Montana Drivers? (Billings, Missoula, Bozeman: houses, prices, law)

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

Originally Posted by Debee

Ya so you learn to go slow around the corners then the guy running up your behind gets P.O.ed at ya and tries to pass ya, on the corner Where everyone off to in such a hurry

It's because those crazy California drivers, and believe me I know since I am one, haven't yet learned how to slow down and take their time.
It took me being in Northern ID for about 2 or 3 days before I started changing my driving habits, compared to how you "have" to drive here in So Cal. Unfortunately some drivers will never change. Seems like 80MPH is minumum speed here.

[Debee]

Originally Posted by YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY

It's because those crazy California drivers, and believe me I know since I am one, haven't yet learned how to slow down and take their time.
It took me being in Northern ID for about 2 or 3 days before I started changing my driving habits, compared to how you "have" to drive here in So Cal. Unfortunately some drivers will never change. Seems like 80MPH is minumum speed here.

LOL .I was mostly talking about our back country dirt road.My hubby says its like theres two speeds here,stop and go like Heck.

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

Originally Posted by Debee

LOL .I was mostly talking about our back country dirt road.My hubby says its like theres two speeds here,stop and go like Heck.

You know it's funny, but if folks would take it easy on the throttle on dirt roads it would go a long way towards eliminating those little, what I call "stutter bumps" that you have exiting corners and going uphills . Man those little bumps are irritating

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by jimj

what stops it is ENFORCEMENT of the DUI laws. I find it incomprehensable that people here are on their 4th,5th DUI and not in jail and still have a license.

Depends on who the judge is. When Tom Sabo was the municipal court judge in Bozeman, you lost your license on your *first* DUI. Tom was pretty reasonable otherwise, but a real hangin' judge when it came to drunk drivers.

(I never heard it called DUI til I went to CA. Back then in MT it was called DWI, Driving While Intoxicated.)

I remember when Great Falls (or maybe the state, I don't recall which) briefly tried allowing Left Turn On Red After Stop, IF turning from a one-way street to another one-way street. Needless to say that didn't last very long... cuz people took it as "ALWAYS allow left turn on red after stop". (I even saw a cop do that once.) And it confused old-timers because they were used to "Light turns red, next three cars go through it; what is this 'stop' of which you speak??"

I've seen gridlock in downtown Great Falls numerous times, too, because of the "next three cars" thing.

All that aside -- as midwestern/northwestern driving goes, Montanans are very good. I think the winters enforce that, because you learn to drive under the worst possible conditions -- snow, ice, rain, fog, high winds, sometimes all at the same time! California drivers are a lot more skilled at weaving thru heavy traffic at high speeds (you gotta be, or you're run over and squished) and generally more skilled at avoiding accidents, but MT drivers are *vastly* better when road conditions are poor, due to weather, construction, etc. And native Montanans learn to drive on two-lane roads, too, ie. how to PASS safely and not drive down the middle of the road. CA natives never do figure that out, having grown up almost entirely on freeways.

BTW I've noticed an odd quirk of Nebraska drivers -- on two-lane roads, they ALL drive smack down the middle! (Hey, I paid for both sides...!!)

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY

You know it's funny, but if folks would take it easy on the throttle on dirt roads it would go a long way towards eliminating those little, what I call "stutter bumps" that you have exiting corners and going uphills . Man those little bumps are irritating

Washboards. And along with potholes, they're caused by weight on rain-softened surfaces (the more weight, the worse they get). Speed doesn't create them, tho it can help break them down once dry. More of a problem in roads that have had a lot of road-mix added to combat soft mud. OTOH without the road-mix, those soft-surfaced roads, so velvet-smooth when they're dry, are impassible whenever it rains. Pick your poison!

The trick on potholed or washboardy dirt roads is to drive on the wrong side of the road. That way you're going WITH the downslope of the bumps instead of hitting the crests.

When you live 30-40 miles from the nearest pavement, you learn all the tricks for dodging 'em, cuz you can't drive 20mph all the way to pavement. And if you don't like the dust... well, don't live out here where only the dirt roads go

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

Originally Posted by Reziac

(I never heard it called DUI til I went to CA. Back then in MT it was called DWI, Driving While Intoxicated.)

Here it's referred to driving under the influence (DUI) Because it could mean alcohol or drugs. Either one gets you in trouble.

Originally Posted by Reziac

California drivers are a lot more skilled at weaving thru heavy traffic at high speeds (you gotta be, or you're run over and squished) and generally more skilled at avoiding accidents, but MT drivers are *vastly* better when road conditions are poor, due to weather, construction, etc. And native Montanans learn to drive on two-lane roads, too, ie. how to PASS safely and not drive down the middle of the road. CA natives never do figure that out, having grown up almost entirely on freeways.

You ain't just kiddin. I see it daily Yesterday some fool in a little red Mercedes convertible was in the HOV (Carpool) lane by himself just haulin. Well, there was a motorcycle cop up ahead in the same lane, so he decided he better cross the double yellow and get out, before the cop saw him To bad the cop didn't see him do this. Would have been at least a $500 ticket. And to top it off, the whole time he was on a cell phone Once he was in the regular lanes he started weaving in and out to get ahead. Ironically when I got off of my offramp, he was the car in front of me stopped at the red light Awful lot of trouble for nothing

Originally Posted by Reziac

Washboards. And along with potholes, they're caused by weight on rain-softened surfaces (the more weight, the worse they get). Speed doesn't create them, tho it can help break them down once dry. More of a problem in roads that have had a lot of road-mix added to combat soft mud. OTOH without the road-mix, those soft-surfaced roads, so velvet-smooth when they're dry, are impassible whenever it rains. Pick your poison!

The trick on potholed or washboardy dirt roads is to drive on the wrong side of the road. That way you're going WITH the downslope of the bumps instead of hitting the crests.

When you live 30-40 miles from the nearest pavement, you learn all the tricks for dodging 'em, cuz you can't drive 20mph all the way to pavement. And if you don't like the dust... well, don't live out here where only the dirt roads go

My mistake Thought they were caused by to much throttle accelerating out of a corner, which causes the wheels to hop somtimes, thus creating the bumps
See, dumb Californians don't know anything
Went over some washboard when we were in Id a few weeks ago. Pretty smooth once you get above 30MPH Unfortunately both sides were washboard

[ButteLover]

I lived in MT for 5 years and the worst part about the driving is the fact that most people do not have insurance because even if they get caught the fine is less than the insurance premiums -- that is if they ever have to pay a fine!

[montana59804]

Umm, it's Saturday and I live in Missoula so as I get ready to go out and do any kind of shopping or errands, I will say a little prayer that I get back home alive and with my sanity intact.

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by montana59804

Umm, it's Saturday and I live in Missoula so as I get ready to go out and do any kind of shopping or errands, I will say a little prayer that I get back home alive and with my sanity intact.

You wanna stay home? Well that's how I feel here in the big city so what's the point of me moving to MT if it's the same fast pace(other than the room)?

[jimj]

Then don't move to Missoula! There are plenty of towns/cities where traffic is less, crowds are less and it only takes 15-20 minutes (or less) to get anywhere you need to go.