What makes the difference?

arie85

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I kinda notice that people in TX are so nice, they smile to you, let you take the lane while driving and not trying to cut you, and things like that. To be honest NJ's drivers are the worst thing and I still can't figure out what makes NY or NJ to such a different place than TX? What makes the difference between the people here and there?

 

duchess15

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Are we talking about the same Texas I live in?? I get cut in front of almost on a daily basis, people will not let me in when trying to get on the highway and these are some of the rudest people I have met on the road. I hate driving because of it. I think my blood pressure would be normal if I didn't have to drive defensive all the time. Any other fellow Texans agree?
 

theimp98

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lol well on whole, i do find people in texas much more polite, then lets say ohio.
 

lunasmom

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NJ seems pretty tame compared to SE MI (then again, I'm not in the Newark/NY area).

I think overall it just depends on the population sizes of where you live. If you're in a little more rural area, then people are less likely to need to cut you off...as there are less people on the road.

If its heavily populated, then you need to be more agressive about changing lanes, etc.

I know personally I could never live in a city like NYC. Metro Detroit raised my blood pressure enough when driving...if I lived in Chicago or NYC I would definitely sell my vehicle.
 
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arie85

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I'm in Dallas and basically there is a lot of traffic here, and you can always find people who don't care about others, but generally I really like to drive here more than in NJ.
 

EnzoLeya

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Here in IA we mostly just have slow OLD drivers. I'm not even sure half of them should be on the road. I think they are the reason there are sign posts that say "MINIUM SPEED LIMIT"
 

carolpetunia

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I'm in Texas, too, and although there are plenty of obnoxious drivers here, it really isn't as big a problem as in some places. Around here, it's standard to wave a thank-you to someone who lets you into a lane, or an apology to the person behind you if you've had to make a sudden move. Putting on your turn signal will cause some people to speed up to keep you from getting into their lane -- but many more will ease off and let you in. And if you don't notice when a light changes, you're more likely to get a cheery little double-tap on the horn than a nasty ol' honnnnnnk.


But I've noticed a big difference in attitudes depending on which car I drive. My parents's car is a recent Grand Marquis with a Purple Heart license plate (for my father's injury in WWII), and people are usually very courteous to us when we're in that car. Sometimes we even come back after shopping and find a note on the windshield saying, "Thank you for your service to our country!"


But my car is an older Sable with hail damage and a DEMOCRAT bumper sticker on the back. People are always changing lanes and jockeying for position to try to get around me -- and I'm not sure whether it's because they assume old car, slow driver (which I'm not) or because they're rabid rightwingers who just want to get in front of me to show off their "W" stickers!


But that's in the DFW Metroplex, where everybody's overloaded. When I get out into the outlying areas, two-lane roads, no traffic... everything changes. You see a car approaching from the other direction and you raise two fingers from the wheel and give 'em a smile, as if to say, "Here we both are, pretty day, hi there!" It's so nice.

Through working with a franchisor for years, I've known dozens of people from "back east" who are just floored by how pleasant people in Texas are, on and off the road... so I think it is indeed a real phenomenon. But why? It's a great question.

I wonder if it could be traced all the way back to pioneer times, when people were scattered so thin out here that life was difficult and fragile, and they really needed each other to survive. Maybe the principle of extending kindness to your neighbor took hold then, and has simply been passed down by example from generation to generation...?
 

sunfairie

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hhmm...you know I have to agree with you theimp98 on Ohio (I live in OH too)

...I do not know anything about driving in Texas I was only in Houston once for business and was shuttled.


Now that said I have also lived in Jersey and NYC.

Jersey was cake for me to drive in..don't know why..it was not that bad and I only got a few honks..now I did not, could not, and would not (AND no; not in a box, with a fox either...LOL...) drive in NYC...just not brave enough....
My drivers always said NYC drivers disliked Jersey drivers because they were to slow...LOL..
I honestly did not have to many meanies when I drove in Jersey. I was right across the Hudson.
 

swampwitch

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I'm a native Texan who has lived in lots of other places, and I've yet to find another place with people as friendly as those in Texas.

