'Tis the season

For Bad Drivers to Be Out

[Jane_Doe]

I went Christmas shopping today and got stuck in traffic in a shopping area that has only one narrow, congested lane in each direction. It turned out someone couldn't find a spot so he just parked is car in the middle of the road and sat there waiting for a spot to open up, thus blocking off one entire lane of traffic in one direction duing the lunch time rush hour on a busy shopping street.

This meant that in order to move forward all of the cars behind him had to wait until there was no traffic coming from the other direction, which was rare because it is a busy shopping day on a busy street, or drive into the next lane into oncoming traffic hoping the other cars will move over and let your car squeeze down the middle, and risking a head on collision if they did not, in order to get around his vehicle. (I know he was not stalled out or having car trouble because I asked the driver why his car was blocking traffic and he basically said he had trouble finding a place to park so he decided just to park in the middle of the street until a real parking spot opened up.)

I guess I should be grateful for drivers like this guy. It makes online shopping all the more attractive. :)

[edited by: Jane_Doe at 10:50 pm (utc) on Dec. 12, 2007]

[LifeinAsia]

This is why God invented the cell phone. I would have called the police immediately. I might have even done it right in front of him within earshot.

[Jane_Doe]

This is why God invented the cell phone. I would have called the police immediately. I might have even done it right in front of him within earshot.

You are so right. I should have done exactly that. I'm putting a phone book in my car today so I have the numbers of all the different city police departments in my metro area handy.

[rocknbil]

Out of all the driving atrocities I see every time I venture out, this one has to be the very most annoying of all. And it's not just the holiday season either (notice how I artfully dodged the infamous "C" word for the P.C. term.)

Icing on the cake, the people that hold up traffic waiting for the spaces are usually the ones that could benefit most from a long stroll from the corner of the lot.

[Habtom]

Jane_Doe, it just happens almost all the time here in Dubai.

hmmm, I was hoping nobody would start me complain about 'car manners' here. I might as well give you some 'out of experience' driving tips in Dubai:

Want to change a lane? Never put on the turn signals, till you know for sure the next car on the lane you are changing to can't reach you. If you put on a turn signal, 90% of the time people on the other lane will do anything to block you from joining the lane.

Never expect people to put turn signals to let you know what their next move could be. People just drive.

hmmm, I highly recommend you not to drive on the fast lane. Even if the speed limit is a 100 and you are still going 120 km/hr, you would normally find somebody driving behind you flashing lights and makes you feel you are driving at 10 km/hr when they pass by.

What you were told as a child, look both sides of the street before crossing works here better than anywhere else. No matter what the signals are green, yellow, red, blue. . . or whatever color might be there, never assume the other party are happily abiding by the colors.

Cars with 'baby on board': Those drive too fast for you could hardly read the sign. If they have babies in them, though they took the time to post those signs, are freely moving inside the car, while their dad is driving twice the speed limit.

Very important: don't forget your prayers in the morning

[edited by: Habtom at 5:40 am (utc) on Dec. 13, 2007]

[Jane_Doe]

Jane_Doe, it just happens almost all the time here in Dubai.

I guess I'm spoiled because most of the drivers and shoppers where I live are actually very polite, so when someone does something really rude, like the guy blocking the whole street during rush hour, in seems unusually anti-social.

If you put a signal, 90% of the time people on the other lane will do anything to block you from joining the lane.

I used to live in a different city where that would happen, too. When people would put on their turn signals to change lanes the other drivers would speed up to keep the interlopers from joining their lane. So you really couldn't use your signals as that would just tip people off to speed up and keep you out.

[edited by: Jane_Doe at 5:25 am (utc) on Dec. 13, 2007]

[Habtom]

. . . most of the drivers and shoppers where I live are actually very polite, so when someone does something really rude, like the guy blocking the whole street during rush hour, in seems unusually anti-social

Well, where I live if someone does something really polite, you have to ask why, in seems unusually social

[Dabrowski]

There's so many traffic lights here nobody has enough clear road in front of them to speed!