OKC drivers (Oklahoma City, Edmond, Stillwater: construction, tax, live)

[MrJester]

I've noticed something funny about drivers in OKC.

The vast majority of OKC drivers drive much nicer and slower than drivers in Los Angeles or San Diego.

BUT then there's that 1 or 2 percent of OKC drivers who are OFF-THE-CHARTS rude and just plain don't know how to drive. I mean rude as in far, far worse than anything I've seen in LA or San Diego.

Case in point: I saw not one or two, but a good 5, 6 cars speeding down the I-44 at a whopping 90 miles per hour! Not even the most aggressive LA driver drives at 90 mph. To make it clear, they were NOT street racers, their cars were nothing sporty, nothing decked out.

Just today, I was driving through Northwest OKC on the two-lane section of 150th street, past some suburban developments. Speed limit: 40 mph. The pickup driving in front of me was going at 25 mph, at most. I honked a couple times. No response. Couldn't be bothered to go any faster. Never had this kind of problem even on two lane roads in Southern California.

Bottom Line: Your average OKC driver is quite nice. Your average LA/San Diego driver is fairly aggressive. BUT your outlier OKC driver is OFF-THE-WALLS, to-the-100th-degree aggressive, and plain doesn't know how to drive!

[StillwaterTownie]

Drivers driving slow for no good reason aggravate me more than the speeders, otherwise not driving bad. They're usually old or doing other things. They can be dangerous, but at least they're not being more dangerous by also speeding.

Why do you slow drivers drive so slow, other than from being old, from trying to find an unfamiliar address, or have other things to do while driving? But bear in mind, I've heard of a woman who hit someone in the rear from driving, diapering a baby, eating a sandwich, and being on the phone at the same time.

When you're on the Interstate, especially in the rural areas, you gotta go 80-90 miles to keep with the flow of traffic. Maybe they use radar detectors. I'm not a daily commuter, so don't have one.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by MrJester

the I-44

Well, now we know you are a true Californian and not just masquerading as one.

My theory on what you describe is based on the traffic patterns of OKC vs. SoCal.

In SoCal there are so many cars on the road that people are always competing for space but the fact that there are so many cars on the road keeps people from driving at ridiculous speeds. Yet at the same time the roads are wide enough that traffic flows at a decent pace most of the time.

Conversely, in OKC there is usually plenty of space or traffic is crawling. People can afford to be courteous because there is either plenty of room or you are going so slow that it's not dangerous to let someone in your lane. But when there is a lot of space those 90 mile an hour drivers can weave through traffic. Something they can't do as easy in SoCal.

And one other thing.

If you see people driving way to fast in Oklahoma there is a really good chance you will see a Texas plate on their car. We Okies see them as typical rude, obnoxious Texans. They see themselves as wanting to get through Oklahoma as fast as they can.

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by MrJester

Bottom Line: Your average OKC driver is quite nice. Your average LA/San Diego driver is fairly aggressive. BUT your outlier OKC driver is OFF-THE-WALLS, to-the-100th-degree aggressive, and plain doesn't know how to drive!

Enough Californians moving to OKC lately to teach locals how to drive. May I offer you the back seat of a V Max from Mustang to downtown OKC?

[grampaTom]

No state or city has a monopoly on A-holes -- like Chickenman, they are 'everywhere'.

[bawac34618]

Originally Posted by MrJester

I've noticed something funny about drivers in OKC.

The vast majority of OKC drivers drive much nicer and slower than drivers in Los Angeles or San Diego.

BUT then there's that 1 or 2 percent of OKC drivers who are OFF-THE-CHARTS rude and just plain don't know how to drive. I mean rude as in far, far worse than anything I've seen in LA or San Diego.

Case in point: I saw not one or two, but a good 5, 6 cars speeding down the I-44 at a whopping 90 miles per hour! Not even the most aggressive LA driver drives at 90 mph. To make it clear, they were NOT street racers, their cars were nothing sporty, nothing decked out.

