To the driver in the white van who nearly slammed into the back of my car on North and Oxford for slowing/stopping at a cross walk after the light had gone yellow while blaring his horn, and then decided to role down his window just to scream ‘Bitch’ at me. I’m sorry if you frustrated because you felt I could have made the light, maybe I could, maybe I couldn’t have. I myself have also experienced feelings of road rage: the entitled thinking that the cars in front of me or the construction should just part like the Red Sea, so I can get to where I need to be. However, some drivers actually don’t feel comfortable flooring it when the light is about to go from yellow-to red to make intersections, especially considering the Chebucto-North-Oxford merge is weirdly prone to accidents. Drivers aren’t psychically connected, so you shouldn’t assume that the person in front of you also drives like you do. Next time don’t either speed and or tailgate, pay attention to the road, and don’t roll down your window just so you can verbally abuse the person whose car you almost wrecked as a result of your shitty driving. —The person you almost hit
This article appears in Mar 20-26, 2014.
Van Driver sounds like a tool.
Kudos for stopping! Patient driving is defensive driving.
Good on ya. Driving like a blue-faired bitty increases fuel economy and lessens the damage done in unfortunate impacts.
Screw that guy.
Sounds like OB was being a little passive-agressive…
not an intersection to take chances in. too many ‘surprise’ lanes coming thru there.
Jesus fuck! Really? That intersection is pretty straight forward. The intersection is just a light, nothing complicated there, traffic flows in four directions. There is nothing difficult to traverse going in either direction on Chebucto rd either. There is a left turning lane in one direction and a merge lane in the other coming from North. If you don’t want to proceed on a yellow, don’t. But don’t use your confusion as an excuse for not wanting to make a traffic move, it just makes you look like a bad driver, which you probably are judging by your explanation.
Remember OB, if you’re within 2 car lengths of the intersection when the light turns you are LEGALLY compelled to go through the intersection. Otherwise you are stopping quickly and suddenly and forcing the vehicle behind you to do the same, which can lead to the very situation you found yourself in. No, the other driver should not have yelled at you, but be aware of the status of your green light. At that intersection there are the timers on the walk phase which are invaluable to determine if you have to stop or not.
Curnhalio, when approaching any intersection in Nova scotia legal speed limit is 50km/h. doesnt matter what the speed limit is elsewhere…Reference? NS Driver’s Handbook. That also states that a yellow light from a traffic light means to stop unless unsafe to do so. OB decided it was safe to stop for the oncoming turn to red light and was legally bound to do so. person behind them if following the rules of the road and the laws laid down by the Highway Traffic Act would have known that they were in the wrong. Good for you OB, glad you didnt get hit, but if you had, you were soundly in the right.