People who turn left in traffic when there is no left turn lane

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jack Remington said:
Okay, aside from the over the top honking and whatever, would people agree that going an extra block or two to where there's an actual left turn lane and doubling back would be a far more considerate course of action than holding up dozens of people as much as five minutes each to make one turn?
Click to expand...
No
 
Jack Remington said:
Okay, aside from the over the top honking and whatever, would people agree that going an extra block or two to where there's an actual left turn lane and doubling back would be a far more considerate course of action than holding up dozens of people as much as five minutes each to make one turn?

1-2 minutes of your time vs 40 minutes to 2 hours of combined societal time.
Click to expand...

lol... no. in LA that could very well be another 5-10 minutes added to your trip...

Thug Waffle said:
Another thing I just thought of, and I want the OP to answer this.

So what happens if you're going to a gas station or Ralph's or LA Fitness and it's on your left? What if there's no turn lane? Do you derp around and take three rights every single time or do you just take the left you have every right as a driver to take?
Click to expand...
 
Jack Remington said:
Okay, aside from the over the top honking and whatever, would people agree that going an extra block or two to where there's an actual left turn lane and doubling back would be a far more considerate course of action than holding up dozens of people as much as five minutes each to make one turn?

1-2 minutes of your time vs 40 minutes to 2 hours of combined societal time.
Click to expand...

No, because making that left turn is not illegal. I put my turn signal on to give the people behind me notice that I'm making that left turn. I am not going to go out of my way and go past my intended street just because some people have a mental breakdown behind me.
 
Jack Remington said:
Okay, aside from the over the top honking and whatever, would people agree that going an extra block or two to where there's an actual left turn lane and doubling back would be a far more considerate course of action than holding up dozens of people as much as five minutes each to make one turn?

1-2 minutes of your time vs 40 minutes to 2 hours of combined societal time.
Click to expand...

Societal time?

Good grief.
 
Jack Remington said:
Okay, aside from the over the top honking and whatever, would people agree that going an extra block or two to where there's an actual left turn lane and doubling back would be a far more considerate course of action than holding up dozens of people as much as five minutes each to make one turn?

1-2 minutes of your time vs 40 minutes to 2 hours of combined societal time.
Click to expand...
No, but I'm the type of guy who doesn't get upset when cars make legal maneuvers.
 
Jack Remington said:
Okay, aside from the over the top honking and whatever, would people agree that going an extra block or two to where there's an actual left turn lane and doubling back would be a far more considerate course of action than holding up dozens of people as much as five minutes each to make one turn?

1-2 minutes of your time vs 40 minutes to 2 hours of combined societal time.
Click to expand...

Nope.

Jack Remington said:
Drive down Santa Monica Blvd in the afternoon or early evening.
Click to expand...

Why don't you just stay in the right lane and never have to worry about it?
 
God forbid OP ever drives out to the country where the major roads are two lanes and some people need to get off the major road in rush hour.
 
Jack Remington said:
We're getting into some malum prohibitum vs malum in se territory. Something doesn't have to be illegal to be a godawful thing to do.
Click to expand...

No, you're just showing how self absorbed you appear to be.

Even if it was a godawful thing to do, your habit of laying on the horn and flipping them off is much, much worse.
 
Jack Remington said:
We're getting into some malum prohibitum vs malum in se territory. Something doesn't have to be illegal to be a godawful thing to do.
Click to expand...

maybe not, but in this case, you're just being ridiculous.

Thug Waffle said:
Another thing I just thought of, and I want the OP to answer this.

So what happens if you're going to a gas station or Ralph's or LA Fitness and it's on your left? What if there's no turn lane? Do you derp around and take three rights every single time or do you just take the left you have every right as a driver to take?
Click to expand...
 
Jack Remington said:
We're getting into some malum prohibitum vs malum in se territory. Something doesn't have to be illegal to be a godawful thing to do.
Click to expand...

You are complaining about something so fucking stupid though...especially if there are two lanes going in your direction.
 
Brakke said:
People who ever make left turns at all are clowns. Learn to UPS.
Click to expand...
I was looking for an old article and ran across this gem.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...-for-almost-never-turning-left-while-driving/
“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” — Arthur Schopenhauer

Please remember that quote as I propose what will appear outlandish — a ban on left turns on heavily-trafficked roads. Making left-hand turns is as American as apple pie. But remember, we once accepted slavery and the beating of wives and children. There’s no doubt we’re doing things today that future generations will find abhorrent. Here’s why turning left on crowded streets is one of them:
Click to expand...
That gave me a pretty good laugh.
 
