New England is amazing. It is, hands down, the best place in the country to visit. There are beaches, mountains, and history all within a few hours’ drive.
Okay, I’m biased. I was born and raised in New England, and I’m proud to call it my home. So if you’re not from New England, and you’re thinking about visiting us on a road trip, I wholeheartedly approve and applaud your decision.
But before you get behind the wheel, you should familiarize yourself with some our, shall we say, driving quirks and unwritten rules of the road.
1. The rotary
You know that circular road that has exits and no lights? The one that you hop on for a few seconds just to get off right away?
It’s called a rotary. If you call it a traffic circle or roundabout, there’s a good chance we’ll either have no idea what you’re talking about, or if we do, we’ll start laughing because it sounds so strange to us.
2. Yielding is only a suggestion.
This goes hand in hand with rotaries. Before you get on one of these rotaries, you’re supposed to let traffic that’s already in the rotary go before you. You’re supposed to yield.
We don’t do that. Yes, we’re supposed to, but if we do it’s either because we’re currently taking our driver’s test or we’ve just spotted a statie hiding out.
For some of us, “yielding” at a rotary means slowing down, looking at traffic, and planning how to get in. For others, it means going as fast as you can into the rotary and hoping for the best.
3. We have no idea what to do at a four-way stop.
There are four cars at a four-way stop. Which one goes first? The one that got there first, right? Wrong.
This situation could go a few ways, depending on the temperament of the drivers. An impatient driver is going to look for the opportunity to go no matter what. A careful driver will sit there and try to guess what the other drivers are going to do. A nervous driver will inch out and then immediately slam on the brakes when he sees another one of the cars moving. A clueless driver will have no idea what to do, and will probably be the last one to move.
Knowing what to do in this situation takes a special type of 6th sense.
4. We don’t have time to actually stop at a stop sign.
It’s not that we don’t respect stop signs. We do.
It’s just that we’re not always going to come to a complete stop. We’ll slow down, look around, and see if there’s anyone else coming. We’ll roll right through. Rhode Islanders call this the “Rhode Island Roll,” and while it does have a nice ring to it, the fact is that this is common practice throughout the region.
5. We think blinkahs are just an option.
Blinkahs, or blinkers, or if you’re from really far away, the signal, is more of a car add-on, like satellite radio or Bluetooth compatibility.
I jest. Kind of.
Drive on the highways of Boston and Providence and you’ll see what I mean. Look away for a second, and you’ll notice that the car that was in the far left lane magically appeared right in front of the tractor trailer in the far right lane. How did that happen? There was no warning!
This same aversion to blinkers happens in cities and towns, too. I’ll be driving down a road, wondering why the person in front of me is going so slowly. Then, all of sudden, he’ll apply the brakes and turn, without using any signal. I could go on and on with other examples, but one thing is clear: just because you don’t see a blinker on, it doesn’t mean that the person isn’t going to turn.
It makes driving here exciting, don’t you think?
6. If we have a problem turning left on a busy street, we will block off a lane.
Trying to bang a left (yes, that’s completely okay to say here), on a busy road can be nearly impossible. With traffic coming from both ways, waiting for an opening in both lanes to occur simultaneously is like asking a Red Sox fan to wear a Yankees hat: It’s not going to happen, and if actually does, it was a freak accident.
So, naturally, when there’s an opening in the closer lane, I move my car up. Cars coming can’t continue without hitting my car.
Risky? No. Do you think the driver of that shiny, black pickup truck is going to risk scratching his ride by colliding with my Chevy Lumina? I didn’t think so. That driver of that old Volvo? He can’t afford a crash either. No matter who it is, they’ll stop.
When the other lane is free, you’ll be able to turn left. Just remember to wave politely to the person who you made stop. It’s the right thing to do.
Honestly, I thought everyone blocked off a lane like this, but when I traveled out West, I was surprised that people were just waiting so… patiently for traffic to subside.
7. We drink and drive Dunkin’.
There are laws against drinking and driving. There are laws against texting and driving, but if there were ever a law against drinking an iced coffee while driving, I’m pretty sure there would be a riot.
I’m not saying it’s right, nor am I saying that drinking Dunkin’ while driving won’t distract the driver. I’m just saying it happens.
8. On a highway, we’ll speed up to pass you, and then slow down right in front of you.
It happens all the time. If we’re behind you, we’ll be frustrated that you aren’t going fast enough. Then, we’ll get into the passing lane, speed up, and then go in front of you.
After our passing maneuver is complete, we’ll reduce our speed. We don’t do it to be jerks. We just do.
What other New England driving quirks have I missed? Let me know below in the comments!
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It’s all so true.