[floridaorange]

Inspired by the lane discipline thread, what cities, countries, islands, have you driven in or been a passenger in that made you fear for your life or question ever returning to that place again?

My top most terrifying commute - St Lucia (2 yrs ago) There are no rules, none. Honk and hope for the best seems to be the only way people drive there. I took a shuttle from the airport to a resort and the geography consisted of flatlands, rain forest, hills, cliffs, mountains, all within 45 mins. Cars pass each other on blind turns, I don't recall there being 1 stop light of any kind. It was so bad, your only option is to lay back, close your eyes and pray/sleep.

Tijuana (15 yrs ago, so may have improved) Again, no rules. Stop signs are a suggestion, as are red lights. Not nearly as bad as St Lucia, but unnerving for sure.

Rome Rome is more fun than scary, the drivers drive their little cars fast, but you get the feeling they are in control, at least I did, my wife not so much .

(not comparable to the first 3 but dangerous none the less) I-4 Orlando While I-4 (Orl) was under construction (finally finished) it was literally dangerous to be on that highway. Already exacerbating what another member stated in terms of various forms of road rage. Temporary lanes, unbanked turns, cars simply driving way too fast, seams on the highway that made it sound like your subframe was breaking off upon impact. The least pedestrian friendly city in America and boasts Least-walkable metro area in the country. (I-95 Miami, I will let someone else more versed explain in detail)

[wtwo3]

Lahore, Pakistan.

But I wouldn't not return.... considering the majority of my family still lives there

But holy shit you guys think people in the US are bad.... there's only the illusion of rules on the roads of Pakistan. People will routinely drive on the wrong side, stoplights are more a suggestion than a hard rule... and you're sharing the road with other cars, motorcycles, cyclists, rickshaws, horses, donkeys pulling carts, large buses with no regards for safety, pedestrians who don't fear for their lives, and the occasional cow.




Despite all this, probably the most insane place I've witnessed (didn't have the balls to drive there) was Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Motorcycles there buzz through like a swarm of bees... it's actually quite fascinating to watch. If you're in a car and turning right onto a road, you don't wait for the oncoming traffic to pass... you just go, and the oncoming traffic goes around you like.... a swarm of bees or a school of fish. I was in awe.

[Oldgixxer]

Let me preface this by saying I am a 100% NY driver all my life,drove the streets of NYC in the worst traffic conditions,snow storms,you name it and have been driving since 1985 when I got both auto and motorcycle permits&then licenses and have held both ever since. Also hold an NHRA racing license for the past 20yrs. Have not been involved in an accident since some fool ran a red light and rear ended me in 1995. Have not received any moving violations/tickets/warnings/etc since 2001...
That being said:

Right here in my new home town of Bluffton/Hilton Head South Carolina!!!! Worst drivers I've ever seen!!!. Takes the enjoyment out of driving since I literally have to avoid being hit every day. Beyond stressful. These idiots have no idea how to navigate through a round-a-bout/traffic circle,or obey even the most basic rules of the road. No use of turn signals. No yielding when they have a yield sign. Nobody can drive the speed limit as they all do at least 5mph under,clogging up the lanes. I see at least 3 accidents a week and I'm just out running errands lol

Like I mentioned above,I've had my motorcycle license since 1985 and have logged well over 200k miles,I've been riding bikes in general since 1974. I flat-out refuse to ride any of my bikes down here for fear of being run over and left for dead.

I'd rather drive anywhere but in South Carolina..... rant over lol

[kscarrol]

^ Come to the Upstate, the drivers here aren't that bad! At least they are better then what I left in New Orleans...

[nerdogray]

Went and visited Ft. Lauderdale a few times past year and was amazed at just how chaotic the roadways. People drive however they like, and there is zero enforcement. Apparently there is a new trend of driving with your lights off at night, as well. No one pays attention to the speed limit, and you better stay well away from the leftward lanes on the interstates. Pure insanity compared to Nashvile and surrounding area, but even here I've noticed an uptick in sheer stupidity. No experience driving internationally.

Forgot about Brazil. I rode as a passenger a few times, and that place was pretty lawless.

[2000cs]

Originally Posted by nerdogray

Went and visited Ft. Lauderdale a few times past year and was amazed at just how chaotic the roadways. People drive however they like, and there is zero enforcement. Apparently there is a new trend of driving with your lights off at night, as well. No one pays attention to the speed limit, and you better stay well away from the leftward lanes on the interstates.

I was just down there and agree completely. But I’ve seen much worse drivers in Boston, San Francisco, and other cities in the US. I learned to drive in the Los Angeles area so I’m comfortable with it, even back in the day when I always had a Thomas Guide open on my lap and was flipping pages for alternate routes at rush hour(s)!

