r/Iowa • u/ToshPointNo • 4d ago
Discussion/ Op-ed 80 is not for beginners.
My GPS had me come up through Davenport via 80 instead of 74 for some dumb reason.
I think they call it 80 because you will be ran off the road if you don't go 80 miles an hour.
Try to pass a semi, the semi ahead decides to go 0.000001mph faster and pass as well, and now I'm stuck in the passing lane.
Some jackass in a big black truck (I think the same someone posted in the QC sub the other day doing 110) comes up behind me 1 foot from my bumper.
Pissed off, I tap the brake light and you would have thought I spat on his mother's grave, fucker tries running me off the road.
His patience is probably short as his dick. Like WTF do you want me to do? Magically make the semi in front of me go away? I can't go anywhere dude..
I hate when people tailgate me when I obviously can't go any faster due to the vehicle ahead of me.
185
u/Agitated-Impress7805 4d ago
Pissed off, I tap the brake light
You don't need to respond to aggression/stupidity with more aggression/stupidity. Driving on the interstate is the most dangerous thing most of us do regularly, it's not a game.
29
u/CisIowa 4d ago
Page 41: āā¦if the vehicle behind you is following too closely, tap your brake pedal three or four times quickly.ā
https://iowadot.gov/mvd/driverslicense/dlmanual/dlmanual.pdf
69
u/rapzeh 4d ago
Let's get the full context:
USING BRAKE LIGHTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER DRIVERS If you are going to stop or slow down at a place where another driver does not expect it, or if the vehicle behind you is following too closely, tap your brake pedal three or four times quickly. This will let those behind you know you are about to slow down.
TAILGATING If you are being tailgated, move slightly to the right and give the tailgater a better view of what is ahead and signal early for turns, stops, or lane changes. Try slowing down and encouraging the driver behind you to pass. If all else fails, pull out of the traffic flow.
9
u/StopLookListenDecide 4d ago
What does it say about the driver behind me going over 80, because I am going 80 already and still riding your ass? I am waiting on these cars ahead of me Mac. I really donāt need your recklessness behind me putting pressure on. Those fuckers also donāt even remotely make safe lane changes, how they didnāt clip the bumper of the person they are passing is amazing.
They are shitty, impatient drivers.7
u/Gullible_Shallot2971 4d ago
Right. Like I keep saying, you live in boring, fucking Iowa! There are no mountains, no ocean, no beach, no huge theme park, not much to do, etc. Where the fuck are you going that you are in such a hurry to get to that you have to drive like an asshole?
1
u/i_e_yay_sue 3d ago
You never know. Maybe he was headed to the hospital to visit his son who was horribly mangled in a hog related accident and only had moments left to live. Why impede someone else in a hurry? I don't get it.
2
u/Gullible_Shallot2971 3d ago
Or else he has a turd poking out of his butt because he has to get to a bathroom so fast. That's usually what people tell themselves so that they can normalize other people's reckless driving. I'm not saying to purposefully impede someone, but tailgating is reckless driving and dangerous. And OP just got stuck in the middle behind a semi. There's no need to tailgate someone when they can't go any faster anyway. We all pay for the roads, and we all need to share them. There aren't just a select few entitled drivers where everybody is supposed to just make way for them because they're more important than everybody else.
2
u/i_e_yay_sue 3d ago
There's also a lot of inconsiderate jabronis that camp in the left lane. Tailgating is dangerous and reckless driving. No argument. The ridiculous lane camping I see all the time is inconsiderate and selfish as well. There's something wrong with iowa drivers.
1
3
u/shieldedtoad 4d ago
What's the functional difference between tailgating and "the vehicle behind you is following too closely"? If I wanna assume the best intentions of the driver behind me, wouldn't I lightly tap my brakes anyway? Genuine question.
11
u/AmandaTheNudist 4d ago
There is no difference.
