This has nothing to do with boats

Not a thing about boats, living aboard boats, or boating related in any way.   I just need to vent.

I HATE DRIVING IN CONNECTICUT.   There.  Feeling much better.

Seriously though, I've driven all over most of the United States.  I've seen stupid drivers in New York, and bad drivers in Massachusetts, but Connecticut boasts the most agressive drivers I've ever seen anywhere.   At least the Stamford area, which is considered part of Metro NYC, so I'm guessing that drivers all over Metro New York drive the same way and so this applies to them too.

I learned to drive in New York State and moved here a couple of years ago.  I don't really know Connecticut's rules of the road and I suppose I should research them, but this is what I've figured out on my own.

First, there are no laws or rules of the road in Connecticut, only suggestions. 

When you're stopped at a traffic light and it turns green on your side, at least one car on the other side will go through their red light.   A second and third car will also go through if they're tailgating close enough so it counts as one big car.   I know this because I've not only seen it, but I was rear ended for stopping for a red light.  The guy who hit me seemed confused, and told me that he expected me to go.

Speed limits mean nothing, not even in school zones.  Add at least ten miles per hour over any sign.   I-95, for example, has a posted speed limit of 55 MPH.   No one goes that slow.  You'd get killed.   The right hand lane is for 60 to 65 MPH, the middle lane 70 to 75, and the left lane is for 80 MPH plus.   If you lane hop, you can easily do 100 MPH.  

I have never seen a Connecticut trooper pull anyone over on I-95.   I actually saw a trooper doing 80 in the left lane in a long line of cars also going 80 and get passed on the right by a lane hopper.   Last year, a New York police officer actually gave a Maserati driver a ticket for 100 MPH on the Long Island Expressway.  He protested in court, saying he was doing at least 130.  Really.  You can't make this stuff up.

If you leave a car length plus three inches between you and the car ahead of you, someone will pull in between.  While this may happen at any time, on I-95 it is usually someone in the left lane who has waited until the last possible second for his exit, and will cut from the left lane right in front of you and then continue to the right lane and to his exit.

Women I-95 drivers will never let you merge.  Never.  They know you won't flip them the bird.

It is perfectly OK to use interstate exit and entrance ramps as passing lanes.  In the city, it is OK to use left turn only lanes as passing lanes as well.

Tractor trailers and buses may not use the left most lane, and are restricted to the right and middle lanes of I-95.  This means that they must tailgate those in front of them to get them the hell out of the way.

The motorcycle season will be here very shortly.   There is no helmet law in Connecticut.  Why bother?  A helmet won't do much when you crash at 90+ MPH.  

Motorcycles do not have to observe lanes.   If they fit, they go.   Down the shoulder, between lanes of automobiles, where ever.

When stopped at a red light, you have exactly one tenth of a second to move when it turns green.  Anything more and the car behind you will lean on his horn.

Connecticut has no annual safety inspection for automobiles.   Most vehicles have at least one brake light burned out, many have two, and many have no brake lights at all.   These people are probably lane hoppers and are constantly slamming on their brakes, which shortens the life of the bulbs.

So take warning if you intend to drive down here.   I believe it was Paul Newman, a Westport CT resident, who said he felt safer driving 180 MPH on the racetrack than driving on I-95.