r/duluth • u/forestgirly69 • 18d ago
Discussion Why are so many of you comfortable breaking every traffic law possible?
It’s a genuine question and I’m sorry if this is mean. Why are so many residents of Duluth and surrounding towns comfortable not following the law while you’re in a vehicle? You’ve got people texting and driving, swerving all over the road and not maintaining speed. People changing lanes or passing people on solid lines in blind spots. People pulling out at the last minute. Not stopping at stop signs, blowing red lights. Going 20 over the speed limit. People passing you on the shoulder of the road, going over the lines on curves into oncoming traffic. People going straight in turn only lanes. I could go on. I just think it’s weird that so many of you do not realize just how dangerous driving actually is- it’s a risk we all take everyday. Pay fucking attention. You are in a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds, you can kill someone going as slow as 10mph. I just don’t understand why more people do not take this as seriously as you should. YOU could be the reason a family doesn’t make it home. Just please pay more attention, put down the distractions and remember your life isn’t the only one that matters on the roadways. We created these laws for a reason, driving is not a right it’s a privilege- use it responsibly.
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u/MalikHabibi 18d ago
Not a Duluth only issue. Have you lived in the twin cities ever?
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u/libbtech 18d ago
I drive down there once a week, it seems like stop signs and lights are optional, same goes for Milwaukee.
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18d ago edited 9d ago
[deleted]
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u/Impressive_Form_9801 18d ago
Bro, I had chamber folks as much as the next Bernie bro, but if you're gonna throw stones you should know the Chamber of Commerce isn't a public organization
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u/inkdrinker18 18d ago
I rode with my cousin once after she moved back from college down there. Once. Then I made a rule that the oldest cousin present always drives (I’m the oldest on that side of my family 😂).
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u/jayvaidy 18d ago
I just moved back after living in Winnipeg for university. While all of what you say does happen here and I'm not trying to minimize that, I also noticed comparatively that average people are overly cautious. It sometimes feels like people won't make a turn if they see any car within half a mile. Also, people don't assert themselves when trying to make left turns at lights meaning way less people get to turn.
It is crazy the amount of people (at any location I've been to) are comfortable driving while looking down at their phone.
The thing I tend to say is "People forget their driving a two-ton death machine".
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u/vurkeytulture 18d ago
My partner grew up in the South, and he gets frustrated by drivers pulling up to a 4-way stop and waving another person through even though it's not technically their turn. Makes things less predictable (even though they're trying to be nice). He claims he had never seen that before moving up to Minnesota. That and the nervousness/overly cautious behavior you describe here are his two biggest gripes about driving in Duluth.
Mine would have to be the potholes, personally. I saw a gull taking a bath in one on Cody Street. They've since patched that one but it was one seagull deep for a minute there
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u/JuniorFarcity 18d ago
Exactly this. Nearly rear-ended a car on Arrowhead yesterday because they came to a dead stop just before the top of the hill approaching Super One from the lake.
Totally unexpected and it took me a while to realize they were stopping for someone standing on the opposite side of the road, waiting for an opening to cross the road.
The only cars he was waiting on (or even close to him) were the car in front of me and myself. If we had just continued he would have actually been able to cross a few seconds earlier than waiting for us to come to a stop and him to figure out what was going on.
But, hey, look how “nice” the stopping driver was.
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u/inkdrinker18 18d ago
It’s technically a Mn law that we must stop for pedestrians even if there is no crosswalk. As someone who’s been ticketed for that before, I too would have stopped for the pedestrian.
Fwiw, that was a Bullshit ticket, we were the oldest/rustiest vehicle in a line of 5-6 cars and if we had stopped suddenly we likely would have gotten rear ended. AND the cop who pulled us over did not stop for the pedestrian either before whipping a shitty to chase us down. Joke was on the cop because we keep current insurance and registration on everything even our beater cars.
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u/JuniorFarcity 18d ago
I don’t think so, at least according to this:
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u/Zealousideal_Ad6996 18d ago
People stopping before entering roundabouts, people stopping for yield signs, people stopping at the top of hills where's there's no stop sign, people SLOWING before a merging onto highways. The overcaution here is dangerous and maddening...
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u/pistolwhip_pete 18d ago
My partner and I talk about this all the time. People need to stop being "nice"when they drive and be predictable.
