How do people drive where you live

[wishuponastarforever]

I've had a driver's license in several states. A few observations I've made are:

In Texas if the traffic backs up on the Interstate, some people will just exit through the grass without waiting for the next exit. We call this the "Texas Exit"

In South Carolina, a right-hand turn seems to take just a little longer.

In North Carolina, it is great sport to fly down the lane that will have to merge - the winner is the one who gets ahead of the most cars without causing an accident.

How do people drive where you live?

 

[CBRorBust]

Well here in Texas you better be going at least 75mph in the middle lane of the highway or you better move over to the slow lane!

It's a move it or lose it mentality on our highways!

Make sure to wave Thank You if someone lets you over, they didn't have to in the first place! And best of all there is a turn-around at every Highway exit! Something I've noticed that isn't as common in other states.

P.S. There is nothing wrong with using the grass as an exit!

 

[Princess_Aurora]

Originally posted by wishuponastarforever
In Texas if the traffic backs up on the Interstate, some people will just exit through the grass without waiting for the next exit. We call this the "Texas Exit"

Yeah...I've seen a lot of people do that. It's funny when they get stuck in the mud or something and can't get out

Another thing people love to do around here is to slow down as they get on the freeway. You try to be courtious and let someone on and they just slow down so your only option is to either just stop or speed up to pass them so they can just get behind you. Then if you speed up, they get mad at you for not letting them on

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Originally posted by wishuponastarforever

In North Carolina, it is great sport to fly down the lane that will have to merge - the winner is the one who gets ahead of the most cars without causing an accident.

[/B]

I can't wait to show my husband this thread. You are exactly right. We were talking about the people who now pass you on the right side which is an exit ramp/lane.

What has bothered me most in the past couple of years are the drivers that don't pull over when a funeral procession is passing by. I find this to be so disrespectful. I am not taking about roads in which it would be dangerous.

Lori

 

[Stepharoonie!]

If you've been to Orlando, then you know we have all SORTS of strange driving around here. My personal favorite is when someone will cut in front of you...and misses the front of your car by _this_ much.

 

[palmtreegirl]

NJ- People tail gate constantly. I never really noticied till I moved to PA and I find myself tail gating everyone. I go back to NJ once a week and it's just normal driving.

Florida- When I lived there for school people never seemed to use blinkers, they just drifted over.

PA- I'm finding that people do not use the shoulders on the rode at all. They all the sudden slow down on a 55 mph rode to like 5 mph, then put the blinker on and then make the turn really wide. They also seem to ride their brakes around here which drives me nuts!

 

[monarchsfan16]

Driving here in Southern NH is actually totally different from driving in Northern NH. Same state, two very different worlds. In Northern NH, aside from the tourists they are pretty much polite, drive at the speed limit, and do everything right. There are exceptions of course, but that's pretty much the way things are done.
Where I live, in the Southern part of the state the middle finger is a VERY common salute. You see it even if you let someone in or whatever. People don't wave thanks, they let the birdie fly. 75 in the middle lane is common, and you better be doing 85 to survive in the left. Keep in mind that the speed limit in a lot of places is 55. 'If you're taking a left yield' means nothing to most drivers. They just go. Signals are believed to be optional, actually most think using them is a sign of weakness . Traffic jam? Reverse direction using the turnouts for emergency vehicles. Or they drive down the breakdown lane. Driving in NH is a lesson in mortality, especially on weekends during the fall and winter.
A Massachusetts observation: everyone drives in the left hand lane no matter how slow they're going. We actually spotted a Mass car in Idaho, from a long way off because it was sitting in the left lane doing 65. They also spend a lot of time on the horn, in traffic jams.

 

[Blondie]

Around here, people still drive like they're on the back of a horse, I call it cattle mentality. Either that or they have a jet rocket up their you know what.

All I can say is I'm glad I drive an SUV, and I don't care how much the price of gas rises!

 

[doxdogy]

We have a variety of drivers here in Jacksonville. You have the ones that just have to pull out in front of you, causing you to slam on your brakes and then go below the speed limit. I am beginning to think that most of the cars here don't have turn signals. Another one is that some seem to think they have to come to a complete stop before they turn into another street. I don't drive on the expressway (terrified of it), so I can't judge expressway driving.

 

[JustHolly]

I recently read that Florida drivers are the worst, second only to Massachusetts (near where I grew up and Ted commuted for 7 years).

The problem with Orlando area drivers is that most people are driving rented cars, on vacation and not familiar with the area. I constantly see people veering over at the last second, BACKING UP on the highway, and slamming on their brakes while looking for something.

And like Stepharoonie mentioned, the locals drive fast, weaving around all the elderly drivers and tourists and cut you off, making you slam your brakes to avoid hitting them.

A big difference between New England and Florida is that many roads in Florida are four lane divided roads with traffic entering and zipping across from the median. Slow drivers don't care that they're slow and drive in the left lane, so faster drivers weave in and out between lanes at 70 miles per hour, while cars are cutting across as well. No directionals either.

