So you sped up to make a point and missed your turn? Not defending driving in the turning lane. It's infuriating... but missing your turn is on you.

That’s just Springfield driving, baby.

Well, you were being a dick, so you deserved to get flipped off. It’s not your job to police drivers in Springfield. It literally wouldn’t have cost you anything to let them merge.

Go worry about things that matter.

Irony is that you say that, yet mustered up a reply.

There is not enough space to speed up to cut them off lol. The exit to that parking lot basically forces you into the turning lane if you choose to be a dickhead and try to cut in front of me

Driving to “prove a point” is never a great idea.

And all they had to do was hit their breaks and wait to merge in. What?

That’s not what happened

I wasn’t letting that happen because you’re supposed to yield to oncoming traffic, not ride the turning lane and expect to squeeze in front of me.

… and then when I wouldn’t let them cut in…

That’s exactly what happened, based on your post. If you weren’t trying to prove a point, then what were you doing?

I’m not saying the other people were right (they’re not, you’re supposed to pull across and directly into the travel lanes), but intentionally not letting someone in and speed-matching is only escalating the situation. That doesn’t make people learn to be better drivers, and it only increases the likelihood of a confrontation.

Dude there was a line of cars sitting at the Fremont/Republic light. Basically backed up near the exit of the HH parking lot that they pulled out of (close to Georgia Mac’s).

Are you really trying to tell me that I’m supposed to inconvenience myself to let them in front of me? When they could have just fucking stopped and waited for me to pass?

Did you even read that I said no one was behind me?

I really only posted this here because it kind of ruined my day getting flipped off for no reason. Didn’t expect to come here and hear people take up for the other person 😂

I’m not taking up for the idiot drivers, I’m just saying that in this situation you were both wrong to varying degrees. Would it really have inconvenienced you to let them over? No. Especially considering you needed to get in the left turn lane. They probably ended up getting over behind you after the fact anyway.

I guess what it boils down to is it never hurts to be a defensive driver.

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Yes it would have. There was no space for them to cut in between the cars lined up, stopped at the light, and me. All I was doing was driving. All they had to do was not drive in the turning lane.

So how did you keep them from merging? Did you speed up to keep them from moving over? If so, you’re just as much at fault and just as bad a driver as they are.

Forget everybody else in this thread, i say make it rough on those who try to take more than their share. There are traffic rules for good reasons.

No man.

1. Car turns out of HH parking lot just past Rapid Roberts/exit closest to Georgia Macs

2. I’m driving in left lane, expecting to be able to turn into the turning lane southbound on Fremont

3. There was a line of cars sitting in the left lane westbound at Fremont/Republic, backed up past where the left turn lane begins

4. Car is still driving beside me in turning lane for no reason. There is not a single fucking car behind me

5. Car tries to cut in as there is a car’s space between me and the line sitting at the light

6. I honk my horn because I am not stopping

7. Guy in passenger seat gives me the bird and I can’t turn now because I am directly behind the line of cars and they are riding on my left for no reason at all

I am losing my shit at how many people are saying I’m the asshole here 😬

Or… hear me out… you could have stepped on your brakes and let them merge, waved, and gone about your day. And as a bonus, you could have even got over into what was the left turn lane at Fremont and Republic instead of driving to National.

It would have literally cost you a few seconds to just let them in, instead you chose to escalate the situation and make it dangerous for the rest of the people on the road.

Real case of "you're not wrong, Walter" here.

This is beyond the pale omg

Agree to disagree, but this situation could have been avoided if you didn’t think of yourself as the Road Emperor of Springfield, Missouri.

I think the most frustrating thing about your responses to this thread is that you fail to see that if you drive defensively and got over the fact that other people will drive like idiots this entire thing could have been avoided. The lack of introspection and the perception of “I can do no wrong” you’re giving off is making people have no sympathy for your situation.

Sounds like they wouldn't even have had to step on the brakes, considering they accelerated in order to keep the other asshole out.

You aren't the asshole, you were just one of two on the road that day.

Most of the people arguing against this have no idea what the fuck is going on. They believe that you should stop (in the lane of traffic) to let some dunce on their merry way. Yeah, fuck that.

