Why are the drivers near LA terrible?

[xSkyDrAx]

I'm Asian and I say the Asian drivers though that's the majority in my area. It's mostly the older immigrant Asians that are new to driving but they mainly drive too slow though not terribly reckless. The younger Asian immigrants are terrible too but in that they're aggressive and clueless most of the time.

The group that I love to hate are the old white people, especially in the Pasadena area since there's a lot of them. They're generally slow and clueless and reckless. I try to stay far from them if I'm following as you never know if they're about to turn or if they turn and then decide not and shoot back into the lane in front of you without so much as a signal.

 

[BurnItDwn]

False
The light turns green and they just sit there because they weren't paying attention or they slooooooowly accelerate.

I wish the penalty for this was execution.

The worst is when you have a left turn lane, and the light is like 10 seconds, which, if everybody floored it, would be enough for like 20 cars to get through. But, no, lady of the phone call is having an important conversation with her girlfriend about people she doesn't like. Instead, the first 2 or 3 cars get through, then, this lady of the phone call takes forever, the car behind her honks, and she just gives dirty looks. And instead, 3 cars get through the intersection. Rinse and repeat, and it takes like 30 minutes to get through that intersection because of the 90,000 cars that want to turn left, and all the cell phone ladies who refuse to pay attention.


I deal with this on a regular basis in the Suburbs or Chicago. It's especially bad around Deerfield and Buffalo Grove.

 

[Midwayman]

I wish the penalty for this was execution.

The worst is when you have a left turn lane, and the light is like 10 seconds, which, if everybody floored it, would be enough for like 20 cars to get through. But, no, lady of the phone call is having an important conversation with her girlfriend about people she doesn't like. Instead, the first 2 or 3 cars get through, then, this lady of the phone call takes forever, the car behind her honks, and she just gives dirty looks. And instead, 3 cars get through the intersection. Rinse and repeat, and it takes like 30 minutes to get through that intersection because of the 90,000 cars that want to turn left, and all the cell phone ladies who refuse to pay attention.


I deal with this on a regular basis in the Suburbs or Chicago. It's especially bad around Deerfield and Buffalo Grove.

Yup, and in turn this causes people to still be turning left well after the light turns red and it holds of the opposing left turn arrow. They should install motion tracking cannons on all intersections. If you're still in the intersection after the red they fire.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

because nobody gives a shit about the rules of the road or common courtesy...they are just trying to get from point A to point B as fast as possible, no matter the cost.

this. nobody gives a fuck about anyone else. and why would you if you're never going to see that person again in your life? You'd be tarred and feathered if you did some of that shit in a small town where people know you.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

I've found the drivers on the coasts to be aggressive, not necessarily bad. I've driven all over the country, and the midwest has some of the worst drivers. The kind that stop at the end of the entrance ramp. Straddle lanes. That sort of thing.

This has been my experience as well, and I lived in the LA area for 10 years. I'll take an aggressive, self-interested driver over a timid and oblivious driver any day of the week. At least the former tends to be predictable.

 

[OCGuy]

OP can't handle driving in Socal? Haha.

 

[Joe1987]

This has been my experience as well, and I lived in the LA area for 10 years. I'll take an aggressive, self-interested driver over a timid and oblivious driver any day of the week. At least the former tends to be predictable.

They used to really piss me off, till someone mentioned that the drivers were actually pretty good, it's just that the numbers/volume of cars are/is insane. I have a 5 mile commute home, and a bicyclist can typically beat me home on surface streets because of the traffic.

Car drivers break every damn rule in the book here, you have to pay attention or you're toast, it's not for the meek.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'm Asian and I say the Asian drivers though that's the majority in my area. It's mostly the older immigrant Asians that are new to driving but they mainly drive too slow though not terribly reckless. The younger Asian immigrants are terrible too but in that they're aggressive and clueless most of the time.

The group that I love to hate are the old white people, especially in the Pasadena area since there's a lot of them. They're generally slow and clueless and reckless. I try to stay far from them if I'm following as you never know if they're about to turn or if they turn and then decide not and shoot back into the lane in front of you without so much as a signal.

People texting are worse. They leave huge gaps to traffic in front of them and they are always looking down at their phones, focusing on whatever inane thought is going through their tiny little mind that they absolutely MUST get out this instant. I want to kill them... all of them.

 

[BoberFett]

This has been my experience as well, and I lived in the LA area for 10 years. I'll take an aggressive, self-interested driver over a timid and oblivious driver any day of the week. At least the former tends to be predictable.

Exactly.

 

[mkrohn]

LA drivers are horrible. Speeding through yellows, rolling through rights on reds, speeding at 60mph in 45mph zones, rolling through stop signs, no blinkers, rude. You name it we got it in abundance and delivered buffet style.

