Aggressive yielding

Submitted by Paper_Disastrous t3_10ogd62 in newhampshire

I moved here from Florida. Not that I enjoyed it but I'd describe the driving style of most Floridians as either too fast or too slow and with an almost enviable lack of consideration of others and general ignorance. I can't tell you how many times I almost wished I didn't use my blinker to signal intent because of how many assholes see it as an opportunity to make sure you can't merge by blocking you in.

Now I'm here and yeah, I've seen the "Massholes". However, I've also had this weird thing happen to me like once or twice a week. I will be at a stop sign, waiting to enter a two lane road (double yellow stripe style) and a driver on the two lane will come up with their blinker on, stop before making their turn, and then flash their lights or try waving at me to "let me go." A. I can barely see you through the glare and dust on your windscreen. B. If I hesitate and pull out too late and you run into me, who would be at fault? And 3, can you just make the fucking turn and get out of everyone's way? I feel like there is a reason cars don't have a way to signal that you are relinquishing your right of way lol. So yeah, just genuinely curious if anyone else sees this shit or has friends who do it and have some explanation beyond my comprehension.

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Porkus_Aurelius t1_j6ef9pi wrote

I tell my kids, "Do what's expected, don't try to be polite."

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stayoutofwatertown t1_j6egihf wrote

“Drive predictably, not politely” is what my wife says.

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Dugen t1_j6hsrdp wrote

I agree wholeheartedly....

That said, there is an intersection near my house where people always do this, enough so it has become expected. The intersection is lined up just a bit awkwardly so that people going straight across have to bend around the people across from them who are turning left. It is natural to have them go first, so just about everyone does. I hated it at first. Now I just roll with it.

The whole thing needs to be turned into a traffic circle.

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BALLS_SMOOTH_AS_EGGS t1_j6fmjil wrote

Yes it's a common fucking problem around here. People think they're being kind when in reality they're putting everyone at fucking risk. Can't stand that shit.

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kjlcm t1_j6fvrr0 wrote

Yeah people drive around as the kind police in their mind stopping and letting everyone in all over the place. So dangerous when you don’t expect someone to just stop.

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ReauxChambeaux t1_j6egeqm wrote

Exactly! Stop trying to be polite because you’re going to cause an accident! God, that annoys me…as you can probably tell

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Umbert360 t1_j6eqgy0 wrote

The safest thing you can do as a driver is to be predictable. But I’d say if this is op’s biggest gripe, they’re in a much better place, hopefully they can leave the Florida in Florida. Just relax and enjoy the slower pace

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Paper_Disastrous OP t1_j6f4niz wrote

Oh haha trust me I left a lot of Florida in Florida. Came here to escape the fascism, urban sprawl and over-crowding mainly. I don't miss the traffic in the slightest and thank my lucky stars I got out. But it's all relative.

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joshtaco t1_j6gtxcq wrote

this^ I will fucking honk at you if you don't do what you're supposed. I don't even fucking care if you're being nice. Get the fuck out of the road.

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PM_Georgia_Okeefe t1_j6hy6hm wrote

My road is off 101. During rush hours I'm always amazed at the people that are turning off 101 that will try to signal me to go first because I've been waiting.

Being nice is what gets you killed.

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ellakneoneyes t1_j6ekepe wrote

This and when someone got to a four way intersection first and won’t go first makes me irrationally angry. Don’t be polite, just follow the rules of society please!

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owwwwwo t1_j6fm93t wrote

It's not even society, there are actual rules to a four-way intersection, and I feel like nobody remembers them from drivers ed.

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AnythingToAvoidWork t1_j6ft7gn wrote

Lots of people don't. I sit at 4 ways a lot waiting for the correct person to go a LOT.

If the next person doesn't go it's dangerous because someone eventually has to go but nobody knows who will.

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los-gokillas t1_j6ewnea wrote

Ha I have waited in these kinds of situations and just ignored polite drivers until they go first like they were supposed to. Drive predictably not politely. The worst is when they stop to let you in and there's no traffic within 300 ft of them. Like dude if you had just turned I'd be on my way already you're doing fuck all for favors

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ZacPetkanas t1_j6f7dbm wrote

> Like dude if you had just turned I'd be on my way already you're doing fuck all for favors

Huge pet peeve of mine. Just. F'ing. Go.

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trimolius t1_j6fqu4y wrote

I was waiting someone out at a 4 way stop recently, and he literally held up his phone and waved it at me like “no, you go ahead, I’m just finishing up this text” AHHHH I wanted to commit murder.

