Why Do Jerks Seem to Find Me All The Time?

[terpkristin]

Not a relationship thread, but seriously annoying trend going on in my life lately.

Monday, I had gone to the gas station and to get out of the gas station, there is a light. The left lane at the light is left only, while the right lane at the light is left or right turn. There is no turn on red allowed at this intersection. So, to get home from the gas station, I have to make a left and then an immediate right, so I go into the right lane. Honestly, if there had been a right on red allowed I'd probably have been in the left lane, as I know I like it when people do that as a courtesy for me, but this was a no turn on red, so I didn't feel guilty or anything being in the right lane.

A guy pulls up behind me and starts honking his horn and flashing his lights. I ignore him for awhile, and when he doesn't stop after a few minutes, I flick him off. After another minute or so of flashing his lights and honking (yes, this is a long light, it's a side street entering a fairly major street), HE GETS OUT OF HIS CAR and comes to my window and starts talking and gesturing that I should move into the left lane.

Now, I might be 6' tall and sort of imposing, but I don't take lightly to anybody approaching my car like that. You never know with the weirdos out there what might happen, and I like to play it safe. So I roll down my window a little ways and he asks me to move into the left lane so he can take a right, and I point out to him that a) it's my right to be in the lane I'm in and b) even if I moved over, he couldn't turn as it's no turn on red and frankly, traffic is pretty heavy so I doubt he'd find an opening. He still maintains I should be in the left lane, and when I'm adamant about not moving, he starts calling me some not so nice names, so I reply by calling him some not nice names and rolling up my window. He stands there for literally another minute/90 seconds and continues to insist I move before he realizes he should get back to his car and get ready for the light to change.

Seriously, what is wrong with people?!?

The second incident, tonight's incident, is probably a little more my fault, but I'm still annoyed by it. I was coming back from the grocery store, liquor store, and pizza joint, hungry and tired and generally worn out from a long week of work. In order to leave the mini-strip mall area to get back to my apartment, I have to cross a fairly dangerous intersection. It's wide, not well lit, and has two massive blind spots as cars approaching the direction I was crossing have turns leading into the intersection. It *desperately* needs a traffic light, but I'm sure that the upper class snobs who live in this area don't want it because it'd be light pollution or something.

Anyway, to get through this intersection, if I think I have an opening, I try to get through it as quickly as possible. The speed limit on the road is 25 MPH and I probably get up to 25-35 MPH by the end of the intersection, depending on how hard I gun it. Then I always slow down because the street is again, not well lit and residential, and I figure it's good to go slowly at night.

Just my luck, I happen to cross the intersection just after what I think was a cop in an unmarked car, so as I'm trying to slow down to my normal speed, he stops and flashes his blue lights in his car. At that point, we're between 50 and 100 feet from the intersection, so I've only had time to start applying my brakes and start slowing down. He motions for me to pull around him, and then as I move to pass him, motions for me to roll down my window. He says to me "Do you think you could stop riding my bumper? You really should respect safe road distance." And I'm thinking to myself "Wow, this guy really needs a life, he must just have had a bad day." So I apologize, say sure, and go to roll up my window and he starts lecturing me for about 30 seconds on why tailgating people on roads is dangerous, etc etc. Of course, this being a cop, I just nod and apologize and tell him I'll back off his butt, but SERIOUSLY. He lived on that road (or at least, turned into a set of townhouses on the road), he MUST know how scary that intersection is. Now if I'd been a quarter mile down the road past the intersection and was "tailing him" that would be different, but I had just entered the road at speed-limit or slightly greater speeds (again, my fault, I shouldn't go above the speed limit), can't people understand that it takes more than 50 feet to come down to slow speeds (for the record, he was going about 15 MPH so whatever I was going at the intersection, I think about 25, I had to slow down a bit when I saw him--and I was).

Just so frustrating. I've never been one to think that Maryland drivers were "friendly" but now that I've lived in Virginia for two months, Maryland drivers seem like saints, at least in terms of courtesy and knowing how to merge properly (aside from the beltway, because that's a travesty wherever you go and people are jerks all over it). And, admittedly, perhaps the cop was giving me a hard time because I had out of state plates (my car is co-titled to me and my mom, so while I can leave it registered in MD legally since she lives there, I'm in the process of gathering the paperwork and signatures to move my registration to VA), or maybe he was looking for a reason to ticket me or whatever, maybe he had a bad day...but it is SOOO FRUSTRATING to be getting accosted by jerkwads left and right while I'm just trying to mind my own business and actually obey the law.

