Monday, January 21, 2008

Driving in Houston

Here’s a nifty pic for you. It’s the largest highway interchange in the world, located on Interstate 10 in Houston, Texas. I’m really looking forward to my mom seeing this. Here’s why.

As a single parent from a little-bitty town in Texas, driving in big cities like Dallas or Houston made her nervous. I can understand why. If you never drive on big freeway interchanges, they can certainly be intimidating.

I lived in Dallas for ten years, and I can tell you that Houston drivers are much more aggressive. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because Houston is so spread out that they feel a greater need to get where they’re going.
Now!

I never did like driving in Houston either.

Anyway, I remember my mom driving my brother in me in Houston one time and we were going through one of these interchanges. I was about 13 years old, my brother, about 11. As we were traversing one of these fly-overs, my brother and I would comment from the back seat:

“Look how far up we are!"

“You boys be quiet!” yelled my mom from the driver’s seat, with visions of impending disaster.

“Look at all those highways below us! Look at all that traffic!” we’d continue. . .

“Boys! I mean it!”. . .

I’ve since driven in New York City, Toronto, and Chicago.
And I still don’t like to drive in Houston.

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3 Comments:

At 5:59 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I spent 18 of my last 20 years driving (and living) in Houston. Houston drivers are the best. Agressive? Yes, that's fair, but they use their signals, stay in the lanes and know where they are going. There would never be a wreck if only Houstonians were allowed to drive there. It's the poor guy from hicksville that does not realize that "merge" means to use your gas pedel, not the brake, that causes all the problems.

BTW, it appears that that picture was taken from the rooftop of the building I worked in for the last 15 years I was there, or from a helocopter very near there.

 
At 8:05 PM , Blogger Elaine Wheat said...

Mom said.... I bet I can still shut both of you up from the front seat. I don't even want to go to Heaven if the "streets of gold" have an overpass. MA

 
At 8:15 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I recently drove in the rain and cold in Houston on that exact same
"spagehetti bowl." Some people call it I-10. You should have heard what I called it!!! Just
looking at the picture of it makes
me dizzy!!! I think I will stay
in the little towns in Texas!
Mar

 

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