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Highlingual t1_j6hoaxj wrote

Points for honesty and not physically moving the car while texting, I suppose 🤦‍♀️

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ellakneoneyes t1_j6fq04j wrote

It’s ALWAYS the last person in a group of 20 cars that does this, why?!?

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heeyyyyooo t1_j6egfaj wrote

That's not a NH thing but I never follow anyone else's direction but my own. Most of those people don't look behind them to see the car passing them in the breakdown lane. You would still be at fault if you pulled out and caused an accident

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gernb1 t1_j6ekxg7 wrote

Yes! My favorite is when there is two lanes each way, and they’re waving you out as people pull around them so you couldn’t pull out if you wanted too…then they get upset that you are not going.

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Vector_4_Food t1_j6fhe0s wrote

I stare HARD at them while doing nothing. The irony is it would be faster if they just followed the rules but now we're doing this little showdown in the middle of the street so they can feel better about themselves I guess.

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hdroadking t1_j6fhplm wrote

This drives me crazy, and it is illegal. If you have the right of way you can not relinquish it to be “polite”, and except in rare instances of extreme traffic if just F’s up the flow of traffic.

If there is an accident you will likely be considered at fault because you “failed to yield”.

It is a pet peeve of mine because when I took my driving test a million years ago I had a person do this. I waited, they continued to flash their lights and gesture for me to turn.

Being 16 and nervous as hell, I finally gave in and turned. The DMV agent told me it was an automatic failure for failure to yield.

Now, I just sit there and wait until they do what they should have done in the first place. It’s funny how many of those “nice” people then give me the finger! 😂

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v_vam_gogh t1_j6husyh wrote

I just give the person trying to get me to turn the finger. It speeds up the process for everyone. Middle fingers all around!

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repo_code t1_j6g2kl4 wrote

Cyclists have a name for people who yield against their own right of way, thus creating an unpredictable and volatile situation:

"niceholes"

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vipstrippers t1_j6ffrk6 wrote

If someone waves you in to traffic, the cops will say it’s your fault. Those people are not legally employed by the state to waive traffic.

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selimnairb t1_j6feyxb wrote

Sounds like a variant of the Vermont Standoff, where everyone is too nice and no one wants to go first.

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ctdrever t1_j6ftpt9 wrote

Never proceed it you are the one supposed to yield, if there is an accident you will be the one held legally responsible.

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xwalk t1_j6g1m06 wrote

I see it all the time and it drives me fucking nuts. Same thing at stop signs when I have one and the person across from me doesn't but they stop in the middle of the road anyways. The last time someone did that to me I turned the fuckin car off

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lantrick t1_j6g2qsx wrote

I hate that crap. Sometimes the "nice guy" will flash and waive you on, right into a collision with the race car driver that is about to be passing him in the breakdown lane.

I just wait until it's my turn , fuq'em

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appandemonium t1_j6ewq5j wrote

If you think this is bad, don't ever come to RI.

People here literally stop in the middle of traffic circles either because they don't know if the other person is just going to go, or to "be nice" and let the other person go. It's real fun when driving through the four to six back to back traffic circles.

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PoorInCT t1_j6ffr1c wrote

I just have one request. If there is a moose or a deer in my path and you are in the oncoming Lane, don't stop and put your high beams up hoping that I will see the deer or moose. Either I will keep my eyes on your car to figure out your intentions, or your high beams will blind me.

If you are going stop, pull over so I can swerve... or pull over and turn your headlights off.

Or do nothing....just dont become a distraction....

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MissorNoob t1_j6fyn1u wrote

Aggressive yielding is exactly what I call it too. Once had a guy in the oncoming lane scream obscenities at me for not turning left when he stopped to let me go. There were two lanes on each side. Cars were driving past him on the right. It was simply not safe. These drivers act like they're doing you a favor, when in reality they're wreaking havoc.

The safest thing is to just never go when they yield right of way. Wait for them to give up and move on. Why they think the correct course of action is coming to a complete stop in the middle of the street is beyond me.

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trailing-edge t1_j6g84ht wrote

A) Follow the rules of the road, don’t change them on the fly to be ‘nice’ at a 4 way, or to let someone make a left in front of you. Keep moving and follow the rules.

B) For merging…same rules. Nobody has to ‘let you in’ if you are on an on ramp and have a yield sign. The main road traffic should not have to speed up, slow down, or move over to let you in. Yield means you do NOT have right-of-way, and have to wait until it’s safe to proceed.

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KIRKDAAGG t1_j6f2suq wrote

Yes happens all the time and drives me crazy. Just go and be done with it.