And that, my friends, is the end of my rant.
Why do I seem to attrack all the jerks to my general vicinity, especailly while in the car? I have no idea. Driving in VA has become the bane of my living here, hopefully it'll get better...

/tk

[Buccaneer]

How's your new job? Is it what you had hoped for?

[terpkristin]

My new job is going really well. :)
I'm not sure the type of thing I'm doing right now (designing wire harnesses for satellites) is exactly what I want to do, but this company has SO many opportunities and now that I'm in the company, it's fairly easy to move around if I find something else in the company that I want to do (I consider my biggest strengths and interests to be in space systems engineering, specifically orbital mechanics and work with astrodynamics, but I'm learning so much as a harness design engineer that I have no regrets in the least, nor am I really looking to move in the company quite yet).
I think it's going well...I've actually released my first real drawing in the last week and am starting to move up in what I'm doing. Whereas so far I've been doing harness support engineering, I'm going to be shifting into the design lead for one satellite (that is mostly done in terms of harness work) and the next satellite (that the harness work hasn't really started on per se).

It's a little scary to be moving into a "lead" position so quickly in an area I've never really done before coming to the company, but I like the challenge and have plenty of people to ask if I need help or advice, so things are going well. :)

Long answer, sorry!!
/tk

[Mr. Wednesday]

Do you have your PE, or if not, are you going to need it?

[terpkristin]

No to the PE, and no I won't need it.

My degrees are BS in Physics and MS (with thesis) in Aerospace Engineering.

I actually can't think of anyone who I work with who has EIT or PE or any of that class of certification. Perhaps some of the people in I&T/Manufacturing, but I honestly don't know.

A handful (maybe 10-15%) of people in the company with master's degrees, and a couple with PhD's.

/tk

[Mr. Wednesday]

The only reason I wondered is that with design work, it might be necessary to have plans stamped by a PE.

I got my EIT while I was still working, but I didn't take P&P. With my current career track, I may never do so, but it's possible I'll land in a position in industry where it's useful.

Sorry about the digression. :)

[Dutch]

I used to live in No. Va. and was rear-ended--twice (in three days time) in stop and go traffic. But that's another story and apparently karma payback.

A year previous, as a senior in High School, I slammed my 1976 Ford Grenada into the back of a stopped Toyota Corolla that was in stop and go traffic while I was "at speed". No real damage to the Grenada, but I pushed the trunk of her car into her back seat.

It was a pretty dumb incident that should never have happened if I was a little more patient. It was winter and the defroster didn't work in the hunk of junk and after scraping the ice and figured "it just looks foggy outside". I jumped in and took off for school. It was kind of hard to see, but I could see well enough. That was great until the early morning sun hit the windshield and turned the glass into a blinding blast of orange light. I couldn't see in *any* direction and I was in traffic doing 30 MPH!

I immediately went to plan B which was to roll the window down and pull the car to the side of the road...but the window was jammed with ice and I couldn't roll the damned thing down. I also figured I couldn't just bring my car to a stop on a busy road. While I had my hand on the window roller trying to get it to move I rammed into this chick's Toyota. (Sorry, Lady.)

[Dr. Sak]

FWIW you might want to get that PE license just incase you want to get another job in a few years. Companies like seeing that on Engineers' resumes', like you said it might not be of good use to you now but having it will help you in the future. I just finished my masters in mechanical engineering (no PhD for me), my next step is to take a year off from going to school and start studying for my PE.

The catch about a PE is you need 5 years working experience under a practicing PE. For the work that my company does I really don't need it but if the contract go through and we start building more nuclear power plants, it will be a good thing for me to get.

[Mr. Wednesday]

If you are considering getting your PE down the road...
...taking the FE sooner rather than later may be a good idea (the longer you wait, the more you'll have to relearn).

...make sure you document the engineering work you do on projects at work, as the licensing board will want that information -- they want you to show that your five years of working experience is engineering experience. (At least, that was the case in Texas.)

[Noop]

Man I so want to say something so Noop'ish right now.

[Lorena]

L.A. drivers are the worse I've seen. If a light turns green and you don't go, nearly everyone's honking. Don't dare go slow in the fast lane cuz you'll get tailgated.

[CraigSca]

Ummm...not to be combative, but what's wrong with being miffed if someone doesn't go when the light's green or if a person is going slow in the fast lane?

