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AtmaWeapon
05-06-2004, 10:48 PM
OK I don't have much else to do so I compiled this helpful guide to drivers in the South. I can only cover places I've been, so it is not complete, but it will be helpful in case you ever have to come here. OK here goes in order I think of them in:

Mississippi drivers
I have the most experience with drivers from here. You have a few major types, but for the most part MS drivers are pretty carefree. Of note is the significance of the right lane to a Mississippi driver. No matter what speed they are travelling at, the Mississippi driver will try to stay in the right lane as if it were a shield from speeding tickets. Even if after they pass you there is a car 50 yards ahead going 20 mph slower than their current speed, the MS driver will dart into the lane for 2 seconds and then dart back out, only to pass that car up and dart in again. Blinkers are illegal; if someone has their turn signal on they are probably trying to go straight.

One note: On back roads, a MS driver is a force to be reckoned with. Of all the miles I've logged in MS, probably 30% of them were on 1 1/2 lane county roads at night where visibility was 20 feet tops because of all the curves. My average speed on the county roads was 65-70 depending on how awake I was. Most of the roads are 35 zones with 20 mph curves. You can take them at 40 with no problem.

Tennessee drivers
My second-most experience with drivers is in TN. TN drivers come in three distinct types: truck drivers, speed demons, and investors. Truck drivers are malicious. They travel in packs of 4 or 5 and when they notice someone approaching in the left lane at a faster speed, the driver in back ALWAYS decides he wants to be at the front of the truck line. Be prepared to inch forward at speeds just 1mph over the speed limit until he gets there. I usually return the favor by getting in front and braking when going uphill, killing his momentum and causing all kinds of downshift nightmares. Speed demons go really fast, no worries about them as long as you get out of their way. Investors are so named because they are easily spooked. These people are always in front of me on the way to work. If there is a traffic light, curve, intersection, or another car in front of them they will brake as soon as they see it and bleed 20-30 mph off of their speed until the threat is gone. Nothing pisses me off more than dropping to 20 in a 45 zone while late for work because an investor is worried the green light might suddenly skip yellow and turn red in 2 seconds. Investors are particularly annoying because of the abundance of hills and curves on TN roads. It also doesn't help that most roads I travel are 2-lane with no straightaways to pass on, so the 40-mile trip to Lenoir City typically takes me an hour in a 65 zone. Oh, and TN drivers exhibit different lane behaviors than MS drivers. Whereas MS drivers prefer the right lane, TN drivers prefer the security they feel when they are side-by-side with another driver, usually two investors stick together and drive 5-7 under the speed limit to avoid calamities such as the road exploding in front of them.

Alabama drivers
OK this is the strangest driver I have ever encountered. They behave differently depending on what state they are in. Here's the habitats I have observed:

Missisippi
Pray for your life if you encounter an Alabama driver in MS. Fast and reckless, the only more dangerous drivers I've seen are Texas drivers. It's like they have to prove their state is better than ours or something by beating us in a race.

Tennessee
For some reason, Alabama drivers are timid and behave like investors while in TN. The inspiration for this post is the guy I was behind tonight. I went one way down a curvy mountain road using my MS county road skills at a steady 70 mph, only slowing to 50 around one curve. (This was a 45 zone). The way back was spent going a maximum of 30 behind an Alabama driver. Every time a curve approached he slowed to < 20. Once again, the cursed curves were too much to risk passing the guy.

Alabama
Alabama must have a wicked Highway Patrol because the drivers act on their best behavior within their own state. I have to travel ~220 of the 460 miles to Mississippi through Alabama, and I must say it is usually the most pleasant part of the trip. Except there is a 40 mile stretch where the road construction moves you to what used to be the shoulder, so you are driving on the "OMG YOU ARE OFF THE ROAD WAKE UP" bumps for 10 miles. The other 30 miles ride like there is a speed bump every 10 yards.

Texas
I have only ridden in Texas, never drove, but you guys need to work on your manners. Some bastard pointed a gun at us because another bastard came to a dead stop on the interstate in front of us and we had to swerve and we cut off mister "MY PENIS IS BIG I HAVE A GUN". Another bastard flipped off our church bus when the same thing happened again. WTF is so great about pulling your handbrake on the interstate, Texas?

