Do You Live In Car-Enthusiast Hell? Tell Me!

[CDailey]

Surprisingly, North Alabama isn't that bad. I live out in the middle of nowhere, but when it's time to visit one of the cities (Huntsville, Madison, Birmingham, though that's actually mid-Alabama...) I see all sorts of interesting cars. The small town of Ardmore has a large classic car (50s, early 60s mostly) population and seems to be some sort of gathering spot for them. For some bizarre reason.

Also, there are a large number of people who use even older cars as daily drivers. I never got into the stuff much older than the 60s so I couldn't ID many (or any) of them, but I know one woman used to daily drive some sort of '30s ford that looked as if it had come straight out of that old Bonnie and Clyde movie.

There's also a GT40 lurking around somewhere that I've seen a few times, the occasional Ferrari, and Jaguars and Boxsters of all years are a dime a dozen here, along with quite a few 924s and similar. Recently, I've begun seeing a few Aston Martins around, and that's always nice. I've seen Cobras and Caterhams as well, and pretty much any old guy with a hundred acres has a shed with a fairly rare old European car somewhere on his property. The older Japanese cars have a presence as well, though I don't recall seeing anything older than 1970.

As for the tuner crowd, the hatchback and Mustangs from the 80s seem incredibly popular, and probably have the most visible mods of any particular car type that I've noticed thus far, though the Saturn SC2 seems popular as well; I'll let you guess why ;p Then you have the '90s caprice rolling on 30s crowd; they're all over the place too. Of course we have the raised, loud pickup trucks too; it's the south, some people feel they're obligated

All of this, and we have one drag strip that I know of.

Then again, we've got South Tennessee, one of the hilliest, twistiest places you'll find for hundreds of miles.

Basically, there's something for just about everyone except track enthusiasts in North Alabama. According to an article I saw recently, we also have one of the highest speeding averages in the country, probably due to the long straight stretches of nicely deserted interstate. Speed on the normal highways though, and you'll be in trouble.

As for driving skill? Well...it's hit or miss. As far as I'm concerned, Huntsville has some of the worst drivers I've ever seen. Bumper to bumper at high speeds, darting in and out of traffic without signals, people revving up high and darting forward only to slam on their brakes to avoid smashing into the car in front of them...I've been to Atlanta and Birmingham and all the way to New Mexico, and Huntsville was the worst I've come across ;p Not that all of them are that bad, of course.

Hello neighbor! I'll echo all of that ^, though I can't vouch for seeing any cool cars as I live in Decatur, part of the metro area of Huntsville. I did see two GTRs within 15 minutes of each other in Huntsville though if that means anything. There are a fair few Terminator Cobras running around town too.

As far as bad drivers, Decatur drivers suck. In town, it's regular to be doing 30mph in a 45mph zone. It's quite annoying. Then there's the people who ride your bumper when you're already doing 5mph over, but I'm sure those people are everywhere. I rarely ever see anyone use their turn signals either. It's not uncommon to be sitting at a stop sign, waiting to turn because there is a car coming, but then they all of a sudden turn. I guess they are too lazy to flip the damn turn signal stalk a second or two before they turn.

In Decatur, police presence is practically nil. I rarely ever see police on the road. Normally, when a cop tries to catch speeders, they generally try to hide off to the side of the road. Not here. They park in the median of one of the busiest intersections in town, or on the shoulder of the main drag and pick people off. Drivers are so stupid here that they don't even notice the giant white car with stickers and lights sitting in the middle of the road.

 

[Kylehnat]

I live in Woodinville. Here, I've got soccer moms, old people, ricers, rednecks and morons. Everyone drives terrible, my brother's been cut off too many times to count, and everyone drives too slow.

I grew up in Woodinville. While the pace can be described as leisurely at best, you might just get stuck behind a Ferrari. And that ain't all bad .

everyone has honda accords or mazda 3 or 6's.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with Mazda3's!

Er... the 370Z is a hatchback.

Then so is an F430 . Why did they put the engine in the trunk, anyway? Morons.

 

[astrosdude91]

Move here. Several shows, several cars, good city, better driving roads.

I'd agree with moving to a major city in Texas. I'll naturally preach Houston, car shows every weekend all around the city. The west side is litered with exotics. As far as roads go though, Houston doesn't offer much. The land is flat, so all the roads go straight, and the speed limits are slow. Though we do have a fantastic car scene! Houston or at least Texas chapters for about every major car club in the country! And there are some decent tracks around town, but they're all pretty far outside the city limits. There is a pretty big street racing scene, and not just ricers either. I'll see alot of people racing with modded Mustang Cobras, Z28's, Camaro SS'es, even a good amout of C5's and even a few RT/10's! Plus there is a club of NSX's that race round town! If you want good driving roads, I would recommend the Hills around western Austin. Great driving roads arounds the lakes, though I wouldn't know seeing as how I drive 2 trucks and sometimes a muscle car, so nothing exactly sporty to test those roads out with.