[Lorena]

Ummm...not to be combative, but what's wrong with being miffed if someone doesn't go when the light's green or if a person is going slow in the fast lane?

A lot of L.A. drivers don't have the patience to wait.

[Toddzilla]

I notice you're from Ashburn, so you can't resonably expect that cow country would have properly maintained roads and highways. Heck, you're lucky you didn't run into a cow or something.

TIC of corse - I work on Ashbrook Road near the new Harris Teeter :)

[gottimd]

A lot of L.A. drivers don't have the patience to wait.I need to go to L.A.

Oh and TK., I feel the same way about VA drivers (also grew up in Columbia, MD). Not that they all are bad, but chances are, if something bothers me about a driver on the road, it is highly likely they have VA plates it seems like.

[Airhog]

You know, I am beginning to think that living in oklahoma is not all that bad. I have never seen things that bad around here. Maybe we do have better drivers in this part of the country.

[JeeberD]

Phht, Okie drivers are nearly as bad as New Mexico drivers... :mad: ;)

[MJ4H]

You know, I am beginning to think that living in oklahoma is not all that bad. I have never seen things that bad around here. Maybe we do have better drivers in this part of the country. http://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gif

[Logan]

After another minute or so of flashing his lights and honking (yes, this is a long light, it's a side street entering a fairly major street), HE GETS OUT OF HIS CAR and comes to my window and starts talking and gesturing that I should move into the left lane.

This is why I like having my badge in my car, so in this situation, I can show it and yell at the guy to back the fuck up.

I think you should've gotten out of your car too and kicked him in the nuts.

[SackAttack]

Ummm...not to be combative, but what's wrong with being miffed if someone doesn't go when the light's green or if a person is going slow in the fast lane?

Because a lot of the time, you can tell why they aren't going if you pay attention.

It's one thing if they're sitting there on green for normal through traffic. They might be checking to make sure it's safe to enter the intersection.

Quite another if they're reading something or rustling around in the front seat looking for a CD when the protected left turn light comes on (particularly if it's no turn on red). I don't need to miss the light and get trapped at that intersection for another four minutes just because you've gotta shake your white boy ass to Snoop Dogg.

[Dutch]

The one thing I couldn't stand about LA was adverse weather. All the locals would slow down because of oily road conditions and transplants would speed up to prove how "safe" it was to drive in the rain.

Then you have a bunch of people that are driving much differently than each other and everybody wrecks into one another because of it.

[Rockstar]

A guy pulls up behind me and starts honking his horn and flashing his lights. I ignore him for awhile, and when he doesn't stop after a few minutes, I flick him off. After another minute or so of flashing his lights and honking (yes, this is a long light, it's a side street entering a fairly major street), HE GETS OUT OF HIS CAR and comes to my window and starts talking and gesturing that I should move into the left lane.

Now, I might be 6' tall and sort of imposing, but I don't take lightly to anybody approaching my car like that. You never know with the weirdos out there what might happen, and I like to play it safe. So I roll down my window a little ways and he asks me to move into the left lane so he can take a right, and I point out to him that a) it's my right to be in the lane I'm in and b) even if I moved over, he couldn't turn as it's no turn on red and frankly, traffic is pretty heavy so I doubt he'd find an opening. He still maintains I should be in the left lane, and when I'm adamant about not moving, he starts calling me some not so nice names, so I reply by calling him some not nice names and rolling up my window. He stands there for literally another minute/90 seconds and continues to insist I move before he realizes he should get back to his car and get ready for the light to change.


/tk

The only thing that would make this "better" would be if T.O. was the other guy. Come to think of it, I'm rather suprised that it wasnt.

[Rockstar]

Because a lot of the time, you can tell why they aren't going if you pay attention.

It's one thing if they're sitting there on green for normal through traffic. They might be checking to make sure it's safe to enter the intersection.

Quite another if they're reading something or rustling around in the front seat looking for a CD when the protected left turn light comes on (particularly if it's no turn on red). I don't need to miss the light and get trapped at that intersection for another four minutes just because you've gotta shake your white boy ass to Snoop Dogg.

Usually, when I display my gun, all of the honking and bitching from other drivers stops. Odd.

[Airhog]

http://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/eek.gif


Well, if you don't count Texas drivers, I think what I said is pretty true :D

[SackAttack]

Usually, when I display my gun, all of the honking and bitching from other drivers stops. Odd.

Until one of 'em is a police officer, in which case you get to face misdemeanor or felony charges.

Works for me.

