Doug usually drives while I manage the dropped toys, squabbles and the radio. When I’m not tending to the children, I’m working in my planner. This week, I pulled up to the white line behind which you are expected to stop at a red light. I came to a stop and looked closely at the car beside me which crossed all four tires across the line before stopping. When the light turned green, I looked at the beyond the line driver’s plates and saw that they were Indiana plates. I was letting the information slide to the back of my mind as I pulled to another red light and another car did the exact same thing. This time I was far enough back to see that the eager driver had Illinois plates. Twice in 5 minutes on Kingston Pike, a very heavily trafficked street I saw cars doing what I consider against the law and both times they had out of town plates. So, I thought about this the rest of the way to my destination. Number one thought was that I was getting tired of catching every single red light. Number two thought was that maybe other states don’t have lines at intersections like Tennessee does. My third thought was that there must be something wrong with drivers in states that start with the letter “I”. Number four thought, which I seriously considered the longest, was that Tennessee drivers are just more considerate and law abiding drivers. What do YOU do at a red light? When you are behind the wheel of a car, is your desire to get somewhere more important than being a careful driver who is courteous to everyone else on the road? Are Tennesseans more lawful or are we just so laid back that we don’t drive aggressively?
In comments, Mark categorized American drivers:
The best drivers, overall: Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming and Montana.
The absolute worst overall: Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia.
Shouldn’t be behind allowed behind the wheel: Utah, Nevada, Massachusetts, Illinois, Nebraska
The Tailgate States: Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Washington, California
Most likely to fire live rounds: Louisiana, Alabama, Idaho, New York, North Carolina
What do you think?
When I first met my (now) husband. He used to go absolutely crazy about this one light in town. He would rant and rave about how it was broken. He’d wait and then run it.
One day I was driving and I stopped at the white line (something he NEVER did) The light obligingly turned green in about 5 seconds. He was amazed. I explained to him that while some lights are on timers some are connected to actual pressure plates in the roads. The plates sense the weight of a car and change accordingly. You can usually see the rectangular lines in the asphalt leading up to the white line if there is a plate in the road.
He sheepishly said.. “Oh! That’s interesting”. Now he (almost) always stops at the white line.
I carpool with a lady into work, and there’s a stop sign we have to turn left from onto a busy road, where usually cars from our right are turning left in front of us. She often pulls so far forward that it slows their ability to turn in front of us by reducing their angle, and the whole time she fusses because they’re taking so long to turn. People are just so funny to observe. As for the I states, I think it’s just a coincidence.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence. Having lived all over the country, I’ve found *major* differences.
The best drivers, overall: Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming and Montana.
The absolute worst overall: Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia. (Amusing how they’re all right there together, innit?)
Shouldn’t be behind allowed behind the wheel: Utah, Nevada, Massachusetts, Illinois, Nebraska
The Tailgate States: Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Washington, California
Most likely to fire live rounds: Louisiana, Alabama, Idaho, New York, North Carolina
etc. etc. etc.
Um..I think I’m embarrassed to be a Hoosier driver. 🙂 At least Indiana didn’t make that list of Mark’s.
Well, I did leave out the “women can’t drive states” because I thought it would alienate too many potentials. *grin*
You also left out states with the most unlicensed drivers.
There … now the problem is rectified. *snicker*