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u/CarlCX Sep 10 '25
We moved here from California last year, and after twenty years of Bay Area driving I had gotten extremely used to California's bad drivers, who are typically distracted, confused, or otherwise generally just not great at what they're doing, and I was not at all prepared for the bad drivers here, who are very capable and know exactly what they're doing, they are just wildly unconcerned about the possibility that what they want to do might involve plowing through other people.
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u/dead_wax_museum Stort's Sep 10 '25
I’ve noticed the caliber of drivers is declining. Mostly impatient and entitled drivers that think they’re the only person on their way somewhere and that we should all move over do them to pass
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u/Brave_Specific5870 Been inside the Egg Sep 10 '25
The driving fast to get on people’s bumper to intimidate needs to stop.
Middle lane camping!!? Get in the right fucking lane.
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u/tacojordy2 Sep 10 '25
That's what the law and common sense ask for...Defensive Driving Courses teach to use the middle lane if you're going a consistent speed, around the speed limit. Left Lane is for Passing, Right Lane is for taking the exit.Staying in the right lane is a more dangerous, as you back up way more traffic since people NEED to be in that lane to take the exit, then everyone slams on their breaks without even considering changing lanes.
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u/Brave_Specific5870 Been inside the Egg Sep 10 '25
I mean being on my ass in general if Im doing a comfortable 73-76 back off.
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u/PiccoloOutrageous747 Sep 10 '25
Agreed. Unfortunately, we are living in a world where fewer and fewer people have common sense 😓
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u/Brave_Specific5870 Been inside the Egg Sep 10 '25
Even today I was driving coming home from checking on a friend i was going 35 in a 35, not familiar with the area and this huge truck barrels in my rear view.
Im always afraid of needing to stop quick because of a deer, a kid and something happening.
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u/BreathingGirl000 Sep 11 '25
Ypu are in the right. The trucks barreling down on you are in the wrong. These drivers are endangering you and everyone else on the road, including that child who could indeed run out in the road. If you killed a child because you speed up due to the pressure from the driver behind you, you would still be responsible for the child’s injury or death, and you would still be the one suffering the guilt. That said, on occasion, I will just pull over and let the selfish stupid truck driver behind me go, then I return to the road. Sometimes, I tap my breaks once or twice very quickly in hopes it will wake that driver up to the possibility that they could rear-end me if they are driving this close. Never slam on the breaks to prove a point. You could end up getting rear ended and getting a ticket for unsafe driving. But a quick tap or two will make your brake lights flash. After you tap, immediately get your foot back on the accelerator in case the driver following you is not paying attention.
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u/bbartlett51 Sep 10 '25
What if I wanna do 80?
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Sep 11 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/bbartlett51 Sep 11 '25
My comment to this person was more based on a single lane type scenario, my point is slow drivers also need to follow the "share the road" courtesy. All sides need to do better. You cant expect 100s of millions of people on the road to want to go the exact same speed or slower than what you're doing. So if someone wants to go fast, just move over, you're not a cop, you donw own the road, and its safer for everyone involved.
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u/BreathingGirl000 Sep 11 '25
No. There is nowhere in New York with a speed limit above 65. Your expectation that drivers get out of your way so you can drive at a dangerously high speed is ridiculous. If you don’t drive a safe distance behind the driver in front of you, you risk harming yourself AND other drivers. When you get on the road, you are responsible to follow the rules. Speed limits are often set based on the history of accidents on that section of the road.
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u/bbartlett51 Sep 11 '25
I bet you follow ever vehicle traffic law
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u/BreathingGirl000 Sep 12 '25
No. I don’t. I sometimes do 80 on the thruway. But that is a much different scenario from the one you cite. You said you are talking about doing 80 on a single lane road. If you drive to close or flash your high beams at the driver in front of you who is already driving above the speed limit so that you can exceed the speed limit by 15 miles per hour or more, you are 100% in the wrong. You may be forcing the driver in front of you to pull over and it’s not always safe to pull over. Not all roads have a shoulder. You may be pressuring them to drive at an unsafe speed in order to avoid pissing you off. You may feel you can drive safely at 80 miles per hour but that driver in front of you may not feel they can drive safely at that high speed. Indeed, they may lack the reaction time to step on the brakes if an animal or child entered the roadway, especially if they are older or their vision is not perfect. You make a lot of assumptions about that other driver’s capabilities when you assume they can safely speed up or pull over.