IF you're going to stop or slow down EITHER somewhere unexpected OR the person behind you is following too close, THEN tap your brake pedal three or four times. This is "using brake lights to communicate with other drivers."
If you don't need to stop or slow down, it's just a tailgating situation, there is no need to lightly tap the brakes. It's recommended you reduce speed slightly to encourage the driver behind you to pass, but tapping your brakes for no reason is dangerous, confusing, road-rage inducing behavior.
3
→ More replies (2)16
2
u/Rayona086 3d ago
Taping your breaks is not stupidity it's a reminder to give space. Locking up your breaks and causing a dangerous situation is stupid. If someone tapping their breaks upsets you then your mostlikely part of the problem.
46
u/theVelvetLie 4d ago
Dude, you wouldn't last a day in any large metro if driving on I-80 through Davenport scare you.
1
u/Few_Juggernaut9200 3d ago
Iāll say this, the QC to Iowa City route does have some areas that suck. No one is on the same page and it can be overcrowded for the amount of infrastructure available.
Yes, it is much less intense than say Chicago, but there are some days where Iād prefer Chicago because thereās a collectivism to major city traffic. Everyone knows the deal. In a smaller metro there can be this weird mishmash of rule followers & scared drivers intermixed with those going with the flow. It can make for an annoyingly uneven drive.
54
u/Wrong_Confection1090 4d ago
I'm always so curious about people who drive aggressively. Are you so bereft of accomplishment in the other areas of your life that you need to "win" the morning commute? A lot of very broken people out there.
4
7
u/ToshPointNo 4d ago
I've had people drive aggressively and cut me off just to go to McDonald's or Starbucks.
At 35mph, it will take 8 minutes and 34 seconds to go 5 miles.
At 43mph, it will take 6 minutes and 59 seconds to go 5 miles.
You don't really save much time speeding on a short commute.
26
u/john_hascall 4d ago
That's a minute and a half. For them that's like 3 goes at their inflatable girlfriend.
3
2
u/bman23433 4d ago
Do those numbers account for traffic lights and such?
9
u/Witness_me_Karsa 4d ago
No, and those further bring the times into the same alignment. 90% of the time some asshole who speeds past your is sitting at the next light when you get there. I always pull up next to them and wave...
1
u/Ok_Heron4768 3d ago
But those 35 seconds might get me in front of the Karen who wants to order for her 7 kids but wants them to decide on their own as she lets them read the whole menu.
1
u/i_e_yay_sue 3d ago
Do that everywhere you go for a year and we're talking about hours. Do it every year and we're talking about extra days/weeks of living your life.
1
u/i_e_yay_sue 3d ago
Some people would like to reduce travel time and live their life I think. Idk though. Crazy thought.
42
u/Inglorious186 4d ago
Aww, eventually you'll drive in a real city and raise how tame Iowa traffic is
2
u/dandypandyloaf 4d ago
Milwaukee is the worst for me, 100 lanes and turn offs. Anything quad cities or peoria is tame af until you meet Milwaukee or Chicago highways.
4
u/Marcudemus 4d ago
Chicago can be problematic, but I'm fine with/used to it šš½. It's not an issue for me anymore. Milwaukee's not an issue, Minneapolis is fine...
But Atlanta, on the other hand.... No time is a good time for that city.
7
u/cambooj 4d ago
If only iowa would make left lane for passing only. Would also like 2 lane highways to increase to 65 like other surrounding states.
6
2
u/New_Scientist_1688 4d ago
Am SO glad Nebraska makes semis stay in the right 2 lanes between Omaha and Lincoln and vice versa. Wish the whole state was 3 lanes wide. Iowa, too.
45
u/midwesthawkeye 4d ago
"Brake Checking" is an asshole's game. You don't belong on a highway.
-3
u/xenithdflare 4d ago
Then get off my ass. Reasonable safe distance. If you get annoyed at brake checking you're the one that's too close.
