Road Rage on Seattle roadways
 

Any insights into Seattle Road Rage would be appreciated. We moved here less than three months ago from Portland OR, where the drivers are considerate. I've nearly been driven off the road more than once here, and am trying to learn not to put on my turn signal if I want to change lanes, as that seems to say, "Fill the gap," to the driver behind in the lane I want to go into. I slowed to the speed limit on a two lane divided city avenue the other day and the truck behind me turned on its yellow flashers (It was some sort of pick-up) and almost ran over my car in protest. I've had drivers pass honking rudely, for slowing to look for parking spaces. I've never experienced anything like the dangerous driving here. No wonder there are accidents left and right and traffic is at a standstill on most highways many hours a day. Do others in the Seattle metro area notice this? How did this evolve?

I can't believe how slow everyone drives in the Seattle area.

Welcome to the big city, kiddo.<BR>You're describing everyplace I drive: Boston, NYC, Chicago, Phoenix, LA, SD....you name it.<BR><BR>Portland has always impressed me as a small town which wants to be known as a big city. I think you've just been leading a sheltered life there. Seattle is no different than most any other large city, and not as bad as some (northeast and LA are the worst).

Was that you road racing, xxx? I nearly had my doors blown off when I was going 70 mph on I-5 between Tacoma and Seattle about 2 weeks ago. The two cars that flanked me must have been going well over 100 mph. They disappeared in a flash.<BR><BR>I actually agree with you on the in-city streets. I got a speeding ticket my third day here for going 35 in a 25 zone on a &quot;residential&quot; street - 4 lane divided road with subdivision fences on both sides, no houses facing or even openning into the road, 6 AM, no traffic, no pedestrians. After that $140 ticket, I am conscious of my speed in town. And, I don't think it's fair that cars want to hump my car, just because the police have nothing better to do than to enforce riculously low speed limits.<BR><BR>What I really don't get, though, is the lengths cars will go to to prevent your crossing their path, even though it may be essential to exiting a freeway. The engineering is so poor in so many places. Entrance and exit ramps are way too close together, and traffic is thick. Right after two lanes enter to the right, you have to exit through both lanes to get off the freeway. You take your life in your hands to make that move. <BR><BR>And I would go back to Oregon if I could, so don't even suggest it.

Lisa,<BR> Oh I know exactly what you are saying!!! Lived all over the country, incluing the NE...and this area is by far the worst. Give me NYC any day over this area. We are hoping to get back to Oregon too:)

Why is Seattle so much worse to live in than Portland? Which neighborhood did you end up moving to, Lisa?

Lisa,<BR>While I agree that the road rage is bad in the Seattle area, it's not as bad as what I experienced in L.A. when I lived there. I also lived in Oregon and agree that it is &quot;mellower&quot; there, but IMO Seattle has so much more to offer in the way of culture, the arts, and the beauty of the surrounding areas (though Oregon is nice too) that I'd much rather live here. But to each his own. My husband and I work at home and try to avoid rush hour traffic whenever possible. That helps. But as other people have pointed out, unfortunately road rag seems to be part of being in a more cosmopolitan area. (Try yoga classes--they help!)

This might start out a little crazy, but hear me out: I think the buses are what start the aggressive driving. In Seattle, they are infamous for cutting abruptly into the road after making a stop. Very quickly after moving here, you learn to a) yield very humbly to the buses or b) charge the bus so that you can get in front of it.<BR><BR>I think most Seattlites are choosing choice B, and then carry the aggression through to their other driving habits (honking when unncessary, speeding up when you need to merge into a lane, etc.)<BR><BR>Don't get me wrong. I'm not against buses, but I'm against the power they have on the roads out here.<BR><BR>Oh, it's also those damn Californians who moved up here from Silicon Valley.

I don't think Oregonian drivers are especially considerate, just catatonic. I'm impressed to see ex-Oregonians talking about turn signals - who told you about them? Surely not your driver's ed teacher, if you had one.<BR><BR>Seattle drivers aggressive? Well, some, but per capita we're a bunch wusses compared to other places. Go on vacation to Boston for a few days for a little perspective. Or Lisbon.