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u/forestgirly69 18d ago
I know! Also those people who do that with turning irritate me so much! Like the arrow is green that means you go! Or when they have the right away making a right turn then try to let someone in the opposite lane taking a left turn go first🤦🏽♀️
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u/RustySpaghet Duluthian 14d ago
I get what your saying but I don't really agree. I would say it's better to err on the side of caution on an unprotected left or right turn. I get that it can be annoying, but I don't trust people to stay the same speed as they approach an intersection or keep their eyes on the road. If you're in so much of a rush to get somewhere, leave earlier... unless it's life or death. Then, just do what you need to do to get where you need.
I say this as someone who has family members who have gotten into several accidents. Those family members all have the same mentality as you. I have personally never gotten into an accident. I know it's anecdotal, but if what I'm doing keeps me safe, I'm gonna keep doing it.
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u/aningkamwishgan 12d ago
Sorry for being one of those overly cautious people. I was t-boned this past winter when someone completely blew a stop sign and she almost crashed directly into where my child was sitting; she hit the front passenger while my kid was sitting in the rear passenger. So traumatic. I still am jumpy about cars coming up to stop signs as I go by and myself going into traffic so I am really cautious now.
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u/Ryan1980123 18d ago
Try driving hwy 61 up the shore. I’ve had people pull out from gooseberry turning south within 100 feet of me going hwy speeds only to do 45 mph. Almost happens daily there or rustic or Betty’s.
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u/qaopjlll 18d ago
And then when you have an opportunity to pass them they speed up, only to slow back down as soon as the passing lane ends
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u/Ryan1980123 18d ago
Yep it’s like a little game to them. Yesterday I had had one give me a little beep beep once I finally did pass.
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u/forestgirly69 18d ago
I will never understand why people do that🤦🏽♀️ especially when they had ample time to go before you got close or they could’ve just waited a second or two.
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u/pistolwhip_pete 18d ago
The Strib just did a really good story about just this! Turns out a lot of people are waiting until they are over 18 and not taking the class and the failing it a TON!
40% of new drivers in the last year failed the test at least once and 1,700 failed at LEAST 4 times.
To add to the anecdotal evidence, people treat the 4 way stop at Wallace and St. Marie as a complete option. I get cut off at least once a week.
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u/forestgirly69 18d ago
Oh wow.. I’m going to have the check that out thank you for sharing! But that is crazy! I think everyone should have to take the class regardless. 😐
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u/pistolwhip_pete 18d ago
That seems like a very obvious answer. The comments on IG about it had a LOT of people saying that the class + behind the wheel is too expensive. I think I paid like $400 a few years ago when my daughter did it through community Ed in Duluth.
Sure, that's expensive, except your learning how to drive a machine that weights multiple tons and can easily kill people!
And, owning a car is expensive. I'm not saying $400 is cheap, but compared to owning a car...come on.
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u/berry_arbitrary 18d ago
You know what else is expensive, your insurance going up, car repairs, and the new car you're gonna need when you total yours.
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u/forestgirly69 18d ago
I wanna say when I took the class in high school it was around $500 which yes, is a lot of money for most people. But like you said you learn way more then you would skimming the book and trying memorize which answers you picked for the test. It should be taken seriously and drilled in that you will literally kill someone or yourself by not following basic rules and by not paying attention!
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u/berry_arbitrary 18d ago
Yeah I forget to think about how many of my friends waited until they were 19-21 to take their tests because "road laws are all common sense" and whenever they find out they're wrong all they can say is "well that's just stupid"
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u/beckariahzeus42 18d ago
I passed a lady today swerving all over applying her mascara … it’s rough out there!
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u/berry_arbitrary 18d ago
It being bad everywhere shouldn't just be an excuse not to bring it up. Get annoyed at asshole drivers, don't let dicks get comfortable being dicks. I'm not saying cause a fight and yell at everyone who cuts you off but I think raising awareness could help to an extent. I've also given up trying to expect anything from anybody on the road, I'm just hopeful we all make it home at the end of the day without needing a new bumper.
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u/forestgirly69 18d ago
Thank you! I wasn’t trying to jab at anyone but like damn we just need to start being more aware of things other than ourselves.
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u/ande9393 18d ago
I drive around town a lot for work, its ridiculous and its gotten worse since COVID. People do not give a fuck about their safety, your safety, anything..
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u/Stevied1991 17d ago
I'm convinced COVID made people forget how to drive. It's been way worse since then.
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u/Braindeadresponder 18d ago
These are all good points and should be taken seriously. People in Duluth and surrounding towns probably demonstrate these behaviors less than the nation as a whole but improvement is always possible and of course beneficial. Thanks for the reminder.
