What I really hate about the Dallas area so far... (Allen: car insurance, live)

[kenshi]

Big trucks seem to be the worst about this. Texas needs to start enforcing the "slower traffic keep right" rule on the freeways. Of course the stupid ass left exits don't help with this at all. I feel kind of guilty when I'm one of the slower drivers but have to move to the left lane to hit an exit.

[dallasboi]

Originally Posted by kenshi

Big trucks seem to be the worst about this. Texas needs to start enforcing the "slower traffic keep right" rule on the freeways. Of course the stupid ass left exits don't help with this at all. I feel kind of guilty when I'm one of the slower drivers but have to move to the left lane to hit an exit.

That's funny. I've only seen left exits in Houston. Dallas doesn't have left exits. Unless you are speaking of the southbound ramp to I-35e from westbound I-635.

[dizkoteck]

I moved from NYC. Although no city and no roads are perfect, Dallas certainly has less morons per capita than NYC. I'll take 1-2 idiots on the road in Dallas any day than the 20-30 in NYC per hour. Ask my gf, she noticed my road rage disappeared

[mikeh19468]

Originally Posted by dizkoteck

I moved from NYC. Although no city and no roads are perfect, Dallas certainly has less morons per capita than NYC. I'll take 1-2 idiots on the road in Dallas any day than the 20-30 in NYC per hour. Ask my gf, she noticed my road rage disappeared

Ditto that for Philly. At least I haven't seen anyone (yet) out here who believes Yield=Stop

[grneyedmustang]

Originally Posted by dallasboi

That's funny. I've only seen left exits in Houston. Dallas doesn't have left exits. Unless you are speaking of the southbound ramp to I-35e from westbound I-635.

Ramp to I30 from I 35E Southbound in Dallas = left exit
Ramp to I35E North in Dallas from I30 Eastbound = left exit
Ramp to I 635W from I35E northbound (north Dallas) = left exit

And I've noticed here that the yield sign is a suggestion. The yield sign on the exit of 75 Southbound to Ross avenue is the worst. The people on the access road there NEVER yield.

[mikeh19468]

Originally Posted by grneyedmustang

Ramp to I30 from I 35E Southbound in Dallas = left exit
Ramp to I35E North in Dallas from I30 Eastbound = left exit
Ramp to I 635W from I35E northbound (north Dallas) = left exit

And I've noticed here that the yield sign is a suggestion. The yield sign on the exit of 75 Southbound to Ross avenue is the worst. The people on the access road there NEVER yield.

I think I'd take the never yield over the always yield (even when it's unnecessary). My first week in Philadelphia, I almost rearended some old lady who came to a complete stop on a freeway on ramp, at a yield sign, with ZERO traffic in the slow lanes. That was not an uncommon behavior, and I learned quickly to watch for that as I ran into it (figuratively speaking) a few times per month.

[kenshi]

Originally Posted by grneyedmustang

Ramp to I30 from I 35E Southbound in Dallas = left exit
Ramp to I35E North in Dallas from I30 Eastbound = left exit
Ramp to I 635W from I35E northbound (north Dallas) = left exit

Beat me to it. I'll add that some ramps from one freeway to another also take you to the left lane of the freeway you're entering as well, like westbound I-30 to northbound I-35E. And outside of Dallas, there's the exit from I-20 to TX-31 between Longview and Kilgore.

[pappy97]

Originally Posted by mikeh19468

are all these "center lane bandits". Having higher speed limits is great, and coming from years of driving on the west and east coasts, I had an expectation that a lot of people wouldn't want to drive that fast, and would hang towards slow lane, with the occasional knucklehead in the fast lane.

However, it's unbelievable to me how many people just camp out in the center lane going 10-15 mph below the speed limit. That's far more dangerous than either fast or slow lane, as it can be difficult to cut over into either lane (since you have slow pokes to the right, and speed demons to the left). There's definitely a group of Texans that need a few refresher driving lessons...

Thank you! I mentioned this (not center lane slow driving per se, just slow driving in general) a few years ago but the natives take a offense. This problem of drivers driving well below the speed limit/flow of traffic is a severe problem I've seen all over the DFW metroplex. In comparing it to drivers in NorCal, SoCal, and KC, I have DFW in general to be the worst. Not everyone, but this contingent of very slow drivers are just asking to cause accidents.

Another problem I've seen here that I haven't in other metros is people taking very long to start moving after a red light. For some of these people, it's the cell phone again. For others, especially in the burbs, we've seen it's parents more focused on the kids in their car rather than the road.

One big thing I've noticed is that as opposed to other metros, there is a large number of drivers here who talk on their cell phone that they are holding up to their ear or are texting while driving. I can't tell you how many times I've been stuck behind someone driving very slow only to find them on their cell phone once I can finally pass. Yes it's better they are going too slow rather than too fast, but come on, they should be off their cell phone.

My wife and I have noticed this since we got here in Nov 09 and it continues to this day. It is easily our biggest thing we hate about the people here.

[psychomantis]

Originally Posted by mikeh19468

are all these "center lane bandits". Having higher speed limits is great, and coming from years of driving on the west and east coasts, I had an expectation that a lot of people wouldn't want to drive that fast, and would hang towards slow lane, with the occasional knucklehead in the fast lane.

However, it's unbelievable to me how many people just camp out in the center lane going 10-15 mph below the speed limit. That's far more dangerous than either fast or slow lane, as it can be difficult to cut over into either lane (since you have slow pokes to the right, and speed demons to the left). There's definitely a group of Texans that need a few refresher driving lessons...

I would gladly take this any day. Here in the Northeast, a lot of our freeways are only 2 lanes wide, and you often come upon 2 tractor trailers/old people driving side by side going 10-20mph UNDER the speed limit for miles on end, forming a rolling roadblock thats impossible to pass. They just cannot seem to grasp the simple concept of a "traveling lane" and a "passing lane."

[BigDGeek]

I'm just going to stereotype here....what I've noticed is if the person going slow is in an older and/or beat-up car, the driver is almost always Latino. This is especially true if the car in question is a Chrysler minivan or any make of American pickup truck.

If someone's going slow and drifting or has left their blinker on, it's someone on a cell phone. Usually they're female and disproportionately east Asian. If the car in question is a Town Car or other American luxury behemoth, the driver is usually an older white male.

This is just what I've observed.