Drivers

Before moving away from southern California, I felt like a minority as a San Diego native. Most of the people I met were transplants, having moved to San Diego from other places (usually for the great weather and variety of things to do). During infrequent rainstorms, these people would invariably complain about how badly Californians drove in inclement weather. Such complaints gave me the impression that people from parts of the country that experienced winter climates were skilled drivers in bad weather. I thought it was a fair assumption; otherwise, why would all the transplants complain? Much to my chagrin, it was a faulty conclusion. Here in the metropolitan D.C. area anyway, rain and snow bring out the worst in drivers who aren't that skilled to begin with. They slow down to a snail's pace, they brake suddenly, they lose all capacity to merge... in short, they give this transplant much more cause to complain than California drivers do to non-native Californians. Fortunately, I now live close to a Metro station, so most of my commuting is by train these days. And that generally moves at the same pace, rain or shine.