[jmlowman]

Okay, I'll condition my comments by saying that we haven't lived in Michigan since 1968, and have been back only briefly to visit the in-laws in 2007, 2009, 2012 and this year.

Anyway, we had an enjoyable three weeks in Michigan before we returned to southern California on June 10th.
After visiting the in-laws in the Flint area, we departed the day before Memorial Day for Grand Rapids. From there we drove to St. Joseph and followed Lake Michigan to Muskegon, Ludington, Frankfort, Traverse City, Mackinaw City, down Lake Huron to Alpena, Midland and back to Flint, photographing scenery and lighthouses for the next 12 days.

Rounding the Thumb and headed to Flint from Port Huron, I noticed an electrified billboard on the roadside along I-69 talking about road rage.

Are you kidding? We've lived in soCal since 1975. This is where the concept was pioneered.

Traffic was so light on our travels, even on US31 and US 23, as well as I-69, that it was a pleasure to drive for a change. Of course, schools were still in session, so that may have accounted for there being so few people on the road.

Only annoyance that I noticed was some drivers who tended to follow too closely, at highway speed, when we were passing a series of slow vehicles. That, and pulling up too close behind at traffic signals and stop signs. I found that the latter was actually an optical illusion, caused by the rear-view mirror.

[snoopygirlmi]

Yeah, that's kind of weird. Those freeways tend to have lighter traffic than the ones near me.

Given the proximity to the Metro Detroit area, I think it's more about being prudent than addressing a significant problem.

Down here in the Metro tri-county area, I barely notice the "road rage" signs because if you don't drive a bit crazy, then you'll never get anywhere.

[Coldjensens]

Michigan has had problems with road rage on memorial day weekend in the past. Every single person alive decides to go up north for the weekend. Traffic gets snarled. It is funny what the State believes they can prevent by putting up signs telling you not to do it. (I am still hoping to find some of those talking urinal cakes the State bought a year or two ago and handed out to bars. They tell you not to drink and drive when you pee on them.)

One incident a few years ago stuck in my head. Two women got into it during a traffic jam. They got out of their cars to argue more and one of them stabbed the other with a fork.

I always wonder if she yells "Fork You!" when she did it. She was prosecuted for assault with a deadly weapon. I found that funny too. Was it a plastic fork? Probably. Not many people carry flatware in their car.

[cmuguy25]

69 is rarely (if ever) crazy busy, especially West from Port Huron to Flint area. Seems they could have put the sign in a more congested area (Detroit Metro maybe?) if they wanted any impact on motorists.

[fakkelsey]

Your trip makes me a little envious. LOL I do hope you enjoyed it. Yes, 69 is quite light. US 31 can be a bit busy from Holland to Muskegon but that's it. Withe few isolated exceptions the only true busy freeways outside of Detroit metro is I 75, US 127 in Lansing and US 131 in Grand Rapids. Even in Detroit, major backups are only found routinely on the Southfield, I 275 by I 96, I 696, and I 75 from my times in Detroit. Overall from what I hear, comparing to CA, Michigan traffic is not all that bad, and up north quite light. Is stated though, weekends get crazy with people going north.

Certainly we have had numerous road-rage occurrences but probably not any more than many other states. I had to ride with drivers before cussing out the window at every body else on the road and using there horn more then their breaks. LOL But that is probably a whole different issue.

[MS313]

You will find quite a generous amount of road rage in Detroit. So if the sign is anywhere near the Detroit area then it's understandable. Grand Rapids probably has a little bit of it too.

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by jmlowman

...I noticed an electrified billboard on the roadside along I-69 talking about road rage.....

Man, those really tick me off too! I get so worked up it makes ME WANT TO SMASH MY CAR INTO THE NEXT PERSON WHO GLANCES MY WAY.....ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[jmlowman]

Originally Posted by fakkelsey

Your trip makes me a little envious. LOL I do hope you enjoyed it.

Indeed we did! I had been wanting to take this drive for a long time.

I think we were saved by the fact that school was still in session, and the rush "up north" had not yet begun.
Some things never change, right?

The weather could have been a bit nicer, but still it didn't interfere with any of our plans.

Surprising that the folks at Hertz didn't freak out when I returned the Chevy Traverse.
Out with 2,765 miles on the odometer, in with almost 6,000.
That did also include a round trip to Dayton.

[retiring2017]

Maybe I'm conditioned by the past 25 years I've spent on the fast & furious East Coast (Baltimore MD) but our trip up north to Alpena for a 4th of July vacation this year was downright relaxing. Drivers were using turn signals, keeping courteous following distances, not pulling out directly in front of me and driving within 5MPH of the posted limit. Man, do I ever miss this Midwest driving. Granted, there's a certain percentage of the population inclined to road rage in any state, but I don't believe you michiganders have a thing to worry about.

[canudigit]

Road rage? In Michigan? Heck, I even live in the SE corner of the state and I have never, ever, not even during rush hour in Metro Detroit, seen driving like we saw in Southern California when we were there. I've driven in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando, NYC, and Washington, D.C., and still...never in my life have I seen drivers like those in the San Diego to LA corridor. You know how here you sometimes have someone ride up your backside if you are in the passing lane temporarily to pass a slower car in the right lane? In SoCal, you had better be doing 85-90 in the two left most lanes or you are gonna be up a creek. It's also fun when the motorcycles legally zoom seemingly out of nowhere down the line between lanes and between two cars side by side, coming mere inches from your side mirror and scaring the living daylights out of you.

Michigan is a Sunday afternoon drive in the country compared to the madness that is SoCal!