Turn Signals

  • Thread starter Thread starter Parnelli Bone
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I always signal lane changes. I usually signal all else, with an exception being if I'm in an obvious left turn lane. Then I usually signal. Signaling is easy - why not do it?
 
Danoff
:lol: Tell us how you really feel. That and you bringing back the underappreciated term asshat, totally made my day.
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Underappreciated and underrated.

I signal. Always. Except for the times I've driven in southern California. There, the only thing that turn signals indicate is your homosexuality. Californian drivers are monsters. I'd rather drive through a minefield than hop on the 57.
 
Kylehnat
Underappreciated and underrated.

I signal. Always. Except for the times I've driven in southern California. There, the only thing that turn signals indicate is your homosexuality. Californian drivers are monsters. I'd rather drive through a minefield than hop on the 57.
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For the record, I learned to drive on the Monterey Peninsula. It's where I learned the neccessity of signalling.
New York is where I learned that the easiest way to effect a lane change was to drive toward the nicest car near you. (signal of course). He will move to avoid you.
 
Kylehnat
Underappreciated and underrated.

I signal. Always. Except for the times I've driven in southern California. There, the only thing that turn signals indicate is your homosexuality. Californian drivers are monsters. I'd rather drive through a minefield than hop on the 57.
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I must be a Culture Club flamer then cuz i always used them! :rolleyes:

Seriously, tho...maybe for me it wasn't so bad cuz i had a job that usually started in the afternoons so i never had to deal with that morning commute.
 
All the SoCal comments are true. I actually make it a point to let people move in in front of me if they use their turn signal – but, since nobody here is used to that, I almost always have to wave them in so that they realize I’m actually holding back for them. It seems to genuinely stun people.

And often this effort goes to waste, because they can’t possibly believe that somebody’s letting them change lanes, so they’ll stay in their lane, and I’ll stay back, and this’ll go on for five seconds and I finally get tired of it and charge ahead, then they’re content with tucking in behind me, and they probably think I’m some sadist lunatic who purposely kept them in their lane for a long time.
 
I hate it when my mom is lazy at the wheel, half the time she doesn't signal, and it just annoys me! Kinda like how digital her accelerator inputs are.


I think my mom sucks at driving.
 
Glad I could brighten your day.

Just never tell your mom that you think she is an atrocious driver. There aren't enough flowers and chocolate on the planet to make up for that.
 
I always use the signals, even when I'm going to cut somebody off. I usually let it blink 2 - 5, 6 times before starting to move over.

In Oregon, signaling does mean that another car will block you so you couldn't change lane, or get on the freeway. I don't understand that mindset, whatsoever. I can be a jerk on the road sometimes(but most of the time, only if you deserved it), but when someone signals to come into my lane, I almost always lets them, except for in few rare cases.
 
In South Florida, people will zoom up, or worse, invade your blindspot to prevent you from taking your lane. Some people use turn signals, but only after they're already halfway in your lane, which is as futile as the Scroll Lock button on your keyboard.

Some people use them correctly; let it blink a few times, then look for space, move accordingly, and then shut it off. Many old folks down here forget the last part, which can be just as dangerous as a drunk driver: Left-left-left. Left-left-left. Left-left-left. (Okay, I'll pass this Buick on the right...) Buick suddenly moves right...Arrrgh!

I use 3-5 blinks, then turn, and then cancel it. I'll also leave my blinker on for an upcoming left-turn at night, but only just before the actual turn during the day. I'd rather let others know that my lane isn't for going straight, incase they can't see the road markings (see old people, above).

Let me finish by saying I write a lot more repair order complaints for dome light bulbs for my customers than turn signals that don't work. What does that tell you?
 
Kylehnat
That old people forget to close the door when they get out?
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Bah! They don't have anything interesting to take anyhow; they are already quite mad at Lexus for not putting a cassette tape player in the ES 350.
 
