Seattle Drivers

"Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow" (chriskf)
06/15/2016 at 13:51 • Filed to: None

Are collectively probably the most well behaved drivers I’ve ever seen, almost to a fault.

They even follow the damn speed limit on the highway! Like pretty much everyone drives exactly the speed limit on the highway there. Most everyone I saw signaled, didn’t cross no crossing lines and actually pulled over for emergency vehicles. It was weird.

I actually started to get annoyed that people didn’t drive more aggresively. I’ve driven in many states (crossed the country multiple times), and lived in two areas with some of the most aggressive drivers out there (Phoenix-Metro area and Chicagoland), and Seattle was easily the most tame group or drivers I’ve ever seen. No real notion as to why this is though.

Side note: Thank you to all of the Seattle Oppos who chimed in on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! askin for dinner date suggestions. We ended up going to Ray’s Boathouse, and couldn’t have been happier. The service was phenomenal.

The view was simply stunning

And the food... omg, the food! Definitely the best crab legs I’ve ever had. Fantastic oysters too, which I’d expected.

Thanks again, Oppo! You rock!

DISCUSSION (25)

Spaceball-Two > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 13:54

NICE! Glad you had a good time.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 13:55

This is what I tell people about Omaha. I even attempted to do a “bad drivers” channel here but it doesn’t produce much content since people here drive so well!

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Spaceball-Two
06/15/2016 at 13:58

After dinner we went to a place called Full Tilt Ice Cream, just down the road from Ray’s. Not sure if you’ve been to or heard of it, but it’s an ice cream parlor with a bunch of pinball machines and old school video games that plays ‘80s music over the speakers and serves beer too. We happened upon it because my girlfriend said she wanted to get ice cream somewhere after dinner. (Thank you, Google!) If you’ve never been there you should go check it out.

Mid Engine > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 13:59

It looks like you snapped a pic of traffic on a weekend, Saturday around noon?

Slant6 > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 14:00

The day I got my learners permit my dad had me drive the family Suburban from Raleigh NC to New Jersey for my grandmother’s birthday. Trial by fire.

DC was horrifying. Now I’m an aggressive driver by southern standards, but I can maneuver a city like no other. My friends always think I’m too close to other cars in city traffic, or that parking spots are too small.But I prevail, with my New Jersey blood and eastern seaboard training I am able to competently compete with traffic. Although I do occasionally enjoy a speed limit cruise across North Carolina characteristic of drivers in my state.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/15/2016 at 14:00

Interesting. Yeah, I was pretty much dumbfounded by the lack of speeding. In Chicago if you aren’t doing 15mph over on the highway you’re causing a problem. haha

Spaceball-Two > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 14:03

I have been there and yes that place is awesome!

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Mid Engine
06/15/2016 at 14:03

Not my pic, a Google image search. However, I drove from West Seattle, through downtown, up to Anacortes Monday morning (left around ~6:20AM) and experienced pretty light traffic. My brother and sister-in-law told us the traffic would add an hour to our drive, it added maybe 10min. Coming back through during rush hour (around 5:30-6) it was a bit worse but only added like 20-30min onto the drive. Maybe I just caught it on an oddly light day or was out early enough to miss the worst of it.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Slant6
06/15/2016 at 14:04

Haha nice. Yeah, DC is really bad. I’d say NY/DC claim the top two spots for worst drivers/traffic, and Chicago is a close third. At least based on my experiences.

Decay buys too many beaters > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 14:04

I had no idea you were in Washington! You going to that big FR-S meet later in the summer?

And Oregon drivers are similar in temperament but far less skilled. They follow the speed limit to a fault but are generally indignant, aloof, and totally unaware that other drivers are out there.

TheHondaBro > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 14:09

I’ve found a lot of them actually exceed the speed limit.

Oregon drivers (Portland excluded) are among the best I’ve ever seen.

jariten1781 > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 14:09

Yep, I lived there for a number of years and it’s mega-tame. Gets slightly dicier around Tacoma, but is still worlds away from the Boston-NY-Baltimore-DC super-cluster-of-shit.