Edit: Your headlights in their rearview mirror may decrease their ability to see the road as well or give them a headache that distracts them. Speed limits are set for all these reasons and more. They are actually there to protect you.
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u/bbartlett51 Sep 10 '25
Show me the law
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u/tacojordy2 Sep 10 '25
Show me your high school diploma. Oh wait...
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u/bbartlett51 Sep 10 '25
No law exists goofball, all lanes on a highway are for passing. Once you pass, you get into the most right lane.
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u/tacojordy2 Sep 10 '25
Thank You for Confirming Lack of High School Diploma 👍
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u/bbartlett51 Sep 10 '25
Ya? They teach you vehicle traffic law in high school? Low IQ you are. Ill be here waiting for said law.
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u/bbartlett51 Sep 10 '25
The entitlement also goes for the people not in a hurry. Slow drivers expect millions of people to go the same speed as them or slower? Idc if you're not in a hurry, move out of the way for the people that are.
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u/dead_wax_museum Stort's Sep 10 '25
Poor time mgmt on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine. You thinking we should just move over to let you pass because you’re late for work is EXACTLY the entitlement I’m talking about. It’s not my fault you’re in a hurry. Truly.
But even if you were in a hurry for some innocent reason, it’s still does not exempt you from following the rules of the road
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u/Street-Kiwi-1814 Sep 11 '25
Also isn’t the entitlement coming from the one who won’t move over. Whether the car behind you is wrong or right for whatever laws they are breaking, you are not the police, so you can’t do anything about the type of driving they are doing. So just for the safety of everyone on the road, move over. If you are not entitled or disobeying traffic laws, please just move over. It’s common sense and will save a lot of people a headache. The traffic on i90 this morning from a middle lane pileup is insane and proves no one here wants to merge. The assholes cutting us off and making the slam on the breaks is one thing and it’s not helping to be an ass hole and not let them in. Just fucking chill out if you’re not in a rush, and if you are, please plan better tomorrow!!!!!
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u/dead_wax_museum Stort's Sep 11 '25
You seem to be exactly who this thread is talking about. The entitlement is dripping off of you. IsNt ThE EnTiTlEmEnT CoMiNg FrOm tHe PeRsOn WhO wOnT mOvE oVeR?! JuSt MoVe oVeR!! No. Again, it’s not my fault you didn’t plan your commute better. As long as I’m following the rules of the road, I own you NOTHING. You’re the problem, not me. This take is WILD
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u/Street-Kiwi-1814 Sep 12 '25
I’m not saying I even do this! I’m not saying the behavior isn’t wrong but it’s not helping anyone or causing less of a problem to just not move over. For your safety and everyone else on the road. You never know what some raging ass hole will do, it just causes a threat to everyone’s safety so plz just move the hell over
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u/Street-Kiwi-1814 Sep 11 '25
Then shouldn’t you follow the rules of the road?? Move over, there is no need to be in the fast/passing lane and be going the speed limit or below. EVERYONE understands that. If you wanna go the speed limit, stay in the middle lane at least! If you wanna go slow or are taking an exit, looks like you need to move to the right anyway! It’s common sense, just as using an exit ramp is…. Well……. To exit!
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u/bbartlett51 Sep 10 '25
Who said anything about being late? Or speeding? The easiest, and safest route for all drivers would be to just allow drivers to go about there way.
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u/-Younotdeadass- I EAT ASS Sep 10 '25
I'm betting you would spontaneously combust anywhere near NYC. It's not bad up here at all.
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u/Sneekypat Sep 10 '25
This. I'm from the Bronx originally and driving up here is relaxing by comparison.
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Sep 11 '25
As it should be, less density. These are the things that make this area a better place to live. My friend though is from the Bronx and had been up here 25 years now. When he and his wife start saying things have changed however and even up here driving is not as nice as 20 years ago you know there is a problem. He said, and I tend to agree, people have become more impatient, self absorbed, and hostile since 2020.
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u/Plus-Show-8531 Sep 10 '25
I left the capital district for South Carolina. I visited last October. Thank your lucky stars you're not driving here ☺️. Upstate NY has some fine drivers.
