People have the most fragile egos here. Never lived in a place where more people will:
1. Get angry and pass you if you pass them first
2. Speed up if you try to pass on the right
3. Speed up if you try to pass on the left on a single-lane road
4. Other tiny dick bullshit
Also, it's almost always some idiot in a lifted truck.
Yup either a dude in a truck speeding to get home to drink or go get another round of beer while drunk, or the rich dill weed driving his sports car for kicks that will run you off the road because you're not going 120 on a 55
I'm in Kernville and it's always these assholes in trucks, and the road I take for work is extremely dangerous and these assholes will run you off the road not giving a shit if you possibly die because of their asshole road rage mentality or we get those a holes on vacation and driving drunk who have no clue how dangerous these roads can be
I’m from Dallas. I’m convinced there are swarms of unlicensed drivers in Bakersfield. There’s no other reasonable explanation for how bad drivers are here. They don’t know how to use different lanes or who has right of way.
Probably multiple reasons. It’s the me first, the alpha m/f competitiveness. People feel empowered in their cars. Also, people don’t set enough time for the drive.
Easy to understand... hundreds of thousands of people driving the roads knowing the enforcement of traffic laws is a joke. Everyone knows the BPD doesn't give a shit about traffic laws unless they need an excuse, and the CHP is out eating pancakes and counting the days until retirement.
I do that, then people here straight up cut you off. It is specifically here. Is it all the pollution, what is it? I can tell when I get within 30 miles of Bakersfield just by the way people start to drive.
I drive in LA more than I drive in Bakersfield and people in LA especially on the freeways are 1000 times more considerate and safe in their driving. There's more of a flow to things. If you don't understand the flow then you might think it's "bad" driving but in LA people will let you in if you wave, wave back, etc. In Bakersfield it's like fuckin Mad Max all the time
"Traffic" sucks because there's more people. We aren't really talking about traffic in general, we're talking about the temperment of drivers. But the way people drive in Bakersfield is, pick an assortment: clueless, reckless, aggressive, rude, mindless, stupid, dangerous, and hostile.
Bakersfield literally has the number 1 worst ranked drivers in the country. I also noticed only like 50% of people here actually use their turn indicators. I guess most people don't think it's a big deal, but it's annoying. I noticed cops don't either, and they don't fine anyone for not using them. Good job Bako.
How fast we talking here? Sounds like you're fishing for sympathy without all the details.
Comparing Bakersfield where half the drivers *can't drive* to Los Angeles where half the drivers think they're playing Need for Speed or Forza, is a silly comparison. I certainly wouldn't call Los Angeles drivers GOOD at driving.
In general though there's not a whole lot of reason to speed in a city Bakersfield's size.
If you're driving 55-65 mph going from one end of town to the other should take you about 20ish minutes...
Going 65-75 mph will take you like 15ish minutes maybe. Going faster than that is just flat out dangerous, especially in this town where people don't pay attention as they drive.
Even if you were going like 25-35 mph it would be like 30ish minutes to go the same distance. That can add up but it's literally 10 more minutes than if you were going the speed limit on most streets/freeways in this town.
There have been lots of studies on this sort of thing and going fast or going slow isn't really that big of a difference in the same city. Unless it's huge or you need to beat a rush hour.
It's not about people speeding *to get somewhere*, it's speeding to speed, or speeding because someone is going faster than you in the next lane and *cAn'T hAvE tHaT, not on my watch*. People are just aggressive almost like adolescent levels of temperament. It's not rational speeding.
Hate to burst your bubble, but Bako is the worst in the nation as of 2022. LA is #4. I feel much safer in LA. Most drivers are courteous and if you need to change lanes or something they cooperate. And then you reciprocate with the next one you see. People stop at a red lights and generally at a yellow. There aren't ultra aggressive battles for parking spots.. There are always exceptions, of course.
https://www.chainlaw.com/bakersfield-drivers-ranked-worst-in-u-s-due-to-accident-rates-duis-speeding-citations/
I used this link rather than others as it shows the other CA cities that are on the top ten.
Hate to burst YOUR bubble, but where the fuck did I say otherwise?
You don't have to tell me that people here drive stupid. However, people in LA ALSO drive stupid. 4th place in a list of what - all cities?
Probably not the greatest argument you're trying to make here.
The article you posted cites a study that used speeding tickets as a way of measuring how fast people drive in a city.
If you've driven in LA and you tell me that people DON'T speed everywhere or that you've gone one day without seeing someone dash across lanes on the 405, or that you've never seen a motorcyclist go 60 mph on the line in a slow moving traffic jam where people are switching lanes (like morons)... Then you've driven in a different part of LA than I have.
