Are they all on the golf course?

Montreal is infamous for their bad drivers. I hear it all the time. People keep telling me how bad they drive. But I think I’ll need some clarifications. Because after three years, I still have not found that people drive bad enough to warrant that reputation. I have been fortunate to see much of the city and the province and each time I keep my eyes open for that pocket of ‘mechant conducteurs’ that will tip the scales. I can’t say I’ve found them yet.

I’m not suggesting that there are not bad drivers. There are a fair share out there for a city this size. Tailgating is a well accepted custom. Truck drivers are amazingly aggressive considering they could really do some harm. And minivan drivers seem to be trying to overcompensate for having to drive a family vehicle.

There are other cities known for bad drivers. Paris, New York, Rome. But I don’t see this city stacking up to them in this category. Two other cities that come to mind that have bad drivers but are not known for them are Toronto and Chicago. Closer in size, but again the aggressiveness is much higher in those cities.

But I want to hear from you. Is there a particular area that has a concentration of bad drivers? I haven’t been west of Dorval much, so is it there? Is it Pierrefonds? I drove through Hampsted the other day and things were a bit crazy. I do have to say that the drivers in Ste-Julie love speeding and blowing stop signs.

Also, what particular acts do you consider characteristic of bad drivers? Running reds, speeding (how fast above the speed limit), jumping a red in the right lane (a Chicago fave), not yielding right of way, etc. Or maybe I’m misinterpreting it. Does a bad driver have to be an aggressive one? Or is that they are clumsy with their cars? Or could it even be that they don’t drive fast enough or take too long to start up from red lights.

And lastly, If you feel the drivers here in Montreal are bad, what are you comparing them to? Drivers in Boucherville? Chateauguay? Blainville? Tadousac? Ottawa? Toronto? Boston? New York? Vancouver?

Above all remember this is not a reproach. I am honestly curious where the reputation comes from.