I totally agree that cars are deathtraps, which is why I live here. But I also agree that driving faster than the speed limit is only marginally dangerous. There's little about driving 55 in a 55 mph zone that is more dangerous than driving 55 in a 45 mph zone.

Way back when, a friend of mine was taking drivers' ed, and as some kids are prone to do, took it as an opportunity to rag on her dad's driving habits. Specifically, his lack of signal use. Unfortunately, she chose to do this on a deserted section of road after they'd been arguing about something else. He went off on this incredibly detailed rant that culminated with " Who am I signalling for? WHO?! Am I signalling for God?! GOD DOESN'T CARE!!! HE ALREADY KNOWS WHICH WAY I'M TURNING AND GOD.DOESN'T.CARE!!!!!"

"Am I signalling for God?" became a phrase used in response to stupidity for a while.

You say this as if it's a crazy thing.

I know it's not. The people at the Whole Foods on Lemmon at the Tollway seem to feel differently.

I often wonder if the people behind me aren't saying to themselves, "What is that strange blinking light on the rear of her car? It seems to anticipate which way she's going and changes sides accordingly. Interesting."

I don't care what speed they're at, I want the damned weavers in and out of traffic to get their butts handed to the. Along with the idiots in the SUVs who tailgate me and have their highbeams aimed right in my mirrors.

Witness the Mass Pike, where, most of time, everybody is just cruising along at 80 with no problems, whereas the NJ Turnpike seems to have an accident anytime I drive on it.

The most electrifying/terrifying drive I ever did was somewhere in New Jersey, a near-city segment in morning traffic that was all moving at 75 and all with no following distance and very aggressive. Okay, part of the terrifyingness was the knowledge that my passenger, flea, was terrified. I was the sort of driver at the time (only a little less so now) who was completely ready to do battle with traffic, but preferred a little more space than that.

But yeah: the Mass Pike is consistently above speed limit, and not very dangerous. 128? Dangerous (though not because of speed so much as douchebaggery and breakdowns and abuse of breakdown lanes).

People who don't signal ::coughcoughmysistercoughcough:: when they change lanes drive me bonkers.

People, its called a PROCEDURE.

Which is the safer procedure?

I am going to change lanes
signal
Look around to see if when it is clear
change lanes

Or

I am going to change lanes
Anyone around?
Change lanes

Then some fool comes off a side street you didn't see because you're so used to doing this on an empty highway and you just didn't look long enough on this new road and BLAMMO we're all squashed and dead because you couldn't bother to develope the reflex that says "when I change laned I hit my damn blinker"

My mom was and is the most strictly law-abiding person I've ever met. She watches the speed of whichever family member is driving the car and comments, in tones of outraged accusation, whenever you're the least bit above the posted limit. She'd say to my dad, "Kelly, you're going FIFTY-EIGHT" if the car accelerated a little extra on a downhill, or to me, "Susan, you're going SIXTY," if I took advantage of her temporary inattention to the speedometer to try to match the pace of the surrounding traffic.

It's probably not surprising that while I'm ordinarily a well-behaved, law-abiding person who didn't even sow any appreciable youthful wild oats, I reflexively go about 15 miles over the speed limit whenever road conditions permit.

ETA however, I am a strict signaler.

Being a flatland-Midwesterner born-and-raised, I get nervous when I drive on the PA turnpike to visit my mom and brother out in NJ. All those hills and turns around hills and you can't see a mile in front of you like you can on IL highways--it's nerveracking! When you add in summer construction season, it's even worse.

You should definitely signal in parking lots. Maybe even more so than in regular traffic, because it's often less clear in parking lots where you're going. You have a lot more options than you do on a freeway.

No one seems to signal here. Ever.

It's funny that that's your perception. I'm constantly amazed (in a pleasantly surprised manner), after living in Louisiana, how often people DO signal here.

Of course, your "here" and my "here" are slightly different.