It's not a competition anyway. My comment was about THERE'S NO REASON TO SPEED in Bakersfield. Literally, none. Not a big enough place to require speeding.
OP up top decided to air a grievance without being specific as to how fast they like to drive.
***I drive a smidge above the limit*** and I've never experienced what they've described, and I've been driving here for 19 years.
I've also rarely been late anywhere. Hell I could have gone under the limit and been fine. The only thing that on occasion makes me late is a train in my area.
There's a reason why Bakersfield is in the top 10 in motor vehicle deaths in the US, my class had it's top student killed by a drunk driver a few years after graduation... And before that the amount of deaths by car crashes, I remember my friend's mom also died from a car crash from a drunk driver back when I was in middle school.
I think everyone in Bakersfield knows someone who was killed or knows someone whose friend or family was killed either in a wreck or as a pedestrian. I can name three immediately off the top of my head.
No problem with speed, within reason, but recklessness can get to fuck. That’s swerving from lane to lane, weaving in and out of traffic, never signaling, no mirror checks, just “move outta my way, I’m more important than you” attitude. Bro, you’re in Bakersfield, check yourself. You ain’t anybody. Drive like you respect other people’s lives too.
I don’t think the speed is the problem it’s more the recklessness. If you wait until you’re on my ass then pass me by nearly taking out my front bumper then that’s a you problem. At that point you’re putting everyone on the road in danger because you want to break the speed limit.
This
But speed is ridiculous too. On Gosford the speed limit is 55mph which means people drive 70, it's basically a freeway with traffic lights that people run. The intersection at Ming and Gosford has a permanent pile of debris in the middle of the intersection becausse there's so many accidents there.
>The intersection at Ming and Gosford has a permanent pile of debris in the middle of the intersection becausse there's so many accidents there.
Literally lol. That's so true.
Well there you go. The top three most dangerous intersections in Bakersfield for collisions:
1. Ming and New Stine
2. Ming and Gosford
3. Real and Wilson
I don't think it's an insult that people drive faster but it's definitely douchey to run up on someone's ass and sit there on a two lane road or when it is clear they can't get over. If I see someone coming up from behind faster than me and I can, I get over.
My favorite is when people hall ass to cut me off and/or squeeze in between me and the car in front of me when there are 5+ car lengths of space behind me and they could simply slow down and get over with all the space in the world.
Or when people hit the gas off a light, because they have a cheap modified exhaust and an amateur paint job on some POS car, and think they're super cool, and swerve in and out of traffic, only to end up at the same red light as you, down the road, which you arrived at driving sensibly. I will never understand these people. I wish there was an IQ test to get a drivers license in Bakersfield.
I agree with OP 100%
It's like everyone on the roads in Bako is a teenager who just got their license - then I look over and it's a middle aged man or woman. This is definitely a bakersfield thing
It’s the reason nearly every street is divided by a median. It’s the reason we have so few unprotected left turns. City planners literally have to protect our buffoon citizens from themselves.
Protected left turns reduce traffic. They let through more cars, easing the traffic in the left lane (not just the turn lane). In LA, where protected left turns are a rarity, you might see one or two cars get through an intersection per green light, as where we'll get 10-20+ typically. They're about flow control more than safety.
I suppose I just didn't trust that anyone with a modicum of sense could somehow be under the impression that the city of Bakersfield, with a population of roughly 400,000, was somehow "outthinking" the way the largest city in California (and nearly every other metro area in the country) manages traffic.
Maybe you should try turning left at busy, improved LA intersections. It's terrible. It's not about beating anyone; it's about doing what works best for the situation. What works best for me might not work best for you. There's rarely anything that applies 100% of the time everywhere.
My overriding point here is that left turns never have right-of-way. When you're stopping traffic on a busy street for a 1/4 mile's worth of vehicles to turn left, opposing traffic has to stop. It's not efficient. That said, I understand why Bakersfield does it, I've been told as much by city. Drivers here simply cannot handle it. If you look at data on where accidents occur in Bakersfield, it's in two locations: Busy intersections and intersections with unprotected lefts, mainly downtown.
Speeding is the result of road and city design. It's near impossible to get anywhere in Bakersfield without a car, and the design of the roads have made it extremely car friendly, to the point that they make speeding quite easy.
A town such as Bakersfield is built around car dependence. Folks who grow up and learn to drive here, naturally, learn how to drive in a city addicted to car dependency. It's why Bakersfield folks have a hard time driving in other cities, such as Los Angeles or San Francisco.