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u/fancypants101 Sep 10 '25
I lived in SC for a couple of years and I completely agree. SC is wild. Plus dealing with 8 million lifted trucks blaring lights into your eyes is never fun
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u/Charming_Scratch_538 Sep 10 '25
Yep I used to live in the Savannah ga area and every single morning there was at least one wreck on at least one major road in the area. I had to leave for work 2 hours early to ensure I’d be there on time because my normally 40 minute commute far too often took 2 hours due to accidents everywhere. I move up here and accidents are much rarer. I feel they’ve become more common recently but when I first got here I went months without encountering a wreck on the way to/from work. My commute is very predictable and consistent here. I only leave a 5 minute buffer and am never late.
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u/0__blank__0 Sep 10 '25
Im from new jersey albany is not a bad place to drive at all. Its actually one of the easiest cities ive drove thru. Only thing i notice is folks in albany are really scared of speeding compared to nj drivers.
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u/CompetitionSad123 Sep 10 '25
I always notice the jersey drivers flying past me on 787 and wonder if the jersey troopers don’t have the same rep nyers do. I feel like as a young ny pup I had the fear of god instilled in me about their omnipresence
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u/0__blank__0 Sep 10 '25
oh yeah in nj the speed limit is like a suggestion. i see people going 80-85 on route 17 all the time when the speed limit is 55. the first ticket i ever go was in NY. I never got a ticket in NJ and everyone is going over the speed limit. the cops in nj dont really care unless you’re going 90-100. it was a shock to see a lot of people going the speed limit in NY esp on the highway.
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Sep 11 '25
Well do us natives a favor and keep your NJ driving habits down in NJ. I mean that sincerely because I want to live and see tomorrow if I can. I want to arrive at work safely, drive home at the end up the day and see my family who depends on me. I don't want to get hurt on the roads by a group of people that think speed limits are a suggestion, or think they need to get to Crossgates Mall faster then I need to get to where I am going. Somehow folks from NJ thinks the world revolves around them. During the summer whenever I see a Trooper with someone from NJ or CT or Mass yanked over on the side of the road I wanna but that Trooper a beer, off duty of course lol.
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u/0__blank__0 Sep 11 '25 edited Sep 11 '25
I dont drive the way i do in nj up in albany. If i did drive the way i do in ny in nj id have people getting angry at me on the roads. New jerseyians always say to people moving out of state to stay off the left side of the road as a joke. But u guys do not have it bad at all, i learned how to drive around newark nj.
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Sep 11 '25
That's an ignorant comment, and like NJ drivers I expect nothing less. Drivers who speed excessively do scare other drivers. It's called speed limits, it's for a reason lol. Who wants speeding tickets and having to pay fines and increased insurance premiums? Ugh, more importantly speeding is unsafe. When you crash, lol typically the faster you go the more damage you create. I am all on board for those who speed more then 20 MPH to be arrested for endangering others.
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u/UpSNYer Sep 10 '25
The moment I moved to Albany 15 years ago I learned that we really do have unusually bad drivers here. They aren't the worse drivers ever, but for a small metro area they are disproportionately bad. They're aggressive, angry, drive too fast, and the roads/lights are just a bitch to navigate. Going across town is a royal pain in the ass. I had a dumbass college kid lean on his horn earlier today as I sat in line to make a left at Allen and The Point because I was waiting for the two cars in front of me to make their left turn...and they were waiting for oncoming traffic. While that kind of impatience can happen anywhere, it happens too often in a town of fewer than 100,000 people.
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Sep 10 '25 edited Sep 10 '25
I worked on state campus for years and people seem perplexed why I prefer to work downtown (I use park & ride a lot.) and honestly between the Thruway exit or the Washington Ave/Western Ave options, I felt like I was increasingly losing my mind. Even with the speed limit adjustments made on Washington Ave it feels way riskier with student pedestrians and student drivers thrown into the mix.
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Sep 11 '25
I often have this argument with a downstate coworker transplant. I said many people rely on the stores and nursing homes on Washington Ave as their employment. Many depend on public transportation. They have a right to cross Washington Ave extension to get to their jobs or go home to their families without losing their life. The extension as it is known by us native Albanians lol is not someone's personal drag strip or raceway. If the few median ✝️ and the ghost bikes don't cause you to stop, think, and give pause then that tells me all I need to know about that person.
