Monday, July 09, 2007
Why aren't you using a blinker?!
Recently a co-worker was complaining that Utah drivers never use their blinkers. I decided to find out if she was right by actually counting blinkers and non-blinkers to and from work. Here's my little theory.
My co-worker argued that Utah drivers didn't use their blinkers. I asked her what that actually meant? She said that 80% of her rides to and from were plagued by non-blinkering drivers. Now she probably didn't really think that 80% of the time drivers weren't using their blinkers, but she was certainly suggesting that the majority of the time they weren't being used. I figured this was a common case of I'm-not-from-here exaggeration.
Haven't heard of I'm-not-from-here exaggeration? Well I believe we all have it sometimes. Let me give you an example. I'm from Utah. While visiting Californina on vacation I started saying hello to people as I walked by them on the street. I noticed that few people responded to me. So what thought came to me? People in California aren't friendly. What was the underlying implication: People in California aren't as friendly as the people in Utah.
So where is the exaggeration? When I was in Utah I rarely walked around the street noticing whether or not people said hi to me. I was comparing my Californina street walking experience to a presumed experience. I bet if I actually did a saying hello study in both places I would find pretty similar results.
I think when we're in a place that we don't consider our home town we find things to point out as different from our home. Usually we love our home towns so we look for things that validate our feelings that our home towns are wonderful. For instance "people here don't know how to drive" implying that people in our home town do.
Anyway enough of that. Now to what my completely scientific and unbiased sample results were.
Blinkers - 93
Non blinkers - 17
Rate of non blinkers: 15%
I counted on four or five other occassions in different areas at different times. The results were pretty similar; however, one time the rate of non blinkers did reach 25%. Conclusion: the vast majority of drivers use their blinkers. How this compares to other areas around the country? I don't know, but I expect it's pretty similar to the area my co-worker is from.
Am I off my rocker with this I'm-not-from-here exaggerating theory?
Recently a co-worker was complaining that Utah drivers never use their blinkers. I decided to find out if she was right by actually counting blinkers and non-blinkers to and from work. Here's my little theory.
My co-worker argued that Utah drivers didn't use their blinkers. I asked her what that actually meant? She said that 80% of her rides to and from were plagued by non-blinkering drivers. Now she probably didn't really think that 80% of the time drivers weren't using their blinkers, but she was certainly suggesting that the majority of the time they weren't being used. I figured this was a common case of I'm-not-from-here exaggeration.
Haven't heard of I'm-not-from-here exaggeration? Well I believe we all have it sometimes. Let me give you an example. I'm from Utah. While visiting Californina on vacation I started saying hello to people as I walked by them on the street. I noticed that few people responded to me. So what thought came to me? People in California aren't friendly. What was the underlying implication: People in California aren't as friendly as the people in Utah.
So where is the exaggeration? When I was in Utah I rarely walked around the street noticing whether or not people said hi to me. I was comparing my Californina street walking experience to a presumed experience. I bet if I actually did a saying hello study in both places I would find pretty similar results.
I think when we're in a place that we don't consider our home town we find things to point out as different from our home. Usually we love our home towns so we look for things that validate our feelings that our home towns are wonderful. For instance "people here don't know how to drive" implying that people in our home town do.
Anyway enough of that. Now to what my completely scientific and unbiased sample results were.
Blinkers - 93
Non blinkers - 17
Rate of non blinkers: 15%
I counted on four or five other occassions in different areas at different times. The results were pretty similar; however, one time the rate of non blinkers did reach 25%. Conclusion: the vast majority of drivers use their blinkers. How this compares to other areas around the country? I don't know, but I expect it's pretty similar to the area my co-worker is from.
Am I off my rocker with this I'm-not-from-here exaggerating theory?
# posted by Ryan : 12:18 PM
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That's very interesting. I hardly ever see people not using their blinkers, and if they don't, it's very rare that it has any sort of effect on me, so I don't really care much.