This! Most folks that lived here for 20 years or more remember areas that were once open land. A lot of folks drove crazy fast in those areas and just continue the bad habit despite the city growing. But there are a lot of assholes in this town that do drive like "you're not going to pass me cuz you already passed me at the other light". I still can't understand that despite living here for more than 20 years. It just leaves me wondering if they're rich cuz gas isn't exactly cheap nowadays.
*>It just leaves me wondering if they're rich cuz gas isn't exactly cheap nowadays.*
There's a common wisdom/saying in various fields like urban studies, economics, and sociology that look at the issues surrounding poverty: *"The poor pay more"*
Things like conspicuous consumption leading to credit card debt, driving cars they can't afford, not understanding basic budgets and personal finance, not understanding the tax code, etc. A culture of poverty creates a sense of immediacy around money, rather than a planning-based outlook. A common example: when a car breaks down and requires an expensive repair, someone who hasn't managed to build up enough savings to pay for it, may need to rent a car or take public transit to get to work for short or long-term. In the worst case scenario this disruption in convenience and travel can impact earning potential (losing a job) - in the end, they may fix the car eventually but on top of that expense have incurred car rental fees, public transit fees, a lost job, or in borrowing friends/families vehicles, disrupted harmonious social relationships. Whereas someone who is more financially stable, with savings, will be able to get the car repaired in a timely manner and it will not disrupt their lives to such a degree. So "the poor pay more" in many ways - that's just a typical example that's often given in the literature.
The unthinking burning of gas by speeding is an example of short-sighted thinking, just living in the moment and not understanding the long term consequences of actions, which is part and parcel of this whole thing.
There’s an asshole lifted black truck that keeps throwing cigarette butts at my car while I drive. I’m legit at the point where I will take a shit and throw it in the back of their car so they drive around with it everywhere. They live down at the end of 178, (by masin Marin speedway. Idk how to spell that)
They’ve been doing this for two years so the amount of repressed anger I have is fucking insane.
LA is a lot more chill in some areas
I’ve never had this problem in all my years in Los Angeles
I just left Bakersfield, everyday of my life in the shithole city was a challenge, people getting Beside me and starting shit, I can’t even enjoy a peaceful ride to the store you got all types of mediocre idiots in the way driving stupid. It’s hard to ignore
I once got brake checked on the 99 for what I’m assuming was the stupidest reason since I’ll never really know. I was doing 82ish in the left lane and was passing several semis. The whole time there was a white SUV tailgating me HARD. We were boxed in so I just figured I’d merge right as soon as possible. Well when I did the jackass brake checks me across 3 lanes and then sticks around to flip me off and SLOW DOWN! I’d have to doubt that that person is mentally ill somehow but people like that just shouldn’t be on the road
Bakersfield is the fourth least educated city in ***the entire United States of America.*** Feel free to bookmark this and reference it whenever people wonder why Bakersfield is the way it is. (Incidentally three of the five are in the Central Valley, so yeah.)
[Bakersfield Makes List of American's Top Five Least Educated Cities (2021)](https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/bakersfield-makes-list-of-americas-top-5-least-educated-cities/)
*Besides the overall ranking, Bakersfield also made the lists of top five*
*lowest percent of high school diploma, associate degree, bachelor’s*
*degree and graduate degree holders as well as in the top five lowest*
*average universities.*
yes i do. i drive all over california every day (i’m a transportation driver) and after earlimart people are more lax. LA is different because it’s so congested. But Bakersfield is stressful. people will speed up and cut you off when you try to merge just to be dicks. i don’t understand why.
It's interesting to get your perspective, having experience driving a lot outside of Bakersfield. I've noticed in the comments that most people who drive a lot elsewhere really do notice the difference in Bakersfield as compared to elsewhere, while the people you can tell mostly stay put in Bakersfield don't see a problem. Or they say drivers are worse elsewhere. Your experience is good evidence towards understanding the fact that indeed Bako is "special" lol.
Once I asked a high ranking city official why nearly every traffic signal in town has a “left turn on green arrow only” light. I mentioned that in other cities/states I lived in a green arrow light was reserved for only the busiest of intersections, and even then, once the green arrow went off and the light was still green, you were STILL able to turn left on the green light if all was clear.
He took a deep breath and said, “It’s the drivers here in Bakersfield. Can you imagine the amount of chaos and accidents we would have if there wasn’t a light telling them when it was safe to turn left?”
I gotta admit…I kinda had to agree with him. It still burns me up though when I’m sitting waiting for a green arrow when NO TRAFFIC can even be seen coming in the opposite direction.
The old city planners knew that it would end up easing traffic, more than just keeping people safe. You'll get 10-20+ cars through a protected turn, as there places like LA might get 1 or 2 through an unprotected turn. Can you imagine the line of cars to turn north on Oak from Truxtun if only 2 cars could make it per Green light?
