I'm really getting sick of the drivers around here. I don't venture out of Corvallis a whole lot, but I think Oregon as a whole has some of the worst drivers in the country. Ever since I bought my fc I've had a lot of close calls with dumb drivers, and finally one even backed into me last year.

This week though I was driving back from LB, and on Harrison (a one way two late street in Corvallis) heading home. I was cruising talking to my brother when I notice the a s10 truck starts coming into my lane with me right next to him. He came over hard, and I had to swerve and hit the breaks. I hit some wet leaves and almost slid into a parked car, but regained control before hand. He then jets and takes the closest right hand side street to get out of there. I didn't know if he hit me or not, it was that close. I went after him and after two blocks he gave up and pulled over.

"Dude I didn't even see you, I'm so sorry" first thing he says. "I can tell" I replied. He then asked if he hit me. "I'm going to see about that right now" I told him. We looked at the side of my car. There was no damage, and once I cooled off we talked for a bit and shook hands and went our ways. But damn it was close, my brother said he was about half a inch from my mirror.

Then tonight I'm heading home and am at four way intersection at a red light. This girl in a probe comes flying up behind me and almost hits my rear bumper. We're both turning left, and I go as slow as I can for about a quarter mile. Then I start to speed up and she tries to keep up. She follows me onto a road that leads out to no where and starts to tail gate me. I hit it pretty hard (I won't say how fast I was going), enough to the point where i hit a side road, e brake 180, watch her pass with my lights off, and then follow her into town. She pulls in to a DQ and all her friends pile out. I decided against pulling in and tearing them apart, and just went home.

When I first started driving it didn't seem this bad, but are Oregon drivers getting worse? It's so frustrating. Even in my truck they almost hit me.

My rant of the evening. Beer time.

 

April 2004, Aloha OR
Water truck changes lanes, doesn't look first, takes at the whole left side of my FD.

Feb 2006, Aloha OR
Young lady pulls out in front of me from parking lot, I'm driving an F250.
Her car finished what my brakes could not in that short distance.

Dec 2006, Hillsboro OR
Woman pulls out in front of me from a parking lot.
Her Honda finished the job that my brakes could not in that short distance.

This doesn't include the multiple times I was rear-ended in the 80's.

Nor does it include numerous recent close calls.

Does that answer your question?

 

You need to drive in the Woodburn area. No one can do the speed limit...usually 10+mph slower than whats posted. No one can merge into traffic...because they are afraid of using the gas pedal. If someone is doing the speed limit, they are trying like hell to get away from Woodburn.

 

Everyone here sucks at driving.......I've had way too many close calls. I even almost got hit when I was on my motorcycle. Whenever it rains, its guaranteed there'll be an accident.

 

i wont say that oregon drivers are worse or better than washington drivers, but i gotta add, until you drive in a specific asian supermarket parking lot, u have not experienced bad driver hell. a certain super market called "h-mart" in federal way, is the single worst place to take a car to if you care about it. now i know all the stereotypes about asians being bad drives (i'm korean myself) but...this place.....u have a lexus, benz, bmw, a kia, and a hyundai, all doing stints like stopping in the middle of lanes, for no apparent reason, and not moving at all even when honked at and my favorite, the "i'm gonna steal your parking spot even though u have your turn signal on to go into it and you've been waiting longer than me". i personally, park at barns and nobles two buildings over and walk over :[

 

Best part about all of this, mine is an FB. Small but red. you'd think that would be enough for people to see but no. Ok i dont know about you but my car is really F@cking loud. Does that help?. . . no. bad drivers are everywhere. I dont have any pix but you guys should have been there when *someone* hit my car. not just hit it but started half way on my door and finished at the front of my car, gradually scratching and caving it in. I'm just glad that he/she wasnt around when i got out to my car. I would have been locked up for a good while. Daily i have to swerve nearly off the road (sometimes completely) to get away from idiots. but i love especially when they are in the wrong and they stare at you and snarl.

 

Oregon/Washington highway bridges SUCK because people from OR/WA don't know how to mix well when driving. We both have some that suck some serious ***, although I have WAYYYY more close calls when I'm in OR.

 

I lived all over the world and Oregon drivers are in the middle. They don't hold a candle to Chicago, Miami, New York, or Houston drivers. And let's not talk about outside of the US, ha.

Though, Oregon and Washington drivers do seem to consistently merge or change lanes without looking first. I've been almost merged into at least 20 times this year on my bike.

 

true story i couldnt count the times ive almost been taken out by people changing lanes or merging without looking. i drive all day so i constanly avoid accidents but what is weird is now that i work in hillsboro there aren't near as many close calls. i mean people mess up but nothing like beaverton. its really strange