Observations from Northern Virginia

Today marks my 1 month anniversary checking into my new unit in DC. Trekking back and forth to work has afforded me the opportunity to notice some differences between DC and New Orleans.

Mainly, people at work tell me about the ghetto that I have to drive through to get to our building. The area is so terrible, people break into the cars, etc. However, I've noticed that the small yards in front of the tongues have nicely trimmed bushes and vegetation, and some even have blooming flowers. There is no garbage strewn about willy-nilly, and people's garbage cans are nicely upright and actually contain garbage with the lids securely fastened. Some laundry hangs from the clothesline, but there isn't any random junk stored outside. All in all, if this is a "bad neighborhood" in DC, then at least they are courteous and tidy neighbors unlike the "bad neighborhoods" in New Orleans.

Drivers in Northern Virginia like to go, on average, 5 to 10 miles below the speed limit. This wouldn't be such a driving travesty if these slow drivers stayed to the right. But no. The Slow Drivers of Northern Virginia like to foster this law-abiding speed amongst us all, and like to drive 10 miles below the speed limit in all lanes of traffic, including rush hour.

Conversely, on the weekends, people will drive at a minimum of 80 mph on the highway when there is no traffic. Perhaps they feel that since people can actually drive on the highway instead of crawling during rush hour, they have to get there as fast as possible to make up for the hours spent on the road during the week.

So if you drive in Northern Virginia, go about 50 or 80. But don't drive in between. They'll run you over.