KC Driving

If you've been following my life lately, you've noticed that I'm not in Chicago anymore. Or Peoria for that matter. Illinois is right out. Anyway, one of the constant complaints I heard from my brother about the KCMO area was that the Kansas drivers were terrible. Not only that, but just plain mean, too (One threatened to use deadly force on John; wisely, John didn't call him out.).

So Kansas drivers are bad huh? After a couple weeks driving around here, I think I have an alternate theory. I've been driving mostly in Missouri, and have noticed repeated and rampant awful driving. It seems that everyone here has read the wrong rules and holds them close to their respective chests. Nope, I don't think the problem lies solely within the great state of Kansas. I think the problem is present all through the Kansas City metro area. I haven't come up with a proper theory as to the cause, but I have made several observations so as to convince you that I'm not nuts. People in this city can't drive.

One of my pet peeves in driving is blinker usage. Some people might say I'm not a safe driver. I retort that I am simply a fast driver. I think it's more important for safety to be aware of what's happening on the road around you. Inversely, I think it it utterly vital that you, as a driver, let those on the road around you know what's happening with you. Like, perhaps, when you're thinking of directing your car in a direction that might not be altogether predictable. That guy doesn't know your street is coming up, so he may question why you just hopped in the lane in front of him. Is there a way to somehow express to other drivers that you intend to change directions, leave the road or simply change lanes? If there is, KC has not discovered it. They think these flashy light thingies on the sides of their cars are either decoration, or some strange incomprehensible terrorist plot to change our God-blessed way of life and American right of driving in whichever direction we want at any given time without regard to anyone else. "~~Land that we love!~~" Yeah.. Try a blinker sometime, jerk.

So this brings me to another of my pet peeves. This is more particular to highway driving, which I blessedly only have to drive about 500 yards of through this city on my way to work. Yes everyone, Proper Lane Usage©. First off, the left is the fast lane, but it's a relative term. Fast, as in faster than those around you. If you're simply going "fast," but not faster than those around you, get to the right (using your blinker to indicate thus, of course) and let those going faster pass you. We can all get where we're going faster if we follow this simple universal rule. Don't hang out in the left. For any reason. Unless you're passing. Then it's okay.

I have a guess as to why people around here have pretty awful lane usage. Unfortunately it's a self-perpetuating reason. Not easy to fix. Pretty much all exits have 'Exit Only' lanes. Each on-ramp also usually brings a new lane onto the road, which then drops off at the next exit. This all adds up to lots of people switching lanes quite a lot. So people get all the way over the left to avoid all the on-and-off over in the right. Coupled with lack of blinker use, this is pretty infuriating for me. This encourages people to use their blinkers less because they're changing lanes all the time, and it demands that you change lanes a minimum of twice per highway visit. Recipe for badness if you ask me.

So, there are some observations. Please don't drive like Kansas City people. Be a good person and say your prayers every night instead.