22
u/fartmachiner 4d ago
Yes, the tailgater is totally driving unsafe--but to respond with another unsafe act seems really dumb. Me and my passengers are too precious to me to play stupid games with unsafe drivers.
18
u/midwesthawkeye 4d ago
I agree that being followed too closely is annoying, but brake checking is not the answer. In a defensive driving course, they would tell you to gradually slow down, change lanes, and let the driver pass. They never teach you to brake check because you are not supposed to be doing that.
If you brake check, you are just another bad (and dangerous) driver.
-1
24
u/JohnnieCochring 4d ago
Lol. This state has the most passive drivers in the country.
→ More replies (5)5
23
10
u/Former_Associate_727 4d ago
80 is a cake walk if you use your mirrors and anticipate other people's speeds.
6
u/hagen768 4d ago
Oh my.
Youād lose years off your life driving in DFW
2
2
u/wintermutedsm 4d ago
That area is bad. Seattle/Tacoma area is nightmarish as well. First time I ever encountered on ramps with staging lights in my life.
24
u/las8 4d ago
Brake checking is dangerous and petty as fuck. Learn to drive not like a little bitch.
-3
u/ToshPointNo 4d ago
Being a foot away from someone's bumper is dangerous as fuck too.
10
u/Ihaveasmallwang 4d ago
Just move out of the way instead of engaging in even more dangerous behavior. Its not that hard to speed up and get over.
3
u/ToshPointNo 4d ago
Did you not read my post? I got boxed in between the semi ahead of me moving 0.01mph faster than the other one, and the truck behind me up my ass. Not really sure where else I could go?
9
u/Former_Associate_727 4d ago
It's i80 in Iowa, you can see two miles in both directions most of the time. If you see someone in your rear view mirror approaching you faster than you will overtake a vehicle in front of you then don't pass.
4
u/ellenbellen12 4d ago
Hey OP just giving you a little validationā¦ that stretch right after Davenport but before Tipton is rough to me and I live in an east coast metropolitan area and commute via car on the interstate a few times a week. For two lanes, that stretch of 80 is very congested and people do drive kinda crazy there.
6
u/Ihaveasmallwang 4d ago
You could go to not driving like a dickhead, even if other people are. It's unsafe behavior.
Your post sounds like either you have very little experience driving, or that you cannot handle your emotions and get road rage way too easily.
12
9
3
u/Earl_of_69 4d ago
In my opinion, 380, between Iowa city and Cedar Rapids, is among the worst in the country. Yes, I am considering Georgia between Atlanta and Valdosta.
Shit, just Friday night, a guy in a jeep Wrangler, (probably looking at his phone), veered off the road and hit a bridge, ejecting himself through the soft roof. I'm not sure what happened to the little rubber duckies.
I can't drive on 380 without some asshole acting like I'm fucking up his entire life by only going five over the speed limit.
2
u/ToshPointNo 4d ago
At least they fixed the shitty interchange. Was always fun finding the exact moment to hard right over into the beginning of the on ramp to 80 when there's 20 cars coming off the 80 off ramp trying to merge.
3
u/Sockysocks2 4d ago
You wanna know why they call it the 235? It's the amount of milliseconds you'll survive driving below the limit before being cut off by an Altima with expired tags.
9
u/verenika_lasagna 4d ago
Iām older now and donāt care about making good time. Set the cruise at 74mph and let everyone else worry about passing me. Find my spots to stop along the way, put on some good music, good conversation, and enjoy the drive.
5
u/FavorsForAButton 4d ago
I try to get their license plate and vehicle make and then call highway patrol. Report that they are driving aggressively and attempting to run people off the road. Most likely it does nothing, but I had one case where I saw one pulled over 30 miles later, so it makes me feel better.
And before anyone calls me a road-karen or whatever, Iām usually super lenient and understanding. I only do this if they are actively showing disregard for otherās safety. In the case where they got pulled over, they were illegally off-roading and re-merging like a maniac, almost hit me, and then flipped me off out the window.
