OT: In Boston - Insane Drivers

[Matt P]

I'm visiting Boston this week -- it is the first time ever I have been in the New England states.

Oh My God -- Everything I ever heard about rude and crazy Boston drivers is an understatement. Drivers here are beyond insane. Crazy lane changes, cutting in where there is no space, non stop laying on the horns, ignoring traffic lights and signs, driving on sidewalks and other 'off-roading'... you name it, they do it --- constantly.

I will not, if can possble avoid it, ever, EVER, *EVER* bring any of my cars here. They would be crushed from behind the first time I stopped for a red light.

From my first drive out in a taxi from the Airport, though the new tunnels (the Dig) to drives out to the suburbs and Harvard Square with my hosts, it has been a non-stop driving horror show. One of my hosts was just chatting on about how she doesn't want to get a new car because .. let's see... her current one has been rear-ended 3 times (once one day after getting it out of the shop), been the rear-ender once, run into in the parking lots, and in her own driveway (by a neighbor) -- twice... and of couse, she drives like all the rest of the maniacs.

My hosts tell me they didn't drive like that at first when they moved to Boston, but soon they had to as a matter of survival.

Has anyone here ever lived in Boston, and can shed any light onto the lack of civilized driving?

On another topic, I won't be able to submit pics for the fall show until I get back to Texas in a couple of days, is it too late?

[Jeff N.]

How 'bout those left turns off the light right in front of traffic? Oi Vey!

Jeff
Seattle and Safe

[Patrick]

I posted this before. This is just a few miles from Harvard Square. I have the pleasure of driving through this intersection all the time when I'm in Boston -there's no yield or stop signs in any direction, so whoever has the most balls gets the right-of-way. There's a near miss or accident about once a minute during rush hour.
It would help if the roads hadn't all once been wagons roads laid out by drunk pilgrims, but that seems to be what they're working with there -Ha!
The way they drive there, and in DC, is for crap. I've even started referring to people who drive like that in Denver as "Pulling a real east-coast move."
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[Kamil]

One of the problems is that people simply do not know where they're going... they're either careless or for whatever reason don't know which roads they should be on, etc.... not all their fault, the signs/directions are rediclous.
And, especially in the city, w/ all the construction, road patterns change all the time.

[andyman32]

It can even get pretty crazy in downtown Albany. Driving in Atlanta was also fraught with insanity of that sort - laying on horns, pulling lane changes into a solid wall of traffic going 30mph faster than you with no blinkers, etc.

I think it's just relative to the size of the urban area. In Raleigh I see lots of very, VERY stupid stuff, but not nearly as much unnecessary aggression as in the other larger cities I've lived in / visited.

[Rory]

I posted this before. This is just a few miles from Harvard Square. I have the pleasure of driving through this intersection all the time when I'm in Boston -there's no yield or stop signs in any direction, so whoever has the most balls gets the right-of-way. There's a near miss or accident about once a minute during rush hour.
It would help if the roads hadn't all once been wagons roads laid out by drunk pilgrims, but that seems to be what they're working with there -Ha!
The way they drive there, and in DC, is for crap. I've even started referring to people who drive like that in Denver as "Pulling a real east-coast move."


I had the pleasure of driving through Patrick's favorite intersection last year while exploring the state. Let me just say that I was perplexed when I came to the intersection and had no idea what was going on. It is not the only cluster #$*(& intersection in this state/commonwealth/whatever the hell it is.

My huge problem with Boston drivers is how incredibly rude they are and how they feel entitled to do whatever the hell they want. I do not drive that much up here since I hate driving anywhere in the city (Stiff suspension + awful roads = horrid ride). But, I do drive enough to laugh. My wife and I try to remain calm and polite on the roads but often times it feels like we are the only ones. The light turns green and 8 people feel as if they are entitlted to hold up traffic the other way by turning left in front of them. If you try to go when you have the right away you will be shot on site. It was a rude awakening after being in Atlanta for so many years. Anyway, the only thing you can do is smile and don't let it bother you, otherwise it is going to push your BP through the roof. At least the government is putting all this money into improving the roadways with the dig (ROTFLMAO). It is so well designed that there are often times 0 emergency lanes in the tunnels, they have had floods in the tunnels from cracked walls, and on one tunnel there is a ridiculously steep grade entering the tunnel at which point water accumulates and often times turns to solid ice in the winter. What a great place to drive for a few more years ;)

Best,
Rory

[wengenstein]

I'm originally from MA and for as long as I can remember the state has always been known for its aggressive drivers. When I moved north to NH it was a whole nother world. :) It seems like the aggressive driving is more or less limited to MA drivers, or mass-holes as they are known by some up here. :)

MA is one of those mandatory insurance states too so I think that may add to the problem.

[DaCan23]

Well Left on Red when on a oneway street going onto another oneway street is legal in MA.... I use it everytime downtown Boston..

[DaCan23]

I use to live in "Boston" live in da burbs now.... it's a combination of people being in a hurry, horrible roads & setup, and lack of intelligence..... cant wait for them to ban talkin on a cell phone here... roads are constantly changing & under construction so even those familiar get caught off guard with changes.... one thing about MA drivers... I swear you will not find more rude drivers anywhere who dont allow you to merge when 2 lanes converge.