But look on the bright side of your situation, Washington state has very beautiful scenery!

 

[YSSMAN]

wow, suprised to see grand rapids, MI on here... Im not into the car scene much. (I drive just a boring sliverado). but I do get a laugh when I drive by the best buy after hours and see a much of cars parked with their neon lights on, and people just standing around. Some people may be into that, but I dont get it.

I've never understood why it was so cool to hang out in the Big Lots parking lot up there on Plainfield. I used to live on the Northeast side of town (now on the Southeast), and that used to drive me crazy. Buuut, the guys up there... They love those early/mid '90s performance cars. I like that. Its always nice going to see my Dad and coming across some awesome old American and Japanese cars up there.

 

[Bones Brigade]

No. Tacoma has it's fair share of high end cars and enthusiast driven autos. However, it comes at a price. Tacoma is the forever transitioning city. The younguns see it as a bigger, less weird Olympia, or maybe even a less quirky version of hipster ridden Capital Hill in Seattle. It's also home to million dollar condos and waterfront property blocks away from notorious gang spots of the past. It's almost like a small Portland.

Within a mile radius, I know of two GTR owners, a Quattroporte, two V8 Vantages, so many M cars and Porsches I don't notice anymore, a ZR1, and 4 (including mine) S60/V70Rs. Not to mention the endless parade of Subarus (it is the NW) with some sort of exhaust modification.

So whats the price? I recently gave the ZR1 owner a thumbs up. He flipped me off. The R's? Baby wagons. Most of the cars are status symbols - With the exception of the Roos and one of the GTR's. There isn't a middle ground either. There are hardly any cheap (cheaper) enthusiast cars. There are beaters everywhere. And most anything between 20 - 50k is boring transportation. It's either status for the rich, or few and far between.

Cops aren't bad. People say they are, but I haven't noticed. Roads are terrible. Potholes. Everywhere. The hillside roads that would offer the most fun are full of them. Or the curves are too blind to drive briskly without fearing your life. But overall, there is at least cool stuff to look at, a few enthusiasts, and one or two interesting drives.

 

[Cano]

Very interesting thread. It's difficult to belive there are Europe and US sections that are actually worse than here.

Of course, this place isn't a hot spot but it ain't that bad. first, the good:

Old cars everywhere. This depends on wheter or not you like them, but man I love how I can walk around a corner and find a Maserati Mexico parked in front of a house, or a 1960 Dodge hardtop wagon lying abandoned under a tree. If there is something I really like about this place, it's that.

Sprouting fast car scene. 5 years ago a 12-second car was a big deal. Today there are a handful of 10-9 second street cars and more are being built. Also, track racing has grwon tremendously in the past 5 years thanks to the availability of nearby tracks for cheap prices and many clubs (specially turbo VWs, Chryslers and one Mustang club) that organize such stuff in almost a monthly basis. Heck, even the Hermanos Rodriguez has lowered it's fees, and even the exotic car guys take their cars to stretch their legs, and another more or less nearby track has just opened. 6 years ago public track days didn't exist almost at all. The center of the country has become the only spot for hardcore track racing I know of (and a small part over the north frontier, where they track AND drift), because everywhere else its just drag racing... if any racing.

about the driving habits, every one here drives like a madman, I've heard an alarming number of people say that if you can drive safely in Mexico City, every other part of the world will seem like a piece of cake. I concur. Police is so corrupt you just hand them 10 bucks and get off again, laying rubber in front of them if you want. so, if you like to drive fast, you can really step on it in here... negative? yes. positive? it depends (:

Car shows: One almost every weekend, and if not in the city, in a city nearby. Be it classics, ricers, ricers with classics, you name it, there are very good and pretty miserable car shows and local gatherings everywhere, you just need to know where to look for them. working in a car mag helps (: Also, a growing street racing scene spices it up a bit.

the bad things:

The bit I mentioned about the corrupt police can also be a kick in the ass. some of those guys are so *****d they'll jail you for telling them "no" or something like that.

Our streets have to be some of the worse in the entire planet. You can tell whe you're changing city zones by how many potholes you fall in.

Violence and insecurity. Have a nice car? hide it. And hide your name. And do not roll around with license plates. And get some bodyguards least you get kidnapped and probably killed. It has happened.

Horrible economy. You see how we are so close to the US you can smeel the burgers and apple pie? well, due to our dying economy, people can't buy car parts and make their cars go fast. ANYTHING you want to do to a car with parts brought in from the US will cost you three or four times the ammount you'd pay for it everywhere else. Let alone Euro or Japan-spec stuff. That's for nutcases with pillows made of dollars.

