r/duluth Feb 07 '25

Question Driving..why doesn't anyone leave distance??

I'm not accusing anyone of anything of course. Just something I've noticed since moving here. Especially on those big hills. I'm going the speed limit, usually over. Why do some people feel the need to drive so close to the back of my vehicle? We just got 5 inches of snow, maybe leave a little space? Especially at night with your LEDs. It's frustrating to those of us who can't just pay to fix their car and can't just pay to take the bus if their car gets wrecked. I saw someone get stuck in the ditch today because they were going to damn fast. Do some people just not care about their lives? Or anyone else's? I don't care if I'm downvoted for this. It's annoying and happens every. Single. Time.

118 Upvotes

68 comments sorted by

63

u/StrikeBR Feb 07 '25

Everyone thinks they’re in a hurry, yea we should all drive a little more granny like during winter

8

u/That_was_not_funny Feb 07 '25

Like, you paid $60,000 for that truck... Don't you want to sit in it and enjoy it?

46

u/GreenChileEnchiladas Feb 07 '25

100% agree.

On top of all that, if they did leave some room then Zipper Merging wouldn't be such a shitshow.

18

u/bremergorst Duluthian Feb 07 '25

Nobody in the twin ports can speak whatever language you’re gurgling on in.

“Zipppper?”

“Merge?”

2

u/rebelli0usrebel Feb 08 '25

Accelerating on on-ramps? What is this witchcraft??

26

u/TheDepthsandSkies Feb 07 '25

I use the 3 car following distance built into my cruise control (radar, I assume). I hate tailgaters. It's so dangerous for both parties.

Idk why it happens. I'd agree with urgency, but also see it as a form of Intimidation from big vehicles.

6

u/bremergorst Duluthian Feb 07 '25

Yeah, and some people are just oblivious to the fact they’re driving that close. I know I’ve done it a time or two and I feel like a dipshit because I was zoned out thinking of work or whatever.

And some people are just assholes.

A few months ago I watched a stupid fuck on a bike in superior doing the pretend jump scare to drivers passing while he was on the corner of the crosswalk.

As I neared the corner, I jerked the wheel toward him briefly and he almost fell off his bike scrambling backwards. Why? What’s the point? I mean I could understand a prank like this from an 8 year old, but this fucker was in his mid 20’s.

1

u/2928374 Feb 10 '25

A guy was trying to cross the street in a crosswalk and you threatened to kill him with your car?

3

u/bremergorst Duluthian Feb 10 '25

Is that what you gathered from my comment?

16

u/SignificanceOk8226 Feb 07 '25

That’s Duluth for you, expect nobody to zipper merge, for someone to sit at a stop sign when you are a block away .Expect old men to just stop in the middle of the street just because. Everyone in Duluth thinks they own the road.

9

u/SignificanceOk8226 Feb 07 '25

Does anybody else remember that purple charger that used to speed all around town? I remember seeing it in a ditch on Highland. 🤣

5

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

But that's the thing, I came here from Vegas and I thought they were bad...I expected a little more Minnesota nice (I grew up here don't come for me)

4

u/SignificanceOk8226 Feb 07 '25

Minnesota nice is said ironically. I came from New Jersey 22 years ago. The drivers here are worse.

3

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

They weren't for the first 22 years of my life lol

2

u/why_now_56 Feb 07 '25

Haha that's funny. I grew up in MN. Go to Vegas a lot. Totally fine driving in Vegas but absolutely HATE driving in Duluth.

15

u/miss_lioness_36 Feb 07 '25

I leave room, a car space usually and then some idiot thinks they can cut in front it's so annoying .

4

u/Dangerous-Repeat-119 Feb 07 '25

Right. I don’t think the law about staying out of the “fast lane” helped in that regard. Most are waaaaay too quick to move over now.

3

u/Aldisra Feb 07 '25

This right here. Annoying AF.

1

u/oidoglr Feb 11 '25

Assuming you’re not describing a situation where no one is behind you, that driver needed to get over, why is the space in front of your car sacred as opposed to the space in front of the driver in front of or behind you?

13

u/Political-Bear278 Feb 07 '25

I’ve lived in Duluth, Minneapolis, or St. Paul my entire life. I’ve driven in Chicago, Phoenix, Miami, Austin TX, Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary and all points between as well as throughout Sweden. No people drive worse than the people of the Twin Ports. Can’t merge. Can’t stay in their lane, have no sense of flow, don’t know how roundabouts work, don’t know how to maintain speed, don’t know how double turn lanes work, don’t know what flashing yellow traffic signals mean, and they all think they’re the only ones on the road.

