10 Ways People Use (Or Don't Use) Their Dirctionals/Turn Signals

[Trekker4747]

1. The Post-signalous: This person will make their merge/turn and THEN signal. As-if to say, "In case you missed it, this is what I did!" this personal obviously missed the entire point of the turn signal.

2. The Premature Signalator: This person will turn the signal on well before it needs to be used, up to a block. Making it difficult to know when they are really going to turn. Is it in the driveway to that strip-mall, is at the intersection? Who knows?

3. The Did You Catch It-er: This person uses their "flash to pass" feature in their stalk (by pressing down slightly on it to make the light flash but to not actually click on the fixed signal) and lets the singal flash once or twice either at the start of or in the middle of their merge. Equally as useless as not doing it at all.

4. The Obliviouser: You know this person, they somehow clicked on the signal at somepoint, didn't realize it, and it has been flashing for miles.

5. The Dedicated: The best one of the lot. This one knows how to use his signal. He turns it on well before a merge/lane change to let people know/make an opening, makes his merge and then clicks it off. He turns it on 100 feet before the intersection and leaves it on at the intersection and through his turn -allowing it co click itself off.

6. The Not Gonna Do It-er: The person who refuses to use their signal or isn't aware of how important it is to give people notice on what you are doing. Sometimes this person will give you a dirty look or gesture for not letting them in/over as you pass them

7. The Burned Out: This person uses their signal -either correctly or not- but us unaware the bulbs are burned out so it makes it pointless. To be fair, it's hard to know when/if these bulbs are burned out.

8. The Which Way: Pretty rare but it does happen. This person turns on their signal and then makes a turn... In the opposite direction.

9. The Hand Signal: Even more rare, this person's signals don't work and they're aware of it to the point they use hand signals to indicate their turn. This gesture is appreciated.

10. The Unecessary: Not entirely a problem, but this person will use their signal when it might not be entirely necessary because the turn is obvious. Like at an oddly placed stop sign at an "intersection" where turning one way is impossible because it's a blocked/closed road, or maybe in merging situations onto highways where the on-ramp isn't also an off ramp for the next exit, turn-specific lanes, etc. The gesture is appreciated, even if not really necessary. Still not a bad habit to have, I suppose.

 

[RoJoHen]

I am almost always a #5, and I get very frustrated with people who have poor signaling skills. My best friend almost never signals when switching lanes because he thinks other people will intentionally try to prevent him from doing so if they see his signal. I think he's an idiot.

That said, there is one turn around here that I always signal at for no good reason. The road curves at a 90 degree angle, so it's essentially a "right turn." One road ends, and another begins, but it's not an intersection. It's just one road. There is no cross traffic. But the angle of the turn tricks you, so sometimes I signal like I'm turning right even though it's the only option unless I want to drive into the river.

 

[ialfan]

I am #5. I hate when people don't signal when they should. I used to be #10 but have lightened up on that realizing there are some cases when it isn't needed to signal.

 

[Smiley]

I'm usually #5. Sometimes, I'm a #10 or a #3.

 

[JonathonWally]

I'm usually a #5, but sometimes here in Jersey you don't use them. Why you ask? Because it tips people off and the minute they see you intend to switch lanes, they speed up to block you.

So sometimes you gotta be stealth.

Other times, if I'm not careful, I leave the wig-wag switch on. And that renders them pretty useless.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I'd say I'm #10. If I'm particularly forgetful, I've been known to signal while making a turn IN my own driveway, into the garage!

Ha, I know what you mean about people speeding up if you signal. I get that here--and I'm not even in New Jersey.

Though on the other hand...we get some people who have an excess of politeness, where I am. Some people actually signal because the person IN FRONT OF THEM is turning. This is not helpful. Brakes--if actually properly applied and not SLAMMED at the last minute--should be enough to clue one in to the situation without making you think they're going to turn as well.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Normally a 5, but I make a habit of using turn signals in all appropriate cases, so I'm 10 as well.

However, if there's a merge where I have a ton of space and the person behind me can't possibly be inconvenienced, I'll usually do a 3 (I suppose I could rationalize it by saying that I don't want to forget I turned it on, but it's really just because using the signal has no point, but I want to cover my bases by saying I used it).

 

[John Clark]

I'm generally a fiver, but occasionally do 10 as well.

As for number 3, seen it a few times, but my mates and I call it a one flash, haul ass move

 

[Pingfah]

Everyone on the road sucks apart from me. For a multitude of reasons.

 

[trekkerguy]

I'm usually a #5, but sometimes here in Jersey you don't use them. Why you ask? Because it tips people off and the minute they see you intend to switch lanes, they speed up to block you.

I speed up to block them if I see they want to change lanes and havn't
turned their signal on. It's the law, it's safe. And it's inconsiderate of
me or the people behind me who will rearend me when I have to slam on
my brakes so as not to hit lane changer.