To answer Thug Waffle, assuming I couldn't make a u-turn and double back within a reasonable distance, yes, I would derp around with 3 right turns if it was rush hour.

Bringing an entire lane to a halt would be an absolute last resort. Like if my wife was in labor or something.
 
Jack Remington said:
.

I've made it my policy to honk incessantly if I'm immediately behind the driver doing this. If I manage to get into the next lane to go around the driver, I make sure to flip the bird as I go past. More people need to flip the bird for this shit. People need to know that it's not okay.
Click to expand...

Seriously? You say turning left at an intersection (which by rules of the road, you're allowed to do) is inconsiderate and you do THAT? If it bothers you so much, get into the other lane so you won't be held back. You can't control other drivers, so why not be proactive and avoiding what is making you so upset. It's not the driver's fault they're allowed to make that turn.

Sorry but I completely disagree with you and your actions.
 
Sorry about your lack of patience, OP. Sounds awful.
Are you able to handle red lights at least? What about school buses?
Best of luck.
 
I live in LA. I have no problems with this. The only problems I have, as someone mentioned before, is making left turns when there is a no left turns sign. Even worse are those people who try to make left turns through double solid lines. OMG. I swear, i've seen so many accidents happen this way. This dude tries to make a left turn using a double solid and a car slams into him on the opposite lane.
 
I have literally never heard of someone complaining about unprotected left turns. Ever. Not once. Lived in LA for like ten years spread out over my life brehs, not once. I think some people in this thread have severe patience issues.
 
dorkkaos said:
I live in LA. I have no problems with this. The only problems I have, as someone mentioned before, is making left turns when there is a no left turns sign. Even worse are those people who try to make left turns through double solid lines. OMG. I swear, i've seen so many accidents happen this way. This dude tries to make a left turn using a double solid and a car slams into him on the opposite lane.
Click to expand...

FWIW, turning against a double yellow is legal.
 
I completely agree, its extremely selfish. If you miss your turn, go to the next intersection and do a U turn rather than hold up traffic you %*@(*&(@!
 
Raonak said:
I always hear interesting stories about LA drivers. Sounds like OP is one of them.
Click to expand...

We drive A LOT, most times it's just dull more than anything.
Honestly though if someone flipped me off in traffic I'd just laugh.

50-cent-patrick-stewart-animated-gif-driving-away-smile.gif
Click to expand...
 
Sounds like the perfect opportunity to spark up a doobie and chill the fuck out. Gotta deal with those anger issues, OP.
 
Jack Remington said:
To answer Thug Waffle, assuming I couldn't make a u-turn and double back within a reasonable distance, yes, I would derp around with 3 right turns if it was rush hour.

Bringing an entire lane to a halt would be an absolute last resort. Like if my wife was in labor or something.
Click to expand...

At rush hour you can't make the left turns you're talking about at most intersections, so you'd have to do the 3 rights.

I don't disagree that the left turners are annoying, but it's pretty simple to just assume which intersections are going to have them and get to the right beforehand. LA driving is a psychological game as much as anything, and you should be looking way down the road for hazards at all times anyway, because people do crazy shit here. Yesterday I saw a tanker truck make a U-turn in a four-way intersection against the light from the right turn lane without signaling. Anything can happen on the road here, and it's usually unbelievably stupid.
 
Jack Remington said:
We're getting into some malum prohibitum vs malum in se territory. Something doesn't have to be illegal to be a godawful thing to do.
Click to expand...

Sure, but a characteristic of malum in se is that there's widespread agreement that a specified behavior is inherently wrong. I don't think you've risen to that level.
 
StopMakingSense said:
But then he has to wait (!!!) for people trying to turn right who are waiting for those inconsiderate asshole pedestrians trying to cross the street! Why can't they just wait an hour until traffic dies down to block traffic!?
Click to expand...

Pedestrians in LA are just the poors that can't afford a car. Cars shouldn't wait for them, they should just run em over.

On a serious note, I can understand the OP's frustration. When you're stuck in the car for way too much time, especially LA traffic, any little thing can tick you off. If it was just one guy doing a left turn and everything else was free flowing traffic, I would suggest anger management. However, I'm as calm a person as can be when dealing with people outside the car but sometimes it's really easy to get frustrated in the car when you're in constant traffic day in day out. Sucks, but that is what happens when you design your city around just the car.
 
