Why Worcester drivers are so awful: Your theories and musings

Submitted by Itchy_Rock_726 t3_120u2z8 in WorcesterMA

Anyone who drives in this city knows the roads are utterly lawless, with many motorists seemingly feral. Also the police have essentially stopped doing traffic enforcement. A longtime WPD sergeant I have known for quite a while claims to me that it's because they don't have enough officers. Uh huh.

Yeah they are too busy working paid details or 'cooping' (this is a real insider term cops use) in their cars in places like the end of the street next to Duffy field and the nooks and crannies on the Institute road side of the old Aud.

Anyway, my takes on why Worcester drivers suck:

  • Meth in the tap water
  • Urgent need to make appointment at Zaza Ink
  • Hankering for a Ziggy Bomb and he's about to close
  • Hankering for a hunk of cheese (dating myself with that one)
  • Trying to get home to drop one before they explode in their pants. Tainted Ziggy Bomb to blame
  • Everyone is a self absorbed asshole who doesn't give a shit about other people and the general idea of safety. Yeah let's go with that one!

I welcome all of your thoughts.

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Comments

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Ready-Interview-9809 t1_jdjq7zn wrote

More ppl run the red intersection in front of the police station than anywhere else I’ve seen.

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PM_me_spare_change t1_jdjs9ey wrote

Anecdotal so it doesn’t mean shit, but I’ve noticed there are a lot of drivers who don’t seem to understand basic traffic laws. Many times I’ve yielded entering the rotaries of the city only for the person already in it to yield to me. Right turn on red after a full stop is another one.

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beaux-tie t1_jdkrak8 wrote

I see this allll the time at Kelley Square. Newton is also pretty chaotic in this way but it doesn't seem that normal rotary rules apply there lol

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Xazangirl t1_jdlb3gy wrote

Probably because nobody is used to a rotary being there, and hey, it's Kelley Square.

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delaneydeer t1_jdksoyq wrote

people here also don’t seem to understand that if there’s a lane to the right of the driving lane, you should enter it before turning. people turning onto commonwealth from hamilton love to turn from the middle of the road. apparently they’ve never heard of a turn lane

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[deleted] t1_jdmp7vk wrote

[removed]

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WorcesterMA-ModTeam t1_jdnbigw wrote

Your comment is being removed for uncivil behavior. Our community maintains a respect level of civility in discussion regardless of the views being presented, and posts such as yours that engage in this type of discussion are not welcome here.

Please refresh yourself on our rules before continuing to participate, and show other posters the respect that all other people are owed.

If you cannot provide that, you are not welcome here.

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Magisterbrown t1_jdjr41w wrote

Also, if you're interested in making Worcester less car-dependant so that fewer people drive and the roads are safer for those who do, consider coming to the urbanist meetup at Nu kitchen, Mondays 5:30-7.

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bodaciousboner t1_jdk3aw4 wrote

Serious question so I don’t mean to come off as a dick; I work in public transportation and am intrigued- what exactly is this group doing to try and enact change?

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Magisterbrown t1_jdk4itq wrote

Honestly, we're still very much figuring out what we want to and/or actually can do, but the goal in meeting right now is to discuss how we can make Worcester more friendly to those who cannot drive a car (due to finances, health, age, etc) and those who would like options in mobility besides cars.

There are many "urbanism" YouTube channels out lately, perhaps the most popular being Not Just Bikes. If you're interested in urbanism and making cities work for people first instead of cars, consider looking into NJB and StrongTowns. Their videos are less engaging but they are the actual body doing research and activism.

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bodaciousboner t1_jdk5a62 wrote

Excellent, thanks for the info. Just my two cents but I go up to Killington, VT often, and they offer a free shuttle that the restaurants on Killington Access Rd. rotate operating. Maybe the water district and Shrewsbury st could operate something similar? Obv that’s more of a restaurant/nightlife focus, but every bit counts.

Maybe get restaurants/bars to participate in a discount program. Show us you rode share here/took public transportation and get $5 off you tab. Idk just spitballing.

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Magisterbrown t1_jdls4zm wrote

All good ideas. Everything seems daunting because our whole world is so "car brained"

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Turbulent_Leg6503 t1_jdkprr9 wrote

I would love to cycle places. Only reason I don’t is the drivers

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Magisterbrown t1_jdls23n wrote

If we had protected bike lanes or bike infrastructure separate from cars tons of people would use it.

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bodaciousboner t1_jdlyutn wrote

Same. Feel like that’s a legit death wish around here though

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Duderbot t1_jdmywnk wrote

Seeing bikes on the roads in this city makes me anxious driving around. I wish there were bike lanes instead of off street parking everywhere. I feel like that isn't going to happen with all of those new parking meters that have been installed all over the place, though.

