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aggressive. Although drivers are definitely more courteous in my part of the state compared with others.
my husband CANNOT STAND PA drivers. Clogging our roads and not driving with the flow.
My husband would also agree with Maverick's statement about cops ticketing loafers in the left lane.
being from Pennsylvania, i've never had issues with flow of traffic until i came to NJ. my father, who has to take defensive driving courses well beyond what the general population would ever take, is constantly dumbfounded when he drives out to visit. as soon as we cross the deleware water gap...it's like we've entered this parallel universe where people don't know what blinkers are for, are psychologically pulled into the left lane, have no idea when headlights should be used, have no clue what a safe distance between cars are, etc. etc.
it gets congested and tough down around philly, because the roads simply can't handle the volume. but even when i'm down there, people generally move to the right to let you pass.
Thanks Tahiti ~~~
My brother moved from NJ to PA nearly 20 years ago. He uses the term 'Pennsylvania Parade' to describe what happens when stuck behind a putt-putter whom other drivers can't pass because they're on single lane roads with no passing zones. Apropos indeed!
those are just the senior-citizen sunday drivers. PA has a lot of older people, and the single lane roads people are just not in a hurry. more often than not, when that happens to me back in my home area, they'll inch over to the shoulder and let you pass. but, it depends on where you are.
I totally agree with you there. Why don't they understand that "yield" can in some instances actually mean STOP. I almost get my car totaled daily in the same spot. I HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY, YOU HAVE THE YIELD!!!!!! They don't seem to grasp that.
but honestly, if you yield properly (unless the road is just poorly designed, which is the case in some places), you shouldn't need to stop. you slow down, proceed with caution, and look for an opportunity to merge. if you maintain speed, it shouldn't be a huge issue.
the problem is the people who think it's just a lane that ends in 500 feet and that they can move over without looking or trying to match the speed of the lane they are merging to...
those are just the senior-citizen sunday drivers. PA has a lot of older people, and the single lane roads people are just not in a hurry. more often than not, when that happens to me back in my home area, they'll inch over to the shoulder and let you pass. but, it depends on where you are.
Try seeing old people on 287, we were driving around 9 pm on the right lane doing about 70 (limits 65), and we were coming up to this Cadillac Deville incredibly fast, and we swerved to the other lane at the last minute. This old man was driving about 40 at the most.
The only thing you're allowed to say to a bad driver is "GO BACK TO JERSEY!"
My father was a professional driver for most of his working life. His shared wisdom on the matter of Jersey drivers was to always allow them to cut you off. You were much better with a Jersey driver in front of you. That way you could keep an eye on 'em.
I've lived in Philly (Center City). Central-South Jersey and now Northeast Jersey (east of 287).
I found drivers in Philly and Central-South Jersey to be far more courteous drivers, far less aggressive than those up in Northeast Jersey. The drivers in the Philly burbs also. Philly is a city, so you get those issues going on, but I still found the level of courtesy to be higher.
Off topic, but if it wasn't for family reasons, I would move back to Central-South Jersey in a heartbeat to be honest.
this is my general feeling also. as i travel further south in NJ, or even more east towards 78, there's more merging, moving out of the way to let people pass, etc etc.
as for locals...i dunno if it's just my town, but i've encountered some extremely ignorant and impatient people in my section of town. i can't wait til i walk my dog by this one guy's house next time he's out so i can ask him why he felt it necessary to ride his horn for 3 or 4 seconds yesterday when he decided i was in his way all of a sudden....
i've driven all over the country and a good chunk of Europe and have ONLY seen this behavior on a consistant basis in Germany. Certainly not in PA. ALL US drivers need to be better on this one.
ironically, much of PA was settled by people from Germany! the pennsylvania "dutch".
it's actually really consistent on the PA Turnpike, on I-80 and 81, and further out west in the state as well. where in NJ, i often see the right lane empty with the left lane and middle lane looking like a game of *******, PA the left lane is almost always empty (excluding I-76 around philly, which just simply cannot handle the volume that's on it), with people popping over to let people merge onto the highway, or popping over to pass, then popping back over.
the worst thing for me driving home is when i see that yellow NJ or white NY plate up ahead in the left lane...i know i'm going to have to move to the right to pass him 9 times out of 10.
Oblivious... My development is cut in half by a busy street. There is a crosswalk at the corner & two signs posted (1 in each direction) about the pedestrian crosswalk. I can't count the number of times I have stood on the corner with my dog trying to cross the street. Finally, the traffic will stop in one direction, so I proceed to the middle of the street. The drivers DO NOT stop for pedestrians in crosswalks!!!
Oblivious again to those drivers around them. It seems that directionals are optional! Driving behind vehicles who suddenly stop for no reason until they turn.
More examples:
Drivers at night without their lights on!
Drivers who's break lights don't work. Driving behind someone and then suddenly you're up their rear end & have to break hard so you don't hit them.
GRRRRR!!!!
i've found living in hoboken two things about this exact scenario you described:
1. drivers don't know that yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk means that once a ped is in the crosswalk, they are obligated to stop for them.
2. pedestrians don't know that yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk means that, if you are not yet in the crosswalk, darting out into it with a car 50 feet away going 20-25mph does not give you the right to flip out when said car almost hits you. oh yeah...and waiting one or two steps off the curb, NYC style, to cross doesn't count as being IN the crosswalk for drivers that are too close to stop safely when you dart out.
not YOU specifically...just general observation in the boken....
ironically, much of PA was settled by people from Germany! the pennsylvania "dutch".
it's actually really consistent on the PA Turnpike, on I-80 and 81, and further out west in the state as well. where in NJ, i often see the right lane empty with the left lane and middle lane looking like a game of *******, PA the left lane is almost always empty (excluding I-76 around philly, which just simply cannot handle the volume that's on it), with people popping over to let people merge onto the highway, or popping over to pass, then popping back over.
the worst thing for me driving home is when i see that yellow NJ or white NY plate up ahead in the left lane...i know i'm going to have to move to the right to pass him 9 times out of 10.
the vast majority of NJ is like I-76 in Philly - especially where you commute!
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