Do people seem ruder and more easily angered these days?

[FallGirl]

@natty1988 plus one on the people not giving up seats to elderly, people with disabilities, etc. But I have noticed this for years! When my kids ( now 34 and 29) were young they were not allowed to take a seat if an adult of any age had to stand. They could sit on my lap, sit on the floor or stand.

[Twoin18]

@FallGirl

plus one on the people not giving up seats to elderly

Am I allowed to be annoyed when people offer to give me their seat on public transit, because the implication is that they think I am old?

[Jolynne_Smyth]

@natty1988

The other day were waiting to be seated at a restaurant and there was a mom and dad (probably in their 30’s) and 2 elementary aged kids (both on their phones) who took up a whole bench and refused to get up for the elderly lady with a cane who clearly needed to sit and her husband who was hunched over and on oxygen

I can’t believe this! Sad for the kids being raised that way

Also will add to @deb922’s comment - was in northern Michigan recently visiting family (from my fast-paced, northeast state) - everyone was so nice. I’ve known my cousins are some of the kindest, nicest people ever - the other folks we talked to when out and about were too!

[twoinanddone]

@ucbalumnus

Probably most adult bicycle riders also drive (or have driven) cars. In both cases, their lack of obedience to traffic laws seems to be based on whatever they think they can get away with. For example, making a full and complete stop at a stop sign (or right turn on red light) is rare these days.

Bike riders in Denver don’t have the same rules as drivers. They only have to yield, and they don’t do that very often at traffic lights or stop signs. No need (by law) to come to a complete stop, they have the right to ride in the traffic lanes AND NOT STOP. We have a totally blind intersection where the bike trail comes onto a Y sort of intersection and the main road has no stop sign (the Y side does) and the bikes just plow across. Yes the thru street is 30 MPH, but it is a totally blind entry from the bike trail, and watching for the people from the Y street? VERY dangerous and dark at night.

It is crazy around her with bikes. They’ve put in bike lanes all over town, and the bikes don’t use them. They don’t recognize the stop signs.

[inthegarden]

RE Canadian politeness: I lived for awhile in Calgary, AB years ago. I could not believe the politeness level. I lived in the central city in a mostly residential neighborhood not too far from downtown. Even on the streets in my area with lots of traffic/shops or those entering downtown if you so much as paused on the sidewalk or curb and looked as if you wanted to jay-walk in the middle of the block, cars would stop to let you pass. Usually I was just waiting for traffic to clear a bit before making a move so as to not inconvenience the drivers but nope, they’d notice and stop. I’d feel a little bad about it. When I moved back to the US people would say, “you be careful down there! “

Contrast that to DC, where I’d walk down 16th to work in the mornings. I was taking my life in my hands to try to cross certain intersections with aggressive right-turning cars that never slowed down on the turns even when I had the green light and at the edge of a pedestrian crosswalk. At one intersection I’d often have to wait a few cycles of green, yellow, red before I could even begin to step off safely. I sometimes thought of making a huge sign “DON’T KILL ME to hold up when stepping from the curb.

[inthegarden]

Yikes, I’d be nervous wreck trying to drive safely. Not good for us ADD-inclined folk.

[twoinanddone]

@inthegarden

Yikes, I’d be nervous wreck trying to drive safely

There are several streets with the parking lane converted to a bike lane - except if it is needed as a right turn lane. Oh and some bike lanes have to have trash cans in them on trash day because the trash trucks can’t get close to the sidewalks. It’s a mess.

I was soooo excited yesterday as they finished the bridge repair that’s been going on all summer (and a detour). During the summer they’d taken the parking lane in front of a park (with a rec center, so it’s a busy park) and made a bike lane. They’d put up posts with a flat notice for no parking (and you KNEW these were going to cause a lot of scratched cars in the icy weather. So I drove down that street today and the bike lane is once again a parking lane. I think the rich people who live across the street from the park complained because there was no place to park but in front of THEIR houses (this park is in a residential neighborhood). NO ONE was happy with the bike lane that would not be used as the bikes either just ride in the street or on the hiking path through the park.

[ucbalumnus]

@twoinanddone

Bike riders in Denver don’t have the same rules as drivers. They only have to yield, and they don’t do that very often at traffic lights or stop signs. No need (by law) to come to a complete stop, they have the right to ride in the traffic lanes AND NOT STOP.

It is quite rare to see cars stop at stop signs or right-turn-on-red situations when not forced to by traffic.

[twoinanddone]

@ucbalumnus

It is quite rare to see cars stop at stop signs or right-turn-on-red situations when not forced to by traffic.