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Duderbot t1_jdmxtqf wrote

The make up of the city council is going to be a roadblock to your ideas. Your best bet is to find candidates to challenge and replace the city councilors that will stop modernization of this city.

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Magisterbrown t1_jdn654y wrote

Yeah. We've heard that the city council is powerless, overworked and apathetic.

As an aside, I'm pushing back against your use of "modernization." I don't think that tearing down homes to build roads is 'progress'.

But maybe you're using "modern" in the sense of 1950s-ish aesthetic/mindset.

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Duderbot t1_jdn7qlv wrote

The last statement you made is what I meant. Modernization isn't a great term but I really didn't want to come out the gate being overly aggressive. The bottom line is this - there are people on the city council who will not do something if it benefits working class to poor people in this city. Especially, if they aren't white.

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C-O-L-A_COLA t1_jdjlsk6 wrote

They could print money giving tickets to the amount of people flying up and down Pleasant St if they wanted to.

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boba79 t1_jdm6cl6 wrote

Near Elm Park - OMG! 3:30 on Friday's, a cop with a cash register would cover the schools' budget for a year.

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Aeschere06 t1_jdk6igw wrote

Look buddy I didn’t make Worcester’s streets this way, Worcester’s streets made me this way. It’s how I learned to drive. I know nothing else. I must drive angry

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Slappybags22 t1_jdmxtyy wrote

Worcester streets set us up for failure.

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Aeschere06 t1_jdn3cym wrote

With every rotary I glide through while neither I nor any other driver in the vicinity uses a turn signal, my heart gets a little bit colder

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CSmed t1_jdkljnj wrote

Here's the thing: Worcester drivers are terrible, horrible, dangerous.

BUT

They're infinitely better than bad drivers in neighboring states because they're PREDICTABLY bad.

Worcester drivers will always bang a left when the light turns. They'll always nose in to your lane to force a space. They'll do every unsafe behavior that could cause an accident - and it never does, because everyone else is also an asshole and we all see it coming.

See a potentially dangerous situation up ahead? We all saw it, too, and we all do the absolute minimum (or less) to avoid it, and it doesn't happen.

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1upnate t1_jdjpbum wrote

I guess its hard for people to pay attention to traffic around them over the din of their 06 civic shitbox with a muffler-that-sounds-like-a-really-bad-exhaust-leak while blasting reggaeton which turns into scary clown music when the doppler effect kicks in.

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The_Real_ZerXceS t1_jdlixbg wrote

it always was scary clown music. you just needed to redshift your mind...

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Unlucky-Boot-6567 t1_jdjnqmx wrote

a commercial plate vehicle took off my government vehicle’s rear view mirror yesterday then ran a red light to accomplish the hit and run

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Magisterbrown t1_jdjqufo wrote

Inadequate or poorly planned infrastructure.

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Itchy_Rock_726 OP t1_jdjtrrs wrote

This post is intended for people who live in the city and agree that we are among feral drivers who make us feel unsafe all the time. Please direct your browser to r/urbanplanning

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Magisterbrown t1_jdjw8vf wrote

But, like, do you think that the bad driving is countless bad drivers or that those drivers are symptoms of garbage planning?

Not to mention, if you think they're all bad drivers, wouldn't you prefer they be in buses, trams and on bikes?

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Itchy_Rock_726 OP t1_jdjx997 wrote

If you are referring to the city adding traffic calming measures in problem areas I'm for it.

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Magisterbrown t1_jdk2ovw wrote

Well, yes and... If I were philosopher-king I'd make sure that public transit was convenient and reliable so that people wouldn't need a car to get around town.

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Itchy_Rock_726 OP t1_jdmo37d wrote

Also yes, there are countless bad drivers here and the syndrome crosses all gender and ethnic lines.

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ScrubbDaddy5000 t1_jdjxjto wrote

No, people suck at driving, the planning of it sucks too though obviously. Not everyone should have a car, or have a need to drive one, but all things are fucked including public transportation so we've got idiots on the road

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BatExisting325 t1_jdjvqhf wrote

Worcester PD pulls over no one anymore. I watched someone texting in front of a cruiser and nothing. Funny when the light turns green the heads go right down to the phones. More red lights and stop signs blown than a green st hooker

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masshole4life t1_jdk754v wrote

the plus side is you can flip the bird to a cop while you run a red with an expired sticker and the cop will just go back to sleep.

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legalpretzel t1_jdjsv57 wrote

Im convinced it’s a mix of drugs, elderly drivers, and cell phones.

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tommyverssetti t1_jdkdkey wrote

We pay for it in insurance

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curlygreenbean t1_jdqvgt4 wrote

Tell me about it. Moved from Northborough and our insurance doubled. We were so shocked.

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edith-bunker t1_jdkw30x wrote

It’s the grid of the city. It’s the bad timing with lights, one way streets, congestion and pedestrians when you’re already irritated. Take deep breaths and be caaaalm, caaaalm, it’ll be ok. This will slow you down just a minute but you’ll make it to your destination alive and in one piece.

