Driver's Ed

After having lived in 9 cities now, I can tell you that people who have only lived in one place all have two things in common:

1. They all think that their own city has the most unpredictable weather (even in Los Angeles!).


2. They all think that their own city has the worst drivers.

Ok, so I'm exaggerating.  Not all people think these things, but I've seen it quite often.

I find the different driving norms in various places to be quite interesting.  In mid-Michigan, people would make left turns against oncoming traffic and cut it really close, but for a right turn they would barely put on any gas until the turn was almost complete.  In Chicago, people were just plain stupid drivers.  It was common for people to make right turns from the left lane and vice versa.  In Boston, they were extremely aggressive.  One time, someone threw a Big Gulp out his window at Adam for not moving fast enough - not at Adam's car, but at his head, through the open window!  In New Orleans, the lack of ambition in the culture showed in the driving, where people were too lazy to push hard on the gas pedal, but also too lazy to move their foot to the brake for red lights, so they'd just keep going and run them.  Here in the DC area, people don't understand the left turn yield.  Most traffic lights here seem to have a green left arrow, but a few have a green left arrow and then change to just the green light and you can turn when traffic is clear.  And people just don't go!  It happens all the time and it makes me crazy.

This is probably why Sam yells at every green light, GO PEOPLE, GO!