Though, I did get followed, swerved at, then had a bottle chucked at me for eventually right-passing a left lane camper once...they've still got their crazies.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Decay buys too many beaters
06/15/2016 at 14:12

Will not be making it to that one. Only big meet I’ll be going to this year is the All Toyota’s of the Midwest show outside of Detroit over Labor Day weekend.

Also, I saw a LOT of Toyobarus while I was in town. At least 11 over the ~4.5 days I was there, with none of them being re-spots. Interestingly none of them were modified. Granted, I can see where getting around Seattle in a lowered car could prove difficult with some of those very steep roads/driveways.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > TheHondaBro
06/15/2016 at 14:13

Then you and I had very different experiences. haha I was going 4-5mph over the speed limit and passing everyone. Normally I do 9 over, but with how slow everyone was going I was afraid cops might be real ball-busters about speeding or something.

Pistol Whipped Cream > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 14:15

I can second the speed limit thing. Speed limit is 60 in most places... the WHP is strict with speed limits.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Pistol Whipped Cream
06/15/2016 at 14:18

That’s what I kinda figured. Dropped the amount I normally exceed the speed limit by in half (9 to 4mph) and felt more comfortable, while still passing just about everyone.

SeattleHoon > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 14:27

Hey man, glad you had yourself a good time. Full Tilt is awesome.

I have to agree with you about the most timid drivers. And it has it’s pro’s and con’s. I rarely get cut off by some jerk trying to make a last minute merge, but we also have the worst left lane campers you have ever seen. And we’re starting to have issues with drivers blocking the box during afternoon commutes.

Pistol Whipped Cream > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 14:29

I do the same when I am there. Here in Phoenix everyone knows you will only get a ticket for doing 11 Over. So it is 9 over or bust.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > SeattleHoon
06/15/2016 at 14:31

Thanks!

Yeah, I did notice a bit of box blocking in the afternoons. Particularly driving into West Seattle coming off of the bridge onto Fauntleroy.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Pistol Whipped Cream
06/15/2016 at 14:38

Yep! I’m originally from the Phoenix-metro area, so I know all about driving at the 4s and 9s. Particularly during the whole speed camera epidemic. haha

Fun story: The morning after my senior prom I had dropped my date off back at her house in north Scottsdale and was heading south on the 101. I was doing 9 over, as I knew it was the sweet spot for breaking the limit getting flashed, coming up to that sort of s-bend in the highway just before Via De Ventura, where they had one of the highway speed cameras up at the time. As I pass through, the cameras go off. I’m immediately pissed and check my speedometer, definitely wasn’t going the required 11 over to make them flash. Then I hear the roar of a V12 and look up to see a Murcielago covered in Bondurant stickers and other logos blow past me, the guy had to be doing well over 100. Relief rushed over me and I had a good laugh.

Rico > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 14:55

Food looks awesome and so does that view!

just-a-scratch > Decay buys too many beaters
06/15/2016 at 15:13

Portland OR has really weird habits around crossing the street. If you’re even close to a crosswalk, drivers slow & stop. It’s a bit annoying because I don’t always want to cross the street. I can even see the backups it's causing.

just-a-scratch > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 15:16

...and if you really want to see appalling driving, the third world will shock you.

fintail > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
06/15/2016 at 15:17

I look at Seattle-area (I don’t drive in the city very much, but in the suburbs every day) drivers as an orderly plodding lockstep. Not much aggression, not much speed, and in crowded environments, just as many distractions. One can go 6-9 over and be one of the fastest, if not the fastest, car on the road. I blame bad habits like no signals, left lane campers, etc on the Californicators who have invaded and enriched the place.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > just-a-scratch
06/15/2016 at 15:19

Yeah, I’ve watched plenty of shows/documentaries that have already convinced me of that. lol