…get serious about traffic enforcement in the most urban areas of the county? Traffic in Clarendon in particular has gotten to the point where you feel like you are in the developing world and people should be whipping and driving mule carts past the crate and barrel.
Yesterday in a 5 minute span on Fillmore, I saw:
1) A bus parked across from Woodgrill taking up 3/4 of the road – no driver inside
2) An Audi SUV accelerate through a light 3 seconds red, driver on the phone
3) A semi full of construction equipment run the right at Clarendon blvd where Harry's used to be which was so badly red that drivers on Clarendon had to slam on their brakes in the middle of the intersection
4) Myriad drivers on headphones or texting
It has gotten somewhat ridiculous. A day does not go by where I don't see someone do something that nearly gets someone killed. All it would take is one officer once in a while to make people at least think about safety in this area. Cars going 70 mph on 50 is one thing but in these congested area it's going to be dogs and babies that get run over, or only a matter of times till someone puts their Benz through the front of Cava while texting.
Hell, ticket the cyclists too, I don't care. I'm a cyclist 95% of the time and I say turn your eye to Idaho stops but feel free to write up anyone stupid enough to blow a red light. This area has just gotten too developed and too congested for this kind of crap.
CW, I've seen similar things around Lee-Harrison, Ballston, Virginia Square, and Crystal City – whether drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians. It seems to me that people just plain don't pay attention or are all absorbed in themselves and their own worlds. I've seen a number of close calls where pedestrians/cyclists/drivers were all wrapped up in their texting, headphones, whatever and did not seem to be paying attention to their surroundings. I've seen a number of near misses where someone crossed the street without looking with their headphones on (maybe “grooving on their tunes”) or were so engrossed in texting that it didn't seem to occur to them to stop and look before crossing the street. Text, “groove to your tunes”, whatever, all you like, but please do so when it is safe.
I agree with everything you've said. Last weekend, I saw someone in the left lane of Clarendon Blvd in front of Harry's dive for a parking spot 10 feet in front of him on the right side of the road without signaling or looking. Good thing the person in the car immediately on his right was paying attention and able to come to a screeching halt in time.
I'd add even consider ticketing pedestrians to the mix. I can't say I wait for the walk signal if no cars are coming, but when I'm driving straight across an intersection with a green light and have to stop for pedestrians with a do-not-walk that didn't even look to see if traffic was coming, it's a bit excessive.
redstang423 said:
I agree with everything you've said. Last weekend, I saw someone in the left lane of Clarendon Blvd in front of Harry's dive for a parking spot 10 feet in front of him on the right side of the road without signaling or looking. Good thing the person in the car immediately on his right was paying attention and able to come to a screeching halt in time.
I'd add even consider ticketing pedestrians to the mix. I can't say I wait for the walk signal if no cars are coming, but when I'm driving straight across an intersection with a green light and have to stop for pedestrians with a do-not-walk that didn't even look to see if traffic was coming, it's a bit excessive.
Amen, Redstang. I've lost count of similar incidents where I saw someone suddenly scoot across lanes without even looking or signaling. I had two close calls on I-66 this week where some yutz decided at the last minute to cut across traffic lanes from the fast lane to the exit – if I hadn't been paying attention, there would have been a real Kodak moment.
VA really needs to ban cell phone use in cars, 9/10 times I see someone doing something stupid they are on their phone. Going 1/2 the speed limit? Phone. Run read light? Phone. Swerve into other lanes? Phone. Sit at green light for 30 seconds not realizing it changed? Phone.
Can't have traffic enforcement everywhere at every time. Obvious solution: More cameras (and additional, non-monetary penalties for camera offenses).
My contribution to the crazy driver narrative: Saw a cabbie at Wilson and Barton (on his cell phone, of course) stop at a green light, wait for it to turn red, then drive through the intersection (to the obvious surprise of the cars with the green). Also the standard double parking on Clarendon in Clarendon, left-lane turn lane for Wholefoods (they really just need to get rid of those two parking spaces and make an actual turn lane), pedestrians who read books while they walk (saw this girl walk face first into a tree last week, it was hilarious) and pedestrians who foolishly assume that cars barreling down the road are going to stop at the intersection they just walked into simply because there's a stop sign there.
JamesE said:
VA really needs to ban cell phone use in cars, 9/10 times I see someone doing something stupid they are on their phone. Going 1/2 the speed limit? Phone. Run read light? Phone. Swerve into other lanes? Phone. Sit at green light for 30 seconds not realizing it changed? Phone.
