Is it just me or does the design of certain streets actually promote road rage?

[ZSmithersCharges]

^

One question, what's sprawl?

[tricky lugnuts]

What is sprawl? A fair question and likely a subject for another post since I hate to see this thread hijacked by me, but this link seems to address the concept of urban sprawl fairly well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_sprawl

Essentially urban sprawl seems to be the consumption of land for low-density populations, especially those populations around a denser (albeit possibly abandoned to a large extent) city core...

Granted, not everyone wants to live in a dense urban environment or to take it to the extreme, an Arcology -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcology - myself included.

But on the other hand, not everyone wants to see their wild, rural or agricultural surroundings consumed by cookie cutter housing developments, traffic-choked commuter roads, big box stores, and fast food restaurants...

I think of it this way: The "village" or "town" of old was replaced by the city. As people fled dense cities (with the proliferation of the automobile), suburbs formed, necessitating commutes in vehicles...

While we all enjoy driving our Chargers, myself as much as possible, I think it would be debatable if we all enjoy driving an hour or more to and from work every day. I have to walk across one 25 mph road to get to work. It's great. In fact, living in small towns, I haven't regularly driven to work in nearly four years.

I'm simply postulating that yes, the design of roads does affect the extent to which we experience road rage; that faulty design of roads and traffic systems leads to more road rage and to more accidents. Further, I'm postulating that as cities and suburbs have sprawled, the ability of poorly designed roads and traffic systems to affect our lives, and induce road rage, has increased... 

[MoparManJim]

Yea, the dang place over town "Clarion" is starting to turn into a city like with streets. They got dang cars park along the dang road where only one car can get through at a time on some streets!  and the one street like this is a 2 way street! But has cars parked on the  right side as you go down the hill  by the cars that are parked on the hill slope. Then down town Clarion isn't much better, They have 3 lanes at the intersection where you turn into to go to afew stores or to the hospital.

And what gets me is when you are in a dame hurry and are pulling out of a parking lot onto one of the main drag there is always a car coming, they are moving fast BUT when they see you setting there waiting for you to get pass them they slow way the hell down way down the road  and then when they get by you they speed back up! 

Now I just heard that out town, they are going to widen the dame main road on top of the hill at the red light where the gas station sets. They are going to add afew more lanes to the road there like as if we need anymore then the lanes we already have  . For once the town sheriff has nothing to do with the idea and isn't the one to come up with the hair brain idea of widen the road more  , he mostly is mostly the one that comes with them mostly. 

[chargergirl]

Or Tampa's malfunction junction! If I ever won the lottery I would buy and over-insure a C body, build a 440 from hell, and have some fun! 

Florida's answer to the Bermuda Triangle even the radio quits working at some spots in that mess. Fun going through that surrounded by big trucks!

[ZSmithersCharges]

What is sprawl? A fair question and likely a subject for another post since I hate to see this thread hijacked by me, but this link seems to address the concept of urban sprawl fairly well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_sprawl

Essentially urban sprawl seems to be the consumption of land for low-density populations, especially those populations around a denser (albeit possibly abandoned to a large extent) city core...

Granted, not everyone wants to live in a dense urban environment or to take it to the extreme, an Arcology -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcology - myself included.

But on the other hand, not everyone wants to see their wild, rural or agricultural surroundings consumed by cookie cutter housing developments, traffic-choked commuter roads, big box stores, and fast food restaurants...

I think of it this way: The "village" or "town" of old was replaced by the city. As people fled dense cities (with the proliferation of the automobile), suburbs formed, necessitating commutes in vehicles...

While we all enjoy driving our Chargers, myself as much as possible, I think it would be debatable if we all enjoy driving an hour or more to and from work every day. I have to walk across one 25 mph road to get to work. It's great. In fact, living in small towns, I haven't regularly driven to work in nearly four years.

I'm simply postulating that yes, the design of roads does affect the extent to which we experience road rage; that faulty design of roads and traffic systems leads to more road rage and to more accidents. Further, I'm postulating that as cities and suburbs have sprawled, the ability of poorly designed roads and traffic systems to affect our lives, and induce road rage, has increased...  