I think it's just seen and indirectly taught through the generations. If you grow up in Boston and your parents and everyone else are honking constantly while driving, you will probably do the same when you grow up. Kids in Texas are generally much more polite, too, so it must be they imitate what they see and hear.
 

capt_jordi

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I think its a southern thing too. I live in TN and people are always waving and being really nice, but when we go to northern VA or MD for vacation its not the same at all!
But I cant say for Texas, I havent made it that far west yet!
 

duchess15

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All I can say is living right next to the largest military base in the free world is not what it's all cracked up to be. I think that is the reason our traffic is so bad and the people are so rude. Stupidity breeds ignorance thus all the rudeness. I think if I lived anywhere else in Texas, it would be better, but I can say this...as bad as the people are here, they are not as bad as drivers in California. I was never so tense in my life driving!
 

mowwuck

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Towns can really differ with people.
For instance,this town has certain areas which are so bad with crime and gangs bus drivers won't go through them and they are full of abusive,disrespectful chavs,but in other areas-there are strangers who are very helpful and nice to others.
People might not be able to change something happening in their lives but they certainly can change their mindset,eg,stop blaming others for everything,take more time-don't rush,learn to understand and tolerate strangers better etc.

In Texas and probably everywhere else,there are going to be nice people and nasty people,don't let the nasty ones ruin the day.
 

luvmy2cats

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I think it's the water.
I read a book once about that. Where the people in certain areas were more pleasant because of the water. It was a fiction novel though so I don't know if it would be true.
 

strange_wings

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It's much the same way here, too.
One thing I noticed a big difference in is very simple common courtesy, such as holding doors for people. Practically no one did this in Michigan and when I did it for people they looked confused!
Here even young children will go out of their way to get the door for someone -it's ingrained.

If someone is pulled over on the side of the road looking like they need help or worse, has just had a wreck, there's always plenty of people stopping to try to help.

People say thank you, no thank you, please, excuse me, no sir/ma'am, etc -more frequent in small towns/rural areas. It's just part of growing up in the south or southern midwest in my case, you're expected to be polite.
 

carolpetunia

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I want to put in another good word for the South, because I do think there's something to that theory: several years ago, my parents were driving to a reunion in Florida when someone swerved in front of them and forced them off the road. In the course of trying to regain control, they ended up going airborne and plowing into some small pine trees and a deep marsh.

Something like a dozen people stopped and slogged out into the marsh to help my parents out of the car. They got my folks back to dry land, pulled lawn chairs out of their cars for them to sit in, and one lady gave them both hot coffee from her thermos.

A man in a pickup truck chased down the driver who had caused the accident and made him come back and accept responsibility. And three carloads of people stayed to give their witness statements to the officers when they arrived.

This happened about 15 miles west of Tampa. I figure there must be some awfully good people around there, and I'm forever grateful for their kindness to my parents! (Who were, by the way, a little banged up, but not really hurt. Thank heaven!)
 

cococat

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Have you heard the phrase Southern hospitality?
It really is a different way than say NYC, people are less rushed, more open, more friendly. As far as driving, road rage is everywhere! Crazy drivers are everywhere, the more populated the cities, the worse it seems.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by Duchess15

Are we talking about the same Texas I live in?? I get cut in front of almost on a daily basis, people will not let me in when trying to get on the highway and these are some of the rudest people I have met on the road. I hate driving because of it. I think my blood pressure would be normal if I didn't have to drive defensive all the time. Any other fellow Texans agree?
Originally Posted by theimp98

lol well on whole, i do find people in texas much more polite, then lets say ohio.
Originally Posted by capt_jordi

I think its a southern thing too. I live in TN and people are always waving and being really nice, but when we go to northern VA or MD for vacation its not the same at all!
But I cant say for Texas, I havent made it that far west yet!
Originally Posted by cococat

Have you heard the phrase Southern hospitality?
It really is a different way than say NYC, people are less rushed, more open, more friendly. As far as driving, road rage is everywhere! Crazy drivers are everywhere, the more populated the cities, the worse it seems.
to all of the above. yeah, we have some rude, tacky drivers here - but everyone i've ever known who moved here from up north claims there's a HUGE difference [to the good] in driving in the south.
made me pretty sure i never wanted to move up there, that's for sure!
 

stacyd1987

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Originally Posted by capt_jordi

I think its a southern thing too. I live in TN and people are always waving and being really nice, but when we go to northern VA or MD for vacation its not the same at all!
But I cant say for Texas, I havent made it that far west yet!
Quite true. I've been to Texas for bootcamp but I only saw the outside for two days in San Antonio. It was nice, everyone was friendly but that could've been just from my uniform.
In FL, people will cut you off because it always seems everyone is in a darn hurry but there are those who are really nice. It's kind of half and half.
 
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