Driving USA

[LennG]

 As I have said, we just got back from our vacation in Virginia. We drove thru most of the state, up, down, north and south putting on over 2500 miles in 13 days. We had a blast, but, we did come back with one idea planted firmly in our heads, people who drive in Virginia have to be the worst drivers we have ever seen.
 We do not like to drive interstates, as we like to see the place we are driving thru, but sometimes you have to, so we drove Interstate 81 several times. This road runs north and south thru all of western Virginia, a 4 lane road with a speed limit of 70. The first thing we noticed was that EVERY car, truck, bus, scooter or whatever has wheels, as soon as they get on the road, they automatically drive in the left lane. Just get on the highway and scoot to the left lane. Now we watched as cars just get on the tail of the car in front and drive, then the next and the next and so on. We watched as 30, 40 maybe even 50 cars are zooming along doing whatever speed they can, all within 5 feet of the car in front. Simply amazing.
 We, being from NY, and happy to do 65, set the cruise control at that, and NO ONE was ever in front of us. Wait, I think I did pass a disabled cement truck once, and I was thrilled to be driving the way I was. I know Nyer's have a bad rep for driving. We scoot in and out of lanes just to get one car length ahead, but this driving in Virginia was just downright scary.
 As we get to Richmond, we drove the highway around the city, 295. We got dumped on by a huge thunderstorm and we had the good sense to pull over to wait it out as we could not see 5 feet in front of us. Not so with Virginians. They just kept driving the same exact way, 70MPH, on each others tails, regardless of the conditions.The wife and I looked at each other in total amazement.
Now my question to the rest of the group, is this the 'new age' of driving.??
We have driven thru most of the USA over the years and have never seen anything like this EVER. Are other states like this now??
We were always taught to stay right unless you wanted to pass, not get into the left lane and never give it up. Where is the courtesy of the road these days. No one signals to change lanes, turn corners, yielded the right of way.
 I, being old, was in no hurry to get where I was going. I learned a long time ago, 5 minutes will never make a difference so why speed along for no reason. But this was simply amazing. Is this the NEW DRIVING of 2011???
 
My vote, WORST drivers anywhere, Virginia

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[Jim143]

I'll put Texas drivers up against VA drivers any day Len.  I drove out to Lackland AFB yesterday and didnt have a single issue until I crossed over the Texas state line.  I am still here - and will be until Tuesday and still have issues with these idiots.  I have driven in every state on the East Coast and have driven in some crazy areas such as Miami, DC, Baltimore, most beltways around the Baltimore - DC area, England, Japan, Korea (which is the worst in the foreign countries), Amsterdam, Paris, etc.  Texas now ranks up in my number one states of most disliked drivers.

I can not wait until Tuesday afternoon when I can start my path back home and put the 5 1/2 hours of Texas driving behind me. . .

[Jim143]

  I, being old, was in no hurry to get where I was going. I learned a long time ago, 5 minutes will never make a difference so why speed along for no reason. But this was simply amazing. Is this the NEW DRIVING of 2011???

No, I think this is just the mentality of society today.  I have always been of the piece of mind where if you dont want to be late, leave 10 minutes earlier than normal.  Dont risk your life or mine because you "might" be late.

[LennG]

 
 I'll take your word for Texas drivers, as that is one place i've never driven.
 
From what I've heard, those crazy Floridians are pretty bad also. Especially ones that drive those fancy foreign cars.

[weeze]

arent many places i havent driven. driven across the us 3 times. florida drivers are just plain dangerous. i honestly believe then to be the worst.

[babywhales]

I just drove from Wisconsin to Maine and back.  Illinois drives can be in any conversation about poor driving. They drive extremely fast, inattentive and will drop three lane changes without notice. That being said in Mass I was absolutely taken back by the incompetence and sure stupidity of many of the drivers I saw on the Interstate. 
 
 
That being said those types are everywhere I have lived from New Jersey to Montana.

[LennG]

 
 How about a few highlite (or lowlites) of the trip??
 
Was this your first trip east??

[chiller99]

Its even worse after a televised nascar race Lenn when everyone drives crazy for the rest of the day

[weeze]

well thing about texas is if your going any distance thaeir isnt much traffic. opposite is california where the roads are clogged 24 hrs a day. thing about cal is people drive bumper to bumper at 80 mph and very few accidents happen. gotta be the same for say atlanta of nyc. i mean if you commute in super heavy traffic you HAVE to get there so if you car has dents who cares. goal is to get their and back. i have a theory on this and its if you have to get there you will. count three and change lanes xxxx the signals.
florida= NO respect for failure to keep right. ive seen more passes on the shoul;der on rt 4 then anywhere ive been. if all 3 lanes are full and your trying to do 90 you cant. its a wall get it? but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO they make a new lane and pass on the freakin shoulder. every 5 miles some cell phone idiot is in the left lane going 55. closes that lane down. righ hand lane has the trucks, rvs and trailers, you arent passing ther. center lanes are the mostly sane people that understand the speed is the speed and there isnt any way to buck it so thats where the kamakazi passers try to get throug.
i run my car at the track. that way everyones going the same direction and i can go as fast as my buggy will go. too bad the fartcan owners dont try the track so theyd find out their bodywork nitro fartcan japscrap xxxxcans 'fast and furious" ripoffs aint worth xxxx. a freaking neon will blow them off!
i dont feel well today.

