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Old 07-26-2010, 07:34 PM
 
Location: Near L.A.
4,108 posts, read 10,755,643 times
Reputation: 3444

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I've never lived in L.A. Heck, I've only visited once. I was impressed by how polite the drivers were overall considering the incredible traffic volume. Any time I let somebody enter in front of me in a parking lot or off a ramp onto a freeway with crawling traffic, I always got a brief thank you wave. I'll be back there in about five weeks; maybe my opinion will change based on experience, or maybe it won't. We'll see.

You folks want to see a city where I've only seen (not received, but seen) only TWO thank you waves in 18 years?! Lexington, Kentucky. No joke. I lived just outside the city for 18 years and those drivers aren't exactly polite. Generally, they either drive 10 mph below the speed limit in the fast lane or 10 mph above the speed limit (and tailgating and yelling) in the slow lane. In fact, the worst case of road rage I've ever seen anywhere was on that city's very busy Nicholasville Road.

As a closing note, some of the most aggressive drivers I've ever seen were in L.A. and Orange Counties. Chicago, New York are expected cities to see such driving...and I have; I've also seen it in Houston and Dallas. Just a big city thing, I guess. The single most aggressive (not angry and honking but just aggressive) drivers I've ever witnessed personally were, oddly enough, in three I-65 cities: Louisville, Nashville and Birmingham.
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Old 04-06-2012, 03:04 PM
 
49 posts, read 235,233 times
Reputation: 19
well LA has been voted the rudest city in America several times throught out the years, but Now they say New York City is the rudest. America is too over populated and that is the problem.
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Old 04-06-2012, 03:08 PM
 
2,076 posts, read 3,645,628 times
Reputation: 907
You'll be rude too if you were stuck in traffic for hours. Whenever I drive in LA my goal is to get from point A to point B as quick as possible. Everything else be damned. You wanna merge infront me and slow me down? Not gonna happen. I need to pull into another lane and you're not giving me enough space? I'm cutting you off. You're driving slow in the PASSING lane? I'm going to tailgate you and honk my horn until you either pullover or I see a gap to get around you.
Simple as that, LA has too many terrible drivers.
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Old 04-06-2012, 03:09 PM
 
Location: Pasadena, CA
10,084 posts, read 15,771,765 times
Reputation: 4049
Quote:
Originally Posted by PosterExtraordinaire View Post
You'll be rude too if you were stuck in traffic for hours. Whenever I drive in LA my goal is to get from point A to point B as quick as possible. Everything else be damned. You wanna merge infront me and slow me down? Not gonna happen. I need to pull into another lane and you're not giving me enough space? I'm cutting you off. You're driving slow in the PASSING lane? I'm going to tailgate you and honk my horn until you either pullover or I see a gap to get around you.
Simple as that, LA has too many terrible drivers.
Which is exactly why I avoid driving at all costs.
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Old 04-06-2012, 03:12 PM
 
Location: LBC
4,156 posts, read 5,530,289 times
Reputation: 3593
Quote:
Originally Posted by PosterExtraordinaire View Post
You'll be rude too if you were stuck in traffic for hours. Whenever I drive in LA my goal is to get from point A to point B as quick as possible. Everything else be damned. You wanna merge infront me and slow me down? Not gonna happen. I need to pull into another lane and you're not giving me enough space? I'm cutting you off. You're driving slow in the PASSING lane? I'm going to tailgate you and honk my horn until you either pullover or I see a gap to get around you.
Simple as that, LA has too many terrible drivers.
Sounds like you're one of them.
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Old 04-06-2012, 03:20 PM
 
497 posts, read 1,498,045 times
Reputation: 306
I find most people in la to be pretty accomodating.

They let me cut in front of them last minute at wilshire and sepulveda...

I pass other motorists all the time without a chase down...unlike other states where some motorist's take it personal if you pass them on the hwy.


I can always tell someone from out of state when they dont understand the function of a green arrow at intersections. I just pull out of the left turn lane line an get in front of them as they sit behind the crosswalk waiting for the green arrow to re-appear.
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Old 04-06-2012, 03:23 PM
 
2,076 posts, read 3,645,628 times
Reputation: 907
Quote:
Originally Posted by nslander View Post
Sounds like you're one of them.
We can argue back and forth all day what makes a terrible driver. To me, it's anything that destroys the flow of traffic. People who hog the passing the lane deserve everything they get. I don't bother tailgating people driving the speed limit or even 5-10mph below on any other lane, i just use the passing lane to get around them.

Most people can turn the wheel, shift gears work the clutch, whatever but they got no sense about the flow of traffic. When you drive in a big city as long as I have that absolutely gets on my nerves.
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Old 04-06-2012, 03:31 PM
 
Location: Pasadena, CA
10,084 posts, read 15,771,765 times
Reputation: 4049
Quote:
Originally Posted by PosterExtraordinaire View Post
We can argue back and forth all day what makes a terrible driver. To me, it's anything that destroys the flow of traffic. People who hog the passing the lane deserve everything they get. I don't bother tailgating people driving the speed limit or even 5-10mph below on any other lane, i just use the passing lane to get around them.

Most people can turn the wheel, shift gears work the clutch, whatever but they got no sense about the flow of traffic. When you drive in a big city as long as I have that absolutely gets on my nerves.
Tailgating and speeding disrupt the flow of traffic, especially when they cause accidents (of course you would never get in an accident, you're a great driver right? ).

It sounds like the type of driver that I love to harass by purposely slowing down when you start to tailgate me. How do you like driving 45 on the freeway?
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Old 04-06-2012, 03:38 PM
 
2,076 posts, read 3,645,628 times
Reputation: 907
Quote:
Originally Posted by munchitup View Post
Tailgating and speeding disrupt the flow of traffic, especially when they cause accidents (of course you would never get in an accident, you're a great driver right? ).

It sounds like the type of driver that I love to harass by purposely slowing down when you start to tailgate me. How do you like driving 45 on the freeway?
If you're going slow in the passing lane I'm doing a civil service by getting you to move to another lane

I've had some try to play games with me like you're talking about but they generally lose because I'm more aggressive and take more risks than the average person. I do 'lightly' bump people who play games with me like that on the freeway and they immediately pull over to check the damage on their car (which is none). I drive away.
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Old 04-06-2012, 03:45 PM
 
2,076 posts, read 3,645,628 times
Reputation: 907
Overall, Miami has the worst drivers by my definition (flow of traffic). A freeway in Miami you'll see everyone going their favorite speed, from 20mph to 100mph.

San Diego has the fastest drivers on the freeways, but limits there are hardly enforced.

Detroit drivers are the least likely to use a blinker, to stop at a sign or light but they generally don't go (very) fast.

Boston drivers will be very aggressive in the city but on the freeways they mellow out and drive the speed limit.

Overall the most aggressive drivers I found were either LA, Chicago, or DC. Haven't driven enough in DC or Chicago to be able to say for sure if LA gets my nomination. LA drivers are the friendliest for pedestrians. Maybe that get's them some bonus points?
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