Also, absolutely horrible mechanics and speed shops. Got damn I know TWO shops in here in which I'd build an engine and expect it to last more than three years, and one of them is a two-hour drive away from here. There are hundreds of speed shops in the city, but most of them really, really suck. That has also stopped the hot rod scene to grow, because you get to a speed shop and tell the guy "so yeah I want a gasser" and he tells you "sure, in what episode of Overhaulin' did Foose made one?" It's freaking sickening.

So, as a place Mexico City isnt bad, and more and more people are getting in the scene. but mot of the time it's the same people, along with the conditions of thios god-forgotten country, that makes it so hard to pull off a hardcore car, and hence a hardcore car scene. But I can't complain, it could be way way WAY worse.

 

[chepu]

Cano, I guess we both suffer from Marginal Roads. The only good thing bout is that you learn to escape and recognize those Huge Potholes even at Night

 

[Glubags]

Then so is an F430 . Why did they put the engine in the trunk, anyway? Morons.

Why are you so opposed to your car being called a hatchback? That's what it is.

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2010-nissan-370z.htm
3rd sentence.

http://reviews.cnet.com/coupe-hatchback/2009-nissan-370z/4505-10867_7-33411344.html
URL, site map classification, page title, everything.

http://www.edmunds.com/flipper/do/MediaNav/styleId=101134620/firstNav=Gallery
Look at the bottom of the captions for all exterior photos.
"2009 Nissan 370Z Touring Hatchback"
Are you going to tell me Edmunds is wrong?

http://www.newcars.com/nissan/370z/
1st sentence.


I could go on and on ad nauseum. Your car is a hatchback. Nothing is wrong with that. Z cars have been hatchbacks for a LONG time now.

 

[McLaren]

I'd agree with moving to a major city in Texas. I'll naturally preach Houston, car shows every weekend all around the city. The west side is litered with exotics. As far as roads go though, Houston doesn't offer much. The land is flat, so all the roads go straight, and the speed limits are slow. Though we do have a fantastic car scene! Houston or at least Texas chapters for about every major car club in the country! And there are some decent tracks around town, but they're all pretty far outside the city limits. There is a pretty big street racing scene, and not just ricers either. I'll see alot of people racing with modded Mustang Cobras, Z28's, Camaro SS'es, even a good amout of C5's and even a few RT/10's! Plus there is a club of NSX's that race round town! If you want good driving roads, I would recommend the Hills around western Austin. Great driving roads arounds the lakes, though I wouldn't know seeing as how I drive 2 trucks and sometimes a muscle car, so nothing exactly sporty to test those roads out with.

But look on the bright side of your situation, Washington state has very beautiful scenery!

The only thing I hate about Houston are your roads; they suck balls for lowered cars.

Everything else is great. Only city in the US that really gives Dallas' night scene runs for their money. 👍

 

[astrosdude91]

Your car is a hatchback. Nothing is wrong with that. Z cars have been hatchbacks for a LONG time now.

When I think of Hatchbacks, things like the Ford Focus, or Audi S3 come to mind. I think that might be what he was thinking.

 

[Rykon Zero]

I grew up in Woodinville. While the pace can be described as leisurely at best, you might just get stuck behind a Ferrari. And that ain't all bad .

That does remind me, there is that black F430 around here too. The owner I saw once getting plumbing equipment.

Wait. You grew up around here? When'd you leave?

 

[TrievelA7X]

The police are going to vary depending on where you are, but generally speaking, the ones in Allegan County are mega douchebags about stuff that would easily be passed on here in Kent County. As far as decent driving roads go, well, you're in the wrong part of West Michigan to see anything cool. If you stick to the areas near the rivers in Kent and Ionia county, there are some interesting places to run. Head waaaay up north, things get twisty as well. Otherwise, when the entire state is built on the grid patter regardless of the natural things that were in the way... Yeah, "twisties" aren't too common.




RE: Car Hell

I'd vote "NO" on that here in Grand Rapids, MI. After all, Michigan is the car state (well, besides California), so there is going to be halfway decent stuff no matter where you are. Mostly. We have this issue of liking American cars, so if you're into that, then by-golly we've got your bases covered. Looking more for European exotics and other specialties? Unless you're in Detroit or the more wealthy areas of Grand Rapids, you aren't going to see much.

One oddity around here, though, is the obscene number of special edition vehicles. Or cars that are so stupidly rare, that only a handful of people know about them. This is probably the only place in America where GM was actually able to sell Cadillac Allantes, where Ford had pushed the Merkurs out to a decent number of people, and the only place where there are enough gearheads to keep the old Dodge Daytona Turbos alive. Want a rare European or Japanese car? Unless it had a VW badge on the hood, it didn't exist. We do 'Murican and Dubya junk, son.

