What's with all the rude drivers out there?
Lately it seems, I am running into the rudest drivers in the Grove. I once did a story on how polite Grove drivers were, but times seemed to have changed.
People honk in traffic for no reason, they cut you off and are just very hostile. The other day I stopped on the corner of Mary Street and Florida Avenue to ask someone something and this rude jerk behind me sat on his horn until I moved. For all he knew, I was a lost tourist asking for directions, but he honked until I moved aside and then he raced to wait in line to park in the garage on Florida Avenue. People do this all the time, they cut you off, just to be first at the red light it seems. Hurry up and wait.
I actually don't ever honk in traffic. I don't know why, I think it's a throwback to the '80s, during the Cocaine Cowboy days, when people were scared stiff to honk the horn back then, you literally could get shot at a stop light if you did that. So maybe it's carried over.
If you try to cross Grand Avenue by foot, stay alert, because drivers will not stop and let you walk across, especially at Matilda and Fuller Street. Also, if you try to make a turn say from Matilida onto Grand beware, no one will slow down or stop to allow you access. In my neighborhood we give up leaving at rush hour times. We cannot make a left turn onto South Bayshore Drive at those times, people block the intersection and god forbid they wave you in. They sit, stare ahead and ignore that you even exist.
But I found one place where people are actually civil. It's McDonalds on US1 and McDonald Street. I go there for coffee often and I have found that no matter who turns into the drive thru from any direction, people wave you in. Two cars can be arriving at once and one will wave the other in without a fuss. On the other side of the parking lot others will wait for you to enter and leave and actually stop to allow you access. This is the only place I have found these days where people are acting like human beings while in vehicles.
This civility does happen all over the rest of the state and country, I find this to be the case when traveling. But for some unknown reason, Miami drivers are animals and it is now spreading to the Grove (except at McDonalds).
People honk in traffic for no reason, they cut you off and are just very hostile. The other day I stopped on the corner of Mary Street and Florida Avenue to ask someone something and this rude jerk behind me sat on his horn until I moved. For all he knew, I was a lost tourist asking for directions, but he honked until I moved aside and then he raced to wait in line to park in the garage on Florida Avenue. People do this all the time, they cut you off, just to be first at the red light it seems. Hurry up and wait.
I actually don't ever honk in traffic. I don't know why, I think it's a throwback to the '80s, during the Cocaine Cowboy days, when people were scared stiff to honk the horn back then, you literally could get shot at a stop light if you did that. So maybe it's carried over.
If you try to cross Grand Avenue by foot, stay alert, because drivers will not stop and let you walk across, especially at Matilda and Fuller Street. Also, if you try to make a turn say from Matilida onto Grand beware, no one will slow down or stop to allow you access. In my neighborhood we give up leaving at rush hour times. We cannot make a left turn onto South Bayshore Drive at those times, people block the intersection and god forbid they wave you in. They sit, stare ahead and ignore that you even exist.
But I found one place where people are actually civil. It's McDonalds on US1 and McDonald Street. I go there for coffee often and I have found that no matter who turns into the drive thru from any direction, people wave you in. Two cars can be arriving at once and one will wave the other in without a fuss. On the other side of the parking lot others will wait for you to enter and leave and actually stop to allow you access. This is the only place I have found these days where people are acting like human beings while in vehicles.
This civility does happen all over the rest of the state and country, I find this to be the case when traveling. But for some unknown reason, Miami drivers are animals and it is now spreading to the Grove (except at McDonalds).
posted by Tom Falco at 12:05 PM
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19 Comments:
It's a residual effect from the bad economy. A lot of folks are suffering from chronic anxiety.
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Its not just driving. People in Miami are just rude by nature. They dont give a crap about anyone but themselves.
Rudeness goes both ways. You actually stopped in the middle of the road, in traffic to just talk to someone? Why didn't you simply have the common courtesy to move off of the road and not block traffic? I see this every day, whether it's people driving slow in the left lane to deliberately block others from passing by or slowing down to talk on the phone. Try some driving courtesy that is common around the world and legally required in many areas- if you are driving slower than the traffic behind you, regardless of the speed limit, move to the right. You have to give respect and courtesy to receive it.
