Left Turns

[Floogeldy]

I find myself going around blocks, going the wrong direction out of my way while driving, sometimes going in circles, just to avoid making left turns in front of oncoming traffic on busy streets.

Am I alone in this regard? Am I neurotic?

:shrug:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

1. We do the same thing.

Most of the time here in OKC, that is the only way to do it, and it's faster to go a mile out of your way than to fight the throng of traffic coming at you.
Duckie

[dysfunctional press]

2. sounds neurotic to me...

and personally, judging from what i see on the roads- driver's liscenses are WAAAAAY too easy to get.
and in that regard, anyone who is scared or nervous about driving- should do everyone else a huge favour and stay off the roads.

[taterguy]

5. And how would these folks stay off the roads?

Not trying to flame, just wondering if you have a plan to give people who don't like driving viable transportation options

[Chan790]

7. Please find a viable transport option...

I hope to never have to drive again...I suck at it for one thing.

[Omphaloskepsis]

8. I am 29 years old.

I have driven a car three times. Bike + Bus = No Problem.. It is doable.. Maybe not where you live. Sorry about that.

[taterguy]

11. It's doable for me but not the masses

That's what I'm interested in, figuring out a way to free people from cars. I lived happily without a car for many years and I wish that others would make the same choice, but there are a lot of structural things that prevent this from happening. Now if you'll excuse me I'm gonna watch the rest of the Daytona 500. :)

[dropkickpa]

3. Apparantly do not require turn signals

in Pittsburgh, my biggest pet peeve other than the "Oh my god, it's raining and my car's gonna get wet, better drive 5mph!!!!" panic that happens every time it rains.

[Oeditpus Rex]

4. Man, I thought I was the only one!

I get claustrophobic waiting for a left-turn light to change, sitting there trapped in the middle of the road. :scared:

I live by the rule, "Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights make a left."

(If it's an uncontrolled intersection or has only a stop sign, no problem.)

[Call Me Wesley]

6. I just go straight ahead.

You need the right car for doing it, though:

[Ptah]

9. UPS has their drivers plan their daily routes to include

as many right turns as possible.
So, no you didn't invent it, and are being efficient.

:thumbsup:

[1gobluedem]

10. I had an aunt who never made a left turn in her life

Ever. She would go miles and miles out of her way so she wouldn't have to turn left. She also rarely drove over 30 mph (and she lived in Detroit her entire life). She was a terror to other drivers. Her sister, my grandmother, on the other hand insisted she always had to have an 8 cylinder car no matter where she lived -- like a small Michigan town. She was a leadfoot -- and also a terror to other drivers. Once when she was boasting to my mother about never having had an accident my mother answered "I wonder how many you've caused."

My other grandmother, though, once got a ticket for driving too slow on the expressway.

I'll make left turns but not stupid ones like the people who insist on turning left out of shopping centers onto busy roads at rush hour. When, if they would just go out the side exit they could then turn left at the light. Makes no sense to me. I particularly love it during snowstorms.

[Critters2]

12. I do it quite a bit. I feel like a sitting duck in the middle of an intersection

waiting to turn. I also try to avoid driving on the main, big 3 lane in each direction street through the middle of our town. I know every little back alley and residential street to stay off the busy street. People drive like they're in a freaking race, and I just want to get to my destination in one place. I'd rather take some back street if I have the time.

What this country needs is good public transportation even in mid-sized communities. But we've got a war in Iraq to pay for!

[grace0418]

13. No, considerate people do such things. There's nothing worse than some joker holding up

two or three lanes of traffic so he can try to turn left out of a parking lot onto a busy street. It would take less time to go around the block and would inconvenience far fewer people.

Although I don't see a big issue with turning left at a light or from a busy street with two or more lanes. As long as people can still go around you it's not bad.

[Floogeldy]

14. Yes

I wasn't talking about making a left turn at a light, although some posters have raised valid points. I was speaking of turning on to a busy street from a side street, where there is no light.

[astral]

15. I go out of my way to avoid left turns

Especially during heavy traffic, if I have to be in a car because I try to avoid driving during traffic as well. I know I would never make it as a driver in the cities on the big fast-merging expressways and stuff. If I ever have to move I will make sure I am situated so I can either walk to work or catch a bus, or of course, a bike-friendly city would be nice too.

People who are 'nervous' drivers are cautious drivers. Anyone needs to know their limits, with regards to using a car, and I have found myself in a situation where I was behind the wheel of a car and scared, too, being in a multi-lane road which was up in the air going kinda circular with cars going fast and not really knowing how I was going to escape since I was unable to veer off at my exit, which happened to be three lanes over on the left (!) while I was looking for it to be on the right.

I can promise you other drivers out there, I made damned sure I never had to drive in those circumstances again. Never fear!

It is not normal for a human being to be placed in that environment cold-turkey and be expected to be fine and comfortable with it. Our world has changed and we are not all adapted to the same kind of thing. I don't, however, mind carrying four bags full of groceries home on foot when I live a 20-minute or so walk away from the store.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

16. What's it called, "leptophobia" or something like that ..

I suppose there is an opposite fear in England.