PA Drivers rated as some of the most unintelligent. (Pittsburgh: home, law)

[Copanut]

When I lived in Forest Hills and worked in Oakland I had to face that traffic everyday. Sometimes I'd snake my way through Wilkingsburg, other times I'd just stay on the Parkway, time wise, not much difference.

As to the Squirrel hill ramp, that was an afterthought and not in the original plans. They used to shut it down during rush hour, don't know if they still do. I hated the East so much because of the traffic that I moved to the South then North.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by trotter_rej

LOL, that is my favorite interchange purely for the challenge of it! You didn't even mention the hardest part, cutting across 2 lanes of traffic coming off the freeway from 376 East to turn left to get to Sq. Hill.

Speaking of cutting across lanes of traffic, my favorite is getting onto Route 28 North from the Fort Pitt Tunnels via the bypass.

"IMMEDIATELY after exiting the Fort Pitt Tunnels, quickly move left two lanes while watching for fast merging traffic on both sides of you. IMMEDIATELY after getting onto the Fort Duquesne Bridge, quickly move right two lanes while watching for fast merging traffic on both sides of you....."

In such a short distance on both bridges, cars are zig zagging both right and left across four lanes of fast moving traffic.

It's amazing there aren't many accidents on those bridges.

[ditchdigger]

Originally Posted by Johnny C

I deny people the "pittsburgh left" all the time - they act like they are entitled to it.

I think otherwise....

Then you deserve to spend eternity in Hell, not burning, but rather, sitting in a line of traffic behind some soul who's too timid to even try to execute the Pittsburgh left.

So there.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by truemuck

The biggest thing I've noticed while driving in Pittsburgh is people who don't signal or often don't look while changing lanes. Most of the times, I've been to the 'Burgh, I've almost been sideswiped.

I swear -- Oakland CA -- people still use HAND SIGNALS! Freakin' HAND SIGNALS!!

And not in addition to turn signals.

That I will NEVER forget the guy merrily driving down the road.... on all rims. No tires. Just rims.... and lots and lots of sparks....

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by ditchdigger

Then you deserve to spend eternity in Hell, not burning, but rather, sitting in a line of traffic behind some soul who's too timid to even try to execute the Pittsburgh left.

That can feel like eternal hell.

Then there is the other hell of losing his house because he killed someone when he rammed his car into the side of the car making the left. Skid marks would reveal he was going too fast so the other car wouldn't be sited for failure to yeild. He'd be considered at fault for going too fast to stop.

See, that's how people get away with Pittsburgh lefts. It's rare for a police officer to write a failure to yeild ticket. They go by what part of the car was hit by what part of the other car. When hitting someone who is making a Pittsburgh left, you're at fault by that criteria. Have fun fighting it in court before a jury of your Pittsburgh Left peers.

[ditchdigger]

Obviously I was just kidding about the Hell part. (Well, at least the eternity part.)

But, if you think about it, that Pittsburgh left doesn't really cost the opposing traffic more than a second or so, and it really can do a lot to expidite the traffic that's travelling in that direction. Deny the lead car that quick left and in actuality, you're screwing the ten cars following...

[Hopes]

Let's legalize the Pittsburgh Left! Why not? Afterall, there is legislation for legalizing medical marijuana!

If we can legally smoke medical marijuana, we should darn well be able make a legal Pittsburgh Left.

[pic-chic]

Mugatu, you are soooo right. Drivers here are just too tentative and timid. I've seen way too many brake just because they're about to go around a slight corner on a highway (the road is designed so a tractor trailer doesn't have to slow down - no way some Camry needs to brake), not mention going down hills.
And if you go a mile or two per hour over the speed limit for a few seconds while going down a hill, a ticket doesn't automatically appear in your file.

When I was still living in MA, I was getting onto a highway (route 2) and was behind a car with PA plates. At that time, I had no idea about the stopping on on-ramps. Well, they stopped at the end of the ramp (which had plenty of room to get up speed and merge). After they sat through several chances to get on the highway, I passed them and merged with no problem. I was driving a 4 cyl Focus station wagon - not my Mustang GT. And I had no problem merging into the quite light traffic. The next 4 cars that had built up behind me also passed them and got on the road. No, they didn't have car trouble (I called back to work to have someone check).

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by Heit

Oh "the HORROR"...........bad drivers in Da Burgh. Don't sweat the small stuff folks. Trust me, this whole post falls into the category of "small stuff'".

As you say, "small stuff" adds up to gridlock because don't use their heads.

[nynjmapa]

1. Left lane passing only.

2. Keeping your brights on at all times, regardless of oncoming traffic.

In my experience, both are frequently abused by drivers in the greater Pittsburgh area.