Mistaking proper road etiquette for courtesy

slade_x

What happens alot to me is people seem to mistake proper road etiquette for courtesy, after dropping off a friend i was driving home on my own and it got me thinking after i gave way to someone (which i should have done) but yet acted as if i was leaving them off. I have been in situations where i am supposedly in the wrong when in fact i am not, i won't say im a perfect model driver though but i know the rules of the road.

What i really hate for example is people letting me off, when they really shouldn't. So i stay where i am until i am ready and deem it safe with respect to the rules of the road and yet i am in the wrong because others seem to be waiting on me when in fact they shouldn't.


is the reason why there are so many supposed bad (inconsiderate is maybe a better way to describe it) drivers on the road, because people are substituting proper road etiquette and others are picking it up

Some links:

http://www.irishmotoring.ie/cms/publish/car_section2.php

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/17.htm - i think this is a really good source
Note: its the Roundabout section i have linked, which i feel some people should really brush up on

Finally there isnt really any comprehensive information on the subject that i would consider simple to obtain (Please feel free to enlighten me and the general public if you know some good links). Maybe its just my search methods but it seems that even with the educational power of the internet a comprehensive guide to even brush up on seems non existant.

Anyone else think that the rules of the road booklet should come free with all future renewals for a drivers license, especially in Ireland?

Idleater

slade_x wrote:

...people seem to mistake proper road etiquette for courtesy...

I think it is hillarious too.

Some other examples:

One car has partially blocked a yellow box and another car instead of parking directly in the yellow box, flashes their lights to allow you to pass in front of them. It is like they are really doing you a favour by not driving and blocking the yellow box.

A similar one is someone not parking right on a pedestrian crossing in heavy traffic when the light change to red. They nicely wave you across in front of them. Like thanks for your permission to cross when the light is red for you and green for me...

I'm sure there are plenty more examples.

L.

curiosity

nereid wrote:

One car has partially blocked a yellow box and another car instead of parking directly in the yellow box, flashes their lights to allow you to pass in front of them. It is like they are really doing you a favour by not driving and blocking the yellow box.

L.

Well, perhaps we're all wary of people who drive into yellow boxes, not giving a damn if they are impeding traffic. I always appreciate consideration on shown to me while I'm driving, and would never call into question the driving abilities of anyone who shows me some. What is so wrong with someone deciding to let you out in traffic, thereby saving you time and aggravation? They are at least showing awareness of you as a fellow road user, and showing that they've got the patience to spare 10-15 seconds to let you go on your way. Now I accept that it has to be within reason, but long may courtesy continue on our roads.

BrianD3

One "courtesy" that I find increasnly annoying and even dangerous - drivers who slam on the brakes or jump into the overtaking lane to allow traffic to merge onto a motorway. The problem with this is merging drivers start to *expect* that someone will always let them out or that they are obliged to let them out. The result is sloppy merging - for instance you get drivers trying to merge at 40 mph because "someone has to let me out" :rolleyes:

Happened to me the other day - some silly bint in a Freelander tried merging onto the M4 at no more than 45-50 mph then got irate (flashing lights + horn)when I didn't jump out of her way after she tried to merge into the side of my car

stevenmu

Perhaps people are just trying to show their appreciation that you not only took the time to learn how to drive properly, but are also putting it in to practice, two increasingly rare things to see on the road these days.

BrianD3 wrote:

One "courtesy" that I find increasnly annoying and even dangerous - drivers who slam on the brakes or jump into the overtaking lane to allow traffic to merge onto a motorway. The problem with this is merging drivers start to *expect* that someone will always let them out or that they are obliged to let them out. The result is sloppy merging - for instance you get drivers trying to merge at 40 mph because "someone has to let me out"

Happened to me the other day - some silly bint in a Freelander tried merging onto the M4 at no more than 45-50 mph then got irate (flashing lights + horn)when I didn't jump out of her way after she tried to merge into the side of my car

Good point, it doesn't just apply to motorway situations, some people do seem to think they have some automatic right to pull out into oncoming traffic in the weirdest of places but it's most apparant on motorways. Personally I think this is a huge contributing factor to the gridlock on the M50, someone slows right down to allow some cars to merge and causes an instant tailback.

parsi

BrianD3 wrote:

One "courtesy" that I find increasnly annoying and even dangerous - drivers who slam on the brakes or jump into the overtaking lane to allow traffic to merge onto a motorway. The problem with this is merging drivers start to *expect* that someone will always let them out or that they are obliged to let them out. The result is sloppy merging - for instance you get drivers trying to merge at 40 mph because "someone has to let me out" :rolleyes:

Happened to me the other day - some silly bint in a Freelander tried merging onto the M4 at no more than 45-50 mph then got irate (flashing lights + horn)when I didn't jump out of her way after she tried to merge into the side of my car

When I started drivingin France that was the first thing I noticed - no muppet driving along on an empty road making it hard to merge - if the lane was clear they'd always pull into it. Made merging easy, clean and allowed you to merge at a decent speed.

numorouno

another one for the pot is pulling to the hard shoulder to allow somebody to pass. now i agree to this within limits but on the other hands its highly dangerous when your consider the amount of junctions irish roads have. so if a person was a particularly slow(and considerate!!) driver they would be in the hard shoulder a fair period of the time and so increase the risk of persons trying to join the main road. i feel that pulling over is necessary but only for the absolute minimun period necessary and not when a car is 100m behind that may pass by

Idleater

curiosity wrote:

...What is so wrong with someone deciding to let you out in traffic, thereby saving you time and aggravation...

Absolutely nothing at all, I try to do it as often as I can.

My point merely described the person stopping on their vehicle on their side of the yellow box (which by law they must do if they cannot exit from it) and waving you through like they are the most corteous person on the road and have really done something great and exceptional for you and that you should be eternelly gratefull to them for it.

L.

Flangemonger

nereid wrote:

Absolutely nothing at all, I try to do it as often as I can.

My point merely described the person stopping on their vehicle on their side of the yellow box (which by law they must do if they cannot exit from it) and waving you through like they are the most corteous person on the road and have really done something great and exceptional for you and that you should be eternelly gratefull to them for it.

L.

Are you seriously giving out about people who give you a smile and a wave?? Would you prefer they stared daggers at you or gave you two fingers? Or if they stopped in the box?? Good Lord, courtesy and politeness is rare enough in the world these days without trying to stamp it out some more!

Technically you're right of course, it's the rules of the road that they should stop at the box junction and it's not like they're doing you a favour. But so long as they DID the correct thing, why should you care whether it's from competence or charity?

The day I give out about being smiled at, is the day they can put me in the ground.... :rolleyes:

If you want to complain about the hordes of clueless, selfish morons on our roads (the ones that DO stop in the box), give us a shout - I'll be right beside you on that one!

Idleater

Flangemonger wrote:

But so long as they DID the correct thing, why should you care whether it's from competence or charity?

I agree with you entirely and I don't give a damn what goes on in their little minds. I was merely adding a for instance that I come across regualrly as per Title of this thread:

slade_x wrote:

Mistaking proper road etiquette for courtesy

Another example is people waving you across zerba crossings.
:rolleyes:

L.