Wow that's quite a read you put on me there with that wikipedia article   But, I think I got the gist of it!  It's actually pretty much common sense if you think about it.  The further you live from the city the more you have to drive the further you are from stores etc. More people in similar situations on the road, more traffic, more traffic and more frustration!  Whereas if we all lived in the city we would be in walking distance to work, store, etc. Less cars on the road equals less frustration for when you do have to drive.  Sorry for the grammatical errors I am in a rush  

[bull]

It's actually pretty much common sense if you think about it.  The further you live from the city the more you have to drive the further you are from stores etc. More people in similar situations on the road, more traffic, more traffic and more frustration!  Whereas if we all lived in the city we would be in walking distance to work, store, etc. Less cars on the road equals less frustration for when you do have to drive.  

But then you'd have to deal with the wall-to-wall annoyances that comes with wall-to-wall people. It's a catch 22.

[ZSmithersCharges]

It's actually pretty much common sense if you think about it.  The further you live from the city the more you have to drive the further you are from stores etc. More people in similar situations on the road, more traffic, more traffic and more frustration!  Whereas if we all lived in the city we would be in walking distance to work, store, etc. Less cars on the road equals less frustration for when you do have to drive.  

But then you'd have to deal with the wall-to-wall annoyances that comes with wall-to-wall people. It's a catch 22.

Indeed, I was just saying it was a understandable concept.  Not that I would choose to live that way    I can't stand hearing my neighbors gabbing over the weekend when they have their friends over for "tea time".  None the less if I had neighbors on all four sides of me in an apartment.  If it were up to me I would much rather sleep in the charger in some country field with peace and quiet.  Unfortunately I brought that up with the GF, no go.

[tricky lugnuts]

It is sort of a catch 22 - damned if you do, damned if you don't... Or just a matter of everything having both its benefits and drawbacks, like trying to design the perfect engine. You get something in one place, you lose something in another.

I hear you about not wanting to live in the city. That life is not for me.

I recently moved to Brown County in southern Indiana and absolutely love it. Only 15,000 people in the whole county. Only five or six gas stations in the county, all of them near the center of it. Most of the roads are gravel. Many people's nearest neighbors are a quarter mile away... Everything is hills and 90-plus percent of the county is forested.

You couldn't pay me enough to trade it for life in Indianapolis or some such place.

Of course, the nearest box store is 20 miles away. But hey - I don't want to go there anyway! 

[Arigmaster]

The problem with American roads is American drivers. We are a selfish discourteous lot. Germany has very few traffic devices compared to the U.S., and their traffic even where very heavy never stops moving. When somebody needs room, they give a little. If they don't need to, they don't jam in front of you. It's just our American Me-First attitude that causes the problems. The roads could have had better designs, but Europe by and large gets along without rage on roads that were designed for horses.

I couldn't agree more with the "Me First" attitude of some drivers... I drive to and from work in heavy traffic every day and nothing causes break checks more than som idiot who is constantly bullying their way in front of the next lane of traffic or cutting someone off because their lane may be going a millisecond slower than the next one. It's also the ones who cut in front of someone because they are actually following traffic in front of them at a safe distance for the speed and not riding a bumper of the car in front of them. (This is a safety zone and not an invitation to your sorry ass to push your tuna boat in to only to slam on the break)

All that combined with people talking and texting on their cell phones or doing makeup... (Distractions in general) It all contributes to the traffic problems thus pissing everyone off and for some... Causing road rage somewhere down the line away from the people causing the trouble in the first place. (They may need to try decalf) Anyway... Traffic engineers can only do so much to help traffic flow but the rest is up to the drivers and if people were more curtious... It wouldn't be near as bad for everyone else.

Some of the worst offenders I have seen... (not trying to stereotype but) The soccer mom's driving minivans.  AArrrgh... They don't care who they kill along the way just as long as they get there first.

[ZSmithersCharges]

Not to stereotype but, I hate all women drivers in general.  I was actually just discussing this with my girlfriend.  Generally dudes don't drive like asses because they know if they piss of some other dude he will beat his ass when they both come to a stop.  Women don't have to worry about this predicament so they drive like they want to.  Which, Is generally not how I want them to drive  My girlfriend actually agreed with me here.  She said she hates women drivers too, go figure 

I also hate the people who cut in my safety zone too.  So annoying when your following at a short distance just enough to react to the other driver in front of you applying the brakes without having to slam on them in return.  Then some ass hat has to jump right in front of you(generally right when the car in front of you originally gets on the brakes) and there you are, doing what you were prepared to prevent.  Slamming the brakes so hard your face is in the dash board.

