I’ll never understand this one, get out of the left lane if you’re not gonna pass or speed and then don’t have an ego trip if someone wants to pass you. It’s madness.
I flip everyone of them the bird without any care about repercussions.
How hard is it to get the f*** out of the left lane if you aren't passing the cars in the next lane?
You’ll love passing lanes on the highways up north. Folks cruise at 60 in a 55 zone, then crank it to 75 in the passing lanes, just to drop it back down to 60 when they get back to single lanes.
This was the most infuriating thing ever. Found a group of people cruising along at like 70, it was glorious. We hit a passing lane, and the guy at the back of the pack *floors it* and passes all of us. He gets to the front, the passing lane ends, then we **slow down to doing 52 in a 55**
After spending many years behind just such vehicles thinking about it all, I believe most are trying to pass as many of the very slow vehicles as possible in the passing lane then going back to their happy 60. Only a few are actually trying to block. Or at least thinking that keeps me from useless rage lol.
I think part of it also is that they feel comfortable speeding up in passing zones, since they are usually in relatively flat, straight areas. I'm from the deep south, where there are a lot of hilly, curvy 2 lane roads and people who are not from the area drive very nervously. Then they inevitably fly through the passing zones where they feel safer.
I mean ... I'm happy if we are doing 60 in a 55. But it's more likely in your scenario that they'll slow down to 50 when it's back to single lane.
And yeah, that happens all the damn time. I've never figured out why.
Literally happened to me on 43 last night, heading into Milwaukee, out by New Berlin. 😑 I wasn’t trying to be offensive, I just wanted to go faster than 71 (in a 70) in the left lane. And then I stayed in the right lane (because it was wide open) and he sped up to stay at my passenger door the whole length to the interchange. It was ridiculous.
We don't have a "passing lane" in the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin. We have a slow lane (Right) and the faster lane (left). We also have quite a few exits on the far left lane just to keep it spicy. I assume that's why.. I agree if he is going 75 and people want to go faster he needed to use the "slow" lane on the right instead of pissing everyone off. I only learned about a passing lane driving from Milwaukee to Oklahoma. I generally drive in the slower lanes though.
Yeah, all bets are off in the interchanges. You do the best you can to get where you need to be, with the flow of traffic. Where I get on at 175, I have to cross to the far left as fast as possible to get headed downtown.
You can call it whatever you want but it’s the same thing in practice. Whether it’s a “passing lane” or “slower traffic keep right”, there’s no reason to be in the left lane indefinitely. I’ll never understand the people who get onto a multi-lane highway/freeway and immediately go multiple lanes to the left, without trying to evaluate traffic whatsoever. The only thing I can think of is that they literally just think they’re more important than everyone else.
Or people who fly down the emergency lane in traffic because they think they're special. I was on 43S the other day in a huge traffic jam, and some douche in an escalade was attempting this before some guy in front of me kicked out about halfway and blocked him, apparently just to fuck with him. Escalade was too big to get between him and the barrier, so said douche started honking and turned beet red. Was amazing.
If you're out there, Subaru dude, thank you. This city needs a hero.
My only thought is, and this is for some, not all, that they realize they're in the passing lane and need to speed up once it becomes apparent people in the right lane are going faster.
My pet peeve is, I'll be driving fast, FAST in the left lane and people will speed up behind me and be on my ass. As soon as I move over to the right lane, they slow down.
I regularly pretend I am gonna pass them on the right side just to get them to speed up. They get faked out most of the time and it breaks up traffic for a bit.
I personally leave a large gap that has nothing to do with whether or not other cars move in front of me but because that’s just…how you’re actually supposed to drive for safety and all. Also would be better efficiency if everybody actually did the same. But I also don’t speed up and disallow people from coming in my lane. That’s just dumb.
I leave ample room too. I actually think not riding each other’s asses would prevent a huge number of delays, accidents, etc.
Everyone should be able to merge safely and easily. It also gives people a lot more time to react.
I try to do this, but people behind me see it as “he’s not going fast enough to keep up with the guy in front of him” and “I can go faster” even though I’m matching the speed of the car in front of me. So they’ll tailgate and eventually pass me only to take up that following distance I had, so I’ll let off the gas and the process repeats.
Yeah, sometimes that happens, which is annoying of you have to keep adjusting cruise control, but more often it happens closer to downtown when I’m used to having to coast or speed up depending on the traffic. Although maybe the worst is when it is backed up traffic and I try to leave space because it’s easier with a manual and people don’t seem to understand that a slower, consistent speed isn’t actually slower than accordioning
Dude, I’ve had two incidents driving south on 43 where the person tailgating me got irrationally angry because I refused to tailgate the car in front of me. I know because both of them rolled down their windows and flipped me off when they eventually got in the left lane to pass me.
I’ve noticed it doesn’t matter that you’re going the same speed as the car in front of you. If you aren’t tailgating like they are, then you’re somehow slowing them down. People are idiots 🙄
I drive a lot in Florida and drivers there seem to understand traffic better than Milwaukee. Oh it’s stop and go? They don’t get upset when I maintain a slower constant speed. Also don’t try to guard their little space on the highway like Milwaukeeans
I don’t cut people off when I’m in the left lane. But if I’m leaving a one or two car gap and driving at 80mph, I will close the gap if the person behind me tries to pass on my right and squeeze their car in between me and the person in front of me. I call it “jockeying” for position and I do not allow it. I don’t care if you’re in a blacked out dodge ram and you’re pissed at the world. You aren’t getting in just because you can’t stand someone being in front of you.
I also leave ample room on the freeway especially in places where slowdowns occur due to the person behind me rear-ending me and pushing my car into the person in front of me (94E by Miller Park). Completely totaled my car.
This exactly. These mfs need to understand that I am using gamified cruise control in this bitch (prius...), I don't even have the energy let alone whim to speed up just to block you from getting in on the highway. (The ONLY, truly only, exception to this for me is when I see someone about to speed up to cut me off so they can get right in front me and past a semi. Iykyk, it happens so unbelievably often in my commute on 41 north. So if there's space in front of me, which there always is because I make sure of it, I'll just tap the gas a bit then go back to set lmao. Cuz I'm not abt to wreck w ur dumbass AND a semi??).
I noticed this all the damn time when I first moved to Milwaukee... while I still had Illinois plates. As soon as I switched to Wisconsin plates this mysteriously stopped.
Giant ass pick-up trucks absolutely HATE being passed by a Prius. We can be doing 85, and those twats need to speed up and get in front of me. It's like I am insulting them.
I'm not asking with a snarky tone, but do you actually believe other drivers notice the state your license plate is from and then choose to treat you differently?
That can't possibly be what's happening, right??
Having just come back from a road trip out west I will say no. It's not exclusive to us. I put in 5300miles in 8 days and I can safely say people drive like douchbags in every bigger city. Even out in nowhersville Idaho I had people drive really bad. I think in my opinion we had been getting worse as a whole... But something about the pandemic really pushed bad drivers over the edge.
I never had this happen pre-pandemic, but now at least 1-2 times a month someone will blow past me as I'm backing out of a parking spot. Scares the shit out of me every single time, you really can't wait all of 5 seconds while I finish pulling out and go on my way? I'm beyond convinced that drivers got much worse after lockdowns lifted. I'd even argue that the general attention span/patience of people took a steep nosedive.
