This is one area that has bugged me from day one driving an RV. Is it me or are there just a bunch of morons out there in cars and smaller vehicles? It happens a lot on two lane roads where we are in the slow lane and as we approach an upcoming on ramp I see several cars making their entrance onto the road. A couple of them up front will pick up speed as they enter and keep right on going. But as I begin to get closer to where the on ramp merges with the lane I'm in I can't help but notice one car whose speed is about the same as mine and lo and behold that same car starts to enter right in front of me. Now this seems to happen no matter whether I speed up to get past him or slow down to stay behind him. It's almost like the idiot is trying to pace me and force me into veering off into the fast lane and possibly sideswiping another vehicle. It usually ends up with me braking enough to where the idiot merges in right in front of me, which is fine, no accident or problems caused and all I have to do is be thankful I was able to avoid hitting him. Now here's the rub! The moron slows down to way under what is considered to be a safe speed on any freeway or interstate and then just sits there refusing to get up to the normal speed limit. What on earth is wrong with drivers like this? I normally hit him with the horns once or twice but under most circumstances that doesn't even phase him or her. And of course my co-pilot doesn't like me on the horns so most of the time I don't use them and am left sitting there with a look on my face that could kill. Again, is it just me or do any of you have this happen in your travels? Guess I just want to unload and and get this off my chest as this is the one single thing that bugs me the most about driving a large Class A................. Good travels to everyone, BankShot PS: I wonder how it would be if all drivers were like me.................
QUOTE(BankShot @ Oct 2 2014, 01:39 PM) [snapback]38550[/snapback] Again, is it just me or do any of you have this happen in your travels? Guess I just want to unload and and get this off my chest as this is the one single thing that bugs me the most about driving a large Class A................. I tow a travel trailer and it bugs me too But then many things do... bad merging, failing to use signals, driving and texting, driving and putting makeup, dogs in open PU beds and my personal favorite: those who signal because the person in FRONT of them is turning. Sigh...
That's why if there are three lanes I travel in the middle lane. Two lanes, yes I have the same problem. When I see drivers coming down the ramp I will put my blinker on and try to get over. It seems like 90% of the drivers passing me don't see the blinker or just choice to ignore it. If I can't get over and it looks like they are going to pull in on me I slow down. The air horn is worthless they choice to ignore it. Had one driver pass me on the shoulder. So yes, you are not alone. I was amazed this summer while on a four lane road near York, PA. on all the drivers who knew what a yield sign was. Unfortunately none of them knew what a speed limit sign meant. But then most of the drivers on the road anywhere in the USA have that same problem.
QUOTE(BankShot @ Oct 2 2014, 01:39 PM) [snapback]38550[/snapback] Again, is it just me or do any of you have this happen in your travels? Guess I just want to unload and and get this off my chest as this is the one single thing that bugs me the most about driving a large Class A................. Good travels to everyone, BankShot PS: I wonder how it would be if all drivers were like me................. Yup, common problem. If I see someone coming on the freeway I try and get over to let them in. As far as people not letting me over I just make a hole. Waiting for someone to let you in doesn't happen. What really gets me is they will match my speed so I can't get back over in the slower lane and then after a while it's like a light bulb comes on that says " Oh yea, we're on the freeway I can speed up." Imagine how the 18wheelers feel about this. I always move over for them.
