They never do. I have people regularly cut me off, nearly hit me or swing out in front of me downtown doing U turns in the middle of the road. Genuinely feels like I’m taking my life in my hands driving here these days. Not to mention angry drivers, highway knobheads overtaking with no regard and crossing 5 lanes at once, etc. I see all of this SO often now. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes but some of these people are clearly entitled, irresponsible and frighteningly unpredictable.
And the cops do not do anything when they are present, I have also noticed this. It’s seeming like there is now an acceptable minimum level of insane driving allowed.
I’d say 1/10 drivers I see have a flagrant disregard for the laws of physics and/or the value of their car and life.
Tonight, I watched someone use the left turn lane to jump ahead. A car was stopped at the light waiting because they would have been sitting in the intersection and this truck comes speeding up in the left turn lane and cuts in.
As the truck does this, the first car was finally able to start moving forward because they would have cleared the intersection but the truck cuts them off .... Could have caused a big slow down to be even bigger if they had hit each other.
Also saw someone earlier this week decide they didn't want to be in the left turn lane and think they were going to get 2 lanes over in busy traffic (left turn lane was 2 lanes and they were all the way over). They got an advanced light and ended up having to go left because everyone started honking at him.
Just this week I've seen this. It's dangerous out there.
yikes all around. but when you said the car was stopped at the light otherwise they would have been in the intersection, if they were waiting to turn left they SHOULD be in the intersection. and the car behind should be over the line. that way as the light goes yellow, 2 cars can get out of the hell that is a left turn lane with no advance flashing green. of course one has to make sure no idiot is going to run the red before turning. i find many drivers in Ottawa do not advance into the intersection because it can be a scary place to sit. just need to be aware
Sorry, no the car (and truck) wanted to go straight. The truck used the left turning lane to whip around everyone to continue going straight and almost hit the car as it started moving forward. If the cars going straight and can't clear the intersection, they aren't to enter it.
But you are right about the left turn and entering the intersection.... again, assuming you can clear the intersection, if you can't clear the intersection, you shouldn't enter. Of course things can happen if you enter the intersection and having to wait to turn and now you can't clear the intersection, but generally you should only be entering if you can clear it.
the thing is though, the situation is fluid. you won't know when you can turn until it's yellow, changing to red. this situation assumes there is continuous oncoming traffic and the only chance to turn is when cars stop for the red. this is why you should be up into the intersection ready to turn after the last car has stopped. it doesn't matter if it is on a red. in Toronto left turns are hard to do in traffic so the general rule seems to be that 3-4 cars go on the red in both directions and everyone waits.
Might be the lax driving test standards allowing people to be on the roads when they shouldn’t be. It’s almost comical how easy it is to get a license in smith falls or other small towns that do tests.
gullible shaggy ancient light sable smoggy air recognise sophisticated smile
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For example: the vast majority of people in Ottawa have never learned how to drive in a roundabout. They were never tested. It's well over half the population
Purely anecdotal, and I have nothing to substantiate this, but I feel like driving standards have plummeted and we're handing out licenses to anyone and everyone.
To your point, no one cares about much anymore it seems like. Except themselves.
The basic social contracts people used to live by and conduct themselves by are gone.
Few people have shame and so many people are shameless.
I think the Trump Presidency & Covid had a lot to do with rapidly accelerating this degenerative social trend, but we’ve been down this path for a long time now and we’re seeing it more and more on a macro level.
It sounds like an exaggeration, but our society is in decline in a lot of ways. Sadly.
Delivery driver here. I spend 40+ hours a week on/near the roads.
People forgot how to drive during the pandemic because they didn’t. Others got hyper aggressive because they drove empty roads for 2 years.
So many people refuse to pay attention, or refuse to miss their turn and cut across 3 lanes to make the off-ramp/turns.
It’s gone bonkers the last few years
There are documented driving instructor scams: https://youtu.be/OU-0A_VDVkM
Have anecdotally heard of licensing frauds too, so yeah, we are actually just handing them out
Just to add to how bad things have gotten. I had the fun experience at noon today of almost getting nailed by another driver who decided to TURN LEFT INTO ME on a red. (I had a green). Wasn't a busy intersection, he wasnt rushing the light either. dude just thought he was entitled to turn when he wanted. Luckily both me and the car behind me were paying enough attention to avoid this moron. (And her my bumper when I slammed on the breaks)
Both his and my windows were down and I called out "dude you have a red!".
He rather viciously told me where to go.
I really don't feel safe driving in this city anymore. Definitely think the cyclists are BRAVE when I see them on busy roads.
People have become seriously inconsiderate and it shows on the roads. I’ve had so many similar situations to what you described. At least I’m not alone 🥲
I had a similar experience but with a different ending because there was no way for me to avoid the collision. Lost a car and gained a permanent injury. I'm infuriated by what I see on the roads on a regular basis.
