What is with the drivers around here? It's insane! (Phoenix: dangerous, pool)

[DHart]

Originally Posted by observer53

Well, no, a lot of the posts are talking about how it's no different here than in other places. The past threads ran the same course.

Right. There are a lot of crappy drivers here and elsewhere.

I believe my statement stands. I guess we are all (perhaps most of us) bothered by how many bad drivers there are on the roads. Does it not bother you at all? Perhaps it doesn't bother everyone. But that doesn't change the fact that there are so many bad drivers out there.

The focus is not really on how it differs here from other places. If you want to focus on that element, it's safe to say it's worse here than some places and better here than some places. But that's not the point. The point is simply that there are a lot of bad drivers on the roads here and I'm venting about that.

I think most of us would agree that there are a lot of crappy drivers on the road.

What does this have to do with past threads, anyway? Who cares?

[LongNote]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

The traffic here isn't bad compared to other places I've lived. A lot of the OP's observations are caused by idiots poking along in the left lane causing cars to have to change lanes to try and get around them to move with the flow of traffic. I've lived in lots of places during my three decades in the military and have never witnessed so many slow drivers that just hang out in the left lane.

I'm trying to keep my commute to 30 minutes but have some idiot doing 60 on the freeway in the left lane with 15 cars backed up jockeying trying to get around them. Causing my 30 minute commute to get closer to 40.

Originally Posted by lewdog_5

I commute daily in this city. Traffic here is cake compared to most big cities. Very little stop and go depending on your commute times or directions you are heading. I'd rather people drive fast with as many lanes as we have on our freeways here, then poke along at speed limit. If you think the traffic stinks, you are probably part of the problem.

I'll never understand the racing the red lights though. Might be why many have full brake repairs before 50k miles though. LOL I calmly put my car in neutral and coast. I'll gladly accelerate quickly once the light goes green for those behind me that don't like my initial slow approach, but I am sure as hell not using my brakes like most people.

With all due respect you guys are changing the subject. I agree that the traffic in Phoenix, as far as congestion goes, isn't that bad, especially when being compared to cities like Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, etc...

What this thread is talking about is the idiotic drivers in Phoenix, not how congested it is. As far as the blatant acts of stupidity you see on the road, very few cities can compare to Phoenix.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by LongNote

With all due respect you guys are changing the subject. I agree that the traffic in Phoenix, as far as congestion goes, isn't that bad, especially when being compared to cities like Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, etc...

What this thread is talking about is the idiotic drivers in Phoenix, not how congested it is. As far as the blatant acts of stupidity you see on the road, very few cities can compare to Phoenix.

I think you need to reread my post...

[MotleyCrew]

Originally Posted by DHart

No doubt it's a nationwide issue, but I'm noticing a lot of dangerous driving out there. Incredibly aggressive, impatient, rude, all jammed together, tailgating mere feet from each other, typically exceeding the speed limit, darting back and forth from lane to lane, all while looking down at their critically important cell phone texting that just can't wait to be tended to later.

Getting out and about on the freeways around Scottsdale/Phoenix these days seems like a much riskier thing than driving was some time ago. I have to say that I'm thankful to be retired and not HAVE to get out in that mess everyday. I do sympathize with those who have to drive in it every day. But then again, many (not most) of those who do are the ones causing all the problems by how poorly they drive. We're surrounded by incompetent idiots, it seems, barely giving driving the attention that is required to avoid accidents, if even that.

Take care out there folks... there are people around you out there who won't be going home tonight, or ever again, because of this. And you don't want to be "that guy".

I guess all you can do to deal with this is constantly keep plenty of ample space in front of you, be very vigilant, attend to situational awareness constantly, moderate your speed, only change lanes when you need to, begin to slow down early, instead of at the last moment, NEVER change lanes until you've carefully cleared the way visually, and hope to make it through without becoming involved with an idiot who ruins your day (or your life).

It is everywhere. We were in San Diego this last weekend and saw many insane drivers. One guy was so pissed at the gas station he was cursing and screaming inside his car and threw it in reverse and sped up and into another lane. He looked crazy. I think the country is melting down......

[LongNote]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

I think you need to reread my post...

The OP wasn't complaining about the traffic.

Originally Posted by LBTRS

The traffic here isn't bad compared to other places I've lived. A lot of the OP's observations are caused by idiots poking along in the left lane causing cars to have to change lanes to try and get around them to move with the flow of traffic. I've lived in lots of places during my three decades in the military and have never witnessed so many slow drivers that just hang out in the left lane.

I'm trying to keep my commute to 30 minutes but have some idiot doing 60 on the freeway in the left lane with 15 cars backed up jockeying trying to get around them. Causing my 30 minute commute to get closer to 40.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by DHart

Right. There are a lot of crappy drivers here and elsewhere.

