Does your state have the rudest drivers?

[Zeffy]

Let's all share our experiences we had while driving in our home states (or our favorite ones)...

But first, here's a great map detailing with state has the rudest drivers:



And the article I got it from: http://www.insure.com/car-insurance/rudest-drivers-by-state.html

I disagree with PA being "least rude", mainly because all the PA drivers I see in the Garden State either drive too fast or too slow - and when they drive too fast, boy do they blow by you just to get around you. I had someone from PA go 65 or above on a divided highway (speed limit of 45) just to get around everyone! New Yorkers I don't disagree with being rude. I've been to the City and plenty of times the drivers there are douchebags. Unfortunately, I also know plenty of asshole New Jersey drivers, and I don't disagree with us being called rude - in this state, it's "Move bitch, get out the way!" everywhere you are.

[Pete from Boston]

Yes.

[on_wisconsin]

I seriously doubt the validity of that map since it shows Iowa having ruder drivers the Illinois (FIB land).

[briantroutman]

I disagree with PA being "least rude", mainly because all the PA drivers I see in the Garden State either drive too fast or too slow

But you're always going perfect speed. I recall a George Carlin routine where he said something like "You notice how everyone going slower than you is an idiot and everyone going faster is a maniac?"

I also agree that PA isn't "least rude" –vague as the criteria seem to be. I'd probably say semi to medium. PA, like many states, probably has a fairly wide divide between rural and urban drivers. For example, VA being "semi rude"  must be the average between kindly John Boy in Rockfish and the more hateful sort around DC.

[Thing 342]

South Carolina being 'least rude'? I highly disagree.

[xcellntbuy]

Florida, partly south Florida.  Case closed.  No equal.

[oscar]

Florida, partly south Florida.  Case closed.  No equal.

For sure.  The rest of the state isn't so bad, but with so many drivers in south Florida that just has to put the whole state well into the top 10.  Yet it's only #23 !?

I also don't see Virginia being only #28, and Maryland only #32.  A lot of their drivers live near D.C., contribute a lot to D.C.'s #2 ranking, and they don't save their rudeness for D.C.

[DaBigE]

I seriously doubt the validity of that map since it shows Iowa having ruder drivers the Illinois (FIB land)

Agreed. There's no way Illinois is anything better than orange. Hell, I'd even place Wisconsin at blue, just because of how many have no clue what the left lane is for. At the very least, Iowa and Illinois should be swapped. I'd also lobby for California to be red.

[SSOWorld]

For WI - the left lane hogs and the speed at < 10 UNDER the speed limit.  And yes, IL and IA are backwards.  Unless you take Chicago (and St. Louis to a lesser extent) out of the picture).

[Brandon]

I seriously doubt the validity of that map since it shows Iowa having ruder drivers the Illinois (FIB land)

Agreed.  FIBistan deserves to be in red.  You have the Downstate 5-under game (5 under the limit on every fucking two-lane) coupled with Chicago Drivers (who usually earn the term FIB).

[Dr Frankenstein]

The worst (and/or rudest) drivers are always in the state where you live. Except for Ontario.

[formulanone]

Sorry...I don't believe for a second that Alabama's drivers are in par (in terms of rudeness) with Florida's. I've never been honked at nor flashed at, rarely been cut-off nor followed too closely, and never had anyone wave any number of fingers at my direction because they were angry or upset. People actually let you into a lane you've signaled towards in Alabama; do that in the populated regions of Florida, and a jackass will intentionally speed up to close any gap.

Still, South Florida tilts the scales heavily for the rest of the state, usually because four-fifths of the population learned to drive elsewhere and picked up particular driving habits somewhere else.

Really, Iowa? Also don't believe that...unless by "rude" one means "doesn't honk, cut off, or ride other's bumpers".

[PHLBOS]

I disagree with PA being "least rude", mainly because all the PA drivers I see in the Garden State either drive too fast or too slow - and when they drive too fast, boy do they blow by you just to get around you. I had someone from PA go 65 or above on a divided highway (speed limit of 45) just to get around everyone!

This is a guess on my part but most of the PA drivers you've probably seen and/or describing are likely ones from southeastern PA (surrounding Philadelphia).

The author of that article probably came to its conclusion by evaluating the entire state and not just a particular region.  Many in the Keystone State will tell you that the Greater Philly & Pittsburgh areas are very different from the rest of the state.

[jeffandnicole]

My issue is with the sample size: 2,000 drivers.  That averages to fewer than 40 people per state (since DC was included) to represent the entire state.  And depending on their survey, it could be possible that only a few people answered the question from the least populated states, so they wind up representing the entire states.

Does anyone really think Idaho & Utah should compare to New York & New Jersey?  Could PA and ND have the same type of driving habits?  How are Alaskians rude drivers?  How is NH so unrude, but VT incredibly rude?

