I wonder if those observations are still true today?
I grew up in New Jersey have lived in the Detroit & St Louis area.
When I came to Michigan, in the mid 60's I couldn't believe how polite the
drivers were. They would sit & wait at a light for the traffic to clear,
while in New Jersey it was 'he who hesitates is lost'/every man for
himself - it took me awhile to undo my Jersey habits.
I think some of Paul's observation about New Jersey drivers must be tempered
by the fact that for the most part, the better roads there are toll roads,
getting the attention of the faster (maybe better) drivers. The rest of the
schmucks stayed to the slower non toll roads.
By far, the roads in the metro Detroit area are the worst!
Kenneth Waller
http://www.tinyurl.com/272u2f
----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
Subject: OT: New Jersey Drivers (Was nutty Norwegians)
I've had the rare pleasure of commuting to work in LA, Chicago, Detroit
and New Jersey/NYC, so I feel obliged to correct Scott's disparaging
remarks regarding New Jersey drivers. While I'm on the subject, I might as
well rank the drivers that populate the expressways of these fair and
not-so-fair metropolitan areas.
My Jersey to New York commute took me down 40 miles of the New Jersey
Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. Of the four above-named commutes, New
Jersey was by far the best. For one, New Jersey drivers know what the left
lane is for, a bit of knowledge that is completely foreign to drivers in
many other cities.. The left lane on the turnpike moves at a steady 80
mph, and those who don't want to go that fast have sense enough to get out
of the way. What's more, they know where they're going. You don't see a
lot of four-lane crossovers in a last desperate attempt to get to an exit
ramp.
Detroit is second best. Primarily good drivers here, and not too many
slowpokes. But there's the occasional wreck being driven by a brain-dead
wretch, so Jersey is better. What's more, the roads here are the worst in
the nation, so drivers sometimes have to swerve to avoid being swallowed
up by a canyon-sized pothole. That kind of maneuver can spoil a nice
driving style.
LA is pretty bad. A lot of people drive well there and use common sense,
but you can run into lane monitors on the LA freeways. They drive Volvos
and camp out in the left lane at 55 mph, sneering all the while. They feel
it's there civic duty to impose some kind of bizarre go-slow moral code on
those of us who hustle along. Combined with just way too much traffic on
the 10 and 405 in particular, the strange behavior of Angelenos makes
driving there a nightmare.
But nothing is as bad as Chicago. Chicago drivers don't have a clue
regarding the purpose of the left lane. And they change lanes constantly.
Plus, there are so many wrecks on the road in Chi-Town, the expressways
look like junkyards come to life. No one knows where they're going, and no
one cares. If there's an expressway in hell, it probably includes the
Edens/Kennedy junction.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Paul
----- "Scott Loveless" <[email protected]> wrote:
On Wed, May 6, 2009 at 9:38 AM, Bob Sullivan <[email protected]>
wrote:
> And we all give them a wide berth and expect strange things... Bob
S.
I have a few I'd like to see implemented here in the States.
Anyone who owns a mini-van should be required to display a "V"
sticker
on all their other vehicles.
Vehicles licensed in New Jersey should be required to display a
taxi-like marquis on the roof with a flashing "NJ" that must be
illuminated whenever the vehicle leaves New Jersey. Just so the rest
of us get fair warning. (License plates are too hard to see 1/4 mile
away.)
Those people who commute to work alone in a Hummer, bitch about gas
prices and then refuse to get a minivan to haul their 6 kids around
should have "DH" permanently tattooed on their foreheads. And they
should have to get the flashing NJ sign even if they're not from NJ.
--
Scott Loveless
Cigarette-free since December 14th, 2008
http://www.twosixteen.com/fivetoedsloth/
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