Driving in Washington

In the south, for the most part, people travel at a slower speed. That is not to say that the speed limit is followed. People on I-5 in Washington drive much closer to the speed limit than anyone on I-40 has even dreamed of doing. (For the record, that is just because there are so many cops patrolling I-5.) The difference is in the style of driving when not on the interstate. The driving is more relaxed and friendlier. One example: My experience in the South is that many times a driver will allow another car to turn in front of them. If you are in a slow line of traffic, you might waive to another driver waiting to turn on the street and allow them to go ahead of you. Today I got honked at. I was going to turn right. The traffic light had just been red, so I was at a complete stop. When it turned green, a car on the opposite side of the road was waiting to turn right (going the same direction I was going). I allowed them to turn before I went and I was honked at. There wasn't much of a pause. There really wasn't much of a delay. The honk startled me. Then, I smiled and thought, “Ah, I love Washington.”