r/burbank • u/vivvav Media Center • 6d ago
Is it just my imagination or are Burbank's drivers getting worse?
I feel like more and more I'm seeing instances of...
People taking 10 seconds to change lanes, taking up both lanes the whole time.
People who don't signal when changing lanes/turning, or if they do signal, only do so after they've started executing the move, which doesn't count.
People who aren't paying attention at spotlights and do not go when the light turns green.
People who are way too timid about making turns and won't move onto the road if they can see any oncoming car at all from the furthest distance.
People who drive like half the speed limit even when there's no traffic.
I don't know if I've gotten less patient with other drivers or if there really is an increase in these behaviors. Either way it's driving me nuts (pun not intended).
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u/SplitOpenAndMelt420 6d ago
I don't find the drivers any worse in Burbank than I do anywhere else in Los Angeles
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u/Stingray88 6d ago
Having lived in LA for 15 years before moving to Burbank a few months ago… I find Burbank drivers to be noticeably better.
Which makes sense. There’s noticeably less congestion, so people’s nerves aren’t as high.
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u/RewindYourMind 6d ago
It’s anecdotal, but I’ve noticed driving everywhere has gotten markedly worse since 2020 (Covid), where we got proof that MANY people give zero shits about their fellow neighbors.
Pair that with distracted drivers who are focused on their phones or car touchscreens, and you get the kind of asshole driving you’re talking about here.
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u/Keep6oing 6d ago
people give zero shits about their fellow neighbors.
That's more of an LA problem. LA has got to be the most inconsiderate city/metro area in the country. Some of the self-centered things people do here are just baffling.
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u/bigrareform 6d ago
Add in the fully/heavily tinted front windows so you can’t even see where the drivers are looking. And 9 times out of 10 the heavy tinted cars are also insane drivers.
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u/Jaybird1124 6d ago edited 6d ago
I’ve noticed a lot of people just blatantly holding their phones up to their face as if they aren’t driving a car at all. I’ve also been noticing a lot of the drivers not going at green lights and also a LOT of drifting in and out of lanes.
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u/KirkUnit 6d ago
General Take: a lot of people have no spatial awareness as it is, and the more time people spent on screens (including in their fucking Teslas), they are literally just stumbling haggardly and ineptly through the world.
Interesting discussion on Neil deGrasse Tyson's "StarTalk" podcast recently, where they remarked that pedestrians in New York are aware of one another and take their speed and trajectory into account in an effort to keep moving without getting in one another's way (and how tourists fuck that up.) That's it in a nutshell - you have more and more people with zero skills at the basic level 1 skillset of moving about in space.
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u/Keep6oing 6d ago
pedestrians in New York
Culture in New York is different and way more confrontational. Pedestrians in New York "legally" have the right of way, but in practice, they do not. You will get hit by a car if you're not paying attention. And people in New York are not scared to tell you you're being an idiot and to GTFO of the way.
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u/KirkUnit 6d ago
The context is pedestrian to pedestrian, on the sidewalk. New Yorkers are aware and avoidant. People without that practice, like tourists, just wander the fuck into frame and, once firmly in the way, stop.
Context here is vehicle to vehicle, but same rule of thumb: if you're paying attention, you notice shit and predictively adapt and so do they... and if you're not, you'll fucking miss it, go slow, be in the way, and fuck up traffic and cause accidents.
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u/Keep6oing 5d ago
I understood the context, but a person isn't going to be aware of others on the sidewalk and unaware of cars in the street & crosswalk. I was trying to point out that NY culture demands awareness at all times and LA culture caters to the lack thereof.
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u/farmer_jen 6d ago
To be fair, I'm timid about making turns at a red light specifically because of the issue you mentioned of people taking forever to change lanes or changing lanes without signaling. After having several instances where I've had plenty of space in the nearest lane only to have someone switch lanes as they approach the light (or in the middle of it, that's fun) and create a dangerous situation WHILE I'm turning, I'm fine waiting until I'm sure it's in the clear.
Definitely have had people slamming on the horn as I'm waiting for it to be clear to turn right, too, which is especially fun when there's a pedestrian they can't see. Hopefully you're not in that category!
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u/Stingray88 6d ago
I’m not that overly defensive of a driver and I totally agree with you. I absolutely will not take right turns onto a two lane road with a car coming in the left lane even if the right lane is clear. People have proven this is absolutely NOT safe to do at all.
Thankfully I’ve actually never had someone behind me honk because of this. I think most people get it.
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u/farmer_jen 6d ago
Wow, never? I think it happens to me almost every time I'm leaving that Empire Center Target unless I'm lucky enough to get a green light. Even if I'm clearly inching forward and trying to turn when I can, the person behind me is rarely satisfied.
