Cars & Transportation Vent about all things traffic

[Registered User]

there's no doubt a lot of dickheads are on bikes,

 

[Registered User]

...but some people have baseless cracks at us (cyclists) because they've got no idea....about a lot things.

One time, I was fangin' down Beach Rd, doing about 55 km/h with a tailwind, and some old bloke in a car went TOTALLY farkin nuts at me because he thought the speed limit was 50! Ya shoulda heard him!

Another time, I was turning right on my bike in a right-turn lane with signals. There were 2 turning lanes, it was quiet, and there was another car there. An old lady wound her window down and went OFF at me because she thought was illegal for bikes to use a right-turn lane.
Having said that, I only use right-turn lanes when it's dead quiet. I'd rather go through an intersection on the left, stop, then wait for the 'straight' green light to change going the other way.

 

[GeelongFTW]

Whats with motorcyclists lane splitting on 70-80 km/h roads? Some flog came up scared the crap out of me the other day- only knew he was there by sound (but you cant be relying on that- deaf people can drive can't they?)

Whats stopping someone shifting sidewards for whatever reason (within their lane mind you) and cleaning up some bloke you up through his blind spot?

 

[JackOutback]

there's no doubt a lot of dickheads on bikes,

Sure; waaaaayyyyy more dickhead drivers though. You wouldn't know it from the way people rage about that one cyclist they saw while ignoring the 10 shitty drivers.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

fukkheads on their phones at the lights. happens ALL the time. Put the phones down you ******* imbeciles!!

It doesnt even have to be at the lights. My way home at work involves a large line of traffic just to get the lights. The amount of people on thier phones in thier own world is staggering.

 

[Hamingja]

...but some people have baseless cracks at us (cyclists) because they've got no idea....about a lot things.

As a cyclist I'd like to know what you would do in the situation below.

There is a busy intersection in Adelaide in Gepps Cross that looks like the above.

The pink dot is me so I was just a witness to a cyclist getting themselves into trouble.

The cyclist was going straight ahead and straddling the second and third lanes where the yellow dot was. The cars in the second lane ended up all going straight ahead so the cyclist was basically trapped straddling the lanes with cars flying past him either side. I was like holy shit that is dangerous.

Then I was thinking about his options and he is sort of screwed either way really.

I think he probably should have been where the blue dot is with the onus on any car from the second lane that was turning left giving way to the cyclist going straight ahead. That would be just as dangerous though with the potential to get stuck between two cars turning left pretty high.

I decided if I was the cyclist I'd just sit where the green dot is and block the whole lane and then just move off over to the left once I was through the intersection. It probably wouldn't go down with motorists very well though.

 

[TheKanga]

Just stay in the left lane. Problem solved

Basically right lane is for speeders who think they are above the law.

 

[TheKanga]

People are just shit

 

[brutus76]

People who don't use indicators - i'm not a ******* mind reader.
The people who are playing Mario Kart zig zagging lanes trying to make up time when there's a **** set of lights every kilometre or less. Bloody ******
Tailgaters - back the **** off.
People who don't acknowledge when you let them into a lane or let them make a turn. Common courtesy *****
People who leave their shopping trolley in an empty car park instead of returning it - lazy ******

 

[Borussia Teeth]

Especially on 4-lane freeways at 100km/h, those drivers that cut across multiple lanes from right to left to turn off the freeway.
Aargh, if you know your turn off is coming up, be prepared and stay in the left lane.

 

[Gralin]

Sure; waaaaayyyyy more dickhead drivers though. You wouldn't know it from the way people rage about that one cyclist they saw while ignoring the 10 shitty drivers.

People notice the road users not like them, so cyclists, bikes, trucks, taxis 4WD if you are in a car etc.
Rule of thumb every other person on the road is a dangerous campaigner that you should treat the same way you would a rattlesnake on the path in front of you

 

[RU_]

Here's something that not only really pisses me off, it's also illegal (unless the law has changed) and dangerous, yet many people do it. I couldn't find a photo, so I drew it.

Someone turning from one road into another with at least 2 or more lanes going in the direction they'll be traveling once they enter, will enter the vacant lane when the other lane is full of moving traffic. If a car in the larger road changes lanes, which they're obviously allowed to do, then bang.