Generally speaking, people drive pretty well in Michigan. The only time we ever have a real hiccup is when people from Ohio (the worst) and Indiana (second worst) decide to venture into our territory and do the speed limit (gasp!) in the left lane. But, Michigan people are all car-crazy anyway. So we're going 90,000 MPH wherever we can, regardless of the weather, no matter what kind of vehicle we may be driving. Those that aren't exactly enthusiasts are likely just as ignorant as the people in most other places, perhaps with the one exception that I trust them to know how to drive (for the most part) properly.

Never heard of it...
Never heard of it...
Owned one
they're not uncommon in the central PA region, I hear they're not awful when they run proper.

Anywho, I consider where I'm at somewhat a "car hell" but not for lack of nice cars and bikes, more for the incredible difficulty in actually getting spirited driving out of anybody.
That would be Minersville Pennsylvania.

 

[Sniffs]

Trievel: FINALLY, someone from my part of the state! i take it your Johnstown/Altoona, or State College?

Allante; a Cavalier with a caddy badge on it, if I remember right
Merkur; EDM Fords rebadged for the US to dodge copyright issues by GM

will the apparent south-east asian please report his Country as well?

we've got mostly hills that force downshifts, "farmer's turns" (90 degree rights or lefts), dips so deep you expect your brakes to fail, and usually, all three of these are COMBINED. we may not have European style hairpin switchbacks, but we've got some nasty downhill bits. throw in the fact that any non-named highway around here consists of bouncy lumps on long down hills with the above described...

as for the vehicles, well, this is basically truck country. old Silverados, F supers, and more Peterbilt haulers and loggers than you can shake a tire iron at. old people are sparse, but there the ones who almost inevitably drive the Dodge Ram's around here . there are a few guys (mostly in F's) that crawl everywhere in their trucks because they never haul anything, and their beds bounce more than a pair of DD's
the closest we have to tuners is the occasional guy that blows by with "boomboomTHUMP" speakers.

 

[Kryz11]

I live in a driving-enthusiast's Hell. It's taken me three years to fully realize this, but it's happened, and it makes me depressed. I think I was just in denial, but yesterday it hit me: Olympia is a black hole for car enthusiasts. In fact, it may be the least driving-friendly place in the United States. Why? Here we go...

1)Wusses. I'd like to use a stronger word there, but this is a family site. Olympia drivers make Seattle drivers look like Los Angeles drivers. If you've never been to any of these cities, just know this: what I just said is a massive insult to the folks of Los Angeles. Defensive driving was meant to keep timid drivers out of trouble, but Olympians take this to a very dangerous and annoying limit. The speed limit is viewed as a forbidden land where only the brave dare to tread. Some of this is due to reason #2...

2)Cops. The State Patrol is headquartered here, and they make their presence known. Using the 5-over rule is dangerous, because everyone else is driving 5-under, and 63 in a 60-zone is a ticketable offense. Crime here is minor and infrequent, so the city cops of Olympia, Tumwater, and Lacey join in the speeding-ticket fun. Ever seen a 3-lane, one-way thoroughfare with a 25 mph speed limit? It's in Olympia, and it's enforced.

3)Priuses. Lots of Priuses...and lots of people who think that a Prius is the only car that anyone should ever buy. The Prius will save the earth, you know. The commercial told me so, and why would Toyota's marketing department lie?

4)Beaters. Lots of beaters. Olympia is home to the kinds of people who will spend $4000 to replace the transmission in their 1983 Dodge Aries...twice.

5)No Good Cars. People here consider a brand-spankin'-new Hyundai Accent a luxury car. I'm not kidding. It's rare to see anything more grand than a BMW 3-Series or Mercedes C-Class, and even those are an infrequent spot. I saw a new Aston Martin DB9 recently, but it immediately turned onto the freeway and headed back towards Seattle. Clearly not a resident.

6)No Car Scene. There aren't enough people here who enjoy cars to form clubs. I tag along with a Mazda club based in the Seattle area, an hour away.

7)Car Un-Enthusiasts. While sitting in the Nissan service department, a fellow patron saw my car outside, and commented that it was ugly and impractical. Thank you, sir. Your wife is a fat, ugly, bucktoothed slut. Another person called it a hatchback. I rest my case.

The only saving grace to this quagmire of automotive disdain is that there are several twisty, deserted, unpatrolled roads that serve as playgrounds to the very few car and bike enthusiasts here who actually like to have fun behind the wheel. Other than that, this place is a car 🤬-hole.