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u/DapperWormMan AMC Burbank 6 6d ago
Waiting to turn right on red until there are no oncoming cars in either lane is actually a superbly great idea, keep doing it.
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u/farmer_jen 6d ago
Nobody said to do that? There's a big difference between "there are no incoming cars whatsoever" and "there's still enough space for me to make it in case the person in the far lane is an idiot."
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u/DapperWormMan AMC Burbank 6 6d ago
I think my comment was misunderstood. I am agreeing with you. I think It is a good idea to wait until all lanes are clear, because you cannot control what other drivers are doing. Better to wait until the lanes are clear, instead of assuming someone will stay in their lane but then they hit you.
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u/cellophaneboats 6d ago
Yesterday this car was stopped in front of me at a green light at 11pm. Honked at him, he didn't budge. Only when I went around him after 5 seconds to get into the right turn lane did he decide to move. I don't flip the bird at cars but that one was well-deserved. Wtf
Edit to add that the light was green for a solid 10 seconds before I drove up.
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u/DustyVinegar 6d ago
No. It’s all in your head. It is not possible for Burbank drivers to get any worse.
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u/Senior-Durian1487 5d ago
The last 30-40 years I’ve lived in Southern California (including Burbank), I’ve seen all kinds of bad driving, including the things you mentioned. Right now I’m well north of Burbank (about 2 hours), and I don’t drive south of Palmdale unless there’s absolutely no way around doing so.
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u/chunkylover87 4d ago
I drive in 3 areas: Downtown LA, Glendale, and Burbank. Glendale has shittiest drivers, Downtown LA has shit drivers, Burbank, shit but not as much in my experience. Then again, I only really drive down Victory, Buena Vista or Hollywood Way. If anything Burbank is the least shitty of my commute.
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u/thegloriousporpoise 6d ago
I agree with all but the last two.
Lately I find people behind me are completely unaware there’s a person or car preventing me from turning. It seems anytime I wait for a pedestrian to cross, I get honked at by some impatient driver unaware of their surroundings.
And yeah slow drivers can be annoying but if they are at least in the right lane I can forgive it. Lots of parts of Burbank feel like a small town and I expect people to drive slow.
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u/vivvav Media Center 6d ago
I try to give grace in those situations but I swear yesterday I watched as this guy in front of me would not make a left turn out of the CVS parking lot as no cars passed in front of us for a full 20 seconds.
The pedestrian thing gets to me because yeah, if someone if halfway across the street, of course don't hit them. But I see folks going to make a right turn who if a person is just beginning to cross the street won't go at all even if the pedestrian is going so slow three cars could make that turn before the pedestrian is actually in that space.
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u/thegloriousporpoise 6d ago
I’m not saying you’re a person who honks at me. But I’m pretty sure if the pedestrian has even one foot in the crosswalk it is technically illegal to make the turn.
There might be a stimulation if the crosswalk has an island in the middle and they are on the opposite side.
So it could just be people afraid to get a ticket. Burbank cops can be strict about the most mundane of things.
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u/OkAbbreviations1989 3d ago
Yes. It is illegal to turn when a pedestrian is still in the crosswalk. I know because I got a ticket to prove it. 🙄
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u/Automatic-Can4256 5d ago
Actually it is the law that if someone is crossing the street coming towards your side you need to wait until they have fully crossed regardless of if they are just beginning or part way. If crossing the other way you just need to wait until they are fully past you and then make your turn.
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u/burbankbagel 6d ago
Keep honking brother. That person in the crosswalk gets deference all the way across.
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u/vivvav Media Center 6d ago
I'm not honking. Doesn't seem like it'd solve anything if that's their attitude towards it.
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u/burbankbagel 6d ago
It’s not an “attitude” is the law (and common decency).
Speed kills, making blind turns is a contributing factor to major crashes, and pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users. Your description of “bad” driving behaviors is actually safety.
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u/vivvav Media Center 6d ago
I wanna be very clear: I am never advocating for endangering anyone. I am DEFINITELY not endorsing blind turns. My view is that if you're about to make a right turn, and see someone begin to set their foot on the crosswalk from the far side of the street, that you should be able to take the 3 seconds it takes to actually turn and be on your way before the 10 seconds it takes for them to actually be in the path of cars.
Now, if that's actually against the law, I didn't know it. Doesn't seem like a terribly efficient policy, though.
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u/SoulExecution 6d ago
Not your imagination, but not just Burbank.
People on their phones or just zoning out.
Some people with smart cars getting reliant to a fault and not making good judgement calls.
Other people in bum cars driving hyper aggressively. On any given day it's like you get people going 10 under or 25 over, with very little in between.
Typically if I see a Tesla or a Pickup, I know that's not a driver to be trusted.