Re: Calif drivers are OK

[Chris.Prael@xxxxxxxxxxx (Chris Prael)]

At 06:47 AM 10/17/98 -0400, Rob Granieri wrote:

>This brings up a question: how is it that in the U.S., people in the fast
>lane on the freeway move over when someone comes up behind them going at a
>faster rate of speed....EXCEPT IN CA?  Is it our cultural and ethnic
>diversity influencing various drivers habits?  

I have spent all but 6 of my 57 years living in the S.F. Bay area.  

When I was learning to drive in the late 50s, the only drivers who behaved as
Rob describes were driving Nash/American Motors cars or had a Washington state
plate on the car.

The frequency of righteous creeps blocking the fast lane (which is unlawful in
California!) started going up in the second half of the 70s, during a (pre-PC) 
Silicon Valley boom.  My conclusion was (and is) that the behavior was
imported from other areas of the country by non-California immigrants and was
also caused by the 55 mph idiocy.  

This kind of nastyness was common in Washington when I lived there in the 60s, 
but has only become common in Oregon in the last 15 years.  

Another nasty driving habit that was imported to California in the same time
period is ignoring right-of-way of pedistrians in crosswalks.

Chris Prael

------------------------------