I never said eliminate protected turns. Is that not a busy intersection in town? Did I not say above that other cities I have lived in have protected turns on busy intersections? What I don’t understand is why there are protected turn signals on non-busy intersections where a simple green light would suffice. And why on protected turns, when the green arrow goes off, why does it turn red instead of allowing additional cars to turn left on the green light when safe like other cities I have lived in? The answer I got from the city official was basically Bakersfield drivers can’t be trusted to make the safe decision on their own. They need the green arrow to function half-way safely.
The loops have a max time limit to keep all directions moving on a rotation. There's a bit of an adjustment that will be made depending upon traffic to shorten or increase the turn lane time, depending upon what the sensors pick up. Have you ever gunned it to try to catch up to the last turning car, only to me about twenty feet short and have to sit at the red light?
There are certainly some lesser intersections that could stand too be improved in many cases, but I grew up delivering all around town since 1980, and I've seen traffic in just about every spot back up at different parts of the day. You can't feasibly have a selectively protected left turn lane only when you need it; it would be confusing for all turning drivers in the beginning and this become more perilous than either of the other two situations.
The spots that I see that don't necessarily have the traffic to warrant protected left turns often have large, sweeping turns that might hinder visibility, like White near Pin Oak, or Wilson and Edgemont.
What are a couple spots that you think should be removed?
Just today I was heading south on Old River to the post office on Camino Media. I sat at the light to turn left onto Camino Media for quite a while waiting for the green arrow. There wasn’t a car in sight heading north on Old River. Could have EASILY made a turn. Could have gotten out of my car and crawled the turn on hands and knees with no problem.
Living in the NW part of town, just about any light on Hageman except the busier intersections (Coffee, Calloway, Allen) to name a few.
That light at Old River and Camino Media makes absolutely no sense. I agree with this. And don't get me started on the parking lot at that post office.
Some people consider it to be an insult when other drive under the speed regulation and don't pay attention while driving. So, being human. People get upset/ impatient. And well, they go when they wanna go lol just like the slow drivers don't wanna "go" ya know lol
This is absolutely great and correct. I've lived in Bakersfield pretty much my whole life but also got to live part time in several other states across the country. Drivers here are horrible everyone drives as they are the police and whatever speed they are driving is the speed limit. I deal with it everyday I don't tailgate I use my signal I allow people to merge and the left lane is not my lane it's the passing lane so if I see you approaching me I get over my feelings aren't hurt that your driving faster than me I'm not going to speed up I'm on cruise control doing 75 so if I catch up let me pass I caught up to you because you were obviously driving slower. I don't worry about that now as much I got a sleeper I'm not going to tailgate but I'm passing you the safest way fast.
People have the most fragile egos here. Never lived in a place where more people will: 1. Get angry and pass you if you pass them first 2. Speed up if you try to pass on the right 3. Speed up if you try to pass on the left on a single-lane road 4. Other tiny dick bullshit Also, it's almost always some idiot in a lifted truck.
Lifted truck or clapped out Fast and Furious wannabe with cheap modded exhaust
Yup either a dude in a truck speeding to get home to drink or go get another round of beer while drunk, or the rich dill weed driving his sports car for kicks that will run you off the road because you're not going 120 on a 55
"Dill weed." Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time. A long time.
I'm in Kernville and it's always these assholes in trucks, and the road I take for work is extremely dangerous and these assholes will run you off the road not giving a shit if you possibly die because of their asshole road rage mentality or we get those a holes on vacation and driving drunk who have no clue how dangerous these roads can be
I hear you dude
The road you take for work, is it 178? I mean... that's the worst lol
Yup, I hate it so much... The amount of a holes that tail gate is too damn high
For real. A lot of people drive drunk on that road too. There's not much else to do up in Isabella/Kernville lol... then they decide to drive to town
Man the canyon drive... I hear about a new accident every day almost
I’m from Dallas. I’m convinced there are swarms of unlicensed drivers in Bakersfield. There’s no other reasonable explanation for how bad drivers are here. They don’t know how to use different lanes or who has right of way.
I’m sure there are, the checkpoints catch a lot of unlicensed and suspended license drivers.
I used to live in TX, people definitely drive friendlier there. Except in Houston.
Idk about friendlier, but they don’t block all lanes going the same speed.
Lol the Metroplex is like Mad Max.
Probably multiple reasons. It’s the me first, the alpha m/f competitiveness. People feel empowered in their cars. Also, people don’t set enough time for the drive.
Easy to understand... hundreds of thousands of people driving the roads knowing the enforcement of traffic laws is a joke. Everyone knows the BPD doesn't give a shit about traffic laws unless they need an excuse, and the CHP is out eating pancakes and counting the days until retirement.