The most frightening experience for me was in Ireland, after an overnight flight to Shanon. Small rental car, manual, right hand drive, roads backwards, immediate roundabouts, and already rummy/exhausted. The second time I went I was ready and it was fine.

[Oldgixxer]

Originally Posted by nerdogray

...Apparently there is a new trend of driving with your lights off at night, as well..

Ha!!
Complete opposite here,once the sun sets,most drive with their high beams full time,glaring away with no regard or concern towards blinding oncoming drivers smh.
I purposely head to the gym at 3:30am&back home by 5am(to avoid driving with all the day time traffic)and in that short 30min round trip I've been blinded at least 13 times and I'm at the gym or back at the house walking around seeing spots in my eyes from the super bright LED&Laser headlight hi beams. I'll flick my brights at oncoming cars to let them know their brights are on,and if I get no response(which is 90% of the time) I throw my hi beams on and blind em right back lol. I thought it was an isolated event here and there when we first moved here but this shit happens daily

[N8N]

I'm willing to bet that there are worse places outside CONUS but, just limiting to places I've driven, I would say it would have to be Washington DC and the close by areas in Maryland. Not only do people drive slowly, they are completely unpredictable. The way people drive makes no sense, imagine being surrounded by a bunch of squirrels with ADHD or being trapped in a malfunctioning pinball machine.

Statistics bear me out, too - Allstate releases a report every year and every time I've actually seen it, Baltimore is at the very bottom with DC close behind. here's 2019

https://www.allstate.com/americas-be...vers/index.htm

To add insult to injury, the roads in both cities are worse than the rural PA dirt road that my parents live on. I used to laugh at people who lived in cities and drove SUVs... I now drive my old beat up Jeep XJ Cherokee at least 80% of the time. Someone just wrecked into it AGAIN last week too, now three out of four corners are all f**ked up. I didn't turn anything in to insurance because I don't want the hassle of trying to find another vehicle (it would have been totaled years ago, but it still is fundamentally solid and functional.)

[Oldgixxer]

Originally Posted by N8N

I'm willing to bet that there are worse places outside CONUS but, just limiting to places I've driven, I would say it would have to be Washington DC and the close by areas in Maryland. Not only do people drive slowly, they are completely unpredictable. The way people drive makes no sense, imagine being surrounded by a bunch of squirrels with ADHD or being trapped in a malfunctioning pinball machine.

Statistics bear me out, too - Allstate releases a report every year and every time I've actually seen it, Baltimore is at the very bottom with DC close behind. here's 2019

https://www.allstate.com/americas-be...vers/index.htm

To add insult to injury, the roads in both cities are worse than the rural PA dirt road that my parents live on. I used to laugh at people who lived in cities and drove SUVs... I now drive my old beat up Jeep XJ Cherokee at least 80% of the time. Someone just wrecked into it AGAIN last week too, now three out of four corners are all f**ked up. I didn't turn anything in to insurance because I don't want the hassle of trying to find another vehicle (it would have been totaled years ago, but it still is fundamentally solid and functional.)

I had to google after reading your post and low and behold,South Carolina ranks 7th worst state for bad drivers lol

At least in NY&NJ I could anticipate what the aggressive drivers during rush hour would do and plan accordingly. Here(in my area at least),theres no rhyme reason..like you said,squirrels w ADHD

[N8N]

Originally Posted by Oldgixxer

I had to google after reading your post and low and behold,South Carolina ranks 7th worst state for bad drivers lol

At least in NY&NJ I could anticipate what the aggressive drivers during rush hour would do and plan accordingly. Here(in my area at least),theres no rhyme reason..like you said,squirrels w ADHD

I agree 100%. Several times I've had to go to training classes in Florham Park and I damn near crapped my pants when a driver in front of me in the passing lane moved over when I approached from behind at ~85 MPH. I didn't even get close and the other driver didn't appear flustered or concerned at all. Who are these people?

[Oldgixxer]

Originally Posted by N8N

I agree 100%. Several times I've had to go to training classes in Florham Park and I damn near crapped my pants when a driver in front of me in the passing lane moved over when I approached from behind at ~85 MPH. I didn't even get close and the other driver didn't appear flustered or concerned at all. Who are these people?