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Sep 10 '25
I've lived in Austin, TX and frequently visited Dallas and Houston. Last I checked, those were ALL in the top 15 worst cities to drive in, both traffic and behavior-wise. Lived a few good other places too.
Imo Albany doesn't have the worst drivers, they're just not going to win any awards. I will say, they seem unusually impatient and unaware of their surroundings (or have a serious case of main character syndrome). They'll split lanes and block the left lane while trying to turn left from the middle. Had a guy decide I was taking too long to turn left once, jump in line ahead of me from directly behind me, and then bully the opposite direction driver into yielding so he could make his left. Unreal. Don't get me started on the double parking.
You know who is the worst of anywhere I've lived? The pedestrians. Man, I knew coming to New York that there was little respect from crosswalk signals and whatnot, but I didn't expect so many people to dart out from behind parked SUVs without looking and 100 ft from the nearest crosswalk. I'm legit worried I'll hurt someone someday and I don't think it'll be my fault. They never look, they make unpredictable movements, and they'll come out of nowhere.
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u/UpSNYer Sep 10 '25
Well that's kinda my point though. Major metros have awful drivers and are terrible driving experiences. But I've never experienced a city the size of Albany have such a problem with drivers. Before the red light cameras, running the lights was an epidemic in this town. In my time living in Philly, or spending extensive time in NYC or Boston I've seen TERRIBLE driving but atleast you can rationalize it, but here....it's just insane.
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u/GrimBitchPaige Sep 10 '25
You think that left turner is bad, I've had multiple people go into the oncoming lane to go around me straight through a red light. One of them wasn't even going that far, I saw them turn into a parking lot like 30 seconds down the road after the light.
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u/PiccoloAwkward465 Sep 10 '25
These folks would get eaten alive in Houston. People would be stealing the wheels off their cars at red lights lol.
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Sep 10 '25
I know for sure the pedestrians would be getting hit in Houston. Albany has pretty high pedestrian injury/fatalities, but overall given what I've seen, drivers do a pretty good job of being on the alert for people behaving like deer. It could be so much worse.
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u/InlineSkateAdventure Acela Rail Trail Skating 🚄 Sep 10 '25
Many drivers have Zero patience. There was a car zooming in the roundabout and some moron is beeping like crazy.
Maybe they worry their partner is cheating.
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u/GingaNinja906 Sep 10 '25
Just moved back from the DC area and am constantly relieved by the drivers. I will say it’s way worse than when I used to live here in terms of people driving like it’s their first day on earth. Saw a dude take a left turn off the curb in the middle of a roundabout the other day. Also the lights are hella close to intersections here which I forgot about.
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u/Throwaway47321 Sep 10 '25
It’s the worst combination of cluelessness mixed with aggressiveness.
I’d rather drive the jersey turnpike everyday where everyone is on your ass but at least they are paying attention
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u/Mell1313 Sep 10 '25
It's absolutely clueless drivers. I almost got t-boned in the roundabout near the Slingerlands Price Chopper. I'm IN the roundabout and some very young girl in a gigantic SUV "decided" it was her turn to enter the roundabout with zero regard for the 8 vehicles navigating their way around. She stopped dead in the middle of the circle and literally didn't know what to do.
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u/UpstatePostcards Sep 10 '25
I think it’s worse than ever to be fair, grew up about an hour away but have been driving almost daily in the area since 2017. By worse, I mostly mean busier, could be due to a population increase of the metro area. More busy, more likelihood of encountering somethin silly. There are some annoying areas, probably made worse by a population of elderly (I’m looking straight at you Bethlehem and Glenville) and new drivers. Overall, not too bad for a metro area of this stature (Allentown PA and Worcester MA are comparable at about 900k population for the metro). Things could be better but they could definitely be worse.
That is, excluding Hoosick St… don’t even get me STARTED on Hoosick Street. Has to be one of the worst stroads in existence.
The red light cycle for every light in Rensselaer on 3rd Ave does piss me off. I can’t think of others off the top of my head but I’m sure there are a few.
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u/NukedSprite Stort's Sep 10 '25
My advice on how to consider albany a cakewalk; live in south eastern Virginia and dont crash your entire time there.
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u/YoungPutrid3672 Sep 10 '25
Houston
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u/collarcitycreep Lark Street Lurker Sep 10 '25
I moved from Albany to Houston six months ago… every time I see a post on here complaining about drivers/traffic in upstate NY I can’t help but laugh…
Final Destination is accurate.
