How friendly are Dallas/Fort Worth drivers? (Houston, El Paso: moving, discount)

[Ralph_Kirk]

Originally Posted by Eastworth

How bad is Texas road rage in Houston and in Dallas? Are there road rage shootings often? Is every driver armed? I ask because if it's so bad, I probably won't honk my horn unless necessary.

Why would you honk your horn unnecessarily anyway? That is itself a symptom of road rage. Or at least road pique.

I don't find any more road rage in Dallas than other large cities I've driven in, except Honolulu, where people on the freeway would slow down to let me enter at the on-ramp or change lanes in front of them...and where nobody honks except in life-or-death situations.

I've been out in Dallas traffic every day for the last seven years. I see people doing silly things*, but I haven't seen road rage yet.

*I was at a red light on the southbound Central Expressway service road. The front guy in the far right lane decided to make a sudden left turn while the light is still red. A moment later, the front guy in the far left lane decides to make a sudden right turn.

I had seen people here do that twice before, but it was amazing to see two people do it at the same intersection from both directions during the same red light.

[Eastworth]

Like I would honk if someone cut me off close to my bumper. Would that provoke road rage?

[Ralph_Kirk]

Originally Posted by Eastworth

Like I would honk if someone cut me off close to my bumper. Would that provoke road rage?

If he missed, then you're not honking to prevent an accident. So, yeah, it kinda is road pique.

That particular thing does happen frequently in Dallas. As I said, a lot of people here think they're driving NASCAR.

But to be fair, they usually don't mind if you do the same thing to them, 'cause that's also NASCAR.

[Beardown91737]

Drivers in the DFW area are generally more courteous than they are skilled.

[Wittgenstein's Ghost]

Originally Posted by Ralph_Kirk

If he missed, then you're not honking to prevent an accident. So, yeah, it kinda is road pique.

That particular thing does happen frequently in Dallas. As I said, a lot of people here think they're driving NASCAR.

But to be fair, they usually don't mind if you do the same thing to them, 'cause that's also NASCAR.

Someone who cuts you off that closely needs to get honked at. That these sorts of actions are leading to road road is a sign of the times.

[Gaylord_Focker]

I've driven in most major cities. Dallas is definitely on the competitive aggressive side. Same with Philly. Interesting as both don't have dense traffic like say Boston or DC, but certainly aggressive.

[Gaylord_Focker]

Originally Posted by Wittgenstein's Ghost

I've heard this about Abilene drivers elsewhere on this sub, but experiences during the six years I lived there don't support this. I personally witnessed road rage multiple times in Abilene. One time was when I went straight in the straight only lane on N 1st St. downtown (headed east) and the guy on my left was in the left turn only lane but didn't realize it was a left turn only lane. He laid on the horn and showed me all sorts of interesting hand gestures. Another was when a guy was completely oblivious that he had a yield sign at an intersection with Treadaway (this shouldn't have been surprising to him since Treadaway is a much busier road than the road he was on). It was bizarre, and there was one serious incident on Sayles when I was there where a guy was shot in the head over a road rage incident.

Abilene very much has a southern sort of "culture of honor" where men who feel disrespected are unlikely to let it go. This plays out on the roadways.

"Provoked" is in the eye of the beholder. Someone who is in the wrong but doesn't realize they are in the wrong might think they are being provoked.

DFW is a big city. There are tons of drivers, and if you drive long enough, you will see road rage.

Edit.....just realized this is the same poster who wrote up a big thing about how terrible Arizona people were to him and asked if DFW neighbors bring you pies.

Never heard this term but omg that makes sense.

[Eastworth]

Originally Posted by Beardown91737

Drivers in the DFW area are generally more courteous than they are skilled.

Sounds exactly like Phoenix. Drivers in Phoenix are always courteous, but drive so terribly and do illegal turns and break driving laws.

Idk if I'd say Dallas drivers are courteous. I've driven in Dallas and nobody let me merge onto the highway. Like 5 cars raced passed me. Then one let me on. I remember with a friend, I was saying how those drivers were jerks when i had to switch lanes on the 405. Him being a Dallas local said they were passing me so I could switch.

Thanks for your input. I think I'm ready to drive in Houston. If it's like Dallas driving, I know what to expect.

Again, El Paso has the worst drivers in the country. I'm always amazed at how both rude, uncotoreous, and unskilled they are there.

[Ralph_Kirk]

Originally Posted by Wittgenstein's Ghost

Someone who cuts you off that closely needs to get honked at. That these sorts of actions are leading to road road is a sign of the times.

As I said, cutting in close is what Dallasites do and expect to be done to them. Sometimes, they will give you just a foot or two to cut in front of them for a lane change, and honestly believe that's sufficient space...why aren't you taking it?

[Ralph_Kirk]

Originally Posted by Eastworth

Idk if I'd say Dallas drivers are courteous. I've driven in Dallas and nobody let me merge onto the highway. Like 5 cars raced passed me. Then one let me on. I remember with a friend, I was saying how those drivers were jerks when i had to switch lanes on the 405. Him being a Dallas local said they were passing me so I could switch.

He was right. Or they actually gave you a couple of feet in front of them and wondered why you didn't take it.