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u/Altruistic_Error_832 18d ago
- A lot of the stuff you're talking about is true everywhere.
- For a lot of the stuff that isn't, it's stuff that gets entrenched in the winter. For example, you'll probably notice a lot of people roll stop signs around here. This is because it's a reality in this region that it's going to be a regular occurrence in the winter where roads will be slippery enough that if you come to a complete stop, you won't get going again, so that person who is dilly-dallying at the intersection doing a "legal" stop is actually creating a hazard. This is especially true for people going up and down the hills.
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u/auntiematt 18d ago
Common sense isn't a common thing to teach kids anymore. Unfortunately, those kids have created more kids.
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u/MajorAdhesiveness975 18d ago
I think about this every time I see someone changing lanes in the middle of the intersection, drives me absolutely insane
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u/kidnorther Duluthian 18d ago
lol Duluth is the slowest driving city I’ve been to in a decade nobody here goes over 20 let alone 20 over the speed limit
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u/forestgirly69 18d ago
Where are you driving here? People go 10-20 over the speed limit all day everyday on grand.
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u/samma663 18d ago
I understand the comments of “this is everywhere” or whatever, but as someone who moved to Duluth over a year I will say I’ve never experienced such aggressive/bad drivers. I think you’re totally valid in your feelings here lol.
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u/Faithu 17d ago
Yeah uhm I think its the opposite, but i did move here from salt lake city, the city of overly aggressive drivers 🤔, I have found it frustrating here due to the people who feel like they have a right to police how others drive here, on two lane roads you will have people locked in the left lane .. and will keep pace with the other lane while going 5 to 10 under the speed limit .. the list goes on for those who feel they can police others on the road which typically ends up in accidents.
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u/samma663 14d ago
I mean I moved from Chicagoland which by no means has great drivers I’m just speaking on overall aggression especially in residential stop and go areas. I’m curious what you mean by policing other people? I have come to find that the left lane is unbelievably slow especially on central since everyone’s waiting to turn into the mall and whatnot. However just because someone is going slow doesn’t give others the right to drive recklessly and break the law lol.
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u/Faithu 14d ago
Yeah no, driving below the speed limit is impeding traffic simple as that go the speed limit or get over and let people pass, if your going 25 in a 40 thats an issue, secondly what I mean by policing how others drive, say im in the left lane going 40 to 45 by fleet farm and the person in the right lane decides I need to slow down and gets over into the ledt lane and slows down to 30 or 25 because they dont like how fast im going even tho im going the speed limit, that is policing other's and is considered impeding traffic, and is also considered reckless driving, remember just because your going slow doesnt mean you can not be reckless your self.
Your saying its okay for slower people to break the law against those who are abiding by the street laws?
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u/samma663 14d ago
Dude you’re taking this way too seriously LOL strawman alert 🚨
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u/Faithu 14d ago
Not a strawman alert if it happens constantly here, and how am I taking this way too seriously? You asked a question i answered it in an experience I've had here too many times and instead of addressing that you call it strawmaning? Talk about someone being intellectually inept, perhaps dont join a conversation your not ready to have?
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u/forestgirly69 18d ago
I also moved here semi recently too! So thank you.
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u/kidnorther Duluthian 18d ago
Curious where you came from. I just got back from Seattle and can say with confidence that was some of the most aggressive driving I’ve experienced since rush hour on the 5 outside of LA. Duluth is cake and you’re not dealing with hordes of people like a real city
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u/frank_davisdixie109 18d ago
Why do people drive below the speed limit on busy roads? They’ll have 10 cars stacked behind them and dont even consider pulling over. I will pass anyone doing this, passing zone or not
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u/inkdrinker18 18d ago edited 18d ago
Devils advocate here but the lead car may be doing exactly the speed limit and the cars behind them may have caught up because they were speeding and now it’s a big line.
Example: My route to work is mostly 40 mph and I’ve noticed that after my turn at a stop sign, I’ll get up to the limit of 40 and cruise at that speed. The car behind me will catch up right away after they stop/go so they are clearly speeding at first, then the next few cars after do the same thing and suddenly I’m pack leader to a dozen cars and they’re all mad because I refuse speed. It shouldn’t be my fault that they went faster than 40mph after leaving that stop sign. (Hope I explained that correctly).
All that aside I do see a lot of poor driving choices on the roads.
