The open road.
I love it. One of my favorite things ever is roadtripping – the highways, the wind in my hair, the good music playing, the vending machines and rest stops, the gas station food. The excitement of either going to a new place, or visiting home. The journey, not the destination.
My family drove around a lot when we were younger – one trip in particular, a 5-week roadtrip/camping trip around the country: Maryland to California and back. I was about fourteen years old, and ever since then, I’ve wanted to do another long trip just like it. I haven’t managed to get farther west than Nebraska, yet. Eliz and CWK actually did, around and around they went, and to so many places. I’ve driven mostly around east of the Mississippi. Last year a good friend and I drove from Minneapolis, MN to Rochester, NY in one day, and back again four days later! (crazy, but worth it) And I love driving around New England – everything is so close together! I’ve made the trek from Baltimore to Nashville so many times, through Virginia, one time breaking down and making friends with all the mechanics (in the town of Buena Vista, pronounced like Byoona Vista) (Larry Moore certainly was kind to tow me all the way back to Harrisonburg, and told me all the names of each mountain in his hometown, and how much he’d love to learn to play the banjo – but I’m getting away from the point, that’s a story for another time)
Here are my experiences, observations, and rants, for your enjoyment:
Maryland, my home state: If you need to get somewhere quickly, you cut around other cars in as right a lane as possible. The people that live in Maryland know that the left lane, despite its universal reputation for being the fast lane, is actually the ”just-as-slow-as-the-middle-lane” lane. The quickest way around all the bottlenecking is to go around on the right lane. Oh, also, when in a right lane, especially merging onto any road, stay in the right lane UNTIL IT ENDS. This is vital for fitting in as a Maryland driver.
Tennessee, my other home state: Everyone drives slowly, and no one uses their turn signals. I’m sorry if you detect a hint of bitterness in my description; it honestly drives me crazy. I wish people would just drive like impatient jerks, at least I would know what to expect and I’d be fine with working around it. There are too many two lane roads, even in the city, and if the person in front of you isn’t going even as fast as the speed limit, (which is more common than you'd think) there is no way around them. Fortunately, my commute isn’t that far, and isn’t that bad. I could complain of the stop lights every 50 feet, but that’s what I get for living in a city. I suppose I can be ok with it.
Virginia, my might-as-well-be-one-of-my-home-states: I have mixed feelings about Virginia. Highway 81 goes on forever, but it’s an awfully pretty drive next to the mountains. The people are slower paced, but they are generally good about getting over to the right lane if someone comes up behind them in the left lane. However, pretty much everyone I know has gotten a speeding ticket in the southern tip of Virginia. So be careful, especially if you are singing Toby Keith on the phone at your sister and not realizing at all that there is a cop behind you.
Let’s head north, shall we?
New York: In upstate New York, I... really just slept through most of the roads there, so I don't have much to say about the rest of the state. Now, I've never actually driven in NYC, but having driven right by the city and gotten stuck in traffic, taking two hours to go the last 20 miles before crossing into New Jersey – I’ve had a taste of it. (I’d be lost if “Don’t Stop Believin” hadn’t come on the radio right as I started getting frustrated) I personally believe that particular stretch of road is a conspiracy, led by New Jersey, as a last resort to get people to be glad and relieved to finally see the turnpike. And to all stop for gas as soon as they get across the state line.
New Jersey: Besides not being able to get off the turnpike once you’re on (heaven forbid you have to stop to use the restroom ) (the song is true: “you can’t get there from here in Jersey, you’re always on the wrong side of the road. You gotta head ten miles east just to get back south. “) (though, if you do get gas, they pump it for you! Such an accommodating state, if you can handle it) Jersey isn’t that bad.
Connecticut: Drivers in Connecticut have two options: Everyone goes too fast and all very close together, or stopped DEAD in traffic. Cruise control is vastly underused. I haven’t driven much in Connecticut, except to get other places. Or stopped in traffic while trying to get to other places.
New Hampshire: Seriously, the nicest driving people of any state I’ve met, especially when it comes to pedestrians. As a pedestrian, if you even get the smallest gleam in your eye, a hint that you might be thinking about crossing the street, whether it be near a crosswalk or not, every single driver around you will stop and wave you across.
Minnesota: Besides the classic “going very slow on cruise control in the passing lane,” a distinguishing trait of Minnesota drivers I noticed was what I call “squirrelling.” Example: A common situation - you’re cruising down the road, and someone is waiting, perpendicular to you, intending to drive across your two lanes, across the median to turn left and go in the other direction. There is no one behind you. They wait until you approach dangerously close, then they dart out in front of you, across the road just ahead of you – like a squirrel, hence the name – to arrive safely on the other side, completely ignoring the fact that they caused you to slam your brakes and have a minor heart attack.
Iowa and Nebraska: Everyone just drives fast. No one likes these states and there’s nothing to see anyway, except for windmills, so everyone just gets out of there as quickly as they can.
Same with Ohio: except that you have to stop periodically and give Ohio (and Indiana and Illinois) little bits of your money, a few dollars at a time, until you have none left and you just hope they’ll let you go when you finally reach the state line.
Kentucky: I ran into an interesting driving habit this past summer in Kentucky. Here’s what happened: I was driving up 65N and saw a sign that said “right lane closed, 4 miles ahead.” Everyone moved into the left lane immediately, and they slowly approached the lane closure in a single file line. Four miles early. I spent those few miles confused, wondering if I had missed something, wondering why no one was in the right lane at all. Mystery.
Georgia: In Georgia, it’s perfectly cool to just set your cruise control at exactly the speed limit and sit in the left lane. I hate driving in Georgia.
So there you have it. Opinions.
Anyone have anything to add? Agree or disagree?
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