AITAH? - 4RUNNER VERSION

Curious of everyone's input on this scenario:

Had to leave work today for a routine doctor's appointment, then decided to grab a quick lunch at McDonalds on my way back to the office. I pull into the parking lot of McD's and drive around to the drive through. Each lane was 3 cars deep, but in the left lane is a silver Chevy Sonic who was "lane hugging" in anticipation of whatever lane was moving faster. I decided to pull around him and get into the right lane. A few seconds later the dude honks at me and flips me the bird. I stared at him and gave him an exaggerated shrug, implying "Not my fault you can't pick a lane, dude." His lane moves forward, then mine does. Turns out I was waited on first and still managed to get the last laugh.

Was I in the wrong to go around him, or was this a case of "you snooze, you lose."

 

Might be an off topic thing...

You were in the right. No one gets to be in two lines at once. The same thing happens at the self service carwash by my house. There's two bays right off the main road and people think they can just sit in the middle to choose the one that finishes first. I just jump behind a car and play games on my phone while waiting.

 

I think you were in the right.

 

You're not the a$$h0le, but hasn't the dude suffered enough if he had to go through this in a Chevy Sonic?

 

This falls under "not my problem."

 

I feel like multilane drive thru are accidentally engineered frustration factories. Everyone has a different opinion on how to properly/politely use them, and then add the random service by the employees, and boom, everyone mad.

I get anxious pulling into a full multilane drive thru haha

 

You're too kind. The fact he bought a Chevy Sonic means he can't be trusted to exercise sound judgment.

 

Not the a-hole.

But I’ve learned — the hard way, once — that the best thing to say to someone peeved at you in an automotive situation is nothing.
Smile, wink, maybe blow a kiss. But keep hands low (as in, no visible “digital salutes”) and never, ever, miss an opportunity to shut the heck up.

As SCMountaineer said, the poor fella was in a crummy position already. No need to add to his misery.

 

This is tricky. Out of the 100% assholer'ey I give him 2/3ers and you 1/3.

Biggest question here is, did him waiting there cause any delay for you? My guess is no. You'd get your food in about the same time if he had waited there for the best line or if he just chose one, right? You just didn't like the perception of waiting. And also, by him guaranteeing he was going to get the fastest lane, it gauntness you don't get it (in the event he didn't wait like an ass and he chose wrong thereby benefiting you.)

So he didn't really affect you, you just didn't like how he queued, which was slightly ass hole'y.

It's certainly questionable what he did but not a huge deal. Didn't need to bug you at all. And then you went around him and you CERTAINLY did not queue. But you missqueued in front of a missqueue'er. Effectively flipping him the bird. Now this probably didn't effect him at all except in the exact same way that is could have effected you as i explained above.

And ultimately two wrong don't make a right. However he was bad queueing ass hole first. And its not as bad to be an ass to an ass as it would be to be an ass to a proper queue'er. And therefore you are 1/3 the ass hole here.

However if you thought he was for some reason waiting because he was on the phone or something and you went around him then I don't think you're an ass. OR, OR, maybe he just didn't want to get his car out of park or into first gear because there is effectively no difference in waiting there?

 

About a month ago (different McD's) I was waiting in the right-hand lane and a dude on a moped was in the left lane. There was someone in front of me who pulled forward, and then I pulled up to order. As soon as I pulled up, the cashier's voice came over the intercom to take my order, causing the guy on the moped to completely lose his shit and start screaming "I'm on my f'ing lunch break! Take my f'ing order!" I told the girl she should probably take his order first since he'd been waiting, but she took my order first anyway. I pulled up to pay, got to the food window, and watched what was going on behind me. He pulled up to the first window and proceeded to throw a hissy fit by throwing stuff at the cashier and getting off his moped, and the cashier was having none of it. Next thing I see is two big manager dudes go out there to confront the guy.

Things are getting weird out there, folks. Be kind to one another.

 

In defense of the Chevy dude, it really does make sense for everyone to line up single file, then split off one-by-one when a window opens up. That way, for example, if there's some problem holding up one window, everyone can keep going while that is resolved. Unfortunately, the drive-up probably isn't ideally configured for that, or there are no posted rules so it ends up with situations like you describe. In any case he is clearly an asshole for flipping you off which is a jerkish thing to do in an ambiguous situation.

