Windshield Psychology
So I was sitting in New York City traffic when a guy who was evidently in a hurry to bring the tater salad to the Mensa Society Picnic decided to cut in front of my 18 wheeler and stop. (He's in the photograph, immediately in front of my bumper.) I judge he was sorely late, because he was barging his way toward the High Occupancy Vehicle lane, which was to my immediate left. My first thought was, ...well, my first thought was an analysis of his genealogy. In fact, I began tracing his family tree which, I surmised, had few if any branches. I was just discussing with myself the probability that his family tree resembled a telephone pole when I noticed that other people in the left lane had taken to the far left shoulder, where there was no lane, and driven ahead of everyone else in line while expecting that the people they had just illegally cut in front of would let them back into the lane.
In this situation, the people to my immediate left had done the right thing. (That may be the first and last time I ever write that sentence.) They stayed in a marked, legal lane of traffic. It was the nincompoops who cut in front of the line, or who had essentially dared other people to run into their vehicles while cutting them off, who prompted my next thought, which ran something like this: If you want to know a person's true character, ...if you really want to know what they are made of beneath their social persona, don't worry about truth serum or even booze. Just give them the anonymity of a motor vehicle and behold the running of the jackasses. People who might hold the door open for you in public will take the mask off behind the wheel of a car. Those who would never dream of elbowing their way in front of the line at Wendy's will not hesitate to barge in front of as many people as the laws of physics will allow in traffic. The same brethren who just minutes earlier shook your hand and said, “Peace be with you,” during Mass will make a hood ornament of your pelvis if you get between his car and the parking lot exit.
In most regions, even in major cities, when an 80,000 pound semi needs to move over one lane due to emergency vehicles on the shoulder, etc., people will generally notice the numerous turn signals blinking on the truck and trailer and try to make room. In NYC, however, they rush forward to close the gap so the truck can't move over no matter the circumstance. On the other hand, I noticed that vehicles merging from the on-ramp into my lane never hesitated to simply move over and assume that I would make room. It may be an extrapolation too far, but the sense of entitlement that dominates particular regions tends to manifest itself behind the wheel and essentially say, “I will do what I wish and you must accommodate me, but under no circumstance will I reciprocate.” Courtesy, like responsibility, appears to be an endangered commodity in some parts.
On a more positive note, after seeing a big turkey on the signs welcoming me into Massachusetts, I did some investigating on that first Thanksgiving at Plymouth. Apparently, the state closed the toll booths on I-90 back then, which prompted much celebration amongst the Pilgrims. There was music, the Starbucks at the service plazas offered two for one latte' specials, the Kennedy compound offered free swimming lessons, and the locals exchanged turkeys, which were comparatively cheap back then (the turkeys that is, not the locals). Today of course, the quality of music has drooped faster than the performer's pants, coffee prices have gone through the roof as has the price of a turkey, and the whole swimming lesson idea took a bad turn. Still loyal to their heritage however, the turkey exchange continues to this day with the descendants of Plymouth flipping a bird to each other and visitors alike at every conceivable opportunity. Who says there's no place for tradition?
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Jul '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
God bless you, Dave! I've traversed NYC a few times in a Jeep. I can't even begin to imagine the degree of difficulty of driving a rig through that mess.
Re: Windshield Psychology
I once had to parallel park this beast on Park Ave. Another story for another time....
Oct '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
Amazing to see how folks change when behind the wheel, yet they will do the darndest things, not realizing they are in a fishbowl...Hmmm.
Not sure about NY... LA freeways are a real showplace for folks to reveal themselves.
Jun '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
Great writing again, Dave!
New York drivers are the world's worst. Taxis drivers are the worst of the worst. In general, the darker the window tint, the more reckless the driver.
I can't imagine the stress of having cars cut in front of your 18 wheeler on the highway. I don't know how much your truck weighs, but I feel a definite lag in my mini van's stopping ability when I have a few extra people in the back, never mind hauling a few tons of baked beans.
