I Came Across the Most Courteous Dumbass This Morning (How Not to Signal)

"Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies" (jordanwphillips)
08/11/2017 at 09:52 • Filed to: None

While I was waiting at a stop sign to turn left(blue), a new Sonata(red) was approaching from the left. Instead of simply using their turn signal, letting me know I could go, they flashed their lights and pointed right. Just... Just why? How fucking hard is it to use your fucking turn signal? It would have taken a lot less effort to flick your fucking finger, than to raise your hand and point, while flashing your lights.

DISCUSSION (29)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
08/11/2017 at 09:55

This is why every car needs semaphore flags in the center console.

random001 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
08/11/2017 at 10:05

Hey, you watch your language around here!

nerd_racing > random001
08/11/2017 at 10:07

Kinja'd!!!

random001 > nerd_racing
08/11/2017 at 10:10

HAHAHAHA!

Roundbadge > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
08/11/2017 at 10:12

Perhaps their turn signal isn’t working?

I had a lot of trouble with my front right turn signal in a previous car, and did hand signals a lot until I got it fixed. I mean, technically the right-turn hand signal is holding your left hand straight down, but few people remember that (or would even see it, in your particular case). I always signaled right-turn intention by pointing over the roof to the right with my left hand.

WilliamsSW > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
08/11/2017 at 10:13

Maybe their turn signal doesn’t work and they know it? That’s the only possible explanation that doesn’t essentially come down to “they’re a moron”.

And, TBH, IDGAF about the turn signal anyways, until they start turning, I’m not trusting it.

ttyymmnn > WilliamsSW
08/11/2017 at 10:16

And, TBH, IDGAF about the turn signal anyways, until they start turning, I’m not trusting it.

So much this. This is how my wife pulled out in front of a city bus and totaled our old Stratus. She thought he was going to turn.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > random001
08/11/2017 at 10:18

watch... language

ISWYDT

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn
08/11/2017 at 10:18

Just the other day, I came to a stoplight, waiting to turn right, right near my in-laws, where about 50% of the oncoming traffic turns right, clearing my way - so it’s easy to anticipate. A dump truck had his right turn signal on, so I started to creep a bit, anticipating his turn. But NOPE!!! Kept right on going. If I would have trusted it, I would have gotten mashed.

Urambo Tauro > WilliamsSW
08/11/2017 at 10:25

In my state, drivers are required to signal but it doesn’t necessarily have to be by a lamp. (also no inspections requiring the signal lamps be working) Arm signals are considered a valid alternative.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Roundbadge
08/11/2017 at 10:38

It was a near new car, so not likely.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > WilliamsSW
08/11/2017 at 10:39

It was a new car, and also next to a school, so they actually were going slowly. I was going to go anyway.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > WilliamsSW
08/11/2017 at 10:39

If I SEE IT GET TURNED ON, I’ll trust it if they’re far enough away that I may be able to get through ahead of them anyway (and if I couldn’t they’d have loads of time to brake. I don’t like making people brake but my sympathy went out the window when you signaled and didn’t turn).

If I see it turned on and I CAN SEE THEY’RE STARTING TO SLOW DOWN, I go.

If the signal is turned on the first time I look... nah bro.

Of course, all based on distance... unlike most people (it seems) on the road today I’m not afraid to lay the coal to ‘er before I actually need to, so ymmv.

WilliamsSW > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
08/11/2017 at 10:44

All fair points, for sure — and TBH, I’ve gotten more cautious since my son was born a year ago. Most of the more frustrating instances of this seem to happen when I’m picking him up/dropping him off (a lot of brain dead suburbanites/teenage new drivers in the area). You bet your ass I’m being pretty cautious when he’s in the car.

WilliamsSW > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
08/11/2017 at 10:45

Sounds like you had plenty of room regardless of what the other car did then - but their behavior is head-scratching.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > WilliamsSW
08/11/2017 at 10:52

Also, you reminded me of a story... well two of them. One is about when I got my truck whacked last October. It’s posted to Oppo. Can’t be bothered to dig it up atm.

The other:

Kinja'd!!!

Pink is me. Red is some stereotypical Camry. There was no other traffic. The Camry was signalling, and had gotten in the turn lane. I had plenty of time (my drawing isn’t great... the Camry was in the turn lane for a good way before I show it) so I made my turn... I was probably square across the middle lane when the Camry driver changed their mind to come through. They must have been staring sideways the whole time or something and never noticed me, because they just pulled out and started accelerating. Missed my bumper by about a foot.

Worst thing is I would have been at fault because without a dashcam they’d just say I made an unsafe turn across traffic. On the other hand it would have rid the world of an automatic base model Fiesta, so there’s that

WilliamsSW > Urambo Tauro
08/11/2017 at 10:53

I believe that all of that is true in my state, as well- - but arm signals aren’t a great idea if the car actually has lamps, and there are standard arm signals (with your arm out the window) that are probably at least recommended, if not required.

