Texting while driving should be banned yesterday. You can always tell who is doing it even if they're not one of the dumb****s holding the phone right in front of their face. They're riding their brakes until they're done sending their message, then they'll speed up until they have another one to respond to. One day driving down Greenbriar there was a car going 15 while riding their brake. As I passed them, I see they're looking straight down, so I make a quick lane change right in front of them and see them slam on their brakes to a complete stop (knowing there was no one else behind them). I hope I gave them a mini-heart attack. The other issue is people not knowing how to merge. It's unbelievable.
Pisses me off when i'm going 5 mph over the speed limit and am still getting honked at for not going fast enough. Seriously, whatever the speed limit is, add 10-15 mph and that's what the normal traffic flow does.
So instead of holding it in their hands they'll try to hide it in their laps. People are *******'s and will find a way to maneuver around the law.
On the way home, I take the 45N entrance from Allen Parkway. You know, the one with the very small merging lane. There's always bumper-to-bumper traffic on this part of 45, so naturally everyone treats the people entering the freeway as a merge. There's always one jackass who REFUSES to let someone in. As if staying 1 car link ahead in bumper-to-bumper traffic is going to get you home any faster.
If people just wouldn't tailgate it would all be good. No tailgating means space for traffic to merge. Problem is that people don't like to get passed in traffic. There are times when a person will be driving like 55 in the left lane. I'll go to pass them in the middle lane and they speed up to like 70 just to avoid getting passed. Not sure if its a conscious decision or if they subconsciously try to keep up with traffic, but are just too stupid to get out of the left lane.
Another big problem is design. The I-10 west, west Loop north, 290 interchange is terrible. Same for the 290 where the Beltway merges in at Jones. Another really bad one is the interchange between 59 and the west loop either way. Its just ridiculously bad. Why would you build a curve requiring traffic to slow to around 20 mph? That's what causes the fubar situation in the Galleria all throughout the day.
At least most Houston drivers don't mind stepping on the gas and taking their car engine RPM's above 3000. That makes them better than Austin drivers in my book.
I have been traveling to work in different cities and Houston is one of the top ones where the drivers occupy the left lane without a reason. e.g.the other day someone got on the highway and was a big hurry to move over 4 lanes..just to slow back down to cruising speed. yes I realize you are going the exact speed limit...it's still common courtesy to move over to the other free lanes if you are not passing.
and this. the 288 south exit coming from reliant stadium..it used to be 1 lane...they had a chance to rebuild it nicely...so they added two lanes. but now that turn is even sharper than it was before! so imagine a sharper turn now with a car right next to you..yup that won't scare anyone into slowing down even more.
This drives me irrationally crazy. The first thing they do when they get off the on ramp is DESPERATELY try to get to that magical left lane and will cut off anyone in their way. It is a hazard. I understand wanting to be in the left lane but take your time and get over when you can.
Houston traffic isn't as bad as anywhere in California....but it's the drivers we're talking/b****ing about here. Any time I've been in Cali, the traffic was HORRIBLE but the actual people driving the cars were pretty chill. Not nearly as aggressive. I guess they're just used to it more than people here.
I've been under the impression that Houston traffic is harsh, but this was quickly laid to rest when dealing with the tristate area traffic. Getting into the city is a nightmare, driving through it is equally disturbing, and thinking that 2.5 hours to get to airport(JFK) from Jersey is enough is a major fallacy. If there is a block on one of the major highways here in Houston, traffic would still have options of detours etc.. Not the case in NY/NJ. Infact getting off hoping the side streets are faster will easily add an hour to commute time. When it came to driving habits, NYC drivers were the most aggressive. People cut you off left and right(worst were cabs)...Buses will try to run through you. Bicyclists will flip you off if you enroach on their space...When the light is red and your vehicle hasnt crossed the intersection box, expect a $200 fine in the mail. I tell everyone all of this to let yall know that it's not that bad. When I see crazy drivers on the road in Houston, it does nothing to faze me...Even if they think their minivans are sports cars.
Suburban commuters are also the cause of hurricanes and AIDS. The city should have stopped expanding at the loop, you are right. I swear that half of your posts I see are you complaining about people outside the loop. If you weren't a 99er I would call you a pretentious hipster ... you are probably too old to be a hipster.
It happens a lot in D/FW. I see it especially in the mornings on the way in. It's almost always an older lady doing it, too, and when you pass by to give them a mean look...they are so clueless they are just staring straight ahead almost like they are in a coma. It feels like every morning...the same damn thing. On the way home from work, it's pretty common because first thing people do when they are leaving work is make that cell phone call home and...they stop paying attention to what they are doing on the road. Clogging up the fast lane...don't care...don't move...just talk on the phone. I'll be honest...I don't think half the people on the roads understand what the left lane is for. It's just another lane to them.
I don't care how bad it's perceived to have gotten but I'd take Houston traffic any day of the week over DFW traffic. I used to commute from Greenspoint area to the Med Center everyday for work when I lived in Houston. Now living in DFW (North Texas/Frisco/Plano area to be specific) I silently sit in traffic asking God to forgive me because I didn't appreciate my Houstonian drivers enough because He surely has sent me to the hell that is know as 635/75/121/20.