Think your city is worse? Prove it ! Let me know that I am not alone in my misery!

Why not just move? I feel bad for the people that live in New Jersey, horrible drivers, and taxes on everything there is too high, especially owning a house.. I live in Philadelphia, I think here its a heaven to drive. When you turn on the turn singals, most people will actually let you in, you can always tell if a bad driver drives by, he always has NJ licence plate. Philly is great to drive, especially on highways, you just fallow the traffic which is always about 10-15 miles per hour faster over the speed limit. As long you go with the flow, you won't get a ticket here! 👍 Not to mention we don't get the traffic like it is in New York City, now NYC drivers are some horrible drivers.

Cars here range from the cheap Toyota Yaris to most expensive V12 S class, Philly neighbors to the rich cities so you also spot Lambos, Ferrari and other high end cars. Sure maybe not as many as in Claifornia, but good enough for eye candy!

Not to forget, Kelly Dr. it's famous for the bicicle race every year, but whenver we have rush hour, or just for fun, taking that twisty road is super fun, as well nice view of the river. We have lots of roads like these.

 

[Jim Prower]

Central Illinois evaluation

1: Those whom surround me: Like Michigan, the old-car scene's strong. However, unlike Michigan, it's not mean, or anything like that. Most guys are nice, willing to talk cars and the like, though if you start branching into Japanese talk they kinda smile and nod. (Oddly enough, European's not completely lost on them.) Most of the guys are drivers, not concours winners, and if you take an interest in their stuff (Independents are reasonably strong 'round here, as are non-mainstream brands like De Soto and Lincoln) they're more than happy to talk with you. There's also a rodding scene, though the classic guys tend to poke the rod guys in the ribs about it. There's always some ribbing, but it's all in good spirit, not the militant attitudes that some people are seeming to convey.

There comes a problem, though, when you get into younger enthusiasts. Unlike the...reasonably...open-minded populace of the forum, people around here are FIRMLY either "import," "Truck," or "Muscle" guys, since no-one around here is rich enough to be a "Euro" guy. This, unfortunately, means there's a ton of jerks with either mid-90s Camaros and Mustangs, Eclipses, 240s, and Civics (the former of which are built in this area,) or 1/2 - 3/4 ton pickups either raised or lowered, with either powerboat duals or trucker stacks. The pickup guys (mostly factory workers) by far and away outnumber everyone else, and they're not afraid to tailgate, mash the gas, or otherwise be *insert colorful term here.* Not that I mind pickup trucks, but these guys give them a bad name. Especially GM trucks.

However, the majority of people that tick me off are women in near-lux SUVs, and white-collar business people in their new Japanese or European near-lux car. They must be the first one anywhere. People driving BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes cars tend to be pricks, too, though there are a few who seem to know what they're doing. There are a few Exotics locally, though, when I see them, I usually think, "What a snob," even though they're usually pretty respectful. (Personal problem, I know.) However, the Lotus Esprit that lives locally: Awesome. It's mostly Corvettes, Boxsters and Cayennes, though. The Boxster guys are okay, but watch out for those SUVs...

We DO have a dealership in the middle of a cornfield that sells and services Vipers, though. Kinda weird, huh? From time to time, you'll see one of the Mopar brawlers motoring around.

Prius drivers are around, but they're not the militant Liberal sort. Usually. There are also the hip-hop drivahs, with their ridicuwheels on everything from Civics to Escalades, but you usually have to get into the City of Peoria to see them.

There's also an avid Cycling group around (likely fueled by the world-class bike shop by Brother works for) but they're usually respectful if they're an athletic cyclist. There's always plenty of room to pass. The one you have to worry about is the 14-year-old kid riding down the middle of the street on his BMX bike like he's some sort of badass. And his skater-dude friends.

As for Motorcycles...Either Harley/chopper, Gold Wing, or Crotch-rocket. The only one you have to watch out for is the Crotch Rocket. Usually teens, early 20s, no helmet (!none required by Illinois law!) with bash guards and the like, loud exhaust, and there's at least one locally who's installed a pinkish-red headlight, which is illegal. Harleys are just noisy, the guys usually know how to ride and know what they're doing, even if they're in way too much of a rush. Gold Wing riders are old folks who are a bit more adventurous, so there's no harm in them, either.

2. The roads and Driving Habits: Moderate speeding (+5,10...sometimes 15 on the interstate, which my car hates...) is the norm, especially on the interstate and on any major thoroughfare during Rush Hours and weekends. Tailgating's an epidemic, though, and that speeding thing goes away on off-peak hours. The police are ruthless. They'll get you for anything they feel like. This is because our cheap state won't fund them properly, (Except in Chicagoland,) and they feel they need to take the bite out of someone's wallet. Top Tip: Don't speed through Metamora, IL.

