Yaris versus Corvette

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by jayeh

The turnpike, and the NY/NJ/CT area reminds me of driving in Ontario, although driving in Toronto is much closer to Chicago traffic. Montreal reminds me more of NY.

Totally true, driving in rural texas people gladly pull on to the shoulder and allow me to pass and give a friendly wave. In Ontario people pull to the absolute centre of the road (on a 2 lane highway) and purposefully block your view of oncoming traffic. People also LOVE to speed to the end of a passing area then pull in front of everyone and slow down to below the speed limit because they feel the need to be the pace car for everyone. In hundreds of miles of 2 lane highway driving in the US I've only had to pass about 4 or 5 cars. Everyone just follows along at a proper distance at the speed limit. Its so beautiful it nearly brings me to tears!


The more reasonable the speed limits, the better the drivers. Lowering the limits seems to cause people to drive faster, then the people who already want to go a bit higher end up going way faster.

I agree with you, driving in Montreal is like driving in New York and driving in Chicago is like driving in Toronto. I like driving in New York and in Montreal and don't like driving in Toronto nor in Chicago.

I HAVE to ask....where in a rural Texas did you find any roads with a shoulder In California most roads have shoulders...some not paved BUT THEY ARE THERE. This was one of the first things I had to get used to in Texas. The only rural road I can think of in Texas that has a shoulder in any places is Hwy 75 South of Huntsville. I agree that rural Texas drivers are extremely polite...and in Louisiana as well.

Re your waxing poetic about US drivers.....spend time driving in Miami, LA, San Francisco, or (on a day when the crazies are out) Houston and I don't think you'll have that same perfect single file enthusiasm.

[jayeh]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I agree with you, driving in Montreal is like driving in New York and driving in Chicago is like driving in Toronto. I like driving in New York and in Montreal and don't like driving in Toronto nor in Chicago.

I HAVE to ask....where in a rural Texas did you find any roads with a shoulder In California most roads have shoulders...some not paved BUT THEY ARE THERE. This was one of the first things I had to get used to in Texas. The only rural road I can think of in Texas that has a shoulder in any places is Hwy 75 South of Huntsville. I agree that rural Texas drivers are extremely polite...and in Louisiana as well.

Re your waxing poetic about US drivers.....spend time driving in Miami, LA, San Francisco, or (on a day when the crazies are out) Houston and I don't think you'll have that same perfect single file enthusiasm.

Well, I've got a San Francisco story for you. I'm driving a 5 ton truck down a very steep street in SF and its a one way street with pull in street parking along the right. A guy in a BMW decides that looking is unnecessary and proceeds to back out without looking. I was already in first gear and hit the brakes and the horn and luckily he got himself back into gear in time zipped back into his parking spot.

The cities anywhere have plenty of bad drivers, but rush hour aside people are way nicer. I drove through Minneapolis at night, and I think a concert/sporting event had just let out as there were a lot of cars on the road, all heading one direction and it was around 11 pm or so. To my amazement the traffic was flowing, and the far left lane was EMPTY. I was going 56mph and passing everyone! I was in shock.

Houston didn't bother me, rush hour was fine. All the toll roads are handy too. I love texas highway design. The slip roads and u-turns are very handy. People actually know what a yield sign is in texas. Here people either ignore them and blast right through, or come to a complete stop - whatever the wrong thing to do is they will do it.

These days I walk to work and witness at least 3 red light runners, somebody driving on the wrong side of the road or somebody going the wrong way down a one way street. My walk to work is half a mile!