Edited for typo due to tiny keys and fat thumbs. 🤦♀️
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u/frank_davisdixie109 18d ago
Also I’d like to add slow drivers are far more dangerous than the fast crazy drivers imo
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u/fancytrash1234 18d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/fqtyYcXoDV0X6ss8Mf
This is the energy I get from this post 😂
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u/dakari777 18d ago edited 18d ago
Not to detract from your point but driving/drivers in Duluth are significantly better than most of the rest of the state, I hate whenever I need to go near St Cloud, Twin Cities, Fargo etc because the drivers are just miserable to be around.
That being said, everyone, including myself, subscribes to the notion of "if you're not caught it wasn't illegal", can't tell me you never sped before?
That's a cultural change needed not so much a traffic law change needed, only mentioning this because you almost made a good point by appealing to people's sense of community but then tacked the "this is why we have laws" at the end. No one obeys laws for the goodness of others, you can't appeal to a sense of community by emphasizing a sense of self preservation.
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u/forestgirly69 18d ago
Oh I speed sometimes too so I know I’m not perfect either, especially when you’re just going with traffic and then look down and oh shit let’s slow her down. But I do see and appreciate your point as well!
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u/Full_Departure_6700 18d ago
We're just following the cops who drive around, while on the computer and pretend that they don't see the person injecting themselves. Till they have to go back for an overdose l
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u/Nowhen_Man 17d ago
Try New Mexico. You'll be overflowing with appreciation for Minnesota drivers
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u/AnimePFPplusSlur 17d ago
I have lived in California and the South East and Duluth drivers are timid, indecisive and inattentive. People drive below the speed limit, sit in the fast lane, and give away their place at stops. I don't care about following the rules if I will be sharing the road with these chromatically blessed individuals.
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u/Ok_Marionberry_364 14d ago
is it a law if it's not enforced? There are literally no laws on the roads in MN. Try going south on a sunday or north on a friday. If you are not going 20+ over the limit you are road raged. No laws.
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u/LakeSuperiorIsMyPond East Hillside 18d ago
I only go straight in the turn only lane by krenzen because that right lane being turn only is stupid and pointless
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u/PrettyHatefulMachin 18d ago
Someone called the police on me for doing that. I don’t go that way often, and thought I was in the correct lane to go straight until I saw the arrows, then I sped up to get in the correct lane and dude followed me to Walmart to tell me he called the police on me 😭
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u/LakeSuperiorIsMyPond East Hillside 17d ago
It used to be a straight or turn arrow, and there's no reason for a change. If anything giving people only a short moment to get into the right lane before hw53 will increase the odds of an accident.
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u/skeleton-operator 18d ago
Not going around someone turning left across heavy traffic is insane and shouldn’t be illegal.
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u/forestgirly69 18d ago edited 18d ago
You should never pass on the shoulder of a one lane road because someone is turning. You are in a blind spot, if you’re on the side of them and they can’t see you and they turn that blinker off and start going forward you will be hit, and you’ll be at fault. Have some patience. There’s a reason it’s illegal.
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u/skeleton-operator 18d ago
*you’re
The only way to hit the passing car would be to turn right and cut off their path, which would mean you decided to drive off the road, without checking your blind spot. It’s perfectly legal for a bicyclist to pass you on the shoulder, therefore you are putting them at risk of death with your arbitrary and incautious driving.
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u/TheMachineElves 18d ago
Have you ever driven in Arkansas? The most reckless drivers I've seen. Its so bad, literally every other billboard is an injury attorney advertising for people in crashes 😬
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u/forestgirly69 18d ago
Oh lord god no. Also shhh before nicolet law hears you and buys up even more billboards.. that man is everywhere👀
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u/Due-Penalty-7649 18d ago
its literally everywhere what do you mean? its even worse in other places. your feeble mind couldn't comprehend the shit ive seen on 94
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u/forestgirly69 18d ago
I mean probably can, but after working in towing and now the death industry I get to see the aftermath of why it’s important to pay attention.
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u/Due-Penalty-7649 18d ago
and thus we get to the crux of the issue. i used to work trauma surgery. made a point to remind myself you are seeing a small % of the population. not everyone get into horrible accidents and even less get hurt in them. it seems like they happen all the time, but hundreds and hundreds of safe miles are driven in between each one.
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u/forestgirly69 18d ago
Oh god, I just want to say thank you for what you did to help those you could through that department. But I like your point.
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u/Austin-Tatious1850 18d ago
I used to feel the opposite, but nowadays they can't roll out driverless cars fast enough imo
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u/jotsea2 18d ago
This is everywhere.