Iowans...

[scharmer05]

...I'm not saying that you drive like an idiot, but everyone else in this state does. On the way down here yesterday I learned that most Iowans answer to a little ice on the interstate is to slam on thier brakes. Hopefully the ones who hit the ditch as a result learned a leason, but I doubt it.

In downtown Des Moines last night, I was almost hit by three different vehicles. I'm going to give Des Moines the benefit of the doubt there since it was probably the alcohol is everyone's system down there that was doing the driving, but it didn't help to sway me to the side of the Iowans.

Hope this doesn't affend anyone, Iowa is a nice state, just something I noticed. What do you natives think?

[Intrepidation]

Poor driving, lack of common sense and idiocy have no state or national boundaries.

[lakefire]

Poor driving, lack of common sense and idiocy have no state or national boundaries.

quoted for truth. My wife is from Iowa. She is a pretty conservative driver.

[daves87rs]

Poor driving, lack of common sense and idiocy have no state or national boundaries.

If you guys think that is bad, then I should welcome you to Michigan....

It's like driving in a third world country...

[thedriver]

As an Iowan, there are plenty of lame drivers. But yeah, we don't have a monopoly on them. Des Moines is full this week of Girls High School Basketball Championships, so we are hosting lots of out-of-towners. That makes it worse than normal, but normal is bad enough. For a good stereotype of an aging state, if you see a Grand Marquis or a Lesabre, you can almost guarantee there is a handicapped mirror tag and a greyhair driving. It sounds like a joke, but it happens so often it is scary... And even though they are slow, they aren't usually dangerous. Soccer mom from West Des Moines alone in her Lexus or 'Slade while on the cell phone is often the worst.

[regfootball]

IOWEGIANS!

hey mustang? how was the career fair?

[Z-06]

I will disagree. No one drives worse than a Florida driver or drivers in Florida except me or may be Flybrian and other C&Gers from FL. .

It seems like FL is the melting pot of all the bad drivers from Midwest, Northeast, Canada, Europe (yeah tourists), Cuba, Peurto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela, Peru and now the west (seeing bunch of CA and AZ plates lately.) You can see the courtesy factor in a driver, change significantly as you drive further south on I95. Jax drivers feel angels compared to Miami.

[mustang84]

Most of the Iowans that drive badly are old people. And Iowa has a lot of old people. You can tell them by their Buick LeSabre Custom in the left lane with the turn signal flashing.

IOWEGIANS!

hey mustang? how was the career fair?

It was good! I saw Molly at the OPUS desk...I knew she had graduated a semester early but didn't realize she was working at OPUS. I did some interviews for practice, but I think I'm going to be staying at the place I'm currently at for the short-term since a bunch of my graduating buddies are also moving to Des Moines.

[scharmer05]

I thought that maybe I was out of line this morning, but after I went up to Ames to meet someone for lunch and was forced into the ditch by someone not paying attention to who was in the lane next to them, I realize I probably wasn't.

You want to talk about old people? Take a visit to North Dakota.

[Paolino]

You want fun driving? Two words: Belt Parkway.

[SuperSport623]

well new yorkers suck too! i almlmost got hit by a woman in a Lexus truck today going the wrong way in my lane down a divided major road.... almost crapped my pants!

[daves87rs]

You want fun driving? Two words: Belt Parkway.

Even more fun to drive: I-696

I've seen NASCAR -like accidents here....

[SuperSport623]

You want fun driving? Two words: Belt Parkway.

oh jesus.. i just got shudders... we go out to Nassau Expressway via the Belt to view some street racing, and its always an "experience"....

the only place worse is the city....

[knightfan26917]

Hmmm...after coming through Des Moines during my road trip in 2006:

http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/1106/DSC07604r8_jpg.html

...I'd say DM is TAME compared to even Chicagoland standards.... I'd much rather drive in/around Des Moines than Chicagoland....

But, then again, I strongly dislike traffic .