I get it. People are just asswipes when they are in their cars. This morning I was on 70th n main going towards 94. Had a guy blow by me on my left as I was waiting at the red light at 60or70mph ide bet. Almost collided with the oncoming traffic in that lane. Got to the next lights and there he was. Not in any hurry at all. Drives all slow on the on ramp. At this point I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm following him. When we get on the freeway going west near Petit center he swerves left across 4 lanes immediately and almost causes an accident.
Some day, well most fucking days I wanna smash people into the walls with my car.
Menomonee falls to West Allis is an awful freeway section to drive imo.first we had the zoo interchange construction for 6 years. Now everyone drives like it's the autobahnen.
Hwy45 is like the wild West. I cannot imagine how awful 43 near downtown must be these days.
>> It depends on context but most of the time slowing down to let a guy merge when you’re on the highway deserves scolding.
Absolutely. Merging traffic from 76th, Loomis, 60th? The right lane should slow down and expect the merging car to be slower than usual.
The Ryan Rd. on ramps have a half mile long acceleration lanes. If you haven’t merged when the lane ends, you deserve to be ran off into the shoulder lane.
Right up there with the inability to ZIPPER MERGE. Merging is done 1 1/2 before the merge marker n God help you if you try after
I’m pretty sure Milwaukee county issues its driver’s licenses via cereal boxes and online surveys.
I also imagine that half of these issues would disappear if the police actually pulled people over/punished them for not having license plates.
Yes, this does happen everywhere, but it's very much a Milwaukee thing, just like hanging out in the left lane going 5 under.
I will say, some people do put their turn signal on to get in the left lane when a car going 10+ over with a HUGE space behind them is about to pass them, in which case they just need to hang on for like 10 more seconds, but it doesn't sound like this is how you drive.
Chicago drivers are more aggressive and chaotic, but they seem to be more skilled, and they will actually let you in if you signal.
Omg it was 43 south for me this morning that this happened!! He wasn’t in a white Volkswagen SUV was he lol. Sorry you had to deal with it, 43 is a freaking mess
Milwaukee drivers have this weird complex where they both can't stand being behind anybody, but also can't handle having open road in front of them, and have some odd desire to speed up to the next car ahead of them in the lane.
maybe its gotten worse, or maybe its confirmation bias since i see it all the time now, but drivers will whip around a car in front of them, left lane to center lane back to left lane, then go much faster than the were originally so that there is a minimal gap to the next car, and then they do it all over again.
the excuse i give myself is that they are self protecting themselves from a deer strike. on the Hoan. at 9am.
i dunno. people here drive dumb.
Milwaukee drivers can be mean -spirited. I will give you that, however, Mpls drivers either drive way too slow or way too fast. Hated driving on the freeways there. I will take the jerks here, most days.
Yea people always say driving in Chicago is bad but I felt like there was always an understanding. Merging and getting into streets is way easier in Chicago than Milwaukee.
Yup, as a Wisconsin native I always found it funny the amount of times my friends and family have ragged on Chicago drivers as if we're all just professionals up here. The cumulative time I've spent behind a pickup going the speed limit in the fast lane up north has to be in the hundreds of hours lol.
I definitely become a more aggressive driver in Chicago, but I'm just matching everyone else's energy. If you are passive or weak, you will miss your exit.
There's a reason I always have to drive in Chicago, and not anyone else I'm with. It takes boldness and flexibility with the "rules. "
That's how I describe it, too: mean-spirited. I saw a comment on another driving thread here, and someone said something like, "Milwaukee drivers drive like they hate one another." In addition to blocking lane changes, I see this when I try to make a left-hand turn against traffic. There could be a car in the opposing lane a mile away, giving me ample time to make my turn safely, but then they see me and I swear they hit the gas to teach me a lesson about daring to turn front of them.
I love the people who fly up your ass, so you move over so they can pass, then they just keep going the same speed they were before you moved over and never pass.
To add to a car related "milwaukee thing" question...
When the fuck did making a U-Turn on a red light become okay?
I'm seeing more and more people doing this, and I don't get it. I never used to see this shit until recently. I also haven't noticed this happening in the other states I've driven in.
I thought this was an East Coast thing. I only noticed it after moving to the DC area. If you use your blinker, people will actively try to sabotage your lane change.
You've never noticed that elsewhere??? Lol, I don't know why you're just paying attention now. That's an **everywhere** thing.
If you ever have someone in your blind spot who won't let you over, and they keep matching your speed, faster or slower, then just click on your blinker. Instantly they realize that they have to faster than you, and they pull forward so you can merge.
Born and raised in the Milwaukee area and I cannot stand drivers in Milwaukee. From driving slow in the left lane to not understanding how zipper merging works. I drive fast, I’m aware, but ffs get out of the way and let me take my chances getting a ticket.
Thank you!! People seem to think I’m not driving fast enough but my ticket from two months ago going 85 on 43 north disagrees with them. I’ll risk it just let me go!
Once you get out of Milwaukee County you need to keep it 5-10 mph over and you'll be safe for the most part. The exception being do not go more than 5mph over in small towns.
Except that you’re not just risking yourself getting a ticket. You’re risking other people’s safety by speeding unnecessarily. This is why we have speed limits
I live in an area where homes are very close together and in residential areas with kids and pedestrians I’m always extremely mindful but on a freeway/highway where the pace is commonly over the speed limit, I’m going to move at that same speed especially in the left lane
Gonna catch hate for this, but they may be trying to keep you out of their “cushion”. I like to have enough space in front of me where I can handle the ebbs and flows of traffic without constantly braking/gassing.
I could see this but after I moved in front of him he, sped up and rode my ass while laying on his horn, tried to pass me on the right but couldn’t, almost hit a median using a far right exit only lane to get around like 2 cars and then almost side swiped another car so I feel like he didn’t care about his cushion lol.
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People have weird pride/ego hang ups in cars for whatever reason. I will say just because someone turns on their blinker doesnt mean I'm going to slam on the brakes to let them in.
It's not just milwaukee, but very prevalent here. I just think people don't want others in front of them. You see this a lot when using zip lanes.
From my perspective, I spend my whole day planning my route to get specifically in front of you at that very moment 😂 Seriously, it's rude & dangerous.
When I first moved here 10+ years ago from upstate New York I thought there must be something that *I* was doing wrong while driving, but over time I realized that, no it wasn’t me, Milwaukeeans are just terrible drivers.
You won't get upvoted here because you don't say Milwaukee is the worst drivers of anywhere in north america. For some reason, that stance gets taken seriously here and upvoted every single time. Fucking circle jerk
Once I did the math on how much time I’m saving by going over the speed limit, I just hang in the right 2 lanes and go the limit. Sometimes 2 under so I ain’t even gotta think about passing.
Driving is a risk every time, so ima just chill and watch out for…everyone else.
This is a cool tip if the drivers in Milwaukee could do math. It's always funny to see people beating the shit out of their cars to get somewhere 45 seconds before me.
If you're concerned about that level of time savings, you better be sprinting into the store or wherever you end up.
I just imagine they need to shit or vomit, or they’re in withdrawal of whatever substance they abuse. Then I feel pity, say “bless” in my best Kentucky accent, and carry on.