[bull]

I also hate the people who cut in my safety zone too.  So annoying when your following at a short distance just enough to react to the other driver in front of you applying the brakes without having to slam on them in return.  Then some ass hat has to jump right in front of you(generally right when the car in front of you originally gets on the brakes) and there you are, doing what you were prepared to prevent.  Slamming the brakes so hard your face is in the dash board.

That's when you go out and buy some big POS International pickup you don't care about and then don't slam on the brakes when someone cuts in on you. A textbook T-bone into the side of their pretty black Escalade would educate them in a hurry, and it would be their fault.

[ZSmithersCharges]

That's when you go out and buy some big POS International pickup you don't care about and then don't slam on the brakes when someone cuts in on you. A textbook T-bone into the side of their pretty black Escalade would educate them in a hurry, and it would be their fault.

I thought I was the only crazy person who had this thought!  I think of that scenario a hundred times a shitty day! 

[chargergirl]

Totally get why everyone hates women drivers...most are putting on their makeup, talking/texting on cell phone. Work with someone that has put SUV in ditch twice in six months...for tak/text while driving. Most can't drive a stick which leads me to believe it is also part of the problem. Most never learned to be in tune with car...I love a stick....then your REALLY driving. Case in point today a woman is tailgating a guy who had his turn signal on properly to turn right...she was 6 inches off his bumper...still breaking and dashed left...then without a signal or looking, forbid she grow a brain in the middle of traffic, she cuts in front of my 3/4 ton...white truck...never even looked. Guy on motorcycle looks at me like I was nuts for slamming to a stop...then almost gets run over by lady changing lane again without signaling or looking...2 minutes later there was an accident on the bridge into Pensacola...hope it wasn't the motorcycle guy...I almost know it was caused by her.

[ZSmithersCharges]

Totally get why everyone hates women drivers...most are putting on their makeup, talking/texting on cell phone. Work with someone that has put SUV in ditch twice in six months...for tak/text while driving. Most can't drive a stick which leads me to believe it is also part of the problem. Most never learned to be in tune with car...I love a stick....then your REALLY driving. Case in point today a woman is tailgating a guy who had his turn signal on properly to turn right...she was 6 inches off his bumper...still breaking and dashed left...then without a signal or looking, forbid she grow a brain in the middle of traffic, she cuts in front of my 3/4 ton...white truck...never even looked. Guy on motorcycle looks at me like I was nuts for slamming to a stop...then almost gets run over by lady changing lane again without signaling or looking...2 minutes later there was an accident on the bridge into Pensacola...hope it wasn't the motorcycle guy...I almost know it was caused by her.

If I weren't practically married you would be my next in line  I wish all women had the thing you do... brains.  And you drive a stick?!  Someone ban me I'm in love! 

[chargergirl]

Totally get why everyone hates women drivers...most are putting on their makeup, talking/texting on cell phone. Work with someone that has put SUV in ditch twice in six months...for tak/text while driving. Most can't drive a stick which leads me to believe it is also part of the problem. Most never learned to be in tune with car...I love a stick....then your REALLY driving. Case in point today a woman is tailgating a guy who had his turn signal on properly to turn right...she was 6 inches off his bumper...still breaking and dashed left...then without a signal or looking, forbid she grow a brain in the middle of traffic, she cuts in front of my 3/4 ton...white truck...never even looked. Guy on motorcycle looks at me like I was nuts for slamming to a stop...then almost gets run over by lady changing lane again without signaling or looking...2 minutes later there was an accident on the bridge into Pensacola...hope it wasn't the motorcycle guy...I almost know it was caused by her.

If I weren't practically married you would be my next in line  I wish all women had the thing you do... brains.  And you drive a stick?!  Someone ban me I'm in love! 

Aww sweet thanks! Send you over the edge I can drive a stick in 4 inch heels and do most days...little pontiac chirps in all five gears!

[ZSmithersCharges]

Aww sweet thanks! Send you over the edge I can drive a stick in 4 inch heels and do most days...little pontiac chirps in all five gears!

Your an evil lady!  Don't put that imagery in my head