Wow, nobody that doesn't use their signals... Yet. (What, you scared??? :D)

I'm with the rest of the people here.
I'll always signal at intersections, and in town.
On the highway, unless it's really busy, you'll get 3-4 blinks before I move, whether you're fifty feet behind me or ten. If there's nobody in sight, then there is a good chance that I'll skip the signals.
The other place where I won't usually use signals is on the sidestreets close to home, because of the lack of traffic and pedestrians, and because I'm only doing 30-40 kliks.

SRV2LOW4ME
I have been talked too by my significant other though about not using them in turning lanes at stop lights. As far as I know, the law here (Canada) states that you don't have to indicate your turn when you're in a left/right turn only lane since that is the only way you are allowed to go. Anyone able to clarify that?
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Well.... My logic dictates that if you indicate to go into the turn lane, it's enough. That is, as long as there is a solid line on either side of you. If it's dotted, then you should be signalling.
I think.
 
Slicks
Well.... My logic dictates....
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Logic does not apply in the United States of America. Almost every day I see someone sitting in a turn lane, only to dart straight ahead and back into traffic. They are either lost or stupid, and probably both.
 
So USA logic aside, when I'm sitting in a lane with an arrow pointing left and a centre median straight ahead of me waiting for my seperate green advance turn arrow to turn colour, I shouldn't need to sit there with my blinker on. Her argument is, whenever the car is going to go in a direction other then straight, an indicator is needed. Maybe the laws have changed since I last read the drivers instruction booklet, but to me that is just a waste of an arm movement.
 
My instructor has said (this is UK remember) that you don't need to indicate if the lane you're going in only goes one way or on one of my earlier lessons we could drive through the town and the road was blocked off, we could only go left but if the road have been open as usual I'd have needed an indicator but as we could only go left we didn't need to.
 
I indicate. I’m also one of the few people on the Central Coast who actually makes an exit signal when I’m getting off a roundabout. I hate it when people don’t do that.

There’s a two lane uphill road (both lanes go uphill, that is) about 35km from where I live. It’s usually empty so a racing line through there isn’t really dangerous. I usually don’t indicate there. But one occasion when I had a friend in the car I indicated every time I switched lanes, which was quite funny. Indicating in different directions the whole way up the hill. :p
 
a6m5
I always use the signals, even when I'm going to cut somebody off. I usually let it blink 2 - 5, 6 times before starting to move over.

In Oregon, signaling does mean that another car will block you so you couldn't change lane, or get on the freeway. I don't understand that mindset, whatsoever. I can be a jerk on the road sometimes(but most of the time, only if you deserved it), but when someone signals to come into my lane, I almost always lets them, except for in few rare cases.
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I lived in Portland from '96 till '04. When i first moved there I was astounded by how polite people were in the city.

In Maryland (generally) when you pull up to a 4-way intersection at the same time as another car, you have to be semi-aggressive even if it's your right-of-way. Otherwise, the driver that doesn't have a right-of-way will generally try & steal it from you.

Out in Oregon...i would pull up to a 4-way. Let's say i didn't have the right of way--the driver who did would typically wave me into the intersection anyway! I was like huh???? Someone being NICE?

That being said, as i lived there a few more years and more east-coasters & folks from LA moved out there, the traffic got worse. On the highways, it's just as bad as in Maryland so far as idiots not paying attention are concerned!
 
Parnelli Bone
I lived in Portland from '96 till '04. When i first moved there I was astounded by how polite people were in the city.

In Maryland (generally) when you pull up to a 4-way intersection at the same time as another car, you have to be semi-aggressive even if it's your right-of-way. Otherwise, the driver that doesn't have a right-of-way will generally try & steal it from you.

Out in Oregon...i would pull up to a 4-way. Let's say i didn't have the right of way--the driver who did would typically wave me into the intersection anyway! I was like huh???? Someone being NICE?