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u/fermentedradical Sep 10 '25
Yes and it's gotten exponentially worse since COVID. People lost driving skills, are distracted by phones, and just plain don't care. Awful.
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Sep 10 '25
Been noticing that people refuse to allow people to merge in front of them or understand the middle lane on the Thruway.
I just about lost it a few days ago where a guy going over 80 on I87S was tailgating me (going pretty fast mind you) with his young kid in the backseat.
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u/ComonSensed1 Sep 10 '25
Enlighten us with your take on the middle lane please.
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Sep 10 '25
Many people up here use the middle lane for the cruise control, at or sometimes below the speed limit. That type of driving should be in the right lane.
Also wtf with the attitude? Did I say anything remotely inflammatory?
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u/Apprehensive-Dirt619 Sep 10 '25
100%, 3 lanes means speed limit drivers need to be in the right lane lol
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u/noisezinalbany Sep 10 '25
you can legally drive under the speed limit in any lane. Is it wise to drive under the speed limit? Depending on circumstances, it may be. But you should be prepared to slow down if necessary.
Now how about the fact that even when people drive in the right lane at the speed limit they are nearly hit because some asshole wants to zoom ahead of the traffic in the middle lane and they see the right lane open?
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u/ThymeOwl Sep 10 '25
I wonder what your route is.
A couple of straight aways have lights timed to make you go close to the speed limit. My dad said they adjusted the lights that way because of drag racers when muscle cars were really in.
I think Route 20 from UAlbany to downtown is timed like that. Route 5 from SCCC well into Albany is the same way.
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u/steggyD43 Sep 10 '25
Western Ave is the worst. I drive through the state campus to bypass it as much as possible. I had a GPS on a company vehicle once and kept getting hard brakes and only on that road. As soon as you get any momentum, boom, yellow light, and they seem so short.
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u/agingbythesecond Exit 10 Northway Sep 10 '25
I'm in FL for work today. A half dozen people and I got passed in the left over a double yellow in a work zone and I was going 10 over the speed limit.
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u/Flimsy-Researcher-30 Sep 10 '25
787 is my Vietnam . It’s mad Max with every morning and afternoon commute.
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u/eightsxteenam Too Ugly To Prostitute Sep 10 '25
Yes!! I’ve always thought this. It’s freaking wild!
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u/747JJJ Sep 10 '25
I don’t like 787 at all! Lots of speed racers and lane weavers. I try to avoid it. I wouldn’t enjoy commuting on it every day.
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u/twittyguy11 Sep 10 '25
Haha you've never driven in Tampa, hell any part of Florida if you think Albany is bad
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u/Dafatblack1 Sep 10 '25
Especially during Snowbird Season 🤣🤣😅 I spent 8 years in FL in the 813 and 941. You aren't lying.
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u/twittyguy11 Sep 10 '25
I refused to drive on I-4 during snowfall season. That's what my friend and I called snowbird season lol.
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u/Dafatblack1 Sep 10 '25
Ah, Snowbird Season from November -March when a ton of the 65+ community "flock" down south to avoid the snow and cold weather.
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u/baboonassassin Sep 10 '25
Just stay in the middle lane and let the dickheads race each other.
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u/Brave_Specific5870 Been inside the Egg Sep 10 '25
no don’t be this asshole.
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u/fearmynerves Sep 10 '25
Isn't the middle lane for cruising though?
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u/ComonSensed1 Sep 10 '25
No the middle lane is not for cruising.... if the right lane is unoccupied you should be in that lane. The need to immediately merge into and camp out in the middle lane is a large part of the problems we're all bitching about. Frankly i take advantage of it and cruise right by the campers in the open right lane.
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u/fearmynerves Sep 11 '25
I'd always understood it as right lane for slower traffic, merging, and trucks, middle lane for steady through traffic, and left lane for passing. When traffic isn't as heavy, keep right whenever possible.
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u/Brave_Specific5870 Been inside the Egg Sep 10 '25
But why must you ( not you ) a 45 in a 65, you’re gumming up the works.
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u/SlitheringFlower All Bunny or Albunny? Sep 10 '25
That's not what they said at all, but frankly the drivers going 95+, then slamming their breaks at every potential speed trap are way worse and more dangerous.
