# Why <Insert State, Province, or Country> Drivers Are the Worst!



## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Commuting through the Garden State daily, I frequently see many things that give me pause. So here is the thread to post your rants and musings about the driver that got your goat today.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

Metro DC with hint of snow in the forcast!!

Besides that, people tend to behave themselves.


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## pleasehelp (Sep 8, 2005)

NJ drivers are absurdly aggressive, love to tailgate and brutal on their brakes. They are the soulmates of the drivers in certain areas of Long Island. NJ (and those particular LI drivers) bother me the most because they put me at the greatest risk.

DC drivers in the snow tend to be the most entertaining. Overall a pretty nice group of drivers but unbelievably incapable of driving in the snow. I distinctly remember the chaos when I lived in G-town many years ago. Tons of powerful RWD sedans that would smash into cars as they went down the narrow streets.

MA drivers tend to annoy me in a special way by failing to use their turn signals. It's really strange - it's as if MA mechanics collectively disable the signals on the cars.


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## herfitup (Mar 4, 2012)

pleasehelp said:


> NJ drivers are absurdly aggressive, love to tailgate and brutal on their brakes. They are the soulmates of the drivers in certain areas of Long Island. NJ (and those particular LI drivers) bother me the most because they put me at the greatest risk.
> 
> DC drivers in the snow tend to be the most entertaining. Overall a pretty nice group of drivers but unbelievably incapable of driving in the snow. I distinctly remember the chaos when I lived in G-town many years ago. Tons of powerful RWD sedans that would smash into cars as they went down the narrow streets.
> 
> *MA drivers tend to annoy me in a special way by failing to use their turn signals. It's really strange - it's as if MA mechanics collectively disable the signals on the cars.*


It is a matter of self-preservation. If you give them a clue about what you are going to do they will take advantage of it. Don't look the drivers in the eye either. It is a sign of weakness.

RI drivers have to be the worst in the USA. There aren't many of them but I've seen things in RI that I haven't seen anywhere else in the country.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Our State is one that issues vanity license plates to members of the state legislature and not surprisingly some recipients of such privilege take undue advantage of it. This past week, as we were driving through one of the local communities a car with legislative plates blew our doors off, doing an estimated 70 to 80 mph. However, a more pathetic aspect of the scenario was the Confederate battle flag decal affixed to the lower left corner of the rear window of the car. One might expect that of a "born again hillbilly," but from a state legislator? Welcome to Hoosierville!


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

I've driven in about 45 states, plus a few foreign countries. I've seen bad drivers all over. But MA drivers take the cake, IMO. A solid 10-15% of them seem to be moving in totally random patterns, without regard to lanes, signaling devices, right-of-way, etc.

Still, there is little scarier than making your way along some mountain-top gravel road in eastern TN (or western NC, or WV) and encountering some hillbilly [email protected] along at 70 mph going the other way and using the full width of the road. The worst part is knowing that he _ain't_ skeered a bit.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

CuffDaddy said:


> Still, there is little scarier than making your way along some mountain-top gravel road in eastern TN (or western NC, or WV) and encountering some hillbilly [email protected] along at 70 mph going the other way and using the full width of the road. The worst part is knowing that he _ain't_ skeered a bit.


There's some of that in the Poconos. The posted speed limits and road paint (if the roads are painted) are mere suggestions on the back roads. It makes things interesting.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

pleasehelp said:


> NJ drivers are absurdly aggressive, love to tailgate and brutal on their brakes. They are the soulmates of the drivers in certain areas of Long Island. NJ (and those particular LI drivers) bother me the most because they put me at the greatest risk.
> 
> 
> > I've often wondered what the driving portion of the driver's license test would be like in NJ. I see so few drivers actually follow the rules of the road. Exposing a student driver to that would be like throwing a cuddly kitten into a pit of scorpions.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

herfitup said:


> Don't look the drivers in the eye either. It is a sign of weakness.


Yes, never make eye contact. You're just asking for the bird...or some other colorful gesture.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> There's some of that in the Poconos. The posted speed limits and road paint (if the roads are painted) are mere suggestions on the back roads. It makes things interesting.


Man, the roads I'm talking about don't even _have_ speed-limit signs on them! As for paint... they ain't painted the trailer-homes on the side of the road, much less the road itself. Besides, you can paint rocks, but you can't make them stay in the same place.


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## Flairball (Dec 9, 2012)

Being. Bonified Mass-hole I make no excuses for the way people here drive. I think it's an embarrassment, and a disgrace. 