That being said, as i lived there a few more years and more east-coasters & folks from LA moved out there, the traffic got worse. On the highways, it's just as bad as in Maryland so far as idiots not paying attention are concerned!
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I've been living here since the late 80's, and yes, the City of Portland has changed so much. I still do remember the "nice" Portland, but as you noted, we have so many Californians moving in, things have changed, quite dramatically. :indiff:

4-Way stop is a great example you brought up there. Nice people still exist. But unfortunately, I have to report that these days in some of those intersections, drivers are ready to kill each other(myself included :p). Some drivers don't even look. They make a complete stop, and feels that was enough out of their time, so they'll just go, no matter what other cars were there first. :scared: If I'm in a bad mood, I usually just go at the same time, forcing them to slam on their brakes, making complete stop in the middle of the intersection.

That a6m5, what a jerk.
 
My father does it, not using the turn signal all the time. He has an old Mercedes (Bar 8 model), 33 y.o. and you have to push or lift the lever several time to use the turn signal. I think the contacts in the "turn signal lever" have worn out.​
 
kikie
My father does it, not using the turn signal all the time. He has an old Mercedes (Bar 8 model), 33 y.o. and you have to push or lift the lever several time to use the turn signal. I think the contacts in the "turn signal lever" have worn out.​
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Given his situation, I think we can let him off the hook :)

Either way, though, it's nice to see so many people on GTP using their indicators, and I believe I've heard the "logical turn" rule here in Illinois as well.
 
Parnelli Bone
Out in Oregon...i would pull up to a 4-way. Let's say i didn't have the right of way--the driver who did would typically wave me into the intersection anyway! I was like huh???? Someone being NICE?
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Major pet peeve of mine. It would be faster if they just took their right of way. I HATE when people go out of turn at 4-way intersections and NOBODY can seem to figure out when they're supposed to go.

In California the big problem is that people assume you only have to wait for one car before it's your turn. They don't seem to realize that you might have to wait for two, maybe even three cars to go before you get your chance.

Waving someone through at a 4-way when it's not their turn is like saying "I don't know how this stuff works, you go first". It would be like stopping at a green light and waving someone through that had a red light. It slows everyone down and basically ignores the rules.
 
Danoff
Major pet peeve of mine. It would be faster if they just took their right of way. I HATE when people go out of turn at 4-way intersections and NOBODY can seem to figure out when they're supposed to go.

In California the big problem is that people assume you only have to wait for one car before it's your turn. They don't seem to realize that you might have to wait for two, maybe even three cars to go before you get your chance.

Waving someone through at a 4-way when it's not their turn is like saying "I don't know how this stuff works, you go first". It would be like stopping at a green light and waving someone through that had a red light. It slows everyone down and basically ignores the rules.
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Did someone say "That's exactly what I think"?

And like any of the other good people in this thread, I signal before a lane change, look, turn, then cancel the signal as I straighten my car in the new lane. There's been a few days when I've tried to not use my signal for lane changing even once, and my eyes always start twitching randomly by about 2 in te afternoon. I can't do it.

When coming to a turn I always signal before braking so that nobody behind me is left scratching their head, "What the hell is he slowing down in the middle of the road for!?!?!?!?!"
 
Famine
Who's actually in the left-hand lane at the 300 yard mark? Certainly not BMW drivers - they're in lane 3 until the sliproad appears... :D
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:lol: - You can almost guarantee that any car you see suddenly ducking across the chevrons between the motorway and the slip road will be a 3-series BMW. It will probably be the same one that was sat on your tail at 90mph 2 seconds before it made it's move. :rolleyes:
 
TheCracker
:lol: - You can almost guarantee that any car you see suddenly ducking across the chevrons between the motorway and the slip road will be a 3-series BMW. It will probably be the same one that was sat on your tail at 90mph 2 seconds before it made it's move. :rolleyes:
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:grumpy: We're definitely taking a beating here. :ouch:

If you all would get out of our way, traffic would flow much more smoothly... :sly:
 

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