People Are Angry. Or, am I the Jerk?

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/03/2018 at 14:37 • Filed to: None

This morning, I had an interesting interaction with a fellow motorist. I was going through a busy downtown area in my small town, by which I mean the 1/2 mile or so on a single road that actually has some traffic. There are parallel spaces along the stretch in question, both sides. But “busy” is relative. There’s basically NEVER a backup of more than 30 seconds, for any reason, with few exceptions.

Today was a normal day. A delivery truck was blocking the opposing lane along a stretch of this main street, and I was not on the side being blocked. There were maybe 3 cars waiting behind the delivery truck, and I was one of maybe 3-4 cars in a line going the other way.

super MS paint representation of the Scene of the Incident

I had left a little room between me and the car in front of me, as I was turning just 100' beyond the delivery truck. Apparently it was just enough to allow this to happen: as I’m approaching the delivery truck, the guy in a new-ish Tundra (first in line waiting to pass the delivery truck) pulls out and takes up my entire lane to pass the double-parked truck. I had to stop pretty hard, and made the shoulder-shrug-hands-up “what?” gesture as he approached me. As he turned sharply to get back in his lane, he yells out his window “F—- YOU!”

I mean, what? I suppose if there was a long line of traffic in both directions, it would have been courteous for those in the unobstructed lane to alternate with the obstructed lane. But there wasn’t a line behind me - in fact there were no other cars immediately behind me. He just decided NOW was his time to take up my lane so he wouldn’t be delayed an additional 7 or 8 seconds, due to an obstruction in his lane.

Or was I being a jerk not letting him go, when there was no one behind me, and I was turning 100' later anyway?

If I had been in my old truck I would have loved to just keep going and force him to back up, which would have for sure been a jerk move. It sure seems like if there is no obstruction in my lane, I am free to travel in it and those in the obstructed lane have to yield to any and all traffic in the opposite lane.

What does Oppo think?

DISCUSSION (25)

crowmolly > functionoverfashion
05/03/2018 at 15:05

Improper passing, 4 pt ticket.

fintail > functionoverfashion
05/03/2018 at 15:14

Sounds legit. In my area late model Tundras seem to attract the aggressive and clueless.

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > functionoverfashion
05/03/2018 at 15:14

As far as I’m concerned you not only have the right-of-way, but also the moral high ground.

PartyPooper2012 > functionoverfashion
05/03/2018 at 15:17

were there cars ahead of you? Were you going slow?

I would also get mad if you were dilly dallying knowing full well there were cars behind the truck looking to get around.

If you were following a car ahead of you fairly close, then yeah. that guy is a jerk... but considering he had time to pull out and block you, it sounds like you were going a bit slow.

Sorry. Not trying to be a partyPooper, but I gotta be me.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > functionoverfashion
05/03/2018 at 15:21

Tundra guy is an asshole, a wrong asshole. I would get out of my car and try to fight him. Oh maybe that is not a good idea, don’t listen to me.

nerd_racing > functionoverfashion
05/03/2018 at 15:27

The obstruction was on their side of the road, they have to yield. That is how the law is worded in my area of Americana.

So... they were in the wrong.

I don’t know you from Adam so you could very well be a Jerk though.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > PartyPooper2012
05/03/2018 at 15:31

If this makes you mad, never come to the PNW. The art of passive-aggressive traffic obstruction reaches a level that I have never seen anywhere else. It isn’t just ignorance, they do it with intention while trying to make it look like it is accidental. It’s unreal. The left lane camping is just the beginning and a lazy way to participate. Skilled people will speed up just enough to keep someone from getting in a gap, crowd an adjacent lane, slowing down to make the biggest gap possible that you couldn’t possibly fit into, etc. I could go on forever. Stop signs would probably give you an aneurysm.

PartyPooper2012 > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
05/03/2018 at 15:32

I don’t know where PNW is... but if I see people stuck behind a truck, I usually stop and let them through.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > PartyPooper2012
05/03/2018 at 15:35

Pacific Northwest.

ttyymmnn > functionoverfashion
05/03/2018 at 15:38

He saw an opening and he took it. However, there have been many times when I have an opportunity to let somebody go, check my mirror to see that there is nobody behind me, and figure they can go after I pass.

Fifty-one years of driving have taught me that it is usually preferable just to let the people go. I lose about 5 seconds of my day and avoid any interactions. When I was younger, I flipped a guy off and was rewarded by having him stop in traffic, come back to my van, and try to physically pull me from my vehicle. My seatbelt prevented that, but he opened my door and tried to pull me out. It’s not worth it.

As Obi Wan said, “It would be as well to let him go....”

PartyPooper2012 > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
05/03/2018 at 15:50

I don’t really know where that might be... is that like washington Idaho wyoming?

I was in Idaho and Wyoming and Montana last year. Nothing struck me as out of ordinary. Occasional bison or moose sighting would cause traffic but thats to be expected

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > PartyPooper2012
05/03/2018 at 16:00

Idaho and some of MT is technically PNW, but think west of the Cascades in WA and OR.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > PartyPooper2012
05/03/2018 at 16:00

IMO PNW relates to: Portland, and the Bellingham to Olympia corridor.

MT/ID/WY are WEST, not PNW.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > PartyPooper2012
05/03/2018 at 16:04

PNW mostly refers to Washington and Oregon. Idaho isn’t nearly the same. East of there is quite different.

Sam > ttyymmnn
05/03/2018 at 16:20

Yeah, having the opportunity to pick battles is not something to be squandered. Why would I waste my valuable time, in order to waste someone else’s?

functionoverfashion > ttyymmnn
05/03/2018 at 20:26

I definitely wasn’t about to get into a confrontation, other than my reaction of a “what?” gesture. It surprised me when he started to go, he definitely didn’t have room unless I stopped hard. He was being aggressive and knew it, but yeah. Obi Wan is wise, indeed.

functionoverfashion > PartyPooper2012
05/03/2018 at 20:27

haha, I wan’t going slower than anyone else, but must have left just enough room for him to sneak in there. I was quite surprised when he did.

functionoverfashion > nerd_racing
05/03/2018 at 20:30

I think he got tired of waiting since 30 seconds is, like I said, a long traffic jam for our town. So he shoved his truck into a gap that forced me to stop to avoid a head-on collision. I could have subconsciously slowed a bit when I saw the truck blocking the way... but not that I’m aware of.

functionoverfashion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
05/03/2018 at 20:32

There is a near-100% chance he would have had a gun anyway, so that makes it a very short fight.

Wacko > fintail
05/07/2018 at 13:22

sounds like a former F150 or Ram driver to me.

fintail > Wacko
05/07/2018 at 15:16

Or maybe one of the mid 00s “angry appliance” Chevy trucks.

Wacko > fintail
05/07/2018 at 15:22

regular Pickup truck driver

fintail > Wacko
05/07/2018 at 16:00

Some are OK. Probably.

Wacko > fintail
05/07/2018 at 16:01

most 100% stock trucks are ok

fintail > Wacko
05/07/2018 at 16:02

Nice vintage ones, too.