Chicago Drivers

We just returned from our first visit to Chicago, home of Oprah, traffic, Lake Michigan, traffic, the Cubs, traffic, beautiful cityscape, and did I mention lots of traffic????

People definitely drive differently in the city--at least this city. The sheer numbers were staggering, but the manners were unbelievable. Down here in the south in our little towns we tend to treat others as we would like to be treated. That means we are courteous, considerate, and even a little understanding. It's a little different when you are battling a few hundred people for your spot in the road.

Our first lesson was that you don't use your turn signal. If you signal your intentions to change lanes then everyone hustles to close up any minute gap there may be so you can't possibly change. It's like it is a grand conspiracy to be sure that you can't get anywhere other than where you are. I told my hubby that they all drive like only the first 10 people are going to be allowed in, so they have to be first. Competitive, is putting it mildly.

Lesson two was that you can't leave more than a foot or two between cars. If you do someone will cut in front of you at 70 mph, whether there is room or not. We drive with the understanding that it takes more than a foot or two to stop at 70 mph so we leave a little more room. My hubby got over than pretty quickly. By now I am clutching the dash with one hand and the door with the other.

Lesson three is that all roads are toll roads. I didn't even realize that interstate highways could be toll roads. For $15 dollars you can go anywhere in Chicago. The trick is to have a pass to get through the toll stations. Of course, we didn't have one, so we had to go to the cash booth. That means cutting across 10 lanes of traffic (they are always at the spot where you have traffic entering and exiting) and dash into one of 6-10 booths. Then all the 6-10 lanes converge into one lane and enter the highway again. Now I have one foot on the dash and am clutching the seat belt with my teeth.

Lesson four, the traffic will stop. You can just bet that at some point you will be stalled in traffic with a couple of hundred other drivers who are desperate to get somewhere in a hurry. Not a fun scene at all. Thank goodness for air conditioning, I hate to think what I would have heard with all the windows down.

Lesson five, the horn is necessary for driving. It must be because all the drivers use theirs a lot!! Now for us little country people having someone blasting away on a horn every few minutes is a little unnerving. They blow if you slow down, they blow if you don't slow down, they blow if you don't start up fast enough, they blow if you stop too fast, they blow just to relieve some of the frustration of being stopped at all.

This all being said, we did love Chicago. The city is beautiful, the lake is magnificent, we had a great time and will go again. Although, I think I will fly and take a taxi!