Just today, I was driving through Northwest OKC on the two-lane section of 150th street, past some suburban developments. Speed limit: 40 mph. The pickup driving in front of me was going at 25 mph, at most. I honked a couple times. No response. Couldn't be bothered to go any faster. Never had this kind of problem even on two lane roads in Southern California.

Bottom Line: Your average OKC driver is quite nice. Your average LA/San Diego driver is fairly aggressive. BUT your outlier OKC driver is OFF-THE-WALLS, to-the-100th-degree aggressive, and plain doesn't know how to drive!

People in OKC do drive slow. Generally about the speed limit or 5-10 MPH under. Also, there will be many times you find yourself having to sit through an extra light cycle because somebody is on their phone and they don't go when it turns green. You don't see that in bigger cities because the driving culture is so much more fast-paced. In addition, it's baffling how many people drive without their headlights on at night in Oklahoma. It's a common thing there and something you have to watch out for.

A big part of the issue in Oklahoma is the poor quality of the roads and the poor design. Nowhere else have I seen as many potholes or as poorly designed intersections and highway interchanges as in OKC.

[saibot]

Originally Posted by bawac34618

People in OKC do drive slow. Generally about the speed limit or 5-10 MPH under. Also, there will be many times you find yourself having to sit through an extra light cycle because somebody is on their phone and they don't go when it turns green. You don't see that in bigger cities because the driving culture is so much more fast-paced. In addition, it's baffling how many people drive without their headlights on at night in Oklahoma. It's a common thing there and something you have to watch out for.

A big part of the issue in Oklahoma is the poor quality of the roads and the poor design. Nowhere else have I seen as many potholes or as poorly designed intersections and highway interchanges as in OKC.

Interesting. The times I've been to OKC, I didn't notice that people were driving particularly slowly...but as a visitor trying to find my way, I'm probably driving on the slow side myself!

My sister spent many years in the Long Beach, CA area and has lived on the outskirts of Edmond for about 6 years now. Her opinion is the opposite, that OK drivers are too fast and aggressive, and she refers to this often. This is a quote from one of her recent e-mails to me:

"The drivers here are ruthless and cut in front of you just to make a turn on the next intersection; they tailgate like mad and drive too fast." Her opinion only...

We were just there for a week at Christmas and there was a fatal accident on the night of Christmas Day right around the corner from my sister's house. In fact, her neighbor, her daughter and son-in-law were killed. The street was a narrow two-lane highway with no shoulders; a suspected drunk driver crossed the center line and hit them head on. (He wasn't killed, of course; they never are). Of course drunk drivers can and do kill people everywhere, but the narrowness of the highways in that area means there is no margin for error. It terrifies me to see that people actually ride road bikes on those highways. We don't have roads like that in residential areas in my part of California.

[StillwaterTownie]

No doubt the lack of concern at the state capitol for better roads in Oklahoma was quite well shown when the tax on gas was raised by 3 cents a gallon with none it going to fix the roads. But then it simply also reflects on the part of Oklahomans on their lack of concern for the need of better roads as well. Over a decade ago a state question to raise the tax on gas for the roads was turned down by a whopping nearly 90%. We'd rather visit the tire store and mechanic more often.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by saibot

Interesting. The times I've been to OKC, I didn't notice that people were driving particularly slowly...but as a visitor trying to find my way, I'm probably driving on the slow side myself!

I've noticed people drive slow on I-44 in northwest Oklahoma City, especially the right lane and that was before construction started at the Broadway junction.

If old people are driving slow because they can't see good, due to cataracts, or whatever, they had best hurry up and get needed medical attention for it.

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

I've noticed people drive slow on I-44 in northwest Oklahoma City, especially the right lane and that was before construction started at the Broadway junction.

If old people are driving slow because they can't see good, due to cataracts, or whatever, they had best hurry up and get needed medical attention for it.

I do not consider myself old, have no cataracts and tend to stay within the speed limits as my old truck is priceless to me and I will see the day she gets the antique tag.

90 on I44 - keep up with the pups or stay on the porch.