Many times I can see that someone wants to change lanes and I'll wait
to see if they signal, if they do I politely give them space, or the above.

 

[JonathonWally]

I'm usually a #5, but sometimes here in Jersey you don't use them. Why you ask? Because it tips people off and the minute they see you intend to switch lanes, they speed up to block you.

I speed up to block them if I see they want to change lanes and havn't
turned their signal on. It's the law, it's safe. And it's inconsiderate of
me or the people behind me who will rearend me when I have to slam on
my brakes so as not to hit lane changer.

Many times I can see that someone wants to change lanes and I'll wait
to see if they signal, if they do I politely give them space, or the above.

Well, at least you admit to trying to cause accidents.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I speed up to block them if I see they want to change lanes and havn't turned their signal on. It's the law, it's safe.

I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that's neither "the law" nor "safe." Generally, if you see someone else with bad driving habits you shouldn't try and beat them by doing something worse.

I'm usually a pretty good #5, though if the traffic is sparse I've been known to occasionally be a #3.

 

[Rincewiend]

I've come across all of them on a regulair basis when i drive to and from work on my bicycle...
My brother is a #5, just like my father was when he still drove...

 

[Gertch]

I'm a #5. Even if it's late at night on country roads and there's no one around. A creature of habit.

 

[John Picard]

I am almost always a #5, and I get very frustrated with people who have poor signaling skills. My best friend almost never signals when switching lanes because he thinks other people will intentionally try to prevent him from doing so if they see his signal. I think he's an idiot.

That said, there is one turn around here that I always signal at for no good reason. The road curves at a 90 degree angle, so it's essentially a "right turn." One road ends, and another begins, but it's not an intersection. It's just one road. There is no cross traffic. But the angle of the turn tricks you, so sometimes I signal like I'm turning right even though it's the only option unless I want to drive into the river.

I am a #5 as well and appreciate fellow #5's. If people try to block me when I signal, I don't yield. I call their bluff every time, and every time they yield.

 

[Finn]

8. The Which Way: Pretty rare but it does happen. This person turns on their signal and then makes a turn... In the opposite direction.

Few months back, I was waiting to pull out of my apartment complex when the car in front of me had the right blinker on. After several openings for a right turn, I honked a couple of times. They suddenly switched to the left blinker and turned left while giving me the finger.

 

[trekkerguy]

I'm usually a #5, but sometimes here in Jersey you don't use them. Why you ask? Because it tips people off and the minute they see you intend to switch lanes, they speed up to block you.

I speed up to block them if I see they want to change lanes and havn't
turned their signal on. It's the law, it's safe. And it's inconsiderate of
me or the people behind me who will rearend me when I have to slam on
my brakes so as not to hit lane changer.

Many times I can see that someone wants to change lanes and I'll wait
to see if they signal, if they do I politely give them space, or the above.

Well, at least you admit to trying to cause accidents.

I wrote my response in haste in response to people talking about not
using their blinker which there is no excuse for.

I don't try to cause accidents. If they don't signal properly(Which is the law)
I don't give them the room. I have no obligation to since they havn't asked
for it or alerted anyone of their intention to squeeze in which is dangerous.
If they don't want to signal me they can go do it to someone else and get
ticketed up there.

 

[Finn]

I'm usually a 5, sometimes a 3 or 10 like many others. But however, there were times when I was a 4. This is due to my old route to my old job where the left turn from my road into the principal road before getting on the interstate was rather wide and long. So I'll have to remember to switch off the blinker since it won't go off during those turns. But on some mornings, I'd be preoccupied about stuff like work or personal life, I'd go a couple of miles when I notice the blinker still on.

 

[JonathonWally]

I speed up to block them if I see they want to change lanes and havn't
turned their signal on. It's the law, it's safe. And it's inconsiderate of
me or the people behind me who will rearend me when I have to slam on
my brakes so as not to hit lane changer.

Many times I can see that someone wants to change lanes and I'll wait
to see if they signal, if they do I politely give them space, or the above.

Well, at least you admit to trying to cause accidents.

I wrote my response in haste in response to people talking about not
using their blinker which there is no excuse for.

I don't try to cause accidents. If they don't signal properly(Which is the law)
I don't give them the room. I have no obligation to since they havn't asked
for it or alerted anyone of their intention to squeeze in which is dangerous.
If they don't want to signal me they can go do it to someone else and get
ticketed up there.

So what you do, is you see someone starting to change lanes if they don't have their blinker on is speed up to block them, probably get in their blindspot and hopefully cause them to get into an accident to teach those fuckers a lesson?

Because hey, it's the law!!

 

[Jono]

Most of the time I'm a 5 but sometimes I'm a 2, though mostly when I'm merging lanes. At times I wait for an unnecessary amount of time before I'll change lanes