 

You can't lane split in a drive through, period. When I pulled up, the lines were equal. There was plenty of room for him (had he been so inclined) to pick the left lane (he was more in the left lane if you want to get technical) or right lane, but you can't have both. It's not like some scenario we've all encountered where someone is cutting in without going through the actual drive through lanes, and you're either forced to ley someone cut in front of you or you actively choose to be an AH and ignore them and proceed. And yes, I did queue. I started off behind him in the left lane, and because he was lane-splitting there was more than enough room for me to move over to the right lane, which, given the amount of time I initially stayed behind him, he likewise had time to make a move but instead decided to be an indecisive lane-splitter. He chose poorly.

 

[nerd mode] There’s a whole branch of science devoted to this sort of thing — queueing theory — and companies spend lots of money studying it. [/nerd mode]

 

you're just stating what we both already stated

did it affect you? other than upset you?

 

It was hardly upsetting. The whole situation was rather amusing once he decided to flip me off.

 

Just calling a spade a spade.


The question wasn't who's more right, who's in the right? who chose poorly? For the record, I'm glad you did what you did. F that Dbag. I do that kinda stuff (what you did too) too. Feels great especially to an a-hole. Buuuuuuuut, I do it because I'm very comfortable being an a-hole to a-holes. But it's still me being an a-hole. And like I said it's not 1 or the other. There's no who's "right" in this situation. That doesn't exist but for to make ourselves 'feel' better.

edit: The problem with "who's THE asshole" is that in conflict there's seldom 1 of them, again though, I don't mind being one, however it would be more healthy to let it go, I tell myself often.

 

I think you both lost in this situation having been forced to eat that garbage.

 

I can relate, in a way, with the exception of being comfortable with being an asshole. Really takes a lot to get me mad, but once the switch is flipped, I go black-out asshole.

And for the record, TrueTexas is right. Everyone lost with their food choices in today's episode of AITAH.

 

It actually makes the most sense to have one lane right up until the split and then form two lanes, as this would be the most efficient. Kind of the reverse of a merge where you should maintain two lanes right up to the end and then "zipper" into one lane.

As far as assholes go, whoever loses emotional control, whether righteous anger or not, is the asshole - so I think you're golden.

 

There was a better way.

You have a 4Runner... you don't go around... you go over.

 

McDonald’s is efficient. His indecisiveness cost him a whole 1-2 minutes of extra wait time. Was it worth getting upset at you and flip the bird, probably not. You handled it well with the shrug and moving on with your day.

One day, he’ll do that to the wrong person and understand “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes”.

Society has just learned to sh*t all over itself. People have just become more complacent with this behavior and the world is enabling this victim mentality.

 

Monday im at a light and this dude goes into the intersection but its all backed up so hes stuck there. And the funny thing was he rushed in because his light was changing. But when he saw he couldn't go anywhere but just needed to go?

So now hes blocked traffic for my green light and he throws his hands up like hes frustrated he got stuck like hes so stupid it wasnt obvious this was guna happen.

But im not stuck. No. I have a 4runner. So I drive straight am em. He glances over likes hes pretending not to look. Im just staring at him. Heading right into him like hes going to get tboned. And then I turn hard and just drive over the sidewalk. Lol. Which was an asshole thing for me to do but it felt great.

Soon as he started to drive into the intersection I got happy as I knew what I was guna do.

 

But it didnt cause any wait time and would not have since there was still a line ahead. It was the illusion of a wait.

 

Not gonna lie, I lost all respect for the OP when she admitted to eating at Micky D's.

 

I went completely the other way on that. You seen the prices skyrocket there? OP's gotta be a lawyer or Dr or something respectable.

 

Nah. The $5 meal.

 

Cut me some slack. I was on a time crunch getting back to my job.

 

Nah. You good. Do you get upset in traffic when you pass an itcher ( what i call impatient lane hoppers) because they made the wrong decision at the wrong time? Or when choosing what line to wait in for gas? We all make adult decisions when driving, sometimes you win sometimes you lose. Take your L and move on.

 

I like the term "itcher." The only time that upsets me is when someone is itching well beyond the speed limit to the point where one wrong move would compromise the safety of everyone in the immediate driving area.

Waiting in line for gas is a non-issue, although when hurricanes threaten FL and evacuations are required, I've heard some stories of people getting into it but haven't experienced that directly, unless you count doing a routine fill-up at Wawa's and watching some random guy pull another dude of of a car and start wailing on him. Not sure what there story was there.

 

100% they only look for the instant gratification rather than seeing moves ahead and the big picture. Just itching to get around that next car.