Honestly this is how you should have explained things in the original post there is more detail and can follow it all more easily might have helped with some of the reply’s in here.

Fuck that. Nobody got hurt and those two got treated like they deserve

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Yep. Much more clear.

I mean, when i drive, i just let them in. There is no point in fighting a person who obviously drives like an asshole (person who rode turn lane). I've had my fair share of wanting to prove a point, but also, it's not that big of a deal, and if i can get to my destination without an accident, then that's what matters. Let people in and just talk shit behind the wheel 😂

Just watched a cop do it on Battlefield in front of Grizzly warehouse 🤷🏻‍♂️

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It's not even a merge lane. It is literally only for turning off of the road. The arrows explicitly show you that.

A left arrow confuses people somehow.

This is probably what I should have done. I only even shared this bc I was upset that I got the finger. Was kind of having a shitty day and that made it worse. So I went out to seek validation. Alas. Lol

It's all good. We all have our bad days and i can say i definitely have been tested lmao

I've noticed this pattern to, and it's always when there's no one behind me, free and clear for miles. It's some impulse to be in front of someone, and they'll be in a hurry to pull out in front of me, then drive 5-10 under the limit.

There's no one behind me, every single time. They could've waited 3 seconds for me to pass, then pull into the lane.

Uh ikr. Between people driving in the turning lanes, not using blinkers, and running red lights, this town has the worst drivers.

Tired of waiting SB Campbell approaching Sunshine and Campbell and turning left? Just speed in the turn lane along Campbell while it knowing there is a left turn section onto University before the turn lane. If I see these morons I always go a couple clicks to the left so they can’t slide between lane traffic and my turn lane…making them have to wait longer.

Happens on Kimbrough all the time too ahhh people use the turn/middle lane for passing lol

Fuck the naysayers, I would wreck my truck before I would let that asshole in. I like how people pull out in front of you and you have to slam on your brakes and not a person behind you. People like that piss me off. Awhile back, the police were giving tickets for driving in the turn lane.

It’s just like those that expect you to yield when they are coming on to James River from a on ramp. Yes I will be considered and move over if possible but I will not slam on my brakes so u can get on the highway. Yield people

I hear you and I think you must not be familiar with this area. I drive it daily and OP is 100% right. Why should OP accommodate a poor drivers skills? They are not at fault..at all. Stepping on brakes and letting them in creates a situation where the other driver continues to think they are in the right. They are not and what they are doing is unsafe. Taking the next light down didn't make a difference in OP day. You must be a middle lane merger.

Playing Mad Max Fury Road and speed matching someone that is in the turn lane and intentionally not letting them merge is dumb. That is matching dumb energy, and no one wins. It only increases the likelihood that a wreck will occur. John Q. Public is not going to make that person change their driving habits by sticking it to ‘em. OP even said that they were flipped off… nothing like pissing off a stupid person who demonstrates they aren’t capable of making a rational decision.

The turn lane is NOT for you to pull out into. It is for traffic to get out of the way of others while waiting to make a left-hand turn. Those meth heads using it to do a left into traffic need to learn how to drive.

More like they just do not care because there is no penalty for them breaking the law like that.

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I appreciate the work they try to do in the community, and SPD has generally been a class act when I deal with them. But police culture in general and my experience would indicate that if they do not know then they just do not care to know and there are no repercussions anyway even if they did. It is a relatively minor gripe I realize. But I do hold public servants to a higher standard than joe blow meth head.

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No traffic behind them...did you read that?

When my family moved to this area we called that "the maneuver". Nobody did this where we lived before but people constantly pull into the median to THEN merge in to traffic around here. It's a very stupid thing to do generally, you weren't in the wrong necessarily but I typically just give these people room to do their stupid shit. Don't get pulled in to the gravity well of stupidity, always have to stay on your toes driving in Springfield

Springfield city ordinance, Missouri law is the same, but adds a 500 foot driving distance limit. Considering 500 feet east of Fremont puts you about equal with the front door of Harter House it sounds like the driver of the other vehicle, while probably way over aggressive, probably didn’t break any laws.