QUOTE(Tallboy @ Oct 3 2014, 09:29 AM) [snapback]38567[/snapback] That's why if there are three lanes I travel in the middle lane. Two lanes, yes I have the same problem. When I see drivers coming down the ramp I will put my blinker on and try to get over. It seems like 90% of the drivers passing me don't see the blinker or just choice to ignore it. If I can't get over and it looks like they are going to pull in on me I slow down. The air horn is worthless they choice to ignore it. Had one driver pass me on the shoulder. So yes, you are not alone. I was amazed this summer while on a four lane road near York, PE. on all the drivers who knew what a yield sign was. Unfortunately none of them knew what a speed limit sign meant. But then most of the drivers on the road anywhere in the USA have that same problem. We do the same on roads with more than just two lanes. Makes it much easier to avoid all those inconsiderate and ignorant morons. It's toughest going thru areas where the roads are only two lanes because it's then a case of "damned if you do and damned if you don't". Ride the fast lane and you piss off all the speed racers, ride the slow one and you're right back into the on ramp situations again. As you mention, horns hardly ever get their attention, they just blow you off and continue daydreaming. I did however manage one time to get a guy's attention big time. He must have been really daydreaming and had no clue he had almost been run over by a motorhome he had just cut right in front of. I leaned on the horns about 10 feet off his bumper and both of us watched as he actually jumped out of his seat in sheer surprise, and with hopefully a big dose of panic along with it............... :blink: I didn't think I was alone in this and thanks for letting me vent a bit............. BankShot
BankShot: I have had exactly this happen so many times as we drive back-and-forth between Arizona and Maine. Although I hate paying the tolls, at least many Northeastern State Parkways are controlled assess, so you don't a new on-ramp every 1000 feet. What you describe can be very dangerous.
QUOTE(Janet H @ Oct 2 2014, 06:30 PM) [snapback]38552[/snapback] I tow a travel trailer and it bugs me too But then many things do... bad merging, failing to use signals, driving and texting, driving and putting makeup, dogs in open PU beds and my personal favorite: those who signal because the person in FRONT of them is turning. Sigh... Janet, when I learned to drive we were taught to use our turn signal if the car in front was turning so that the people behind us would know why we were slowing down. I don't do it now myself but I was taught it was the proper thing to do.
QUOTE(John S. @ Oct 2 2014, 11:04 PM) [snapback]38561[/snapback] Air horn. Works well. Yes, the air horns are effective, but I'm thinking of investing in a snow plow attachment to the front of my MH. In order to keep one's sanity when driving a RV, you have to know and treat these people as handicapped. Mentally!!
This thread made me think. I lived in the mountains of Colorado just west of the Denver metroplex and the road we took to get down was very popular with bicycles. They would ride two a breast on the 2 lane winding road blocking traffic and it would really piss us off. A friend got a manikin head and put a bicycle helmet on it and stuffed it in the grill of his truck. When they saw him coming they moved over. :lol:
QUOTE(nedmtnman @ Oct 4 2014, 09:21 AM) [snapback]38587[/snapback] This thread made me think. I lived in the mountains of Colorado just west of the Denver metroplex and the road we took to get down was very popular with bicycles. They would ride two a breast on the 2 lane winding road blocking traffic and it would really piss us off. A friend got a manikin head and put a bicycle helmet on it and stuffed it in the grill of his truck. When they saw him coming they moved over. :lol: PULLEEZ.........Don't get me started on bicycle riders. We have them all over out here as I live in the foothills between Sac. and Tahoe and the cyclists have their national hdqtrs. right here in our area. Now don't get me wrong I have nothing against bicyclists but unfortunately the majority think they own the road and that's as far as I am going with this. Love the mannequin head with the helmet thing, wonder what it would look like tucked up nicely under the front wheel well of the coach. with perhaps a loosely flapping arm sticking out............... :lol: Have a great weekend everyone............BankShot
QUOTE(BankShot @ Oct 4 2014, 11:03 AM) [snapback]38590[/snapback] PULLEEZ.........Don't get me started on bicycle riders. We have them all over out here as I live in the foothills between Sac. and Tahoe and the cyclists have their national hdqtrs. right here in our area. Now don't get me wrong I have nothing against bicyclists but unfortunately the majority think they own the road and that's as far as I am going with this. Love the mannequin head with the helmet thing, wonder what it would look like tucked up nicely under the front wheel well of the coach. with perhaps a loosely flapping arm sticking out............... :lol: Have a great weekend everyone............BankShot ROTFLMAO.... love it. Blood red paint down the side of the coach.
