Comments on: From Yours Truly, A Jersey Driver.

By: Jim - Parkway Rest Stop

Jim - Parkway Rest Stop — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 02:53:15 +0000

Wicked -

I wish I had an answer, but I do not. Maybe it’s something in the water.

By: Wicked

Wicked — Mon, 31 Jan 2005 23:56:12 +0000

My question was mentioned but not answered here. Why do pennsylvannians constantly drive in the left lane? They stay there no matter what. Even if nobody is on the highway, they will jump all they way to the left. They wont move. I notice this more and more every day. The other day, even a cop had to use his lights and siren for a lady that wouldn’t move to the right, Somebody please tell me why????????

By: Jim - Parkway Rest Stop

Jim - Parkway Rest Stop — Sat, 11 Dec 2004 23:36:42 +0000

Bob – Excellent comment. Amusing and it explains a good deal about why Ohio drivers seem hell-bent on suicide in the Garden State.

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 11 Dec 2004 20:59:36 +0000

I am an Ohio driver orignally from Jersey. In fact, I got my license at 17 in Jersey. Now that I am a father of a 15 year old, the 17 requirement is good thing. When I a was kid it was a bad thing. I wish it wasn’t 16 in Ohio.

But I have been in Ohio for 21 years and learned the Ohio/Midwest way of driving. It is different and a reflection of the enviornment.

In general, the following are true:

1. 80 is the average highway speed in the Midwest (that means west of PA). This is normal, you do less than that on I-75 or I-70 you risk your life.

2. Our highways are newer and wider it is generally easier for the person on the highway to see traffic entering the ramps.

3. Because of #1 and #2 it has evolved that the person already on the highway has the responsibility to change lanes to avoid the merging traffic.

My guess is that once Yugo-like vehicles became common, those of use driving gas suckin’, road burnin’, V-8 powered sucide machines, just evolved to the conditions of the enviornment. That is get out of the way of the under-powered death trap entering the highway.

Unfortunately, people who grow up in the enviornment don’t understand this. When they travel to places like the People’s Republic of New Jersey they cause a culture problem.

I just realized that when my family goes to Shore for summer vacation (one every three years) I do all the driving. I suspect that is related to driving habits. The last five years, we have been avoiding the AC expressway and taking the Cape May ferry. This has the added benefit of avoiding the PA turnpike because we end up taking I-68 accross the top of Maryland. This all results in less inflicitng of Midwest driving on the New Jersey population.

By: The Laughing Wolf

The Laughing Wolf — Mon, 06 Dec 2004 22:28:01 +0000

Around The Sphere

Things are interesting here at the temporary lair, and I am devoting a good deal of time to said interesting (good) situation. Meantime, here are some links to some things going under the mainstream radar, along with a few observations:…

By: Don

Don — Sat, 04 Dec 2004 14:59:25 +0000

I’m a former Jersey driver now living in PA. You have only scratched the surface about how bad things are in Pennsylvania. Check out my article in IMPACT. I pine for the days of driving on the Parkway.

By: jmflynny

jmflynny — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 05:21:04 +0000

The left lane is for passing here as well (Florida), except when on a three lane highway, when cruising is done in the middle lane to permit traffic to merge on to the roadway.

I’ve been known to give the international hand gesture for ‘WTF?!’ to many a left-lane drag-ass. They will almost always look in their rearview mirror, and when they do…well, they usually get my drift.

By: moos

moos — Tue, 30 Nov 2004 23:31:38 +0000

Come to Montana, Jim. They may have some other states’ plates, but all those drivers are here, too…

By: Chadd

Chadd — Tue, 30 Nov 2004 23:13:51 +0000

Lived in Jersey for 4 years. Drove 17 miles on US Route 1 to work every morning, 17 miles back every night. It took me 30 minutes in the morning, 45 minutes at night. I thought that was bad, until I moved to Maryland. Now I drive 20 miles to work on I-270, and it can take up to an hour, mainly because EVERY MORNING, SOMEONE WRECKS! And even when there’s not a wreck, people don’t seem to know what the little pedal on the right side of their floorboard is for. I never thought I’d say this, but I WANT TO GO BACK TO JERSEY!!!

Chadd in MD

p.s. What’s all this talk about people turning left? As far as I know, I never turned left while I lived in Jersey, I always used the jughandles.

By: Sgt Hook

Sgt Hook — Tue, 30 Nov 2004 22:31:57 +0000

Fabulous advice! What about those traffic circles though?