I've never been impressed by Oregonian drivers. Slow drivers with few turn signals. Seattle really isn't that bad. Until you've had to travel on 5 freeways for a 16 mile commute in Southern California, you really have nothing to complain about. I don't mind my commute. You just have to get used to it.

Oh please, exduck, don't give me that crap about the Seattle personalities being more &quot;cautious&quot; or &quot;wussy.&quot; That's so OLD. There are so many transplants here that your argument doesn't even make sense anymore. <BR><BR>And don't think you're so special because you went to Portugal one summer after college. We could give a crap about your &quot;worldy&quot; experiences.

The driving attitude comes from Microsoft arrogance.

Lisa, the road rage is so bad here in town I'm surprised anyone still commutes. Personally I will only work downtown so that I can jump on 99 on Queen Anne and not deal with it all. <BR><BR>I also agree about the buses. I have even been sideswiped by one. My car was in the shop for a week! And he never stopped!<BR><BR>It seems to be getting worse and worse. I think it's a combination of too many drivers on roads that are too small, gray days and too much espresso!<BR><BR>Wendy

SeattleNative, <BR><BR>Blame it on the buses? Oh, please. Why not blame it on PEMCO &quot;preferred&quot; (i.e., old) policy holders holding up traffic?<BR><BR>Blame it on the transplants? Oh, that's so OLD. People were jerks on the Evergreen Bridge when you paid 15c to cross it. Actually, I doubt you're old enough to remember that.

No offense, lisa, but if your e-mail address is indicative of where you live, sammamish is hardly Seattle. Sammanish is a new area that has an entirely different &quot;feel&quot; than Seattle. <BR><BR>I've encountered some very aggressive drivers in Portland too. Let's face it--unfortunately, they're everywhere!

I am more than a little interested in this thread. My husband may get transferred to Seattle to that little software company up there. I wonder if the traffic is that much worse there than in Dallas where the speed limit is 5mph faster than the person in front of you. We just started thinking about the possibility of a move, I will read the Seattle posts with great interest.

Not worse, Interested. <BR>Just different.<BR>I've spent a good deal of time driving in both metros and notice a difference in the types of cars and bottlenecking issues, but not in the general behavior of the drivers.

We actually did not move to Sammamish or to the Plateau. I was thrilled to leave there (where we had been put in temporary housing) as the traffic was so outrageous. By that, I mean, I got that speeding ticket in a speed trap there at 6 AM, and yet everyone has to just stand through light cycle after light cycle, in bottleneck traffic forever, it seems. It's a prescription for an ulcer. <BR><BR>We wound up moving to SE Bellevue, on the west side of Lake Sammamish (someone joked to me they called it the Sammamish Valley). My husbands work is about 10 to 15 minutes away, all on city streets - no highway driving. I am not working presently, but I have plenty of driving that takes me on the freeways. <BR><BR>Re the busses. I had a bus take aim for me and deliberately try to sideswipe me last week. So I understand what you are saying about the busses. This morning, in driving my daughter to school in Bellevue, I turned left on a green light (yield to traffic), when there was sufficient clearance. The oncoming car didn't even have to slow down, but he decided to honk in protest at me anyway. I just don't get it. <BR><BR>You have to move/be assertive to get anywhere, but, when you do, there's always someonen ready to honk at you. If you're going slow to look to park or for a street, they honk at you, too. Honestly, it's a sick mentality.<BR>

If you think it's scary driving around here, try being a pedestrian. I live and work on the Eastside, but I don't have a car. One has to be very careful navigating parking lots on foot, crossing the street, or walking down sidewalks where there are entries and exits for car into businesses and such. I've learned to be very careful. <BR><BR>I am surprised to hear complaints about buses. Most of the drivers that I get are too wussy to pull into traffic even when the next oncoming car is an ample distance away. OTOH, cars are supposed to yield when buses signal to re-enter traffic and most don't.

Seattle is full of psychos. And perhaps the most poorly planned city in the country.<BR>Portland is lucky to have boomed after Seattle. You should look at Seattle and do everything exactly opposite the way they have.