Why do you hate it here? (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: airport, ticket, metro area)

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by Lost in Translation

However, Miami almost always tops the national rankings for road rage.

Yeah, but that AutoVantage survey is nonsense. They count factors such as people eating or drinking while they drive, talking on their cell phones while they drive, etc. as "road rage".

[Lost in Translation]

Originally Posted by Tungsten_Udder

Yeah, but that AutoVantage survey is nonsense. They count factors such as people eating or drinking while they drive, talking on their cell phones while they drive, etc. as "road rage".

Tungsten - you seem like a reasonable guy. You don't think the drivers are crazy down here?

I agree that a lot of Miami hating is hyperbole, but the drivers really do suck the rancid sausage. It's my only real pet-peeve with S Fla.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by Lost in Translation

Tungsten - you seem like a reasonable guy. You don't think the drivers are crazy down here?

I think that some people do crazy things when they're driving, but I do not think that that's in any way limited to Florida--I see it everywhere that there's traffic.

But, I do not see most people do crazy things anywhere that I've driven (and don't forget that I've been on the road as a musician in a number of situations--I've played at least once in every state in the US as well as outside of the US), and the traffic volume is Florida is far less than the traffic volume in many other places I've driven (including here in the northeast), and I also see people driving much more calmly and courteously in Florida than I've seen in many other places.

The easiest places to drive are places where there just isn't much traffic volume, of course--like out in the middle of Wyoming (well, as long as it's not winter, then you have to deal with that instead--and once we had a truck break down in the middle of Wyoming, in the middle of winter, in the middle of the night, lol). The place that seemed the craziest in terms of driving to me was Tijuana, Mexico--because there was heavy traffic volume AND there appeared to literally be no traffic rules when I was there. There were no signs or lights, no lanes, and people seemed to drive on the right or left side of the road at whim. Tijuanans seemed to deal with it just fine, but for someone not used to that, it was a bear to get through (kinda like a parking lot after a concert or sporting event, but a bit less organized and driving at normal inner-city speeds). The place that had significant traffic volume that has seemed to have the best driving to me was around the Willamette Valley in Oregon--but that's partially because I like to drive very mellow, and at least when I was there, it seemed like almost everyone was going 5-10 miles per hour below the speed limit, they were very courteous, etc. Florida to me seems on the good side of average for places with its traffic volume.

[average dave]

Originally Posted by Tungsten_Udder

Interesting . . . I like the architecture in Florida a lot. I wish there were more big buildings and more unusual ones, but I like what's there for the most part.

Re the comment that there are no intellectuals coming from Florida schools, I can't agree with that either . . . partially because my intellectual development occurred in Florida schools and thus so did the intellectual development of a lot of my friends.

But re finding a lot of people with similar political views to my own . . . well, I might have to go to Mars for that or something. I sure haven't found many folks who agree with my political views anywhere that I've lived or traveled so far, including New York City. Of course, I don't really know what I should call my political views at this point. I call myself a libertarian socialist for want of a better term--I think I'd probably disagree on too many points with the other folks who also call themselves that. I used to be more of an "official US Libertarian Party"-styled Libertarian, and when I was, there were far more folks of like mind in Florida than there were here in New York City, and I became quite involved with the county and state parties in Florida. There wasn't even an active county branch of the party in Manhattan when I first moved up here. I'm not sure if there is now or not--I gave up looking for other Libertarians here.

Touche. I'm also a Floridian, and I wince at most of these posts.

[Desdemona25]

Originally Posted by Lost in Translation

I only find S FL residents rude when they are driving. Once they are out of their vehicles, I don't find S FL residents any more or less rude than anywhere else I've been.

The only true 'rude' people I've met in my life were in NYC and Athens, Greece. Many say New Yorkers are just being direct and tell it like it is - but I find their collective mannerism to be very coarse and unpleasant.

Unfortunately, it's a situation of kill or be killed. Not literally, but you know what I mean. It's either adapt or become dinner.

But you'll get a rep point from me for the second paragraph.

[BornInFL]

Originally Posted by Lost in Translation

Tungsten - you seem like a reasonable guy. You don't think the drivers are crazy down here?

I agree that a lot of Miami hating is hyperbole, but the drivers really do suck the rancid sausage. It's my only real pet-peeve with S Fla.

Tungsten may be a resonable guy, but I have YET to see him acknowledge that S FL road rage is a big problem. Its always "I see it everywhere" or "I havent noticed its that bad." I'm sorry, but anyone that cant see it is in denial. It's like going to Detroit and not able to see that the economy is struggling there. All you have to do is open your eyes, and observe. Take it in. And relax. It's OK to admit that S FL has problems. And AutoVantage isnt the only place that has named S FL (or Miami) Road Rage Capitol. You think AutoVantage is the only source of that information?

[TriMT7]

I hate driving in Miami, but it's because I don't do well in traffic situations myself (frustration).

I think the "rudeness" of driving in Florida is actually more of an "oblivious to one's surroundings" driving.

Driving in NY/NJ was 10x more stressful than driving in PBC and Broward County to me.... the people up there collectively ALL drive like it's Miami... every man for themselves. The most scared I've ever been while riding in a car were two trips to NYC -- I thought we were going to be killed or kill someone else. Again, "everyman for themselves."

[BornInFL]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

I hate driving in Miami, but it's because I don't do well in traffic situations myself (frustration).

I think the "rudeness" of driving in Florida is actually more of an "oblivious to one's surroundings" driving.

Driving in NY/NJ was 10x more stressful than driving in PBC and Broward County to me.... the people up there collectively ALL drive like it's Miami... every man for themselves. The most scared I've ever been while riding in a car were two trips to NYC -- I thought we were going to be killed or kill someone else. Again, "everyman for themselves."

There we go! Now you are sounding like you are aware of what it's like in S FL. You talk about how bad and stressful it was driving in NYC? Well, now apply that info to S FL and you see the link? Almost everyone in S FL is from NY or Latin America! So now I know you can see the obvious!

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by BornInFL

There we go! Now you are sounding like you are aware of what it's like in S FL. You talk about how bad and stressful it was driving in NYC? Well, now apply that info to S FL and you see the link? Almost everyone in S FL is from NY or Latin America! So now I know you can see the obvious!

Dont "reach" to hard, you might dislocate your shoulder.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by BornInFL

Tungsten may be a resonable guy, but I have YET to see him acknowledge that S FL road rage is a big problem.

Right, because I don't agree that it IS "a big problem". I've commented on this before, but I guess I've got to do it again: "A big problem" is a subjective way of putting it. If you'd like to correlate it to objective phenomena instead--correlate it to observables rather than subjective assessments of observables, we could maybe agree on some facts.

And AutoVantage isnt the only place that has named S FL (or Miami) Road Rage Capitol. You think AutoVantage is the only source of that information?

What sources did you have in mind that weren't either AutoVantage or simply reporting the AutoVantage study and using it as their source? I'd be happy to look at them.