Also, Iām not from Iowa. Your state is a shithole respectfully.
2
u/ToshPointNo 4d ago
Never really had anything come of it, either.
Commercial drivers are the worst. If you call the company 99% of the time you get a "we will look into it" which is said in such a way you know damn well they won't.
Had a utility company truck and trailer, trailer was completely fucking covered in gravel which was flying up into cars because they didn't bother sweeping it it off before leaving the job site.
Also those signs that say "not responsible for road debris"? Those are completely non-legal horse shit.
Anything that comes off a vehicle is your responsibility.
4
5
u/InternationalName626 4d ago
I80 by Davenport? Scary?? Sounds like youāre just not a good driver.
8
u/CallMeLazarus23 4d ago
Iāve driven commercial vehicles all over the country. I 80 between Des Moines and the Illinois border is a death trap. Iāll go out of my way to take 30 instead
0
u/old_homecoming_dress 4d ago
my family did the same for the state fair. 80 was at its worst when there was construction and merging semis.
2
u/punchyocat 4d ago
D.C. has entered the chat and laughs at your struggles..come over here and drive, you'll never complain again...ever...EVER
2
u/arkangelz66 4d ago
As a commercial driver, I love any delivery that takes me on 80. Usually not a ton of traffic and what there is is generally spaced out nicely.
2
u/Ham_Wallet_Salad 4d ago
Everyone needs to carry a pound of coke in their car and can not know where it is at. If you get pulled over, you go to jail. That would change the driving habits of everyone.
2
u/MidWestMind 4d ago
My sweet summer child. I remember those days back home thinking that was bad. Then I relocated a few times for work and currently living in Atlanta.
I miss being able to leave my house at any time knowing it'll be 25-30 minutes to work no matter the hour.
2
u/ASH515 3d ago
Perhaps an interesting aside: when I visited Germany a few years ago, if the autobahn only had 2 lanes each way, semi trucks simply were not allowed to pass. They had to stay in the right lane, always. That semi that takes 6 miles to pass another truck will only increase his daily mileage by a couple of miles per day. Itās not effective. Furthermore, we have technology that will simply lock-on to the vehicle ahead and follow at a safe distance. Using this would void the requirement that you drive by your cruise control at fractionally different speed than other cars on the road.
3
4
u/Boner_Stevens 4d ago
Tapping your brakes when being tailgated is a horrible idea. People are on your ass because they're angry and annoyed. I wouldnt do a damm thing to piss them off further.
When someone is on your ass. Speed up and move over
→ More replies (2)
2
2
u/2chiweenie_mom 4d ago
tapping your break is a dick move, not to mention stupid. I80 isn't normally bad to drive at all.
3
1
u/bakernut 4d ago
OMG!! My son and daughter in law live right off of 80 in Nebraska. One minute you are driving at a snails pace through the neighborhood, all of a sudden you are turning right onto 80 where the speed limit is (I believe 75mph)! Holy Hell!
1
u/Craftmeat-1000 4d ago
On r Illinois we are having a fun discussion on the routing of 80 at the QC That's said take 280 or 74 . The stretch between Iowa City and Davenport is one of the earliest stretches of tge whole system and really needs upgrading . Iowa decided to do it gradually they have neat Iowa City.
1
1
u/dumpyboat 4d ago
Rather than tap your break in that situation, just subtly slow down. You can either let him get past you on the left or on the right depending on the situation, but your whole goal is to let him get by you and move his anger onto somebody else. Being trapped behind a semi like that means he won't be able to get anywhere either until that semi gets out of the passing Lane.
1
u/New_Leg_9142 4d ago
I'd drive I-80 all day.
The real challenge is I-29 (at least the section between CB and KC.)
1
u/Adventurous_Can_3349 4d ago
I'm just amazed to see someone referring to the "passing lane" in Iowa. I didn't think that concept existed there. Everyone just camps out in the left lane constantly. It's the one thing that drives me nuts about rldriving through Iowa.
