AITA - driving edition

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

I’m in the left lane of a 6 lane divided road. It’s not a highway, it’s in a residential area and speed limit is 45mph. (picture something like this, but with houses on each side and the occasional cross street.)

I’m by myself, nobody to the right of me or in sight in front of me or in back of me. I’m turning left in about 1/4 mile.

I see a guy start pulling of a cross street on my left to go my same direction. He has a bit of a lane in the median to allow for a merge or to wait for an opening. Instead of speeding up to go ahead of me or waiting to go behind me after I pass, he tries to merge in at the exact same time, then has to hit his brakes and slide in behind me. I see him going bananas in my rear view mirror and he flicks me off as I slow to turn left.

I never play around or speed up or slow down to block people. Not into road rage games. But I was the only vehicle in sight in literally every direction - he basically had to try to create a conflict with where I was located.

I say F this guy, but what do you all think?

 

[BelemNole]

It was probably you Bud Lite sticker in the rear window that set him off, not driving like an old man.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

It was probably you Bud Lite sticker in the rear window that set him off, not driving like an old man.

Probably.
He did have a Texas Longhorns badge on his tailgate.

 

[torbee]

I’m in the left lane of a 6 lane divided road. It’s not a highway, it’s in a residential area and speed limit is 45mph. (picture something like this, but with houses on each side and the occasional cross street.)

I’m by myself, nobody to the right of me or in sight in front of me or in back of me. I’m turning left in about 1/4 mile.

I see a guy start pulling of a cross street on my left to go my same direction. He has a bit of a lane in the median to allow for a merge or to wait for an opening. Instead of speeding up to go ahead of me or waiting to go behind me after I pass, he tries to merge in at the exact same time, then has to hit his brakes and slide in behind me. I see him going bananas in my rear view mirror and he flicks me off as I slow to turn left.

I never play around or speed up or slow down to block people. Not into road rage games. But I was the only vehicle in sight in literally every direction - he basically had to try to create a conflict with where I was located.

I say F this guy, but what do you all think?

He's the asshole.

The person merging is supposed to yield and he didn't.

It is often common courtesy to move out of the way, but considering you had a left turn coming up, it's understandable why you did not on this occasion.

 

[Ignored]

I’m in the left lane of a 6 lane divided road. It’s not a highway, it’s in a residential area and speed limit is 45mph. (picture something like this, but with houses on each side and the occasional cross street.)

I’m by myself, nobody to the right of me or in sight in front of me or in back of me. I’m turning left in about 1/4 mile.

I see a guy start pulling of a cross street on my left to go my same direction. He has a bit of a lane in the median to allow for a merge or to wait for an opening. Instead of speeding up to go ahead of me or waiting to go behind me after I pass, he tries to merge in at the exact same time, then has to hit his brakes and slide in behind me. I see him going bananas in my rear view mirror and he flicks me off as I slow to turn left.

I never play around or speed up or slow down to block people. Not into road rage games. But I was the only vehicle in sight in literally every direction - he basically had to try to create a conflict with where I was located.

I say F this guy, but what do you all think?

I can't answer until you name the 2 vehicles involved here. Whomever was driving which may be irrelevant.

 

[Finance85]

He's the asshole.

The person merging is supposed to yield and he didn't.

It is often common courtesy to move out of the way, but considering you had a left turn coming up, it's understandable why you did not on this occasion.

This ^

 

[ICWestfan]

The a$$hole is the one that used the term "flicked off" instead of "flipped off"'

Kidding aside, the driver that flipped you off is an idiot driver, and only an a$$hole because he doesn't know he is an idiot driver.

 

[millah_22]

I’m in the left lane of a 6 lane divided road. It’s not a highway, it’s in a residential area and speed limit is 45mph. (picture something like this, but with houses on each side and the occasional cross street.)

I’m by myself, nobody to the right of me or in sight in front of me or in back of me. I’m turning left in about 1/4 mile.

I see a guy start pulling of a cross street on my left to go my same direction. He has a bit of a lane in the median to allow for a merge or to wait for an opening. Instead of speeding up to go ahead of me or waiting to go behind me after I pass, he tries to merge in at the exact same time, then has to hit his brakes and slide in behind me. I see him going bananas in my rear view mirror and he flicks me off as I slow to turn left.

I never play around or speed up or slow down to block people. Not into road rage games. But I was the only vehicle in sight in literally every direction - he basically had to try to create a conflict with where I was located.

I say F this guy, but what do you all think?

If you have occupied the lane at a reasonable speed, then it is his job to merge safely.

 

[JustSayOV]

Not gonna lie.....I would have just slid over to the middle lane to get out of his way.....

On the flip side however, if I was the guy merging on, I would have just sped up or slowed down to avoid you if you didn't slide over and wouldn't have been mad either.

I say you both were right....and wrong.....

(Not saying he was right for pitching a fit though....that guy needs to quit being a b*tch)

 

[Old_wrestling_fan]

I’m in the left lane of a 6 lane divided road. It’s not a highway, it’s in a residential area and speed limit is 45mph. (picture something like this, but with houses on each side and the occasional cross street.)