QUOTE(nedmtnman @ Oct 3 2014, 09:39 AM) [snapback]38568[/snapback] Yup, common problem. If I see someone coming on the freeway I try and get over to let them in. As far as people not letting me over I just make a hole. Waiting for someone to let you in doesn't happen. What really gets me is they will match my speed so I can't get back over in the slower lane and then after a while it's like a light bulb comes on that says " Oh yea, we're on the freeway I can speed up." Imagine how the 18wheelers feel about this. I always move over for them. I agree with your basic approach, but if traffic is too heavy for me to "make a hole" I will use my Jake Brake to reduce my speed so the person merging can get on the highway and finally remember to accelerate. I adopted this tactic after taking a CDL course that included a segment on Defensive Driving for Professional Truck Drivers. The principal message of that segment was that the driver of the heavy vehicle should try to compensate for the stupidity of other drivers. In heavy traffic forcing yourself into the left lane and then trying to get back to the right may entail more risk than simply acknowledging that the person merging is probably on his phone and is oblivious to his surroundings. Reducing your speed slowly (that's why I use the Jake, not my brakes) may inconvenience people behind you for a few moments, but it can prevent a collision with the distracted driver trying to merge from the right. I've also done the same thing for 18-wheelers merging into heavy traffic where there's no ability for me to move over. Even though slowing down for a jerk isn't my normal inclination, the CDL course did give me a different perspective on driving. The other part of the course's message was that if you hit someone with your vehicle you're likely to kill or seriously injure them. As a professional driver of a large vehicle you're probably going to get blamed for it whether or not you're at fault, so try to stay out of accident situations if at all possible.
Hey, I really appreciate everyone's comments regarding my frustration in this area. Even tho we can joke around some about it and also rant about it, I think we all know what Docj is saying here. None of us wants to get involved in any kind of accident or even end up tapping the back bumper of some vehicle whose driver is simply going along in their own little world and evidently completely oblivious to what's lurking right behind them, etc. In situations like this that do present themselves I know instinctively about what's happening and am ready to slow down enough to allow that moron safe entrance in front of me. I always reduce my speed on two lane roads that I know have a lot of on ramps and so far (knock on me olde wooden head) we are still on the road and looking forward to our next adventure. Thanks again to all who responded to my post. Nice to know I am in good company and can vent a bit at times like this. Fortunately all the good times we enjoy with our coach far outweigh any times we do encounter those dreaded on ramps and what's coming down them to raise our BP a notch or three................. Regards, BankShot
I feel your pain. I think people, other than being in their own world, have forgot what a yield sign means. These people need to be stopping if people are coming down the highway. The other thing is people on the highway in front of you slowing or stopping to let these people on the highway, again they need to yield. Many times you cannot change lanes, you can put your signal on but that only lets people know what you want to to, it does not give us a God given right to move over. I did make someone miss there exit once as the cut me off and went to stop in front to get off the highway, payed on the horn for a couple hundred yards to avoid killing them. Luckily they kept moving and missed the exit.
I think the cell phone has made this much worse. I frequently see this happen. I am a momentum driver and try to use the brakes as little as possible. I judge my speed carefully and hate to slam on my brakes. This kills gas mileage also, When we bought our present coach, the previous owner had installed some after market electric horns and they are very loud. I think of the horn as a safety devise and use it a lot. I first toot it to get their attention. My spotter (wife) and I discuss what to do at each exit. Unfortunately, there is not too much you can do when they get to the end of the acceleration lane at 40 mph on the phone and don't know you are even there. I was brought up to believe the horn was discourteous. I have gotten over that.
I agree about the cell phone, 9 times out of 10 they have the phone to there ear and have no clue what is going on around them. At the end of the speed up lane they best be going 65 or whatever the speed the first lane is travelling or yielding. I am most likely in cruise control with my foot near the break just in case.
We always run in the right lane usually about 5 to 7 MPH under the speed limit. We are in no hurry to arrive at our next destination. With that said we often encounter this exact situation of the on coming traffic . Mrs Mamaluca always makes me chuckle when there are 4-5 cars trying to merge and the leader slows down rather then speeding up she says. " be careful here comes the MORON PARADE " Gotta love these mental midgets trying to drive.
I kind of hate to admit it, but driving an RV is really a two person job. At least it is a lots safer that way.
Absolutely does take two to drive an RV safely. Agree 100%. Driving in my opinion is a skill and some trust in the fellow motorist that they too have the skill it takes. Over the years I have come to trust commercial truck drivers more than private drivers. The drivers that we trust the least are the younger drivers.