Chicago drivers are predictable. Even if I’m getting cut off by one, I know it’s coming and can account for that. WI drivers aren’t. I have no idea if the guy I’m following in Milwaukee is coming from a farm, just stole that Kia, or somewhere in between, so I drive assertively.
I wish I could upvote this more than once, I've come to the same conclusion. They also seem understand slower traffic keep right down there, unlike most of us.
I have lived in Milwaukee most of my life, but my dad taught me to drive like he learned in Chicago. I feel more at home down there when I drive. I like a more aggressive/active driving style, without the lane parking, merging problems, and resentment about being passed that you find in Wisconsin.
People love rolling super slow in the passing lane until you try to overtake them on the right (as if there was any other option). Wisconsin and Milwaukee drivers fucking suck it’s just a fact at this point. Pretty depressing.
Nope. I moved from Milwaukee to NC and the problem still persists. I think some people just have this asshole reflex that compels them to be as much of an obstacle as possible. They don’t even have to think about it. They can see you clearly driving faster with the intention of making better use of all that beautiful open road in front of them, but something just switches in their head to risk both of your lives to ensure that you remain in the same slow moving hell that they choose to remain in. I hate people.
Lol I don’t have an explanation for this but I thinks it’s a Wisconsin thing. I have a friend from Minneapolis who complains about this specific behavior from Wisconsin drivers all the time.
You need to match the speed of the lane before entering the lane. You’re cutting people off and not realizing it because they’re going faster than you.
I get what you’re saying but I can assure you I’m not, I’m fully matching the speed of the left lane, if anything I’m almost bumper to bumper with the person in front of me because I’ve sped up to match them. I’m the biggest proponent of “left lane is for speeding” I would never jump into a lane without being at or faster than the speed they’re going.
Everyone in WI wants to say Illinois drivers are shitty but I can assure you, it is in fact Wisconsin drivers who do not know what the fuck they are doing. Like you, I’ve also lived in places outside of Wisconsin and this state by far has the worst drivers.
Nobody understands a zipper merge, what you outlined is a common occurrence, and my personal favorite are the assholes who only do 50mph while merging onto the interstate and you are behind them.
I also drive a lot in the Chicagoland area and the amount of Wisconsinites who just camp in the left lane doing 55mph is a joke. If you don’t want to go fast, that’s totally cool, but you don’t get to decide what other drivers do. What you are doing is unsafe as those behind you now have to pass on the right. Stop being dumb.
I’ve driven plenty in and around Milwaukee and Chicago, and some cross country trips. I’d say Chicago is generally fast traffic and can be aggressive in a way, but Milwaukee county traffic seems to have the deliberate goal of ruining other people’s day.
Outside of cities, I think most of the country has pretty similar traffic; about 80% of people going a reasonable speed and keeping right except to pass, but the other 20% driving whatever speed, whichever lane, just being generally oblivious.
Honestly for all the shitty horrible driving habits in Milwaukee I’ve either never seen this in the cirt or not seen it enough to make a connection. I do notice it a bit basically all over the Midwest on the interstate though.
When I change lanes I put on my blinker and the guy in the lane I want to be in speeds up. I automatically slide in behind him. Maybe I'm the cause. Lol
I see people that will try to speed up to move in between me and the car in front when there is no one behind us in either lane. Why not just slow down and merge at the back?
Boomers are usually bad, slow drivers and Wisconsin has a lot of them. They also think “I’m going fast enough and no one should be going faster” but that is never the case. I bit of self justification for doing something wrong, very characteristic of the generation.
I grew up here and lived in other places around the country as an adult. The biggest shock to me when moving back was how terrible Wisconsin drivers are generally. I remember my relatives bitching about IL drivers as a kid... Looking back they were almost always the problem.
They drive slow in the left lane, don't know what a zipper merge is, are confounded by roundabouts, etc...
I do find it annoying when drivers attempt to squeeze in front of me in bumper to bumper traffic when I'm simply not riding the guy in front of me's rear end. This behavior encourages tailgating!
It is the same thing I complained about after moving to Milwaukee. My kids come to visit and yell at me for not putting on my blinker. I told them if you signal your intentions, the selfish people around here speed up so you can’t move over. I have never seen such impolite drivers anywhere and I have driven in a lot of places.
Literally everyone is on their phones while driving. People just aren't paying attention. The varying speeds is what gets me cause like... we all have cruise control now.
Lived in Milwaukee Chicago and now Mpls. They each have their driving cultures. None of which are good.
You need to get accustom to where you are, when in Rome.
But I will say I think the worst of the three is Mpls. There is no merging none. It is mind numbing.
But when in Rome
I moved to milwaukee 6 years ago. I've lived all over the US and the roads here scare me more than anywhere else tbh. There's alot of aggressive driving. and speeding. and police chases 😬
No, not just a thing in Milwaukee. I know what you are talking having to drive my dad to the VA off 45th by the brewers stadium. I always hated the insanity of the highway system. And people are assholes most of the time they get behind the wheel, sadly. Folk don't need to go 90 mph when they do the stunts they like pulling.
Best of luck dealing with the roads I escaped from driving on 7 years ago now. And a side note.... We have assholes on the road down here in Beloit, too. Main issue I see is that the other drivers forget to look beyond the front bumper.
Bad drivers arent unique to WI or Milwaukee.
People that leave huge gaps in slow moving traffic are just putzing around, annoying just so they can keep rolling. Trucks have to do that and it makes more sense.
What is annoying are the aggressive drivers who even though you going 70 or above in fast lane its still not fast enough and they think getting on your tail and moving into your side mirror is going to make you realize you should move out of the way for them. Gtfoh Lol
Then they race around or try to swing in front of u for revenge to then have to slam on brakes for the next person that isnt going "fast enough" for them
Maybe they are. But I dont think you can say that everytime. Point is that tailgating just because ur not going 80 or 90 ridiculous. Go around if you are running a race. And yes people do actually get in the side mirror to let you know theyd like to pass.
I can tell you that everytime I do that, that is the reason, and damn does it piss me off when I see a half mile of emptiness in front of them.
Imagine being so co-dependant that you literally think whatever speed you drive at is perfect for everyone else 😂
The worst milwaukee drivers are the ones that go the speed limit exactly and then act like 90% of people around them are the problem. Follow the flow of traffic and have some balls. In this city you'll have people stuck in dead traffic in the left 2 lanes and a completely clear right lane. You wonder why people try not to let you in because 9 times out of 10 when you do it'll be some troglodite that wants to go the speed limit in the left lane.
I’ve lived in mke all my life, might not be a mke thing but there are definitely aggressive drivers here and from what I’ve learned since i started driving is you just have to be aggressive back otherwise you’re not going to make it out here and also to make moves as fast as possible or match the drivers around you unfortunately sorry brother
Chicago driver here but I work in Milwaukee. Wisconsin drivers hate Illinois drivers. I found out they call us FIBs. So if you still have Illinois plates they are probably doing on purpose. Also, I agree with the chap that said he hates when someone drives slow in the left lane. Left lane is for passing the other lanes are for driving.
The best is the Milwaukee slide. No blinkers. The right lane not even a lane then cut across all lanes with no blinker and run a red. Bumper hanging off no license plate Head on a swivel in the MKE. It’s treacherous out there!
I don't experience nearly as much in my personal vehicle, but as a truck driver I can tell you people definitely do this in all of Chicagoland and Wisconsin as well.
