Stealing Canadian Culture....

[Jester]

I'll see your cities and raise you Montreal.

I have never in my life before or since seen as many wrecks on the side of the road, many of which were on fire I might add as I did when we road tripped through Quebec.

Not that this puts it at the top of the worst drivers list, but I have to comment on my experiences in Chicago.

Not counting when I lived in one of its suburbs as a very small child, I have been to Chicago twice, both times during my road trip of '98-'99. The first time I left Chicago, I was heading north, and on my way out of the city I saw a car on fire on the other side of the road. I regretted later not stopping to watch this, as I have not seen too many car fires, and I was not exactly on a schedule. The second time I left Chi-town, I was heading south, and on my way out of the city, I saw a mini-van on fire on the other side of the freeway. This time I pulled off, drove around to the spot where it was engulfed in flames, and watched as the rear door literally melted off the chassis.

Two times leaving Chicago. Two times witnessing roadside car fires.

By contrast I have left many other U.S. cities countless times, and have seen exactly zero roadside car fires. (By "many other U.S. cities" I mean, off the top of my head, Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Portland (Oregon), Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Rochester (Minnesota), Boston, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Oklahoma City, New York City, Newark, Columbus (Ohio), Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Washington, D.C., Hartford, Charlotte, Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, St. Louis, Boise, El Paso, Orlando, Tallahassee, Rapid City, and Bakersfield. Though to be fair, something probably should have been on fire in, around, or near Bakersfield. Just to give you a feel for the city, ya know.)

And yet I didn't find Chicago to be the home of the worst drivers I have dealt with. Which means that car fires are a symptom of something else entirely. What, I don't know. But definitely something that someone should be looking into. And preferably not the people who manufacture marshmallows. Or the RCMP, apparently.

[Gravekeeper]

Never been to Chicago me thinks. We road tripped every eastern state when I was a kid to hit up Disneyworld ( fuck ya ). But I only remember New York ( Never seen that much smog or ghetto in my life before or since. It was scary. -.- ) and Miami ( Oh god IT BURNS. ).

Never sunburned that fast in my life before or since either. ;p

Don't recall many traffic accidents though. Asshole drivers yes, oh yes. But not many accidents. Quebec is the reverse. Everyone's polite but insanely dangerous.

[Jester]

GK, I would like to point out that you are basing your opinion on the dangerousness of American drivers on a hazy childhood memory, within which you don't remember exactly what cities you were in.

My opinions on American drivers is from driving with them and around them and near them for the last 20+ years, in many American cities. I have seen accident after accident, and have avoided being in them due to my good driving skill and some amount of luck.

If you are seriously trying to tell us that Americans aren't dangerous drivers or that they don't get into accidents, you don't understand American drivers. Ask anyone you know from any American city how common accidents are. Daily freakin' occurrences.

Key West, a small island of only 28,000 permanent residents (and many tourists) commonly has accidents that cause traffic muckups and sometimes even deaths. Then there is the rest of the Keys. I know two different people that were involved in serious traffic accidents here. One was killed in a collision with a mail truck. The other was more fortunate, and "merely" had her arm virtually severed, and then reattached. The person she was with was killed.

I am not trying to compete and say American drivers are more dangerous than Canadian drivers. I don't know if they are. I simply know they are dangerous. Add to that the huge difference in numbers, and you can see what I am talking about.

And my niece wonders why I worry about her being on the road.

[Gravekeeper]

Not saying American drivers aren't dangerous. Just that the Trans-Canada through Quebec is Deathrace 2000. >.>

Although it was a relief in the latest season of Canada's Worst Driver to not have some terrifying driver from Vancouver or the surrounding area. Usually the show always has one from around here. One of which "won" the title a season or two ago.

I'm iffy on the thought of America's Worst Driver. Which network is producing it? American television has a horrific habit of importing "reality" shows then playing the whole thing up for "drama" and sensationalism using heavy editing. ( See: Kitchen Nightmares US vs UK ).

[Jester]

I'll tell you all I know about it from the ad I saw. It's on the Travel Channel. They are going to be showing drivers from various cities. At the end of each show (I think), they shall dub one of the people from each city the worst driver in that city. Each person that "wins" that title will have their car destroyed right in front of them on the show.

[Gravekeeper]

I'll tell you all I know about it from the ad I saw. It's on the Travel Channel. They are going to be showing drivers from various cities. At the end of each show (I think), they shall dub one of the people from each city the worst driver in that city. Each person that "wins" that title will have their car destroyed right in front of them on the show.