Most roads are arrow straight, slightly hilly, and boring as heck. However, get into the Illinois River Valley, and you'll find a few wonderful little short stretches of tarmac. These are typically poorly maintained, though, AND, to top it all off, you can't go too fast because people live on them and travel them, too, and there's railroad tracks all over the place, too. A good road maintained by the Peoria Park District is "Grand View Drive," (proclaimed to be the "World's Most Beautiful Drive" by Teddy Roosevelt,) a road through a high-end neighborhood, so noisemaking's out of the question, but it's kind of fun to wind along at a relaxed pace...or take curves at exactly the speed limit and not that speed that yellow sign just told you to do. (Good way to get some tailgater breathing room, but they're usually right back on your ass about 500 feet after the exit.)

The nearest racetrack is a 1/4 dirt oval, the next nearest a reasonably famous motorcycle flattrack club, and the nearest big facility is Chicagoland in Joliet, and it's either an Oval or Dragstrip. There's also some limited-access country club type thing, but you have to go to Wisconsin to really find a world-class motorsports facility that doesn't go strictly left. That'd be Road America.

 

[Philly]

Allante; a Cavalier with a caddy badge on it, if I remember right

That was the Cimarron. Allantes are on the V body with the Buick Reatta. Nobody know that one either? I didn't until I came to Michigan. It's basically a pre-XLR on a FWD platform.

The place I would hate to live is Chicago. All their roads are awful. Traffic was pretty bad. Tolls suck. The cops are everywhere. Sure, there are probably plenty of people who love to talk cars, but I find it hard to imagine that driving there can be very fun.

 

[Jim Prower]

That was the Cimarron. Allantes are on the V body with the Buick Reatta. Nobody know that one either? I didn't until I came to Michigan. It's basically a pre-XLR on a FWD platform.

The place I would hate to live is Chicago. All their roads are awful. Traffic was pretty bad. Tolls suck. The cops are everywhere. Sure, there are probably plenty of people who love to talk cars, but I find it hard to imagine that driving there can be very fun.

Oh...oh, oh, OH! Don't even START me on upstate. Rule: wait for two cars after the light goes green before starting. There's always someone who will run the Red.

Every driver in Chicago thinks they're the only one on the road. We once got sideswiped in a charter bus on a school trip by a guy who tried to zip in front of us in a Caddy. Nice, new one, too, on the end of Chicago with all the museums. No damage to the Bus, but he tore his rear bumper cap off.

 

[Joey D]

This sums up Illinois drivers:

I took a picture of that while at a train station outside of Chicago. It sort of seems like a public service campaign that shouldn't need to be done.

 

[Jim Prower]

Don't paint us all like that, Joey. That's only up in that Northeast Corner. I know Chicago may seem impassible, but we're not as bad once you punch through and get down here...

Try going around. that may help...

 

[Skilly]

I live in chicago and dig it. the tolls are terrible, but if you just want to find a good area to drive, you can do it. You just need to be extremely selective.

 

[Zenith]

California. Need I say more?

Cars:
-Suspicious looking vans parked near elementary schools

-Ricers with black plastic rear light replacements and mufflers with more displacement than the engines they compliment. I'm talking BAD ricers, not even the ones who put a little pride into their "tuning" we've got scratched up cars missing front headlights, camber to the point where the wheel is better described as horizontal, and have enormous cracks in their unpainted body kits sitting next to me at the stop light (in my mustang) revving like they want to race. I've adopted a sign that I keep near the kick-panel that says "Your car sounds like a fart, and goes like one too" (I use it:tup
NOTE: I've also seen minivans with "alloy" hubcaps and fake side scoops

-Also an overpopulation of Cayennes, X5's, and Q7's.

-Admittedly there are a few good cars, a lamborghini diablo, a ferrari f430, and a littering of 80's classics (lots of bimmers..)

Traffic:
-Holy hell...
-datsuns clogging the middle lane going 25mph on a 45mph street
-aggressive SUV's
-lead-footed soccer moms

Cops:
-Nothing better to do, I swear.. Mountain View cops carry a shotgun and a fully fledged M4 in their Vics but for some reason find it necessary to use 3 cop cars with lights flashing to give a lady a speeding ticket on the way home from work.
-Good drivers themselves, no flashing the lights to get through a stop sign, but they do get a bit testy if you go faster than them on the freeway

-Roads:
-Laguna Seca isn't too far, and there are plenty secret ways if you want to get to the curvy stuff, too bad there's so much construction nowadays

 

[Kylehnat]

Wait. You grew up around here? When'd you leave?

2002.

Why not just move?

It's not a particularly good reason to quit my job. "Sorry, boss, I just don't like the car scene around here" .