A vehicle shall not be driven in the lane except when preparing for or making a left turn from or into the roadway or when preparing for or making a U-turn when otherwise permitted by law.

Missouri

  (4) Designated two-way left turn lanes: Where a special lane for making left turns by drivers proceeding in opposite directions have been indicated by official traffic control devices:   (a) A left turn shall not be made from any other lane;   (b) A vehicle shall not be driven in the lane except when preparing for or making a left turn from or into the roadway or when preparing for or making a u-turn when otherwise permitted by law;   (c) A vehicle shall not be driven in the lane for a distance more than five hundred feet.

You gotta chill with the analogies. Mad max here. Emperor of whatever in another. Has anyone ever called you dramatic before? We are talking a 400-600ft stretch of road. Neither person had road rage. It was ignorance vs rational. I would have done the same thing...because if I needed to be in the turn lane I would expect the other driver, who shouldn't even be driving/attempting to merge, to yield to me. There is a time and place to act the way you are preaching and this wasn't the situation. Why do you think YOU are in the right here? You have fabricated your own version of events based on adjectives. OP was steamed, wanted to vent. They followed laws and took the next exit. Catching the bird isn't a huge deal. You act like this person was waving a gun and OP is driving some apocalyptic rig with a dude playing a flaming guitar tied to a bendy pole on their car.

Fun fact: my almost 18 year old niece has a permanent disability and her face will never be the same because of an accident caused by a situation VERY similar to this. Not this city and a much more dangerous stretch of road but an eerily similar scenario. The other driver was so adamant that it was my niece's fault because "everyone always lets me in and she is a young driver who doesn't know the rules." Guess who was 100% at fault? Not my niece. Guess who gets to live with the actual lifelong consequences? It's not the driver of the other car. No, they get to live life unscathed. My niece had a private driving instructor, she followed the law. She took driving a car seriously and drove defensively. This asshole has changed the trajectory of her life bc everyone just bent to their ignorance. Enabled them. But please..defend them and try to make OP the bad guy.

Not every situation is crazy road rage. You can use trigger words to create a narrative all you want but at the end of the day you are telling OP they should have slowed down in the main driving lane..which is HELLA unsafe. Why don't you write up an essay for my niece on how she was in the wrong? What kind of dramatic title would you give her?

Agree to disagree but I think you are wrong to attack OP. I also think you have a flair for making things into more than they actually are.

Exactly.

Got my last car totaled by a dipshit driving down the center lane for a full fucking block to try and skip traffic and make a left at the light. Right was clear, left was backed up solid and someone was actually being a respectful driver and not blocking the exit to the parking lot. I pull out and, bam, next thing I know I'm getting t-boned.

Yeah. I basically see it as they're the kind of asshole that would do the exact same thing and feel called out.

After all, the massive number of bad drivers in this town have to exist somewhere outside their cars.

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This is a major problem in this area! I’m not from here originally and it still scares the crap out of me when I’m on my motorcycle and someone pulls out to use the turn lane as a merge lane. Only thing going through my head is the driver doesn’t see me and I think I’m going to get run over every time.

Being the bigger person used to be the morally right thing to do. Now society thinks “proving a point” is the right thing to do.

While I understand the frustration with drivers who disregard traffic rules, I believe it's important to prioritize safety over "making a point." Being the bigger person and following the rules, even when others don't, is still the right thing to do.

To be entirely honest, I'm not really sure what they do with their time.. They certainly don't have a good track record for solving crimes, or even investigating so many, according to many personal accounts. Also have never seen SPD pull anyone over for anything in Springfield. Lived here long enough to see crazy ass traffic violations right in front of cops, with absolutely no consequences. I've only really seen them respond to homeless people, just shoeing them away. Most of the time they have not responded well to people in mental health crisis. Look at the rape kit fiasco. SPD did nothing about those scumbag teenagers who were violently attacking our LGBTQ+ community, and one of them was the son of someone on the force.

In all seriousness, what does SPD do with their time?

Driving thru Forsyth every. single. time....