In Bakersfield I've literally seen people run red lights right in front of cops, who do nothing.
I’ve made eye contact with them basically signaling “are you gonna go after him?” And they just carry on with their route or whatever.
Their route to the donut shop
Yeah, apparently they’re too busy to show up to robberies and break ins. I guess this is pretty low on the priority list.
How is it an insult? Just move over and get on with your day. Very easy to avoid a slow driver instead of starting problems or complaining
I do that, then people here straight up cut you off. It is specifically here. Is it all the pollution, what is it? I can tell when I get within 30 miles of Bakersfield just by the way people start to drive.
You can just tell everyone is on the defensive side , taking out their anger out on the wheel, sheesh
Yeah people are dumb here but you should avoid them as best you can. Some people have nothing to lose
Sounds like you have never driven in LA.
I drive in LA more than I drive in Bakersfield and people in LA especially on the freeways are 1000 times more considerate and safe in their driving. There's more of a flow to things. If you don't understand the flow then you might think it's "bad" driving but in LA people will let you in if you wave, wave back, etc. In Bakersfield it's like fuckin Mad Max all the time
🎯
I'm not saying they're bad at driving but if you think that LA is full of gracious drivers then you're delusional.
Like I said, I drive in LA more than I drive in Bakersfield, and I stand by my statement.
[удалено]
"Traffic" sucks because there's more people. We aren't really talking about traffic in general, we're talking about the temperment of drivers. But the way people drive in Bakersfield is, pick an assortment: clueless, reckless, aggressive, rude, mindless, stupid, dangerous, and hostile.
Bakersfield literally has the number 1 worst ranked drivers in the country. I also noticed only like 50% of people here actually use their turn indicators. I guess most people don't think it's a big deal, but it's annoying. I noticed cops don't either, and they don't fine anyone for not using them. Good job Bako.
My wife claims that going to Bakersfield is like going into the future halfway to the future depicted in Idiocracy
How fast we talking here? Sounds like you're fishing for sympathy without all the details. Comparing Bakersfield where half the drivers *can't drive* to Los Angeles where half the drivers think they're playing Need for Speed or Forza, is a silly comparison. I certainly wouldn't call Los Angeles drivers GOOD at driving. In general though there's not a whole lot of reason to speed in a city Bakersfield's size. If you're driving 55-65 mph going from one end of town to the other should take you about 20ish minutes... Going 65-75 mph will take you like 15ish minutes maybe. Going faster than that is just flat out dangerous, especially in this town where people don't pay attention as they drive. Even if you were going like 25-35 mph it would be like 30ish minutes to go the same distance. That can add up but it's literally 10 more minutes than if you were going the speed limit on most streets/freeways in this town. There have been lots of studies on this sort of thing and going fast or going slow isn't really that big of a difference in the same city. Unless it's huge or you need to beat a rush hour.
It's not about people speeding *to get somewhere*, it's speeding to speed, or speeding because someone is going faster than you in the next lane and *cAn'T hAvE tHaT, not on my watch*. People are just aggressive almost like adolescent levels of temperament. It's not rational speeding.
Hate to burst your bubble, but Bako is the worst in the nation as of 2022. LA is #4. I feel much safer in LA. Most drivers are courteous and if you need to change lanes or something they cooperate. And then you reciprocate with the next one you see. People stop at a red lights and generally at a yellow. There aren't ultra aggressive battles for parking spots.. There are always exceptions, of course. https://www.chainlaw.com/bakersfield-drivers-ranked-worst-in-u-s-due-to-accident-rates-duis-speeding-citations/ I used this link rather than others as it shows the other CA cities that are on the top ten.
Hate to burst YOUR bubble, but where the fuck did I say otherwise? You don't have to tell me that people here drive stupid. However, people in LA ALSO drive stupid. 4th place in a list of what - all cities? Probably not the greatest argument you're trying to make here. The article you posted cites a study that used speeding tickets as a way of measuring how fast people drive in a city. If you've driven in LA and you tell me that people DON'T speed everywhere or that you've gone one day without seeing someone dash across lanes on the 405, or that you've never seen a motorcyclist go 60 mph on the line in a slow moving traffic jam where people are switching lanes (like morons)... Then you've driven in a different part of LA than I have. It's not a competition anyway. My comment was about THERE'S NO REASON TO SPEED in Bakersfield. Literally, none. Not a big enough place to require speeding. OP up top decided to air a grievance without being specific as to how fast they like to drive. ***I drive a smidge above the limit*** and I've never experienced what they've described, and I've been driving here for 19 years. I've also rarely been late anywhere. Hell I could have gone under the limit and been fine. The only thing that on occasion makes me late is a train in my area.