Jack Remington said:
To answer Thug Waffle, assuming I couldn't make a u-turn and double back within a reasonable distance, yes, I would derp around with 3 right turns if it was rush hour.

Bringing an entire lane to a halt would be an absolute last resort. Like if my wife was in labor or something.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought you'd say. I'm just gonna go on record that I think you're lying.

MattKeil said:
At rush hour you can't make the left turns you're talking about at most intersections, so you'd have to do the 3 rights.
Click to expand...

I've found that just waiting in the left lane, then turning on the yellow/red (even the cops have to turn on these reds lol) is quicker than taking three rights. Even during rush hour. I've never been unable to take a turn I needed to unless there was road construction.
 
Umm, just look for an opportunity to switch lanes when this happens? Staying out of the left lane is the best way to avoid this situation anyway. I always take note of left lanes to avoid.

What annoys me is when people hold up traffic in a parking lot because they're waiting on someone that's still packing tons of shit. It's annoying for drivers as well as the person getting ready to leave the area.
 
pigeon said:
Sure, but a characteristic of malum in se is that there's widespread agreement that a specified behavior is inherently wrong. I don't think you've risen to that level.
Click to expand...

Well it has been shown that left turns are 10x more dangerous than right turns, so that is really enough proof that they are wrong in most cases.

If you have to take a left, that's fine, but in 95% of cases, there will always be a better option, both for you as the driver and the people behind you.
 
this is the worst

I understand that it's (sometimes) necessary and (sometimes) legal

but it truly is the fucking worst
 
I'm still having so much trouble comprehending this thread. Maybe it's because I'm from a city with no grid system so 'right, right, right' is literally impossible and depending on the left turn, you could be out of luck for 20-30 minutes during rush hour just to back track.
 
xxracerxx said:
Societal time?

Good grief.
Click to expand...

I agree with OP on this. When it comes to issues like this, you have to look at the aggregate impact on all the other drivers on the road. If you block a lane for the entire duration of a light cycle, you haven't just caused 5 minutes of delay, you've caused 5 x # of cars behind you worth of delay. Say 12 cars get stuck for an additional light cycle. That's an hour of time right there. Assuming the average person's time is worth about $20/hr, that was a $20 left turn you just inflicted on the world. Add up all the hundreds or thousands of times that this happens per day, times 365 days a year, and it's not inconceivable that people making douchey left turns are inflicting millions of dollars of lost productivity on their fellow citizens each year.
 
Elrond Hubbard said:
I agree with OP on this. When it comes to issues like this, you have to look at the aggregate impact on all the other drivers on the road. If you block a lane for the entire duration of a light cycle, you haven't just caused 5 minutes of delay, you've caused 5 x # of cars behind you worth of delay. Say 12 cars get stuck for an additional light cycle. That's an hour of time right there. Assuming the average person's time is worth about $20/hr, that was a $20 left turn you just inflicted on the world. Add up all the hundreds or thousands of times that this happens per day, times 365 days a year, and it's not inconceivable that people making douchey left turns are inflicting millions of dollars of lost productivity on their fellow citizens each year.
Click to expand...

This falls apart where there isn't anywhere with a 5 minute light cycle. At most, especially in the areas the OP is mentioning, its about a full minute.

and I am still dubious as to the OP's claim of 'dozens' of cars stuck behind a single car. This is straight up fantasy.
 
OP if the traffic is whizzing by in the next lane, then shouldn't you switch? You're the one holding up traffic at the point.
 
I actually completely misunderstood this post I think. I thought you were saying how annoyed you were when someone missed the left turn lane and then tries to turn from the next lane over at the last minute (essentially blocking an entire lane of traffic for their mistake).

I think you're mad about people turning into store lots and such that have no left turn lane? If thats the case, you just need to get over it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Bots surpass humans as most active Internet Traffic
43
891
IntentionalPun replied
There is no Epstein Client List
41 42 43 44 45
2K
8K
12Goblins replied
Porn site traffic plummets as UK age verification rules enforced
2 3
147
2K
ForAcademicPurposes replied
  • Poll
Who is the best triple threat actor?
36
649
daffyduck replied
Salma Hayek is about to turn 58...what?
2 3
117
11K
Cyberpunkd replied
Top Bottom