CHICAGO DRIVERS ARE UNPLEASANT PEOPLE

[rhino]

Did you forget the part about being a dick?

I'm slow, but coachable.

Yet another reason you don't want to be second.

That's a good point.

 

[JamesV]

everyone knows, if you ain't first your last

try 294 during rush hours

 

[phylodog]

This reminds me of a trip up to my sister in law's outside of Chicago a few years ago. I try not to drive like a dick but ended up being forced to pull a super duper dick move. I was driving my mother in law's minivan and we were cruising with traffic in the left lane probably running 75/80. As we crested a hill there was a 1970's land yacht on the left shoulder, merging into traffic and was making no efforts whatsoever to get up to speed first. The three or four cars in front of me all had room to move to the right, I did not. At the rate this idiot was encroaching into my lane I pretty quickly came to the conclusion that I was toast if I slammed on the brakes and my only option was to go around him. I had not looked into the rear view and wasn't sure if there were people on my tail but the odds were good. With my MIL and wife screaming like death was imminent I swerved to the left and squeezed that minivan between the land yacht and the concrete barrier wall and there couldn't have been 8" to spare on either side. I didn't so much as tap the brakes.

I can honestly say that I have no idea what happened behind me. I didn't look in the mirrors, I didn't want to know. It was a dickish thing to do but under the circumstances I didn't have time to come up with a better plan. I hate driving in the region or Chicago.

 

[rhino]

This reminds me of a trip up to my sister in law's outside of Chicago a few years ago. I try not to drive like a dick but ended up being forced to pull a super duper dick move. I was driving my mother in law's minivan and we were cruising with traffic in the left lane probably running 75/80. As we crested a hill there was a 1970's land yacht on the left shoulder, merging into traffic and was making no efforts whatsoever to get up to speed first. The three or four cars in front of me all had room to move to the right, I did not. At the rate this idiot was encroaching into my lane I pretty quickly came to the conclusion that I was toast if I slammed on the brakes and my only option was to go around him. I had not looked into the rear view and wasn't sure if there were people on my tail but the odds were good. With my MIL and wife screaming like death was imminent I swerved to the left and squeezed that minivan between the land yacht and the concrete barrier wall and there couldn't have been 8" to spare on either side. I didn't so much as tap the brakes.

I can honestly say that I have no idea what happened behind me. I didn't look in the mirrors, I didn't want to know. It was a dickish thing to do but under the circumstances I didn't have time to come up with a better plan. I hate driving in the region or Chicago.

I think that saving the lives of everyone in your vehicle from a problem created by other people absolves you of any dick-osity in that scenario.

 

[chocktaw2]

So . . . I had the misfortune (actually legendary bad decision making) of driving through Chicago on I-90 in the early afternoon on Friday. I was expecting heavy traffic, but I didn't expect a complete disregard for turn signals of such frequency of cutting people off with inches to spare, apparently out of spite given the finger displays.

I've driven a lot in the San Francisco Bay Area, the South Bay, Los Angeles and Orange County, Atlanta, and a few other metro areas. I have never seen so many total a**holes in one afternoon in any of those places.


Also, why do packs of cars in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin move along at a steady 80 mph, then suddenly all jam on their brakes for no apparent reason . . . over . . . and over . . . and over . . . and over . . . and over. Why???

I drove semi thru CTown back in the late 80's. To keep my sanity, I only went thru in the wee hrs. of the morning. Hardly any traffic, which was the way I wanted it. One time, with a situation as you described, was enough.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

So . . . I had the misfortune (actually legendary bad decision making) of driving through Chicago on I-90 in the early afternoon on Friday. I was expecting heavy traffic, but I didn't expect a complete disregard for turn signals of such frequency of cutting people off with inches to spare, apparently out of spite given the finger displays.

I've driven a lot in the San Francisco Bay Area, the South Bay, Los Angeles and Orange County, Atlanta, and a few other metro areas. I have never seen so many total a**holes in one afternoon in any of those places.


Also, why do packs of cars in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin move along at a steady 80 mph, then suddenly all jam on their brakes for no apparent reason . . . over . . . and over . . . and over . . . and over . . . and over. Why???

They do this on the east side of 465 at the I-74 east exit. We'll all be cruising along at 65-75, then everyone comes to a complete stop. Not a slower pace... a dead stop, as if there had been a traffic light installed on the interstate and it turned red stopped. Then, after maybe 30 seconds, everyone starts moving again, and once past the exit, the pace picks back up to 65-75 again. No wreck, nobody pulled over by the cops or with car trouble, nothing. Most likely thing I can come up with is that some dick in the far left lane realizes he needs to exit and he's only left himself 100 feet to cross all 4 lanes of traffic to do so. It doesn't seem to happen at I-70 or at I-65 and 465, just at I-74. No offense to our east central INGOers, but there must be a lot of really stupid people that live east of Indianapolis. They should probably stick to surface roads and stay off of interstates.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I always drive defensively in Chicago . . . so I steal the County's MRAP and drive it up there.

