People Piss Me Off

Scott Horowitz | July 28, 2005
So, I'm out running some errands during my lunch hour. I go to fill up my tank at the gas station. This guy pulls in behind me, with his windows down, blasting his shitty rap music. I figure he'll shut it off when he fills up his tank, he does not. This pissed me off. Forgetting the fact that the languange in the music is abhorible and there were children around. I just find this extremely rude. I don't need to listen to other people's shit. I was tempted to crank up my radio to music I like, but I'm not a dick... well, that much of a dick.

Scott Hardie | July 29, 2005
I hear you, Scott. It's plain rudeness. I crank my car stereo up very loud on the interstate, but never with the windows down and almost never when I drive around the city. When I approach a red light, I habitually turn down the volume, then turn it back up when the light turns green. But I'm sure I act like a jerk in other ways on the street so who knows. :-)

Last week, an instance of rudeness, if that's what you want to call it, nearly cost me my life. I pulled up behind a white-haired old man at a red light at an intersection notorious for people running reds. The light turned green, and the old man didn't budge. For several seconds he seemed to be daydreaming and looking around, and just when I was about to tap the horn he began to roll forward. Suddenly, a semi came careening through the intersection at near fifty mph. If it had been me at the line instead of the old man, I'd have moved on the green, and I wouldn't be alive to type this right now. The running of red lights has got to stop in this state and especially this city.

Lori Lancaster | July 30, 2005
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Jackie Mason | July 31, 2005
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Scott Hardie | July 31, 2005
That's crazy, Lori. Is road rage a bigger problem these days or are we merely noticing it more? Last night a friend (who may identify himself if he wishes) mentioned that his father was an ordinarily calm man who got angry behind the wheel and could utter some colorful obscenities. Back then it was just the way he was; today we'd classify that as road rage. Either way, it's a dangerous habit.

I'm glad to read about cameras in intersections. In addition to cameras, Sarasota County has installed indicator lights at intersections that blink when the opposite light turns red. Thus, if a cop was sitting directly under the red light run by another motorist, the light across the intersection would indicate whether the driver had run a red. But that would depend on the cops here ever actually pulling someone over, which they never seem to do. It has become a joke among friends around here how many times we've seen people speed and run red lights with a cop in plain sight who does nothing about it.

David Mitzman | July 31, 2005
Here's the problem with pulling people over for running a red light, and this comes from someone that is NYPD.

He says that in order for them to pull over anyone running a red light, and to be hopefull that the ticket will stand, the officer has to be sitting at that intersection for at least 3 cycles of the light in both directions. Then he has to be sitting in such a position to see that the offending driver crossed the white line after the light changed from yellow to red.

He tells me that if they can't probe those situations, then the ticket will most likely be thrown out. He pretty much called it a waste of time, which is another reason they won't respond to calls of agressive drivers on the road (because by the time they can respond, the guy will be long gone, and it takes manpower away from responding to other more immediate problems).

Jackie Mason | August 1, 2005
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David Mitzman | August 1, 2005
That's honestly the worst way to look at this. A police officer isn't going to waste his time chasing someone down that's not going to result in anything other than wasted time or a goose chase. If the guy running the red light does so recklessly or whatnot and causes an accident or causes a near-accident, then he'll go for it. However, per my previous statement, chances are good that ticket will get thrown out if it's just running a red light with no other witness.

Scott Hardie | August 1, 2005
How do we stop the problem, then? That's what really concerns me. If it's not worth the trouble for this cop in this situation or that cop in that situation to write a ticket, that's understandable, but something needs to be done to curb the overall problem of motorists barreling through red lights, which is an epidemic around here. I won't be able to advocate this position after I'm T-boned at 50mph.

Jackie Mason | August 2, 2005
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Aaron Shurtleff | August 2, 2005
Maybe it'll take a Spiderman scenario. You know the one I mean! The hero lets the bad guy go, for one reason or another, and then that same bad guy ends up hurting someone close to the hero! And the dismay! The "Oh, if I had done something, this never would have happened!"
Or, I could need examples that don't come from comic books and movies. :D
But, seriously, it will take a tragedy. It seems like it always does. :(

Scott Hardie | August 3, 2005
I love it when I come to a stop at a newly red light and the person behind me has to slam on their brakes to keep from ramming me. And half the time I can see them cursing and flipping me off. Sorry I saved your life, pal.

Scott Horowitz | August 4, 2005
I hate it when cops put on their lights to go through the red, and then shut them off as soon as they cross the street

John E Gunter | August 4, 2005
I hate it when cops put on their lights to go through the red, and then shut them off as soon as they cross the street

I don't have a problem with it, if they are really going to an emergency, which sometimes that's what they are doing. I can't remember what the term for it is, but they are proceeding with no lights or sirens and only use the lights to cross the street safely. But that's not always the case!

Sometimes, they're late for a donut break! :-)

John

Michael Paul Cote | August 4, 2005
Isn't a blue light special at Dunkins considered an emergency? :-)

Jackie Mason | August 5, 2005
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Scott Hardie | August 7, 2005
I had a dinner conversation with friends last night about metallic ribbons you can place on your vehicle to show support for causes, and how silly it looks when three or four of them adorn the same vehicle or when they're placed sideways instead of vertically. I suppose it's worthwhile to buy one in support of a cause if your money goes to the cause, like buying a pink one for breast cancer if your dollar goes toward a cure, but what's the point of saying you support a cure for breast cancer? Who doesn't? (I could be a dick here and point out the hypocrisy that many of the people who claim to support a cure for breast cancer also wish to see an end to stem cell research, but... Oops, I just did!)