Part of our series examining ideas, practices and mores that appear to be on their way to extinction.
Last night, Minneapolis got its first measurable snowfall, the apex of which occurred, as it tends to do, during afternoon rush hour. Avoiding major streets, I arrived at home at the usual time right after Pete did, and we set out on some errands. When I moved to Minnesota, I quickly understood why the Eskimos have so many words to describe snow. Last night’s snow was light and fluffy in the air, and greasy on the roads. Traffic on the highways slowed to a crawl, and more likely than not you were slipping and sliding toward your destination. It was interesting, as usual, to see drivers who “got it” and other drivers who didn’t or wouldn’t.
Photo by ajacarr78
We took a quick road trip this weekend up the family cabin in Northern Minnesota to retrieve Grandpa’s vehicle. Following Pete back on Highway 371 (yes, we passed by Hole-In-The-Day!), I witnessed several instances of extremely aggressive driving. One fellow in a large sedan suddenly shot over two lanes from right to left, missing Pete’s front bumper by a few inches, despite the fact that there was plenty of room to make a proper lane change after Pete would have passed. Then he tapped his brakes in front of Pete, evidently of the opinion that he wasn’t being given proper room!
Another genius pulled out from his driveway into highway traffic without waiting for an opening, expecting everyone to slow to his idea of what constituted appropriate speed. You could see the frustration build brakelight by brakelight, swerve by swerve. By the time we hit the interstate going into the Twin Cities metro area, careening SUVs and semi-trailers vied for land speed records, getting on more than a few nerves as we hurtled along above 75 miles per hour. It’s no wonder Pete always hears my lament when we return to the Twin Cities after our road trips. “There’s too many people!”
I started thinking about how much the road has changed in the almost 40 years that I’ve been driving. When we go off the highway up north, people wave. It’s a friendly custom, even if you don’t know who you’re waving to as you pass. I think of it as a tip of the hat. People wave in Alaska and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, probably because they’re happy there’s someone to wave at. People wave in rural areas in the South, I’ve noticed, too. It’s a courtesy to acknowledge someone, much like the African Ubuntu custom. “I see you, therefore you exist.”
Minnesota prides itself on “Minnesota Nice.” As an immigrant to Minnesota, I’ve observed that often this concept is not-so-much. It frequently seems that it is more so a form of passive aggression, along the lines of the Southern “bless their heart.” Nowhere is this illustrated more vividly than on the road. It seems as though the recipe for courtesy is missing an essential ingredient: common sense. Instead, there is a bitter substitute, the nutra-sweet in our state’s brand of driving etiquette.
Minnesota drivers routinely drive under the speed limit in the left passing lane, in a not-so-subtle effort to slow traffic to what they think is appropriate. The joke is if you want to confuse the hell out of University of Minnesota graduates, place them simultaneously at the corners of a 4-way stop. No one knows who should go first. Or, perhaps, they’re just not willing to call attention to themselves by taking the lead. It’s frustrating.
Photo by PDXdj
Then there’s what my ex-husband dubbed, “The Divine Right of the Turn Signal.” This phenomenon, unique to Minnesota in our experience, allows you to do just about anything as long as your turn signal is on. Sashay across four lanes of traffic and jump the island to make your exit? Fine, as long as your turn signal is on. Hog the left lane at 45 mph? Well, your turn signal and your Grumpy Old Men hat were both on, so it’s all good! Make a right while your left turn signal is on? Oh, maybe it’s not working properly and that’s what you meant for us to know you were going to do!
But . . . try a zipper merge, including proper signalling, when a lane ahead of you is closing and watch the middle fingers appear! You’re subject to the wrath of good Minnesota drivers who have lined up like lemmings in one lane two miles ahead of the closure, and they don’t take kindly to cutting in front of them. Please, people. Live somewhere else for a time and learn common sense things like merging onto a freeway without the necessity of a yield sign at the bottom of the entrance. Or how to use a roundabout. Or that your SUV doesn’t belong on the ice unless it’s more than 12 inches thick. The ice, not your skull. This is what we call natural selection around here.
When I lived in California, I found that traffic can flow smoothly, if heavily, through very congested areas. The brilliant concept of re-assigning lane direction to adjust to commuter needs is something that would throw the average Minnesotan into a tailspin. This, after all, is the state that built a sane lane on a major artery into downtown Minneapolis that wasn’t operating on its first day open. Why? The employee whose job it was to throw the manual switch operating the lane gates overslept that day. It’s a joy to return home to Michigan where drivers appear to be competent at greater rates of speed and semi trucks are limited to the right lanes.
I don’t want to pick on Minnesota drivers exclusively. It’s too much like shooting fish in a barrel. There’s no coincidence that incidents of road rage are up everywhere. When you put a sense of entitlement or a superiority complex behind the wheel, common courtesy goes right out the power windows. Add exterior sources of stress and you get a cocktail bar of psychological disorder operating heavy equipment at high rates of speed on any typical freeway. Throw in oblivious cluelessness on the part of a growing number of drivers and it’s no wonder people are going postal.
What happened to common sense and sharing the road? Where are the planners who used to design cloverleafs with sufficient room to make an orderly entrance and exit? Why do some drivers feel their destination and schedule is the more important? If everyone observed simple precepts of common courtesy and sensibility, wouldn’t we all get where we’re going more safely and in a better frame of mind?
We think the courteous, competent driver is on the way to extinction. Like rats in the proverbial maze, we will all compete for our piece of the highway at more and more congested levels, and our blood pressure will continue to pay the price.