On the other hand, I do find it quite frustrating that nobody (read: a very small percentage) uses their blinkers in roundabouts.
A matter a "Utah drivers suck?" Well, I nearly got side-swiped in a roundabout by a girl who apparently misread the "Yield" sign as a "Go" sign. Her plates? California.
I like your "not-from-here" theory. I always like to tell complainers-about-how-much-Utah-sucks to leave the state. If it really sucks that bad here, pack up and leave.
My theory? Utah drivers aren't any worse than anyplace else. We just disobey different rules than those in other states. So out-of-staters who are accustomed more to people running red lights and turning right from the left-hand lane get mad about the 1-in-6 people committing the horribly dangerous sin of not using their blinkers.
On the other hand, I do find it quite frustrating that nobody (read: a very small percentage) uses their blinkers in roundabouts.
A matter a "Utah drivers suck?" Well, I nearly got side-swiped in a roundabout by a girl who apparently misread the "Yield" sign as a "Go" sign. Her plates? California.
I like your "not-from-here" theory. I always like to tell complainers-about-how-much-Utah-sucks to leave the state. If it really sucks that bad here, pack up and leave.
My theory? Utah drivers aren't any worse than anyplace else. We just disobey different rules than those in other states. So out-of-staters who are accustomed more to people running red lights and turning right from the left-hand lane get mad about the 1-in-6 people committing the horribly dangerous sin of not using their blinkers.
# posted by 
: 1:35 PM
: 1:35 PM
I think you make a good point, it's the theory of you'll see what you expect to see wherever you go. I've lived in a lot of different places I have to say that in my experience some Utah drivers are aggressive and careless; some Arizona drivers are scary and stupid or just plain too old to be driving; most Florida drivers are FAST and impatient; too many Kentucky drivers don't pull over for ambulances and spit tobacco on the road; Texas drivers don't brake for wildlife; and Ohio drivers are by far and large the most courteous I've experienced.
Wow Leah! You have definitely been around.
It's good to have that kind of diversity. I wonder sometimes if we wouldn't all benefit and become better drivers if we had that kind of experience.
Sadly, my out-of-Utah driving experience is limited to Idaho, the San Diego area, and Las Vegas (navigating "the strip" is quite an art!)
It's good to have that kind of diversity. I wonder sometimes if we wouldn't all benefit and become better drivers if we had that kind of experience.
Sadly, my out-of-Utah driving experience is limited to Idaho, the San Diego area, and Las Vegas (navigating "the strip" is quite an art!)
# posted by : 11:06 AM
: 11:06 AM
http://webcenters.netscape.compuserve.com/homerealestate/package.jsp?name=fte/rudedrivers/rudedrivers
Please notice that the Seattle/Tacoma, Washington area is the 3rd most courteous city when it comes to driving.
Just had to brag. :)
Please notice that the Seattle/Tacoma, Washington area is the 3rd most courteous city when it comes to driving.
Just had to brag. :)
Thank you, Em. And did you notice that Portland is #1 for most courteous? Buck, I hate to break it to you, but I read a study about best and worst drivers in the country. The 2 best places, in order, were Oregon, and Washington. Number 49 was Utah. It is not just in our "I'm out of town" heads. When I moved to Denver from Utah, I noticed a huge difference in the driving. No "Utah road blocks" here. People are noticeably better drivers in Denver, though they are still not as good as in Portland. Driving in Utah just made me frustrated and agitated, but I don’t really get frustrated here (and I’m not even from here).
"Long Poster" Stu has something to say (yeah, I guess I need to find myself a hobby):
Study schmudy. This study found that Utah was 20th best.
This guy says that drivers in the west are great (and that Utah is the state with the 2nd most beautiful women... maybe Utah drivers are too busy gawking at all the hot chicks?)
This list doesn't even have any Utah cities in the 51 worst cities (based on number of accidents).
I could undoubtedly list several studies that contradict the above.
