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Re: you people drive CRAZY!



In Article <41sdna$d67@explorer.csc.com>, rlooney@csc.com (Richard Looney)
wrote:
>>> I spent the last week and a half in DC, having a mostly fantastic time 
>>> (your museums are easily the best in the country - I spent hours in the 
>>> Corcoran, Hirshorn, National, Phillips, etc), but noticed that there are 
>>> a very large number of dangerously insane drivers out there - i saw more 
>>> people run red lights in the dupont circle area (i was staying at the 
>>> hilton on connecticut, up the hill from dupont circ) and throughout the 
>>> NW streets... than I ever have in any other city anywhere - incl NYC!
>
>>> EAch red light must have had at least 2 people run it, and yellow seems 
>>> to mean "speed up" not slow down out there. Crazy, boss.
>
>I lived in DC (Adams-Morgan) between 1982-1986. During that time my
>driving style became increasingly 'aggressive'. I rationalized this
>behavior via my perception that the traffic lights were not "timed"
>at all, and their switching cycles always seemed way too long. I
>may have been in error; my point is the DC traffic environment creates
>a lot of driver frustration. Other problems include a large percentage
>of inept drivers, lousy road surfaces and inadeqaute signage.

    You might also add the fact that DC spends all of its resources pursuing
_parking_ violations, not traffic violations. The same people who brought
you bancruptsy are clearly convinced that bad parking is far more dangerous
to life, limb, propert, and quality of life that any moving violation ever
could be. *sarcasm off*

    None of which justifies the lack of courtesy and actual physical danger
breaking the law in this manner represents. I've seen 4 or five cars blaze
thru a red light after it has clearly changed. In fact, it is unusual to see
a light turn red _without_ at least one driver running the thing before
traffic stops. Once I actually decided to take my green light, as the law
allows, and was cussed out by the guy who, while clearly running a red light,
I suppose truly believed _he_ still had the right of way.

        -- Joe



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