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“Leave sooner, drive slower, live longer.” – Author Unknown
“Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead.” – Mac McCleary
Those of us who were born and raised in California or who spent years living and driving in that once beautiful state, are beginning to see a terrible phenomenon coming to the Prescott area. It is the California driving style. After spending four days in the so-called sunshine state for a funeral and a birthday, I found myself reverting back to the way I used to drive when I was a resident. After spending 38 years on the roads, freeways and avenues of California, I had become a prime representative of the California driver.
What is the California driver? He or she is an excessively aggressive, rude, inconsiderate bore. For no logical reason, the California driver will cut off cars in other lanes, if he thinks that car is attempting to get ahead of him. The California Driver, (CD), will speed up on the freeway if the driver ahead of him in the next lane, turns on his turn indicator in order to change lanes, thus crudely preventing the lane change. The CD will never stop and let a driver from a private or business driveway enter the street in front of his car.
The CD will honk his horn, loud and long, if the vehicle in front of him waits more than a millisecond to enter the intersection after a red light turns to green. Sometimes, the CD will suddenly cross four lanes of traffic to get to an off ramp, caring nothing about the cars he has cut off or accidents he may have caused. To add insult to injury, he will grandly display the one finger salute to those who blare their horns at his extremely dangerous maneuvers.
All that changed when we moved to Arizona. Prescott drivers would stop, smile and let you enter the street in front of them. When you nodded a thanks to them, they would wave all five fingers at you in return. If you signaled to change lanes, the car in the next lane would slow to allow you to enter. There never seemed to be a drag racing contest to see who could get through the yellow light before it changed to red.
All of this polite, Prescott driving quickly transformed me into a courteous driver. Unfortunately, upon returning to the driving conditions in California, I began to feel the angst, frustration and competitiveness that driving in that environment induces in otherwise sane and safe drivers.
What are the causes of this recklessness driving and how can we stop and prevent it from taking over our streets in the Prescott area? Being late is a cause, so each of us should leave early for work or appointments. Traffic congestion is a reason for vexation, so we should all allow for it when allotting time to get to our destination. Other drivers who are impolite and/or rude are no reason for us to become that way. We should respond to other vehicle operators the way we would like to treated. When we see someone trying to enter a street or a lane while we are in heavy traffic, we should stop or slow to let them enter. Isn’t that what we would want someone to do for us, if the situation was reversed?
Driving in a safe, sane, and courteous manner, when not in a hurry, will make the streets, roads and highways in our area and state more secure and driving a much more enjoyable experience.
37 thoughts on “California Driving Coming to Prescott – Buz Blog”
Run off the road twice by gangs of bikers coming up from Pheonix. They stop at every bar between Yarnell and Prescott on their way to Prescott. Nasty road hogs.
Ginny, gang is not the best description. They are hard working people on the bikes, many of which are professional, many of them could be the person who saves your life or keeps a loved one out of jail. Just a thought.
Sir you are prescient! I don’t know of anyone who ‘visits’ California, the land of “self”, that does not come back with amazed horror stories of the violent driving. The influx of such self-indulging drivers into Arizona (and I hear from friends in rural areas of Texas telling me similar stories of being infected by such sickness) is the foretelling of a quickly coming alteration of our society. Having lived in California from the later ’60s until the turn of the century we lived the sad demise of a once beautiful land from greed, violence, political virulence and blight. I have often said to neighbors that the Prescott region (Chino Valley, Prescott Valley and so forth) are becoming the “San Fernando Valley of Northern Arizona”. The real “Valley” was a beautiful garden of Eden and over 25 years was completely destroyed by rampant building, concrete landscaping and the concurrent increase in crime, poverty and decay. There are few vacant lands now nearby us that aren’t being built on and the forces behind such have a lot more to do with than pure population. The infrastructure and services cannot handle it. Welcome to San Fernando Valley, Arizona.
We moved from California to Oregon in 1995. The drivers there were remarkably mellow and kind. Over the 24 years we lived there, the drivers became much more rude like you describe. I suspect this behavior is systemic in much of the country, and is a symptom of people’s deteriorating values in general.