I think the arm signal exception is mostly intended for old cars that don’t have turn signals - which are quite rare these days.

WilliamsSW > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
08/11/2017 at 10:57

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Yeah, that’s the rub in all of this - - if there’s an accident, you’re going to take the blame, even in the instance you describe, which is clearly idiotic driving on the Camry’s part. But hey, you’re supposed to see and avoid the erratically moving car...

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > WilliamsSW
08/11/2017 at 11:11

Pretty much it. Same thing with the one last October... I was trying to clear the intersection on a red and the guy didn’t even think about stopping (strangely enough, another Camry of the same generation). But if we’d brought the cops into it I’d have got the blame for not waiting until everyone had fully stopped... which means holding up cross traffic.

Funny thing though, if I’d reacted the same way in my truck as I did in the Fiesta, I’d have been fine. If I flipped that around I’d have had a large accident in the Fiesta. In the Fiesta I hammered the gas... in my truck I actually stabbed the brakes for a split second before realizing I was an idiot and tromping it. Judging by the point of contact that split second was all it took.

Kinja'd!!!

And I know I’m kind of going for a ramble here, but I was damn lucky in the situation I mapped out there... that Fiesta had an awful transmission. On more than one occasion when I needed all 1.0352hp the engine had to give it would kick into neutral on me. Thankfully it didn’t do that here. But that’s another reason why not to cut stuff too close if you can avoid it I guess...

jariten1781 > Urambo Tauro
08/11/2017 at 11:12

All the states I know of specify the arm signals allowed and pointing right is never valid in a car (it’s left hand out window extended vertically). Some places allow two-wheelers to point right or use their right hand for the stop signal though.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
08/11/2017 at 11:21

Flip side is that you can’t assume a blinker means they’re turning there (or at all, or in the direction the blinker’s indicating in Florida Old People’s case). There could be a driveway or similar past the road you can’t see, but I agree that they should have had their blinker on.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
08/11/2017 at 11:24

As commented elsewhere, I had time to go.

WilliamsSW > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
08/11/2017 at 11:27

Ooof, that sucks. And yeah, it really sucks when you have a transmission that can’t be counted on to do the right thing in a pinch.

Urambo Tauro > jariten1781
08/11/2017 at 11:30

Yeah, it’s not explicitly stated in Michigan, but I believe you’re still right that the arm signals MUST be given out the driver’s side window. It’s implied through the way that a left turn must be indicated by holding one’s arm “horizontally”, and an “upward” arm indicates a right turn. Clearly, whoever wrote that law is concerned about the visibility of a pointed finger, whereas it’s much easier to see an extended arm.

It also says that commercial vehicles can’t use arm signals, which I thought was interesting. Lamps or “mechanical” signals ONLY. I guess that also has to do with visibility. No one on the truck’s right side is going to be able to see the driver’s upward arm indicating a wide right turn.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > WilliamsSW
08/11/2017 at 12:16

That’s what my old man always taught me, until you see the wheels turn.

Brian McKay > Roundbadge
08/11/2017 at 12:28

Left hand down means braking or stopping.

Roundbadge > Brian McKay
08/11/2017 at 12:33

Darn it...you’re right. Hand up = right turn. I used to point with my thumb if the only traffic was behind me. Then again...the back signal worked. I don’t know why that mattered to me.

jariten1781 > Urambo Tauro
08/11/2017 at 12:34

I looked it up just because I am a nerd about state laws.

Michigan has a weird 3 section law with automobiles, bikes, and commercial vehicles separated each with their own rules and measurements and stuff. Don’t recall seeing that elsewhere. Other weird things: motorcycles are not lumped with bicycles so they must use their left hand; it does not state how early a signal must be made...majority of other states have that defined in feet (ie signal must be given for at least 100 ft prior to moving from a straight line); there is no exception for two wheelers to allow them to not signal if both hands are needed for the operation of their vehicle (most other states have this); there’s no guidance for non-standard vehicles (ie motorized wheelchairs, ATVs, tractors, etc which get a specific callout, usually in the line about bicycles, in the turning section of a number of state codes).

Section 257.648 of the MVC, link that probably won’t work due to Kinja hating me:

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(p1k4yk1br2vcsiqts2xya03w)) /mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-257-648

Urambo Tauro > jariten1781
08/11/2017 at 13:36

Yeah, those MVC pages have a “friendly” link near the top that works better. But I found it; it’s the same page I was looking at.

Good point about hands on the controls. It’s neat to see how other states word things. But TBH, that sounds like something that could be too easily abused by people trying to get out of a ticket. If signalling is really and truly such a burden, then they’re better off waiting for a large opening where there won’t be a conflict with another road user. Can’t have people cutting others off and claiming that it “wasn’t safe” to give a signal.