May '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
That picture seems ominous. I imagine your dad riding shotgun as you say, "Battlestations! I'm going in."
May '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
Is there a more stressful driving condition than that?
Jul '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
What was it Claire said about American drivers? "Have you fools no honor???" But that was because we were too courteous.
Growing up with truck drivers in the mix I have always tried to avoid having my genealogy explored by those massively armed drivers, and having done spot driving of dump trucks, I fully appreciate the shortcomings of big truck lines of sight (and how those arms turned into ham hocks).
My last trip to Boston, I was passenger side, in the death seat, with a retired Marine Major driving. We had flown in from the Midwest, where he was diligent but laid back in that fashion of some combat veterans. The circle in front of the airport was something out of Deathrace 2000, he was cut off, started to move again, he was cut off, and Major Go Along to Get Along had the window down, finger flying, screaming, and using that combat driver training to the fullest. We reached our destination, a server farm in the suburbs, I kissed the parking lot and offered to take on the driving chores going back.
That wasn't going to happen.
Re: Windshield Psychology
Actually, the answer would be nope. New England in general, and NYC in particular, is the worst nightmare of practically every long haul trucker. It's the place where good driving records go to die. It's the place where courtesy is seen as a sign of weakness and exploited at every turn. On a bad day anywhere else in the country, I console myself by saying, "At least I'm not in NYC." In NYC, I console myself by saying, "At least I'm not in a war zone." Then I remember,...I'm in NYC.
May '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
I call artistic license in this post--there's an HOV lane in NYC? This looks like the Cross-Bronx Expressway, which only has SVV (slow vehicle velocity) lanes.
Re: Windshield Psychology
The photo was taken on I-95 north, just prior to the George Washington Bridge. If memory serves, I saw signs indicating an HOV lane there, which would explain why everyone wanted that lane. If you look to the left of the silver GMC Yukon, you will see a car. That's not a lane he's in, that's the shoulder. He is trying to get in front of the Yukon before the concrete barrier forces him back into the lane. Notice also that there is room behind the Yukon for him to merge,..but he is insisting on getting in front of the Yukon instead. Now granted, I was watching a lot of things simultaneously, but I could swear I saw HOV signs around this area.
Sep '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
Dave is far and away the expert on this, but I will quibble with him slightly. It's not exactly sheer rudeness in NYC--it's that NYC drivers have a very different set of traffic manners. Really.
I used to drive down there from West Point on weekends. After a bit of trial and error I learned the rules. It's considered OK to horn in on a lane because otherwise you'll be stuck where you are until the Last Trump; but don't use your horn to express annoyance--that's rude! It's OK to tailgate up to 3 feet behind, but no closer. And so on. It's the product of learning to survive in a ridiculously overcrowded traffic environment.
I know I sound like I'm kidding, but NYC drivers are actually pretty good and polite, once you learn the code. That said, I'd hate to be driving a rig down there.
Jun '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
And you thought NYC was bad.
Freeway misadventures
From Canada's NATIONAL POST, FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2007
Headline: B.C. man tells court his wife's use of a vibrator made him lose control of car, not his drinking
A British Columbia man charged with impaired driving says it was the sight of his wife using a vibrator in the car that lead [sic] to his vehicle weaving on the freeway, not the numerous drinks he had consumed. "Would it be fair to say that you found this distracting?" defence lawyer Bruce Ralston asked Kristopher Lind during his impaired‑driving trial. "She was really enjoying it," the 28‑year‑old car‑rental employee testified. He testified that he and his wife had bought lingerie and the vibrator at a Vancouver sex show on Jan. 16, 2005, then went to two strip clubs and a nightclub. Once they were back on the road, he and his wife decided to check out the vibrator. The man was pulled over and arrested after he failed a roadside breathalyser test. CanWest News Service
Edited on Mar 1, 2011 at 8:13pmRe: Windshield Psychology
dogsbody: Dave is far and away the expert on this, but I will quibble with him slightly. It's not exactly sheer rudeness in NYC--it's that NYC drivers have a very different set of traffic manners...