That said, like others I have seen acts of traffic defiance in Rhode Island hat have been mind boggling. 

I attribute a lot of he lack of civility in the US (can't speak of other parts of the world) to the increased amount of anominimity we are allowed to function in these days. More and more we interact via the net, much like we do here at AAAC. Names are seldom connected to faces any more, and the need to talk to a real person on the phone is decreasing. It's easy to be rude, and it's seen in forums daily. People readily say things anonymously that they'd never say to a persons face for fear of recieving a well deserved knuckle sandwich. This feeling of anonymity has made its way to the automobile. We can see the other driver, but not interact with them, and rudeness will go unanswered unless a traffic accident ensues. In that case manners are quickly recovered, until we get to again deal with an anonymous claims adjuster on the phone.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

CuffDaddy said:


> ...they ain't painted the trailer-homes on the side of the road, much less the road itself.


Sounds like the area south of Promised Land State Forest...or as I like to call it Militia-ville...lots of shiny new Confederate flags flying in front of raggedy single-wide trailers.

On the bright side, lots of nice hiking trails and clear streams up there.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Flairball said:


> Being. Bonified Mass-hole I make no excuses for the way people here drive. I think it's an embarrassment, and a disgrace.


The MA drivers who venture out-of-state are by-and-large OK. I do make it a habit to pass them as fast as I can however. The ones I encounter tend to drive slowly in the left lane...a quick way to invite scorn from my fellow commuters...best to not be anywhere nearby if it blows up.


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## fishertw (Jan 27, 2006)

Being from a summer resort area of North Carolina that is invaded annually in the late spring, I can attest that Florida drivers are about the worst ever. My son and his friends used to wear pins (when it was not politically incorrect to do so) that said " if it's tourist season, why can't we shoot at em'". The drive slowly, erratically, straddle lanes, and generally cause havoc on the highways. Watching blue haired old ladies driving big fancy cars and trying not to run over the locals is a treat.


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

I can't decide between Cyprus and Italy. It's a tough choice.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> I do make it a habit to pass them as fast as I can however. The ones I encounter tend to drive slowly in the left lane...a quick way to invite scorn from my fellow commuters...best to not be anywhere nearby if it blows up.


A vastly under-rated tactic for dealing with bad drivers, or cars that have mechanical difficulty. Too many people, having been coached into timidity in the name of caution, will simply linger in a bad driver's wake (or, worse, their blind spot) for miles and miles. I say, "Get thee behind me, Satan!"


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## dkoernert (May 31, 2011)

Its Maryland for me. I don't mind NOVa, or even D.C. As soon as I enter into Maryland though, the worst of the worst seem to all be on 95 at the same time.


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## phyrpowr (Aug 30, 2009)

I don't know if they're imports or locals, but Charlotte drivers seem to go by three major rules: Turn signals are to be used totally at random, matching an actual turn is pure coincidence; no one is ever trying to enter from a driveway or side road, so pay no attention to them; parking lots are like car lots, no one is going to pull out or walk through, so drive as fast as you want (high speed is mandatory in parking decks)


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## bernoulli (Mar 21, 2011)

There is nothing quite like the experience of driving in Rio de Janeiro. Very few rules...

Ningbo in China has more rules, but is also a crazy place to drive....

Italy is surprisingly civilized compared to those places, even Naples.


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

Driving along the Via Flaminia to the North of Rome, for example, whilst being careful not to overtake on blind corners, I became aware that such a precautionary approach had no place in many Italian drivers' minds. To them, it seemed, if you wish to overtake, do so, nothing will be coming, or if it is it won't matter. Except that it is only a 2 lane road with cliffs either side either going up or down. So if one were to meet an overtaking Italian there would be choice of:
1) Head on collision in the lane one is already in with the overtaking vehicle.
2) Head on collision on the other lane with the overtaken vehicle.
3) Drive over a cliff edge, or into a cliff-face.
I didn't enjoy it.....


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Naturally one has to be extra vigilant when driving in Italy. Yet driving there is far preferable to being driven by an Italian taxi driver.

However, not all Italians seem to conform to the style of driving one anticipates - the over-confident Alfisti coexist awkwardly with the unpredictable and often slow-moving elderly cinquecentisti.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Langham said:


> However, not all Italians seem to conform to the style of driving one anticipates - the over-confident Alfisti coexist awkwardly with the unpredictable and often slow-moving elderly cinquecentisti.