I'm ultra courteous until met with an asshole on the road. People get the respect they deserve from me. People driving recklessly and obnoxiously don't deserve to be treated well in kind. Fuck em, they ought to receive resistance rather than reinforcement of their actions.

Not telling you you are wrong, but these assholes already have a big head and inflated ego. I'd rather try to pop it than inflate it more. Not saying this is the right way. I'm probably going to get myself shot one of these days. I'm not saying I do any reckless manoeuvres or anything, but I will definitely inconvenience them, call them out, give them the finger, etc.

Or maybe get up to highway speed before trying to merge

Not really. You’re not supposed to drive down the turning lane. Plain and simple.

Roads (stroads) with turn lanes (NOT merge lanes!) are a horrible design and spfd should get rid of all of them.

Or go slightly slower than highway speed to slip in behind the line of traffic that can't get over. The possibilities are practically endless.

I am a courteous driver but I have limits, and this is one of them. I've seen it several times on Republic and I always blast them with the horn for an excessive amount of time. No sorry, not sorry beep. You're going to remember this lol.

No, you slow back down as you ease into traffic

Hey, I sincerely appreciate your reply.

While I can admit I definitely got carried away, the overall message is this: don’t intentionally escalate a situation with bad drivers. While you might think you are proving a point to them, the message is going to be lost because they don’t fundamentally understand that what they are doing is wrong, and then they get mad. It’s also not going to change their driving habits, as much as we’d like to believe that it does.

Also, sorry about your niece.

Mostly they spend their time running from one call to the next. Thanks to the sorry state of our basic human services, shit economy, and infinite money for jails but none for treatment philosophy of our leadership. It basically is one vicious circle.

Our leadership is straight up incompetent in this regard. 10 million + for a giant gas station (that does not allow Semi-trucks which we actually might have needed) when we have plenty of them already. 16 million + for a sports ball stadium that cannot meet its own operating costs. Yet how much for addiction treatment? Mental health care? Sidewalks, bike lanes, public transport to make it easier for poor folk to get to job's or services? And so forth, you know things that are actually proven to work to help stop crime.

Omg the people that putt along at 30-40mph drive me insane. I get some of these on ramps are poorly designed to get up to speed (looking at you, eastbound 60) but it's not impossible either.

It's so dangerous and shows a lack of defensive driving.

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I realize that.

You're also not supposed to take it on yourself to be the driving police.

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How is one being the driving police if you're abiding by the traffic laws? It's not OP's responsibility to let someone merge lol.

Not if there isn't room to cut in front of someone....

Probably because this town has the worst drivers in the country. Unfortunate.

>"I wasn't letting that happen"

First off, thanks for being cool. I am also being sincere. For the record I 100% agree with you in regards to how to react to bad drivers and also drive this way if I am able to safely. I just know the exact area OP is talking about and it's a huge problem over there. More importantly, I was taking feelings I have on a very personal issue out on you and that's not cool. So yes, it got a little dramatic but it also made me laugh because I spent way too much time imagining this scenario in a Mad Max type world. I'm still baffled with Fury Road - the warriors on bendy poles and the entire driving/fighting scene while some guy is strapped down ripping on an electric guitar...just boggles my mind.

All in all we agree to agree on the big issue. If we met in the real world we would most likely get along. I hope you have a good day!

Bless your little heart.

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I absolutely read that. It means that the person in the turning lane could have just gotten behind them instead of trying to force their way in. Hell, they could have just waited 10 seconds and pulled in safely behind them. What is your point? That OP should have stepped on the breaks to let that person in front of them? Why?

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What's unsafe about maintaining your right-of-way?

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And you aren't mine. Who got hurt in this exchange? The clown who made the unsafe move. OP simply didn't brake to allow them to pass from the turn lane, and that's how it should be

Be an asshole, get treated like one

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I guess you and i are gonna lead different kinds of lives

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Get a dashcam, start recording when you leave your house until you get back, and then start reporting these people. Call out audibly their license plate number in the recording in case it isn't completely clear or is obscured.

I don't think OP was claiming moral superiority over this person when they made that choice.

You're right, I never said it was about claiming moral superiority over others on the road. I claimed it should be about prioritizing safety when driving.