Visiting for three days
Posted by _binwitz@reddit | askdfw | View on Reddit | 7 comments
I am coming down to TX for the Sick New World festival in October ! It’s gonna be my first time going somewhere where i’ll need to actually be driving on the road (hotel i booked is a little ways away from the event). Basically what my question is, is what to expect on the road, i’ve had my driving license for a little over 5 years, and i am renting a car through Alamo. Hotel is on Plaza Drive, and the event is on TX Motor Speedway. I’m from WA, just curious if there’s anything that i should be prepared for road wise, or is it kind of normal common sense. I’m 21 for reference, i don’t really travel much lol, much less have experience driving in unknown places. Thanks for any insight !
JJ0532@reddit
Find a hotel closer to the Speedway. Not kidding. You don’t want to have to drive that far when you aren’t familiar crazy DFW drivers.
abstractraj@reddit
The drivers here are nuts. Stay focused!
crestedgeckovivi@reddit
Lmao WA roads are so peaceful....
Driving here is pretty aggressive; especially in traffic and rush hours and also for no reason at all.
You'll see, experience and have ptsd.
Just kidding.
No not really.
You can look up the memes? For all the different major highways and roads here they are funny but also true...
I've driven in pretty much every major city and also the coastal roads including up there in WA & Oregon, what's up with there being hardly any gaurd rails on mountains and hills...so creepy especially at night 🥲.
NegotiationSalt666@reddit
Memes? Look up dallastexas_tv on instagram, OP. Thatll give you an idea of what happens out on these roads
crestedgeckovivi@reddit
I forgot to add that we have very high speed limits and people will go even faster.
Like when I went to Miami and NY it was mostly 50s-55mph and people rarely speed lol. That's nothing here. Most our highways are like 60-75 thus people drive at 80 or higher...
oh2Shea@reddit
I'm from Texas, but moved to Washington about 6 years ago. The big differences I noticed are that Washington lanes seem to be skinny (Texas lanes are wider) and Washington roads have much smaller exits/on-ramps etc. Texas has big sweeping on and off ramps and exits. So in Washington, you may have a very tight circle and what seems like 50 feet to merge lol... Texas will have a giant circle and a long distance to merge.
Also, stay out of the far left lane unless you are going fast. People will get hacked off at you if you are in the far left lane and going the same speed as other lanes. People in Washington seem to use all lanes going the same speed, even tho there are signs posted saying 'the left lane is for passing only'. In Texas, the left lane isn't necessarily for passing, it's just for driving fast.
The most important thing is to go the same speed as the other cars around you. If the speed limit is 60, and everyone is driving 80... you need to be driving 80 as well. Cops are more concerned with the traffic flow. If you are going 55 in a 60 mph zone, and cars are having to swerve around you because they are all driving 80 mph, you are more likely to be pulled over and ticketed for causing traffic problems than the cars breaking the speed limit. So in heavy traffic, just go with the flow, disregard speed limits.
Additionally, frontage roads are very common in Texas (non-existant in Washington). Those are the roads that run parallel to the highway, and they usually have a bunch of restaurants, stores, etc right off the frontage roads. If the traffic is too crazy on the highway for you, just take an exit, and you'll be on a frontage road usually. You can drive calmly and smoothly on those to collect yourself. It will have a stoplight at the overpasses/underpasses... and just keep going straight through the light and it will connect you back onto the highway (or keep going on the frontage road until the next highway on-ramp).
Be prepared for people cutting in and out of your lane quickly. That's normal in Texas.
I've always felt like Washington roads were built for stage-coaches... slow moving traffic. Texas roads are built to get people quickly and easily from one point to another - Texas roads are like the autobahn in comparison to Washington.
ztcsdtx@reddit
It's really easy. Just take TX-114 to TMS. I live 10 miles west of it. You will encounter heavy traffic in Southlake, don't speed. Southlake, Westlake, and Northlake all watch the highway. Coming from your hotel, expect a complete jam when 114 stops being a highway. TMS is just on the other side. If you want to take slightly less time, turn right on I-35W and take the access road up the hill to the 4-way stop and turn left. Then you can get in from there or go back down to the main entrance.