[vdeane]

I consider New York as a whole to be less rude than New Jersey.  Looks like NYC might have biased the results.

I do NOT like Pennsylvania drivers.  They're madding to share the road with on the Thruway and may be the reason why the Thruway west of Syracuse gets so congested on holiday weekends while the rest of the I-90 corridor is just fine.

[agentsteel53]

Florida, partly south Florida.  Case closed.  No equal.

correct.  Miami area has drivers which feature the regrettable pairing of complete ineptitude and astonishing rudeness.

it's the only place where I've ever been cut off (nearly T-boned) and had the other driver step out of the car to argue.

[agentsteel53]

Let's all share our experiences we had while driving in our home states (or our favorite ones)...

But first, here's a great map detailing with state has the rudest drivers:
[most rude: Idaho]

... Idaho?

never had a problem there.  they're similar to other rural mountain west places, like the eastern halves of Washington and Oregon, and also Wyoming and Utah.  (Montana is similar, but 10mph faster.)

[kkt]

I haven't been to every state yet, but I would say Massachusetts is definitely the rudest of the states I've been to.  Washington is annoying in other ways, driving 5 under in the passing lane or running red lights in the city, but it's much much better than Boston, where driving is a contact sport.

[jeffandnicole]

I also agree that PA isn't "least rude" –vague as the criteria seem to be. I'd probably say semi to medium. PA, like many states, probably has a fairly wide divide between rural and urban drivers.

For example, VA being "semi rude"  must be the average between kindly John Boy in Rockfish and the more hateful sort around DC.

I consider New York as a whole to be less rude than New Jersey.  Looks like NYC might have biased the results.

Notice the comparisons?  3 Different States...3 states with urban areas that carry a high percentage of the state's total population.  And yet, 3 different opinions/reasons/excuses why the states receiving the rating they did!

[Brandon]

The worst (and/or rudest) drivers are always in the state where you live. Except for Ontario.

The Cheeseheads here claim otherwise.  Ask any of them, and they'll readily say it's the FIBs.

[Zeffy]

The worst (and/or rudest) drivers are always in the state where you live. Except for Ontario.

The Cheeseheads here claim otherwise.  Ask any of them, and they'll readily say it's the FIBs.

Uh... what exactly are the FIBs? My guess is Fucking ______ Bastard, where the ______ is some adjective starting with an I.

[xcellntbuy]

Florida, partly south Florida.  Case closed.  No equal.

correct.  Miami area has drivers which feature the regrettable pairing of complete ineptitude and astonishing rudeness.

it's the only place where I've ever been cut off (nearly T-boned) and had the other driver step out of the car to argue.

Thank God that was all that happened.  Morons in south Florida have shot people for being cut-off.

[Big John]

The worst (and/or rudest) drivers are always in the state where you live. Except for Ontario.

The Cheeseheads here claim otherwise.  Ask any of them, and they'll readily say it's the FIBs.

Uh... what exactly are the FIBs? My guess is Fucking ______ Bastard, where the ______ is some adjective starting with an I.

In this case, the I stands for Illinois.

[DaBigE]

The worst (and/or rudest) drivers are always in the state where you live. Except for Ontario.

The Cheeseheads here claim otherwise.  Ask any of them, and they'll readily say it's the FIBs.

This cheesehead doesn't totally agree with that.

Are we worse than Illinois? Not quite, IMO (if you're excluding the Chicago metro). Worse than Iowa or Minnesota? I think the scale tips that way most of the time. I think we rival Florida for the most drivers that are clueless on the status of their turn signal (or how to properly use one). We're not the worst, but definitely far from the best (and there's plenty of videos from winter 2013-2014 to prove it).

[Brandon]

The worst (and/or rudest) drivers are always in the state where you live. Except for Ontario.

The Cheeseheads here claim otherwise.  Ask any of them, and they'll readily say it's the FIBs.

This cheesehead doesn't totally agree with that.

Are we worse than Illinois? Not quite, IMO (if you're excluding the Chicago metro). Worse than Iowa or Minnesota? I think the scale tips that way most of the time. I think we rival Florida for the most drivers that are clueless on the status of their turn signal (or how to properly use one). We're not the worst, but definitely far from the best (and there's plenty of videos from winter 2013-2014 to prove it).

But, Chicagoland is "Home of the FIB".  I mean, downstaters can be moronic at times thinking they can enter a freeway at 40 or go 5 below all the fucking time, but Chicagoans are their own breed of assholery.  Where else can you have, as a routine occurrence on one's commute have people exiting from the far lane, shoulder riding, left lane hogging, braking on curves (it's a freeway for fucksakes), running red lights in droves, mowing down pedestrians while on a bicycle, etc, etc, all within a mile.

Chicagoans (looking at a different poll of rude and bad drivers) are the worst drivers in the entire Midwest.