Area focus: New Orleans
New Orleans is the place to learn how to drive so you won't fear traffic. You will learn many fundamental rules of large-city driving, and the drivers here are alert enough that you can make mistakes from time to time. Here's all you need to know: If there is a space your car can fit in and it is in a faster lane, do it. Normal "cut-off" rules do not apply in NO. No one wants to get in an accident and get flipped off by the thousands of drivers who now are running late becaues of you, so they will take extreme caution to give you space if you take it. NEVER use your blinker when attempting to change lanes. In New Orleans, the turn signal means "I would like you to pass me on this side immediately, please." The result of preceeding a lane change with a turn signal will be an accident. Watch the car in front of you. A lot of Texans and wannabe Texans drive in New Orleans, and despite the fact that there are warnings for 10 miles that their exit is coming, they decide 50 feet from the exit that the left lane is not a good idea. Hi ho, handbrake! The speed limit sign says 60. DO NOT try going any slower than 75 unless you like being a hood ornament. 80 is the customary speed. I have never seen a New Orleans cop make a traffic arrest on I-10. This goes back to why accidents are avoided so carefully: no one wants to hold up traffic on I-10. I've personally blown by NO cops going 90 when I missed the Gulfport exit by 40 miles because I am not very observant and had to loop through New Orleans. I was once passed by a cop while going 90 in NO, as well.

Area focus: Atlanta
Dear God. These are like rejects from New Orleans. The rules from New Orleans apply, but you have to be a lot more careful because cut-offs are more of a sin. Luckily I think Texans avoid ATL for some reason because I've never had to use an inertial compensator to brake from 80-0 in 10 feet whilst driving through Atlanta.

I hope this is helpful.

deathbyhokie
05-06-2004, 11:05 PM
just wait until you have to go to maryland. maryland drivers=worst ever. nto all of them are bad, but enough are for me to feel safe in that generalization

fatcatfan
05-07-2004, 12:32 AM
I don't think I've ever noticed that you were in Maryville, Atma. It's been a while since I've been over that way, but my engineering company does a lot of the sewer work for Lenoir City. I got to cut a 1500 foot swath through woods behind the Berkline plant to survey an alternate route for a sewer line they wound up not using. :rolleyes: And we have a TDOT contract for a bridge replacement on SR336, Brick Mill road in Maryville.

Slider Zero
05-07-2004, 03:35 AM
you think texas in general is bad.....try LIVING in Houston. I'm actually afraid to even ride certain BUSES because of the crazy people here...(add to that the closing down of spur 527 and the effective I-610'ing of approx 3 miles of US 59, and you have a nightmare...not even the 610 Northbound exit off of 59 is EVER that bad...(and that one exit causes backups for MILES, whether or not you're taking it)

SixTen
05-07-2004, 10:07 AM
just wait until you have to go to maryland. maryland drivers=worst ever. nto all of them are bad, but enough are for me to feel safe in that generalization
At least MAryland has nice roads. Pennsylvania has shit for roads. Probably the worst in the US, save Mississippi.

moocow
05-07-2004, 10:10 AM
Most Ohio drivers are just plain stupid. Like, really fucking stupid. My boyfriend is one of them. :p

Glitch
05-07-2004, 10:30 AM
Most Ohio drivers are just plain stupid. Like, really fucking stupid. My boyfriend is one of them. :p


Too many rich shitty ass drivers with cars that their momies and daddies bought them...

*EDIT* sp.

moocow
05-07-2004, 10:33 AM
What's wrong with mom and dad buying you a car?

Glitch
05-07-2004, 10:38 AM
nothing, but the most of the preppy bitches around here are running around in their supped up cars hitting people and driving up my insurance rates...

Master Ghaleon
05-07-2004, 10:39 AM
just wait until you have to go to maryland. maryland drivers=worst ever. nto all of them are bad, but enough are for me to feel safe in that generalization


Blah, I dont wana hear it :D

MANDRAG GANON
05-07-2004, 08:17 PM
LoL, Ontario has some pretty shitty drivers. At an intersection, people start going (running a red light) when the light for the other people turns yellow....Everone drives like 30 km -40 over the speed limit. Hey your in a 80 zone and your going 110! Jesus your too slow I have to pass you at 140! Stops signs? What stops signs...Oh, Yes there are stops sign people just dont use them. Lets see... a red light at an intersections means everone in the left turning lane is allowed to turn? People decide to turn infront of you from a road when your 10 feet away and stop when they realise they cut you off casue you to come mm from hiting them. On highways people are all over the place no one can stay in one lane for more than 5 minutes.

redmage777
05-07-2004, 08:38 PM
If you are an Atlanta Driver, Then I'm that that Guy in the Glossy Red-Maroon Sunfire who drives the speed limit in the left lane (Because I Hate Merging in Atlanta traffic.) and I hate paying Speeding Tickers (Trust me the Cops here WILL give them out if the Departments needing its Funds, I got one for going 60 in a 45.)

AtmaWeapon
05-07-2004, 09:50 PM
fatcatfan: Whoa, I didn't know that Tir'na Nog'th was so close to Maryville! I'm glad you got your contract on SR336 and not SR338, that would have been awful, what with the space pirates and metroids and all.


