Sugar Sand Tango Damaged in Road Rage Incident

[MrMoose]

I think that the poster of the video probably unknowingly dangerously merged on the camper guy, or he played chicken with him when he merged in front of the camper guy. I'd bet that the camper guy could have yielded some room to the boat guy in the original situation, and similarly, the boat guy could have given the camper guy some room, and I'd bet that both drivers are idiot-jerks. I can't help but wonder if the boat guy knew that he clipped the camper guy, hence he was leaving just the right amount of space to get an equivalent scratch back on his truck bumper in order to call it even. I'm not originally from TX, and when I moved here, I noticed that 90% of the drivers (including most police cars) do not use their turn signals. Anybody that I've asked about this, including my community police officer, says that if you use your turn signal to change lanes, people will speed up and not let you in, so you have to catch them by surprise. I still use my turn signal, and I refuse to stoop to such a stupid level when driving. It's an easy way to tell who is from TX and who the imports are. The level of ignorance of drivers in the Houston area is unsurpassed. My favorite common habit is how they will drive past the back of your vehicle when you are halfway out of your parking spot while backing up. If you don't stop, you'll t-bone them. I often feel like I'm docking my boat when I'm backing out of a parking spot here, very slowly to minimize the impact.
Most days, I just shake my head and sing

 

[PEARCE]

I agree with you @MrMoose about Houston traffic. It's flat out terrible! Even compared to Dallas traffic, but I feel Dallas is getting worse though. There are certain roads, highways mainly, and certain times that I will not tow on. I'll go around or change my time of departure to avoid them. I feel a drive curtiously and defensively to the best of my ability, especially when towing. I do us my signal at all times as I'm supposed to do. I see LEO's on a daily basis not using there signal and I just shack my head and think, "aren't they supposed to set an example? ".

The guy in the red truck should have yielded and not raced the jerkweed with the camper. They were both in the wrong. The red truck should have tapped his brakes and just let him go on ahead to get away from him. That's what I would have done.

 

[Bruce]

When we lived in England you could drive the speed of the flow of traffic up to 99 mph on highways posted at 70. As long as you did not drive in the passing lane, used your turn signals, looked in the mirrors before changing lanes, all of your lights worked and your tires and exterior parts of your vehicle looked to be in good condition and you were not talking on your phone or otherwise distracting yourself you would not get pulled over under 100.

If you failed to get back into the outside lane after passing or to use your turn signal you would be pulled over to receive a ticket for that infraction plus speeding. Four of those would cost you your license.

 

[txav8r]

On a daily basis, I am amazed at how no one seems to obey traffic laws today. I don't want any part of a confrontation like this, from either side of the argument. I think anyone can go from calm to rage when provoked, especially when you have been wronged. Like you said Julian, be the better man. I can't tell from any of the evidence presented here, who is in the wrong. I think maybe I have experienced some of the feelings of both sides of this confrontation. And giving chase won't get you anything but trouble too. As far as the camper guy, right or wrong, I can't blame him for not stopping, because the red truck guy was losing it too.

I used to be able to say, "10 years ago it wasn't like this". I think maybe 30 years ago doesn't cover it anymore. Texas has always been a friendly place and full of good drivers. But the population expanded and most of that expansion was from outside of the state. Driving is a perfect example of how our laws have become less observed and practiced. I see it all over, it isn't just Texas or Colorado. People feel entitled today, and their driving reflects how they think they are the only ones that matter. Hopefully no one was seriously injured in this, both of these drivers endangered everyone else around them and ought to be ticketed for that.

 

[Bruce]

@MrMoose, what is the process of getting a drivers license like in Canada?

In the UK the average driver spends around 60 hours and 1200 pounds on driving lessons before passing the test.

In Arkansas I probably had 10 hours of driving instruction in a junior high school drivers ed class and many get their licenses without any classes.

 

[MrMoose]

There isn't much difference @Bruce when it comes to getting a driver's license. It varies from province to province, just like it varies from state to state. One thing that I find interesting is that in TX, when making a left turn onto a multi-lane street (i.e. two each way), you can go directly into the far right lane "as long as it is safe to do so". It's a recipe for accidents when there's a right-turn yield lane coming from the opposite direction.
In Canada, when turning left onto a multi-lane street, you have to first turn into the left lane and signal over into the right lane when it is safe to do so, otherwise it is an illegal left turn.
My son who just finished his driver's ed here in TX told me that his instructor said he'd fail his driver's exam if he did a left turn into the right lane. So driver's ed realizes that it is an unsafe thing to do.
Another big difference to Canada is that many if not all provinces have a distracted driver law, which in TX terms means that if you are caught using your cell phone it's an automatic ticket. It would be a very useful law to adopt in TX.

 

[Bennie]

@MrMoose - we have the same "distracted driver" law in Alabama. We work off of points system and you will get 6 points on your license if you are found texting-and-driving; the same amount as a DUI/DWI.

(we can still talk, just no screen use [facebook/twitter/texting] while driving)