I’m by myself, nobody to the right of me or in sight in front of me or in back of me. I’m turning left in about 1/4 mile.

I see a guy start pulling of a cross street on my left to go my same direction. He has a bit of a lane in the median to allow for a merge or to wait for an opening. Instead of speeding up to go ahead of me or waiting to go behind me after I pass, he tries to merge in at the exact same time, then has to hit his brakes and slide in behind me. I see him going bananas in my rear view mirror and he flicks me off as I slow to turn left.

I never play around or speed up or slow down to block people. Not into road rage games. But I was the only vehicle in sight in literally every direction - he basically had to try to create a conflict with where I was located.

I say F this guy, but what do you all think?

You are in the clear on this one IMO.

 

[torbee]

Not gonna lie.....I would have just slid over to the middle lane to get out of his way.....

On the flip side however, if I was the guy merging on, I would have just sped up or slowed down to avoid you if you didn't slide over and wouldn't have been mad either.

I say you both were right....and wrong.....

(Not saying he was right for pitching a fit though....that guy needs to quit being a b*tch)

We don't know how imminent OP's left turn was, though.

If it was relatively soon, he'd have no way of knowing if merger was going to get out of his way in time.

Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable for him to have remained in the far left lane, preparing to turn.

 

[millah_22]

Not gonna lie.....I would have just slid over to the middle lane to get out of his way.....

On the flip side however, if I was the guy merging on, I would have just sped up or slowed down to avoid you if you didn't slide over and wouldn't have been mad either.

I say you both were right....and wrong.....

(Not saying he was right for pitching a fit though....that guy needs to quit being a b*tch)

I've been burned enough letting someone merge in, just for them to sit in my blind spot and miss my turn/exit. Person merging on can be patient for a 1/4 mile. It won't kill them.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Not gonna lie.....I would have just slid over to the middle lane to get out of his way.....

On the flip side however, if I was the guy merging on, I would have just sped up or slowed down to avoid you if you didn't slide over and wouldn't have been mad either.

I say you both were right....and wrong.....

(Not saying he was right for pitching a fit though....that guy needs to quit being a b*tch)

So I’m supposed to get over and then I become the guy trying to merge around him to take my upcoming left?

If I was going straight for awhile I would’ve moved over. Wouldn’t even have been in the left lane actually.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

We don't know how imminent OP's left turn was, though.

If it was relatively soon, he'd have no way of knowing if merger was going to get out of his way in time.

Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable for him to have remained in the far left lane, preparing to turn.

It was pretty close. I could see the intersection where I was turning left.

 

[hawkeyeandy]

You've got nothing to worry about, OP. The other driver is clearly the DB.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

The a$$hole is the one that used the term "flicked off" instead of "flipped off"'

Kidding aside, the driver that flipped you off is an idiot driver, and only an a$$hole because he doesn't know he is an idiot driver.

Funny you mention that- I’ve heard it said both ways but have always said flicked off

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

You are not the asshole. Merging guy is.

 

[JustSayOV]

We don't know how imminent OP's left turn was, though.

If it was relatively soon, he'd have no way of knowing if merger was going to get out of his way in time.

Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable for him to have remained in the far left lane, preparing to turn.

He said about 1/4 mile so 1,320 feet or about 4.5 football fields...and at 45 mph and no one else on the road way he could have gotten over and back easily.

Again, not saying either is legally wrong or nothing, just stating what I would have done personally.

 

[torbee]

He said about 1/4 mile so 1,320 feet or about 4.5 football fields...and at 45 mph and no one else on the road way he could have gotten over and back easily.

Again, not saying either is legally wrong or nothing, just stating what I would have done personally.

So if you move over and the merging vehicle stays in the left lane at the speed limit do you gun it and go around to get to your exit or do you slow way down and go behind them?

And why would either of those options be preferable to just cruising along normally and taking your exit as planned?

 

[TennNole17]

Depends on how other driver voted in last two elections

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

So if you move over and the merging vehicle stays in the left lane at the speed limit do you gun it and go around to get to your exit or do you slow way down and go behind them?

And why would either of those options be preferable to just cruising along normally and taking your exit as planned?

I look at it like if I accommodate his shitty driving all of a sudden his problem becomes my problem.

 

[millah_22]

I look at it like if I accommodate his shitty driving all of a sudden his problem becomes my problem.

and tbh his problem wasn't really a problem to begin with.

 

[JustSayOV]

So if you move over and the merging vehicle stays in the left lane at the speed limit do you gun it and go around to get to your exit or do you slow way down and go behind them?

And why would either of those options be preferable to just cruising along normally and taking your exit as planned?

Again....I am just sayin what I would have done is all.

I would have moved over (or maybe sped up to avoid moving over knowing my turn was close) and then if the guy merged and then stayed there I would probably just slow down a touch, slide over behind them and then take my exit.

***also again....I wouldn't have been mad had I been the merging party and he didn't get over either.

 

[Fan In Black]

that dude is clearly the ahole