Why is it ever since I bought a Lexus RX350 all the men in the world who can’t wait 30 seconds for me to make a turn, decide they need to honk at me? They didn’t do it when I drove a Isuzu Rodeo. And this isn’t even in Massachusetts, but in California! Are they jealous or just stupid? I have to vent as it is making me crazy and I don’t want to have road rage. Any suggestions on how to handle these incidents?
It’s not your driving, it’s that part of your skirt that’s hanging out of the bottom of the door and dragging on the ground that we’re trying to call your attention to.
Why does it take you 30 seconds to make a turn?
They are in Minnesota too. Some years ago the timing chain went on my Riviera at a stop light. I had the hood up, flashers going, and a tow called. When the light turned green, the guy in back of me started honking. What an idiot.
30 Seconds? Get used to that honking
That was you?
Every time I see an RX350 or similar I just roll my eyes and get prepared for the self-absorbed driving habits that are so often associated with them. And yes, 30 seconds is a really long time.
Mostly though, I sense someone who is now hypersensitive to other drivers because s/he is feeling conspicuous and isn’t comfortable with that feeling. I think that wondering about jealousy is just one symptom of that discomfort with one’s own conspicuous consumption.
I sense that it won’t take long for this thread to get closed.
When you say you are taking 30 seconds to make the turn, are you making a left hand turn and waiting for the oncoming traffic to pass, or are you just sitting in the lane deciding on whether or not to make a turn?
If this person is anything like those I know from around where I live it wouldn’t matter much. Its something like the light turns green…then after a few seconds they look up from their lap & notice…then they sit for a few seconds more while they rearrange whatever they were doing while the light was red…then they decide to observe for a while or something…then they try to break a record for the slowest 1 to 5mph time ever…
hmmm.
I don’t know what constitute a good driver. Heavy haul truckers, Aryton Senna, and Michael Schumacher are good drivers. A calm driver does not respond to illegitimate honking. They tune them out. Trying to please every one makes is unnecessary extra work, mental load.
For much of my driving in California, I sometimes was honked at as I got to the friction point, probably because I wasn’t rolling as expected, when I needed the most concentration with my left foot dangling in air. That’s when I would slow down my motions even more, because hurrying leads to error and it was going to take even longer.
I think horn honking is a regional thing. Hardly anyone uses their horns in most of Texas, even our worst traffic jams don’t sound like a cacaphony of horn honks.
Could be the car, sure.
I live in a city in Southeast Europe where the traffic lights are inexplicably placed very close to the stop line. They’re on lamp posts to the right and left, this side of the intersection. If I’m at the front of the line waiting to turn, it’s sometimes hard to see the light when it turns green. So, I realized that often when they honk behind me, they’re just letting me know that the light changed.
Then again it could be my habit of power-napping at stop lights.
The OP still needs to clarify exactly what she means by “waiting 30 seconds for me to make a turn”.
As Triedag asked:
Are you waiting for traffic to clear so that you can turn?
If the answer is “yes”, then you should ignore the dolts behind you.
On the other hand, if you are slow to make a turn when there is no opposing traffic or other hazards, then the dolt is the one driving your car. Looking in the mirror can help you to identify the dolt, but please don’t use the mirror while you are driving, as you will inevitably wind up delaying even more people needlessly.
Driving on public roads requires courtesy on everyone’s part.
Those who honk impatiently the instant that a traffic light changes need to take a chill pill and realize that they are being discourteous to those drivers who are in front of them.
However, those who don’t pay attention to their own driving style, and who needlessly delay other folks, need to realize that they are being equally discourteous to those who are behind them.
Courtesy (or the lack of it) is a sword that cuts both ways.
Was there a social networking device involved here??
GO when it’s your turn.
I’m quite patient, but if there is no apparent cause for the car ahead of me to sit through a green light it seems quite proper to wake them up to the situation at hand. And it makes no difference what make or model or color the vehicle. Why would anyone doze through 30 seconds of GREEN?
Most of the time when I see people waiting at a green light it’s because they’re finishing up a text message. I have 0 patience for these dweebs.
Most lights up here let three or four cars through. You better believe I use my horn if you’re snoozing.
Faye is lonngg gonnne…