Courteously aggressive

Courteously aggressive. That's how someone recently described drivers in Dallas to me. We were having a conversation about the insanity that is Washington, D.C., commuting.

I feel fortunate to have learned to drive in Houston, where freeways are always expanding, and driving in the fast lane (my specialty) means driving 12 inches from a Jersey barrier. I thought I was prepared for any city -- at least in America -- until I moved to D.C.

Imagine a place where people from all over the country, and all over the world, converge on a small district. Freeway expansion is near impossible, and exits come from out of nowhere. If you miss your turn, you may end up miles out of your way. And that's when it's not tourist season.

I know traffic in Dallas will be comparable to most major cities -- slow at times, breakneck speed at others (it's Texas, after all). But in my six-plus years in D.C., I'd forgotten a valuable lesson: Texans are pretty courteous drivers. I mean, they actually let you in most of the time.

D.C. drivers are some of the most aggressive around. I don't know why. Perhaps it's the politics, perhaps it's the stress of living there, perhaps there are just too many people and too few lanes. After six years, this courteously aggressive driver mostly lost the courteous part. I'd vent by yelling at people (no swearing), and come into work stressed. (I gave up yelling at drivers for Lent about four years ago and kept that promise -- mostly -- but substituted using my brights instead.)

Now, however, I'm back in Texas, and people are more courteous, if aggressive. In just two weeks, I find myself slowing down and actually letting people in who want to merge (no kidding). Adding a healthy dose of courtesy to my driving isn't a bad thing. Just don't go near my gas pedal.