speeders piss me off

[PBQC]

Why do drivers insist on excessive speed on Ellsworth/Hunt Hwy (Between San Tan Flat & Super Walmart) even though the speed limit is only 35 MPH? On Empire Blvd also (people go 60 in a 40 mph zone while I am driving my children to school). A crazy lady in a white mini-van passed me on the double line - I was going 40! With my kids in the car. Where are the cops? I am sick and tired of people on my ass when I am only obeying the law. I already received one (my first and only ever)speeding ticket when I first moved here for going only five over the limit and now I refuse to go even 2 miles over the limit. So for all you "ass-riders" out there, be aware that I am now taking down license plate numbers and will be reporting you.

[Stan S]

Why don't you just ignore them? Trying to impose law will get you into trouble...that's what I DON"T like here in AZ is people trying to enforce the laws...there might be some emergency that a person needs to get to...if their on your "ass" then just go your speed and don't worry about it, don't get intimidated and just follow the road, if they rearend you its always their fault. Its crazy, but in big cities I've driven (New York, Philly) people don't get pissed off if you pass-em...only here do people take it personal...get a life and stop trying to be a cop!

[SeekerOfTruth]

Stan S wrote:

Why don't you just ignore them? Trying to impose law will get you into trouble...that's what I DON"T like here in AZ is people trying to enforce the laws...there might be some emergency that a person needs to get to...if their on your "ass" then just go your speed and don't worry about it, don't get intimidated and just follow the road, if they rearend you its always their fault. Its crazy, but in big cities I've driven (New York, Philly) people don't get pissed off if you pass-em...only here do people take it personal...get a life and stop trying to be a cop!

One thing I love about Phoenix compared to other big cities is the self-reliance tradition that we generally don't wait for Nanny State to take care of problems we can and should handle ourselves. That being said, Stan is right, you're stressing yourself out for little reason. We share the roads with bad drivers no matter where we live. The best we can do is be as courteous as we can be to other drivers and be conscious of what's going on around us to avoid accidents whether they involve us or not.

As it states in the [LINK=http://www.azdot.gov/mvd /documents/CustomerServiceGuid e_99-0117.pdf]AZ MVD Driver Handbook[/LINK]:

Driving too slowly can be as dangerous as driving too fast. Remember to drive in the right lane and allow faster moving vehicles to pass whenever you are driving slower that traffic around you.

You cannot drive well if you are angry, excited, worried or depressed. Anger is the emotion that probably occurs most often while driving, especially in heavy traffic. Do not allow your emotions to influence the decisions you must make while driving. Giving your emotions a foothold over your judgment will result in driving errors.

[Lee971]

Stan,
I don't think the original poster is trying to be a cop, I think she brings up a valid point. People should not be intimidated by those of us trying to comply with the law. She is going the posted speed limit. Let me guess, you drive a white pickup truck with big tires.

[PBQC]

I'm actually from New Jersey, born and raised (20 mins from NYC), just moved to AZ seven months ago. Believe me, I've driven in every type of situation back east (20 years worth of the NJ Turnpike, Parkway, back roadds, country roads, manhattan, congested city streets). Nothing compares to what I've experienced in only seven months here. I am not a slow driver, and I can't just ignore someone who is dangerously tailing me.

[CPE]

I've lived all over, and I have to agree that AZ drivers in general are the worst I have ever experienced. There are too many people like Stan out there who think it's ok to break the law and endanger the rest of us for their personal emergencies.
If it doesn't require an ambulance, fire truck, or police car, it's not an emergency. And if it does, the vehicles listed below should be the only ones speeding.

[PBQC]

Here's a joke about the way I grew up driving in NJ (proving I'm not a wuss! LOL):

How to Drive In Jersey

1. You must first learn to pronounce the city name, it is New-erk not New-ark.(Actually, it's pronounced "NORK")

2. The morning rush hour is from 5:00 a.m. to noon. The evening rush hour is from noon to 7:00 p.m. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning

3. The minimum acceptable speed on the turnpike is 85 mph. On the parkway it's 105 or 110. Anything less is considered "Wussy."

4. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Jersey has its own version of traffic rules. For example, cars/trucks with the loudest muffler go first at a four-way stop; the trucks with the biggest tires go second. However,in Monmouth county, SUV-driving, cell phone-talking moms ALWAYS have the right of way.