Ouch. On the Canadian version the winner is usually just reduced to a crying emotional wreck and asked if they want to voluntarily destroy their license before they kill someone. ;p

[BookstoreEscapee]

...only to have the RCMP out there standing around the wreckage warming their hands.

Maybe they should keep some marshmallows in the car...

[Spiffy McMoron]

I'll see your cities and raise you Montreal.

Oh, God. Montreal.

I went on a vacation to Montreal this summer and I rented a car for a day. To get to Ile Notre Dame and Habitat 67, we had to drive through downtown Montreal.

It is a place where angels fear to tread. -_-

We're driving down a street in the downtown core, and there's four lanes. We're in the center- left lane, cars are parked in the outer lanes, and a truck and flatbed trailer are in the center-right lane. We're on this street with cars behind us and a gravel truck right in front of us. Without warning, the gravel truck starts to back up into our car.

Much honking and swearing ensued.

[lordlundar]

Ouch. On the Canadian version the winner is usually just reduced to a crying emotional wreck and asked if they want to voluntarily destroy their license before they kill someone. ;p

Well, that's because they aren't allowed to destroy the license. But when you get people like the last two seasons winners, you seriously wish they could.

[Bandit]

Oh, God. Montreal.

I went on a vacation to Montreal this summer and I rented a car for a day. To get to Ile Notre Dame and Habitat 67, we had to drive through downtown Montreal.

It is a place where angels fear to tread. -_-

Try doing a run between Ottawa and Montreal in the same day.

It's a "Canada's Worst Driver" episode in real life.

Ottawa - home of the people who have not used an accelerator pedal since Trudeau was in office. And these are the same people who do the "start to change lanes, *THEN* signal, *THEN* look." routine regularly.

Not to mention hanging in the blind spot.

And then get to Montreal, where everyone drives like they are doing the car chase at the end of "The Italian Job" (the original one, but without the funky soundtrack).

Combine that at both ends with the cops trying to re-enact a Blues Brothers chase seen for some reason, it'll keep you on your toes.

Oh - and if I don't see at least three people trying to back up on the highway to take the exit they missed, I'm disappointed.

B

[Salted Grump]

Not saying American drivers aren't dangerous. Just that the Trans-Canada through Quebec is Deathrace 2000.

You can instantly tell you've hit Quebec because the road quality goes from 'Maintained in the last decade' to 'Maintained sometime between John A. Macdonald's Death and the Ardennes Offensive'

However, as for their driving habits, well, in one trip I took (driving my little brother to Basic Training), my little brother and I counted a rough average of three counts of reckless driving per car on the highway for the better two-thirds of a five-hour drive.

We're not talking little things, either; we're talking people Cutting off Semis, brake-checking at 120 Kph in near-gridlock conditions, no signals at all, and merging without looking as a start.

My dad used to joke that in Montreal, the Police wouldn't even start their cars to head to an accident if it involved less than ten vehicles. I'm fairly certain that his jokes were not too far from the truth.

And Bandit? my run was an Ottawa-St. Jean-sur-Richelu run. Not One Cop in the entire five hours people were trying to run my ass off the road, but as soon as I take a turnoff to stop at an A&W for lunch, 10 cop cars pull in right behind me. Funniest thing I ever saw, because they all had to look casual as I parked the car I was driving after filling it on gas, and walked into the A&W with my brother. Ah, Plate-Profiling.

[Chazzie]

Whoa whoa, GK, Jester, I didn't mean to start an argument over bad driving! And yeah, I knew you were talking about a show, I just found it funny that you referred to it as 'culture'. Was just poking a little fun.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

I just watched a clip on the Travel Channel's website...

You know the Water Challenge?

They changed it.

In the Canadian version (and possibly the original, I haven't seen it), the car has a fish tank filled with water that will splash through the open sunroof.

The US version has a tank with two little tubes that drip water from just above the driver and passenger.

To me, this takes something away from the challenge.

Seeing THIS happen.

I'm thinking that they changed it because of 'liability issues' but damn it, it's taking the teeth out of the lesson.

I'm afraid to see what else was changed...

[Salted Grump]

Admittedly, for the 'water test' they are using a Decommissioned iltis, and I don't think the US would let one of those in their borders come hell or high water.

[lordlundar]

The US version has a tank with two little tubes that drip water from just above the driver and passenger.

That was the way that the Water test was originally, they changed it to the easy slosh tank in later seasons.

I'm neutral on the pipes. One the one hand, it drives the point home. (every single drop of water spilt goes straight to the driver/passenger) but on the other hand, it required a much bigger screw up to get the water into the pipes.