Is driving around the DC Metro area REALLY that bad?

[Zzonkmiles]

I drive faster than about 75% of the other cars on the road

That seems to be true of everybody where I live.


iPhone

Well, it used to be closer to 90%, but one-too-many tickets has cured my leadfoot somewhat.

Actually, I do wish the Fairfax County Police and Virginia Highway Patrol would be more aggressive about people going WAAAAYY over the speed limit on 495 though. I don't think it's safe to do 90 on that road at ANY time of the day!

[1995hoo]

"Virginia State Police," FWIW. There is no "highway patrol" here. I do find it odd that with the insistence on using the term "Commonwealth" whenever possible (you'll even get marked down if you refer to the "State" instead of the "Commonwealth" on the bar exam), they nevertheless say "State Police."

[74/171FAN]

I drive faster than about 75% of the other cars on the road

iPhone

Well, it used to be closer to 90%, but one-too-many tickets has cured my leadfoot somewhat.

Actually, I do wish the Fairfax County Police and Virginia Highway Patrol would be more aggressive about people going WAAAAYY over the speed limit on 495 though. I don't think it's safe to do 90 on that road at ANY time of the day!

Well they caught Jayson Werth going 110 one night, and he still got jail-time despite him playing for the Nationals.

That seems to be true of everybody where I live.

[noelbotevera]

Right lane hoggers

Well, that's a new one.

Yeah, I saw this too. What is this?

My guess is the person who stays in the right lane and doesn't move over to the next lane on the left to allow merging traffic to enter the mainline safely.

A right lane hogger is groups of tailgaters who never wants to get out of the right lane and is so slow that you can't pass them because of them forever going under the speed limit and having no space to overtake even one car. Also, they block you from merging in the highway, even though the left lane is clear, but they never go into the left lane. You pretty much have to hit the gas to pass these guys. They always stay in the right lane and are impossible to pass because they're so slow, and they block merging traffic (to sum it up).

Who do you not "hit the gas" to pass, if I may ask? 

Aren't slow cars easy to pass? 

Maybe I just haven't had this problem yet.

Well these guys come in groups (around 4 or so cars - give or take). The problem is that slower trucks also try to pass them but end up being slower than those guys, meaning both lanes are blocked. That's why they're hard to pass, due to trucks being slower than these guys, and hogging the left lane. Hence why I call them "right lane hoggers".

I find it fascinating that a kid who isn't even within 5 years of driving has such a knowledge of driving (even if he contradicts himself in the same sentence, as he did in his description)...

I find it fascinating that a kid who isn't even within 5 years of driving has such a knowledge of driving (even if he contradicts himself in the same sentence, as he did in his description)...

I doubt that he's a kid, truth be told.

To answer your question, I am in 6th grade so far. Yes, I am 11. The only reason why I know quite a bit about driving is because I've watched my dad drive several times, ask questions on how to sometimes, and also I usually take shotgun.

[vdeane]

and also I usually take shotgun.

That still legal in the era of airbags?

[noelbotevera]

and also I usually take shotgun.

That still legal in the era of airbags?

PA law seems to say that I can be in the front seat as long as I'm older than 8. Well over that age now.

[kkt]

Right lane hoggers

Well, that's a new one.

Yeah, I saw this too. What is this?

My guess is the person who stays in the right lane and doesn't move over to the next lane on the left to allow merging traffic to enter the mainline safely.

A right lane hogger is groups of tailgaters who never wants to get out of the right lane and is so slow that you can't pass them because of them forever going under the speed limit and having no space to overtake even one car. Also, they block you from merging in the highway, even though the left lane is clear, but they never go into the left lane. You pretty much have to hit the gas to pass these guys. They always stay in the right lane and are impossible to pass because they're so slow, and they block merging traffic (to sum it up).

Who do you not "hit the gas" to pass, if I may ask? 

Aren't slow cars easy to pass? 

Maybe I just haven't had this problem yet.

Well these guys come in groups (around 4 or so cars - give or take). The problem is that slower trucks also try to pass them but end up being slower than those guys, meaning both lanes are blocked. That's why they're hard to pass, due to trucks being slower than these guys, and hogging the left lane. Hence why I call them "right lane hoggers".

Surely it's the truckers' fault for trying to pass when his truck is actually just as slow as the vehicle in the right lane where it belongs?

I find it fascinating that a kid who isn't even within 5 years of driving has such a knowledge of driving (even if he contradicts himself in the same sentence, as he did in his description)...

I find it fascinating that a kid who isn't even within 5 years of driving has such a knowledge of driving (even if he contradicts himself in the same sentence, as he did in his description)...

I doubt that he's a kid, truth be told.

To answer your question, I am in 6th grade so far. Yes, I am 11. The only reason why I know quite a bit about driving is because I've watched my dad drive several times, ask questions on how to sometimes, and also I usually take shotgun.

Wow, you type really well for a 6th grader.

[cl94]

Right lane hoggers

Well, that's a new one.

Yeah, I saw this too. What is this?

My guess is the person who stays in the right lane and doesn't move over to the next lane on the left to allow merging traffic to enter the mainline safely.

A right lane hogger is groups of tailgaters who never wants to get out of the right lane and is so slow that you can't pass them because of them forever going under the speed limit and having no space to overtake even one car. Also, they block you from merging in the highway, even though the left lane is clear, but they never go into the left lane. You pretty much have to hit the gas to pass these guys. They always stay in the right lane and are impossible to pass because they're so slow, and they block merging traffic (to sum it up).