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The_Real_ZerXceS t1_jdliuf3 wrote

time is money and food at bagel time is 3 times more expensive than it's worth. GET THAT CHEESE!

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milespeeingyourpants t1_jdjrz1u wrote

I blame Rhode Island drivers who cross the border.

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wartswafflesnwalter t1_jdnxgad wrote

I’m from Worcester but my wife is from Rhode Island. I asked her if she thought Worcester drivers were bad and she said she hadn’t noticed. Lol

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edith-bunker t1_jdkwvs3 wrote

No. I’m a Ma native. Then I lived in RI for over a decade and now I’m back in Ma. Both have shitty transportation infrastructure, especially around the cities. Both just suck. I drive like a madwoman, in my opinion, because I’m actually trying to arrive at my destination and I see the same assholes in both states, quite honestly. I don’t understand why you want to bring RI into it.

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alpacabowlkehd t1_jdk1cwv wrote

Jesus Man U shoulda driven here 12 years ago then you’d know what lawless feels like. Or you know what go drive to north station on the parkways after i90, you might get a feel that Worcester ain’t so bad anymore.

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techorules t1_jdkmy3b wrote

Actually I find so much of the overly aggressive driving kind of a sad showing off of sorts. It's ineffective because it's not a good look. It's one of those things that even though it's an act of aggression it's also embarrassing to them, even if they're too mentally lightweight to be aware or or understanding of any of this.

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AceOfTheSwords t1_jdmq8mn wrote

The two things I miss most about living in CT are that they know how to do garbage pick-up and they know how to drive.

Enforcement should really be a last resort. By the time you're relying on it, you're basically already conceding that your city's infrastructure is a failure.

Honestly, in a lot of places we could get by with narrower streets, which have an effect of reducing overall traffic speeds. Like, does Pleasant St need to be nearly wide enough for 4 lanes when it's got a 30mph speed limit at most? Does Mill St need to be the 4-lane-with-median monstrosity for most of its length? People driving faster is going to lead to more reckless behavior at intersections.

For particularly complicated intersections, we could see improvement with traffic circles. I'm thinking the Main/Major Taylor/Highland/Belmont/Grove mess (yes I know it used to be a traffic circle, maybe that wasn't wrong?), the Main/Mill/Webster intersection, or the weird triangle intersection with Lincoln and Burncoat would be helped by this.

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Rosseaux t1_jdnewkq wrote

Poorly-designed rotaries encourage terrible driving habits. Specifically, rotaries that require you to drive into the path of oncoming traffic--not "merge" but literally drive directly into traffic. It lowers people's inhibitions for making incredibly stupid, dangerous maneuvers everywhere else.

Other states may have terrible roads, but this particular insanity belongs mainly to Central and Eastern Mass.

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New_Serve6270 t1_jdnjblv wrote

Yes. I lived there after moving from western ny. The intersections are the strangest ever. Kelley square before they redid it was a free for all.

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Stevite t1_jdkpcfh wrote

Not from around here but everyday at least 3 people just pull right out in front of from a side street, or a driveway or coming from the other direction. You all just drive wherever the fuck your want.It reminds me of bumper cars when I was a kid. I’m pretty sure everyone has lead poisoning

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julie77777 t1_jdlivec wrote

Went to Worcester for the first time today since moving near by in January. I never want to drive there again. I’ve driven in a lot of cities around the country and have never been more wtf am I going to die than today.

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jgeick06 t1_jdmgl0v wrote

I have grown up and lived in Boston before moving here and obviously besides things like running red lights (which I haven’t seen at a rate like this since the Boston Police used to do it back in the 90’s) there is also a problem with no consistency on driving style.

Boston works because everyone is trying to get where they are going and everyone knows to be “aggressive”, but I can’t tell you how many times I have almost rear ended a clueless driver who stopped more than a car length away from the car in front of them or stopped way too far from the actual crosswalk. Also how have people not learned who is suppose to stop, who yields and that the person already in the rotary has the right of way in Newton Sq?

I know it’s more of a serious answer, but I really think there are too many people who are not used to city driving from the surrounding towns as well as more transplants in MA in general. It just feels like I am operating with a different set of logic with the drivers around me. And I’m not even going to get started on the dirt bike gangs that room the street during the summer

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Itchy_Rock_726 OP t1_jdmoflz wrote

The Newton Square rotary is a consistent rage generator and I often wish I had rocket launchers mounted on my car to obliterate the assholes that plow through there.