 

[TheBigMan045]

Down heres pretty good, in summer mainly perfect weather for cruising then, never too far away from a show, good driving roads once you get out of the suburbs admittedly the cops are good and bad, Good being there is a 10kph tolerance over the limit, usually give warnings if you're acting a tool (i didnt know it was illegal to honk your horn past 7pm) but theres also the bad side thanks to so called boy racers thanks to the boy racer bill it is ILLEGAL to lose traction for a period of time (sustained loss of traction) and carries a 28 day impound penalty also ILLEGAL to go for a cruise in certain areas, not a race but a drive/cruise but its mainly enforced in the south island if your car has been charged 3 times with the "cruising" offence it gets crushed

Yes there are Ricers (sadly) with skanky hondas with exhausts that make the car sound as if a bumble bee has crawled into the exhaust and stayed there mazda astinas from the early 90s with stickers, hood scoop over sized rear wings etc but do have a large mix of tastes from Euro to Japanese to American Muscle (have a reclaim the city cruise thats pretty good) to Classics most of them get along but theres always the die hards

 

[TrievelA7X]

Trievel: FINALLY, someone from my part of the state! i take it your Johnstown/Altoona, or State College?

Allante; a Cavalier with a caddy badge on it, if I remember right
Merkur; EDM Fords rebadged for the US to dodge copyright issues by GM

will the apparent south-east asian please report his Country as well?

we've got mostly hills that force downshifts, "farmer's turns" (90 degree rights or lefts), dips so deep you expect your brakes to fail, and usually, all three of these are COMBINED. we may not have European style hairpin switchbacks, but we've got some nasty downhill bits. throw in the fact that any non-named highway around here consists of bouncy lumps on long down hills with the above described...

as for the vehicles, well, this is basically truck country. old Silverados, F supers, and more Peterbilt haulers and loggers than you can shake a tire iron at. old people are sparse, but there the ones who almost inevitably drive the Dodge Ram's around here . there are a few guys (mostly in F's) that crawl everywhere in their trucks because they never haul anything, and their beds bounce more than a pair of DD's
the closest we have to tuners is the occasional guy that blows by with "boomboomTHUMP" speakers.

Not to far away, but damn, you're really in the boonies, ain't?
I went up/over to state college to buy my bike a week and a half ago, it's about an hour and a half west(ish) of here though, gotta say, at least 322 was fantastic, not a lot for curves if you're under 100, but that's about what the pack of cars I found were doing. (not that I was)

No I can find good roads in any direction, nothing great, but not to bad, the problem is finding anyone that has the skill, balls, and car to do anything with, not to mention the ones with too much car. Nobody in an STI is gonna want to talk to you if they can't ditch you in a Buick.

 

[Sniffs]

Not to far away, but damn, you're really in the boonies, ain't?
I went up/over to state college to buy my bike a week and a half ago, it's about an hour and a half west(ish) of here though, gotta say, at least 322 was fantastic, not a lot for curves if you're under 100, but that's about what the pack of cars I found were doing. (not that I was)

No I can find good roads in any direction, nothing great, but not to bad, the problem is finding anyone that has the skill, balls, and car to do anything with, not to mention the ones with too much car. Nobody in an STI is gonna want to talk to you if they can't ditch you in a Buick.

okay, that screams Port Matilda, edging towards the harrisburg part.

you want some challenges, run 119, instead. especially in the winter above punxsy I think an EEP inducing drivers road might be 310. hope the europeans got torque for mile or more long hills. ditto for 28 between brookville and past new bethlehem.

 

[Barracuda]

I live in Florida, nuff said. It may be hot as hell, but definitely not car enthusiast hell.

Depending on the time of day and who's patrolling you can get away with a whole lotta stuff here. Daily I travel down the main highway/road 441 where you can completely get away with 55 in the 45s, and 65 in the 50s. Not that I drive fast, that's how fast the rest of the traffic is going as well. Also depending on the day you can see a bunch of different classic and exotic cars. There's one guy who goes to this taco joint my friend works at every day that has a Gallardo, Ariel Atom, Ford GT, and a bunch of other cars I can't remember. Hell I used to park my cuda next to a guy at the little car show I went to who has a Diablo, Porsche 356, and a Ferrari Daytona. As for classic American cars, I couldn't even begin to start.

I could show you a completely empty super long super straight road, a clay pit that could challenge even the most badass lifted trucks, and plenty of decently curvy roads off the beaten path where no cops would ever sit, and that is just in the general area.