At least MAryland has nice roads. Pennsylvania has shit for roads. Probably the worst in the US, save Mississippi.
OK Mississippi actually has pretty good interstate and decent state roads, except for MS45N which is under construction and has been for quite literally 10 years now. They've spent so long working on the new lanes that the old lanes are about as good as a gravel road. Drive some of Louisiana's state roads and tell me MS has bad roads. Better yet, drive the last 100 miles of Alabama's I-59. Your tires will be off the road for at least 25% of the trip.


LoL, Ontario has some pretty shitty drivers. oh no they let people in Canada drive now :scared: :scared: just joking :cool:


If you are an Atlanta Driver, Then I'm that that Guy in the Glossy Red-Maroon Sunfire who drives the speed limit in the left lane (Because I Hate Merging in Atlanta traffic.) and I hate paying Speeding Tickers (Trust me the Cops here WILL give them out if the Departments needing its Funds, I got one for going 60 in a 45.) I'm that guy in the glossy black 2003 Sentra that will continue to go 75 until I am within 50 yards of you, then brake and remain something between 6 and 14 inches off of your bumper until I have sufficient time to swap lanes, jam the pedal, and cut you off. If it is at night I will also turn my brights on as a hint to read the traffic signs:SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT they make those signs for a reason. If you are going 45 in the left lane in the parts of Atlanta I drive through, you will be in an accident fairly quickly. People who go 45 in a 60 or 75 should consider getting someone to drive them places.http://www.atmaweapon.org/images/smile.gif

theplustwo
05-08-2004, 02:15 AM
Ok they are called directionals not signals. :confused:

That is why people know which DIRECTION to pass you on when you use them. :cool:

Toolie
05-08-2004, 09:32 AM
In my travels, I've noted some things as well.

In metro Cleveland, traveling under 90mph is apparantly illegal, and will result in a lot of angry drivers and a nice sluggish position in the far right lane. In upstate NY on 17 (soon I-86), swerving in and out of traffic without regard for a defined passing and travel lane is normal. Seeing and doing this for years has left me unable to determine the difference between the two, as for us they are both simply high speed passing lanes.

redmage777
05-08-2004, 11:24 AM
Honestly, YOu woulnt find me in the left lane unless my next turn is a Left Turn... And I never Leave the Two Right Lanes when Traveling on the interstate. Why would I want to miss my turn by 10 miles if there is Traffic Jam? In the Right Lane you can leave the Interstate Effortlessly. Yeah, I know how those people drive, thats why I get in the lane that will garontee Me getting to make my turn W/Out any last second lane shifting.

If I could I would let some one drive me everywhere, It sounds nice not having the Drive everywhere, but thats really not an option for me. Unfortunatly, I can't afford to pay some one to drive me everywhere, and Marta doesnt cover that arias I live in or work in so, I have no choise.

4 years, and accidents yet, so I must be doing something right.

fatcatfan
05-08-2004, 09:58 PM
Tir'na Nog'th is always only as far away as the clouds ;)

AtmaWeapon
05-09-2004, 12:02 AM
Honestly, YOu woulnt find me in the left lane unless my next turn is a Left Turn...

4 years, and accidents yet, so I must be doing something right.

OK, in all my travels, the only times I've ever seen left turns on interstates is when there is a fork. Forks confuse drivers to no end and that is the only place I probably wouldn't run over you because in my observation only 1/10 drivers understand what it means when the road forks.

5 years, and the only accident I've had can be described as such:

Person in front of the person in front of me stops. 5 seconds pass. Person in front of me stops. 3 seconds pass I stop. 5 seconds pass Person behind me stops. 1 second passes. Some jerkoff had too many Zig Zag cartons on his dashboard thereby defeating his defroster was wiping the fog off of his dashboard and realized after he hit the person behind me that hitting his brakes might be prudent. He hit her at 50+ mph, she hit me and pushed me into the truck in front of me. Black state trooper determines that the black driver in the rear who didn't hit his brakes is not at fault; one of the three white people involved came to a "sudden stop" and therefore even though driver 4 never hit his brakes or even turned his wheel to avoid driver 3 it was obviously because he realized the futility of avoiding the accident. This goes against the testimony of all 3 white drivers and only agrees with the black driver's testimony, who coincidentally would be in the most trouble since if he were at fault he would have caused a 4-car accident, totalled 3 cars including his own, sent one driver to the hospital, and be at risk for a speeding and wreckless driving citation.

I know the timings of the accident because driver 1 came to a full stop and I started slowing down while I was 1500 yards away, driver 2 came to a full stop when I was 50 yards away, and I had been stopped long enough to look into the left lane and recognize I was going to be stuck for a while, then lean back in my seat to rest. So that was hardly the fault of my aggressive driving. :p :computer::toast: