What do you love and hate about living in Idaho? (Boise: house, neighborhoods)

[boi2socal]

Originally Posted by Sage of Sagle

I believe you....I just think you've lost your marbles.

Both cities have very rude drivers. I think Boise's mix of big city folk and small town folk makes for a frightening driving experience.

[loveautumn]

As a tourist coming to visit, these driving comments has me a bit afraid. Any tips on how I can protect myself, when I will be kind of unsure of where I'm going...don't want to get into any accidents ? thanks!

[Syringaloid]

Originally Posted by loveautumn

As a tourist coming to visit, these driving comments has me a bit afraid. Any tips on how I can protect myself, when I will be kind of unsure of where I'm going...don't want to get into any accidents ? thanks!

Take the comments with a grain of salt until you actually arrive here and drive around and experience it for yourself. Boise is often ranked as one of the safest cities to drive in by insurance companies, sure there are idiotic drivers, many will claim those bad drivers are the transplants from larger cities which I tend to agree with. Certain areas of Boise have drivers that are more aggressive. IMO, the further west you head the more aggressive the drivers are, a good example is Eagle Road. The Interstate here is a breeze, even in our little rush hour compared to driving in CA and I can say that with confidence because I lived in southern CA for a few years. The daily commute through downtown and up on the Bench is often mellow and people are respectful based on my daily experience.
If you are unsure of where you are going while driving here then pull off the street into a parking lot and figure your route out. Keep up with traffic, don't drive below the speed limit and frustrate other people behind you. Streets in Boise itself tend to be more narrow compared to other cities streets. And, watch for the one way streets in downtown.

[truckingbronco]

Originally Posted by loveautumn

As a tourist coming to visit, these driving comments has me a bit afraid. Any tips on how I can protect myself, when I will be kind of unsure of where I'm going...don't want to get into any accidents ? thanks!

We have a mix of aggressive drivers, absent minded rural drivers, and overly cautious/polite drivers. It's not dangerous or gridlocked, just frustrating, IMO.

Two of my pet peeves that are very common here are very slow drivers who insist on staying in the left lanes for miles on end, except when they gun it after you finally have had enough and try to squeeze through on the right. The other is the overly polite driver who unexpectedly slams on their brakes in busy streets or intersections and disrupts the traffic flow or right-of-way to let someone turn or pull out.

[ILI.EB]

Our freeways are not a problem at all, it is just city streets and it is mostly West of downtown that the problems are more prominent. It's just annoying. I would have to agree with the above poster as well that a large portion of the problem is the over-courteous drivers that think they are being nice to that ONE CAR on a side street without realizing they are disrupting the mile long line of cars behind them.

The clueless drivers I would say are second worse. I've witnessed a lot of driving the wrong way down a one way, reversing on a major street because they missed their turn, DRIVING in the center passing lane. People who feel the need to speed-match you when you try to pass and when you slow back down, so do they, etc, etc.

Third would have to be the abnormal amount of running stop signs and red lights here. I've never seen so many people run the light simply because they don't want to wait and a stop sign in a neighborhood must just be a suggestion around here because I think maybe only one in 10 cars stop. (if that) Don't believe me? Watch 4 way intersections in less busy parts of town.

Although Boise always makes "safe driving lists" I have to call BS on that. My car insurance went up by 96% ($96 per month to $188 per month) when I moved to Idaho from the San Francisco region and I have witnessed more accidents here than I have "back home" on a day to day basis.

Regardless of these annoyances, Boise will be fine to drive in as a tourist. Just be prepared to see things that are "odd" or "wrong" much more commonly here than many other places.

[Syringaloid]

Originally Posted by ILI.EB

Although Boise always makes "safe driving lists" I have to call BS on that. My car insurance went up by 96% ($96 per month to $188 per month) when I moved to Idaho from the San Francisco region and I have witnessed more accidents here than I have "back home" on a day to day basis.

Dang, that is a big increase. I wonder why it went up so much? Mine went down after I moved here, and currently my insurance on my new mid size auto is only $76 per month for extended/upgraded coverage with Liberty Mutual. Granted I have had no citations or been involved in an accident the entire time I have lived here. Most of my friends from out of state I have spoken with about this topic mention how much cheaper their auto insurance is in Idaho compared to where they came from.

[ILI.EB]

I have always heard that as well (that Idaho was cheaper than a lot) - When I moved here, My insurance agent told that the region I came from had some of the best rates in the nation. I'm not exactly sure why it increased so much.

To be fair, I have seen a significant decrease since living here for several years (but I also have cheaper to insure / more practical cars than I did) and I now pay what I used to pay in California.

[boi2socal]

Originally Posted by ILI.EB

Although Boise always makes "safe driving lists" I have to call BS on that. My car insurance went up by 96% ($96 per month to $188 per month) when I moved to Idaho from the San Francisco region and I have witnessed more accidents here than I have "back home" on a day to day basis.

I've lived in LA eight years and saw more accidents in the four years I was driving in Boise than I have while living here. I talk to my mom on a weekly basis and it is shocking how often she tells me a friend, or friend of a friend has been in a car accident, often times they died. So I also am surprised by the "safe" rankings. At the same time, I have looked into car rates when I was looking at moving back and they are significantly less than LA.

And tourists need not worry about driving in Boise. It isn't that bad. Just very frustrating at times for locals.

[Syringaloid]

Originally Posted by boi2socal

I've lived in LA eight years and saw more accidents in the four years I was driving in Boise than I have while living here. I talk to my mom on a weekly basis and it is shocking how often she tells me a friend, or friend of a friend has been in a car accident, often times they died. So I also am surprised by the "safe" rankings. At the same time, I have looked into car rates when I was looking at moving back and they are significantly less than LA.

And tourists need not worry about driving in Boise. It isn't that bad. Just very frustrating at times for locals.

No offense intended, but your post kind of contradicts itself. You make it sound as if there is massive mayhem daily on Boise streets based on the post I quoted and your previous posts in this thread. You state you haven't lived in Boise for eight years and I find it hard to believe that over 8 years ago you saw more accidents in little Boise then the past 8 years in huge LA. I guess you did/have and so be it. I don't doubt that some of your moms friends have been in accidents, there are accidents everyday in any given city, but "often times they died" seems a little frightening. And after you talk about "often times they died" you try to reassure the tourists not to worry about driving in Boise because "it isn't that bad".
I am not intending to cause an argument but just had to ask. Happy Friday!

[loveautumn]

well, I feel a little better about driving, kinda...haha. I'll be on vacation and in no great hurry to get anywhere so I'll definitely heed everyone's warnings/suggestions. I've driven in Massachusetts (all of New England), SoCal, Virginia/DC area, so I have some experience with drivers in different regions of the country (I'd say DC/Virginia is pretty bad, they cut you no slack at all). I drive pretty slow myself so I'll probaby be one of those people creeping along...maybe I'll put a "tourist" sign in the back window of my car