The worst drivers in the United States are in ____

Most likely, you read that blog title and filled in the blank with your own city or experience you once had.

Let it be known that unless you said Albuquerque, New Mexico...you are wrong.

Now, I've lived/stayed for an extended period of time/been in many cities during my short 26 years on this Earth. I have lived in Memphis, Tennessee, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Charlotte, North Carolina, Dallas, Texas, Orlando, Florida, Boston, Massachusetts, Austin, Texas and now ABQ, NM. I have visited dang near every corner of this lovely country we live in. However, I have NEVER seen such bad drivers as in Albuquerque.

When I lived in Memphis, most of the drivers were highway drivers. They drove fast. They drove pretty well. When I lived in Pittsburgh, most people didn't drive or even own a car. When I lived in Charlotte, everyone was relaxed and laid back. When I lived in Dallas, everyone sped like demons. When I lived in Orlando, everyone took buses. When I lived in ATX, everyone drove recklessly, but slowly.

The difference of Albuquerque was people drove either EXTREMELY slowly or EXTREMELY quickly. They swerved within lanes. They weaved in and out of lanes without signaling. They tailgated, zoomed past you, just to get in front of you and go 10 mph UNDER the speed limit. A majority of them are driving drunk here, because it seems that no one learned how to call a taxi or designate a driver. Many of them don't seem to know where they are going at any point. They think yield signs are stop signs and stop signs are suggestions. They run red lights worse than anyone I've ever seen. Overall, they are bad drivers.


I tell you that story to tell you this story. When David and I were taking Brandan to the airport a while ago, a cop was standing at the airport entrance...clocking people. I was going 30 mph. I won't lie. I was. Turns out, at that ONE section of the airport, the speed limit is 15 mph. So, the cop pulled me over and ticketed me. He suggested -- since my record was clean -- that I take the class instead of going through an extensive court process. I said, "OK."

I show up to court to plead guilty and to get the information for driver-improvement class. The assistant looks at my ticket and says "Well, you were going 36 in a 15." I say, "No. I was going 30 in a 15." She shows me the ticket. The cop's bad penmanship led to me getting a felony speeding ticket. This means the fine was doubled. WTF. So, I went before the judge, admitted my (slight) guilt and paid the $64 in court fees. She gave me a number to call to set up my six-hour, driver-improvement course.

I go out to my car and while sitting in my parking spot, I dial the number she's given me. A man answers and the conversation goes as such:

"Driving School?"
"Hello? Yes. I'd like to schedule my driver-improvement course please."
"OK."
LONG PAUSE
"So... I'd like to go ahead and schedule that now, please."
"OH! Yeah. We've got one tonight. 6 - 9 p.m."
"OK. So, when do I take the other three hours."
"Well, it's towards the end of the year...so we're just trying to get it done. So, it'll just be a 3-hour class. But, we'll sign your form as a six-hour course."
"OK??? Where is it?"

The guy proceeds to give me directions to a small building in a nearby high school. I go home and relay the story to David. It all seemed a bit sketchy, but this was the court phone number. It HAD to be correct right?

I show up to the building, and there about 20 people in the class. Most don't have any teeth. I'm not exaggerating. Most looked like they have been to a few of these classes.

The teachers get up to the front of the class and says "So, you guys really drew the lottery here. I'm a substitute. I don't want to be here. So, I'm going to lecture for a while and then we'll get out of here."

I look around. I can't believe it. As people starting telling their stories about how they've gotten four DWIs (not kidding) and one person saying that her friend keeps a bag packed just in case the cops come to take him to prison (not kidding again), my mind wandered. Is this why all the drivers are bad? Is it because even when you get caught breaking the law, they don't even ATTEMPT to teach you how to prevent that from happening again? They don't even test your knowledge?

I sincerely feel that every 5 years, you should have to go through driving school again. And a vision test.

One of my co-workers told me she was at the MVD one day and they gave an elderly woman the vision test. My friend had just taken the test and had read the same line as this elderly lady. Even though the elderly lady only got 4 out of the 10 letters correct, she got her license renewed. Come on, New Mexico. Make it LOOK like you are trying.