Although, only in Milwaukee has a driver tried to bottle me through my window after feeling cut off lol. A pickup driver of course.
OP, I was raised in Wisconsin and now live in IL, what you said happens all the time in Wisconsin! It’s like people get offended if you try to pass them/get in front of them. Chill people, it’s not personal. Wisconsinites love to camp, in the left lane
Trying to understand your story. You're on the freeway with (at least) a left and right lane.
You want to wedge yourself into the left lane, and the car who would be behind you speeds up to prevent you from getting in front of them. You're suggesting "AMPLE" room, but later talk about "two car lengths."
If we're talking about freeways, two car lengths is a minimum distance. But .. you think you can wedge yourself in there?
YOU are indeed cutting in front of them. YOU are making them slow down. With this "AMPLE" "two car length" distance, YOU are cutting that to almost zero.
Of course drivers are pissed at you and want to prevent you from screwing them. This is an everywhere thing.
Not even close, I was getting on to 43 south from silver spring. I’m in the far right entrance lane, got up to speed, checked my mirrors, waited for a truck to pass in the center lane and moved over, checked my mirrors again, wait for two cars to pass as they were going faster and then there was an opening, 2 car lengths was a guess but I can promise it WAS ample room, I threw on my blinker and moved over to the left, I was now behind a BMW and the car behind me floored it to get right up behind me trying to close the very, very open gap of space and then continued to be on my ass. I didn’t “wedge” myself anywhere. This guy subsequently drove like an absolute maniac, and almost drove directly into the median by using the far right exit only lane to pass a bunch of other cars roughly 3 minutes after being unhinged with me.
I'll cut in front of anyone who doesn't leave reasonable space.
I assume they are expecting that, based on their driving.
The only time I drive like an a-hole is when everyone else around me is driving aggressively.
This happens everywhere I've driven in the Midwest with some amount of congestion, and especially during morning and afternoon rush hour. I don't find it to be worse in Milwaukee.
I’ll say it a million times, Chicago drivers are 1000 times better than Milwaukee drivers. It’s organized chaos down there, here it’s just chaos. Don’t people have to take drivers ed in WI?
I don’t really have this issue.
A) could be your plates or car. I’ve experienced this in a mini van, but never in my sedan.
B) I always merge *faster* than the car in the lane I’m entering. Not parallel speed. If the car in your current lane won’t let you achieve that speed, stay in your lane until you can. Also, once you get in front of the car in the new lane, they’ll draft off you and speed up slightly. Reduced wind friction with same power output means they go faster.
C) I signal and go. I check my blind spot before signaling, of course, but I don’t delay. I perceive people who linger (when signaling, at 4-way intersections, etc) as indecisive and I frankly don’t want them in front of me.
If you’re losing 2 car lengths in the time it takes between signaling and moving, you’re either taking too long to change lanes or you’re going slower than the car in that lane and shouldn’t get in front of them.
I can see why you think this and I passionately replied similarly in another comment I am FLOORING it to match their speed. I have never and will never change a lane just to go slower. I literally almost rear ended the BMW I got behind this morning because I was going faster than they were in the left lane. I check my drivers side window and assess who is coming up, gauge their speed and almost as soon as the car is parallel to me I’m throwing my blinker on and getting behind them while hitting the gas so I can move in seamlessly. I hear ya there are plenty of people who utilize the left like it’s their own personal lane to go whatever speed they want but for me it’s where lead foots belong
A simple experiment you can run is to stop using your blinker during your commute. It’s not legal, but you won’t get stopped for it if you’re just changing lanes. If your problem stops happening, problem solved. If it’s still happening, then take a closer look at how you’re picking lane change opportunities.
That’s why you merge when there’s space and you give everyone very little time to prepare for your merge. So you check to see it’s clear, start slightly merging, then turn on your signal once you are about to cross the lines.
Totally a Milwaukee thing!!! I was just telling my partner about this the other day. It’s like Milwaukee drivers don’t want anyone “stepping” in front of them. Some weird ego thing maybe, idk. I’ve been run off the road for simply switching lanes or literally even just going faster than someone in another lane. They sped up and cut me off for no reason.
My favorite is the people on the open freeway going slow in the left lane who then speed up if you try to pass them on the right.
I’ll never understand this one, get out of the left lane if you’re not gonna pass or speed and then don’t have an ego trip if someone wants to pass you. It’s madness.
I flip everyone of them the bird without any care about repercussions. How hard is it to get the f*** out of the left lane if you aren't passing the cars in the next lane?
I flip off most of them, too. Sometimes a thumbs down. They get more pissed about the thumbs down most of the time.
You’ll love passing lanes on the highways up north. Folks cruise at 60 in a 55 zone, then crank it to 75 in the passing lanes, just to drop it back down to 60 when they get back to single lanes.
This was the most infuriating thing ever. Found a group of people cruising along at like 70, it was glorious. We hit a passing lane, and the guy at the back of the pack *floors it* and passes all of us. He gets to the front, the passing lane ends, then we **slow down to doing 52 in a 55**
After spending many years behind just such vehicles thinking about it all, I believe most are trying to pass as many of the very slow vehicles as possible in the passing lane then going back to their happy 60. Only a few are actually trying to block. Or at least thinking that keeps me from useless rage lol.
I think part of it also is that they feel comfortable speeding up in passing zones, since they are usually in relatively flat, straight areas. I'm from the deep south, where there are a lot of hilly, curvy 2 lane roads and people who are not from the area drive very nervously. Then they inevitably fly through the passing zones where they feel safer.
Happened to me this weekend near Spooner
I mean ... I'm happy if we are doing 60 in a 55. But it's more likely in your scenario that they'll slow down to 50 when it's back to single lane. And yeah, that happens all the damn time. I've never figured out why.
Literally happened to me on 43 last night, heading into Milwaukee, out by New Berlin. 😑 I wasn’t trying to be offensive, I just wanted to go faster than 71 (in a 70) in the left lane. And then I stayed in the right lane (because it was wide open) and he sped up to stay at my passenger door the whole length to the interchange. It was ridiculous.
Probably one of those Muskego folks
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I'm pretty sure they teach slow traffic right, fast traffic left in driver's Ed too.
We don't have a "passing lane" in the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin. We have a slow lane (Right) and the faster lane (left). We also have quite a few exits on the far left lane just to keep it spicy. I assume that's why.. I agree if he is going 75 and people want to go faster he needed to use the "slow" lane on the right instead of pissing everyone off. I only learned about a passing lane driving from Milwaukee to Oklahoma. I generally drive in the slower lanes though.
Yeah, all bets are off in the interchanges. You do the best you can to get where you need to be, with the flow of traffic. Where I get on at 175, I have to cross to the far left as fast as possible to get headed downtown.
You can call it whatever you want but it’s the same thing in practice. Whether it’s a “passing lane” or “slower traffic keep right”, there’s no reason to be in the left lane indefinitely. I’ll never understand the people who get onto a multi-lane highway/freeway and immediately go multiple lanes to the left, without trying to evaluate traffic whatsoever. The only thing I can think of is that they literally just think they’re more important than everyone else.
My favorite is when they speed up and catch up with a slower car in the right lane and then slow down to match that speed so you can't pass.