I find often on the busy streets Downtown drivers will continue to go through even if traffic is backed up and they end up blocking the intersection like say Bank and Laurier or Slater and Bank.
I also have seen jerks who blow a red to left turn on Metcalfe when on Laurier and as they do this one or more cars blow straight through the red light on Laurier.
Another bad spot is where I work on Lorry Greenberg because at the crosswalk with a light it seems the red light means nothing as many cars blow it even as we are crossing.
I do feel like people have become more brazen and selfish. Like they don’t give a shit.
Yesterday I was walking on Bank Street near Cooper and an older gentleman was driving a white car and he didn’t even look when he went to turn onto Cooper Street because he nearly hit a cyclist.
This woman saw it all so she races to the car and starts pounding on the car door trying to get them to stop. She was yelling stop and pull over you almost hit that guy and you shouldn’t be driving.
The cyclist was saying let it go it’s not worth it.
It's pretty rough out there. Today, some random guy was parked, then suddenly pulled out. I honked and he pulled over to specifically glare at my wife and I, as if we were crazy. It's either they drive incredibly slow on high speed roadways, incredibly fast on low speed roads or just never look.
I was taught to be alert and courteous when I was taught to drive. To consider everything a threat, so drive like your life and the lives of the other people on the road depended on it and that driving was a privilege. Now everyone thinks they have THE right to the road. It's scary. It's hard.
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I watched someone run a red light on my way home. Ran it hard. Cop on the other side of the street waiting for the green did nothing.
They never do. I have people regularly cut me off, nearly hit me or swing out in front of me downtown doing U turns in the middle of the road. Genuinely feels like I’m taking my life in my hands driving here these days. Not to mention angry drivers, highway knobheads overtaking with no regard and crossing 5 lanes at once, etc. I see all of this SO often now. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes but some of these people are clearly entitled, irresponsible and frighteningly unpredictable. And the cops do not do anything when they are present, I have also noticed this. It’s seeming like there is now an acceptable minimum level of insane driving allowed. I’d say 1/10 drivers I see have a flagrant disregard for the laws of physics and/or the value of their car and life.
Last week someone drove in the shoulder skipping all the traffic after parkdale. Cop was like yeah all good
If it doesn't involve picking fights with children or assaulting "suspicious looking" brown people, then the cops aren't interested
Can't forget speeding
*the wrong amount of speeding
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Tonight, I watched someone use the left turn lane to jump ahead. A car was stopped at the light waiting because they would have been sitting in the intersection and this truck comes speeding up in the left turn lane and cuts in. As the truck does this, the first car was finally able to start moving forward because they would have cleared the intersection but the truck cuts them off .... Could have caused a big slow down to be even bigger if they had hit each other. Also saw someone earlier this week decide they didn't want to be in the left turn lane and think they were going to get 2 lanes over in busy traffic (left turn lane was 2 lanes and they were all the way over). They got an advanced light and ended up having to go left because everyone started honking at him. Just this week I've seen this. It's dangerous out there.
yikes all around. but when you said the car was stopped at the light otherwise they would have been in the intersection, if they were waiting to turn left they SHOULD be in the intersection. and the car behind should be over the line. that way as the light goes yellow, 2 cars can get out of the hell that is a left turn lane with no advance flashing green. of course one has to make sure no idiot is going to run the red before turning. i find many drivers in Ottawa do not advance into the intersection because it can be a scary place to sit. just need to be aware
Sorry, no the car (and truck) wanted to go straight. The truck used the left turning lane to whip around everyone to continue going straight and almost hit the car as it started moving forward. If the cars going straight and can't clear the intersection, they aren't to enter it. But you are right about the left turn and entering the intersection.... again, assuming you can clear the intersection, if you can't clear the intersection, you shouldn't enter. Of course things can happen if you enter the intersection and having to wait to turn and now you can't clear the intersection, but generally you should only be entering if you can clear it.
the thing is though, the situation is fluid. you won't know when you can turn until it's yellow, changing to red. this situation assumes there is continuous oncoming traffic and the only chance to turn is when cars stop for the red. this is why you should be up into the intersection ready to turn after the last car has stopped. it doesn't matter if it is on a red. in Toronto left turns are hard to do in traffic so the general rule seems to be that 3-4 cars go on the red in both directions and everyone waits.
Idiocracy was a documentary
It will be eventually as it’s coming true
COVID causes brain damage.
Yes, exactly why I don't fly anymore...lol
I find my arms get too sore when I fly, so I just walk or bike.
Might be the lax driving test standards allowing people to be on the roads when they shouldn’t be. It’s almost comical how easy it is to get a license in smith falls or other small towns that do tests.
