To paraphrase Tolstoy, all good drivers are alike, each region has its own type of bad driver. My recollection of drivers in Georgia (the state) is similar to your recollection of New Mexico. The cluelessness took the particular form of yielding right of way at the most inappropriate times.
I agree with your assessment of DC drivers. When I used to get into my rental car in Minneapolis, I always braced myself for difficulty merging and then was surprised when everybody got over a lane to let me in.
When I get back from California, I am always surprised to see someone on the Beltway do something like pass me on the shoulder. People in California drive selfishly, but not dumb.
Outside of the continental US, I've seen some of the best and worst driving. In the UK, I'm always impressed at how skillfully they get out of my way when I do something dumb. In Australia, people actually seem to go the speed limit. In India (thankfully just seem from a taxi), rules of the road seem to be optional. Puerto Rico seemed to have its own unwritten set of rules that I was just beginning to intuit by the end of the week...
Jonboy
Everywhere
To paraphrase Tolstoy, all good drivers are alike, each region has its own type of bad driver. My recollection of drivers in Georgia (the state) is similar to your recollection of New Mexico. The cluelessness took the particular form of yielding right of way at the most inappropriate times.
I agree with your assessment of DC drivers. When I used to get into my rental car in Minneapolis, I always braced myself for difficulty merging and then was surprised when everybody got over a lane to let me in.
When I get back from California, I am always surprised to see someone on the Beltway do something like pass me on the shoulder. People in California drive selfishly, but not dumb.
Outside of the continental US, I've seen some of the best and worst driving. In the UK, I'm always impressed at how skillfully they get out of my way when I do something dumb. In Australia, people actually seem to go the speed limit. In India (thankfully just seem from a taxi), rules of the road seem to be optional. Puerto Rico seemed to have its own unwritten set of rules that I was just beginning to intuit by the end of the week...