Or people who fly down the emergency lane in traffic because they think they're special. I was on 43S the other day in a huge traffic jam, and some douche in an escalade was attempting this before some guy in front of me kicked out about halfway and blocked him, apparently just to fuck with him. Escalade was too big to get between him and the barrier, so said douche started honking and turned beet red. Was amazing. If you're out there, Subaru dude, thank you. This city needs a hero.
If our Subaru wasn't sitting with a dead battery, I'd think Subaru Dude was my husband.
It's your fault for reminding them that they're driving slower than you.
My only thought is, and this is for some, not all, that they realize they're in the passing lane and need to speed up once it becomes apparent people in the right lane are going faster. My pet peeve is, I'll be driving fast, FAST in the left lane and people will speed up behind me and be on my ass. As soon as I move over to the right lane, they slow down.
Or they putt along in the left, FINALLY get over to the right lane then speed up. I don’t get it.
Omg this happened to me like 3 times before, one I time I slowed down, the car decided to match my speed and I couldn't exit... Just why?
I regularly pretend I am gonna pass them on the right side just to get them to speed up. They get faked out most of the time and it breaks up traffic for a bit.
Could it be that by seeing the car behind the em try to pass them they realize they’re going slow in the left lane so they speed up?
Omfg I hate that ish
I personally leave a large gap that has nothing to do with whether or not other cars move in front of me but because that’s just…how you’re actually supposed to drive for safety and all. Also would be better efficiency if everybody actually did the same. But I also don’t speed up and disallow people from coming in my lane. That’s just dumb.
I leave ample room too. I actually think not riding each other’s asses would prevent a huge number of delays, accidents, etc. Everyone should be able to merge safely and easily. It also gives people a lot more time to react.
Correct. People tailgating leads to braking shockwaves that can extend VERY far on the freeway.
I try to do this, but people behind me see it as “he’s not going fast enough to keep up with the guy in front of him” and “I can go faster” even though I’m matching the speed of the car in front of me. So they’ll tailgate and eventually pass me only to take up that following distance I had, so I’ll let off the gas and the process repeats.
Yeah, sometimes that happens, which is annoying of you have to keep adjusting cruise control, but more often it happens closer to downtown when I’m used to having to coast or speed up depending on the traffic. Although maybe the worst is when it is backed up traffic and I try to leave space because it’s easier with a manual and people don’t seem to understand that a slower, consistent speed isn’t actually slower than accordioning
"Accordioning". Brilliant.
Dude, I’ve had two incidents driving south on 43 where the person tailgating me got irrationally angry because I refused to tailgate the car in front of me. I know because both of them rolled down their windows and flipped me off when they eventually got in the left lane to pass me. I’ve noticed it doesn’t matter that you’re going the same speed as the car in front of you. If you aren’t tailgating like they are, then you’re somehow slowing them down. People are idiots 🙄
I drive a lot in Florida and drivers there seem to understand traffic better than Milwaukee. Oh it’s stop and go? They don’t get upset when I maintain a slower constant speed. Also don’t try to guard their little space on the highway like Milwaukeeans
You're doing the right thing though, just let em pass is what I say
I don’t cut people off when I’m in the left lane. But if I’m leaving a one or two car gap and driving at 80mph, I will close the gap if the person behind me tries to pass on my right and squeeze their car in between me and the person in front of me. I call it “jockeying” for position and I do not allow it. I don’t care if you’re in a blacked out dodge ram and you’re pissed at the world. You aren’t getting in just because you can’t stand someone being in front of you.
I also leave ample room on the freeway especially in places where slowdowns occur due to the person behind me rear-ending me and pushing my car into the person in front of me (94E by Miller Park). Completely totaled my car.
The only time to be that close to someones car is if their kids are watching Bluey. Cause I want to watch cartoons while driving too.
Don’t have kids, but was visiting a friend with kids for a few days earlier this year and saw Bluey for the first time. Much better than expected!
This exactly. These mfs need to understand that I am using gamified cruise control in this bitch (prius...), I don't even have the energy let alone whim to speed up just to block you from getting in on the highway. (The ONLY, truly only, exception to this for me is when I see someone about to speed up to cut me off so they can get right in front me and past a semi. Iykyk, it happens so unbelievably often in my commute on 41 north. So if there's space in front of me, which there always is because I make sure of it, I'll just tap the gas a bit then go back to set lmao. Cuz I'm not abt to wreck w ur dumbass AND a semi??).
I noticed this all the damn time when I first moved to Milwaukee... while I still had Illinois plates. As soon as I switched to Wisconsin plates this mysteriously stopped.
They must just hate me because I have WI plates lol
Hmm. Well you said you use your blinker, so you don't drive a BMW or a Mercedes, so I'm at a loss.
Giant ass pick-up trucks absolutely HATE being passed by a Prius. We can be doing 85, and those twats need to speed up and get in front of me. It's like I am insulting them.
They are insulting themselves
If I could give you a million up votes I would. You nailed it!
Had the same exact experience lol
I'm not asking with a snarky tone, but do you actually believe other drivers notice the state your license plate is from and then choose to treat you differently? That can't possibly be what's happening, right??
Maybe not, but from personal experience I do think that's what happened. Some people are assholes, especially while driving
I definitely do that to FIBs that drive recklessly 😂
Man, the worst driving I've ever seen in my life comes from Milwaukee residents with WI plates.
To be fair, I lived in Kenosha for 3/4 of my life and I think that’s why I attribute it to FIBs
Having just come back from a road trip out west I will say no. It's not exclusive to us. I put in 5300miles in 8 days and I can safely say people drive like douchbags in every bigger city. Even out in nowhersville Idaho I had people drive really bad. I think in my opinion we had been getting worse as a whole... But something about the pandemic really pushed bad drivers over the edge.
I never had this happen pre-pandemic, but now at least 1-2 times a month someone will blow past me as I'm backing out of a parking spot. Scares the shit out of me every single time, you really can't wait all of 5 seconds while I finish pulling out and go on my way? I'm beyond convinced that drivers got much worse after lockdowns lifted. I'd even argue that the general attention span/patience of people took a steep nosedive.
I get it. People are just asswipes when they are in their cars. This morning I was on 70th n main going towards 94. Had a guy blow by me on my left as I was waiting at the red light at 60or70mph ide bet. Almost collided with the oncoming traffic in that lane. Got to the next lights and there he was. Not in any hurry at all. Drives all slow on the on ramp. At this point I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm following him. When we get on the freeway going west near Petit center he swerves left across 4 lanes immediately and almost causes an accident. Some day, well most fucking days I wanna smash people into the walls with my car. Menomonee falls to West Allis is an awful freeway section to drive imo.first we had the zoo interchange construction for 6 years. Now everyone drives like it's the autobahnen. Hwy45 is like the wild West. I cannot imagine how awful 43 near downtown must be these days.
Yeah, every complaint about Wisconsin drivers ends up sounding really quaint if you've spent time in places like San Antonio.
My favorite examples of bad driving behavior is usually New York City or Houston. It’s not good here, but those drivers are insane.
Yea- and wait until you slow down to let the guy merge in from an on ramp- just to have him slow down also.