It's because of the shitty culture here. Me me me, mine mine mine and fuck you if you're a stranger.

I'm in the midwest and I see all of those constantly but I live in a residential area 3 blocks from the fire department in a small town called dowagiac, MI and people constantly do 40+ through a 25MPH residential

The thing where 3-5 cars make a left turn after they have a red and my light turns green yet I have to wait happens at nearly every light I'm at around South Bend, IN.

Just last night I was there and some scumbag inched his way out of a parking lot to make a left turn and stopped blocking the 2 lanes he was crossing while he waited for it to be clear. When I honked at him he flipped me off and honked at ME.

Shit drivers are everywhere. The bigger the city, the more of them there are.

Don't get me started on 4 way stops or roundabouts

 

[rockyct]

I thought LA drivers were bad, but then I drove around in the Bay Area...they are nuts there. I've been in the car with a couple of my friends from there when they try to drive in SoCal. They can't just stay in a lane. They have to dart through traffic without using their blinkers.

I'm from San Diego and have driven a lot through LA, especially at night. If the traffic is moving, it is fucking moving. The "flow" of traffic seems to be going 80 even if the freeway is still packed and the speed limit is 55.

 

[Red Storm]

This just in, driving in and around crowded cities can be a pain.

 

[OCGuy]

The best way to avoid this is to leave near an extremely bourgeois toll-freeway, and pay $10/day to commute to work in no traffic. It takes me 18 minutes to go to the same place that it could take up to 50 minutes+ on public roads.

Then just write off the tolls as a business expense. Success.

 

[McLovin]

The best way to avoid this is to leave near an extremely bourgeois toll-freeway, and pay $10/day to commute to work in no traffic. It takes me 18 minutes to go to the same place that it could take up to 50 minutes+ on public roads.

Then just write off the tolls as a business expense. Success.

:thumbsup:

Also....

 

[Midwayman]

The best way to avoid this is to leave near an extremely bourgeois toll-freeway, and pay $10/day to commute to work in no traffic. It takes me 18 minutes to go to the same place that it could take up to 50 minutes+ on public roads.

Then just write off the tolls as a business expense. Success.

Pffftt. Plebe. I take my private helicopter from my estate to the roof of my company every day.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Cruise control in So Cal? There's no point unless you're driving at 2am.

Anyways, most regular commuters here have an unwritten common courtesy and rules. If you don't commute everyday, its fairly noticeable since they are the ones usually speeding and trying to cut people off.

 

[Craig234]

I thought LA drivers were bad, but then I drove around in the Bay Area...they are nuts there. I've been in the car with a couple of my friends from there when they try to drive in SoCal. They can't just stay in a lane. They have to dart through traffic without using their blinkers.

I'm from San Diego and have driven a lot through LA, especially at night. If the traffic is moving, it is fucking moving. The "flow" of traffic seems to be going 80 even if the freeway is still packed and the speed limit is 55.

Sorry, Bay Area drivers are generally more mellow. That's mostly your friends, not the bay area. There are the percent of aggressive idiots in the bay area, but not that many.

 

[Chrono]

You guys thinks that's bonkers? Try driving in Canada. The kmph vs mph is a big deal. The snail pace that they drive in drives me nuts. I can see it being something effective during the Winters/Fall but Spring/Summer? Get outta here dammit.
Majority of the time you're going 30/40kmph possibly 50kmph/60kmph if lucky. That's like So 20-40mph unless you're on a highway... tha'ts like 70/80kmph which is about 50-60mph.

 

[Howard]

You guys thinks that's bonkers? Try driving in Canada. The kmph vs mph is a big deal. The snail pace that they drive in drives me nuts. I can see it being something effective during the Winters/Fall but Spring/Summer? Get outta here dammit.
Majority of the time you're going 30/40kmph possibly 50kmph/60kmph if lucky. That's like So 20-40mph unless you're on a highway... tha'ts like 70/80kmph which is about 50-60mph.

What the hell are you talking about?

 

[Exterous]

Cruise control in So Cal? There's no point unless you're driving at 2am.

Anyways, most regular commuters here have an unwritten common courtesy and rules. If you don't commute everyday, its fairly noticeable since they are the ones usually speeding and trying to cut people off.

I haven't had any problems with cruise control other than peak rush hour but I'm a bit north of LA. Its not the dickishness thats the problem- the driving habits around here are killing throughput

 

[rockyct]

Sorry, Bay Area drivers are generally more mellow. That's mostly your friends, not the bay area. There are the percent of aggressive idiots in the bay area, but not that many.

Maybe it was that no one seemed to use turn signals in the Bay Area so car movements were more unpredictable.

 

[natto fire]

Never seen a California plate here that wasn't doing something stupid. So jump to conclusions all you want, but it makes me wonder how I can read so much bitching by California drivers and yet their bad drivers have migrated so far...