Traffic Rants

[electric_viking]

Today was another wonderful drive in to work on the 401 (Canada's busiest highway for those of you who live in another province). A truck had broken down in the middle lane and backed traffic up for miles. What is normally a 40 minute drive was a good 2 hours today. So in light of this wonderful experience, I thought I would start a traffic rant and allow others to share their worst traffic nightmares with the group. Rant away fellow SC'ers. Rant away!!!

[ninna]

Pfft. The 401.

'nuff said.

[Shwa Girl]

electric_viking, my traffic rant is also about the 401, but with a twist.
Gentlemen, when you stop on the highway, to relieve yourself beside your truck, I CAN SEE YOU.
Please shield yourself.

At 8 AM and at 5 PM, I don't need my breakfast coming up watching a man on the side of the road practicing how far he can make a stream of pee. Young children are not impressed either.

The 401 has many rest stops, gas stations and exits where there are washrooms.
Please. Please. use the washroom.

[electric_viking]

LOL, Shwa Girl, but I also have a peeing on the side of the highway story.

Driving along the Trans Canada in Quebec last month, there was this young lady also relieving herself at the side of the highway. She wasn't a prude either, just got out of the car, dropped her drawers, squatted down and pee'd. Didn't try to hide what she was doing. So it's not just the men who do it. Although we are probably the one's who do it the most.

[Tweetybird999]

So this is now a peeing by the side of the road thread?

Ok, pee all you want, but for goodness sakes, watch the wind!

[anastasia1009]

I remember my last trip hubby and I drove to Nova Scotia to Hamilton and we decided to take the Canada route. Its nice until you get to Montreal and from the time you get close to Montreal and you are looking for the signs that say Autoroute 40 W and getting to the autoroute 540 to the 20 to Cornwall. Must of taken over 2 hrs and usually it takes 15-20 mins. I use to live in Ottawa and made weekly trip to Montreal and never took that long. I thought the QEW was horrible taking 2 hrs a few times from Toronto to Hamilton. Nope Montreal is the worse place to drive.

[electric_viking]

So this is now a peeing by the side of the road thread?

Ok, pee all you want, but for goodness sakes, watch the wind!

And I still can hear him say:
You're all just pissin'
in the wind
You don't know it but you are.

And there ain't nothin'
like a friend
Who can tell you
you're just pissin'
in the wind.

Neil Young

[CrazyQT]

Saw a girl spin out in front of me today. She was going the opposite direction as I was (so she was coming towards me). Keep in mind it had just rained so the roads were wet. She was going over the speed limit from what I could tell. Driving up the windy curve and at the top she spins out. Before she spun out in front of me I caught a glimpse of her looking down. I can only assume this means one thing. DAMN CELLPHONES!

I apologize if she wasn't texting but it's pretty obvious what a texter and driver looks like and there was little room for mistakes that she was texting or reading her phone.

Is the person on the other end worth THAT much that she was willing to risk her life and others? Stupid people.

[nessa23]

Saw a girl spin out in front of me today. She was going the opposite direction as I was (so she was coming towards me). Keep in mind it had just rained so the roads were wet. She was going over the speed limit from what I could tell. Driving up the windy curve and at the top she spins out. Before she spun out in front of me I caught a glimpse of her looking down. I can only assume this means one thing. DAMN CELLPHONES!

I apologize if she wasn't texting but it's pretty obvious what a texter and driver looks like and there was little room for mistakes that she was texting or reading her phone.

Is the person on the other end worth THAT much that she was willing to risk her life and others? Stupid people.

agree!! We can only hope that this girl (and others) learn their lessen!! (hopefully no injuries involved)

[nessa23]

I hate driving behind people that;

-stop constantly to let people in, who do not have the right-of-way (meaning, I'm driving down the highway at 80km/hr - i do NOT stop for people who are stopped at a stop sign)
-brake at a GREEN light.....
-cannot be bothered to use their signals AND/OR change their lightbulbs when they are burnt out
-brake...brake...brake.... and THEN decide it's a good idea to turn their signals on.
-go 20 km/h UNDER the speed limit, until a passing lane comes along, where they feel the need to speed up....


and in general PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS!!! Drivers should be aware of everything going on around them. That means beside you, behind you, EVERYWHERE!!! anywhere that's possible for you to see, you should be looking!!
It sounds like a DUH! sort of thing, but so many times I've almost been hit by people, who honestly didn't even know what they did wrong. I'm REALLY REALLY tired of dummy drivers.

[daynabas]

electric_viking, my traffic rant is also about the 401, but with a twist.
Gentlemen, when you stop on the highway, to relieve yourself beside your truck, I CAN SEE YOU.
Please shield yourself.

At 8 AM and at 5 PM, I don't need my breakfast coming up watching a man on the side of the road practicing how far he can make a stream of pee. Young children are not impressed either.

The 401 has many rest stops, gas stations and exits where there are washrooms.
Please. Please. use the washroom.

Was he driving a white Titan? Cause it sounds like something my hubby does on a regular basis

[lilo0003]

drivers who speed up to get in front of me only to slow down grrr. I live minutes from the QEW & 403 so I see all kinds of crazy and my parents live very close to one of the worst stretches of the 401. I hate speeders (the one who go 30 or 40 km over), really you are not going to get there any faster if you are dead or injured.

[cashcounter]

Living in Orleans these last few weeks was the dreaded SINKHOLE!!!! Anyone not knowing about this it was part of our major highway closed for 2 weeks because the pavement gave away creating a huge hole in the road and actually a car drove into it. This being said it caused lots and lots and lots of headaches and normal driving periods of 10-15 minutes take sometimes 1-2 hrs to get home. Luckily no injuries and the highway re-opened today.

[Chantel]

I love how CONSTANTLY, no matter what day it is, if I have a morning shift some cow is going to ride my ass until one of us turns off.

Scuse YOU, sorry, but I'm NOT late for work, or anything else. Ya know why? BECAUSE I HAVE TIME MANAGEMENT. DO YOU NOT?

You being late doesn't give you the right to drive aggressively.

[DianneS]

In metro Vancouver yesterday they had done overnight work on the Port Mann bridge -- it's part of the Trans-Canada highway. They had closed one lane of the bridge overnight and someone forgot to take the cones off the lane in the morning. They backed up tens of thousands of vehicles for miles and miles....two hours into rush hour they suddenly remembered to remove them. Every bridge and tunnel in the metro areawas backed up and a 50 minute trip to work took 2 1/2 hours. Don't even get me started on the cheaters who think they are so special that they don't have to follow the rules of the road in situations like that. Good think I went pee before I left home!!! LOL