The only problem we have here is old people and snowbirds. People from Michigan, Indiana, and New York are the absolute worst, SOOOOO SLOOOW It pains me how ridiculously slow they drive, stopping for a red light I had one guy slow down super fast and stop three car lengths away from the car in front of him. Depth perception, you shouldn't be driving without it. I also was going through a small 4 way where I didn't have to stop and some old lady in a Cadillac decided to pull out in front of me at the last second and proceed to go 20mph when I was going 40mph. I should have just hit her, It came close, I need a new Volvo and I completely had the right of way.

 

[TrievelA7X]

I live in Florida, nuff said. It may be hot as hell, but definitely not car enthusiast hell.

Depending on the time of day and who's patrolling you can get away with a whole lotta stuff here. Daily I travel down the main highway/road 441 where you can completely get away with 55 in the 45s, and 65 in the 50s. Not that I drive fast, that's how fast the rest of the traffic is going as well. Also depending on the day you can see a bunch of different classic and exotic cars. There's one guy who goes to this taco joint my friend works at every day that has a Gallardo, Ariel Atom, Ford GT, and a bunch of other cars I can't remember. Hell I used to park my cuda next to a guy at the little car show I went to who has a Diablo, Porsche 356, and a Ferrari Daytona. As for classic American cars, I couldn't even begin to start.

I could show you a completely empty super long super straight road, a clay pit that could challenge even the most badass lifted trucks, and plenty of decently curvy roads off the beaten path where no cops would ever sit, and that is just in the general area.

The only problem we have here is old people and snowbirds. People from Michigan, Indiana, and New York are the absolute worst, SOOOOO SLOOOW It pains me how ridiculously slow they drive, stopping for a red light I had one guy slow down super fast and stop three car lengths away from the car in front of him. Depth perception, you shouldn't be driving without it. I also was going through a small 4 way where I didn't have to stop and some old lady in a Cadillac decided to pull out in front of me at the last second and proceed to go 20mph when I was going 40mph. I should have just hit her, It came close, I need a new Volvo and I completely had the right of way.

Florida no fault.

So umm.. the car scene in Fl is GREAT if you don't ever want to turn other than an exact left or right hand 90 degree turn. And even then, if someone's trying to keep up, you'd better go slow, cause you'll ditch them all to quickly if you can actually turn your wheel, something FL born drivers know nothing about whatsoever.
And I do mean that 100% literally.
Florida drivers can NOT take corners to save their lives!
I remember once I came across a bend (slight bend) on a.... ummmm... racetrack down there, and this guy in an older (mid 90's) Accord was trying to keep up, as I cruised through at speed governor speed, he slowed to about 60, after the "corner" he speed back up to catch back up as best he could. hilarious.

okay, that screams Port Matilda, edging towards the harrisburg part.

you want some challenges, run 119, instead. especially in the winter above punxsy I think an EEP inducing drivers road might be 310. hope the europeans got torque for mile or more long hills. ditto for 28 between brookville and past new bethlehem.

Actually, it screams Minersville. it's listed under my name in the "location" section. And you're still to far west, lol. And south. I'm about 25 miles south of Hazleton, with most of my travel being southbound towards the Lebanon-Harrisburg region. Back roads without potholes are a dime a dozen down that way.

 

[Sniffs]

I got flustered and looked it up. at least your in a relativly flat spot.

we weren't defining "Central" PA the same, so it threw me off.

 

[Clark]

Birmingham is pretty good, I see a fair few Integra (DC2 and DC5) Type-R's and various BMW M's among the odd Ferrari and one Veyron. Add to that loads of tasteful hot hatches, there's even a guy near me who has an R26.R Fair amount of Porsches as well, although unfortunately about half are Cayennes that make up the sea of 4x4's in Britain.

And sadly there's the faux enthusiasts with there ruined, chavved up Puntos, Corsas etc.

 

[Barracuda]

Florida no fault.

So umm.. the car scene in Fl is GREAT if you don't ever want to turn other than an exact left or right hand 90 degree turn. And even then, if someone's trying to keep up, you'd better go slow, cause you'll ditch them all to quickly if you can actually turn your wheel, something FL born drivers know nothing about whatsoever.
And I do mean that 100% literally.
Florida drivers can NOT take corners to save their lives!
I remember once I came across a bend (slight bend) on a.... ummmm... racetrack down there, and this guy in an older (mid 90's) Accord was trying to keep up, as I cruised through at speed governor speed, he slowed to about 60, after the "corner" he speed back up to catch back up as best he could. hilarious.

I didn't know about no fault until I told my friend the same story

It's a good thing I was born and raised in New Hampshire then. Florida is not all exact left and right turns, it all depends on where you are. During my 28 mile drive to college I'd say about 20 miles of it is curvy road (561 on the way to 27 in Clermont for those Floridians who might know). Not curvy by mountain road standards, but for Florida it is plenty damn curvy and hilly. You just have to know the right spots really.