Cort:34swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve&pacemaker

WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"Sometimes solutions aren't so simple" ... Linkin Park ... 'Shadow Of The Day'

[mustang84]

I thought that maybe I was out of line this morning, but after I went up to Ames to meet someone for lunch and was forced into the ditch by someone not paying attention to who was in the lane next to them, I realize I probably wasn't.

You want to talk about old people? Take a visit to North Dakota.

Did this happen by the I-35 / US 30 interchange right outside of Ames? That thing is pretty trecherous...two cloverleafs to go westbound on US 30 and you have people zooming by at 80 in the left lane while you have hardly any time to slow down to 35 for the cloverleaf in the right lane, and on top of that there are usually people trying to get on I-35 and merge into the right lane with traffic coming up behind them at 70. That thing needed to be redesigned yesterday.

Hmmm...after coming through Des Moines during my road trip in 2006:

http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/1106/DSC07604r8_jpg.html

...I'd say DM is TAME compared to even Chicagoland standards.... I'd much rather drive in/around Des Moines than Chicagoland....

But, then again, I strongly dislike traffic .

I'd agree...I've driven in suburban Chicago a few times and Chicago is in a whole different league of agressive driving.

[thedriver]

I have driven in Chicago several times and I think the difference is not just the traffic (obviously heavier in Chicago) but the drivers. In Iowa they are ignorant, inattentive, arrogant, poor drivers. Chicago they are very aggressive, but not so inattentive in my experiences. I would rather avoid the idiots than be stuck in one place for an hour. . .

[scharmer05]

Did this happen by the I-35 / US 30 interchange right outside of Ames? That thing is pretty trecherous...two cloverleafs to go westbound on US 30 and you have people zooming by at 80 in the left lane while you have hardly any time to slow down to 35 for the cloverleaf in the right lane, and on top of that there are usually people trying to get on I-35 and merge into the right lane with traffic coming up behind them at 70. That thing needed to be redesigned yesterday.

That is exactly where it was. I was in the left lane and someone who was just merging off of 30 onto 35 going south darted all the way over to the far left lane without paying any attention. Since I was right next to him I just took it into the ditch rather than hitting him.

[regfootball]

Most of the Iowans that drive badly are old people. And Iowa has a lot of old people. You can tell them by their Buick LeSabre Custom in the left lane with the turn signal flashing.

It was good! I saw Molly at the OPUS desk...I knew she had graduated a semester early but didn't realize she was working at OPUS. I did some interviews for practice, but I think I'm going to be staying at the place I'm currently at for the short-term since a bunch of my graduating buddies are also moving to Des Moines.

better you stay where your at, you'll get broader experience, which is better when you're just starting out. Mol's fun.

[knightfan26917]

I'd agree...I've driven in suburban Chicago a few times and Chicago is in a whole different league of agressive driving.

Oh my yes ... vastly different league. I hate Chicago's traffic, but can stand Des Moines ... even Nashville TN. Go figure.

I have driven in Chicago several times and I think the difference is not just the traffic (obviously heavier in Chicago) but the drivers. In Iowa they are ignorant, inattentive, arrogant, poor drivers. Chicago they are very aggressive, but not so inattentive in my experiences.

I agree with you, somewhat. Yes, Chicago drivers are aggressive ... they have to be to contend with the cab drivers. BUT ... some can be and are rather ignorant, too. We see it all the time when I have to go into Northwestern for my 6 month checkups.

Cort:34swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve&pacemaker

WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I just can't anymore this life of solitude" ... Saliva ... 'Always'

[2005 EquinoxLS]

The couple time I was through Chicago it wasnt too bad. Though I time it so I am not going through it during the rush hour. Indianapolis Indiana isnt too bad. Neither is Louisville Kentucky. Nashville Tennessee can be a little bit if you catch it wrong but not too bad. Of course coming from Appleton Wisconsin big city traffic is more to deal with than we are used to.