There are just way too many variables. What even constitutes a "good" driver?
From a personal standpoint, it's strictly pinion. I have a friend who can't stand the fact that people follow the rules too closely in Utah (which I found to be a surprise, since my experience is that there is a lot of ignorance of the rules of the road in Utah, and following the rules is something that I consider to be a hallmark of a good driver (most drivers I know are lucky to know even two right-of-way rules)).
I tend to think that if everybody drives the way you expect, they are the best drivers in the world. If everybody follows the rules and you have a tendency to break them, then you're surrounded by the worst drivers in the world.
Being a frustrated driver in any given place just means that people aren't driving the way that you expect. Maybe it's just because I've lived most of my life here, but my only frustration has been the increase in the number of drivers over the last couple of decades (oh yeah, and that whole not-following-the-rules thing), which I think makes bad drivers worse.
Many Utah drivers aren't accustomed to these levels of traffic, and it makes them frustrated, which makes them drive poorly, which in turn makes other drivers more frustrated, and so on.
So do I think Utah drivers suck? I sure do. But I also think drivers everywhere suck just as bad, but in different ways. We're all crappy drivers to somebody.
Study schmudy. This study found that Utah was 20th best.
This guy says that drivers in the west are great (and that Utah is the state with the 2nd most beautiful women... maybe Utah drivers are too busy gawking at all the hot chicks?)
This list doesn't even have any Utah cities in the 51 worst cities (based on number of accidents).
I could undoubtedly list several studies that contradict the above.
There are just way too many variables. What even constitutes a "good" driver?
From a personal standpoint, it's strictly pinion. I have a friend who can't stand the fact that people follow the rules too closely in Utah (which I found to be a surprise, since my experience is that there is a lot of ignorance of the rules of the road in Utah, and following the rules is something that I consider to be a hallmark of a good driver (most drivers I know are lucky to know even two right-of-way rules)).
I tend to think that if everybody drives the way you expect, they are the best drivers in the world. If everybody follows the rules and you have a tendency to break them, then you're surrounded by the worst drivers in the world.
Being a frustrated driver in any given place just means that people aren't driving the way that you expect. Maybe it's just because I've lived most of my life here, but my only frustration has been the increase in the number of drivers over the last couple of decades (oh yeah, and that whole not-following-the-rules thing), which I think makes bad drivers worse.
Many Utah drivers aren't accustomed to these levels of traffic, and it makes them frustrated, which makes them drive poorly, which in turn makes other drivers more frustrated, and so on.
So do I think Utah drivers suck? I sure do. But I also think drivers everywhere suck just as bad, but in different ways. We're all crappy drivers to somebody.
# posted by : 11:37 AM
: 11:37 AM
I guess Em's comment validates my theory? No?
And Kimberly the point isn't that Utah drivers aren't bad, just that when we are from a different place we tend to hold things to differnet standards than we would our own towns.
We all want to believe that we don't and that we are completely logical, but the truth is we are very illogical. Don't believe me? Read the Introduction to The Dilbert Principle.
And Kimberly the point isn't that Utah drivers aren't bad, just that when we are from a different place we tend to hold things to differnet standards than we would our own towns.
We all want to believe that we don't and that we are completely logical, but the truth is we are very illogical. Don't believe me? Read the Introduction to The Dilbert Principle.
I think your theory is spot on. I took a trip to manhattan earlier this summer and had to drive in the city just for a little while. That was quite possibly one of the scariest experiences of my life. Yet my brother who lived in New York for several years said he always enjoyed driving into the city and loved the way that New Yorkers drive. It's all subjective. My brother loved living in New York and tried to find every excuse he could to point out why it was great.
She dragged her chair nearer http://www.jouqoech.info/?search=Nitto his desk.. M----, to whom I was introduced at a dinner-party, begged me one day to examine his elder brother, who showed http://www.jouqoech.info/?search=bugisu+arabica+100 signs of mental trouble...
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