[Fonzie]

Jerks keep finding you? Are you, by chance, the Oakland Raiders?

[Greyroofoo]

First mistake was giving the finger to a complete stranger. Some people get terrible road rage.

[JeeberD]

Some people get terrible road rage.

Case and point:

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/5358902/detail.html

[terpkristin]

FWIW you might want to get that PE license just incase you want to get another job in a few years. Companies like seeing that on Engineers' resumes', like you said it might not be of good use to you now but having it will help you in the future. I just finished my masters in mechanical engineering (no PhD for me), my next step is to take a year off from going to school and start studying for my PE.

The catch about a PE is you need 5 years working experience under a practicing PE. For the work that my company does I really don't need it but if the contract go through and we start building more nuclear power plants, it will be a good thing for me to get.
Oddly enough, I was giving the entire PE thing more thought on my way home from Colllege Park tonight and realized that NONE of the jobs I looked at (and I looked at a wide variety of jobs in the aerospace world, from small start-ups to the big ones like Lockheed and Northrop) even asked about PE or EIT. I mean, that might not be so surprising for small start-ups, but for the big ones, I am actually slightly surprised it wasn't even on the application unless you put it in on the "other qualifications/certifications" section...

The more I think about it, I think it's more a mechanical and civil engineering thing than aerospace, just based on what I've seen. Aerospace contracts usually have other requirements in terms of who can work on what and what qualifications one needs (especially in terms of materials training and procedures training and demonstration/approval of company certification methods) that I think adding that the person be a "licensed engineer" is almost overkill...that and I've found that in the aerospace industry, it's more often the physicists that do better (not that I'm biased or anything... ;))

/tk

[Glengoyne]

First mistake was giving the finger to a complete stranger. Some people get terrible road rage.
That's right never flip off a stranger over traffic stuff. I personally find that blowing them a kiss is less offensive and acceptable if you have small children in the car, and it pisses most people off even more.

[Arctus]

The more I think about it, I think it's more a mechanical and civil engineering thing than aerospace, just based on what I've seen.

/tk

You are exactly right. I'm a civil engineer (with a P.E.). Its pretty much mandatory in my line of work (design and construction of highways).

[sabotai]

First mistake was giving the finger to a complete stranger. Some people get terrible road rage.
I did that once. He was honking and flashing his lights for me to make a right turn. The guy must not have had a concept of "oncoming traffic". As I was able to go, I gave him the finger. The guy then tailgated me for awhile (until I had to turn). When he passed me, I shot him the finger again. The look on his face was priceless! :D

[Tekneek]

If the guy wanted to turn right when it is a no turn on red, you can safely know that he doesn't really care about posted laws and regulations. With that in mind, trying to stir the pot is a bad idea unless you are ready, willing, and able to have a confrontation with whatever kind of person may be in that vehicle. Depending on what he had and just how far he is willing to go, your vehicle may offer little to no protection from what they offer up.

As you get older, hopefully you will find out that trying to teach those assholes a lesson is really a lost cause. Most people seem to think that absolutely anything is ok to do as long as the police don't get involved.

[wade moore]

I can't believe someone is saying VA drives are worse than MD drivers....

Wow...

[clintl]

Oddly enough, I was giving the entire PE thing more thought on my way home from Colllege Park tonight and realized that NONE of the jobs I looked at (and I looked at a wide variety of jobs in the aerospace world, from small start-ups to the big ones like Lockheed and Northrop) even asked about PE or EIT. I mean, that might not be so surprising for small start-ups, but for the big ones, I am actually slightly surprised it wasn't even on the application unless you put it in on the "other qualifications/certifications" section...

The more I think about it, I think it's more a mechanical and civil engineering thing than aerospace, just based on what I've seen. Aerospace contracts usually have other requirements in terms of who can work on what and what qualifications one needs (especially in terms of materials training and procedures training and demonstration/approval of company certification methods) that I think adding that the person be a "licensed engineer" is almost overkill...that and I've found that in the aerospace industry, it's more often the physicists that do better (not that I'm biased or anything... ;))

/tk

It definitely depends on the industry. I've been an engineer in the electronics industry for 21 years, and no one cares if you have a P.E. In fact, I can't remember ever hearing the subject come up even once in my entire career, including the time I spent as an employee with one of the biggest, best known companies in the industry.

[Easy Mac]

b/c you're a Terps fan :)

[Kodos]

Heeeeeeyyyy, Terpy! I been lookin' all over for ya! Glad I found you!

