How "Common Courtesy" is Spoiling Bad Drivers

[Alvin Mpower]

Been reading on couple bad driver's Facebook Forums, seems like people love to make a big deal on merging. They complain about people not move over to let people merge. I see myself everyday people just force their way into the lane, it's like they have no clue what "YIELD" sign means. Then they proceed to say its "common courtesy" to move over and let people merge.

I just want to say, COMMON COURTESY IS NOT PART OF THE LAW. Law says slow down at yield sign and stop if not possible to merge. Just because one guy moved over for me doesn't mean I expect everyone else to. It's ok if they don't, it's my job to follow the law and merge the right way. People are so spoiled with "common courtesy", expect other people to do things for you but you can't do your part of the job right. It's common courtesy for the car to move over for you to merge, but isn't it also common courtesy to not force yourself to merge and put others in the harms way? They aren't moving over maybe because their exist lane is coming up? Maybe they can't because the other lane is clogged? Maybe they just cruising and not paying attention? On the phone talking to someone? In the car arguing with their wife about nonsense?

People are so fixated on how other people need to act, but they can't even act right themselves. They think everyone else is to blame for the fault when in reality they are the ones at fault. Not everyone have "Common courtesy", and there is nothing wrong with them. Just because you did something nice for someone doesn't mean they will always return a favorite. I learn not to expect anything back when I help other people, because I choose to do what I did. What other people are doing are none of my business. It's my job to do what I feel right, and what the law says to do.

If you can't drive without others around you aiding you, you shouldn't be driving.

[ASAP]

100% accurate and correct

i've seen people try to act courteous and stop literally in the middle of a fing busy road to let someone merge in... literally a full stop to allow a 90 degree right turn

congrats... on being courteous... u may have just killed all of us but whatever

[ezaircon4jc]

Merging ain't that difficult. It's just like a zipper, one & one.

[Alvin Mpower]

Originally Posted by ASAP

100% accurate and correct

i've seen people try to act courteous and stop literally in the middle of a fing busy road to let someone merge in... literally a full stop to allow a 90 degree right turn

congrats... on being courteous... u may have just killed all of us but whatever

Exactly, being courteous to one person and slow down ten other cars behind you isn't exactly being courteous. Sometimes depend on the situation, its all about timing. There is a reason why people going straight or on the highway have the right of way, because the traffic flow is greater than merging lane.

I hate when people let me turn left into a duo lane 2 way road because they blocked my vision of view of the other lane and now I can't see where I'm turning into. I'm just turning in blindly and hoping there is no car coming in from the other lane. Because they stopped in the middle of the road holding other cars hostage, now I'm forced to make that turn because I feel bad for the cars behind. People need to drive with common sense no common courtesy.

[tturedraider]

Nothing new, but there was a video on Instagram the other day of a guy rear ending the car in front who stopped for a yellow light, it was just about to turn red, and you should have seen all the comments from people saying it was the fault of the driver who stopped, because the other driver didn’t have time to stop. The “reasoning” and “logic” they used was truly mind boggling and scary. There was plenty of time for a driver who was paying attention to see the car in front was braking and going to stop. That didn’t matter to these geniuses.

[Donatello.]

People seem to have no clue on how to merge. Merging onto a major highway? Let's do 40 MPH & kill everyone! Morons.

[baron95]

The most important thing about the merge is the merging. Merging safely and efficiently. Which means merging without forcing the traffic flow already establish or merging from having to slow unnecessarily.

People that are tentative and extra conservative with merging and accelerating are as much (if not more) of a problem than those who are more assertive in the merge.

The slow mergers who stop or drive unexpectedly slow cause more accidents than the guy that squeezes in in front of you with good acceleration. Make your intentions known and go, I'll always let you in. I don't care that you get in front of me. Just do it efficiently.

[ezaircon4jc]

Here, mergers must be let in. I hate it when my onramp lane is ending (with all the construction going on it's usually into a concrete barricade) and the clown in the right lane wants to force me into the barricade. Even without the concrete, I can't drive on the shoulder, right of the white line. I don't expect traffic to stop, that would be unsafe and stupid, but I do expect to be let in.

I hated Oklahoma (unless things have changed) onramps that were about 100' long after coming off a 90º turn.

[SpaceSilver.X1]

finally becoming an official member of the old fart club has taught me that life is too short.... there are just way too many bad and stupid drivers out there. I don't pretend to be a good driver as I'm sure I've also done plenty of bad and stupid things while driving.

I have only ONE goal when driving... getting to my destination or returning home in one piece. Along the way, I may or may not let someone cut or merge in front of me. If I feel that it can be done safely, I let them in... if not, well... they'll just have to live with it.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

Merging ain't that difficult. It's just like a zipper, one & one.

I was in a situation like that few weeks ago. Car slightly in front of me went in and then I assumed it was my turn and started moving. The car behind me just went up to me and proceeded to inch me out. Lol I just laughed it off because they were likely having a shitty day. It’s weird because they were behind me for a few minutes on the same road before we hit traffic and merged. I notice more crappy drivers these days in Bay Area.

Another example was turning left. Two left turning lanes and I was in the outermost one (closest to rest of lanes). Light turned green and we started turning. Tesla in front of me just stopped in middle of the turn/intersection and proceeded to make a U-turn into the other lane and completed the u-turn with all others turning left! What.the.f?! Sheriff car was a few lanes over but didn’t see them. Damn how I wish they had gotten pulled over for that.