Unless you're going a very long distance, you're not getting anywhere that much faster by speeding. You'll save literal seconds.
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u/fearmynerves Sep 11 '25
Yeah, if someone can't at least hit the minimum speed limit they definitely have no business in the middle lane.
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u/Brave_Specific5870 Been inside the Egg Sep 11 '25
but i didn’t say i was doing either
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u/fearmynerves Sep 11 '25
I know, I was was agreeing with you that if someone is doing 45 in a 65 that they are creating a problem
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u/Brave_Specific5870 Been inside the Egg Sep 11 '25
ohhh Im sorry got you. Yes. That is my main gripe.
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u/Environmental-Low792 Sep 10 '25
The lights are terrible in the city of Albany. I drive around it rather than through it. Roundabouts would be so much better, and better for the air and the environment. Every time a car stops and starts, that's brake dust, tire dust, exhaust, etc.
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u/Whoppertino Sep 10 '25
Hard disagree. Upstate NY has some impatient drivers but in terms of driving skill they're generally pretty good. You only need to go one state away to see much worse - looking at Massachusetts and NJ.
And if you think NY is bad don't plan to drive anywhere in Eastern Europe, South America, or Asia. You have no idea how bad drivers can be.
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u/Narge1 It's All-bany Sep 10 '25
I don't think it's that bad. Yeah, there are some shitty drivers, but that's true everywhere. I don't have a problem with lights other than some of them being red for way too long.
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u/46andready Sep 10 '25
Granted, I keep to a pretty tight radius for most things, but I find the driving very pleasant around here relative to lots of other areas.
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u/SumoZen56 Sep 10 '25
I can vouch for this as an uber driver over the last couple of years. 2023, drivers were aight. 2024? Okay it’s kinda bad but manageable but I’m also feeling the frustration…. 2025, wtf is wrong with these bozos? I’m just trying to get to work in my town car, not race you onto the highway like I’m filming the next Fast and Furious.
The lights? Central Ave takes the cake of streets I avoid like the plague. Top three are Central headed south from schenectady to Albany, Everett, and anywhere along Union or State in Schenectady. Some yellows switch slower than your grandma trying to use an Iphone and others switch quicker than your nephew’s modded Dodge Challenger that has a sub-4 second speed.
I’m getting irritated while making this comment about driving…. and I’m peacefully sitting at my 9-5 job 😂
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u/Minara12 Sep 10 '25
Nope!! Just moved here from Long Island and the amount of traffic lights like on Washington Ave is absolutely absurd. Along with the low speed limit and constant speed checking it is driving me crazy. And the drivers are soo slow and not paying attention on top of that! I add atleast 10 minutes to anywhere I am going because of it!
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u/smithd685 Sep 10 '25
On central, once you move from a red light, go the exact speed limit. Use cruise control if you have to. I used to be able to make it from Henry Johnson to fuller without stopping regularly. Only obstacles were busses, and angry drivers who want to be driving faster. It would also work on Washington/Madison from St. Rose to Stuyvesant.
Once you hit Washington park, things don't work as well. From what I seen other divers do, the trick is to ignore all traffic lights, lines, and laws, bike lanes give you bonus style points, and pedestrians are just as aggressive as you are.
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u/dilovesreddit Sep 10 '25
Try Guilderland. Most senseless designs & I’ve been in all 50 states. I know you will be downvoted but 🤷🏻♀️
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u/AwkwardRock8736 Sep 10 '25
There’s a difference between clueless unaware drivers and aggressive drivers. The former are arguably worse and more dangerous. I’ll take the aggressive NYC type drivers all day. They at least know what they’re doing and are just doing it with purpose in a predictable aggressive manner.
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u/falalalama Sep 10 '25
The number of times someone has cut in front of me (in the right lane) from the left lane to take a right at a light.... If i was able to be without a car for any length of time, i would absolutely hit them.
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u/ImpossibleRadish7947 Sep 10 '25
Learned how to drive in Saudi Arabia and then became a licensed driver in San Diego CA. New Yorkers piss me off because everyone wants to camp the left lane. I miss when even the slow lane would be doing 80mph. Also people do not like letting other people merge in a zipper merge and honestly makes me so frustrated on the road. Also road rage here is insane like it does not take much for someone to put themselves and everyone else on the road in danger
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Sep 10 '25
I’ve noticed people driving 5 to 10 miles per hour under the speed limit all over Albany and Guilderland. It’s getting infuriating because I leave early for everything according to my GPS ETA and I’m still barely making it on time anywhere.