...It's the product of learning to survive in a ridiculously overcrowded traffic environment.
I know I sound like I'm kidding, but NYC drivers are actually pretty good and polite, once you learn the code... · Mar 1 at 8:01pm
Fair enough. I'll concede that it isn't sheer rudeness, and call it an acquired rudeness instead. All kidding aside, you're correct that it takes a different style of driving to survive there. I find that courtesies I normally extend to drivers elsewhere I simply can't extend there because, as you say, I'll never get through the place. Part of it is the sheer volume of traffic, but I think there is a different ethos at work there too. Other places have their styles as well. Some have notoriously slow drivers, while others are like a drag race. NYC is like a roller derby.
Edited on Mar 1, 2011 at 8:24pmOct '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
Dave Carter
dogsbody: Dave is far and away the expert on this, but I will quibble with him slightly. It's not exactly sheer rudeness in NYC--it's that NYC drivers have a very different set of traffic manners...
...It's the product of learning to survive in a ridiculously overcrowded traffic environment.
I know I sound like I'm kidding, but NYC drivers are actually pretty good and polite, once you learn the code... · Mar 1 at 8:01pm
Fair enough. I'll conceded that it isn't sheer rudeness, and call it an acquired rudeness instead. You're correct that it takes a different style of driving to survive there. I find that courtesies I normally extend to drivers elsewhere I simply can't extend there because, as you say, I'll never get through the place. Part of it is the sheer volume of traffic, but I think there is a different ethos at work there too. · Mar 1 at 8:13pm
Yeah, high traffic areas don't have to be *that* nasty. At least, I don't remember the bay area being so, the couple of times I've had to drive through it.
May '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
In my brief visit to New York a few years back, I heard more horns in an hour than I hear in a month in my Houston suburb.
Honestly, I've never used a horn for anything other than telling the driver in front of me that the light has turned green (after a few seconds of courteous waiting). Whenever someone does something stupid that nearly forces a wreck, my instinct is to brake / steer away from danger, not to alert the person that they owe me repairs.
Actually, now that I think of it, the most common use of horns in my area is to catch the attention of passing friends and neighbors before waving.
Dec '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
I've never had the displeasure of driving in New York. North Dallas taught me what fear is. I live near Seattle now, so I get to see what rude and stupid look like in the same person. All in all, I don't suffer from road rage; I'm a carrier. I drive the speed limit (not the 5-10 over that one can get away with) for the enjoyment of those behind me. What I actually wanted to say was that the story reminded me of the Disney short Motor Madness.
May '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
OK, this is hardly worth mentioning, but in case you did not know, I-95 in NYC is the Cross-Bronx. It's possibly the least enjoyable stretch of "highway" in the world.
Jan '11
Re: Windshield Psychology
The game of traffic chicken is always won by aggression. Position is nine tenths of the law.
Dec '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
Try driving in Paris, Milan, or Rome.
In Paris, the term road rage doesn’t exist because its ubiquity renders any mention of it superfluous.
The main highway from the west ends abruptly on the outskirts of Milan issuing the cars into a city street. There are markings for lanes, but no one, no one, stays in a lane. If an unfortunate driver lapses into one, at the first opportunity he straddles it.
In parts of Rome, traffic lights are merely ornaments, ignored like the surrounding ruins that have been there for so long they go unnoticed.
On German highways, allow yourself only the blink of an eye to pass because another car beyond the vanishing point will be on top of you from behind in a shorter amount time.
Driving in Manhattan seemed easy because the lanes are wide, the intersections gridlock free. In Paris, gridlock lasts most of the afternoon and if you have to wait for a light to cycle green and red only three times to get through, traffic is smooth.
When the metro is on strike, often, your usual 15-minute trip takes more than an hour.
And, no place for 18-wheelers to park.
Nov '10
Re: Windshield Psychology
I've heard the same thing said about maximum security prisoners--and they actually encourage tailgating.
Edited on Mar 1, 2011 at 11:00pm