[rbeaud]

Ahhh, my favorite short cut to the highway for drives to my parents in ME. It helped to have a Corrado for squirting through gaps in traffic. Then there is also the rotary by Alewife where out of towners can have a "European Vacation" moment; "look kids Big Ben...." There are two lanes going round and round with about 5 exits. Tons of fun but don't get stuck in the inner circle.

I've always found driving in MA to require some ability to scoot into small traffic holes. Which may explain the high incidence of low speed accidents. I remember traveling home from Logan to ME with my gf (now wife) from MS. She nearly freaked when I merged onto 93 with about 6" front and rear to spare ("calm down honey- traffic is crawling")

But at least the drivers in MA are somewhat predictable. Just ask yourself, "what would a M******* do?". I can still recall the spit covered windshield of a fellow worker from MA due to driving around MS because of random stops, cutoffs, slow drivers. It was nearly impossible to guess what the traffic would do and plan defensively (or aggressively as the situation required). I'm surprised there are not more rear end collisions here is MS due to politeness- they stop dead in the road to let someone in from a side street. Don't worry that the road has a 45 mph limit and that the "traffic" is only two more cars behind you. Interstate merges are worse; people in traffic slow down reflexively but the merging traffic is typically traveling at the same speed as the surface road (25 mph). After all, you can always get up to speed after you merge onto the highway, right?


[QUOTE=Patrick]I posted this before. This is just a few miles from Harvard Square. [QUOTE=Patrick]

[Patrick]

"M*******" -that's pretty good.:)

[DaCan23]

MA is also notorious for having an entrance ramp come onto a highway before the exit ramp... so you have a criss cross on the highway... what a mess... worst is the entrance from Braintree onto 93 North where you need to cross 2 exit lanes that connect to Route 3...

[Robin-535im]

I lived there (Cambridge, actually) for two years.

Once you get the hang of it, it's not so bad because people are very predictable. Predictably agressive and risky perhaps... :) but you can plan for it and even count on it.

I say this because other places (like here in New Mexico) people are simply random. That makes it tough to navigate because you have to keep an open mind about what kind of crazy sh*t the person next to you is going to decide to do today. At least in MA you could pretty much count on people cutting in, pulling out, turning left the instant the light changed, honking like maniacs... etc.

- Robin

[Bill in MA]

I couldn't agree more !

Part of the problem is that Boston is not laid out like a typical city in a grid pattern that has some logic (although parts of Southie pretend to), the rumor is that the roads were based on the cow paths from Colonial days. This results in people from out of town getting horribly lost, slowing things down and getting in the way... Not a good thing.

I drive 120 miles a day from central MA to the Boston area every day and have seen it all. The use of directionals is considered a sign of weakness, red lights/stop signs are simply suggestions, hell it's even legal to drive in the breakdown lane on Route 128 during certain times of the day!

Kill or be killed. That's what it boils down to...

Bill
92 535i Turbo

[Kamil]

hell it's even legal to drive in the breakdown lane on Route 128 during certain times of the day!
Bill
92 535i Turbo

OMG... I saw that!!!! South of Mass Pike, near exit 22 maybe?
I was praying for cop to be waiting near the exit ramp and give all those fatheads a ticket.

Nothing for nothing... it's still easier to drive in Boston than it is in NYC... it's "different"... but you need to be more aware when driving in NYC... the taxi cabs will kill you. :p



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LET'S GO YANKEES!!! :D

[DaCan23]

128 Breakdown Lane is an accident waiting to happen... after the GF got her new Sebring Cabrio told her no more drivin in breakdown lane cause its not good for the tires and tons of crap gets kicked up into your front... amazin when I see Porsches, New Benzs & such disrespectin their cars drivin in it...

[CrimsonBrian]

I have lived in Harvard Sq for the past four and a half years and I agree that driving here is an unmitigated nightmare. As a native of SF, I thought that CA drivers were bad. But, while drivers in the Bay Area can be dangerous, Boston/Cambridge drivers are out for blood. Putting on your turn signal here is an invitation for the five cars behind you to make it their life mission to see that you cant move over. They will instinctively create a rolling roadblock, thus ensuring that you never are able to move over.

I have also been in numerous minor car accidents. People here dont mind trading a little paint if it means that they are going to be able to shave an 18th of a second off their arrival time. After a while it does become a matter of kill or be killed. While I still use my turn signal every time, I am not hesitant about forcing someone over so that I can make my exit, especially when they are speeding up and slowing down in sync with me.

Even parking here is dangerous. My car was parked on a corner here in Cambridge and a giant garbage truck was attempting to negotiate one of the narrow streets and broadsided my car. He then tried to make a speedy getaway, but this was made difficult as the rear crash guard of the truck had punched through my window and now my car was attached. Thankfully, there were many witnesses and the company eventually parted with $9000 to fix it ($7000 in damage and $2000 to rent me a brand new Infiniti for the six weeks it was at the shop). Now there is probably a mob hit out on me.

The moral of the story is dont drive in Boston, if you can avoid it. In fact, its even dangerous to walk here. Everyone should just stay home.

Brian