Driving in the South

[svtrit]

We just made it to Gulf Shores, AL, and I have to admit, driving in the south is an adventure!

1. Cars in TN, GA, MS, and AL are sold without cruise control or turn signal levers.
2. The lanes have switched. I was able to utilize my cruise control at +5 like I always do, go faster than traffic, and pass everyone by staying in the right lane.
3. People are threatened by you trying to pass, and speed up, but immediately fade back when you eventually make it past them.
4. Nissan Altimas built before 2012 have a requirement that the driver front fender and front bumper cover be a different color than the rest of the car.

Now to enjoy vacation….

 

[JohnnyG]

I think the lane switch occurred when people entering the highway from an on ramp decided that the word YEILD is no longer a real word, and is meaningless.

 

[bdcardinal]

I see you have experienced Big Altima Energy finally.

 

[svtrit]

I think the lane switch occurred when people entering the highway from an on ramp decided that the word YEILD is no longer a real word, and is meaningless.

I was on 45, which is an open State highway and it was the same.

 

[double vanos]

“People are threatened by you trying to pass, and speed up, but immediately fade back when you eventually make it past them.”
I have often thought this too! Gotta go 90 to barely get past some idiot going 60. I thought it was just me but your observation confirms I’m not going mad.

 

[eljefino]

4. Nissan Altimas built before 2012 have a requirement that the driver front fender and front bumper cover be a different color than the rest of the car.

And running temp paper tags.

 

[brianl703]

Still remember my dad bitching about how bad Virginia drivers are when we moved here in 1988.

Nothing's changed. If anything, they're worse now.

 

[loneryder]

Still remember my dad bitching about how bad Virginia drivers are when we moved here in 1988.

Nothing's changed. If anything, they're worse now.

You've got those "not from the US" drivers that are driving for the first time. They like to stay in the left lane so they can see the solid line to guide them. Especially on 8 lane highways. Those left lane for passing signs have disappeared.

 

[MRC01]

...
3. People are threatened by you trying to pass, and speed up, but immediately fade back when you eventually make it past them.
...

I call them "road leeches". They aren't paying attention so they gauge their speed by nearby cars. So if you speed up, they speed up. If you slow down, they slow down. But just like leeches, they only attach if you're nearby. if the difference in speed is more than 5-10 mph, or you get further away, then they revert to their own speed.

 

[brianl703]

You've got those "not from the US" drivers that are driving for the first time. They like to stay in the left lane so they can see the solid line to guide them. Especially on 8 lane highways. Those left lane for passing signs have disappeared.

They also like to drive 35MPH everywhere. No matter if the speed limit is 25, 35, or 45MPH, they just drive 35MPH.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I have driven all across the Southeast for work for a couple decades, and I can absolutely assure you the worst left lane drivers are Quebec, Ontario, Michigan, Ohio followed by any beater from a Southern state - in that order. In fairness the first 4 might be due to driver age .

I'll add to your passing dilemma, the two vehicles side by side on an empty road wildly varying speeds in unison for miles.

Everyone else is pretty good. Folks from NY, IL and IN actually seem to be the best at getting out of the way. Not enough representation from West of the Mississippi to make a call on those.

 

[Delta]

Having lived in Mississippi for over 8 years, I can affirm the first post is indeed correct...

However, here in PA drivers seem to be worse. Subaru's an Honda's seem to drive the slowest and love camping out in the wrong lane.

Living so close to West Virginia I see some interesting junk rolling around, not to mention Maryland has no inspections after the initial one. Not uncommon to see a truck driving around with a broken frame just driving around...

 

[CR94]

I think the lane switch occurred when people entering the highway from an on ramp decided that the word YEILD is no longer a real word, and is meaningless.

The meaning changed. Now "merge" means accelerate or decelerate as needed to match my speed and squeeze in right beside me.

 

[PontiacHO]

The an

We just made it to Gulf Shores, AL, and I have to admit, driving in the south is an adventure!

1. Cars in TN, GA, MS, and AL are sold without cruise control or turn signal levers.
2. The lanes have switched. I was able to utilize my cruise control at +5 like I always do, go faster than traffic, and pass everyone by staying in the right lane.
3. People are threatened by you trying to pass, and speed up, but immediately fade back when you eventually make it past them.
4. Nissan Altimas built before 2012 have a requirement that the driver front fender and front bumper cover be a different color than the rest of the car.

Now to enjoy vacation….

You can always vacation in the northern half of the US. Folks in the south really dont care what you think. I always find it absurd that northern folks complain about the south but move and vacation here. Stay. Don’t come.

 

[gman2304]

Having driven class 8 trucks for 45 years, rest assured that “being an idiot while driving“ is not restricted to certain geographic regions! It comes down to common courtesy no longer being common.

 

[supton]

Having driven class 8 trucks for 45 years, rest assured that “being an idiot while driving“ is not restricted to certain geographic regions! It comes down to common courtesy no longer being common.

Thats what I was wondering, seems everyone complains about drivers.

But I’m not sure if it’s anything new. Bad drivers were invented alongside the car. ‘cept I bet they predate even then.

 

[simple_gifts]

The an

You can always vacation in the northern half of the US. Folks in the south really dont care what you think. I always find it absurd that northern folks complain about the south but move and vacation here. Stay. Don’t come.

Let's take sweeping generalizations for $200 alex.

 

[gman2304]

Let's take sweeping generalizations for $200 alex.

Isn’t that what started this thread? Alex is dead…..

 

[Speedy3861]

Here in Pennsylvania we seem to have a plague of Toyota Prius drivers doing 47mph in the left lane of 65mph highways (probably hypermileing) with their heads down, talking on cellphones, totally oblivious to the chaos they are causing around them, always with Maryland plates. Apparently they don't know how to pair their phones to the hands free system. I've seen this a lot on I83 north. I'll be taking a trip to South Carolina later this summer, mostly on I81. Probably will be interesting.

 

[Thermo1223]

We just made it to Gulf Shores, AL, and I have to admit, driving in the south is an adventure!

1. Cars in TN, GA, MS, and AL are sold without cruise control or turn signal levers.
2. The lanes have switched. I was able to utilize my cruise control at +5 like I always do, go faster than traffic, and pass everyone by staying in the right lane.
3. People are threatened by you trying to pass, and speed up, but immediately fade back when you eventually make it past them.
4. Nissan Altimas built before 2012 have a requirement that the driver front fender and front bumper cover be a different color than the rest of the car.

Now to enjoy vacation….

In my limited travels I found AL and MS to be the "hammer down" states. I was never doing less than 90MPH the majority of the time and was fun. LA was a little calmer. I absolutely hated I-81S in VA. It was never ending.