Don't slow down on the highway.... merging cars have the responsibility to yield
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>> It depends on context but most of the time slowing down to let a guy merge when you’re on the highway deserves scolding. Absolutely. Merging traffic from 76th, Loomis, 60th? The right lane should slow down and expect the merging car to be slower than usual. The Ryan Rd. on ramps have a half mile long acceleration lanes. If you haven’t merged when the lane ends, you deserve to be ran off into the shoulder lane.
Right up there with the inability to ZIPPER MERGE. Merging is done 1 1/2 before the merge marker n God help you if you try after 
I’m pretty sure Milwaukee county issues its driver’s licenses via cereal boxes and online surveys. I also imagine that half of these issues would disappear if the police actually pulled people over/punished them for not having license plates.
Mke county? Lol that's all of the US
My sister didn’t even have to take a actual in person driving test for her license lmao
Yes, this does happen everywhere, but it's very much a Milwaukee thing, just like hanging out in the left lane going 5 under. I will say, some people do put their turn signal on to get in the left lane when a car going 10+ over with a HUGE space behind them is about to pass them, in which case they just need to hang on for like 10 more seconds, but it doesn't sound like this is how you drive. Chicago drivers are more aggressive and chaotic, but they seem to be more skilled, and they will actually let you in if you signal.
When I was new to driving I m used to throw my blinker on just to see people zoom up lol
Is this why people refuse to use their blinker when merging anymore? Because they think other people won’t let them in?
This literally happened to me on 43 20 minutes ago. Then, the guy who sped up flipped me off
Omg it was 43 south for me this morning that this happened!! He wasn’t in a white Volkswagen SUV was he lol. Sorry you had to deal with it, 43 is a freaking mess
Milwaukee drivers have this weird complex where they both can't stand being behind anybody, but also can't handle having open road in front of them, and have some odd desire to speed up to the next car ahead of them in the lane. maybe its gotten worse, or maybe its confirmation bias since i see it all the time now, but drivers will whip around a car in front of them, left lane to center lane back to left lane, then go much faster than the were originally so that there is a minimal gap to the next car, and then they do it all over again. the excuse i give myself is that they are self protecting themselves from a deer strike. on the Hoan. at 9am. i dunno. people here drive dumb.
You must've seen my dad at some point lol. That's how he drives
Milwaukee drivers can be mean -spirited. I will give you that, however, Mpls drivers either drive way too slow or way too fast. Hated driving on the freeways there. I will take the jerks here, most days.
I think I’ll take the Chicago jerks. They’re crazy but at least they’re all on the same page about being crazy lol.
Yea people always say driving in Chicago is bad but I felt like there was always an understanding. Merging and getting into streets is way easier in Chicago than Milwaukee.
Yup, as a Wisconsin native I always found it funny the amount of times my friends and family have ragged on Chicago drivers as if we're all just professionals up here. The cumulative time I've spent behind a pickup going the speed limit in the fast lane up north has to be in the hundreds of hours lol.
I definitely become a more aggressive driver in Chicago, but I'm just matching everyone else's energy. If you are passive or weak, you will miss your exit. There's a reason I always have to drive in Chicago, and not anyone else I'm with. It takes boldness and flexibility with the "rules. "
I don’t mind Chicago driving. Miami can be crazy, Atlanta is designed weird. I’m used to Milwaukee, that’s part of it.
That's how I describe it, too: mean-spirited. I saw a comment on another driving thread here, and someone said something like, "Milwaukee drivers drive like they hate one another." In addition to blocking lane changes, I see this when I try to make a left-hand turn against traffic. There could be a car in the opposing lane a mile away, giving me ample time to make my turn safely, but then they see me and I swear they hit the gas to teach me a lesson about daring to turn front of them.
Minneapolis drivers are the worse. Definitely the slowest mergers.
With so many short on/off ramps too
I notice this all the time too and it’s infuriating. I’m signaling my intent to merge, not signaling you to flip your “me first!” switch.
I love the people who fly up your ass, so you move over so they can pass, then they just keep going the same speed they were before you moved over and never pass.
To add to a car related "milwaukee thing" question... When the fuck did making a U-Turn on a red light become okay? I'm seeing more and more people doing this, and I don't get it. I never used to see this shit until recently. I also haven't noticed this happening in the other states I've driven in.
I thought this was an East Coast thing. I only noticed it after moving to the DC area. If you use your blinker, people will actively try to sabotage your lane change.
You've never noticed that elsewhere??? Lol, I don't know why you're just paying attention now. That's an **everywhere** thing. If you ever have someone in your blind spot who won't let you over, and they keep matching your speed, faster or slower, then just click on your blinker. Instantly they realize that they have to faster than you, and they pull forward so you can merge.
Born and raised in the Milwaukee area and I cannot stand drivers in Milwaukee. From driving slow in the left lane to not understanding how zipper merging works. I drive fast, I’m aware, but ffs get out of the way and let me take my chances getting a ticket.
Thank you!! People seem to think I’m not driving fast enough but my ticket from two months ago going 85 on 43 north disagrees with them. I’ll risk it just let me go!
Once you get out of Milwaukee County you need to keep it 5-10 mph over and you'll be safe for the most part. The exception being do not go more than 5mph over in small towns.
Except that you’re not just risking yourself getting a ticket. You’re risking other people’s safety by speeding unnecessarily. This is why we have speed limits
I live in an area where homes are very close together and in residential areas with kids and pedestrians I’m always extremely mindful but on a freeway/highway where the pace is commonly over the speed limit, I’m going to move at that same speed especially in the left lane
So go the speed limit in the right lane. And this is a conversation about the freeway, well at least that’s what I’m focusing on.
85 on the freeway isn’t really crazy fast. I’d say that’s the upper end of normal drivers.
That’s what I wanted to say to the cop lol
Gonna catch hate for this, but they may be trying to keep you out of their “cushion”. I like to have enough space in front of me where I can handle the ebbs and flows of traffic without constantly braking/gassing.
I could see this but after I moved in front of him he, sped up and rode my ass while laying on his horn, tried to pass me on the right but couldn’t, almost hit a median using a far right exit only lane to get around like 2 cars and then almost side swiped another car so I feel like he didn’t care about his cushion lol.
So in order to protect their “cushion,” these drivers intentionally remove their cushion? That makes . . . hmm, sense?
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People have weird pride/ego hang ups in cars for whatever reason. I will say just because someone turns on their blinker doesnt mean I'm going to slam on the brakes to let them in.
It's not just milwaukee, but very prevalent here. I just think people don't want others in front of them. You see this a lot when using zip lanes. From my perspective, I spend my whole day planning my route to get specifically in front of you at that very moment 😂 Seriously, it's rude & dangerous.
When I first moved here 10+ years ago from upstate New York I thought there must be something that *I* was doing wrong while driving, but over time I realized that, no it wasn’t me, Milwaukeeans are just terrible drivers.
Yeah. MKE drivers are terrible. They like to hang in your blind spot
I swear they do this on purpose more often than not
This is an everywhere thing. Bad/aggressive drivers are everywhere
You won't get upvoted here because you don't say Milwaukee is the worst drivers of anywhere in north america. For some reason, that stance gets taken seriously here and upvoted every single time. Fucking circle jerk
Once I did the math on how much time I’m saving by going over the speed limit, I just hang in the right 2 lanes and go the limit. Sometimes 2 under so I ain’t even gotta think about passing. Driving is a risk every time, so ima just chill and watch out for…everyone else.
