Traffic light rant - Why do they surprise drivers?

[PeteQ]

Is is me or are there a large number of drivers out there that seem truly surprised that the light actually turns green after 30-45 seconds? They are like dogs who are surprised to see the food bowl refilled. It's almost magical to the dogs and the drivers in their own little worlds. I can just imagine the thoughts going through theses drivers heads... "Oh, my look! The light! It turned green! Wow, that is just amazing, what do you think the chances of that happening were? What's that honking sound? Oh, yeah I should start to drive now...."

I mean is it really to much to ask for a driver to actually pay attention to what's happening and perhaps, just a little, to anticipate and plan for what is going on in front of them?

[Glen_A]

Originally Posted by PeteQ

Is is me or are there a large number of drivers out there that seem truly surprised that the light actually turns green after 30-45 seconds? They are like dogs who are surprised to see the food bowl refilled. It's almost magical to the dogs and the drivers in their own little worlds. I can just imagine the thoughts going through theses drivers heads... "Oh, my look! The light! It turned green! Wow, that is just amazing, what do you think the chances of that happening were? What's that honking sound? Oh, yeah I should start to drive now...."

I mean is it really to much to ask for a driver to actually pay attention to what's happening and perhaps, just a little, to anticipate and plan for what is going on in front of them?

I know what you mean. It is specially bad at short lights where cars are lined up for a quarter mile behind the light. If people pay attention and are quick, 15 cars can make it through, if they are snoozing or pokey, 5 make it through

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Around here you better look both ways after a light turns green, so many red light runners!

[pippin]

Originally Posted by DEMDeepEllumMusic

Around here you better look both ways after a light turns green, so many red light runners!

Ain't that the truth. I wait a second or two just to make sure that no one is gonna come through and blindside me or somethin.

[CaptainTom]

If you tap your horn, you get the finger, or worse......

[JohnRushing]

Around here red means stop, green means go but yellow means run like hell to beat the red! Good thing we only have two cars in our big town! Really though I know what you mean by people falling asleep at the red light. It seems I always get behind one of those drivers when I'm late.

[RamblingRed]

I was amazed when I moved here from OK how much worse the drivers are around here when it comes to running red lights. There have been several times I have cut it close coming through a yellow/red light and looked behind me to see two or three cars still with me. It's even worse where my folks live down around Austin. Crazy texans!

After nearly getting killed a couple times by pulling out right on green I learned to employ pippin's method.

[pippin]

There's actually been a few times where I've pretty much been forced to go through a yellow/red (ya know, when you really have enough time to stop, but when you hit that line it goes red) simply because i've had some jackass either riding my tail, or speeding and if I did stop they'd hit me and send me out into the traffic anyway.

[dreemes]

what is also bad is people that think they must be first in line at a red light. For example the light is red and there is a vehicle stopped in lane A and you are approaching the light in lane B. The person approaching the light in lane A just ahead of you can't stand the thought of being 2nd in line so they cut over in front of you. On the bright side of that if someone crossing the intersection loses control they will get hit first. But the bad part is they are driving a car that is powered by rubber bands and while the car in lane A has done taken off and gone you are stuck behind the person that had to be first while they get the rubber bands wound up on a car that is slow.

[Davidtxs]

Well Pete payin attn to the lights would entail GETTTING OF THE CELL PHONE lol or put down the chicken soup, fingernail file.... that irks me as bad as the red light runner, its funny in Plano they i mplemented the red light cameras in less than one month they sent out 3000 citations inluding 3 to the SAME person at the SAME intersection, i hope they put them at every intersection in town lol maybe lower our taxes haha ya right