5. If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear ended, cussed out, and possibly shot.

6. Never honk at anyone. Ever. Seriously. It's another offense that can get you shot

7. Road construction is permanent and continuous in all of Jersey. Detour barrels are moved around for your entertainment pleasure during the middle of the night to make the next day's driving a bit more exciting.

8. Watch carefully for road hazards such as drunks, skunks, dogs, cats, barrels, cones, celebs, rubber-neckers, shredded tires, cell-phoners, deer and other road kill, and the Homeless feeding on any of these items.

9. Mapquest does not work here -- none of the roads are where they say they are or go where they say they do and all the Turnpike EZ pass lanes are moved each night once again to make your ride more exciting.

10. If someone actually has their turn signal on, wave them to the shoulder immediately to let them know it has been "accidentally activated."

11. If you are in the left lane and only driving 70 in a 55-65mph zone, you are considered a road hazard and will be "flipped off" accordingly... If you return the flip, you'll be shot.

12. Do not try to estimate travel time -- just leave Monday afternoon for Tuesday appointments, by noon Thursday for Friday and right after church on Sunday for anything on Monday morning.

[Stan S]

Lee971 wrote:

Stan,
I don't think the original poster is trying to be a cop, I think she brings up a valid point. People should not be intimidated by those of us trying to comply with the law. She is going the posted speed limit. Let me guess, you drive a white pickup truck with big tires.

Lee,
"Posted" speed limit??? Are you serious? The three lanes by Anthem are posted at 35 mph...people actually tail others till they can come to a broken yellow line to pass them...it's not personal, is what I'm saying...people take it personally...we all know that a decent driver (no drunks or mexicans or women) can safely go 10-15 mph over the limit comfortably...doing the speed limits you'll never get anywhere, Arizona has huge distances to cover! BTW, the big white pickup witht the big tires is probably your mom's, not mine.

[Stan S]

CPE wrote:

I've lived all over, and I have to agree that AZ drivers in general are the worst I have ever experienced. There are too many people like Stan out there who think it's ok to break the law and endanger the rest of us for their personal emergencies.
If it doesn't require an ambulance, fire truck, or police car, it's not an emergency. And if it does, the vehicles listed below should be the only ones speeding.

OK, Jesus...let me guess, you never broke any laws, am I right? Why don't you throw the first stone while you're at it? I don't drive fast all the time, idiot...but if I need to, I don't want some vigilante "cop" wannabe trying to purposely block the roads! Get it?

[69Charger]

Yeah they piss me off too. I have a 45 min commute and I drive the speed limit (70mph) in my Civic and get 41 mpg. Then these retards blow by me going 85 and 90 then want to bitch about high gas prices. CPE is right, you don't have emergencies, if you do, get in a emergency vehicle. Going to Wal Mart and the grocery store is not an emergency. I NEVER ride people's ass, when they ride my ass, and I mean right on it, I brake test them. They aren't going to get out and kick your ass or anything like that, they just fly around you and flip you off, how tough is that? I love when I'm in my Charger and I'm going 75 or so on the interstate and people try and blow by me, I let them get to my front fender and then get on it and blow them away, see how they like it? They have that "what the hell just happened" look on their face. I never speed in traffic or if anyone is on the road near me. Yeah, I've had my car up to near 140 but not going to work, not around other people, not near intersections, just by myself enjoying my car and cleaning the crap off the top of the pistons, and I only drive it once a week so don't give me the I'm wasting gas rhetoric because I rarely fill it up and don't drive it far. When I'm back in my Honda going to work or run errands, I do the speed limit and keep back a respectful distance. Now if Stan S likes to drive fast in his daily driver, then don't be one of the people complaining about high gas with all the other speedy retards in their trucks and SUV's that they use DAILY. Unless your in a muscle or sports car, you don't need to be going fast, especially if you're not alone on the road.

[David Pickering]

I'm sure that all the posters here always drive in the right lane unless they are passing a slower driver, and then pull back into the right lane. Right? Oh, and if in a 45 MPH zone, their minimum speed is 45 MPH - right?

Ha! Not in a million years - this is Arizona - always drive in the left lane; never look in your rear view mirror; have never ending conversations on the cell; whenever possible, drive at least 5 MPH less than the posted limit.