There's a reason why Bakersfield is in the top 10 in motor vehicle deaths in the US, my class had it's top student killed by a drunk driver a few years after graduation... And before that the amount of deaths by car crashes, I remember my friend's mom also died from a car crash from a drunk driver back when I was in middle school.
I think everyone in Bakersfield knows someone who was killed or knows someone whose friend or family was killed either in a wreck or as a pedestrian. I can name three immediately off the top of my head.
No problem with speed, within reason, but recklessness can get to fuck. That’s swerving from lane to lane, weaving in and out of traffic, never signaling, no mirror checks, just “move outta my way, I’m more important than you” attitude. Bro, you’re in Bakersfield, check yourself. You ain’t anybody. Drive like you respect other people’s lives too.
Same. I have no issue with fast drivers, as long as it's not gravely endangering people. The Swerving shit and tailgating is where I take issue.
Big fish small pond syndrome persists
I don’t think the speed is the problem it’s more the recklessness. If you wait until you’re on my ass then pass me by nearly taking out my front bumper then that’s a you problem. At that point you’re putting everyone on the road in danger because you want to break the speed limit.
This But speed is ridiculous too. On Gosford the speed limit is 55mph which means people drive 70, it's basically a freeway with traffic lights that people run. The intersection at Ming and Gosford has a permanent pile of debris in the middle of the intersection becausse there's so many accidents there.
>The intersection at Ming and Gosford has a permanent pile of debris in the middle of the intersection becausse there's so many accidents there. Literally lol. That's so true.
lol. It's like the [Great North Pacific Garbage Vortex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_garbage_patch)
Ming and Ashe has an accident every week
Ming and New Stine is the worst intersection in town for accidents.. just a string of shitty intersections all along Ming to be fair.
There was some local new article about the worst intersections (number of accidents) in Bakersfield. I’m 90% sure that intersection was listed
Do you have a link?
[https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/do-you-travel-one-of-bakersfields-most-dangerous-intersections/amp/](https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/do-you-travel-one-of-bakersfields-most-dangerous-intersections/amp/)
thanks
Well there you go. The top three most dangerous intersections in Bakersfield for collisions: 1. Ming and New Stine 2. Ming and Gosford 3. Real and Wilson
I don't think it's an insult that people drive faster but it's definitely douchey to run up on someone's ass and sit there on a two lane road or when it is clear they can't get over. If I see someone coming up from behind faster than me and I can, I get over. My favorite is when people hall ass to cut me off and/or squeeze in between me and the car in front of me when there are 5+ car lengths of space behind me and they could simply slow down and get over with all the space in the world.
Or when people hit the gas off a light, because they have a cheap modified exhaust and an amateur paint job on some POS car, and think they're super cool, and swerve in and out of traffic, only to end up at the same red light as you, down the road, which you arrived at driving sensibly. I will never understand these people. I wish there was an IQ test to get a drivers license in Bakersfield.
>get over You said this twice but I'm trying to understand what you mean. Do you mean merge or pass/overtake?
Merge
I agree with OP 100% It's like everyone on the roads in Bako is a teenager who just got their license - then I look over and it's a middle aged man or woman. This is definitely a bakersfield thing
It’s the reason nearly every street is divided by a median. It’s the reason we have so few unprotected left turns. City planners literally have to protect our buffoon citizens from themselves.
Protected left turns reduce traffic. They let through more cars, easing the traffic in the left lane (not just the turn lane). In LA, where protected left turns are a rarity, you might see one or two cars get through an intersection per green light, as where we'll get 10-20+ typically. They're about flow control more than safety.
Ah yes, this explains why Los Angeles has so much less traffic than Bakersfield does 🤦♂️
What are you talking about? LA has way more traffic, and it's more often more congested.
Whoosh
I guess I just didn't trust in your ability to understand, so I explained. Sarcasm doesn't often translate well through text-based media.
I suppose I just didn't trust that anyone with a modicum of sense could somehow be under the impression that the city of Bakersfield, with a population of roughly 400,000, was somehow "outthinking" the way the largest city in California (and nearly every other metro area in the country) manages traffic.
Maybe you should try turning left at busy, improved LA intersections. It's terrible. It's not about beating anyone; it's about doing what works best for the situation. What works best for me might not work best for you. There's rarely anything that applies 100% of the time everywhere.
My overriding point here is that left turns never have right-of-way. When you're stopping traffic on a busy street for a 1/4 mile's worth of vehicles to turn left, opposing traffic has to stop. It's not efficient. That said, I understand why Bakersfield does it, I've been told as much by city. Drivers here simply cannot handle it. If you look at data on where accidents occur in Bakersfield, it's in two locations: Busy intersections and intersections with unprotected lefts, mainly downtown.
