Wednesday, May 02, 2007

To Turn or Not To Turn


I just got home from work. My commute includes driving along one section of interstate that takes about ten minutes. During that time I pass several exit ramps before reaching my exit. Today as I pulled onto the interstate, I fell in the line of traffic behind a guy with his right turn signal on. I assumed he was taking the exit that was coming up almost immediately.

Wrong. He did not exit.

We moved on to the next exit. His right turn signal was still blinking. But no exit.

Next exit. Same result.

And all this time he was driving in the right-hand lane so I knew he wasn't changing lanes.

How does this happen? When I turn on my signal it makes noise. It clicks right along with each blink. And yes, it blinks. Right in front of my face. Right there on the dash along with all those other little controls, that arrow is blinking on and off. Blink. Click. Blink. Click.

Hard to miss.

But this guy missed it. He missed it for almost ten minutes!

Finally, as I approached my exit, he pulled off the highway onto the same exit ramp. Finally! He turned right.

BUT...just as he started to make his move, almost simultaneously, he turned OFF this right turn signal!!!

For those of you keeping score, that's ten minutes of signaling with no turn, followed by one turn without a signal.

I'm guessing he did not graduate summa cum laude from his driver's ed. class.

32 comments:

Chicky Pea said...

LOL, was he old and wearing a hat? The only time I forget about the signal is if I have the radio on really loud, then I can't hear the annoying beep. I'm very embarrassed when I discover that has happened. Right now when I use my left directional it blinks really fast because my parking light burned out. I have to stop and get a new one. More useless info you probably could have lived without :-)

Emma in Canada said...

Was his car older? Because I'm pretty sure older models have no beep and no blinky lights.

I was taught to turn the signal light off halfway into your lane change/ turn. Which for me, was too much to do all at once, what with that shoulder check and mirror check and all.

Jenster said...

That's as bad as the person who doesn't use the turn signal. There's got to be a happy medium!

Chickie said...

It makes me crazy when people do that.

whimsical brainpan said...

Classic!

I laugh at people who leave their signal on (thinking they are morons) and scream at those who don't (knowing they are morons).

meno said...

It's just nature's way of showing you which cars to avoid.

darkfoam said...

i reckon all that blinking lulled him into a comatose driving stupor.

now, that's a scary thought. he's probably one of those guys that can't remember how he got somewhere.

EsLocura said...

I can't decide which bothers me more, no turn signal or a constant one. either way, I scream a lot of not too pleasant words.

Teena in Toronto said...

Sorry I haven't been around in a bit but life has been busy ... school on Monday night and chairing an AGM last night.

I HATE it when that happens! Ha!

Kati said...

LOL I often forget my turn signal on soft rights, but mine clicks off automatically after a hard turn. And mine doesn't audibly click inside my car, so I can't hear anything.

But, naw, I'm guessing he wasn't an honor student. LOL

Ruth Dynamite said...

That's so annoying, if not dangerous!

robkroese said...

What kills me is the people who drive for like 10 miles with their brake lights on. Do they just have their foot on the break all the time? That can't be good for their mileage.

SzélsőFa said...

As a person who travels by bike, I am really upset and annoyed by car drivers who do not signal before they turn.
Sometimes I play the 'too bad for you for not having signalled, now it's my way to go' game, but it can be fairly dangerous.

Logophile said...

OH how I hate this!
HATE IT!!
Even if you have the tunes cranked you would still have the little blinky light going! What is WITH these people?
Why are they allowed free reign in public spaces propelling several thousand pounds of steel?
I do not understand.
I ride a motorcycle with does not have auto cancel on the turn signals. This means I have to manually turn OFF the turn signal after every corner, somehow I manage to do this. In fact, to tell you the truth, its not even hard. So what the **** is THEIR problem??
woooooosaaa
Im breathing deeply now, I'll be fine in a few minutes.
Ohhhhmmm

Anonymous said...

Nothing incites road rage in me than a blinker left blinking...for no reason.

Turn down your damn stereo and pay attention to what you are doing.

Oh my GAWD, I'm getting old.

Bardouble29 said...

People that leave their blinkers on drive me nuts. I actually will change lanes, so that I don't have to be behind that person.

ZZZZZZZ said...

haha that is so funny! I've accidently left my turn signal on but for no more than a minute and it was daytime with my radio blaring. haha I can't believe he turned it off when he went to go turn!!

Charlotta-love said...

I have to admit: I left my blinker on once. I laughed out loud as I turned it off because I knew I was "one of those people" that I always poke fun of.

Unknown said...

Was the guy old? Because I hear old guys do that. Or guys like me who are just trying to be annoying to somebody they know who is following them. But I'm guessing the dude was old.

Anonymous said...

I am so glad you did not recognize me!

Pendullum said...

See... My husband would spend the entire ten minutes telling me what an ass the driver was...
This post... this post is sooooo...
Civilized....

Anonymous said...

Haha! Driving dyslexia?

Elle said...

Good grief! Don't you love people like that?

Angel said...

OMG! that is such a big pet peeve of mine! Can't they hear the stupid thing clicking? AHHHHHHH!!!

Marie said...

That has happened to me a couple of times (as the blinkerer)! And I've been embarrassed to realize it. I'm not even (that) old!! If I have the music cranked, I don't hear the clicking, and sometimes, depending on the time of day & lightness, I don't see the blinking light.

Jocelyn said...

Wait, I could have graduated from driver's ed with honors? I feel ripped off.

I'm going back to take the course again, and this time, Valedictorian for me.

Michelle said...

Try driving around Detroit sometime.....Holy crap!!! It would be amazing if anyone ever even USED their turn signal.....OR slowed down enough to take a turn safely!!! lol Ya just gotta love the Motor City!! *insert eyeroll*

Greg C said...

Around here if you trust a turn signal, you are taking your life in your hands. Someone I know was driving down a country road. A lady in front of him put on her right blinker so he went around her and she turned left. He was in a really bad accident and almost died. Later they found out it was the third time she did this so they sued her and won. Yea justice.

Paul Nichols said...

Hey! I think I see that guy about 3 times a week.

CS said...

That's called "an eventual right."
But my guess is that he didn't realize it was on, and then thought he was flipping the lever on to signal before the turn, actually turning it off. I'm more bothered by the peole who don't signal at all. But I'm infuriated by the people who slow WA-A-A-A-Y down and then swing outwards into the next lane for their turn, as if they are maneuvering a freaking boat. Grrrr.

thethinker said...

People who don't know how to use their turn signals really do irritate me.

Attila the Mom said...

My signal never makes a noise above the kids' yak or personal music device level.

Usually it's drowned out by the fzzz!! fzzzz!! badaddadaddfzzzzzz!! coming out of the headphones of whatever they're personally listening to.

But boy, I sure feel like a doofus when I go to turn right and realize my blinker has already been in that position for the last 3 miles! LOL