TIBBSLOVE: May 2007

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Miami Drivers... not good, but Portland... be proud!

$%^#!! Miami Drivers Have The Worst Road Rage: City earns not-so-distinguished distinction for second year in a row http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18665115/ MIAMI - For the second consecutive year, rude Miami drivers have earned the city the title of worst road rage in a survey released Tuesday. Miami motorists said they saw other drivers slam on their brakes, run red lights and talk on cell phones, according to AutoVantage, a Connecticut-based automobile membership club offering travel services and roadside assistance. Other cities near the top of the rude drivers list were New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. South Miami resident Erik Pinto told The Associated Press that he has probably seen every bad driving habit on Miami’s roads. “You don’t want to know what I’ve seen,” Pinto said. “I’ve seen everything. I’m from L.A., and we don’t see the crazy drivers that you see here.” The most courteous drivers can be found in Portland, Ore.; Pittsburgh; the Seattle-Tacoma area; St. Louis; and Dallas-Fort Worth, the survey found. Portland drivers were the least likely to see other motorists tailgating on the roadways, and St. Louis motorists were the least likely to swear at another driver, according to the survey. Minneapolis-St. Paul was rated the most courteous city in 2006 but fell to No. 12 this year. The most frequent cause of road rage cited in the survey was impatient motorists. Drivers also said road rage can stem from poor driving in fast lanes and driving while stressed, frustrated or angry. “The best piece of advice is to take a deep breath. Slow down, be aware and be careful,” AutoVantage spokesman Todd Smith said, adding the aim of the survey is to increase driver safety across the nation. More than 2,500 drivers who regularly commute in 25 major metropolitan areas were asked to rate road rage and rude driving in telephone surveys between January and March. The survey was conducted by Prince Market Research has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. How cities ranked in road rage Residents in the following 25 cities were surveyed and are listed in order from those reporting the most incidents of road rage to the fewest: 1. Miami (the most) 2. New York 3. Boston 4. Los Angeles (no suprise here) 5. Washington, D.C. (DC is scary!) 6. Phoenix 7. Chicago 8. Sacramento, Calif. 9. Philadelphia 10. San Francisco 11. Houston 12. Atlanta (also scary!) 13. Detroit 14. Minneapolis-St. Paul 15. Baltimore 16. Tampa, Fla. 17. San Diego 18. Cincinnati (not so bad) 19. Cleveland 20. Denver 21. Dallas-Ft. Worth 22. St. Louis 23. Seattle-Tacoma 24. Pittsburgh 25. Portland, Ore. (the fewest) Source: AutoVantage’s “In the Driver’s Seat Road Rage Survey”

Friday, May 11, 2007

Finally....

A group of us went down to Gatlinburg, Tennessee this past weekend. It was SO much fun. Matt couldn't go (insert sad face here), so you won't see him in any of these photos...

This is Brian, myself and Adam... we tried on hats in the gift shop at the top of the tram...

We were caught in a terrible (or wonderful?) downpour, and while the guys went into the liquor shop, Laura and I snapped a few pics...

Laura hates to cuddle... too bad I didn't catch a pic of the nap we took together! Too bad.... Mike, was trying to grab some love! Don't tell James...

Adam, Laura and I one evening...

This would be the Smoky Mountains, and Gatlinburg at the base of this canyon... it was remarkable.

Us girls at the top of the tram...

And then...

We left town for the weekend!!

Matt and I took a long weekend trip in April to Louisville, Kentucky to see The Decemberists. They played at the Brown Theater and it's gorgeous! It was so much fun to get away.