One friend of mine has a theory about slow traffic on I 85 northeast of Atlanta. The slow drivers fall into 3 categories: old people who think 65 is fast enough in a 65 mph zone, old cars that cannot quite make it up to 65, and people who were going too fast, but got so scared that their feet are frozen with fear and they cannot depress the gas pedal. <BR>

Beware of Gallup, New Mexico -- especially on weekends. It is a sad sight when you see so many intoxicated Native Americans (a.k.a. Indians) lying in the gutter, on the parkways, on benches, and even in the streets. The police pick them up, put them in the cooler to sober up, and then send them on their way. Can't something constructive be done to help these people?

Re: previous post. STICK TO THE $%^#@ SUBJECT. Drunk Indians in Gallup has absolutely zero to do with bottleneck traffic! <BR> <BR>And now to the point... San Francisco has awful traffic. The entire Bay Area is a big traffic mess! I left 8 years ago for a mid-size Southern city where I commute 8 miles in 12 minutes. <BR>

The problem with the Bay Area is the lack of space to accomodate new freeways. The cities on the bay itself on the east side or the west side are on narrow strips of land bordered by the bay on one side and hills and mountains on the other side, this causes great population density and horrendous traffic. I still would argue that Los Angeles is worse for now at least. But not by much. Traffic in other places is a novelty and makes them feel like like mega-cities. Well, the Bay Area is a mega-City with San Francisco at its heart, and as the worldwide capital of technology, its a shame that we haven't been able to solve a problem that has evolved into a crisis.

The worst drivers are the slow ones combined with the hyper-macho ones in South Florida. <BR>Worst bottlenecks are on the Long Island Expressway on Friday or Sunday evenings in summer.

The *WORST* bottle neck by far is what Chicagoans call the "Hillside strangler" where 6 lanes [and two interstates 88 & 290 I think..] merge into ONE lane. During rush hour... oh well. The problem is, as I understand it, that redoing the interchange involves 5 municipalities... so I guess we'll have the strangler with us for the forseeable future.

Boston to Cape Cod, hands down. <BR>I live in LA and have never experienced anything like that here ( of course, I avoid the 405).

I grew up in Massachusetts, lived in Montclair,NJ.(about 15 miles outside of NYC) and now live in Atlanta. I have to say that although NewEnglander's may not want someone to merge in front of them at least there is some orderly rules of the road. Yes, NewEnglander's drive fast but I never realized what fast was until I moved to Atlanta. Not only do Atlantan's drive fast there erratic, they don't know how to drive. They constantly cut you off, don't use their traffic signals, don't know how to obey stop signs. It's complete chaos. I don't even think they have driver's education down here! Rules of the road? There aren't any. Tracker trailers and cars pass you in the emergency lane doing 80, no wonder there are so many traffic fatalities every day! And as for the police down here, there are very few radar traps and if you see a cop on the road, watch out! Because they can't drive either. They often spin their wheels like they don't have any control over their vehicle. Something you use to see in the Dukes of Hazard show in the 1980's. I use to love to drive. In fact, I drove my car cross-country and enjoyed every bit of America. However, <BR>since moving to Atlanta, I have anxiety just getting in my car. One day I hope to move out of this city in one piece. <BR>

<BR> <BR>I grew up (and learned to drive) in Boston. I thought I was prepared for anything. Then I moved to Washington DC. A city comprised of people from 'someplace else'. Everyone has a different driving style. Add to that the overcrowded roads, and a city center polluted with potholes, and you have a festering boil that is about to explode. <BR> <BR>However, in terms of sheer nuttiness, Boston wins the prize, hands-down. <BR> <BR>