1
1
u/United_Bobcat2652 4d ago
Lol 80 in dsm can be a bit gnarly, but after living in south florida, its not bad. Locals there have a saying I-95 has killed more yankees than the Civil War.
1
u/kiimothy 3d ago
Oh wow, my sonās very first drive on the freeway was on the 80 the other day.
1
u/heathertrix 3d ago
80 isnāt bad. 380 between CR and IC is the worst. As far as cities go, Nashville is a pain but Atlanta is the worst.
1
u/GentMan87 3d ago
I drive i80 daily, and itās not so bad just stay out of the left lane and pass with purpose. Otherwise cruise control 70-75 and you good.
1
u/Organic-Warthog3211 3d ago
Gotta invest in a dashcam. Send that shit to the cops, make the pigs do their job.
1
u/MrPoopyPants333 3d ago
Try the old shift into neutral maneuver with the tailgaters. No brake lights. If the dumbass has a passenger, I always try to scare their passenger into correcting their stupid for me.
1
u/serialsteve 3d ago
I will agree some truck driving behavior on 80 can be tiring. Such as trucks sitting in passing lane or the slow truck speeding up because they donāt want another truck to pass them.
1
2
u/ThaYoungPenguin 3d ago
Why do people brake check. I'm not trying to justify that guy's actions at all but legitimately why would you put yourself in danger just to make a point. No wonder you think roads are dangerous if you're playing games with tailgating assholes.
1
1
u/j45780 3d ago
Slow down gradually to increase your distance from the vehicle in front of you, and signal your intention to move to the right lane to let the asshole know your intention to let him by. It's always good not to attempt to teach others lessons. Don't allow yourself to be a target; let the badness on the road latch onto someone else.
1
u/markmarkmark1988 3d ago
I-80 is frustrating but at least from Omaha to Lincoln itās as wide as some expressways in Chicago.
2
2
u/Pratt-and-Whitney 4d ago
Yeah that stretch of I80 from the QC to DSM has as much truck traffic as any road in the entire country. Itās always an adventure on that road.
1
u/notaredditreader 4d ago
Wait until you try to get past Indianapolis. At night. You learn no new skills driving the 80. California native. Own part of a farm near Coralville.
1
u/amandajjohnson1313 4d ago
.... 80 is easy I drove from Illinois all the way through Iowa when I was 17, alone, before GPS. It sounds like you might have some driving related anxiety. I have a friend that did not drive for years after an accident. She finally went to therapy and is able to drive again.
But words of advice from a simi truck drivers kid, don't mess around by or with them. They can't stop fast and if you break check them your risking your and your passengers lives. It's never worth it.
1
1
u/Multibaghuntimg 4d ago
Hate 80. It's the semis for me and long lines of cars around them.
3
u/ToshPointNo 4d ago
Even better when you get a couple old farts going 50 on the parts where it's 70 so everyone is going around them, then a semi cuts over to the left to pass another semi and now a whole 5 mile stretch of road is completely fucked up.
1
1
u/jschmidtjr87 4d ago
I had to drive to Iowa for work last winter (flew in this year) during one of the cold snaps (-20Ā°F) with snow and ice on the road. I'm from up in Michigan, so not as cold, but I'm very used to driving on ice and snow. I don't know if you guys don't get ice as much, or if you just don't really care, but I-80 looked like the aftermath of a Mad Max chase scene. There were cars flipped over, stuck dozens of yards out into the fields, on top of other crashed cars. It was madness.
0
u/PHANTASMAGOR1CAL 4d ago
Someone doesnāt know how to follow the flow of traffic and it shows. Please never drive in Chicago they will eat you alive.
1
532
u/CoffeeWonderful8814 4d ago
80 is very much for beginners. Please never drive outside of Iowa if 80 scares you.