🚀 go-pugleaf

I am a New York City native, and have lived in Virginia for about five
months.  New Yorkers are [arguably] the best-trained drivers in the country,
and I will say that Virginia drivers leave much to be desired, i.e.:

Driving SIDE BY SIDE at 50 mph on the (two-lane) Fairfax County Parkway with
miles of open road ahead, and miles of frustrated cars behind.

Following within a foot of my rear bumper -- at 85 mph!

I've seen one driver get pissed off when a few drops of another motorists
washer fluid landed on his windshield.  He then cut the offending" driver
off and sprayed him with a heavy mist!

In a personal experience, I was crossing a Rte 66 overpass (Monument Drive)
that leads to the Fairfax Government Center.  At the HOV ramp traffic light,
I pulled up a little ahead of a driver on my right.  The light changed and
we proceeded, with him about six feet behind me.  This road curves sharply
to the right and when I signaled my intent to turn, this asshole speeds up
and paces me so that his car is right next to mine, and I was forced to slow
down and get behind him -- EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS ANOTHER EMPTY LANE TO HIS
RIGHT THAT HE COULD HAVE PULLED INTO!  All the while, he had a smug grin on
his face.  (Another dickhead in a BMW 3-series that his parents bought for
him.)

I agree with the person who commented that blowing horns (and flashing
lights) elicits overly-aggressive responses from other motorists.  In NY, we
would not dare challenge another driver they way I've observed it being done
here since, 1) we don't know if that person is carrying armament, and 2) we
don't feel being honked at is worth fighting over.

To the Californians in this thread, I will say that you are probably the
most disciplined and polite drivers I have encountered.  I spent three weeks
in Sacramento/San Francisco and was not irritated by anyone.

Eric Silver

Tom Hutton wrote in message <6msb99$r8$1@camel19.mindspring.com>...
>I would be interested in hearing which "state" in the DC, MD, VA
>area others think has the worst drivers.  Personally, my vote
>goes to Northern Virginia.  It may not have a high percentage of
>incompletely smart or oblivious drivers, but it sure has of rude
>ones.  Over twenty years of driving in this area, I have made a
>point of looking at the license plate of the drivers who do the
>following rude things.  99.9% of the time I mutter my confirmation
>"yup, Virginia."
>
>Here's what I've seen, lots:
>
>- Blocking the intersection when it's obvious you're going to get
>stuck there and stop the cross-traffic when it gets its green light.
>
>- Getting in the left lane of a two-lane one-way road when the
>right lane is backed up, only to block up the left lane too
>when you get to the intersection and try to turn right anyway,
>inconveniencing everyone in the left lane who wanted to
>go straight or turn left.
>
>- Never using turn indicators (you know you're going to turn,
>it's nobody else's business).
>
>- Running red lights, fast (whoopeee!).
>
>- If you're on a crowded road, and other cars are waiting to
>get on from a cross-street or entrance ramp, don't let 'em.
>It's your piece of road, they can wait, the losers.
>
>- Pass, pass, pass!  Everyone, all the time, no matter how
>fast you have to go.
>
>These are done often.  There are innumerable unique acts
>of selfishness and rudeness I have witnessed, almost always
>commited by northern VA drivers.  My favorite was one Sunday
>when I was driving in the middle lane of Duke Street near
>Landmark Mall with no other car in sight.  Suddenly a car got
>right up behind me and honked, despite the fact that a) I was
>going a good bit over the limit myself, and b) both lanes on
>either side of me were completely empty.  Finally, he sped
>around me, proferring a sneer.  I got a glance at his plates
>before he disappeared into the horizon.  Yup, Virginia.