 

[yeahbaby]

My parents live in Schererville, their condo subdivision is 2 lights past the intersection of 30 and 41 going west bound on 30. The congestion out that way is just ridiculous. When we visit we go early in the morning and try to be home by noon. Although I do the same thing here in Porter county on the weekends. Too many *******s behind the wheel.

 

[bobzilla]

In all honesty I've driven in every major metropolitan area of the country with the exception of San Diego. Chicago and Newark are my two most hated cities to drive in. And Atlanta in the rain. Them people be ****ing crazy

 

[chef larry]

Efficiency. If everyone drives the same speed and everyone follows close as possible, then more traffic can flow through a given point in a given period. According to my BIL, if you leave a car length between you and the car in front of you, you're effectively giving cars in other lanes permission to take that space.

So true. Some times it seems like that and one place a guy told me not to drive like an old white guy. Drive it like you stole it.

 

[Leadeye]

Threads like these remind me of why I don't travel much anymore.

 

[rkwhyte2]

In all honesty I've driven in every major metropolitan area of the country with the exception of San Diego. Chicago and Newark are my two most hated cities to drive in. And Atlanta in the rain. Them people be ****ing crazy

Trust me San Diego traffic sucks. I lived there and had a flex schedule. I could be at work in 10 minutes. The same trip during morning rush would take over an hour.

 

[phylodog]

Efficiency. If everyone drives the same speed and everyone follows close as possible, then more traffic can flow through a given point in a given period. According to my BIL, if you leave a car length between you and the car in front of you, you're effectively giving cars in other lanes permission to take that space.

There is truth in this. If everyone sitting at a red light were to pay attention and begin to accelerate at the same instant it turned green we would see at least a 20% increase in the number of vehicle which could make it through the light. The same applies to the flow of traffic on the interstate. Unfortunately morons abound and we can't have anything that could even remotely be considered efficiency when it comes to driving. You can see this in motion by watching a military formation as they march.

I opted to avoid the interstate this morning on my way to work and was fortunate enough to follow three different vehicle that decided to travel 2-3mph below the posted speed limit. If I only had magical powers.....

 

[Butch627]

Lol I commute to Chicago every day. I was actually quite annoyed about all the left hand bandits on a recent trip South on 65 and then East on 70. On that trip the truckers would just move into the left hand lane as you were about to pass them with little signal or courtesy, most of the time there were no cars behind me and they could have waited for me to pass instead of me hitting the brakes and slowing down for a mile until they moved over to the right or until I passed them on the right. I didn't find the traffic on 465 much different than Chicago

 

[phylodog]

Lol I commute to Chicago every day. I was actually quite annoyed about all the left hand bandits on a recent trip South on 65 and then East on 70. On that trip the truckers would just move into the left hand lane as you were about to pass them with little signal or courtesy, most of the time there were no cars behind me and they could have waited for me to pass instead of me hitting the brakes and slowing down for a mile until they moved over to the right or until I passed them on the right. I didn't find the traffic on 465 much different than Chicago

Whaaaaatttt????? You mean you don't enjoy the slow, 10 mile drag race that come truckers seem to enjoy?????

 

[jbombelli]

My brother-in-law grew up in Chicago and instructed me in the proper Chicago driving etiquette. It's complicated. I think I don't understand it all that well. But as much as I can tell, everyone expects everyone to be a dick. So, drive like you're a dick, and expect everyone else to be a dick, and that's how it works. At least I assume it works. We made it to our destination in one piece and no dents, so...

I lived there for a couple years, and that summation is SPOT ON.

 

[Vigilant]

If I only had magical powers.....

Magic, hell, I'd prefer a hood mounted belt fed, or top mount TOW?

 

[phylodog]

Magic, hell, I'd prefer a hood mounted belt fed, or top mount TOW?

I'd settle for a train horn, and one day I'll have one. I've wanted to be able to rattle the lug nuts off of the cars of inconsiderate ****s for many years now, it'll happen soon.

 

[edporch]

I have a friend who lives in Chicago once tell me
"The shortest measurable interval of time is the time between a light turning green and people honking their horns behind you".

 

[Bennettjh]

I've never been to Chicago. I could only imagine how bad they'd drive.