Crisis on MA roads

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by GeePee

there is no enforcement. I see drivers every day trying to kill people. people double, triple parked. Blocking a whole lane of traffic (just running in for a sec) nobody cares. everyone is out for themselves. Society is falling apart before our own eyes.

^This...ZERO enforcement.

Just made my way back from Cambridge through the 2 Alewife Brook rotaries. Near misses at each one. Par for the course.

[newenglandgal123]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

^This...ZERO enforcement.

Just made my way back from Cambridge through the 2 Alewife Brook rotaries. Near misses at each one. Par for the course.

Did you use your horn?

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by newenglandgal123

Did you use your horn?

It wasn't me in the near misses (thank God), it was cars in front of me...and yes, they did honk. In another case, a (clearly clueless) driver in the rotary just came to a stop to yield to entering traffic, and got honked at also.

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I agree. It seems enforcement has been rather lax. Prioroties elsewhere I guess.

But seems folks just only care about themselves more and more these days, and that's reflected elsewhere as well other than driving behaviors.

That's true. The level of public disrespect and selfishness in this area has gotten ridiculous. Rude and crude is the norm.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

That's true. The level of public disrespect and selfishness in this area has gotten ridiculous. Rude and crude is the norm.

I blame social media. It essentially normalized this sort of behavior without consequenc since one can hide behind online anonymity. Calling someone out for it deems one a “snowflake” now, which pretty much validates the belief that folks can do/say whatever they want and people need to “toughen up”. I’d venture to guess lots of folks still feel “untouchable” in their 4000+lb SUVs as they flip a bird and scurry off from whatever incident they likely caused.

I’ve always said folks driving style is a reflection of their personality. I’ve found this to be more common that one would imagine. The biggest road ragers/selfish drivers I personally know also have the most self-centered personalities. “Snowflake” is a regular word for them.

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I blame social media. It essentially normalized this sort of behavior without consequenc since one can hide behind online anonymity. Calling someone out for it deems one a “snowflake” now, which pretty much validates the belief that folks can do/say whatever they want and people need to “toughen up”.

I’ve always said folks driving style is a reflection of their personality.

I think it also has to do with the nature of the entitlement class, and the utter lack of humility in many people in this area.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I blame social media. It essentially normalized this sort of behavior without consequenc since one can hide behind online anonymity. Calling someone out for it deems one a “snowflake” now, which pretty much validates the belief that folks can do/say whatever they want and people need to “toughen up”.

I’ve always said folks driving style is a reflection of their personality.

More like it's the snowflakes involved in this kind of behavior. The kind of losers who were never told "no" growing up, and will completely lose it when others put them in their place.

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

^This...ZERO enforcement.

Just made my way back from Cambridge through the 2 Alewife Brook rotaries. Near misses at each one. Par for the course.

CPD has decided to reduce (almost completely eliminate) traffic enforcement as they do not feel they can manage it in such a way as not to be accused of bias. I assume this is what is going on with many local PDs. The only tickets given out are by staties, but they seem most interested in revenue generating high volume speed traps such as those around the Ted Williams tunnel.

It’s absurd we have state police barracks dedicated to. solely to issuing traffic tickets, yet they do little to curb the aggressive driving we see on a daily basis. Another way people came out of Covid broken.

[newenglandgal123]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I blame social media. It essentially normalized this sort of behavior without consequenc since one can hide behind online anonymity. Calling someone out for it deems one a “snowflake” now, which pretty much validates the belief that folks can do/say whatever they want and people need to “toughen up”. I’d venture to guess lots of folks still feel “untouchable” in their 4000+lb SUVs as they flip a bird and scurry off from whatever incident they likely caused.

I’ve always said folks driving style is a reflection of their personality. I’ve found this to be more common that one would imagine. The biggest road ragers/selfish drivers I personally know also have the most self-centered personalities. “Snowflake” is a regular word for them.

Today I had an unexpected "Snowflake" road rage near me. This happens a lot in areas where there are two lanes that eventually merge to one. In this case the right lane is for folks turning into a CVS plaza and the left is for those continuing straight on the main drag. I was in the left, and a person in the right who I assumed was going to be turning in the plaza keeps driving and is now parallel to me to to the point of almost sideswiping me and they would not let of the gas before it completely went down to one lane. I honked at them and then noticed they had an "organic farming" bumper sticker and some other earthy stickers on their SUV! Aren't these salt of the earth people supposed to be kind hippie folk or are they actually the worst of all the snowflakes?!

[BostonMike7]

I had a funny incident last night on my ride home that I didn't even think of until now. Witnessed the most entitled driver i've ever seen.

Commuting home on I-95 through Wakefield. 5PM. It's stop and go traffic. I'm in the right lane because I'm getting off in Lynnfield. BMW M7 X50I. I noticed it at first because it's a sharp looking vehicle. Well, lady driving it must have decided she didn't want to be behind me. Got into breakdown lane, pulled around me and put on her blinker and pushed on in front of me. No idea why. It's traffic and I'm creeping right on the bumper of the car behind me. But she decided she wanted to be in front of me. I just let her in and kept sipping my coffee.

We get off at the same exit and now we are driving through Lynnfield. SHe proceeds to ride the bumper of the car in front of her. When said car puts on right blinker to pull into driveway, she crosses the double yellow to pass them before they can even turn. Repeats this 2-3 more times. We come to a crosswalk with folks getting ready to cross. She cruises through it and I stop. I catch up again just driving normally. Traffic is dense enough she can't actually go any faster despite her aggressive driving. We get a 4-way stop, she rides the tail of the car in front of her while the car that was supposed to go lays on the horn. I'm just shaking my head at this point.

I catch up again and we are stuck behind a car doing 35 in a 35. I can just see the hand gestures and frustration through the back glass that they can't go faster. We are stuck like this for about 1 mile.

Get to a turn we both take and she guns it. 35MPH road and she must have hit 50+ easily. I cruise up the road normally. 1/2 mile later I see her pulling into the driveway. She's casually getting out of the car. Didn't look like she was in a rush at this point.

All that rush and we got there 20 seconds apart. Just had to laugh.