Internal mental driving constructs

[ieatglue]

I've been itching to write a post about internal frameworks of the road. Everyone has an idea of how everyone else should drive, and many people have pet peeves about driving, but everyone is working with a different mental model.

I may think a driver should do one thing, and another drive thinks they should do something else... What are your mental frameworks?

For instance, I believe you shouldn't ride a lane which is ending to the end of the lane, and then just cut off the car in front of you. I believe you should get over as soon as possible. Because I believe this, when I'm in a lane that's having another lane merge into it, I always leave at least 1.5 car lengths so that someone in the merging lane can move in.

95% of the cars in the merging lane will drive right past my gap, get two cars ahead, and then try and squeeze back into my lane. This causes everyone to slam the brakes, and the guys still end up in the gap that _I_ left in front of me in the first place.

Not to mention this slows down the whole flow of traffic...

I also can't stand people who don't signal lane changes. I don't care if you only give one blink. Do something!

I believe if you're going to be making a left turn and you're at a set of lights you shouldn't be creaping forward because this blocks the view of the car beside you trying to make a right turn on a red

I believe that pedestrians have the right of way ONLY when they ARE NOT JWALKING, and are respecting their own signals, otherwise I run them down.. That being said, I never stop over the while pedestrian line in an intersection

Anyone have any others? Anyone disagree?

[brandon6976]

I agree .. the people who move into the lane thats ending to get like 1 car length ahead is really a pet peve of mine. It does just slows down everyone and I have to cram on my brakes.

ByTheWay love the new Avatar :D

[Pete00]

For instance, I believe you shouldn't ride a lane which is ending to the end of the lane, and then just cut off the car in front of you.
I also can't stand people who don't signal lane changes. I don't care if you only give one blink. Do something!


:werd:
i only continue to ride the ending lane to pass the very slow driver in front of me. don't get this mixed up with purposely moving into the ending lane with the purpose of getting 1 car ahead.



I believe if you're going to be making a left turn and you're at a set of lights you shouldn't be creaping forward because this blocks the view of the car beside you trying to make a right turn on a red


never thought of that one. good one.



I believe that pedestrians have the right of way ONLY when they ARE NOT JWALKING, and are respecting their own signals, otherwise I run them down.. That being said, I never stop over the while pedestrian line in an intersection



:werd:


in addition, my peeves are those who do not check their blind spot. numerous of times another driver didn't check their blindspot and almost merge into me.

those who drive 100 in the passing lane...

those who do not acknowledge/give thanks when you obviously let them in.

[Prafull Koli]

Interesting topic... the idea of "frameworks" can be extended a step further to consider the environment within which the model exists...if any of you have driven in New York, Miami, or even Montreal...you'll know there's a different "normalcy" to the flow of traffic in those cities...you can say generally the model even changes depending on road type, demographics, and urban development.

The environment is a signifigant factor when you consider that we are all predisposed to the models that we grew up with (possibly from other cities, towns, and areas)

[ieatglue]

Interesting topic... the idea of "frameworks" can be extended a step further to consider the environment

Wow that's really interesting to think about. Now that you mention it, there are even socio-economic factors.

Areas such as where my gf is from are full of older cars and pickup trucks. People aren't as agressive because they are not all driving huge sport uts, or sport cars.

Older cars, older shocks, older tires = not as "performancy?"

[Prafull Koli]

social, emotional, and psychological factors of each individual driver, PLUS, the demographic, and environmental factors (some of which we've discussed here) make this a highly complex, but very valid observation.

this is what makes this so fascinating...the only possible way that we all are some how able to survive out there on the roads is through a common denominator of traffic law, and social "order" as brought about by our individual understandings of "common-laws".

I would suggest that one's perception of a "bad driver" is largely due to a difference in what's acceptable, what's right/wrong, and one's predispositions, as mentioned above. it's obvious I would hope, that a bad driver to one person, is a completely acceptable driver to another (the same suggestion might be made for the action a driver takes).

[subterfuge]

Like the child who is raised in the lunitic asylum who grow's up to view the outside world as insane. Reality is a 'very' subjective thing..