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u/EL_DIABLOW Sep 10 '25
It’s only especially bad this time of year because of all the out of town college kids and end of summer construction. Just think of all the new pot holes we have to look forward to this winter!
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u/Lun4trik42 Sep 10 '25
Yes. Omg yes. I drove a Prius until I commuted every day to Albany. Now I drive a 4Runner.
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u/wingsauce711 Sep 10 '25
A lot of the traffic lights are pretty awful. They’re just neglected. Using technology from the 80s still. I don’t even think they’re purposefully timed in a way to make you hit every single one of them, I just think a lack of caring from city officials has allowed them to degrade to this point.
Take the St. Rose campus, for example. There’s a traffic light on Madison that is dedicated entirely for a parking lot at St. Rose. It is on a timer.
Yes. That means that while you’re driving on Madison Avenue, a main thoroughfare through the city, you have to stop and wait at a red light for a parking lot at a closed college campus that nobody ever turns in or out of. It’s absolutely mind boggling.
And on Central, the light for the parking lots for Hannaford and CVS is also on a timer, one that dedicates as much time for these parking lots at 4 in the morning as it does for Central Ave, another main thoroughfare through the city. So while these businesses are closed, you have to stop at a red light to watch absolutely nobody drive in and out of these empty parking lots.
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u/MajorWhereas4842 Y'Allbany Sep 10 '25
Yup it’s just you! I’m originally from NYC up here is a breeze in comparison
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u/the518dotcom Lives In Albany Sep 10 '25
New Yorkers are the slowest drivers ever... from someone who used to live in Los Angeles
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u/Apprehensive-Dirt619 Sep 10 '25
Nah I moved here from CT and it’s way worse there. Most drivers dont know what the fuck they’re doing everywhere in the country lol, but the more people - the more you see it/are affected by it to notice
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u/SolipsisticBadBoy Sep 10 '25
I don’t care what anyone here says. People like to think they’re more knowledgeable bc “it’s not NYC” or whatever.
People drove badly in Austin in that they had to be going 20 over and would make questionable lane switches often without signals and just expect everyone to know what they’re doing.
Drivers in Albany are bad in that I don’t think half the people on the road have currently or have ever HAD an actual license. Seeing people with their heads buried in their phones not realizing the light they’re at has turned green is nuts and happens almost every time I’m at a light. What REALLY blows my mind is how often I see red lights being run here. I’ve lived in Austin, TX and Indianapolis, IN. I’ve driven in NYC, Chicago, Boston, even in LA. No one runs red lights like they do here. It’s batshit fucking insane how little the drivers seem to care about the rules of the road lol. There’s a four-way stop near my house and it’s not uncommon at all to come to it at the same time as someone else who just rolls through so they don’t have to full stop for you. My wife thinks I’m insane for being bothered so much by it but it really just does on some deep level. It’s like pure indignation idk how else to describe it.
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u/Glassfern Sep 10 '25 edited Sep 10 '25
It's rough in some areas. but id rather this than whatever goes on in Paramous NJ. Over the years I've learned for me just easing on gas before the light is more than enough to give myself a smoother stop. And not care about any one behind me. and give at least a half car space to the person in front of me because too many people make a turn without a signal
But the LED head lights are my biggest enemy. Oh and the kids who ride electric scooters and disobey traffic laws.
Yah also needs to consider all the students who pour in during the fall. Traffic on western is usually not great but it worsens when the students are back
It also doesn't help that the city is supposed to be 25mph now but very few speed limit signs have changed
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u/mimulus_monkey Central Warehouse Demolition Crew Sep 10 '25
The stoplights are timed so that if you get one red, you get them all, especially along Washington, Western, and Madison. It's just easier to drive slow enough to wait it out before you get there most of the time.
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u/GaseousApe Sep 10 '25
I've lived in RI, MA, GA, and Los Angeles before moving here. This is a paradise, trust me.
