They've GOT to be kidding!

**Rich Z** · 08-05-2006, 11:17 AM

The other day I was coming back from my weekly trip into Tallahassee to go to the post office and I had some clown in a SUV next to me speeding up and slowing down trying to egg me on, I guess. Then at the same time I had another clown in some beat up jalopy with big wheels all around riding my ass. I was already doing 58 in a 45 mph zone! Anyway, this went on for a while and I just got tired of it. Finally got to a stretch of road with no other traffic on it and I decided to get those clowns out of my hair. Didn't even downshift out of fifth, I just pressed on the GO pedal. I was to 110 in less time then it takes to tell about it, and left those two clowns WAY back in the distance.

Nytro · 08-05-2006, 07:18 PM

I moved here from Mass three years ago, and I gotta tell ya I have never seen drivers like the people down here in my life. People in Mass drive crazy and fast, but not reckless like here. Running red lights is a way of life here, changing lanes to get ten feet ahead, stopping at lights and leaving fifteen feet between you and the car in front of you and the worst, slowing down for a yellow light and not knowing if the person behind you is planning to slow down also. I find it especially funny the way pedestrians are more like targets here than people who have the right of way. I know, I know natives here are going to say it's the non-Floridians, but I'm not buying it, drivers here have to be the worst in the nation. Drivers education should be mandatory in this state, and I don't mean online driving courses. Just my .02.

**Rich Z** · 08-05-2006, 07:42 PM

Well the situation here in Wakulla County is pretty bizarre. People will break their necks to pull out in front of you no matter how fast you are driving or how close you are to them. I believe there is some unwritten rule that as long as they get out onto the road, to hell with anyone else coming down the road towards them. Ninety mph to get onto the road then slow down to 35 mph is OK, even when the traffic on the road is going 60. Conversely, when it comes time for them to turn OFF of the road, you would think they were carrying nitroglycerine in the trunk as they slowly reduced speed then creeped around that turn. You would think they changed drivers somewhere along the way.

And BTW, I was up in Boston for a while, and that place scared the hell out of me. I learned the hard way that when a Bostonian turns on the turn signal, it is NOT a request. Get OUT of the way because he/she is COMING over! Like right NOW!

EZ GOIN · 08-05-2006, 09:26 PM

I don't know what its like in other parts of Florida, but the thing that ticks me off the most here in jax is that people WILL NOT let you in line. I don't care if it rush hour traffic or a slow sunday afternoon. People will just stop right in front of you while you're trying to get onto the road. They act like one more car in front of them is going to add an hour onto wherever they're going.

Z06 Rocket · 08-06-2006, 07:38 PM

I know that it's bad here in FL,,,, but have you ever driven in Atlanta or LA??? WWOOOAAAAAAAAA

MADN3SS · 08-06-2006, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z06 Rocket

I know that it's bad here in FL,,,, but have you ever driven in Atlanta or LA??? WWOOOAAAAAAAAA

I've driven in both. You're right, it's nuts. But there is nothing like driving in Manhattan. Taxi's actually bump into each other trying to get through intersections. It's been awhile since I've been there. Maybe they've calmed down with the high gas prices, but I doubt it!

TwistedFun · 08-12-2006, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nytro

I moved here from Mass three years ago, and I gotta tell ya I have never seen drivers like the people down here in my life. People in Mass drive crazy and fast, but not reckless like here. Running red lights is a way of life here, changing lanes to get ten feet ahead, stopping at lights and leaving fifteen feet between you and the car in front of you and the worst, slowing down for a yellow light and not knowing if the person behind you is planning to slow down also. I find it especially funny the way pedestrians are more like targets here than people who have the right of way. I know, I know natives here are going to say it's the non-Floridians, but I'm not buying it, drivers here have to be the worst in the nation. Drivers education should be mandatory in this state, and I don't mean online driving courses. Just my .02.

you just dont understand the way we do things down here yet. yellow means floor it. red means the next 5 cars go. green means look both ways and go only when it is clear. j/k

my ex-wife was from boston and that is a crazy place to try to dive in. they really use their bumpers to park. what we call an accident they call using the bumpers to park. i think a lot of our problem is that we have so many people comming here from so many dif. places and they are all used to driving they way they drove where thay came from. the laws are not the same everywhere and lifestyles are not the same either. there are very few real floridians driving. we are a rare breed. they should make it mandatory that before you get a florida license you have to take a drivers school even if you have one from another state, no exceptions. i do agree people do drive like idiots here. the good news for me is it is job security. i am in the idiot business. if it were not for idiots and people doing stupid things i would be out of a job.

DWALK'00 · 09-18-2006, 02:20 PM

I agree 100%

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nytro

I moved here from Mass three years ago, and I gotta tell ya I have never seen drivers like the people down here in my life. People in Mass drive crazy and fast, but not reckless like here. Running red lights is a way of life here, changing lanes to get ten feet ahead, stopping at lights and leaving fifteen feet between you and the car in front of you and the worst, slowing down for a yellow light and not knowing if the person behind you is planning to slow down also. I find it especially funny the way pedestrians are more like targets here than people who have the right of way. I know, I know natives here are going to say it's the non-Floridians, but I'm not buying it, drivers here have to be the worst in the nation. Drivers education should be mandatory in this state, and I don't mean online driving courses. Just my .02.

I also live in Valrico and have for the past 14 years. I learned to drive here and 10 years ago when I started driving here there was only half as many people living here. You will eventually get use to it.

Cmanhome · 01-02-2008, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EZ GOIN

I don't know what its like in other parts of Florida, but the thing that ticks me off the most here in jax is that people WILL NOT let you in line. I don't care if it rush hour traffic or a slow sunday afternoon. People will just stop right in front of you while you're trying to get onto the road. They act like one more car in front of them is going to add an hour onto wherever they're going.

Thats probably because they have been in the traffic line for about 20 minutes and someone who has not been in line speeds up and tries to get in front of the line. We wait, you wait also.

thebeepster · 01-02-2008, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EZ GOIN

I don't know what its like in other parts of Florida, but the thing that ticks me off the most here in jax is that people WILL NOT let you in line. I don't care if it rush hour traffic or a slow sunday afternoon. People will just stop right in front of you while you're trying to get onto the road. They act like one more car in front of them is going to add an hour onto wherever they're going.

I've had the good fortune (or misfortune, depending how you view it) to live in virtually all parts of the state and found the drivers in Jax to be actually better than most!