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jgeick06 t1_jdmq2tg wrote

The thing is it’s not just people plowing through there. It’s the people that stop for the stop sign when they have a yield. It’s disorienting going into the rotary not knowing if people are going to be too bold or too timid

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Ready-Interview-9809 t1_jdmd0e3 wrote

Living/driving on the north side 190-290 change for 25+ years. When I’m in the car and my husband or neighbors drive they’re like white knuckling the slit and lane (just kidding what paint?) changes. Makes me laugh EVERY TIME.

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JohnnyGoldwink t1_jdk4bsf wrote

It’s that damned Polar Park I tell ya lol

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masshole4life t1_jdk6x66 wrote

fucking transplants.

the city is attracting more people from more places and these people do not understand basic shit about how to get around here.

never in my 25 years of driving in this city have i seen so many people baffled by the rotary. stopping in the middle to be "nice"?? these clowns did not learn how to drive here and you can't convince me they did. coming to a stop before entering when there's no one in the rotary? transplants.

lots of people clearly unsure of what to do. driving 15 under the limit and slamming on breaks to make a lane change. stopping at yield signs. refusing to turn right on red. transplants.

it's even evident in this sub, where just a few weeks ago i was downvoted for pointing out that no, you do not go 7 mph up a hill in a snowstorm. you gonna tell me that someone local would seriously advocate for snow tires over knowing how to drive? transplant shit.

the answer is fucking transplants who can't hang and a few dumb as fuck locals. this is a new (past 15 years or so) problem.

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Speedwagon1935 t1_jdka7s8 wrote

There is a reason why they call massachusetts "Masshole". People are just dumb in general in worcester or high as hell driving.

Also do a study on foreign drivers tests and you'll wonder why the RMV finds their incredibly easy passings there acceptable to our standards with how strict they are.

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Itchy_Rock_726 OP t1_jdmp0gw wrote

On my way home from Trader Joe's today I saw a dude in a black Camry with no rear license plate. No temporary paper tag either. No plate. We both drove by the police station side by side. It's mad max out here

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OrphanKripler t1_jdokopi wrote

I drive on these streets and it’s a combination of a few things

  1. Drivers are aggressive “me first” and very inpatient.

  2. Distracted driving with the loud stupid music and phone in hand or driving on drugs with weed fumes pouring out of the car so strong I get second handedly high for a few seconds.

  3. The road design sucks, there’s more than a few streets that have the lanes, if you were to follow them to the tee, would drive you into the other side of the street into oncoming traffic. Like that road between the highway over the diner and the closed down meat store with the giant gay pride flag on it.

  4. Uneducated drivers, I see people inside! The rotary coming to a complete stop to let people outside the rotary enter and pass in. I also see all the time at the grafton rotary, drivers block the fucking rotary because of “me first” and don’t stop on the line to leave the rotary open and let traffic continuously flow. So they sit in the rotary clogging the street. Until the red light far down the road turns green. There’s so much backed up traffic because of this jack ass behavior.

  5. Driving school is a joke. Where I work I can see out the window, different driving schools use my street for new drivers to learn how to parallel park and how to 3 point turn. So almost every person rides up on the curb, almost smashes the parked car or gives up and drives off.

  6. Messed up roads with giant potholes has ppl swerving in and out of lanes to avoid them and these same ppl Never use their side mirrors to check if they’re gonna ram someone else out of their lane. Same with these little attention starved little kids always doing wheelies on their probably stolen bikes or dirt bikes who take up the whole road or on the wrong side of the road to be edgy.

  7. Nobody knows what a turn signal is or what the speed limit is. Or how to merge.

  8. If it’s not aggressive drivers, tailgating up your ass pickup trucks, it’s on drugs drivers, distracted drivers, or the sleepy slow idk where the fuck I’m going drivers that refuse to keep up with the pace of traffic which seemingly, seemingly like to instigate and coax drivers into road rage

Some ppl really don’t belong on the road or should have access to a motor vehicle

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dupattaluella t1_jdm6bre wrote

The part on not having enough cops is probably part of the cause. The defund the police movement did have an impact in Worcester. Many cops walked during that time and they haven't hired enough to fill the spots of everyone who walked. Not to mention there were some who were fired for being dicks.

When you have fewer cops, people will notice and be more reckless. Crime will start to increase as well. We're starting to see this happening across the country since so many people wanted to defund the police. It should have been more about regulations on spending and having better training than defunding imo.

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SmartSherbet t1_jdmg50y wrote

We have plenty of cops. They just spend all their time scrolling their phones and collecting overtime at construction sites instead of doing their actual jobs.

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cowboyfromhell77 t1_jdl4ywh wrote

lots of people from 3rd world countries here, including my parents so chill with the racist shit. If you’ve ever driven or been a passenger in some of these countries where most of worcesters immigrants come from, it’s pretty simple why the driving here is worse than nyc where i spent most of my life. the driving in worcester is not comparable to any experience i’ve had one usa, but very similar to some other parts of the world, especially poor and crime ridden parts that people have the fortune to leave

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