How to deal with someone entering road from gas station and blocking traffic?

General Discussion
1

I deal with this frustrating driving situation at least a couple times a week, and so far I haven’t come up with a good solution. What do you think?

I’m driving in stop and go traffic in the right hand lane on a 4-lane (in each direction) surface street, approaching a major red light intersection, with separate left hand turn signals in all directions. I’m in the right hand lane as I’ll be turning right immediately after the intersection. Traffic is backed up in all 4 lanes waiting for the light to change from red to green.

Here’s the problem. Another driver is attempting to enter the street from a gas station driveway on the right, about 5 car lengths from the cross walk. So I let him in. Then, when the light turns green, instead of turning into the right hand lane and going through the intersection, with me following, he makes me and everybody else wait as he crosses all 4 lanes of traffic to enter the left hand turn lane so he can turn left. Frequently I miss the light, it turns red, and have to wait another cycle. ARRGGGHHH!!!

Now what this gas station driver should do, in my opinion, if he wants to go left, is turn into the right hand lane, go through the intersection, make a U-turn about 100 yards down the road, and come back to the interesection, where he can turn right and go the direction he wants to go. A minor inconvenience at best. But no. He makes the entire road wait so he can cut across 4 lanes into the left hand turn lane.

This isn’t just a once in a while thing. It happens, like I say, at least a couple times a week to me. Not the same gas station driver obviously. A different rude driver. At the same intersection. About the only success I’ve had is if the gas station driver appears to trying to cut across to the left hand turn lane, I yell and gesture wildly, and point for him (or her) to turn into the right hand lane instead and go through the intersection. Sometimes this works. Sometimes I think from the look on his face I may get punched in the nose, and the driver just ignores me, goes acroos the 4 lanes and makes me wait anyway.

What do you think? Do I simply have to wait? Forgive, admit life is painful, take up chanting, and become Buddhist?

2

@GeorgeSanJose

I deal with the exact same thing all the time

And worse

You wouldn’t believe the things some of the drivers here do

Sometimes I think anybody with a pulse automatically gets a license

3

I know the feeling. I guess you could pull up close enough to the car in front and let them wait.

4

If I read it correctly, any traffic entering from a side business not posted or without a traffic light does not have right of way, even if you stop and give it to him. Anyone who encourages some one to enter and impede flow that would create a problem may become a contributing factor to being at fault if an accident occurs. DON’T let any one in if it might create a problem. I know the situation, I think, and when I leave the place of business, I signal to the driver who leaves me space that I will not proceed into traffic until I can cross over to the lane I wish to travel without blocking anyone. It’s not easy, but you have to keep the traffic flowing and let the car W/O ROW, wait. In general, entering traffic should enter only the lane they can safely do so without impeding flow. Don’t help them become a problem.

5

You need some sort of stress relieve. Try to squeeze a stress ball or install an air horn

6

Air horn = relieve your own stress

Air horn = increase everyone else’s stress level

The police would not be amused . . .

7

The scenario the OP describes is frustrating. The entering driver isn’t doing anything illegal, but is discourteous to other motorists. Unfortunately, these people won’t change. It is called selfish, me first, and you don’t count mentality many people have.

8

Multiple times per day occurance here. I agree there are many people who do really unsafe things to avoid going past and around. You’d think they were walking with a 200 lb load. How hard can it be to DRIVE a bit out of your way? The biggest issue here is people stuck in left turn lanes that want to go straight. They will either block everyone or go straight anyway rather than go left and turn around. One guy I work with was hit by someone doing this. The cop asked the guy in the turn lane what happened and he said what was I supposed to do? The cop shook his head and said turn left!!

You become accustomed to the blocking around here and after awhile…

9

It is so common in New England. I see it multiple times a day …EVERY DAY.

The other one also as annoying…the guy pulling out of a gas station into a 4-lane road (2 each side). But he’ll only put the front of his car out there (BLOCKING the right most lane). Eventually everyone has to stop to let this idiot. They are so impatient they can’t wait an extra 15 seconds for the traffic to clear.

10

+1 on Don’t let them in.
The cars entering the road should wait anyway, for [your] light to turn green and backed up traffic to clear the intersection.
I would call the police and request a traffic officer to come and observe.
He can sit in that gas station lot and when a car gets stuck in the lane he can walk over and have a “chat”.

11

Perhaps it’s the driver in front of the op whose driving skill is not good enough to block the gas station exiting vehicles. And there’s nothing the op can do about this except for lean on the horn, immature as it maybe. And if there’s no law enforcement around, no one knows who’s honking

12

The myopic narcissism of the “10 percent” seem to be the root cause to so much bedlam on the roads. Classic gridlock is such an easily avoided situation yet there are those whose only gambit is to keep pushing ahead, crowding, ranting and honking. Ignorant that they are the cause of the problem. It infuriates me that the police never ticket drivers for blocking intersections.

13

@RodKnox

At a recent neighborhood association meeting, I told the police officer present about an intersection where people regularly and consistently run red lights in the early hours of the morning.

I was concerned that someone was going to get t-boned or run over.

The police officer wasn’t too interested. When I told him where it was, he said that wasn’t his problem.

So blocking intersections and running red lights don’t seem to be of great concern . . .

LOL

14

I just light up a smoke and smile and relax. Nothing to get too excited about.

15

I would not let them in.
If the person had time to a business on the side, like getting a haircut, a latte of even gas etc, that means they have time to do all that than they are evidently not in a hurry so they can wait…

16

While not exactly the topic of this thread, this reminded me of a common insurance scam, similar situation:

"The Staged Accident
In a situation called “the drive down,” what appears to be a friendly stranger who has the “right of way” waves you into traffic and then rams into the side of your car, just as you merge into traffic. He’ll then deny having given you permission, leaving you liable. A similar scam can occur with two cars vying for a parking space, which ends up with the same result – a collision and an insurance claim. One more type of staged accident is the sideswipe, in which the eagle-eyed criminal will intentionally ram your car if you drift into the outer lane when turning via the inner lane of a two-lane turn zone at an intersection.

The best way to avoid these particular brands of trouble is to be alert and vigilant, always staying inside your lane and following “right of way” procedures."

17

" It infuriates me that the police never ticket drivers for blocking intersections. "

They do in downtown Wash. DC.
At the busiest intersections there are signs that say “don’t block the box”.

18

The guy who delivers parts actually admits to something similar.

While he doesn’t actually plan accidents, if somebody does something dangerous, he does NOT step on the brakes. He proceeds to drive on, letting the crash occur. Then the other driver is “at fault” and the parts guy collects.

This guy sees “opportunity” everywhere he is driving.

19

I agree this is frustrating. My solution is not to turn right in front of you, make a u-turn, and then make a right turn. Instead, I would turn right on the cross street, make a u-turn, and then I’d be done.

Why make a right turn, u-turn and then a right turn , when all I really need to do is turn right on the other street and then make a u-turn?

After getting burned like that a couple times, I wouldn’t let them in. That will encourage them to figure out a better solution.

20

@db4690,

I wonder what the parts delivery guy pays for insurance. In my view, every collision, whether it is accidental or not, is worth avoiding, regardless of fault. I don’t want my insurance company to think I may have forgotten how to avoid collisions.

I also wonder how this guy’s employer feels about him regularly wrecking a company vehicle.