I’ve met the politest auto drivers in the world, and they live in the Little Rock, Arkansas area. I flew there this past Thursday for business, then drove just north to Conway. If it’s my first time to an area, there’s usually a little anxiety about finding my way around. However, this time was a pleasure for two reasons: Little Rock isn’t exactly a teeming metropolis, and 2) The drivers I shared the road with for two days were the most considerate I’ve ever seen.
Most of my driving was on I-30 and I-40. Granted, I could always write off one or two instances of random kindness to the occasional nice person, but my experience was above and beyond that.
[ul]
[li]Not once did anyone tailgate me, even in town, nor did I see evidence of it with anyone else.[/li][li]Every time I put on my blinker to change lanes, the car next to me slowed down to allow me over.[/li][li]I realized at the last minute at an intersection that I needed to make a right turn, and I was in the wrong lane. When I put on my blinker (prepared for the honks of outrage), the cars in the right lane stopped to allow me to merge.[/li][li]Whenever I merged onto the interstate, the cars in the merge lane moved over to allow me room.[/li][/ul]
Maybe I’ve been living in the wrong places, and this is how the rest of the country drives. All I know is that driving in a strange place was a pleasure for a change.