[Craptacular]

I keep putting off the PE. I've got my EIT, and almost feel ashamed that I don't have my PE, even though I've met the eligibilty requirements, and should just take the damn test. Of course, in a year or two, I could probably get licensed in WI without taking the test, by having a BS and 8 years of engineering experience. However, if I ever need it, I've heard other states are less likely to grant PEs to people that didn't actually pass the test in one state. I just don't feel like studying again. ;)

[terpkristin]

Heeeeeeyyyy, Terpy! I been lookin' all over for ya! Glad I found you!Jerks AND aliens. Can a girl get any luckier?! :D :) :D :p

/tk

[terpkristin]

Gah, add "losers" to the list of those who seem to find me all the time.

Background story.
I have my HAM radio license. I got it for search and rescue purposes and I got it in 1997, right before starting college. The freaks who administered my test apparently followed up to see my callsign and found out I was going to University of Maryland. They were active in the UMD HAM Radio Club and started harrassing me while I was there to join. First off, NO. Second off, they met on FRIDAY nights. I know that most of them have no lives, but I wasn't ABOUT to give up a Friday night to go hang with smelly dorks (this is not a generalization about HAM radio people, I smelled the people who administered my test, have they EVER heard of showers?). Third off, EW, NO.

It got bad enough with harassment that I had to switch my IM name and get the university to warn them about harassing people via UMD email.

Fast forward EIGHT years to now.

The former president of the club (from 1997, I gather) found my IM name somehow (it's not like I hide it, but I don't flaunt it to random places either, and somehow I don't think he frequents this board or any other where I know it's posted) and decided to IM me.

I by default log all my IM windows, but I can't seem to find the log file right now. More or less, it started with him asking questions about who I was and what I was doing now (i.e. in life). I kept asking if I knew him and he wouldn't give an answer. Finally he comes out and says who he is and then continues the barrage of questions about what is going on in my life. I have to say, I don't even remember this loser's name. I definitely never met him, only communicated by IM and email.

After that, he IM'd me another time and I ignored him, though he kept trying to see if I was around. I told him I had no desire to talk to him, period. After THAT, I blocked him, but he started IM'ing me through another username. He's now trying to find me again, keeping IM'ing me to see if I'm around and "just chat" and crap. Ok, I outright
don't understand why total losers like him can't understand "I think you're a freak and frankly you irritate the hell out of me, LEAVE ME THE F ALONE." I swear, if I have to change my IM s/n again because I can't seem to shake him, I'm going to be PISSED.

I hate people.

/tk

[vtbub]

Gah, add "losers" to the list of those who seem to find me all the time.

Background story.
I have my HAM radio license. I got it for search and rescue purposes and I got it in 1997, right before starting college. The freaks who administered my test apparently followed up to see my callsign and found out I was going to University of Maryland. They were active in the UMD HAM Radio Club and started harrassing me while I was there to join. First off, NO. Second off, they met on FRIDAY nights. I know that most of them have no lives, but I wasn't ABOUT to give up a Friday night to go hang with smelly dorks (this is not a generalization about HAM radio people, I smelled the people who administered my test, have they EVER heard of showers?). Third off, EW, NO.

It got bad enough with harassment that I had to switch my IM name and get the university to warn them about harassing people via UMD email.

Fast forward EIGHT years to now.

The former president of the club (from 1997, I gather) found my IM name somehow (it's not like I hide it, but I don't flaunt it to random places either, and somehow I don't think he frequents this board or any other where I know it's posted) and decided to IM me.

I by default log all my IM windows, but I can't seem to find the log file right now. More or less, it started with him asking questions about who I was and what I was doing now (i.e. in life). I kept asking if I knew him and he wouldn't give an answer. Finally he comes out and says who he is and then continues the barrage of questions about what is going on in my life. I have to say, I don't even remember this loser's name. I definitely never met him, only communicated by IM and email.

After that, he IM'd me another time and I ignored him, though he kept trying to see if I was around. I told him I had no desire to talk to him, period. After THAT, I blocked him, but he started IM'ing me through another username. He's now trying to find me again, keeping IM'ing me to see if I'm around and "just chat" and crap. Ok, I outright
don't understand why total losers like him can't understand "I think you're a freak and frankly you irritate the hell out of me, LEAVE ME THE F ALONE." I swear, if I have to change my IM s/n again because I can't seem to shake him, I'm going to be PISSED.

I hate people.

/tkham radio is for losers.

73's de KB1HKV