I've noticed the same things, James. It is beyond my understanding why folks don't put the electronic contraptions away when they get behind the wheel, keep alert and pay attention to driving s-a-f-e-l-y out of consideration for their own lives at least (since the putzes that do this stuff apparently don't give a flying rat's butt about anyone but themselves). No phone call, boss, office, project, or whatever is so all-fired important that a person has to put themselves and others at risk. If the freakin' boss is that important, pull over to a safe area, then take out the contraption and yap to high heaven. I've had so many near misses from these phone junkies that I wish I had some device that would disable their phones while they drive. Don't almost smash my car or nearly injure (or worse) me just because some boss, spouse, significant other, or precious darling is so important that nothing else matters.
There were bad drivers back before all these inventions, but not nearly as many. I used to enjoy driving…now, it becomes a source of aggravation and frustration – and not every place I drive is exactly convenient to Metro or the bus.
Swag said:
My contribution to the crazy driver narrative: Saw a cabbie at Wilson and Barton (on his cell phone, of course) stop at a green light, wait for it to turn red, then drive through the intersection (to the obvious surprise of the cars with the green). Also the standard double parking on Clarendon in Clarendon, left-lane turn lane for Wholefoods (they really just need to get rid of those two parking spaces and make an actual turn lane), pedestrians who read books while they walk (saw this girl walk face first into a tree last week, it was hilarious) and pedestrians who foolishly assume that cars barreling down the road are going to stop at the intersection they just walked into simply because there's a stop sign there.
Yep, Swag – I see the same stuff all the time around NoVA (not only in Arlington). My cussing quota has gone way over the month for quite some time! Driving around here is more like some video game, except that the object in driving is to keep from hitting someone, unlike the video games.
I am also for a completely reeducation program for cabbies. Currently they only have two modes of operation; excessively slow or excessively fast. They cannot operate at a normal pace.
Someone on this board once made one of the most universally true statements I've ever read, I forget who it was…cabbie behind you always wants to go 75, cabbie in front of you always wants to go 25.
I'll add that as a cyclist, cabbies slamming on their brakes and diving off to the curb to pick up fares is what causes me a lot of trouble. While I realize that picking up fares at random locations is their livelihood, I wish they would signal. Maybe they should be required to have flashing yellow lights like those BID trucks that stop to pick up garbage, or meter readers have.
I think a couple traffic cops (out of their car, the horror!) strategically placed along Wilson Blvd between 8p-2a friday and/or saturday would help keep everything moving. Keep the folks in their cars in line and keep the stumbling nightlife crowd in line. And there has to be a better place for a taxi stand than in front of the Ballroom and Liberty Tavern, I can't believe I haven't been hit by me trying to get into the turn lane and them sticking their nose out to go straight.
This happened yesterday and is somewhat related.
I was driving North on George Mason and there is a place I think around Columbus St where the cops sometimes set up with Radar. Well, yesterday someone had plastered a big sign on a sawhorse two blocks from the cop that said “RADAR AHEAD” and everyone was slowing down. I felt sorry for the cop I saw with the handheld speed gun. Poor guy standing out there and wasn't getting any action because of that sign.
I wish they'd ticket the hell out of people for wearing headphones while driving. Let's look at all the reasons why it's dangerous:
1) Can't hear emergency sirens as well
2) Engrossed even further in music
3) Usually connected to an MP3 device of some sort, so heads down time to change songs rather than easily on a radio
4) Can't hear if your car is sounding funny
Example of #4: saw a guy driving with a flat, had earphones jammed in ears.
The other day I saw a cyclist approach an intersection with a light. The light turned red when he was about 40 feet from the intersection. He didn't even slow down a bit and just blazed right through despite cars beginning to cross for the other green.
I shook my head in disbelief. I guess the Darwin effect will get these folks at some point. Should we feel sad when it does? I'm not sure.
JamesE said:
VA really needs to ban cell phone use in cars, 9/10 times I see someone doing something stupid they are on their phone. Going 1/2 the speed limit? Phone. Run read light? Phone. Swerve into other lanes? Phone. Sit at green light for 30 seconds not realizing it changed? Phone.
If I could give this 100 thumbs up I would. You just mentioned four things that I witness every single day that are absolutely maddening. It's usually worse at the end of the work day. It galls me how unaware of one's surroundings some people are. “Hi there, see me in your rear view mirror?” Nope. Too busy yacking on the phone or checking their BlackBerry for that oh so important email. Unplug folks, we'll all feel better.