New Jersey is similar. You would expect to meet one type of driver on the roadways, but I've identified four distinct types on I-80:


The Aggressive Pragmatist: He's in a hurry and bends the rules of the road as much as possible without being a jerk about it. For example, signaling a lane change as he passes you going 90mph in the right lane.


The Civilian: He doesn't play any games. All he wants to do is go 5 mph over the speed limit in the right or middle lane. He rarely changes lanes, speeds up, or slows down. He's very predictable. He leaves others alone and expects the same from them.


The Dope: Has no idea what is going on. Changes lanes to impede oncoming faster traffic. Drives side-by-side other cars for miles at a time. Never signals. Drives like he's on a cell phone...but probably isn't...he's just a bad driver. Invites scorn from other drivers and deserves it 90% of the time.


The Maniac: Tailgates...in the right lane. Switches lanes every 0.5 miles. Flashes highbeams at you. Drives like he's 15 mnutes late for the most important meeting of his life. Invites scorn from other drivers and deserves it all of the time.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> The Aggressive Pragmatist: He's in a hurry and bends the rules of the road as much as possible without being a jerk about it. For example, signaling a lane change as he passes you going 90mph in the right lane.





You should not be in the left lane if you can be overtaken by a 90mph driver.

Take off that hat and turn off that indicator, Gramps!!


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

WouldaShoulda said:


> [/LIST]
> 
> You should not be in the left lane if you can be overtaken by a 90mph driver.
> 
> Take off that hat and turn off that indicator, Gramps!!


The aggressive pragmatist doesn't mind passing on the right. It's all good. He realizes that there may be extenuating circumstances. He's sorry to pass on the right, but he's gotta get to where he's gotta go.


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

Langham said:


> Naturally one has to be extra vigilant when driving in Italy. Yet driving there is far preferable to being driven by an Italian taxi driver.
> 
> However, not all Italians seem to conform to the style of driving one anticipates - the over-confident Alfisti coexist awkwardly with the unpredictable and often slow-moving elderly cinquecentisti.


Yes, it's the unpredictability that makes it worse!


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## Ekphrastic (Oct 4, 2009)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> The aggressive pragmatist doesn't mind passing on the right. It's all good. He realizes that there may be extenuating circumstances. He's sorry to pass on the right, but he's gotta get to where he's gotta go.


Yep. I grew up in southern California, where there are no passing lanes--in many places around Los Angeles, it's six lanes of traffic in each direction. Yes, the right lanes are supposed to go slower, and the left lanes are supposed to be faster, but passing can occur anywhere. It keeps you on your toes.

However, it left me totally unprepared for when I moved to a place that _did _have the left lane designated as a passing lane. Whenever I'd get high-beamed or someone would tailgate me, I kept thinking, "Sheesh, man, I'm already speeding; if you want to go around me, just do it--you're open on the right. Why do you have to make _me_ pull over?" (Truth be told, I still believe in this.)


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Ekphrastic said:


> Yep. I grew up in southern California, where there are no passing lanes--in many places around Los Angeles, it's six lanes of traffic in each direction. Yes, the right lanes are supposed to go slower, and the left lanes are supposed to be faster, but passing can occur anywhere. It keeps you on your toes.
> 
> However, it left me totally unprepared for when I moved to a place that _did _have the left lane designated as a passing lane. Whenever I'd get high-beamed or someone would tailgate me, I kept thinking, "Sheesh, man, I'm already speeding; if you want to go around me, just do it--you're open on the right. Why do you have to make _me_ pull over?" (Truth be told, I still believe in this.)


In an ideal world, slower traffic drives in the right lane. But the pragmatist knows that he doesn't live in an ideal world. And the aggressive pragmatist does something about it.

It's funny you mention SoCal. I associate AP driving with the western US.


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

Just out of interest, is overtaking permissible in any lane in the US, or is it just allowed in the "fast lane", for want of a better expression? Assuming multi-lane roads, of course.


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## Shoe City Thinker (Oct 8, 2012)

As a so-called "Masshole" I can attest to the habitual tailgating, lack of turn signals, and lack of civility within the I-495 beltway. Drivers from NH are more chilled-out and better behaved.


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## pleasehelp (Sep 8, 2005)

Chouan said:


> Just out of interest, is overtaking permissible in any lane in the US, or is it just allowed in the "fast lane", for want of a better expression? Assuming multi-lane roads, of course.


I don't know for sure, but my understanding is that while there is not a strict law requiring passing on the left, it is generally considered a rule of safe driving and the failure to pass on the left could be an indication to a police officer that a driver is driving recklessly.


