Realtors® drive a lot. In town, on the freeways, expressways, motorway or whatever you may call it. I am always intrigued by the way people drive in different states, regions, cities, and even some shopping mall parking lots, (I nominate Trader Joe's parking lot in Lafayette, CA. as the most dangerous).
I live and work in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area, and have driven the highways and city-ways for decades so I'm num
b to all of the quirks of the road but If this is your 1st time driving in the San Francisco Bay area then strap on you crash helmet, seat belt, update your life insurance policy and lets get ready for some bumper cars!
- Merging onto the Freeway - Get your vehicle up to cruising speed, seventy miles per hour, and hope that the person in the merge lane will budge enough to let you in before running you into the divider. There is some serious "Me First" going on here. No cuts!
- Use of Blinkers - Don't use them and if you must only after you are three quarters done with your lane change. I am convinced that using a blinker properly is viewed as a sign of weakness in the Bay Area. If you do use your blinker before changing lanes, the driver in the lane you are moving to will almost invariably speed up and block your lane change. If they do let you in then they are not from around here.
- Right of way at a stop sign, please don't expect that to happen. No one here knows left from right when we get behind the wheel. Besides, no one really comes to a complete stop anyway. It's California!
- Tailgating if you are in the fast lane it is an accepted practice. Don't worry the worst offenders will ride your tail spouting expletives about your whole family and then cut over multiple lanes and take the exit. Of course this is after you move over a lane to let them get by you. (See "Use of Blinkers" before you make that lane change).
- Safe Following distance - forget it. If you trail the car in front of you at a safe distance with room for two or three cars then, two or three cars will cut in front of you. If you leave room for one car then one car will cut in front of you. If you insist on keeping a safe following distance then you may end up back where you started. (See "Tailgating is an accepted practice")
Of course my wife thinks that all of this is a male-thing. What do you think?
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