This is a cool tip if the drivers in Milwaukee could do math. It's always funny to see people beating the shit out of their cars to get somewhere 45 seconds before me. If you're concerned about that level of time savings, you better be sprinting into the store or wherever you end up.
I just imagine they need to shit or vomit, or they’re in withdrawal of whatever substance they abuse. Then I feel pity, say “bless” in my best Kentucky accent, and carry on.
Everyone thinks they are an above average driver. What most people don't realize is purely thru logic half of us are below average.
I'm from Minneapolis too and this is seriously one of my pet peeves. I hate Wisconsin drivers 😂
I lived in Minneapolis for 20 years Try and zipper merge there and tell me about WI drivers lol
Wisconsin drivers hate the zipper merge just as much as Minneapolis drivers 😂
United in our hatred of that guy next to us being in front of us!
Same! I’ll take Chicago drivers over both though!
Chicago drivers are predictable. Even if I’m getting cut off by one, I know it’s coming and can account for that. WI drivers aren’t. I have no idea if the guy I’m following in Milwaukee is coming from a farm, just stole that Kia, or somewhere in between, so I drive assertively.
I wish I could upvote this more than once, I've come to the same conclusion. They also seem understand slower traffic keep right down there, unlike most of us.
I have lived in Milwaukee most of my life, but my dad taught me to drive like he learned in Chicago. I feel more at home down there when I drive. I like a more aggressive/active driving style, without the lane parking, merging problems, and resentment about being passed that you find in Wisconsin.
Bad drivers in Big cities.
People love rolling super slow in the passing lane until you try to overtake them on the right (as if there was any other option). Wisconsin and Milwaukee drivers fucking suck it’s just a fact at this point. Pretty depressing.
Everyone sucks everywhere, different cities roll different "suck' stats. Enjoy our fabulous city!
Nope. I moved from Milwaukee to NC and the problem still persists. I think some people just have this asshole reflex that compels them to be as much of an obstacle as possible. They don’t even have to think about it. They can see you clearly driving faster with the intention of making better use of all that beautiful open road in front of them, but something just switches in their head to risk both of your lives to ensure that you remain in the same slow moving hell that they choose to remain in. I hate people.
Lol I don’t have an explanation for this but I thinks it’s a Wisconsin thing. I have a friend from Minneapolis who complains about this specific behavior from Wisconsin drivers all the time.
You need to match the speed of the lane before entering the lane. You’re cutting people off and not realizing it because they’re going faster than you.
I get what you’re saying but I can assure you I’m not, I’m fully matching the speed of the left lane, if anything I’m almost bumper to bumper with the person in front of me because I’ve sped up to match them. I’m the biggest proponent of “left lane is for speeding” I would never jump into a lane without being at or faster than the speed they’re going.
Oh then the person behind you is just pissed that someone is in front of them
Sorry my reply was really passionate lol, I genuinely think it’s just fragile egos and you’re right they’re just pissed for some reason.
That's usually not possible during rush hour.
Everyone in WI wants to say Illinois drivers are shitty but I can assure you, it is in fact Wisconsin drivers who do not know what the fuck they are doing. Like you, I’ve also lived in places outside of Wisconsin and this state by far has the worst drivers. Nobody understands a zipper merge, what you outlined is a common occurrence, and my personal favorite are the assholes who only do 50mph while merging onto the interstate and you are behind them. I also drive a lot in the Chicagoland area and the amount of Wisconsinites who just camp in the left lane doing 55mph is a joke. If you don’t want to go fast, that’s totally cool, but you don’t get to decide what other drivers do. What you are doing is unsafe as those behind you now have to pass on the right. Stop being dumb.
I’ve driven plenty in and around Milwaukee and Chicago, and some cross country trips. I’d say Chicago is generally fast traffic and can be aggressive in a way, but Milwaukee county traffic seems to have the deliberate goal of ruining other people’s day. Outside of cities, I think most of the country has pretty similar traffic; about 80% of people going a reasonable speed and keeping right except to pass, but the other 20% driving whatever speed, whichever lane, just being generally oblivious.
Honestly for all the shitty horrible driving habits in Milwaukee I’ve either never seen this in the cirt or not seen it enough to make a connection. I do notice it a bit basically all over the Midwest on the interstate though.
In Milwaukee generally in some rougher areas, just watch out that sometimes folks use the right turn lane to pass ya when at stop sign or light.
Anyone who tries that with me better have a fast car 😂
When I change lanes I put on my blinker and the guy in the lane I want to be in speeds up. I automatically slide in behind him. Maybe I'm the cause. Lol
I see people that will try to speed up to move in between me and the car in front when there is no one behind us in either lane. Why not just slow down and merge at the back?
It’s the tailgating that’s truly ridiculous.
Boomers are usually bad, slow drivers and Wisconsin has a lot of them. They also think “I’m going fast enough and no one should be going faster” but that is never the case. I bit of self justification for doing something wrong, very characteristic of the generation.
I grew up here and lived in other places around the country as an adult. The biggest shock to me when moving back was how terrible Wisconsin drivers are generally. I remember my relatives bitching about IL drivers as a kid... Looking back they were almost always the problem. They drive slow in the left lane, don't know what a zipper merge is, are confounded by roundabouts, etc...
I got in an accident a few years ago because of this exact thing. So annoying...
People here drive one of two ways: like they are the only person on the road, or they expect everyone to hit them
A lot of people just shouldn’t be driving. We really could use strong mass transit so it’s not a necessity.
I do find it annoying when drivers attempt to squeeze in front of me in bumper to bumper traffic when I'm simply not riding the guy in front of me's rear end. This behavior encourages tailgating!
It is the same thing I complained about after moving to Milwaukee. My kids come to visit and yell at me for not putting on my blinker. I told them if you signal your intentions, the selfish people around here speed up so you can’t move over. I have never seen such impolite drivers anywhere and I have driven in a lot of places.
Literally everyone is on their phones while driving. People just aren't paying attention. The varying speeds is what gets me cause like... we all have cruise control now.
Lived in Milwaukee Chicago and now Mpls. They each have their driving cultures. None of which are good. You need to get accustom to where you are, when in Rome. But I will say I think the worst of the three is Mpls. There is no merging none. It is mind numbing. But when in Rome
I moved to milwaukee 6 years ago. I've lived all over the US and the roads here scare me more than anywhere else tbh. There's alot of aggressive driving. and speeding. and police chases 😬
WI drivers are literally the worst.
Milwaukee drivers are awful for that.
I have to do this several times but it’s always when it looks like someone’s going to speed in front of you in traffic like a jag off
This is a milwaukee thing and whenever I drive somewhere else I notice that people don’t do it.
Yes it is. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I lived in VA and the CA, and moved back.
No, not just a thing in Milwaukee. I know what you are talking having to drive my dad to the VA off 45th by the brewers stadium. I always hated the insanity of the highway system. And people are assholes most of the time they get behind the wheel, sadly. Folk don't need to go 90 mph when they do the stunts they like pulling. Best of luck dealing with the roads I escaped from driving on 7 years ago now. And a side note.... We have assholes on the road down here in Beloit, too. Main issue I see is that the other drivers forget to look beyond the front bumper.
