. (except for the make-two-lanes at the stop light thing - that seems more mandatory than jumping the green.) However, people DO get annoyed because I don't. The message I would stress most is chill. If you don't, you will have a heart attack at an early age.. | ||
| Andrew Zorn Citizen Username: Andrewzorn Post Number: 157 Registered: 1-2002 |
I think Hank is correct and stop sign protocol is first-in first-out. Think about being on Maplewood Avenue stopped at Jefferson waiting to make a left and three cars are stopped across the way, all of them going straight. You wouldn't have to wait for all three to come to a stop, check cross traffic and then proceed as the "going straight has the right-of-way" logic would suggest. I think. | ||
| Meandtheboys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 338 Registered: 12-2004 |
Andrew: I believe in that case the first car in line across from Hank would have the right of way because it was going straight, regardless who was there first. Then Hank would make his turn, before the next car opposite him went straight, because he was there first. So first-in first-out would apply with some modification. | ||
| Hank Zona Supporter Username: Hankzona Post Number: 2132 Registered: 3-2002 |
I checked out the MVC website but cant access the info for some reason (not because Im trying to prove you wrong MATB, but because Id either like to no longer display anger to those not giving me the right of way or in most certain terms direct my anger at them, depending on the law ). | ||
| Meandtheboys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 339 Registered: 12-2004 |
Keep us posted, Hank. I'd be O.K. with you proving me wrong. I, too, want to be sure of appropriately placing my anger! |