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NHgingerinVA t1_j6fn6ms wrote

My mom always said that giving up your right of way is the best way to get in an accident.

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quaffee t1_j6fabap wrote

Yep, I truly don't understand the reasoning behind this and it's my biggest pet peeve while driving.

I'll typically wait until they take their right of way and go. They underestimate how long I'm willing to wait, but fuck me if I'm going to catch blame for going out of turn and causing a wreck.

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Parzival_1775 t1_j6i01ls wrote

Like pretty much everyone else here, I've encountered this regularly. For my own part, I believe that you should take the right of way according to the rules 99% of the time. But for your consideration, I'll offer this key exception where I think it is good to cede the right of way: in situations where traffic is busy enough that the only way the other car can possibly get out is if someone lets them out. Obviously safety needs to take first priority so this shouldn't be done in all cases; but if its safe to do so, and you can tell that the car waiting to turn or merge is likely going to be stuck for a while if no one makes a conscious choice to let them out, I think it's worthwhile.

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smart1919 t1_j6eutlt wrote

If you have the right of way, take it… cautiously

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movdqa t1_j6faev7 wrote

I always recommend taking the right of way if you have it as to behave otherwise introduces risk.

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BoneRash666 t1_j6febus wrote

I’m from Florida and have been in NH and VT for awhile now and this is by biggest pet peave. Take your right of way

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Winter-Rewind t1_j6fn8xt wrote

Not only do I yield my turn and flick my high beams to let them go, but I actually get out of my car and place emergency cones and direct traffic for a bit. During the summers, I do this in buttless chaps, the massholes love this. The ones that don’t get my butt-prints on their windshields

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MarkVII88 t1_j6gaas5 wrote

Drive decisively and predictably. If you have the right of way, take it. Don't be a source of confusion for other drivers.

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Happy_Confection90 t1_j6gnls0 wrote

I once read that New Hampshire drivers are polite to a dangerous fault, and it's spot on.

I once came around a bend on 125 and discovered that an idiot with burned out brake lights had come to a complete stop to let a mac truck exit a parking lot. The lack of lights made it take an extra second to realize he wasn't moving, so we were both lucky I had good brakes.

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Excellent-Resource-7 t1_j6h3hec wrote

i hate that sh*t so much. how to immediately make me angry on the road… it’s always older folks too

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overdoing_it t1_j6ho1mt wrote

The other day I was coming up to a green light to go straight through and there was a semi truck pulling into the intersection making a left turn in front of me. I hit the brakes and stopped on green. I realized too late that he had a yield left turn and was going to sit there and just block traffic so he'd be guaranteed the left even if the light turned red, that's common enough to have a name, the Pittsburgh left. But he just went since I gave way.

By the time he finished turning I had a red light. Point being.... idk just be careful and pay attention. Don't worry about pleasing everybody else on the road. Everyone makes driving mistakes, even really stupid ones - yes you do - so don't get angry either.

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anarchir t1_j6j0mi6 wrote

Yes, I see this all the time and have ranted to my coworkers about it. So much so that I looked up the laws to make sure I'm actually following the rules of the road. People will try and flag you through for no reason and even in such a way that would have you drive into oncoming traffic. It's absurd.

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krp0007 t1_j6jju9v wrote

As a former NH resident now living in FL driving hell, I suggest you visit FL again so be reminded of how nice NH driving is in comparison

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cpuenvy t1_j6jreie wrote

Downtown Plymouth is the mecca for this bullshit. You can't get through Main Street without someone in front of you stopping for a car trying to back out or merge. This behavior basically gridlocks traffic in the downtown area for long periods of time. When I ran a business there it drove me bananas.

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StarsFan17 t1_j6lcnfa wrote

I am also from another state and this..not-following-the-established-rules-while-driving bit has caused me (and my whole family) no end of anxiety since moving here. Like, I appreciate your kindness but please do not wave for me to go when it’s not my turn. Just GO already. It would be both faster and SAFER.

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1Greghole t1_j6gkog1 wrote

Boo f-ing whoo. It's easy. Pass on the left. Pass on the f-ing left. It's not that difficult. Massholes can't do it either. Trust me, I married one.

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KrissaKray t1_j6gxxox wrote

You can be a polite driver when the timing is right but that takes a lot of factors.

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BlatantSnack t1_j6fc2y9 wrote

When I drive drunk or high, I put other people at risk. I have no right to do this.

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BlatantSnack t1_j6ex503 wrote

I do what you describe when I'm high.

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BlatantSnack t1_j6f3f53 wrote

I'm not defending that I do that. I shouldn't drive high. I'm trying to quit. It's a crime, in fact.

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