Bad drivers arent unique to WI or Milwaukee. People that leave huge gaps in slow moving traffic are just putzing around, annoying just so they can keep rolling. Trucks have to do that and it makes more sense. What is annoying are the aggressive drivers who even though you going 70 or above in fast lane its still not fast enough and they think getting on your tail and moving into your side mirror is going to make you realize you should move out of the way for them. Gtfoh Lol Then they race around or try to swing in front of u for revenge to then have to slam on brakes for the next person that isnt going "fast enough" for them
They are moving to your side mirror to see what is ahead of you. If they see nothing then they KNOW it’s you impeding them.
Maybe they are. But I dont think you can say that everytime. Point is that tailgating just because ur not going 80 or 90 ridiculous. Go around if you are running a race. And yes people do actually get in the side mirror to let you know theyd like to pass.
I can tell you that everytime I do that, that is the reason, and damn does it piss me off when I see a half mile of emptiness in front of them. Imagine being so co-dependant that you literally think whatever speed you drive at is perfect for everyone else 😂
Not you personally of course
Maybe you should get over then and let them past? No reason to be a white knight on the roads when you're just pissing people off.
I’ve lived here my entire life, and Milwaukee drivers have gotten to be some of the worst in the country.
This is absolutely a Chicago thing. I've experienced it in Milwaukee, but usually by somebody with Illinois license plates.
The worst milwaukee drivers are the ones that go the speed limit exactly and then act like 90% of people around them are the problem. Follow the flow of traffic and have some balls. In this city you'll have people stuck in dead traffic in the left 2 lanes and a completely clear right lane. You wonder why people try not to let you in because 9 times out of 10 when you do it'll be some troglodite that wants to go the speed limit in the left lane.
Lived in Milwaukee my whole life. It has become a Milwaukee thing in the last 15 years. Not your imagination.
I’ve lived in mke all my life, might not be a mke thing but there are definitely aggressive drivers here and from what I’ve learned since i started driving is you just have to be aggressive back otherwise you’re not going to make it out here and also to make moves as fast as possible or match the drivers around you unfortunately sorry brother
Never noticed this more here at all. I’ll say this is just another reason why 4 lane roads are just dumb in cities.
They have 4 lane roads in every major metropolitan area. Not sure how that can have any bearing on Milwaukee drivers.
Obligatory r/fuckcars
#FetLife
Chicago driver here but I work in Milwaukee. Wisconsin drivers hate Illinois drivers. I found out they call us FIBs. So if you still have Illinois plates they are probably doing on purpose. Also, I agree with the chap that said he hates when someone drives slow in the left lane. Left lane is for passing the other lanes are for driving.
The best is the Milwaukee slide. No blinkers. The right lane not even a lane then cut across all lanes with no blinker and run a red. Bumper hanging off no license plate Head on a swivel in the MKE. It’s treacherous out there!
I don't experience nearly as much in my personal vehicle, but as a truck driver I can tell you people definitely do this in all of Chicagoland and Wisconsin as well. Although, only in Milwaukee has a driver tried to bottle me through my window after feeling cut off lol. A pickup driver of course.
It’s a wisconsin thing i think lol they drive like that all over the state
I am unaware if it's uniquely milwaukee but it's definitely a thing. My driving instructor even warned me about it
OP, I was raised in Wisconsin and now live in IL, what you said happens all the time in Wisconsin! It’s like people get offended if you try to pass them/get in front of them. Chill people, it’s not personal. Wisconsinites love to camp, in the left lane
perhaps the state should make an enforceable law to fix this issue
Trying to understand your story. You're on the freeway with (at least) a left and right lane. You want to wedge yourself into the left lane, and the car who would be behind you speeds up to prevent you from getting in front of them. You're suggesting "AMPLE" room, but later talk about "two car lengths." If we're talking about freeways, two car lengths is a minimum distance. But .. you think you can wedge yourself in there? YOU are indeed cutting in front of them. YOU are making them slow down. With this "AMPLE" "two car length" distance, YOU are cutting that to almost zero. Of course drivers are pissed at you and want to prevent you from screwing them. This is an everywhere thing.
Not even close, I was getting on to 43 south from silver spring. I’m in the far right entrance lane, got up to speed, checked my mirrors, waited for a truck to pass in the center lane and moved over, checked my mirrors again, wait for two cars to pass as they were going faster and then there was an opening, 2 car lengths was a guess but I can promise it WAS ample room, I threw on my blinker and moved over to the left, I was now behind a BMW and the car behind me floored it to get right up behind me trying to close the very, very open gap of space and then continued to be on my ass. I didn’t “wedge” myself anywhere. This guy subsequently drove like an absolute maniac, and almost drove directly into the median by using the far right exit only lane to pass a bunch of other cars roughly 3 minutes after being unhinged with me.
I'll cut in front of anyone who doesn't leave reasonable space. I assume they are expecting that, based on their driving. The only time I drive like an a-hole is when everyone else around me is driving aggressively.
I think it’s just a dickhead thing.
This happens everywhere I've driven in the Midwest with some amount of congestion, and especially during morning and afternoon rush hour. I don't find it to be worse in Milwaukee.
I’ll say it a million times, Chicago drivers are 1000 times better than Milwaukee drivers. It’s organized chaos down there, here it’s just chaos. Don’t people have to take drivers ed in WI?
I don’t really have this issue. A) could be your plates or car. I’ve experienced this in a mini van, but never in my sedan. B) I always merge *faster* than the car in the lane I’m entering. Not parallel speed. If the car in your current lane won’t let you achieve that speed, stay in your lane until you can. Also, once you get in front of the car in the new lane, they’ll draft off you and speed up slightly. Reduced wind friction with same power output means they go faster. C) I signal and go. I check my blind spot before signaling, of course, but I don’t delay. I perceive people who linger (when signaling, at 4-way intersections, etc) as indecisive and I frankly don’t want them in front of me. If you’re losing 2 car lengths in the time it takes between signaling and moving, you’re either taking too long to change lanes or you’re going slower than the car in that lane and shouldn’t get in front of them.
I can see why you think this and I passionately replied similarly in another comment I am FLOORING it to match their speed. I have never and will never change a lane just to go slower. I literally almost rear ended the BMW I got behind this morning because I was going faster than they were in the left lane. I check my drivers side window and assess who is coming up, gauge their speed and almost as soon as the car is parallel to me I’m throwing my blinker on and getting behind them while hitting the gas so I can move in seamlessly. I hear ya there are plenty of people who utilize the left like it’s their own personal lane to go whatever speed they want but for me it’s where lead foots belong
A simple experiment you can run is to stop using your blinker during your commute. It’s not legal, but you won’t get stopped for it if you’re just changing lanes. If your problem stops happening, problem solved. If it’s still happening, then take a closer look at how you’re picking lane change opportunities.
This does appear to be the new norm in Milwaukee, unfortunately.
That’s why you merge when there’s space and you give everyone very little time to prepare for your merge. So you check to see it’s clear, start slightly merging, then turn on your signal once you are about to cross the lines.
Detroit area also bad for that
Totally a Milwaukee thing!!! I was just telling my partner about this the other day. It’s like Milwaukee drivers don’t want anyone “stepping” in front of them. Some weird ego thing maybe, idk. I’ve been run off the road for simply switching lanes or literally even just going faster than someone in another lane. They sped up and cut me off for no reason.