Some people think there's nothing wrong with it, but by that logic, vehicles could never change lanes because an entering car could come out of nowhere.

I once tooted at a guy who did this to me as I changed lanes and narrowly avoided hitting him, then he had a go at me at the next red light because I dared changed lanes.

I admit it was a long time ago, but I knew someone who failed their driving test because they turned left into the extreme left lane of a 4-lane road (Dandenog Rd) while two cars were in the far right lane

I disagree with this, if it’s a main road such as Kelvin Grove Road heading towards Enoggera in Brisbane it’s the exact same set up. You could sit there for 15 minutes before it has a gap for all the lanes, and the amount of people who would end up banked up behind you would be crazy.

People who sit in the right lane on a motorway after ****ing shit campaigners though. Mooooove!

 

[Gralin]

I disagree with this, if it’s a main road such as Kelvin Grove Road heading towards Enoggera in Brisbane it’s the exact same set up. You could sit there for 15 minutes before it has a gap for all the lanes, and the amount of people who would end up banked up behind you would be crazy.

People who sit in the right lane on a motorway after ******* shit campaigners though. Mooooove!

In Victoria it is against the law, not sure about Queensland.
You need two lanes clear to turn safely into a multi lane road down here because of people who change lanes.

 

[RU_]

In Victoria it is against the law, not sure about Queensland.
You need two lanes clear to turn safely into a multi lane road down here because of people who change lanes.

Oh it’d be the exact same here, I’m not going to sit at a left turn for 15 minutes holding everyone behind me up on the off chance that someone is going to pull into that lane.

 

[Gralin]

Oh it’d be the exact same here, I’m not going to sit at a left turn for 15 minutes holding everyone behind me up on the off chance that someone is going to pull into that lane.

You really don't give a shit about road laws in general do you?
What about other laws?

 

[RU_]

You really don't give a shit about road laws in general do you?
What about other laws?

I drive to the conditions, if I can clearly see that the lane I’m pulling into is empty and there’s no car within a reasonable distance that’s going to be able to jump 1-2 lanes and clean me up I’m going to pull out. Why would I wait until the entire coast is clear? I drive to conditions that are suited to me, 6 years driving and I haven’t had a close encounter let alone crash yet. I’ve also had one fine and they clocked me at like 7 ks over, woopde do.

What other laws do you want to know about? Will I drink drive? No. Will I have a couple of beers if I’m having a barbecue in a park (which is apparently illegal) ? Yep.

Will I break into somewhere or trespass? Well I won’t break into places but for instance there’s an abandoned mental asylum at Wacol that a lot of people have already paved a way into, I’ll trespass to go for an explore there and I’ll cop the punishment if I get caught. I don’t damage anything there, just have a gander inside the buildings that other people have already broken into.

 

[Gralin]

I drive to the conditions, if I can clearly see that the lane I’m pulling into is empty and there’s no car within a reasonable distance that’s going to be able to jump 1-2 lanes and clean me up I’m going to pull out. Why would I wait until the entire coast is clear? I drive to conditions that are suited to me, 6 years driving and I haven’t had a close encounter let alone crash yet. I’ve also had one fine and they clocked me at like 7 ks over, woopde do.

What other laws do you want to know about? Will I drink drive? No. Will I have a couple of beers if I’m having a barbecue in a park (which is apparently illegal) ? Yep.

Will I break into somewhere or trespass? Well I won’t break into places but for instance there’s an abandoned mental asylum at Wacol that a lot of people have already paved a way into, I’ll trespass to go for an explore there and I’ll cop the punishment if I get caught. I don’t damage anything there, just have a gander inside the buildings that other people have already broken into.

On your first point I don't think you actually understand the road law, you've just described a safe gap. Yes you can see cars but if both lanes near you are clear you can pull out.

The rule is for when if the carin the next lane wouldn't be safe if it was in the lane you are pulling into, not if there are cars in sight

 

[RU_]

On your first point I don't think you actually understand the road law, you've just described a safe gap. Yes you can see cars but if both lanes near you are clear you can pull out.