Many of the streets that have been converted to bike lanes instead of parking have No Right on Red, so now the cars turning right have to wait and the bikes just blow through the light. Bikes can run a red light too (legally), as long as they yield (sure, like that happens). The car turning is sitting there and the bikes can come up on either side, and if the light turns green, you have to make sure a bike isn’t coming full speed down the inside and intending to NOT turn right so if you don’t look you’ll hit them on your turn.

I’m just happy my kids aren’t out riding bikes anymore. Or electric scooters.

[jym626]

driverless cars stop. They are safer.

[ucbalumnus]

@twoinanddone

The car turning is sitting there and the bikes can come up on either side, and if the light turns green, you have to make sure a bike isn’t coming full speed down the inside and intending to NOT turn right so if you don’t look you’ll hit them on your turn.

A car (or bicycle) turning right is supposed to approach the turn as close to the curb or edge as practicable, to prevent straight through traffic from passing on the right. Yes, this means that cars are supposed to merge into the bike lane (yielding to any bicycles that are present) before turning right.

Of course, those going straight through should not pass on the right of traffic that will be turning right. A bicycle going straight through should be on the left of a car approaching or waiting to make a right turn.

[twoinanddone]

@ucbalumnus

Of course, those going straight through should not pass on the right of traffic that will be turning right. A bicycle going straight through should be on the left of a car approaching or waiting to make a right turn.

Good in theory…

[ucbalumnus]

That is why, when driving a car, you approach a right turn as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, to prevent anyone from passing you on the right.

[MADad]

I realize we have gone off-topic, but I find it interesting that in the US pedestrians assume that the cars will NOT stop, and hope that they do.

In some parts of Europe (Switzerland, for one), drivers get impatient with us because of this assumption—drivers stop because they assume we will cross.

[inthegarden]

Putting bikes on roads while having different laws for bikes is a horrible policy. I think that may be more dangerous than right turn on red for everybody because an unsuspecting pedestrian might not be as careful at intersections, especially if not from the area. Bikes can kill. In Denver do the “no right turn on red” signs state “but bicycles get a pass?”

I don’t research all the traffic laws of any new city I might be visiting or passing through… is that the norm and I just don’t know it?

The one time I visited Colorado I took Amtrak and passed straight through Denver. Now I think if I ever go back I’ll do the same.

[mathmom]

I’m less bothered by that than the number of people who make right turns from the left lane and vice versa.

[Marilyn]

I realize still off topic, but my mom finally lost her drivers license when she took her last road test and, as she put it, who comes to a complete stop at right turn on red? Um, I do, Mom. She had to take the test because she had run into the machine at a drive through bank. The DMV was in her neighborhood so she knew the streets well yet still failed, thank goodness. She was philosophical (and I think a bit relieved).

Re rudeness, I no longer have any desire to see movies in a theater. Talkers and cell phone users are bad enough at live performances. Also, I encounter a mix of entitled and polite drivers. I drive fully expecting others to run stop signs and red lights and to make last second decisions on exit lanes. I admit I get angered when a driver ahead of me is overly polite and keeps letting people in front of them or waves people through four way stops when they have right of way.

Entitled dog owners are a huge problem in San Diego; “no dog” rules are routinely ignored. I have politely mentioned the rule to dog people at the beach (because it’s possible they are tourists who don’t know the rules). If they’re down by the water, I try to notify a life guard.

[my3girls]

@ucbalumnus

A car (or bicycle) turning right is supposed to approach the turn as close to the curb or edge as practicable, to prevent straight through traffic from passing on the right. Yes, this means that cars are supposed to merge into the bike lane (yielding to any bicycles that are present) before turning right.

This is not true in Oregon. Cars are supposed to stay out of the bike lane always and then make a 90 degree right turn from the car right lane. You may not merge into the bike lane to make a turn.

[sbinaz]

I’ve noticed a big trend of people who are…significantly older than me…talking on speaker phone in public spaces a lot.

And I’m sick and tired of it. Happens a lot in the grocery store.

And since here in AZ, we’re about to start snowbird season, it’s going to temporarily get worse for the next 6 months.

It’s just super rude.

[Hoggirl]

Here is something else I’ve noticed. Language!

Now, I freely admit that my mama is likely rolling in her grave with my sailor potty mouth , but I do try to NOT use bad language in inappropriate, public locations. A sports bar while watching a game? Sure! Other places, not so much.

I was at Walmart yesterday, and I was appalled at this one group of three people (not particularly young or old) who were grocery shopping together and liberally dropping F-bombs up and down the aisles.