Don't Do This

[ladysprite]

You know how sometimes you're driving on the highway, and you need to exit, but there's a ton of traffic and the exit lane is backed up for almost a mile?  And you're tempted to be a jerk and cruise along a lane or two over, until you're about a tenth of a mile from the exit and then brake and cut over to the exit lane all sudden-like, cutting off a bunch of people and saving yourself a few minutes?

Don't do that.  It's not just rude - it's also freaking dangerous.  And odds are you won't be the person hurt.  You'll probably never even know that your idiot moves led to, say, a massive accident behind you.

Yesterday I was driving to work, and that's exactly what happened.  I was in the second lane over, and the jerk in front of me decided to wait until the last minute and then suddenly brake and duck into the exit lane.  I had enough time and space to slow down and avoid hitting him.  The guy driving the giant commercial truck behind me wasn't so lucky.

He tried to swerve to avoid hitting me, but on the highway at rush hour that just meant that he clipped another car before swinging back to rear-end me.  All three of us spent the next hour on the side of the road, dealing with police and insurance, while the asshat in the black sedan that triggered all of this cruised on down I-95, oblivious to what happened.

It could have been worse.  I strained my trapezius, and my car needs a new tail light and bumper, plus repairs to the hood and the....other metally bits in back.  But we're both mostly functional, and the other two vehicles (and people) involved were better off than me.  Still, it was a pretty damn serious situation.

So.  Don't drive like a dick.  Seriously, suck up those five minutes and get in the lane you need at the end of the line.  Don't be the reason someone else gets mashed by a freight truck.

Comments

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

As I said on FB, glad you're (mostly) ok.

Damn idiot impatient asshole drivers.

[laurion]

Or if you've F'd up, accept your mistake and drive to the next exit and find your way back. If this is conceptually difficult for you, invest in a GPS system, they are very good at rerouting you when you deviate from the plan by accident or necessity.

[mneme]

Ack!

I'm glad you're (mostly) ok.

[catalana.livejournal.com]

Eep! That sounds scary. I'm glad you're going to be okay. I really don't understand why people turn into such assholes on the road so often. *sending gentle hugs and healing*

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Oh, no! I'm so glad you're mostly okay.

[evcelt.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're mostly OK.

Cripes, what is *wrong* with some drivers? The "asshat in the black sedan" sort make me wish that I could do a Dresden "hexus" on them...

[lisagw.livejournal.com]

Feeling your rant. Barely avoided a collision in a parking lot today when someone driving on the left side of the lane and going about 40 mph tried to turn into me....

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

oh honey. I'm so gld it wasn't worse. *hugs you warmly*

[arachne8x.livejournal.com]

The universe needs to send less car accidents your  way. I'm sorry hon.

[citabria]

Oh yeesh. I'm sorry you were the person behind that took some (most?) of the brunt of that.

I'm glad you're mostly okay but I should warn you -- the trapezius can be a tricky bastard that's a challenge to heal. Please don't be feeling down on yourself if it takes longer than you expect for you to be feeling back to normal.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

Glad it was no worse!

This sort of thing is one of the reasons dash-cams are becoming more and more common. It's too bad that none of the victims here had one that might have caught the asshole's plate number.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Very glad you're OK!

[jducoeur]

Sympathies, glad you came out largely okay, and yeah -- people who drive like that make me crazy.

(And they never understand that the traffic jam is often *because* of people like them doing stupid stuff like that: if they weren't forcing people to brake hard, there wouldn't be a jam in the first place. The exit from 91 North to 84 East, at the Charter Oak Bridge in Hartford, is my canonical example. Always jammed, entirely because of people cutting off other people right at the exit and forcing everybody else to stop.)

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're okay. I really hope that driver learns an appropriate lesson before damaging more people and cars.

This is also my takeaway argument when people claim that the unregulated free market is best. "Wait to the last minute, then cut in" is precisely what the "unregulated free market" calls for - maximize your own advantages, so long as it doesn't hurt you. Thankfully, most people have a notion of playing fair, taking turns, etc., so not all drivers drive like this.