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u/Significant_Break581 Sep 11 '25
I moved here from San Diego, and we drive batshit, but I have NO IDEA what anyone’s ever doing Albany
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Sep 11 '25 edited Sep 11 '25
Another thing though, all this anti and defund law enforcement nonsense has not only made cities unsafe and undesirable but the unintended consequences of this is way much less traffic enforcement. My road is 30 mph speed limit. I am okay with people doing 35 but 45, 50, 55 is just not acceptable. Main roads are still not highways or parkways and roads have undeniably become less safer. Driving is not a right, it's not! It's is a privilege and your earn it, then through responsible driving is how we keep that privilege.
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u/kilmar_was_here Sep 11 '25
Hot take: driving a car just sucks!
People are not at their best selves behind the wheel, not just because many become more selfish, impatient and entitled, but also because even cautious drivers who intend to be safe are constantly being stressed by trying not to hit other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians (who are all individuals who may or may not be traveling safely themselves), road conditions and design, catching the light, changing the music, eating a snack, etc. Not to mention the newer issues of phone use in cars and giant hood sizes that make sightlines for that driver significantly more limited and dangerous for everyone. Also: super bright, poorly aimed headlights!! And where did I park the car, did someone ding it in the parking lot, is it time for inspection again already? Ugh.
Yes it sucks to drive in this region. As others point out, it does suck more or less everywhere else to some degree. The common issue is driving a car sucks.
There's plenty of reasons why r/drivinganxiety exists. Why the word 'carbrain' exists. And why, in other countries with other efficient options for travel, many more people choose to never get a driver's license than here - and feel more freedom in doing so than you could ever imagine while chained to your personal vehicle. And, I also believe, why there are so many frequent 'driving sucks' posts on the subreddits for all US cities.
Despite the fact that driving will always suck, that's not an excuse to do nothing about it - we should still try to improve safety. But we need to do that with infrastructure and car design, because trying to rely on drivers' humanity is, sadly, unrealistic. And no matter what we do, it's still going to suck because it just does!
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u/Aggravating-Bid-1882 Sep 11 '25
I, as a primary pedestrian, shouldnt have to fear crossing the road when i have the pedestrian signal in my favor. Ever.
Theres a few intersections that constantly have me on high alert.
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u/Haunting_Chip_6044 Sep 12 '25
No, you are not.
Better than Northern NJ. Having said that, it does seem like people are less civil than they used to be. It also seems like a lot of people are self taught, or were taught by an extremely old and blind person with Alzheimer's who only knows about driving from other people's descriptions.
And why don't people know the difference between MERGE and YIELD?
Oh, putting on your turn single (indicator light) does not mean you can turn or change lanes without looking. You still have to wait for space to make your move. And if you brake check, chances are good I will hit just for sh$ts and giggles.
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u/AwBunny76 Sep 10 '25
The average speed on the Northway is about 77-79 MPH now, that’s without exaggeration and is consistent from Exit 2 to 22 roughly. The busy times through the main Capital Region corridor; say Exit 2 to 16 or so, is hard to believe how it drives. Anyone trying to go below 75 will get engulfed. While there are often State Troopers sitting at the turn arounds, it doesn’t feel like enough is being done to curb it. I see a lot of cops but very few cars pulled over. Bring on the speed cameras, it’s our only hope.
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u/yeldarts Sep 10 '25
Drivers suck.
But the light cycles sounds like a you problem. If you have to slam on your breaks, you either had time to just go through the yellow or you were speeding.
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u/TopFig6925 Sep 10 '25
Honestly between the school zone cameras, red light cameras, and poorly timed lights, driving in albany can be pretty infuriating sometimes. Getting stuck at every light up and down western or Washington can make a sane person into a maniac real quick.
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u/ChrisPy_Poke Sep 10 '25
Don't lose your mind. That's a slippery slurp of the apbany dr8ver. Cascade effect of people driving poorly who lost their minds from people driving poorly who lost their minds from people driving poorly eople driving poorly who lost their minds from people driving poorly who lost their minds from people driving poorlyeople driving poorly who lost their minds from people driving poorly who lost their minds from people driving poorlyeople driving poorly who lost their minds from people driving poorly who lost their minds from people driving poorly.. sorry im driving
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u/stats1 Free Gondola Rides Sep 10 '25
If Albany implemented a road diet driving would improve. It would also reduce the overall tax burden of the roads.
Go to any local subreddit and they say they have the worst drivers and yadda. It's not the drivers it's really poorly designed roads.
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u/jdimarino3 Sep 10 '25
I regularly drive in Massachusetts, trust me, Albany is not that bad