Here in NC, your are liable to get a bullet in your ass, or run off the
road, doing that crap. I might be one of the ones to run you off, as you
are pulling forward.

Interesting. As one who moved to NC last year (from CA, after 30+ years
there), I find the traffic here pretty relaxed in comparison.

Yep. It is true; everything is a bit slower in the south.

The
percentage of combative types is way lower (though they do exist).

It isn't the combative type that I am talking about. It isn't me that has a
gun in the car, ready to use. Have no doubt, the redneck folk DO have guns
loaded, in the car, and occasionally do threaten with them, or use them.

I do
think that the overall driver skill level is lower here - and I do see
a lot of really stupid accidents in NC (like totally avoidable by
anyone on the ball). One thing I find highly amusing is that, whenever
a few snowflakes fall in the winter, they close the schools and just
about averybody disappears.

Let me tell you why that is.

I also used to drive school bus, as a substitute driver. There are a lot of
gravel roads in the mountain, that never get sunshine on them, because they
are cut out of the side of a steep hill. Any snow sticks on them very
quickly. Most often, they are slanted for easy drainage, towards the
outside of the corner, to a drop-off. At the edge of the road, there is
almost always no shoulder, and a hundred foot (or more) drop-off, with NO
guard-rail. None. Put some very wet snow on this road, drive on it to pack
it down, get colder because the cold front just came through that brought
this snow, and what do you have? ICE! A sheet of it, and since it is on
the north side of the hill, the sun isn't going to melt it!

How many school busses (or young unexperienced drivers) do you think the
superentendent of the school would accept going off the embankment? Zero is
the correct answer, of course.

Also, the snow is different, where I live in NC. I grew up on the shores of
Lake Erie, so snow was no stranger to me, into my mid 20's. 3 to 6 inches,
no problem. Usually kind of dry, fair traction. Temp, far enough below
freezing, that it has a fairly low moisture content, usually.

Here, the snow usually follows freezing rain, and falling temperatures. You
end up with a quarter inch of ice, then some snow on top, for good measure.

I got stopped at a stop sign on a hill, with a very slight incline. VERY
slight, perhaps 1 inch to the foot. I almost could not get going again,
even knowing how to drive on the snow. That was after I was here about 3 or
4 years. I went home that day, knowing that the snow IS (or CAN be)
different, here. Once again, the school transportation people need to
consider that this snow *might* be the snow event that is one of these
special "slippery as snot" snows.

Do the drivers in the south take their caution too far? Without a doubt.
The penalty for being wrong may be severe. Also, you have to consider that
the biggest risk is not *you* getting stuck, but some other yahoo driving
like an idiot sliding into you. Lots of people just stay home. It will be
gone later in the day, or usually the next day, but at the most 3 days, so
there is no need to be impatient and get out on the battlefield. Besides,
you allready went to the store to get bread and milk, so what else do you
need? g (That is really true. The shelves empty at the first prediction
of snow. God help you, if you really were going to be out of bread or
milk!)

I had a direct comparison recently - spent a few days in the LA basin
on business. It was definitely life in the fast lane again (complete
with road rage encounters).

The larger cities have some road rage, but less than other region's big
cities. You have to be more careful in the smaller cities, 'cuz that is
where the rednecks are going to be hanging out. They attitude is, "it ain't
nothin' for me to whip a man's a^s, or shoot his a^s." Really.

So remember everyone; take it easy out there. Remember, life is too fast,
to worry about going fast "all" of the time! Slow down and enjoy!
--
Jim in NC