Yes Scott , I agree. I grew up in Orange County CA. I have noticed people are a little more polite in this area. I had visited this area from the mid 90’s when my step dad moved here with his then 2nd wife. She has since passed. Prescott was a friendly nice town. Seems to be slowly turning into an OC mad house.
Oregon ruined by Cali too
I really resent the name of you article…….not everyone that drives in California and moves to Prescott is a reckless driver. People are moving here from all over the United States so maybe you should pick on the other 49 states also.
Personally I have never had a ticket or accident and I’ve been driving over 50 years and yes I proudly come from California.
I hold the same sentiments. I am “from” California but have not lived there in a decade because I’ve had to relocate all over the U.S. I can tell you that a majority of the bad drivers are from Arizona. I will admit my opinion IS anecdotal just as the author of this narrow-minded op-ed. There are bad drivers everywhere (I should know I’ve lived on the east, west coasts and everywhere in between but what I DO find that IS particular to this area is to blame other people for your problems (specifically Californians) then deny they even came out to vote….I get it, you’re threatened by Californians for some insecure reason? You want to “keep” Prescott all to yourselves. I hear it all the time “all the Californians are trying to make this into California”…Ha! You wish. Just keep taking our money and job creation…you got nothing but complaints.
keep the blue bellies out and California politics too
I totally agree!!!!
Sadly, most are from CA. Just don’t make MY AZ into your CA.
Prescott Drivers are old, slow, and often on drugs. Prescott drivers are some of the worst. They sit at stoplights through lights changing, either to old and slow or too high to notice. So many times I’ve realized the reason the car blocking me from driving the speed limit is doing so because the person driving it has no remaining depth perception, and is driving 10 miles an hour under the speed limit because they have no capacity to react at normal speeds. I’ve seen old people Drive with their parking brake on just yesterday! This is insane. In a safe and sane world police would crack down on this unsafe hazard. The state would confiscate licenses if it were a young person doing this stuff. But no. Able Arizonans must suffer the hazard of the negligent, incapable, and dangerous elderly and drug influenced drivers.
The number of rude people who CONSTANTLY run red lights is INSANE! It NEVER used to be like this in Prescott! Californians with thier elitist, rude, arrogant, attitudes, because they were able to move here with their insane equity from that disgusting state, are far more in number than old Prescottonisns! They all drive thier enormous SUV’s like they own the road. They are FAR MORE in number and far more dangerous. RUDE is becoming the norm here now.
20 years ago Prescott PD had 8 officers assigned to traffic and 1 parking enforcement officer. Today Prescott PD has 4 officers assigned to traffic and 0 parking enforcement officers.
Send me to Prescott to work traffic, preferably on a motorcycle. Those miscreant drivers would soon be afraid to pull out of their driveways. Sounds like fun.
I’ve lived here 50 years and the traffic is absolutely ridiculous these days!!! Our infastruture can’t handle the influx! We need more lanes on almost every main road… Williamson Valley is a nightmare when your trying to get to work and people pull out and drive below the speed limit…we aren’t all rich and retired! ????
Unfortunately that CD characteristic is also present off the roads & highways. Very rude, discourteous in their shopping & interactions with the Prescott locals. Most of us refer is to them as the infamous “ California Karens”!
California’s just need to go back to California and stop ruining Arizona!
You are right on!
I’m not so sure if it’s just the Cali drivers. Az drivers are just as bad if not worse
yes, Stacie. It’s mostly locals that are the terrible drivers, don’t let them gaslight you. I saw this poor red neck kid lighting a cigarette and pouring gas WHILE his truck was still on! THIS is what we got here in Prescott, not the brightest bulbs.
Wrong. I’ve seen it change drastically and it’s getting worse every day. Rudeness has increased dramatically. This ISNT the Prescott of just a few years ago.
I lived in California for 32 years and I am proud to have lived there. California drivers are a lot more courteous drivers in parking lots than Arizonians.
so why are you not out there working at getting reliable, affordable, easy access to travel for us old people. we would rather sit and enjoy you drivers frustration than to add to the problem. and before you mention the bus, how is anyone supposed to use their walker or came, carry a purse, two bags of groceries and climb the steps onto the bus. instead of complaining what are you doing to help the situation?
