Traffic Signs in Oklahoma

[MBowman325]

theres only 1 in tulsa that im aware of. but i didnt have any trouble with nor did i need a manual??? I think your overthinking the traffic circle.

So here's the rest of the story - I was at the traffic circle in OKC yesterday where Walker, 10th and Classen come together. I was northbound on Walker approaching the circle. There was no traffic in the circle other than the car in front of me who had gone. There were people to my right coming in from NW10th street. I slowed to some speed under 25 and entered the traffic circle because at last glance the traffic was not moving on the next intersection over.

I continue to enter the circle since I do not need to yield to anyone.

The traffic to my right enters the circle as I am becoming established, and I hear a slap on my car.

The traffic on my right is an OKC motorcycle cop that (from my point of view) failed to either merge properly or yield properly and who I believe hit my car with his hand. He pulls me over and long story short tells me that I must yield to the right as well as the left, that I should treat the circle as a 4 way stop, and that if the traffic from 10th never gets to go because there's traffic there, it'll back up. He then tells me that he's going to cite me for failure to yield, then he tears up the ticket.

I have utmost respect for law enforcement and the thought that I was nearly involved in an accident with a motorcycle (much less a motorcycle cop) makes me ill. I have a hard time believing that I should yield to the right. It sucks that he was there for some period longer than he wanted to be there, but there are no time frames set for yield signs. Yeah it sucks, but it happens at some intersections. There was no additional traffic behind me, and had I stopped and stayed stopped, there may have been grounds for obstruction of traffic. (I'm not a cop, lawyer or doctor, but I know it's an option)

I believe that I was in the right, he was frusterated and that was why *he* tore up the ticket versus citing me for whatever he could. Or maybe I really was wrong, but seemed like a nice deferrential guy and he let me off with a lesson on traffic laws.

He wasn't running his lights - in that event I certainly would have stopped for him to go.

Hence my confusion.

 

[HMFIC]

So here's the rest of the story - I was at the traffic circle in OKC yesterday where Walker, 10th and Classen come together. I was northbound on Walker approaching the circle. There was no traffic in the circle other than the car in front of me who had gone. There were people to my right coming in from NW10th street. I slowed to some speed under 25 and entered the traffic circle because at last glance the traffic was not moving on the next intersection over.

I continue to enter the circle since I do not need to yield to anyone.

The traffic to my right enters the circle as I am becoming established, and I hear a slap on my car.

The traffic on my right is an OKC motorcycle cop that (from my point of view) failed to either merge properly or yield properly and who I believe hit my car with his hand. He pulls me over and long story short tells me that I must yield to the right as well as the left, that I should treat the circle as a 4 way stop, and that if the traffic from 10th never gets to go because there's traffic there, it'll back up. He then tells me that he's going to cite me for failure to yield, then he tears up the ticket.

I have utmost respect for law enforcement and the thought that I was nearly involved in an accident with a motorcycle (much less a motorcycle cop) makes me ill. I have a hard time believing that I should yield to the right. It sucks that he was there for some period longer than he wanted to be there, but there are no time frames set for yield signs. Yeah it sucks, but it happens at some intersections. There was no additional traffic behind me, and had I stopped and stayed stopped, there may have been grounds for obstruction of traffic. (I'm not a cop, lawyer or doctor, but I know it's an option)

I believe that I was in the right, he was frusterated and that was why *he* tore up the ticket versus citing me for whatever he could. Or maybe I really was wrong, but seemed like a nice deferrential guy and he let me off with a lesson on traffic laws.

He wasn't running his lights - in that event I certainly would have stopped for him to go.

Hence my confusion.

I can see where you'd be confused, I would be too if I were told I was supposed to yeild to traffic from both the right and the left when entering.

What is the speed limit there? With that intersection being so F'd up and 5 points of entry/exit within a VERY small circle, I would have thought they'd want the limit to be at the MOST 25 anyway.

 

[MBowman325]

Looked on Google Maps, and there's a caution that says 20 MPH. I'd have to drive it again to see how fast I entered the intersection, as I wasn't paying attention to the speedo. Whatever I was at, I slowed down as I came upon it (for the car in front of me) and then touched the brake again as I entered it. It could have been I was going faster than the cautionary sign, but I don't know. I don't feel I was going fast, but feelings are for shrinks. It wasn't any crazy-style turn. I would like to think that if I was excessivly speeding, he would have mentioned that too.

 

[Danny Tanner]

Looked on Google Maps, and there's a caution that says 20 MPH. I'd have to drive it again to see how fast I entered the intersection, as I wasn't paying attention to the speedo. Whatever I was at, I slowed down as I came upon it (for the car in front of me) and then touched the brake again as I entered it. It could have been I was going faster than the cautionary sign, but I don't know. I don't feel I was going fast, but feelings are for shrinks. It wasn't any crazy-style turn. I would like to think that if I was excessivly speeding, he would have mentioned that too.

I found the security video from that intersection:

 

[WTJ]

Most people believe the surface transportation was built solely for their personal use and seem astonished when, as they lapse in and out of consciousness, that there are other vehicles in close proximity. Then they park at the DOT engineering office and design twenty-foot on ramps for their use to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in their new 3 cylinder hybrid Scrotomobile.

 

[beast1989]

Ahhhh finally a thread to let out all of our bitchin'. Dumb people are everywhere but I can tolerate Oklahomans to be honest. I just hate when the fast lane gets clogged up with a 1994 Datsun or 2001 Chevy commercial pickup towing a lawn care trailer.

In San Diego I still dont understand how the slow pokes can rule over all six lanes...

 

[STWshooter87]

In San Diego I still dont understand how the slow pokes can rule over all six lanes...

Talked with a friend who lives there and they said the same thing! I have no concept of driving on a 6 lane highway, I hope I gain an appreciation for that. I'm a country man.

 

[beast1989]

Talked with a friend who lives there and they said the same thing! I have no concept of driving on a 6 lane highway, I hope I gain an appreciation for that. I'm a country man.

Well its the same as our three and four lanes highways except that everyone spreads out more lol. You get angrier bc you would expect for more lanes to solve the problem but you cant solve stupid.

 

[BadBadJohn]

Quoting from memory from the owner's manual to my 2004 Chevy Silverado -- "Your vehicle is equipped with the option to pull the high beam lever back to signal to the driver of the car in front of you that you wish to pass."

Yet every time I try this I get the finger.

I won't flip you the finger, but I will ignore you. If I have room to pull over I will. But I'm not gonna pull over into the safe distance between 2 cars in the outside lane. AND, I especially HATE drivers that are all fired up impatient to get around and when you let them around they pull over into your lane and slow down forcing you to disengage your cruise.

You think Oklahoma is bad?!?! You ain't driven in Chicago!!!

 

[onearmedman]

Oklahoman drivers also seem to be highly confused with dual-lane left turns at stop lights. At almost every single one of these in our state, there will always be somebody in the farthest left turn lane who swings over into the right lane mid-most way through the turn. Often times, there will be a car in that right lane (99% of those times it's me) who will be forced to slam on their brakes and honk, only to get looked at by that driver like "WHY THE HELL WERE YOU IN THAT LANE?!"

Anybody who works at Tinker should be familiar with these idiots if you exit base using the Hruskocy Gate and make a left turn at 29th. 9 out of 10 drivers in the farthest left turn lane there will swing wide into the right lane. I wish I was exaggerating that number, too.

Now, Now... You just have to tighten up those belts, listen to your spotter and put that other driver into the wall!