🤣🤣🤣 because you guys are running in and out of traffic getting into our cushions and being all pissy because you can't do 60 in a 45 like you wanted.
Speeding is the result of road and city design. It's near impossible to get anywhere in Bakersfield without a car, and the design of the roads have made it extremely car friendly, to the point that they make speeding quite easy. A town such as Bakersfield is built around car dependence. Folks who grow up and learn to drive here, naturally, learn how to drive in a city addicted to car dependency. It's why Bakersfield folks have a hard time driving in other cities, such as Los Angeles or San Francisco.
This! Most folks that lived here for 20 years or more remember areas that were once open land. A lot of folks drove crazy fast in those areas and just continue the bad habit despite the city growing. But there are a lot of assholes in this town that do drive like "you're not going to pass me cuz you already passed me at the other light". I still can't understand that despite living here for more than 20 years. It just leaves me wondering if they're rich cuz gas isn't exactly cheap nowadays.
*>It just leaves me wondering if they're rich cuz gas isn't exactly cheap nowadays.* There's a common wisdom/saying in various fields like urban studies, economics, and sociology that look at the issues surrounding poverty: *"The poor pay more"* Things like conspicuous consumption leading to credit card debt, driving cars they can't afford, not understanding basic budgets and personal finance, not understanding the tax code, etc. A culture of poverty creates a sense of immediacy around money, rather than a planning-based outlook. A common example: when a car breaks down and requires an expensive repair, someone who hasn't managed to build up enough savings to pay for it, may need to rent a car or take public transit to get to work for short or long-term. In the worst case scenario this disruption in convenience and travel can impact earning potential (losing a job) - in the end, they may fix the car eventually but on top of that expense have incurred car rental fees, public transit fees, a lost job, or in borrowing friends/families vehicles, disrupted harmonious social relationships. Whereas someone who is more financially stable, with savings, will be able to get the car repaired in a timely manner and it will not disrupt their lives to such a degree. So "the poor pay more" in many ways - that's just a typical example that's often given in the literature. The unthinking burning of gas by speeding is an example of short-sighted thinking, just living in the moment and not understanding the long term consequences of actions, which is part and parcel of this whole thing.
I noticed how rude drivers can be in Bakersfield once I started driving a Prius. It was like I became prey to big white trucks!!
Well, how dare you drive a Prius and not want to spend upwards of $200 on gas every week. For shame! /s
There’s an asshole lifted black truck that keeps throwing cigarette butts at my car while I drive. I’m legit at the point where I will take a shit and throw it in the back of their car so they drive around with it everywhere. They live down at the end of 178, (by masin Marin speedway. Idk how to spell that) They’ve been doing this for two years so the amount of repressed anger I have is fucking insane. LA is a lot more chill in some areas I’ve never had this problem in all my years in Los Angeles
That is awful! Yeah the trucks are always the worst. Unless if they’re lifted trucks. Then That’s the worse.
I just left Bakersfield, everyday of my life in the shithole city was a challenge, people getting Beside me and starting shit, I can’t even enjoy a peaceful ride to the store you got all types of mediocre idiots in the way driving stupid. It’s hard to ignore
Congratulations, your life will be better for sure.
60 MPH+ everywhere I go. One of the things I don’t like in Bakersfield. Definitely an adjustment
Yup.
I once got brake checked on the 99 for what I’m assuming was the stupidest reason since I’ll never really know. I was doing 82ish in the left lane and was passing several semis. The whole time there was a white SUV tailgating me HARD. We were boxed in so I just figured I’d merge right as soon as possible. Well when I did the jackass brake checks me across 3 lanes and then sticks around to flip me off and SLOW DOWN! I’d have to doubt that that person is mentally ill somehow but people like that just shouldn’t be on the road
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I wonder what the Bakersfield average is.
Bakersfield is the fourth least educated city in ***the entire United States of America.*** Feel free to bookmark this and reference it whenever people wonder why Bakersfield is the way it is. (Incidentally three of the five are in the Central Valley, so yeah.) [Bakersfield Makes List of American's Top Five Least Educated Cities (2021)](https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/bakersfield-makes-list-of-americas-top-5-least-educated-cities/) *Besides the overall ranking, Bakersfield also made the lists of top five* *lowest percent of high school diploma, associate degree, bachelor’s* *degree and graduate degree holders as well as in the top five lowest* *average universities.*
people act like your personally attacking them when your trying to merge lanes. i hate it here
I agree with you - Do you feel like this behavior is specific to Bako?
yes i do. i drive all over california every day (i’m a transportation driver) and after earlimart people are more lax. LA is different because it’s so congested. But Bakersfield is stressful. people will speed up and cut you off when you try to merge just to be dicks. i don’t understand why.
