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I can't compare NYC vs Chicago. But Chicago has plenty of honking. To the extent that I think Chicago should fine people for it. If you lay on the horn for mor

I can't compare NYC vs Chicago. But Chicago has plenty of honking. To the extent that I think Chicago should fine people for it. If you lay on the horn for more than ten seconds you should get a 1000 dollar fine and lose your license. That is how excessive and obnoxious it is. Typically taxi drivers are the worst with that behavior. I can understand giving a tap when someone isn't paying attention to a green light. But laying on the horn when no one is moving because traffic is backed up for three stop lights, fuck those people.

wenc 8y ago
Chicago taxi drivers are some of the most obnoxious drivers on the road. However, I can sort of understand why. (not to excuse them or anything) The Chicago downtown driving experience, while not terrible like NYC, can be annoying because there are so many bad drivers about (Illinois licensing is very lax). There are drivers parked on bike lanes, drivers suddenly stopping and double parking, drivers not signalling or leaving their turn signals on without any intention of changing lanes. Couple that with out-of-town drivers from Wisconsin and Indiana who are unfamiliar with traffic patterns, anyone who spends a lot of time driving downtown is liable to build up a lot of resentment.
- tacomonstrous 8y ago
  >Illinois licensing is very lax In my first (and only) driving test in Chicago, the very first thing I did was roll the stop sign at the exit for the testing facility. Got a mild reprimand from the examiner, but passed the test.
  - paulie_a 8y ago
    It was shockingly easy to get drivers license in Il. Granted I didn't need to take a road test, the written test was so simplistic a 12 year old could probably pass it. If I had to do a road test I would have failed hard because of the number of fbombs I dropped at other drivers. Or I might have passed because of it. Hard to tell.
- paulie_a 8y ago
  As someone that grew up in Wisconsin and drove mostly in that state, my take away about driving on Chicago is: go out of your way to be an asshole, turn signals are not allowed, use your horn unnecessarily and excessively. A few months ago I was on the highway and saw a Porsche cayenne driving safe and actually using turn signals. Honestly that is like spotting a unicorn.
monksy 8y ago
The behavior of drivers have gotten worse because the cops aren't out there. (They reprioritized after the introduction of red light and speed cameras). Also, don't get me started on the bikers they're, for the most part, are a menace to walkers and drivers.
- paulie_a 8y ago
  It really depends in regards to bikers. I see a lot of them safely run red lights. Which they shouldn't do of course. But I also see great restraint when some tourist is in the bright green and clearly bike lane. A bike ride swerved and nicely said "You almost got hit"
  - wenc 8y ago
    Bikers are allowed to go through red lights if they don't turn green in 120 secs [1]. It's a silly rule, but there it is. Problem is most bikers don't wait 120 secs. So these things happen. [2] [1] https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_a143.pdf https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publicat... [2] https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/6oh7qw/that_accident_on_roosevelt_a_couple_of_days_ago/?st=J5CUSBPZ&sh=799177c8 https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/6oh7qw/that_accide...
    - paulie_a 8y ago
      I didn't know about that. I don't blame them for just running them on occasion. I jwalk, but that is a bit less dangerous than flying through a red light because you think no one is coming. Most bikers don't stop let alone wait for 10 seconds.
      - monksy 8y ago
        From what I've noticed: 1. Jaywalking is rare % wise. Most of the time I see people who jaywalk, do so very carefully. The worst of pedestrians that I see are the ones who ignore pedestrian lights without reguard for traffic or the ones who stand in bike lines. 2. Most cyclists either weakly obey rules, or flat out disregard them. (weakly, as in they'll wait in the crosswalk or fail to yield to pedestrians) The majority of the time that I see a biker on the sidewalk (above 18, by law it's 12+ you're not allowed to bike on the sidewalk) I'll point out where the road is to them and the response is "fuck you".

wenc 8y ago

Chicago taxi drivers are some of the most obnoxious drivers on the road. However, I can sort of understand why. (not to excuse them or anything) The Chicago downtown driving experience, while not terrible like NYC, can be annoying because there are so many bad drivers about (Illinois licensing is very lax). There are drivers parked on bike lanes, drivers suddenly stopping and double parking, drivers not signalling or leaving their turn signals on without any intention of changing lanes. Couple that with out-of-town drivers from Wisconsin and Indiana who are unfamiliar with traffic patterns, anyone who spends a lot of time driving downtown is liable to build up a lot of resentment.

tacomonstrous 8y ago
>Illinois licensing is very lax In my first (and only) driving test in Chicago, the very first thing I did was roll the stop sign at the exit for the testing facility. Got a mild reprimand from the examiner, but passed the test.
- paulie_a 8y ago
  It was shockingly easy to get drivers license in Il. Granted I didn't need to take a road test, the written test was so simplistic a 12 year old could probably pass it. If I had to do a road test I would have failed hard because of the number of fbombs I dropped at other drivers. Or I might have passed because of it. Hard to tell.
paulie_a 8y ago
As someone that grew up in Wisconsin and drove mostly in that state, my take away about driving on Chicago is: go out of your way to be an asshole, turn signals are not allowed, use your horn unnecessarily and excessively. A few months ago I was on the highway and saw a Porsche cayenne driving safe and actually using turn signals. Honestly that is like spotting a unicorn.

monksy 8y ago

The behavior of drivers have gotten worse because the cops aren't out there. (They reprioritized after the introduction of red light and speed cameras). Also, don't get me started on the bikers they're, for the most part, are a menace to walkers and drivers.

paulie_a 8y ago
It really depends in regards to bikers. I see a lot of them safely run red lights. Which they shouldn't do of course. But I also see great restraint when some tourist is in the bright green and clearly bike lane. A bike ride swerved and nicely said "You almost got hit"
- wenc 8y ago
  Bikers are allowed to go through red lights if they don't turn green in 120 secs [1]. It's a silly rule, but there it is. Problem is most bikers don't wait 120 secs. So these things happen. [2] [1] https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_a143.pdf https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publicat... [2] https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/6oh7qw/that_accident_on_roosevelt_a_couple_of_days_ago/?st=J5CUSBPZ&sh=799177c8 https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/6oh7qw/that_accide...
  - paulie_a 8y ago
    I didn't know about that. I don't blame them for just running them on occasion. I jwalk, but that is a bit less dangerous than flying through a red light because you think no one is coming. Most bikers don't stop let alone wait for 10 seconds.
    - monksy 8y ago
      From what I've noticed: 1. Jaywalking is rare % wise. Most of the time I see people who jaywalk, do so very carefully. The worst of pedestrians that I see are the ones who ignore pedestrian lights without reguard for traffic or the ones who stand in bike lines. 2. Most cyclists either weakly obey rules, or flat out disregard them. (weakly, as in they'll wait in the crosswalk or fail to yield to pedestrians) The majority of the time that I see a biker on the sidewalk (above 18, by law it's 12+ you're not allowed to bike on the sidewalk) I'll point out where the road is to them and the response is "fuck you".