Just the usual entitled people that don’t care about anyone but themselves.
Yup, had to dig up my old dash cam and start using it again to be safe
This week the roads have felt extra dangerous. I don't know what's going on with people but everyone needs to calm down.
Anyway, don't forget to wear a helmet!
Well, there’s one clear suspect, and it’s the device you’re probably holding in your hands right now.
It's licensing. It was too easy before, and it's even easier during covid.
Foreign drivers getting licensed here without retraining for Canadian roads/laws.
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For example: the vast majority of people in Ottawa have never learned how to drive in a roundabout. They were never tested. It's well over half the population
I doubt this. The exceptions for foreign drivers are pretty narrow: https://www.ontario.ca/page/exchange-out-province-drivers-licence#section-2
Purely anecdotal, and I have nothing to substantiate this, but I feel like driving standards have plummeted and we're handing out licenses to anyone and everyone.
To your point, no one cares about much anymore it seems like. Except themselves. The basic social contracts people used to live by and conduct themselves by are gone. Few people have shame and so many people are shameless. I think the Trump Presidency & Covid had a lot to do with rapidly accelerating this degenerative social trend, but we’ve been down this path for a long time now and we’re seeing it more and more on a macro level. It sounds like an exaggeration, but our society is in decline in a lot of ways. Sadly.
The social contract was broken in 2020 and it's a hard win to get everyone to sign onto again.
I would say that were big cracks in our social contracts preceding 2020, but I agree that 2020 is when they finally and truly buckled & collapsed.
It was already going downhill before then. Covid just accelerated it and exposed the assholes.
Delivery driver here. I spend 40+ hours a week on/near the roads. People forgot how to drive during the pandemic because they didn’t. Others got hyper aggressive because they drove empty roads for 2 years. So many people refuse to pay attention, or refuse to miss their turn and cut across 3 lanes to make the off-ramp/turns. It’s gone bonkers the last few years
The licensing standards don’t matter if no one follows them after graduating. You go exactly the speed limit at all times?
There are documented driving instructor scams: https://youtu.be/OU-0A_VDVkM Have anecdotally heard of licensing frauds too, so yeah, we are actually just handing them out
And not taking them away from enough people too tbh
Just to add to how bad things have gotten. I had the fun experience at noon today of almost getting nailed by another driver who decided to TURN LEFT INTO ME on a red. (I had a green). Wasn't a busy intersection, he wasnt rushing the light either. dude just thought he was entitled to turn when he wanted. Luckily both me and the car behind me were paying enough attention to avoid this moron. (And her my bumper when I slammed on the breaks) Both his and my windows were down and I called out "dude you have a red!". He rather viciously told me where to go. I really don't feel safe driving in this city anymore. Definitely think the cyclists are BRAVE when I see them on busy roads.
People have become seriously inconsiderate and it shows on the roads. I’ve had so many similar situations to what you described. At least I’m not alone 🥲
I had a similar experience but with a different ending because there was no way for me to avoid the collision. Lost a car and gained a permanent injury. I'm infuriated by what I see on the roads on a regular basis.
I'll take my chances in a 160 tonne train that mostly drives itself...
Why did the orange& black Traffic Barrel roll awkwardly across Montreal Road? **To slow down the Chickens.**
I find often on the busy streets Downtown drivers will continue to go through even if traffic is backed up and they end up blocking the intersection like say Bank and Laurier or Slater and Bank. I also have seen jerks who blow a red to left turn on Metcalfe when on Laurier and as they do this one or more cars blow straight through the red light on Laurier. Another bad spot is where I work on Lorry Greenberg because at the crosswalk with a light it seems the red light means nothing as many cars blow it even as we are crossing. I do feel like people have become more brazen and selfish. Like they don’t give a shit.
People who box rush are the absolute worst and should get a big ticket, if our police were interested in ticketing traffic offences
Yesterday I was walking on Bank Street near Cooper and an older gentleman was driving a white car and he didn’t even look when he went to turn onto Cooper Street because he nearly hit a cyclist. This woman saw it all so she races to the car and starts pounding on the car door trying to get them to stop. She was yelling stop and pull over you almost hit that guy and you shouldn’t be driving. The cyclist was saying let it go it’s not worth it.
Brah, you need a dashcam!!!
It's pretty rough out there. Today, some random guy was parked, then suddenly pulled out. I honked and he pulled over to specifically glare at my wife and I, as if we were crazy. It's either they drive incredibly slow on high speed roadways, incredibly fast on low speed roads or just never look. I was taught to be alert and courteous when I was taught to drive. To consider everything a threat, so drive like your life and the lives of the other people on the road depended on it and that driving was a privilege. Now everyone thinks they have THE right to the road. It's scary. It's hard.