The rule is for when if the carin the next lane wouldn't be safe if it was in the lane you are pulling into, not if there are cars in sight

All I meant by ‘off chance someone is going to pull into that lane’ is that in my case it’s an 80kph road, if a car did jump from the right lane to the left say 30 meters from where I’m pulling out from for no reason they would clean me up. This road in particular though is always busy, I’m not joking when I say it could take 15 minutes to pull out. At the same time though the road laws are stupid and if you hit the back of someone in any situation you’re at fault.. so I wouldn’t even be seen as being at fault.

 

[Gralin]

All I meant by ‘off chance someone is going to pull into that lane’ is that in my case it’s an 80kph road, if a car did jump from the right lane to the left say 30 meters from where I’m pulling out from for no reason they would clean me up. This road in particular though is always busy, I’m not joking when I say it could take 15 minutes to pull out. At the same time though the road laws are stupid and if you hit the back of someone in any situation you’re at fault.. so I wouldn’t even be seen as being at fault.

Ok I was wrong
You basically don't give a shit about sharing the road and following the road rules
Your theory is that because youve been lucky so far if an accident happens it will be someone else's fault so why follow the law as it wont be your fault if someone gets hurt

 

[RU_]

Ok I was wrong
You basically don't give a shit about sharing the road and following the road rules
Your theory is that because youve been lucky so far if an accident happens it will be someone else's fault so why follow the law as it wont be your fault if someone gets hurt

It comes across that way in text but I’m comfortable in my driving capability. You can tell if someone’s going to jump across the lane, being over cautious and sitting for an ultra clear gap (so basically no cars coming in any lane) is pointless and does nothing but bank traffic up behind you for no reason. There is such a thing as being over cautious.

 

[Gralin]

It comes across that way in text but I’m comfortable in my driving capability. You can tell if someone’s going to jump across the lane, being over cautious and sitting for an ultra clear gap (so basically no cars coming in any lane) is pointless and does nothing but bank traffic up behind you for no reason. There is such a thing as being over cautious.

You can't always tell, that's the point of the road law.
Not everyone understands using an indicator or looking before changing lanes

 

[RU_]

You can't always tell, that's the point of the road law.
Not everyone understands using an indicator or looking before changing lanes

Well I’m happy to pull out when I can see there is a clear gap, if they collect me because they didn’t look, then it’s on them and touch wood it’s something I won’t have to worry about.

The local Coles is also a left turn only but I turn right probably 80% of the time to head home, the ‘no right turn’ sign is pointless because you can see both directions like every other average t intersection in history - hence driving to conditions. Does that shit you too?

 

[Gralin]

Well I’m happy to pull out when I can see there is a clear gap, if they collect me because they didn’t look, then it’s on them and touch wood it’s something I won’t have to worry about.

The local Coles is also a left turn only but I turn right probably 80% of the time to head home, the ‘no right turn’ sign is pointless because you can see both directions like every other average t intersection in history - hence driving to conditions. Does that shit you too?

Yes it does, it's a separate conversation to whether that sign is correct though

 

[RU_]

****wits on motorbikes. Some campaigner this morning slowed to 35ks in a 70 zone in the left lane so I indicated and went to go around him, next second he’s darted across to the right and I had to slam the brakes and undercut back to the left to avoid making a pancake out of him. Looked like he had a phone holder on his bike and was looking at that trying to follow directions.

 

[rippersnipper]

Here's something that not only really pisses me off, it's also illegal (unless the law has changed) and dangerous, yet many people do it. I couldn't find a photo, so I drew it.

Someone turning from one road into another with at least 2 or more lanes going in the direction they'll be traveling once they enter, will enter the vacant lane when the other lane is full of moving traffic. If a car in the larger road changes lanes, which they're obviously allowed to do, then bang.

Some people think there's nothing wrong with it, but by that logic, vehicles could never change lanes because an entering car could come out of nowhere.

I once tooted at a guy who did this to me as I changed lanes and narrowly avoided hitting him, then he had a go at me at the next red light because I dared changed lanes.

I admit it was a long time ago, but I knew someone who failed their driving test because they turned left into the extreme left lane of a 4-lane road (Dandenog Rd) while two cars were in the far right lane

The general rule of thumb for this one is that the lane you want to turn into and the lane(s) next to it must be empty. If he was turning into the extreme left lane then he shouldn't have failed if those cars were in the far right lane 3 lanes across. The whole road doesn't have to be empty but you must give way to anyone who could potentially swap into the lane that you want to go into.