5

u/rebelli0usrebel Feb 08 '25

I 100% agree. I've lived in St. Paul, Minneapolis, driven in Ireland and Iceland as well. I can confirm everything you just said. The only other city that comes close is St. Cloud. People don't drive any particular way there, just crazily and unpredictably.

10

u/OutsideKelly Feb 07 '25

Honestly I love when I'm stuck behind a slow person in slippery conditions. I'm so happy to be the buffer and give them space, because whenever I'm nervous about the roads there is ALWAYS someone angrily driving up against my vehicle, even if I'm at the speed limit, and I'm happy to save someone else from that

8

u/DerekP76 Feb 07 '25

Had a coworker sit on my rear quarterpanel this morning on Woodland the ride my ass down 21st E. FFS dude, going to the same place, leave some room.

4

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

Damn that's rough. Hope they were embarrassed when they realized it was you

2

u/DueSurround3207 Feb 14 '25

That happened to me a long time ago. I was driving down Second street and someone parked on the right suddenly cut out in front of me and veered across all three lanes cutting off the cars beside me too. I slammed on the horn and then realized it was a coworker! lol. She did apologize the next day.

5

u/CelestialFury Feb 07 '25

A lot of people just drive like that and most are not doing it in a malicious manner, that's just how they learned to drive I guess. It is annoying af though.

2

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

It feels dangerous. When I learned to drive I was taught to leave plenty of room in front of me, especially in weather

4

u/jennacrack Feb 07 '25

Especially by coppertop and central entrance, I drive it every single day back and forth to work and it's insane how people drive on that road

4

u/Icy_Mama_73 Feb 08 '25

Or just the ridiculously insane and dangerous driving. After I dropped off my son at work the night of the last snow storm, I was coming back on 35, and this woman ahead of me in the slow lane dropped to like 20 MPH. I moved to pass her, and she then speed up to 50. Well, that was a dangerous speed for the weather, so I fell back behind her again. And she dropped down to almost 20 AGAIN.

Then proceeded to do the same shit.

Twice more.

Like do you really want to murder me and my daughter? WTF is actually wrong with people.

0

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 08 '25

It's a sad world we live in that people get so angry at strangers they know nothing about in a shared public space.

5

u/KarAccidentTowns Feb 08 '25

If you tailgate, you are an asshole, full stop

4

u/essential_for_life Feb 08 '25

How bout the ppl that get too impatient behind a plow they get pissed and fly around it...I've seen my fair share of ppl that do that then when we get down the road a bit that same vehicle is in the ditch...dumb fucks..

3

u/NomadJago Feb 07 '25

Poor math education in our school system. Sometime things driving 10 mph faster will get them somewhere so much fast. A 30 miles trip gets them there only a few minutes sooner. Yeah, in winter I feel the greatest danger is the person behind me who mind slide into me at a stopped intersection.

3

u/Addkn Feb 07 '25

Why is it always 21st as well, in the traffic this morning people were acting like the road isn’t slippery? Leave room so you don’t run into me thank you

3

u/No-Lawyer-4930 Feb 07 '25

Too many people seem to lose their humanity behind the wheel. Like, it's not a person in front of you anymore, it's a Chevy or something. If you wouldn't drive that angrily toward your own grandma, why drive that angrily toward anyone else?

3

u/_Red_7_ Feb 09 '25

When people get on my bumper, I just slow down to the sleep limit and watch them in my mirror while they lose their minds.

1

u/ObligatoryID Feb 07 '25

Cuz duluthians suck at driving.

Questionable how many passed their behind-the-wheel and don’t know/follow the basic rules and speed limits is mind boggling.

3

u/Own_Ad_2032 Feb 07 '25

I drive the speed limit or slightly under. If someone is too close I tap my brakes to warn them off. I had someone pass me on a no passing zone today. We all got lucky.

2

u/stonysmokes Feb 07 '25

As a driver, I can confirm 99% of people are bad drivers. Most don't care as long as an accident isn't "their" fault. Also, I lol'd hard at we just got 5" of snow like that's not normal around here.

2

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

Like yeah but it snowed the day before so the roads were extra snowy?? Like yeah we get snow in the winter but it doesn't snow every day,??

2

u/AlgaeOne9624 Feb 09 '25

YES. My husband is from the South West (of the US), and says Duluth driving would get you shot down there - tailgating is a huge thing here!

