"race" at stop light

[MightyMike]

Here an interesting story. I was at a stop light that has two lanes that can go through. But the right lane ends just past the light, so people like to get in the right lane to go "fast" past the slower traffic in the left and merge in ahead.

i wasn't in a hurry, so I was 3rd in line behind two other cars in the left lane. the light goes green, and an SUV speeds past on the right. No problem, he has plenty of time, and gets over. Then another one wizes by. He's cutting it a little close, but manages to squeeze in past the first car before the right lane ends.

Then this small Honda tries to do the same, and at this point I can see they aren't going to make it. They are making an unsafe pass on the right, the right lane is going to end, and they would end up forcing me to make a hard brake or swerve to avoid them.

So I drop the electric hammer, and speed up and close the gap between myself and the car in front of me.

they were PISSED. I mean like follow me for miles honking the horn pissed. It got to a point where I was actually thinking they were going to follow me to my destination, but I took a "quick" right turn (thank you for amazing handling ford), and they didn't try to follow the turn. I might or might not have used my turn signal.

Maybe this doesn't really count as racing or track, but I think it is a good illustration of what an electric car can do when around other unsafe drivers.

I'm glad I have one.

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[stealthytolkien]

My humble opinion based on what I am reading here (only you know the actual situation): You did not drive defensively here, especially when you witnessed borderline reckless aggression (or a simple misjudging / having an idiot moment while zipper merging). That’s the time to go more defensive than ever and slow down instead of inviting possible trouble. This is how lives end on the streets. There is nothing positive about this, I am sorry.

 

[MBCook]

So instead of slowing down to make it easier for them to get in and fix their mistake you decided to speed up and block them so they have nowhere to go forward, left, or right?

 

[GreaseMonkey]

It’s the other driver’s responsibility to safely merge or slow down. OP did nothing wrong.

 

[Dustus]

Not the safest thing in the world, but I have to admit I would have done the same thing. I hate people that try to cut in line.

 

[TargaGone]

Zipper people! And cog at traffic circles.

 

[music_cities]

The OP said their options were "hard brake", "swerve" or "electric hammer". The "hard brake" is almost always the safest option, and the most "defensive" option, because if there's going to be an accident a lower speed accident is less likely to be fatal or have serious injuries. But, I wasn't there, so I'm not judging.

 

[MightyMike]

The problem with the hard brake is that there were people behind me. So it was hard brake, and hope the person behind me didn't run into me. Soft brake, and hope the person on my right didn't run off the road, swerve to the left, and go into oncoming traffic, or accelerate, create the space behind me so that the idiot trying to pass me could merge in.

So that's what I did.

 

[CarlSagan82]

I don’t know why but this is funny

 

[sgriffin130]

So instead of slowing down to make it easier for them to get in and fix their mistake you decided to speed up and block them so they have nowhere to go forward, left, or right?

I agree. Better to be alive wrong than dead right!

 

[doogie63]

I do it all the time. The other driver knew that lane ended and was just trying to cut in line. The other driver needs to learn a lesson. He gets blocks a few times he will learn.

 

[MightyMike]

I do it all the time. The other driver knew that lane ended and was just trying to cut in line. The other driver needs to learn a lesson. He gets blocks a few times he will learn.

More importantly they misjudged the amount of time they had. They had plenty of space in front of me. If they had an electric car, I wouldn't have had a problem. They were going for it, they didn't have the power, and they weren't going to make it without me taking action that put my car in danger.

Since the space in front of of me was enough for me to fit, I created space behind me for them to get into.

 

[doogie63]

More importantly they misjudged the amount of time they had. They had plenty of space in front of me. If they had an electric car, I wouldn't have had a problem. They were going for it, they didn't have the power, and they weren't going to make it without me taking action that put my car in danger.

Since the space in front of of me was enough for me to fit, I created space behind me for them to get into.

When I was in Guam they would do it all the time. At a light the left lane would end in about a 100 yards ahead. But they would get in that lane and then try to race to get in front of everyone. I would block them all the time. Why get in that lane knowing that it will end. Now they do it here in this town. We have 2 lanes that turn left at light. But most want to almost immediately get in right lane to turn at the next light. So they turn left in right lane and then speed up to get back in right lane. Which causes people to slam on brakes for them to get in lane. Very short distance to next light where they want to turn left. I block when I can. They then have to go straight thru the light and turn around to come back to make their turn. If they just stay in the correct lane in the first place all would move smoothly. When they try to wedge their self between car is a big problem. A lot of people get rear-ended because of that.

 

[Londonboy49]

We get this a lot in France. The smaller the car the faster they think they can go. I would do the same if a car was behind me.

 

[hartmms]

I utilize the instant torque ot my GTPE nearly weekly to get away from problem drivers. Yesterday it was to get past a Waymo car slowly plodding down the road.

I'll enjoy it while it lasts. Once everyone has EVs with instant torque, it will be back to the way it was before.

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