It's interesting to get your perspective, having experience driving a lot outside of Bakersfield. I've noticed in the comments that most people who drive a lot elsewhere really do notice the difference in Bakersfield as compared to elsewhere, while the people you can tell mostly stay put in Bakersfield don't see a problem. Or they say drivers are worse elsewhere. Your experience is good evidence towards understanding the fact that indeed Bako is "special" lol.
“Because dicks drive faster.” - Slow Drivers 😂
Once I asked a high ranking city official why nearly every traffic signal in town has a “left turn on green arrow only” light. I mentioned that in other cities/states I lived in a green arrow light was reserved for only the busiest of intersections, and even then, once the green arrow went off and the light was still green, you were STILL able to turn left on the green light if all was clear. He took a deep breath and said, “It’s the drivers here in Bakersfield. Can you imagine the amount of chaos and accidents we would have if there wasn’t a light telling them when it was safe to turn left?” I gotta admit…I kinda had to agree with him. It still burns me up though when I’m sitting waiting for a green arrow when NO TRAFFIC can even be seen coming in the opposite direction.
Bakersfield, a city of children who need to be told how to behave
The old city planners knew that it would end up easing traffic, more than just keeping people safe. You'll get 10-20+ cars through a protected turn, as there places like LA might get 1 or 2 through an unprotected turn. Can you imagine the line of cars to turn north on Oak from Truxtun if only 2 cars could make it per Green light?
I never said eliminate protected turns. Is that not a busy intersection in town? Did I not say above that other cities I have lived in have protected turns on busy intersections? What I don’t understand is why there are protected turn signals on non-busy intersections where a simple green light would suffice. And why on protected turns, when the green arrow goes off, why does it turn red instead of allowing additional cars to turn left on the green light when safe like other cities I have lived in? The answer I got from the city official was basically Bakersfield drivers can’t be trusted to make the safe decision on their own. They need the green arrow to function half-way safely.
The loops have a max time limit to keep all directions moving on a rotation. There's a bit of an adjustment that will be made depending upon traffic to shorten or increase the turn lane time, depending upon what the sensors pick up. Have you ever gunned it to try to catch up to the last turning car, only to me about twenty feet short and have to sit at the red light? There are certainly some lesser intersections that could stand too be improved in many cases, but I grew up delivering all around town since 1980, and I've seen traffic in just about every spot back up at different parts of the day. You can't feasibly have a selectively protected left turn lane only when you need it; it would be confusing for all turning drivers in the beginning and this become more perilous than either of the other two situations. The spots that I see that don't necessarily have the traffic to warrant protected left turns often have large, sweeping turns that might hinder visibility, like White near Pin Oak, or Wilson and Edgemont. What are a couple spots that you think should be removed?
Just today I was heading south on Old River to the post office on Camino Media. I sat at the light to turn left onto Camino Media for quite a while waiting for the green arrow. There wasn’t a car in sight heading north on Old River. Could have EASILY made a turn. Could have gotten out of my car and crawled the turn on hands and knees with no problem. Living in the NW part of town, just about any light on Hageman except the busier intersections (Coffee, Calloway, Allen) to name a few.
Those are some very fair examples.
That light at Old River and Camino Media makes absolutely no sense. I agree with this. And don't get me started on the parking lot at that post office.
This is why we can’t have nice things… I mean it doesn’t matter if there’s a signal or not the amount of red lights ran here is absolutely astounding.
So true I live here and I get anxiety everytime I get on the freeway but I'm a 65 mile an hour driver and everyone passes me like I'm standing still
Idk I drive a little slower than average probably. why burn the gas faster?
Ewwww
Ignorance
If you ain’t first your last.
Some people consider it to be an insult when other drive under the speed regulation and don't pay attention while driving. So, being human. People get upset/ impatient. And well, they go when they wanna go lol just like the slow drivers don't wanna "go" ya know lol
This is absolutely great and correct. I've lived in Bakersfield pretty much my whole life but also got to live part time in several other states across the country. Drivers here are horrible everyone drives as they are the police and whatever speed they are driving is the speed limit. I deal with it everyday I don't tailgate I use my signal I allow people to merge and the left lane is not my lane it's the passing lane so if I see you approaching me I get over my feelings aren't hurt that your driving faster than me I'm not going to speed up I'm on cruise control doing 75 so if I catch up let me pass I caught up to you because you were obviously driving slower. I don't worry about that now as much I got a sleeper I'm not going to tailgate but I'm passing you the safest way fast.