Oh, and TWICe now, we've almost been hit by people driving on the wrong side of the road, or going the wrong way around an "island" Europeans? Brits?

Oh, and in Massachusetts, people drive in the breakdown lanes! It is even legal on 128 during rushhour (or so says a friend)!!!

Holly

 

[Tina]

PA- I'm finding that people do not use the shoulders on the rode at all. They all the sudden slow down on a 55 mph rode to like 5 mph, then put the blinker on and then make the turn really wide. They also seem to ride their brakes around here which drives me nuts!

Are you saying that people should actually switch from the travel lane to the shoulder of the road before slowing to make a turn?? I've never seen that before!! I've lived in Michigan, California, and Virginia and in all 3 the shoulder is for pulling off the road for an emergency, not a turn lane.

 

[JustHolly]

Monarchsfan- being down south now, we can always pick out the drivers from NH/MA because they are driving the FASTEST! Most locals to the Orlando area don't EVER drive 85. We've really had to learn to slow down, and become very DEFENSIVE drivers.

You're so right about "the bird" I haven't seen it ONCE since we moved to Florida, but it was a weekly occurance in NH.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

well i live in mass and people drive SOOOOO bad

 

[RitaZ.]

It's true, drivers here don't care to use their turn signals. Other than that, it's not that bad where we live.

Driving in Miami is an entirely different story... The traffic is horrendous, not to mention the crazy drivers. Not for me, thank you!

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

OK here's mine (aside for the slooooowww drivers in the left lane)
When I got my drivers license we were told that when you make a left hand turn at an intersection (one that doesn't have a green or red arrow), you proceed into the intersection and wait until there is no on coming traffic, then you make you left on the green or yellow.

One thing to remember.......if someone is waiting in the intersection and you are coming toward them.....STOP at the yellow - it's their yellow - they paid for it with their waiting on the green!!

Doesn't anyone in Georgia know they can pull into the intersection????????

I've actually seen cars in front of me watch the light turn green, they wait at the line, then it turns yellow and red again - AND THEY DON'T GO. They actually waited for 2 or 3 series of green/yellow/red.

I thought they might have been mesmerized by watching the pretty colors!!

I was so perplexed by this behavior that I even asked a Police Officer once if it was legal in GA to do this. He said it's OK to pull into the intersection on the green.

Next time, I'll just pull in front of the line sitter, wave nicely and be on my way turning left on the green!!!

Also, in Georgia I think you can do a U turn just about anywhere you want...........which was strange as I come from "the land of absolutely no U turns" - Canada I guess Canada can't have too many U for fear of people having "donut" contests at intersections in the middle of the winter!!!

 

[mariessas_mom]

Ok, Dallas, TX girl here. Yes, I have seen the Texas exit many,many times. Most annoying is the person I always seem to be directly behind who has their left blinker on for 20 miles AND then SUDDENLY TURNS RIGHT!!! I'd rather they not use a blinker at all (although, those people irritate me too).

 

[barbeml]

Well, I work in our state's lovely Capitol of Trenton. I can tell you that stopping at Stop Signs and Red Lights is purely optional, and the state bird looks an awful lot like your middle finger.

 

[gshoemate]

Wow....I live in the Orlando area so I have seen all kinds of drivers. Lets see....

I don't think many people down here know how to use their blinker.....Iat least once a day iI say in the car that most of the people in this town need to take drivers training over again....thay need it.

Then there are the people on I4 that zip in and out of traffic.....when there is a traffic backup....do they actually think they are going to get where they are going faster.

I4 is the worst....if there is even a minor accident....there will be a traffic backup because everyone has to slow way down to look and see what happened.

Last weekend we saw a guy driving a motorcycle with no helmet, going about 75 on I4, standing on his seat and popping a wheely (is that how you spell it?), I'm not sure who he was trying to impress, where is the FHP when you need them.

I have been behind people before in the attractions area that they don't know where they are going, so they will just stop in the road....just stop, they don't pull over, no caution lights, nothing. I have almost rear ended people doing this.

My question is this....in Florida, you have so many people coming from different countries and renting cars, do they need to take any type of test? I am assuming that are laws would be different then theirs, how would they even know are laws? I'm surprised their aren't more accidents down here for that reason alone.

Well, my list could go on and on, I guess I will stop there.

 

[Jolie C]

When I lived in Michigan, it drove me crazy that people drove around all the time with their brights on. It's like people didn't understand that you are supposed to turn your brights down when approaching oncoming traffic. Now that I live in New Jersey, I look back fondly on those days in Michigan when my biggest complaint was headlights.....

 

[grinningghost]

Here in the Empire State of New York, you had BETTER pull way into the intersection on green if you're planning on turning left - or you'll hear about it.

My very first week driving, I had a cop behind me when I was waiting to make my left. Of course, I didn't want to run a red with a cop behind me, so when it turned yellow, then red - I didn't move. He got out of his car and read me the riot act about that.

Since the tender age of 16, I've been a VERY aggressive left turner.