alpinab7

I'm in Massachusetts and we're known for being a-holes behind the wheel of a car. That being said, there still seems to be some logic and efficiency to the way people drive on the highway. Slower cars keep right and faster cars keep left. When you are driving 90mph in the left lane, the cars in front of you fall to the right and let you pass. Failing to do so and slowing the car behind you often results in flashing headlights and obscene gestures. I have driven in Canada, all over the US, and europe and to more or less of a degree, all the places I have driven seem more or less to have a system to it. But I recently got back from a trip to Florida where I had to drive from Gainesville to Miami. During this 5-6 hour drive I was amazed and confounded by the way people drive in Florida. I'm not busting on Florida drivers so please spare me the flames. Bad drivers are easy to understand. The confounding thing about the driving in Florida is that it doesn't seem like bad drivers but more of an engrained system. And no one seemed plussed about it in Florida. Specifically what i'm talking about is that there the system seems seems to be no system. Slower cars are everywhere and faster cars swerved around and inbetween them at rates of speed 20, 30, 40 miles an hour faster. I rarely saw people signal and it seemed like people seldomly even looked before changing lanes. I had a woman driving in the middle lane going 60 who just pulled right in front of me in the left lane where I was going 85. No signal, no looking in the mirror, and no reason to change lanes as there was no one in front of her and no exits coming up. I saw scores of close calls on the way to Miami. It seems downright dangerous for cars to be criss-crossing eachother with high differentials in speed. Again, i'm not busting on FL drivers but wondering if someone can tell me about driving in FL and if this is normal or if I saw something out of the ordinary. I would be especially interested in an explanation from a transplant to Florida from somewhere else who might have some insight. I have a few transplanted friends there who agreed with me but couldn't really explain anything to me.

Jon-1.8t

Just kidding about D, I'm from mass myself. No your right people just plain suck driving in florida.

alpinab7

But your explaination kinda makes sense. Too many different people mixed together.

Mexican Audi (Shane)

and its "too" not "to" ;-)

Mexican Audi (Shane)

threatened by it. I think his exact words were "it will punish law abiding citizens and encourage speeders."

The last time I checked the "slower traffic keep right" signs were on the same regulatory format as the speed limit signs. So technically cops should be able to cite for more than impeding the flow of traffic.

Another observation- all the slower traffic keep right signs on are on the RIGHT side of the road where left lane campers can't see them.

I've become so fed up with left lane campers that I make it a point to convince them I am going to run over them if they don't get out of the way.

alpinab7

I never saw driving like that in NJ. Saw a billboard about "keep right" on FL turnpike.

Nealcp

I'm with ya on this one! I've been in Florida (Miami) for about 3 years and while I enjoy () the "aggressiveness" of Florida drivers (over the passivity in Minnesota from whence I came) I doubt I will EVER get used to the lack of signaling. And good luck pointing it out to anyone; they'll either look at you with a blank look on their face as if to say, "what'd I do??" or start cursing you out (English, Espanol, take your pick!). If you want to find the WORST stretch in the state for this drive up I75 between Naples and Fort Myers....also more Buicks per mile than anywhere else in the world! The best explanation for the no signaling behavior I heard was that Florida drivers don't signal because if they did someone would try and cut them off from what they were trying to do! It gives us the 'element of surprise'!

A4_Jax

Get the fvck out the left and middle lanes if you're only doing 60mph!

Evol

Like everyone forgot how to drive in the rain.

Shua NYY

I've been here about 5 months and alpina said it all. Signaling one's lane's change could not be an easier way for any driver to demonstrate he cared one iota about the others on the road with him, but it seems pretty obvious that many don't. I honestly think many drivers consider it a nuisance to use that silly stick on the steering wheel. A few other rants since the subject is on the table:

1) Cell phones mixed with already clueless drivers is a dangerous cocktail. FL should adopt a hands-free law like in NY and NJ as a way to get people to at least THINK about what they're doing while blabbing. Who knows if cops would enforce it, but that's another rant.
2) Tailgaiting: I'm sorry if doing 85 in the left lane isn't fast enough for you, Mr. Ford 150. I realize it's only 20 over the limit and I'm keeping up with traffic, but there aren't any cops out here anyway, so please be patient enough to allow me to pass the rig on the right before you run up my behind.
3) Random speed traps on local streets: What is the logic behind this? Does the law of averages always state that a regular speeder will get nabbed by these traps?

I think it's easy for one to say drivers are worst where they live. I can really only compare what I've seen in Florida to 3 other places I've lived in for any significant amounts of time: NY, NJ and CA. So far, in a short period of time I'd have to say for whatever reasons, Jon 1.8t's or otherwise, our state is running #1.

Of course, this ranking precludes anyone this list ;-).

Maybe (pipe dream) there some day will be a program that will require drivers to undergo some form of relatively hassle-free continuing drivers ed (once every 5-10 years, maybe) beyond just filling out an appl. for a license renewal. Just think, another revenue source along with speeding tickets!