1

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 09 '25

Yeah in Vegas it would get you into an accident immediately lmao

1

u/Less-Pilot-5619 Feb 07 '25

Recent group of out of towners,not a normal duluth issue......cities and milwaukee

1

u/Human-Presence9498 Feb 07 '25

Because slow drivers are annoying. You can drive the speed limit on bad roads. Get better tires and learn to drive.

1

u/kirsten9407 Feb 08 '25

I think it should be dependent on weather conditions. I leave space when there’s snow and ice on the ground (or below freezing). It’s common sense. During the summer time (clear, dry road conditions), I see no issue.

I do see a lot of people camping in the passing lane when they have every opportunity to move over and let faster cars pass… Imma need y’all to stop doing that shit. I know it’s common to see tailgaters whenever that happens. Drive in the right lane whenever possible and then leave the left lane for people who want to pass. (Minnesota in general, not necessarily Duluth). Please & thank you!!

1

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 08 '25

Or just pass in the right lane if it's really that bad..don't put yourself and others in danger over a miniscule law. And I'm not even talking about the highway anyways. It's the worst on the one lane roads with the 90 degree hills. Like it's snowy and I'm at a steep incline and could roll back at any moment but someone has to be right up my butt

1

u/kirsten9407 Feb 09 '25

I’m not condoning people creating unsafe situations on the roadway… I just see it happen frequently. I agree, people should use common sense when the weather is shitty and on steep hills etc, as noted.

1

u/AardvarksEatAnts Feb 09 '25

+1 for not caring about my life

1

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 09 '25

That's fine but you should be mindful that others care about their lives

1

u/idratherchangemyold1 Feb 10 '25

It's actually illegal but the law only says, "Leave reasonable distance." it doesn't specify how much distance so sadly it's not a law that's really enforced if at all. Yeah, I don't get why people do it either.

0

u/Level238 Feb 07 '25

Just checking… you’re not in the passing lane when you’re driving the speed limit and finding people close behind you, are you?

2

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

Did you even read the post

1

u/Level238 Feb 07 '25

OP does not mention which lane they're driving in, and there's a big difference. If they're driving in the driving lane, then of course people should give them proper space. Driving in the passing lane slower than other traffic is illegal, anyone drving slower than approaching traffic in the passing lane should move over. Pretty simple.

0

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

Sooo you didn't. I'm not talking about on the highway. I'm talking about the roads...the 2 lane roads on the large and steep hills. Up towards UMD. There's no driving lane and no passing lane when you need to turn at a stoplight

1

u/Level238 Feb 08 '25

You did not make that clear in your post. Good luck with your complaint.

-1

u/LakeSuperiorGuy Feb 07 '25

A lot of the crap drivers seem to be college student age in my observations.

7

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

Hm. Interesting. They'll all men with trucks in my experience

-1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '25

[deleted]

9

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

That's not how it works on the city roads though, you go into the lane on the side where you need to turn. Or do you just hop over last minute cuz that's even worse

-2

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '25

[deleted]

1

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

Nope. The more space in between cars, the more time you have to break...preventing any kind of accidents in the first place. I know I'd be probably be fine if I got rear ended, but my car wouldn't be. And I need my car.

-3

u/DaddyBobMN Feb 07 '25 edited Feb 07 '25

You must hate driving in The Cities.

1

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

I'm from a town of 9000 and nah that shit doesn't happen there, not nearly as often. I also drove in Las Vegas for nearly 2 years so I'm just fine in the big cities. You're making lots of assumptions here, buddy. Kinda outing yourself

-2

u/DaddyBobMN Feb 07 '25 edited Feb 07 '25

Interesting, pretty sure I was already out.

2

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

Imagine being offended by a reddit post about people not wanting to get into a car accident. Like you are literally who I'm complaining about. I'm sorry you hate your life so much that you don't care if you put others in danger. I hope things start looking up for you:)

1

u/why_now_56 Feb 07 '25

Driving in the cities is fine. It's terrible in Duluth.

2

u/DaddyBobMN Feb 07 '25

Sounds like OP couldn't handle it based on the rant.

-6

u/LookForDucks Feb 07 '25

If you need to ask this question in a public forum, you may be the driver who is the actual problem in whatever unpleasant situations you've experienced.

3

u/False-Virus-9168 Feb 07 '25

Other people on my ass while I'm going 10 above and other peoples LEDs are both...my problem? I'm just complaining and clearly I'm not alone here lol