Submitted by JohnBeLucky t3_127k9d9 in CambridgeMA

Has anyone else noticed the amount of drivers that are unresponsive on the roads? I can count about 10 times in the last two weeks alone where drivers staid stationary at a green light, for up to 10-20 seconds just staying still, and don’t move until other cars honk at them. (And it’s not like they’re stopped because of any pedestrians or cyclists.)

Idk just seems very abnormal and wasn’t sure if anyone else noticed this.

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Comments

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tkbalt t1_jeemff8 wrote

Always staring at their phones as soon as they hit a red light. The number of people I see in the driver's seat looking down at something is horrifying.

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Always__knitting t1_jeeon28 wrote

Agree. I count when I walk or bike somewhere and can look into cars. It’s at least 50% and many are doing it while moving. Boggles the mind.

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NJS_Stamp t1_jeep33x wrote

Had someone yell at me (phone in hand) after I smacked their window for almost side swiping me on my bike

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nattarbox t1_jeei0b4 wrote

whole row of cars sitting through an entire light cycle because nobody looked up from their phones. always hilarious.

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Alan_Stanwyk t1_jeerg73 wrote

Cell phones, people don't even hide it anymore.

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justsomegraphemes t1_jeesovl wrote

I've lived in several parts of the country, and I think drivers in the greater Boston area are the most distracted and unaware of their surroundings that I've seen.

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nschroe t1_jefaysx wrote

It's getting way worse everywhere, Boston area is just where you were when you noticed it.

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justsomegraphemes t1_jefcimf wrote

Why do you think it's getting worse?

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nschroe t1_jeg6xqw wrote

Basically this: combination of post-pandemic mindset and just general accessibility of high-quality pocket computers. The difference watching /r/Roadcam five years ago vs today is stark.

The phenomenon I was commenting about, though, is the same reason everywhere you visit people will tell you "if you don't like the weather wait 10 minutes!!" and think it's unique to their locale, while it's actually just a symptom of a changing world.

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Rampant_Sarcasm t1_jeeu2lg wrote

I mean i literally witnessed an old lady passing cars in the right lane on the mass pike with her phone in a windshield mount, turned horizontally, playing a movie/tv show, so at this point I’m assuming it’s just a matter of time before one of these idiots levels my shit into the ground.

TL;DR: it’s pretty bad, yea

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Humbert_Minileaous t1_jeej34t wrote

I honk and feel relieved that at least they waited to be stuck at a light before staring at their phone.

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hbk2369 t1_jefvpke wrote

I don't do this while driving. However, I have noticed my attention span since the start of the pandemic has gone to complete shit. Here I am, on Reddit during work because it's so easy to be distracted and look for something "interesting"

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YouPushMongo t1_jegrnjd wrote

watched a guy just straight up blow through a red light the other day

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YouPushMongo t1_jegrpsm wrote

also zero people following the no right turn on red. we need camera enforcement asap

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tarojelly t1_jeg9qwp wrote

When I first moved here from the West Coast I was such an anxious driver because the street layouts and local driving habits where so foreign to me and so I always had a lot of patience for someone being a dumbass on the road bc the people here were so patient with me when I was a dumbass. However after a year of driving around here I've come to realize some people just drive like that and will never change.

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dyqik t1_jefej7w wrote

Bright sun during commutes can cause people to miss lights, because they've got the sun visors down, blocking the view of the lights, and because of glare.

It's the time of year when that happens particularly in evening commutes.

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