Who do you not "hit the gas" to pass, if I may ask? 

Aren't slow cars easy to pass? 

Maybe I just haven't had this problem yet.

Well these guys come in groups (around 4 or so cars - give or take). The problem is that slower trucks also try to pass them but end up being slower than those guys, meaning both lanes are blocked. That's why they're hard to pass, due to trucks being slower than these guys, and hogging the left lane. Hence why I call them "right lane hoggers".

Surely it's the truckers' fault for trying to pass when his truck is actually just as slow as the vehicle in the right lane where it belongs?

I find it fascinating that a kid who isn't even within 5 years of driving has such a knowledge of driving (even if he contradicts himself in the same sentence, as he did in his description)...

I find it fascinating that a kid who isn't even within 5 years of driving has such a knowledge of driving (even if he contradicts himself in the same sentence, as he did in his description)...

I doubt that he's a kid, truth be told.

To answer your question, I am in 6th grade so far. Yes, I am 11. The only reason why I know quite a bit about driving is because I've watched my dad drive several times, ask questions on how to sometimes, and also I usually take shotgun.

Wow, you type really well for a 6th grader.

You say that like you're surprised. I have younger siblings in 10th, 9th, and 6th grades. Every one of them runs circles around people when getting into arguments online.

[kkt]

You say that like you're surprised. I have younger siblings in 10th, 9th, and 6th grades. Every one of them runs circles around people when getting into arguments online.

Yeah, but most of them make more typos or just don't give a damn about correcting them.  It's hard to type well with just your thumbs.

[Alps]

You say that like you're surprised. I have younger siblings in 10th, 9th, and 6th grades. Every one of them runs circles around people when getting into arguments online.

Yeah, but most of them make more typos or just don't give a damn about correcting them.  It's hard to type well with just your thumbs.

I found that when I was 16, my 13 year old cousin was the most grammatically correct typist on the Internet. An intelligent young kid doesn't yet feel comfortable enough to take liberties with punctuation and capitalization. The various u's and lol's and such generally creep in at a later age.

[D-Dey65]

I'm convinced it's worse than the New York Metro Area.

[kkt]

You say that like you're surprised. I have younger siblings in 10th, 9th, and 6th grades. Every one of them runs circles around people when getting into arguments online.

Yeah, but most of them make more typos or just don't give a damn about correcting them.  It's hard to type well with just your thumbs.

I found that when I was 16, my 13 year old cousin was the most grammatically correct typist on the Internet. An intelligent young kid doesn't yet feel comfortable enough to take liberties with punctuation and capitalization. The various u's and lol's and such generally creep in at a later age.

Oh, good, I'm glad to know my kid is advanced for her age.   

[Buffaboy]

I drive faster than about 75% of the other cars on the road

That seems to be true of everybody where I live.


iPhone

Well, it used to be closer to 90%, but one-too-many tickets has cured my leadfoot somewhat.

Actually, I do wish the Fairfax County Police and Virginia Highway Patrol would be more aggressive about people going WAAAAYY over the speed limit on 495 though. I don't think it's safe to do 90 on that road at ANY time of the day!

The faster I go, the more paranoid I get. I would go 65 in a 55 at times and sweat bullets depending on where I am, but at times I've gone 80 in a 65 and never felt nervous. But I wouldn't go any faster.

On the subject of DC, when I was there last year traffic was about LOS B-C. I didn't have issues getting from NE Va to the Capital.

[empirestate]

I drive faster than about 75% of the other cars on the road

That seems to be true of everybody where I live.


iPhone

Well, it used to be closer to 90%, but one-too-many tickets has cured my leadfoot somewhat.

Yeah, I'd definitely say about 90% of the drivers here go faster than 75% of everybody else.

[AlexandriaVA]

Certain Interstates in the area are more-or-less up to modern Interstate standards, such as 495, while other Interstates are not, such as 395. I don't have any issues going fast on the Beltway, but there's definitely an upper bound I can comfortable operate at on 395 due to things like exit frequency, lane width, hills, etc. SE-SW Freeway and 295 are the same (even if speed cameras were not in place).

[1995hoo]

My dad and I will be visiting Northern Virginia in a couple weeks for my sister's wedding. We will have a rental car while we are there, and were planning on doing most of our sightseeing via car. My mom and sister live there and have been telling us about how horrific traffic is and just getting around via car in general. While we are from Arizona and many think of us as the "rural west", both my dad and I are born and raised, and have done a large amount of driving, from the Phoenix Metro area which is the 5th/6th largest city in the country. Trust me, I-17 and the Superstition Freeway in rush hour aren't exactly dirt roads of tumbleweeds, there is heavy, heavy traffic. We know that going in, and are prepared and fine with traffic. But is it REALLY as bad as some make it out to be in terms of congestion and getting around? Or is it something that someone like us, familiar with metro areas and heavy congestion out here, will be ok with?

Following up on this original post, you don't say when you will be in the DC area. If you plan to be here this coming weekend, note that this Sunday is a particularly bad day to try to drive into the city due to the Marine Corps Marathon. There are obviously loads of street closures throughout downtown DC and in the areas near the Pentagon, Arlington Cemetery, and Rosslyn. If you're visiting this weekend, I'd suggest doing the in-DC sights on Saturday and the sights elsewhere (Annapolis, Baltimore, etc.) on Sunday, assuming your schedule permits this.