Of Drivers Obtuse and Pups on the Loose
I posted earlier on something I would miss about Houston, and now I will post about the two main things I definitely will not miss. Warning: whiny venting ahead…
First, aside from Houston I have lived in, near, or driven extensively in the vicinity of the following major US cities:
Chicago
New York
Philadelphia
Washington DC
Baltimore, MD
Dallas, TX
Houston has, by far, the worst drivers of any of them. It’s not that the drivers are mean, overly aggressive (DC), or impatient (NYC), rather they are completely self-absorbed and/or oblivious to what is going on around them. One phenomenon I encounter nearly every time I drive on the highways here is what I have termed “clumping”. It occurs when several drivers line up next to each other across all available lanes of traffic and drive at the same exact speed. That speed is usually under the posted limit. No one passes anyone. Instead, they just line up next to each other and form a large clot of traffic behind them. TX really needs a law that prohibits people from driving in the left lane unless they are passing.
Things are no better on the side streets either. Among many other violations, red-light-running is far worse than anywhere else I have ever lived. In fact, I have heard rumors that in Houston’s Downtown, running red lights is an organized sport. Additionally, drivers here seem to find the use of turning signals a violation of their spirit of creativity or something. Almost every day when driving to and from the office on Houston Avenue, some driver pulls a maneuver I call the “Stop and Guess”. When completed at its most inconsiderate, the exercise involves a driver coming to a dead stop in a lane of traffic and, without signaling of course, waiting until they can turn left (doesn’t matter if they are in the right or left lane) and/or merge into the other lane of traffic. There are bonus points awarded when the drier waits several minutes and then gives up and continues on down the road.
Aside from the constant adventures in driving, the other thing I will miss least about H-Town is the lack of care and concern for our canine friends that some people here seem to exhibit. If you haven’t noticed by the layout of this site, Mrs. gd! and I have a soft spot for animals, so this issue really gets to me. I can’t think of one other place I have lived where I have seen so many dogs just roaming along the sides or middles of roads. They are sometimes tagged and rarely “fixed”, and when coupled with the way people drive around here, the result is often not pretty. In fact, there are certain roads I refuse to take at certain times of the day because I am sure that I will see a dog killed by a driver who is not paying attention. I’m not talking highways here, either, rather roads where the posted limit is 35 mph or under. It’s also not a matter of a couple of dogs getting loose once and a while. There are “regulars” on my routes around town and I often get anxious that one of them will be dead the next time I drive past their “spots”. I guess I’ll never understand why people get dogs if they do not wish to take even the minimal amount of care of them. I won’t even get into the issue of people who leave their dogs outside and unattended 24×7 in the Houston summer.
Okay, I’m done venting for now. The next post will be about something I will miss, namely the awesome restaurants in Houston.
When did you drive extensively in DC? I would have agreed with you 5-10 years ago, but as someone who left less than a year ago: I’ll take Houstonians, clueless as they are, any day. DC road aggression has escalated (mostly I’d say in the last 3 years) to an unbelievable degree. It’s the only place I’ve lived where people will go out of their way to prevent you from changing lanes, etc. not to get ahead of you, but just because they can. In my 8 years there it went from “crowded” to “hell on earth.” Houstonians at least just seem pleasantly dazed, rather than mean.
Comment by John | 2/21/2005
Final note: red light running. When I got here from DC I caused a 30-minute incredulous conversation with my dinner companions when I observed, “people actually stop at red lights in Houston!” No one EVER stops at them anymore in DC. It’s been one of the pleasant things about Houston: the level of obedience of traffic signals is so amazing compared to Washington (and particularly NoVA). The red light cameras in the DC area have helped, but it’s still terrifying in a way I’ve yet to experience here. (And 99% of my driving in inside the loop, and often downtown.)
Comment by John | 2/21/2005
I guess I stand corrected with respect to DC. The last time I drove in DC for any length of time was probably about 7 years ago. I did drive from National to my brother’s former apartment in Arlington about 2 or 3 years ago, but that wasn’t a long enough drive to compare much. The worst traffic I have ever been in was going from Arlington to Baltimore to get to a wedding rehearsal. We left at 3PM to “beat the traffic”. The rehearsal was at 7PM. We didn’t even make it to 95 until about 6:30PM. We missed the rehearsal and made it to the rehearsal dinner at 8PM. We never saw the cause of the backup.
As far as red lights. There are some places downtown that scare the crap out of me. The intersection of Pease and Brazos near the Pierce elevated can be an experiement in terror as people coming towards 45 on Pease rarely even pause on red. I do volunteer work in the south loop area and have had several sphincter-clenching incidents down there too. It’s a problem that may not be as bad as some other places but it keeps getting worse. From what you’re saying, it sounds more like a national trend than a true “Houston Thing”.
Comment by Rob Humenik | 2/21/2005
I know it’s a cliche, but Los Angeles drivers are truly a menace to civilization. When I lived in Philadelphia, I grew to admire the “Philly Stop”- when you’re on one of those Colonial-Era streets and somebody in a Lincoln is coming towards your intersection, and they see the opposite light go yellow, then red, they knew how to barely slow down and cruise on through, their M.F.S.B. 8-track pumpin out the ol’ school Philly jams, their Italian horn necklace glistening in the sun. In LA, they’re all mindless brutes driving war machines- lonely, lonely war machines. On the phone to people they dcould easily call back later.
Comment by Mark | 2/22/2005
I’m so excited you are moving here Rob, but I do have to say I’ll miss the Dessert Gallery, the stinky Beaches of Galvanston, and Kemah (pronounced Ke-ma)and of course the 4th of July Concerts. However, I can’t wait to have my older brother close by again. Good luck with the sale of the house, your new house looks gorgeous!
Comment by Amy | 2/22/2005
Is this west against east cost here? How can LA drivers bedangerous when they are stuck in traffic all the time?
Greetz from San Diego, Stefes.
Comment by Stefes | 6/1/2005