Between Friends

Today, America Online reported the top 5 cities for road rage -- according to police and AAA auto service and insurance reports. The cities are: 5) Washington, D.C. 4) Baltimore  3) Boston  2) New York City 1) Miami  

Having driven in all five cities, the only one I would have placed on the list is Miami.  In Baltimore the only thing I found on the roads at night was a bunch of brown rats! Talk about weird. And on the beltway around Wash D.C. the traffic is the fastest I've ever experienced anywhere -- yet the drivers there know how to drive. They stay in their lane, use turn signals and do not tailgate.

I'd rather be on the road going 95 mph with those people than 80mph with others in other cities, who seem to think the road is a play road in their video game.  

2 cities are on my list for close calls -- namely, road rage and inattentive or idiotic drivers, including motorcyclists and police cruisers travelling at excessive speeds -- and #1 is St. Louis [County]. A close second is San Diego. Do you experience road rage in our region? If you get around to and drive in other cities, how does St. Louis rank?  Have you experienced any seriously close calls?

The scariest incident of road rage I ever experienced occurred at 270 and 44. And if I had been trailed by the "typical 270 driver" that day  -- tailgaiting my assend with no room to spare between their hood ornament and my bumper -- I'd have bought the farm  immediately upon hitting my brakes.

Another close call occurred while riding in a police cruiser -- on a ride-along with a friend whose jurisdiction includes a stretch of I-40. He was the lead car pursuing another car on a high-speed chase -- well over 120 mph -- at night. We were  moving so fast, the "slower cars" in front of us, only going 80 mph or so, had no advance warning that we were quickly approaching from behind, and could not get out of the way. We nearly collided with or side swiped a half dozen cars during that 20 mile chase.

Yes it was frightening. Or maybe I'm just getting to be an old fart.