What’s your biggest beef when it comes to drivers who don’t know how or refuse to be courteous?
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Peter and Betsy Wuebker are location-independent professionals who share what they know about travel, simplicity and integrating work with life. 
This makes me almost glad that I can’t drive any more! My biggest beef for drivers around the DC area is that they consider proper turning procedure to be (1) slam on brakes and (2) put on your turn signal. My second-biggest beef is that the signage in the suburbs is awful. You can get lost so easily if you don’t have a map.
I’ve also noticed that people’s driving behavior tends to get worse during times of national stress, such as we’re experiencing now. When I wasn’t furious at being cut off or scared by someone driving unsafely, I used to try to be extra-nice to other drivers when that happened, hoping it would rub off and get passed along.
Dot´s last blog post..In Paxil I Trust
Hi Dot – Every area must have its quirks! I think you’re right that people are distracted more so than ever, too. Thanks.
Hi Betsy. I’m soooo glad I don’t drive. I see a lot of crazy things when I’m out and about. As a pedestrian, I appreciate when a driver actually uses his turn signals. But then again, just because the signal is blinking it doesn’t necessarily mean they will be making that turn. And I’ve lost count at how many times I’ve been driving with other people and see turn signals that have been left on by mistake. There is too much going on in our minds and we can easily become like zombies if we’re not careful.
Davina´s last blog post..Step Out Of Crisis And Into Power
Hi Davina – I think it’s true that people are more distracted – by multi-tasking, by stress, etc. Also, some cars have a more audible signal, or little lights in the rearview mirror that activate when a turn signal is on, but still, I think we become conditioned to tuning them out. We’re so used to prioritizing multiple stimuli, I think that’s our default setting during all tasks.
I had a harrowing ride up to the big city today…my honey drives the speed limit and is very gas consumption conscious – that irritates many people. I just felt exhausted by the time I returned home for all the weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, speeding, and bazaar lane changes.
I think you are correct about traffic politeness – carefulness is going away.
The cars that race down my alley width street are amazing..and scary
Good writing and ideas…Thank you
Patricia´s last blog post..The Queen of Preparation and an Awesome Mom
I myself seldom drive (commute by bus) but I’ve seen those slow drivers in the left lane the few times I ventured out to Wisconsin.
In general, it’s been my experience that big city = poor drivers. This was true when we lived in Bastrop, a small town 30 miles east of Austin, Texas. We could tell the difference between the “town” and the “city.”
And then there’s the snow. I’m just glad we chose to set our life up so we don’t have to drive much.
ari
Ari Koinuma´s last blog post..Do You Expect the Unexpected?
Hi Patricia – It is exhausting, isn’t it? Back in the day, I used my 45 minute commute to decompress/keep separate the different parts of my life. I don’t know if it would be possible now. Thanks!
Hi Ari – You’re on to something, I think! It’s funny but this post has been commented on by only non-drivers so far! Maybe everyone else is still trying to get home.
Hi Betsy – Snow! We’re suppose to get our first snowfall this weekend. I dread it as everyone has forgotten how to drive in it and we always end up with a lot of “fender benders”. Hopefully I can stay off the roads.
Barbara Swafford – Blogging Without A Blog´s last blog post..When Your Truth Is Different Than Mine
Hi Barbara – What I find is that it’s not me, it’s the other guy! I absolutely love driving in lots of snow . . . as long as we’re the only vehicle we can see. We love to christen a blank parking lot with doughnuts! We especially love it when our kids are in the car with us…it’s hard to get teenagers/young adults to laugh helplessly – they save that for their friends. But it’s music when you’re careening and skidding with no worry about crashing into anything but a pile of snow.
Hi Betsy. If manners are the lubricant of society, courteous drivers keep traffic flowing smoothly. I thought hunting instincts while driving and advantage-envy at the wheel were a typical German trait, and even they learn the zipper now, as the do-not-cross solid lines are now drawn all the way up to the zip-in zone.
As a salesman, I used to drive daily to see my customers, once around the planet in a year, on snow and off. I share the joy of the first snow to seek an empty parking lot, just to refresh the feeling for traction, control and the loss of it. Great to learn the benefits of snow tires over regular tires. I enjoy going 100 km/h (65mph) over fresh morning snow covered highways – as long as no other cars are in sight – and leaving a white wake hovering behind. Snow tires only, must be fresh snow without ruts and no strong winds or turns. You have been warned.
CoCreatr´s last blog post..How to Outsmart and Outmarket Your Potential New Car Buyer
One of the many things I love about Minnesota is the “Minnesota Nice”. It seems that no matter how badly one may drive, no one ever honks at you! I have noticed in other states, if you don’t take off the second a light turns green, you hear HONK HONK from the people behind you. In Minnesota, they will sit behind a car until the light turns red again and never honk. Amazing!
Hi Bernd – Welcome! Yes, it’s a wonderful thing to leave the first tracks! We’ll be watching for you! Thanks.
Hi Judy – LOL are you remembering the other weekend when I suggested you just “tap” your horn to get the elderly woman to move up to where she would trip the left turn signal? You were far more patient than I! You did scare her about to death when you walked up to the driver’s side and explained she needed to get a little closer or we’d sit there forever! Funny!
I people who don’t give pedestrians the right of way – they are the ones sitting in their freaking cars, they can wait. Gah.
Matthew Dryden´s last blog post..Birthday, Friday, and Someday
Hi Matthew – It’s abominable how unsafe the streets are for pedestrians, isn’t it? Thanks.