It's not about the economy. Miami is the rudest city in the United States. I am kinda quick on the horn because people lollygag when they are presented with the left green arrow, busy texting on their cell phone or debating Castro's politics, I suppose. I don't lay on the horn, though, just a quick honk after I have waited 2 seconds and there is no foot off the brake of the first car. Cmon now is right. People don't hold doors, don't say thank you when I do hold the door etc.
And yet you protest, "are the new solar powered school zone flashers going up near Ransom Everglades on Tigertail necessary?"
Just a theory: It is all that insane amount of caffeine pumping in the veins of the locals that makes Miami drivers the rudest in the nation, and probably on the planet.
yep, people are rude here. I lived many places in this country, and have I was horrified and could not believe that people actually drive like this. People are always in a rush, on the phone, texting, eating or just plan rude. So no it is not like this almost anywhere else.......
Everyone, PLEASE be careful about "waving" anyone else thru anywhere. I was hit on my passenger side beacause a whole group of people waved a couple of teenagers thru & nobody saw me drive up in an empty lane. As the police officer mentioned to me, only the traffic direction given by officials (law enforcement)is what counts.
It is a problem getting across Bayshore at Mary street as well. Next to impossible. And the flashing lights in front of Fresh market are totally ignored too... most cars dont pay any attention.
Miami people are not overly rude. I think that they're the nicest people anywhere, seriously.
They are in a hurry, they are distracted, and they want to get somewhere. I attempt to lay back and let them do their thing although I must admit it can be difficult, at times.
I believe that lack of money also leads to heavy stress.
One would think that living in Miami should be one the least stressful places in the U.S. with the sun and the palm trees and all that.
Yes, in their cars humans are more likely to be rude but when you meet them they are pretty cool.
Examples of nice people: The employees at Shell Lumber. Also the staff at The Last Carrot are very courteous.
Having had the "benefit" of living in the 2 rudest driving cities on the link above (Miami and Boston), I have to observe that the distance between them is astronomical. Miami is so much ruder it's not even close -- and this is from my view here in the Grove where life is supposed to be good.
I really don't get it. Boston has a respect for children and dogs and cyclists and, god forbid, someone who asks for directions that is observed by, say, 50% of the drivers around here. The other 50% are those who will be featured someday in the Metro Section of the Herald in some other completely avoidable life-ending incident.
As a friend told me when I moved here, "Miami is home to very important people. In fact, nearly every single person here believes he is very important."
Miami is a rude town, for sure. But stopping in the middle of a one-lane street and blocking it to ask something from someone... that's extremelly rude too. You don't really know why other people are rushing. Maybe they are rushing because there is an emergency at home, maybe they just need to pee!
You were as inconsiderate as other drivers were rude.
We all ned to slow it down. We're in a mad rush to nowhere important. Live in the now, and someone "being rude" becomes funny.
We are all important. But when we suddenly think we are more important than the human beside you - well that's where the insanity starts.
My mantra when confronted with arrogance - "humorous, not annoying. Humorous, not annoying, humorous not annoying" etc. You can use it if you like:)
Ras T, that's a good one mon.
I believe this rudeness comes from the absolute lack of traffic law enforcement. I've never been in such a lenient city [in the US]. Drivers in Miami are anarchists. Have you seen such disregard for red lights, stops, pedestrian rights, 30mph limits, etc anywhere else in the states? Have you seen a policeman stop someone for running a light on us1x27th or anywhere else for that matter?
This anarchy creates friction and rudeness.
With the lack of opportunities to merge/cross US1 at rush hour I get very rude when someone is breaking the law or messing about instead of driven in a civil manner...
amen to ras t!
It's not about traffic enforcement. It's more about policing our own selves. Personal responsibility for our own rudeness could, quite possibly, have a ripple effect. No amount of laws, traffic tickets, speed limits or traffic troopers are going to solve anything unless we change our own behavior.
A lot of the rudeness we esperience in Miami is also a cultural thing. All these hot-blooded caribbean and south american nationalities blending and swirling make a helluva mix. It's not even rational to compare us to any other US city.
It is about law enforcement too. People sail through red lights (especially on left turns); people drive at 40 mph over the limit AND at 40mph under the limit... both of which are dangerous. People double park. Trucks park in the middle of the street in the Grove. Miami's "rolling stop" is a standard now. Yet, the police see this all the time and they don't do anything. If the police are not interested in the law... why would anyone observe it?
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