I am glad you got to drive outside Boston. I visited my in-laws there years ago (in Lowell), and was appalled by the driving.
As I summed it up to tourists for years, Seattle has a bad reputation for drivers, sure; but they are not overly aggressive, so accidents are less common. LA has an almost opposite reputation. Since you have to drive everywhere in car-centric land, the drivers tend to be more skilled. That skill allows them to be more aggressive, as well, which is their reputation. Using turn signals for lane changes, for example, are a rarity; they reveal intentions better kept secret, I guess.
Boston has unskilled and aggressive drivers. It's the worst of both worlds. Throw in some very poorly designed freeways, and it's a disaster.
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As I summed it up to tourists for years, Seattle has a bad reputation for drivers, sure; but they are not overly aggressive, so accidents are less common. LA has an almost opposite reputation. Since you have to drive everywhere in car-centric land, the drivers tend to be more skilled. That skill allows them to be more aggressive, as well, which is their reputation. Using turn signals for lane changes, for example, are a rarity; they reveal intentions better kept secret, I guess.
Boston has unskilled and aggressive drivers. It's the worst of both worlds. Throw in some very poorly designed freeways, and it's a disaster.