[babywhales]

 How about a few highlite (or lowlites) of the trip??
 
Was this your first trip east??

This is the first road trip out east (Maine)with all three children. Still have to bring all three to my hometown, catch alot of grief for not going home to Bucks County PA enough.
 
 
The whole trip really was a highlight.  It was a huge success.  Personally my first trip to Cooperstown has to be the one thing that sticks out.   Getting to finally see it was overwhelming.  And honestly I never expected my son Lowell (7 year old) to enjoy it as much as he did.  Getting to see Gehrig's locker was amazing.  I simply loved him and Mattingly growing up.  Wyatt (my 2 year old ) having to leave Cooperstown for freaking out and yelling was an issue but they let him back in when he calmed down. 
 
Niagara Falls was far more enjoyable than I expected.  The whole family really enjoyed it. 
 
Of course getting to meet some of the guys from BBh was long overdue and a highlight.  Wish there were more of the gang present and the rain didn't ccut the day short.  But while it lasted it was great.  Getting to finally meet WEEZE in person, well I am still getting over that.  My therapist says were making progress!!!   I would have liked to attend camp for the first time since Fairly Dickinson, especially with Lowell as he is turning into a big Football fan.
 
Staying with family in Maine was great.  My aunt and Uncle are the best hosts, a quality of life I would love to get accustom to.  Having my grandmaother around her grandchildren was right up there with Cooperstown.  The lobstering (caught 18 keepers in 5 days), boat trips in the bays and Atlantic, Acadia, there home on Sommes Sound, everything was perfect. 
 
Everyone but myself caught a stomach bug on the trip out which has to be the lowlight of the trip.  All in all everyone said we were crazy to take 3 kids 2800 miles to 7 campgrounds over 16 days but it was perfect and a great trip.  I would do it again tomorrow. 
 
Next year maybe the Bourbon trial and the Smokey's.
 

[babywhales]

Weeze,
It certainly sounds like those crackers down there in Redneckville take the cake.  I do not deal with anything like that.
 
 
 
I am not tailgating I am drafting!!!!  Rubbing is racing!!!!  If your not first your last!!!!!!

[drakew]

The tru blue fan would be more than glad to set up the wisconsin flippers family with inside distillery info. "Like Maker's Mark, then a couple of miles to the train Museum for lunch"

The darkly handsome, softspoken man in the blue Giants tie just had a long conversation with one of his reporters the other day, abouty how much more unsafe the roads are with the proliferation of radiophones. "NY has a handsfree law for cells behind the wheel, right? We stood downtown on a random street corner and on a bet, that ten vehicles couldn't pass by without at least one of them on a cellphone. DIDN'T HAPPEN.  As a matter fo fact, it was more like 40% were on a cell and therefore DISTRACTED.

This has just gotta stop,  people!"

[weeze]

12th man and I were driving up to Roebling Road outside of savannah for a race one time and swome car is swerving and hitting the brakes and just being a wtf? type driver. i finally get a spot and pass her and ronnie says shes on the phone, eating a bowl of cereal and steering with her knees! i kid you not! this was up on 95 by the georgia border, in big jim country. 

[babywhales]

12th man and I were driving up to Roebling Road outside of savannah for a race one time and swome car is swerving and hitting the brakes and just being a wtf? type driver. i finally get a spot and pass her and ronnie says shes on the phone, eating a bowl of cereal and steering with her knees! i kid you not! this was up on 95 by the georgia border, in big jim country.

 
I did see an article about a lady in Florida who was in an accident while shaving her who ha.  Must be something in the water.
 
 
Here it is
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/5362279-woman-shaving-her-privates-parts-causes-florida-car-crash
 
 
 
Drake, Sounds good.  Love Makers!!!!

[Webster29]

I'll second what Lenn said about I-81.   When we were on vacation we traveled I-81 from Tennessee to Winchester Va and it was just like he said.
 
But as far as the worst I'll go along with weeze.   When my mother was alive she lived in St. Petersburg and every year we would drive down to visit her.   As soon as we crossed the Fla state line it was like dodge cars.   Seemed like every bad driver from every state up north had moved to Fla to hone their bad driving skills.