I was born and raised here in Prescott. I’ve seen it go from good to bad to total chaotic pandemonium in a few short years. First Covid hit, that shut everything down across the country. Next came the wave of transplants from out of state. Next came the housing being bought up and the apartments being all rented out. Next came the insanely reckless driving, oh wait that came with the transplants, specifically Californians. I get it you all wanted to get away from California for one reason or another, cool. But honestly, a couple of the comments in this section astound me. There is no need to put yourselves that high on the totem pole and think your shit doesn’t stink. I’m sorry, but it does. The author of this post is a Godsend. Now read it and weep. DONT CALIFORNICATE MY ARIZONA!!
build the wall up the border of Calipornia,Oregon and washinton
look in the mirror people, The reason the traffic is like it is in California is because California is moving over to Arizona and Oregon and Texas and Washington And Utah and Nevada. California has been mass exiting California for the past 15 years and with it destroying your driving experience reasonable priced housing just to mention a few. and worse than that they’re bringing their politics.
As a former Californian, yes, there are terrible drivers there like I would assume so anywhere else. To my surprise, though, the worst drivers I have encountered so far are in Arizona. Yes, there are many ex Californians here but I have come across many more people here from Colorado or other mid western states.
????
It’s been that way for years..
I think you mean Southern California drivers
it’s a national contest to see who has the worst drivers. everyone is in too big of a hurry.
Amazing thoughts, conclusions and so much more. Reading these comments only proves bigotry and ignorance is fluent in Preskitt along with those who are naive. There is transition all over this country. People are consistently moving from one place to another, in every state!! I have found our CA residents to be respectful of resources by not wasting water, they use cloth bags not the store plastic bags, they don’t fill trash cans with plastic. More often than not our new neighbors are eco conscience. They are educated with knowledge and experience that can enrich us all. Preskitt is growing rapidly, as are so many other cities throughout our Country. Infrastructure is a nightmare, powergrids are under strain. Our waters are polluted, our National Forests are trashed and our oceans are dying. Are all these problems across this Country to be blamed on the Californian? Get a life people, if you did much travel at all you’d see the change all over. People have become narcissistic rude boobs that think they are entitled to more than their neighbors. Get your heads out of the sand. You want change? Then be the change.
Born and raised in Arizona and my mom has lived in Prescott for a long time now. It’s beyond sad what is happening to the town. All these fools moving here and trying change the core of what Prescott really is. Yes, the traffic sucks but it’s even worse seeing the beautiful land get ripped apart “luxury apartments.”
California is not the sunshine state. Florida is.
I have never driven in California, but I will NEVER wait for someone coming out of a parking lot or driveway to pull out in front of me if there are multiple lanes going in my direction. A few years ago I was the passenger and we were in the left-most non-turning lane. We were driving straight and within the speed limit. A girl was waiting to turn right out of a McDonald’s parking lot to our right, and the driver in the right lane stopped so she could pull out. She FLEW through 3 lanes of traffic to get to the left turn lane. She didn’t look to see if there were cars in her way, she later said that she figured the other driver wouldn’t have let her pull out if it wasn’t safe. She plowed into us so hard that our car spun around, went over a median, and almost flipped over before ending up facing the other direction on the other side of the road. The police officer said that he sees so many accidents that way, because the view of the person pulling into traffic is impaired by the person waiting for them, and if they need to immediately change lanes they often hit the car in the next lane. So no, I will not wait for you to pull out of a parking lot. It’s for everyone’s safety, not because I’m being rude.
I came here to say the same thing! I do not and will not stop to let someone cross the right of way traffic to get into or out of a parking lot, driveway, street, whatever. it’s extremely unsafe. I was told it’s also illegal and you can be held liable if a wreck occurs, but I haven’t looked that up to verify it. I had some guy just the other day honk and yell and throw his arms up super mad because I wouldn’t stop to let him pull across through traffic into McDonald’s. ridiculous!
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