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## Gurdon (Feb 7, 2005)

Chouan said:


> Just out of interest, is overtaking permissible in any lane in the US, or is it just allowed in the "fast lane", for want of a better expression? Assuming multi-lane roads, of course.


It depends on the state. In California, as has been mentioned, one can pass on the right on multi-lane freeways. Whereas in New Jersey, at least when I lived there in the 1970's, it was against the law to pass on the right.

Regards,
Gurdon


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## Gurdon (Feb 7, 2005)

*Montana*

Montana drivers are special. While not as bad as those in other places where I've driven, driving in Montana offers its own special excitement.

For a number of years my parents spent the summer half of the year in Montana and the winter in Los Angeles. They complained, justifiably, I thought, about the erratic driving maneuvers of the Montana natives, particularly the frequently occuring "Montana dart-out," executed by someone pulling into the roadway from a side street, driveway, parking lot, or from behind a bush, under circumstances that a normal person would judge to be unsafe. They pull into the road directly in front of you, into a non-existant gap in the traffic, requiring that you hit the brakes rather than hitting their car. That is in the summer.

After spending a few weeks there in wintertime I was amazed by how much better everyone seemed to be driving. I concluded that Montana drivers just can't handle dry roads.

Regards,
Gurdon

PS: The deer dart in front of cars throughout the year.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Gurdon said:


> ...particularly the frequently occuring "Montana dart-out," executed by someone pulling into the roadway from a side street, driveway, parking lot, or from behind a bush, under circumstances that a normal person would judge to be unsafe. They pull into the road directly in front of you, into a non-existant gap in the traffic, requiring that you hit the brakes rather than hitting their car.


We have a similar thing in the northeast, except the variation is that the "dart-out" occurs when the victim is the only one on the road. The aggressor typically employs the "dart-out" and immediately slows to 5 mph below the posted speed limit. And so the end product is the comical scene of two cars alone on the road with one tailgating the other. The northeast variation of the dart-out is one of the more selfish acts I've seen on the road.


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## emb1980 (Dec 28, 2012)

dkoernert said:


> Its Maryland for me. I don't mind NOVa, or even D.C. As soon as I enter into Maryland though, the worst of the worst seem to all be on 95 at the same time.


I have been a lot of places, and I evaluate drivers both as a fellow driver and as a runner. I can honestly say that MD drivers display greater disregard for the safety of pedestrians than any drivers I've dealt with.


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## Stirling Newberry (Mar 4, 2013)

Chouan said:


> Yes, it's the unpredictability that makes it worse!


I remember riding in a taxi that drove up stairs between levels in Rome. For a while mainland China had the worst drivers because most people had no experience.


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## Hitch (Apr 25, 2012)

Arizona is the only place I've consistently been passed with the cc set at 90.


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## Stirling Newberry (Mar 4, 2013)

When I am in AZ I am generally trying to get off the road as soon as possible.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Gurdon said:


> It depends on the state. In California, as has been mentioned, one can pass on the right on multi-lane freeways. Whereas in New Jersey, at least when I lived there in the 1970's, it was against the law to pass on the right.
> 
> Regards,
> Gurdon


Passing on the right is a very common occurrance in NJ. It may still be illegal, but I see it every day. Which is fair enough, I guess. Because if you're going to give tickets for passing on the right to one guy, then you need to give tickets for clogging up the left lane to the other. It's a wash on the Mad Max roads of NJ.

On another note, the state troopers in NJ are a curiosity. To put it politely, they are selective in the laws they enforce. I see state troopers drive 10 mph over the speed limit on I-80 with folks right on their tail without anyone getting a ticket. Some days I see a lot of traffic enforcement (usually at the end of a month or quarter...making a quota perhaps) with multiple state police cars working speed traps in the same location, and on other days there is no police presence at all. Unfortunately, I think of the NJ state police as another obstacle in my daily commute..neither friend or foe...but someone who has to be dealt with on my journey.


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## Zakk (Aug 4, 2011)

In the U.S., I haven't seen much worse than people from Arizona driving out of state and into the snow.

Outside the U.S., I remember traffic lights in Turkey simply being for decoration. Anywhere in South America is pretty bad too.


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## dba (Oct 22, 2010)

I can say that in my 20+ years as a police officer, I never stopped a car bearing Oregon plates WITHOUT taking enforcement action. Not ever! They are the worse I've ever seen, it's almost as if they tossed out their common sense once they crossed the border with California.


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