[dreamingat30fps]

No one needs to LET me in because I will get in one way or another.

My favorite was when we were traveling the with the RV. The RV is 32 ft and the F350 is a long bed so that like another 20ish feet so over 50 feet of shit rolling down the highway at 65mph.

Now if I was merging on the highway and I have a giant truck and RV coming down the road I will either put the pedal to the metal and GTFO like a bat out of hell or I will slow down and get behind them. That's also what most people would do, but there would inevitably always be that one genius who figured out the best way to merge is to simply get next to the giant truck and RV and just stay there, very carefully match their speed until you run out of road and then suddenly realize you have nowhere to go and freak the fuck out.

[Llarry]

Another aspect of "courtesy" that annoys me is the four way stop. If we all abide by the rules, everything goes smoothly. But there is always that one driver who has the right-of-way yet waves others through. There have been a few times I've gotten into a "no, you first" pissing contest with them.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Totally agree, right of way is more important than courtesy the way I see it. That said zipper merging when bumper to bumper traffic should be law. Common sense is not so common and some people won't zipper in slow speed traffic which just makes the whole jam objectively worse.

[Alvin Mpower]

The thing about merging from a on ramp is that if the merging lane is long enough, there is no yield sign. You either speed up to merge in front the car or you slow down to merge behind the car. If traffic is flowing properly there should always be enough space between cars for you to merge, if there is no space the guy is tailgating too close the car in front for no reason. If there is stop and go traffic, people always zip in one by one. I have been in so much stop and go traffic, it has become common sense that people allow others to zip in front.

If the on ramp is not long enough, there is always a yield sign. Since there is not enough lane for you to speed up to merge in between vehicle, you have to come to a complete stop and merge in when possible.

You have no idea how many people don't know how to merge here in central Virginia. They merge like an a$$hole, because they think they own the road. They also don't know how roundabout works, like its a brand new thing. Stop in the middle of the inner lane and let yield sign lane coming in is the dumbest thing I have seem. People just generally don't know how yield sign work down here, it's mind blowing they have drivers license.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

bro I understand your venting but you will NEVER win, people rather be righteous then follow the law. They rather enforce feelings then the law.

these people vent that people are speeding through school zones, yet when they are late they will speed up under the guise my children are late.

the camp in left lane saying they are already going over the speed limit, "and you aren't getting anywhere faster" I normally pass and cruise the fastest in the right lane in slightly heavier traffic go figure lol

they will drive with their high beams on at night claiming they can't see and they did it for safety

people will continue to claim that they require consent when being filmed publicly.

The double parking in cities is astounding due to delivery services yet everyone does it and it isn't enforced.


the number of fake paper plates in philly has made it the wild wild west. I could literally drive without tags for years and no one would blink an eye. "They are trying their best to get their plates, you know how hard it is to even purchase a car, on no maybe they had two jobs, have some sympathy"

everything you said in your post are cop out that play to emotion than logic and like below you will chastised for being a "not courteous" human. which is an opinion at the end of the day

Alas majority rather virtue signal then follow the law. people want their emotions enforced and ever since the 2020 our country has become very polar. I don't believe everyone is like this and 50% or more agree with reasonableness and follow the law, but they are silenced by the petulant whining of these common courtesy righteous people.

Just let it be. Nothing will ever change

[Car-Addicted]

Traffic Circles, who was the dumb a$$ that thought that was a good idea? Aggression meets "Common Courtesy". They were every where in New England. One of the things I miss the least.

While I'm venting on New England. Top Tip: The break down lane IS NOT A PASSING ZONE. Thanks, been trying to get that one off my chest for decades.

[Car-Addicted]

Originally Posted by SpaceSilver.X1

finally becoming an official member of the old fart club has taught me that life is too short....

Welcome to the club. Now get off my lawn!

[SpaceSilver.X1]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

Welcome to the club. Now get off my lawn!

I have ordered a couple of new rocking chairs for my own front porch, so I'll be sitting on them with my whiskey and shotgun. I knew this day was coming, but didn't realize it would be so soon.

[Alfisti]

90% of the problem is the north american obsession with 4 way stops. There's just no need for so many 4 way stops. Add the rule of "he who gets there first goes first" and it's fucking utter bedlam as people WHO WERE CLEARLY FUCKING THERE FIRST sit there staring at you.

Roundabouts people, roundabouts.

Jesus.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

Traffic Circles, who was the dumb a$$ that thought that was a good idea?

How about the rest of the planet? They are easy to navigate, have black and white rules and keep things flowing. 4 way stops are an abomination.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

Traffic Circles, who was the dumb a$$ that thought that was a good idea? Aggression meets "Common Courtesy". They were every where in New England. One of the things I miss the least.

While I'm venting on New England. Top Tip: The break down lane IS NOT A PASSING ZONE. Thanks, been trying to get that one off my chest for decades.

Wait what? Roundabouts are factually better than any other type of intersection. What do you mean they aren't a good idea lol.

[Car-Addicted]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

How about the rest of the planet? They are easy to navigate, have black and white rules and keep things flowing. 4 way stops are an abomination.

Opinions vary but for me, two lane 4 way laws are simple. Multi lane roundabouts are bedlam but looks like I'm a minority