No more complaining about Twin Cities Traffic (Minneapolis, St. Paul: safest, design)

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by kuan

Well I don't see the bad Minnesota drivers that everyone sees. I really don't get it. I believe that you folks believe that MN drivers are bad, but I don't believe it. I just got home after driving in bumper to bumer traffic. People wait their turn on the onramp, people get in their lanes early to avoid last minute changes, they don't pass on the right.

Re: the getting in lanes early thing, if it's due to two lanes being merged than I get really bothered by that. For instance, the 3rd street onramp to 94W - people get in the left lane miles before the right lane merges over - consequently the left lane is gridlocked for miles and there's easy driving on the right side....then the folks in the left lane get passive aggressive at those wanting to merge from the right (you know, they've been waiting for a long time in their correct lane so why should they let the hotshot on the right in?), and the result is even more bottleneck. Just utilize both lanes and let 'mergers' happen!

However, I too used to think that the MN bad driver thing was blown out of proportion, but then I had to spend some time on 694 - it's like a whole new country compared to interstate driving in the city.

[Aylalou]

Originally Posted by kuan

Well I don't see the bad Minnesota drivers that everyone sees. I really don't get it. I believe that you folks believe that MN drivers are bad, but I don't believe it. I just got home after driving in bumper to bumer traffic. People wait their turn on the onramp, people get in their lanes early to avoid last minute changes, they don't pass on the right.

What is rampant here is having people turn right in front of you without looking! The general unawareness. That floors me. It happens repeatedly. Kind of going through life sleeping at the wheel.

[Slig]

Originally Posted by Camden Northsider

Re: the getting in lanes early thing, if it's due to two lanes being merged than I get really bothered by that. For instance, the 3rd street onramp to 94W - people get in the left lane miles before the right lane merges over - consequently the left lane is gridlocked for miles and there's easy driving on the right side....then the folks in the left lane get passive aggressive at those wanting to merge from the right (you know, they've been waiting for a long time in their correct lane so why should they let the hotshot on the right in?), and the result is even more bottleneck. Just utilize both lanes and let 'mergers' happen!

However, I too used to think that the MN bad driver thing was blown out of proportion, but then I had to spend some time on 694 - it's like a whole new country compared to interstate driving in the city.

Yeah, merging here is ridiculous...when are people going to figure it out?

[NumberPlate]

I was thinking, is it because how the roads are plotted? Merge lanes and exits lanes next to each other? I have seen many times Just before I try to catch my exit lane I see a merge lane very close. Is the lane structures are something different than other places? May be I am not having enough knowledge on this... But still I insist that for the amount of traffic, the rush that we have in MN compared to CA, MN drivers have lot to learn and not so good in driving.

[Slig]

It's the exact same deal in southern California. The only difference is that there the drivers file neatly into both lanes and weave one by one into the new lane while in Minnesota everybody crowds into that lane and then try to prevent the cars in the lane that is ending from getting in.

[bloomingtonsteve]

So here's the bottom line:

Fact:

There are bad drivers in every city.
Unless we can have every "bad driver" from every city counted or otherwise recognized we will never really know which city has the most bad drivers.

I think everyone who has chimed in on this thread and all of you who've read thru it need to practice what we preach.
Would any of us win the best driver award? I doubt it.
Have you ever been honked at for letting too many drivers merge into a lane? They've known for several hundred feet that the lane they're in is closing yet, for some reason they choose to wait until the last possible second the get over. Then, they EXPECT to be let in.

Ok...rasie your hands if you REFUSE to let them in.


You passive-aggressive person, you!

[kuan]

Actually no, I let them in. I realize most of them should have known to merge earlier on, but sometimes people make mistakes too, even though they drive the same route everyday.

[Slig]

Originally Posted by kuan

Actually no, I let them in. I realize most of them should have known to merge earlier on, but sometimes people make mistakes too, even though they drive the same route everyday.

You have the same disesase as every other Minnesotan. That's the problem, when the lane merges you aren't supposed to merge in until the end and that is where cars go one by one from the left lane then the right lane and so on. This is how merging should be done.

[kuan]

I'm only doing what others do. I used to find it strange too when I first moved here but they've assimilated me.

[Slig]

I think going forward anytime a section of lane is going to be closed for repairs/clear an accident, etc. instead of setting up a merge they should just close down the entire lane until it's corrected. In this state drivers would probably prefer it that way.