I believe my statement stands. I guess we are all (perhaps most of us) bothered by how many bad drivers there are on the roads. Does it not bother you at all? Perhaps it doesn't bother everyone. But that doesn't change the fact that there are so many bad drivers out there.

The focus is not really on how it differs here from other places. If you want to focus on that element, it's safe to say it's worse here than some places and better here than some places. But that's not the point. The point is simply that there are a lot of bad drivers on the roads here and I'm venting about that.

I think most of us would agree that there are a lot of crappy drivers on the road.

What does this have to do with past threads, anyway? Who cares?

It has to do with the fact that this same discussion, raising all the same points, has happened multiple times on this forum. Every time someone such as yourself wants to vent. The discussions go around and around, plowing the same ground, and then end until the next time someone wants to vent and starts another one.

Yes, bad drivers bother me. But I have seen them everywhere, and I don't agree with the characterization that they are worse here than in other cities. Do these venting triggered discussions do anything to change the behavior of "bad" drivers? No. But they join that collection of info on the internet that some prospective Phoenix resident will mention months or years from now and post here that they "heard somewhere" that Phoenix has the worst drivers in the country. And the discussion will go around and around again.

Done with this one. Hope your next driving experiences are better.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by LongNote

With all due respect you guys are changing the subject. I agree that the traffic in Phoenix, as far as congestion goes, isn't that bad, especially when being compared to cities like Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, etc...

What this thread is talking about is the idiotic drivers in Phoenix, not how congested it is. As far as the blatant acts of stupidity you see on the road, very few cities can compare to Phoenix.

LongNote... thank you for paying attention. You've got it! This thread is not about congestion. And it is not about painting Phoenix as particularly full of idiotic drivers. All through the thread is has been discussed that Phoenix is probably no better nor worse than the average major metro areas in terms of idiotic drivers.

I would point out that in my experience criss crossing the country in a 44' motorhome towing an Avalanche, that my wife and I have noted that the freeways around Phoenix are notably better than around almost any other major metro area we've driven. They are well kept, clean, have many lanes, and are beautiful! I'd say the freeway design and condition here is THE best I've seen anywhere.

This is just a rant about idiotic drivers! And there are a lot of them on the roads. As someone pointed out... it gives one the sense that this country is in meltdown. And there are many other signs of that. Thanks to the last six point five years of governmental idiocy.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by observer53

It has to do with the fact that this same discussion, raising all the same points, has happened multiple times on this forum. Every time someone such as yourself wants to vent. The discussions go around and around, plowing the same ground, and then end until the next time someone wants to vent and starts another one.

Yes, bad drivers bother me. But I have seen them everywhere, and I don't agree with the characterization that they are worse here than in other cities. Do these venting triggered discussions do anything to change the behavior of "bad" drivers? No. But they join that collection of info on the internet that some prospective Phoenix resident will mention months or years from now and post here that they "heard somewhere" that Phoenix has the worst drivers in the country. And the discussion will go around and around again.

Done with this one. Hope your next driving experiences are better.

Perhaps you don't have a lot of experience with forums. If you have, you will note that on forums of whatever topic you can name, many of the same topics are raised again and again by new people entering the forum that want to discuss the topic. If a topic that has already been discussed by others elsewhere on a forum in the past was made "off-limits", most forums would turn into silent, dead, reading libraries with little conversation at all.

Forums are kept vibrant and active by people discussing things, not by being told that a particular topic has already been discussed - "go do a search".

New people are constantly coming into active forums to discuss things that they had never been a part of in discussions in the past. And other people are eager to join in the discussion. This thread would not be so active if everyone here was uninterested in the topic.

So, as should be mentioned here, as in other forums, if a topic that has been discussed to death before comes up yet again, avoid the topic if you personally are done with it. Many others in the forum are new to the topic and haven't discussed it before; they are not done with it, and they are the ones who are entitled to participate in discussing it.

Many other topics are like "beating a dead horse". Take Arizona heat, for example. Been discussed ad infinitum ad nauseum, I'm sure. But there are always new folks who would like to discuss it. If you don't like that, go find something else to read, do, or talk about.

[Bungle]

Originally Posted by DHart

Perhaps you don't have a lot of experience with forums.

This cracked me up.

observer53
Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2008
15,038 posts, read 20,356,726 times

[jaezra]

I think it is all relative. I just moved here a few months back after spending 40 years in Los Angeles and Orange County California. Driving here feels like heaven to me after being out there my whole life. Traffic is mostly sparse, the roads are clean and well maintained, and the drivers are courteous and I am yet to witness any aggression.

It's only been a few months so who knows maybe I am missing something but so far I drive around in a pretty good mood. Beats the stress and irritation I dealt with daily on the roads in Cal.