If it was on Rte 24 or 287 it may very well have been me

[infinitekidM2C]

Koreatown Los Angeles
Potholes
Two way roads throughout, with people holding up the road with both right turns (pedestrians walking) or left turns (waiting for oncoming traffic)
Homeless people at the corners
Terrible drivers
insane congestion

[M_Six]

Not necessarily about driving, but renting a car at Logan Airport in Boston is the very definition of clusterf**k. Nephew is standing in this huge line and I bet we end up wasting at least an hour here just to get a car. Then we get to go sit in Boston's notorious traffic. Like someone looked at the nightmare that's Logan Airport and wondered how to make it worse. "I know, let's dump all the car rental places in one building that takes 30 minutes get to from the terminals!"

[UncleWede]

Lima, Peru. The approach to the airport is also a major commerce line. So you have commercial big rigs, busses, taxis, porters, scooters. Most of questionable maintenance schedules There was a mom breastfeeding backwards while her husband drove the little scooter between busses. On more than one occasion I touched a vehicle next to me.

What was 6 lanes (as striped, but not as driven) suddenly becomes a 2 lane roundabout to get into the airport.

[floridaorange]

Originally Posted by Oldgixxer

Let me preface this by saying I am a 100% NY driver all my life,drove the streets of NYC in the worst traffic conditions,snow storms,you name it and have been driving since 1985 when I got both auto and motorcycle permits&then licenses and have held both ever since. Also hold an NHRA racing license for the past 20yrs. Have not been involved in an accident since some fool ran a red light and rear ended me in 1995. Have not received any moving violations/tickets/warnings/etc since 2001...
That being said:

Right here in my new home town of Bluffton/Hilton Head South Carolina!!!! Worst drivers I've ever seen!!!. Takes the enjoyment out of driving since I literally have to avoid being hit every day. Beyond stressful. These idiots have no idea how to navigate through a round-a-bout/traffic circle,or obey even the most basic rules of the road. No use of turn signals. No yielding when they have a yield sign. Nobody can drive the speed limit as they all do at least 5mph under,clogging up the lanes. I see at least 3 accidents a week and I'm just out running errands lol

Like I mentioned above,I've had my motorcycle license since 1985 and have logged well over 200k miles,I've been riding bikes in general since 1974. I flat-out refuse to ride any of my bikes down here for fear of being run over and left for dead.

I'd rather drive anywhere but in South Carolina..... rant over lol

We drive through SC often on our way to NC. It's like watching People of Walmart the highway version. I've witnessed some truly crazy drives, without license plates high on something. Btw, if you call the HP, it's like calling the Andy Griffith Show, and that's being kind.

I really like Hilton Head though.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

Despite all this, probably the most insane place I've witnessed (didn't have the balls to drive there) was Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Motorcycles there buzz through like a swarm of bees... it's actually quite fascinating to watch. If you're in a car and turning right onto a road, you don't wait for the oncoming traffic to pass... you just go, and the oncoming traffic goes around you like.... a swarm of bees or a school of fish. I was in awe.

I drove through Saigon many times in 1969 and on out into the boonies towards the Cambodian border. It was nuts, to say the least. Ever see 5 or 6 people on a Honda 90? Plus a pig and 4 chickens? Ever see a mama-son fall off a Honda and skip down the road? In front of your truck?

Ever see a 3-wheel Lambretta go up in smoke after being hit by a 2.75 inch rocket, assisted by the ammo it was carrying?

But here's the weird part: the scariest (dirt) roads had no traffic. Just me, my buddy and two 55-gallon drums of gasoline. 15 to 20 miles of sweating...

[Oldgixxer]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

I drove through Saigon many times in 1969 and on out into the boonies towards the Cambodian border. It was nuts, to say the least. Ever see 5 or 6 people on a Honda 90? Plus a pig and 4 chickens? Ever see a mama-son fall off a Honda and skip down the road? In front of your truck?

Ever see a 3-wheel Lambretta go up in smoke after being hit by a 2.75 inch rocket, assisted by the ammo it was carrying?

But here's the weird part: the scariest (dirt) roads had no traffic. Just me, my buddy and two 55-gallon drums of gasoline. 15 to 20 miles of sweating...

You win

[F30lolz]

Lima, Peru - no regard for human life.
Hialeah - will avoid it like the plague.
NYC/Chicago/Atlanta - similar but doable.

[floridaorange]

[QUOTE=wtwo3;29437285]
Attachment 3007090

Originally Posted by wtwo3

.... a swarm of bees or a school of fish. I was in awe.

donkeys?! I think you win

[N8N]

Originally Posted by Oldgixxer

If it was on Rte 24 or 287 it may very well have been me

It happened several times, but it's plausible - I was coming up I-95 from DC.

[M5Rick]

Around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

[NYG]

Russia.

Moscow is like NYC but 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000x more chaos. Lanes don't exist, traffic lights don't exist, nothing exists.