I'll concede that San Fransisco is no fun to drive in. Too many narrow one way streets with crazy cab drivers. But the worst place to drive? Naaa. I still say the worst place to drive is LA regardless of what the list above says. Way too many cars, freeways with no shoulder (the shoulder of most roads (freeways 5 and 405 in particular) have been absorbed into traffic lanes. If you have a breakdown on certain areas of 5 or 405 you are in the middle of traffic period.

Drive by shootings.

Or as in our case a drive by brick throwing.

I can understand why San Diego has become a worse place to drive. It's because we're trapped. Surrounding on all sides. How?... you intelligently ask.

Here's how:
Drive North on highway 5 and you drive into LA. Just listed as the six worst city to live in the the United States. High crime rates, this ozone layers with toxic pollutants and the worst traffic jams in the country - yep LA has that distinction as well.

Drive North on highway 15 and you run into Las Vegas. Just voted as the 4th worst city to live in in the US. The epicenter of the foreclosure debacle. Nationwide 2.21% of the housing units were subject to foreclosure in 2009. In Las Vegas it was 12%. Sure trips to Las Vegas are fun but don't drive outside the city much.

Drive east on highway 8 and you run into El Centro, California. Never heard of it? You're lucky. What a hell hole. It boasts the highest unemployment rate in the country at 27.5%. El Centro is in the middle of the desert. Foreclosure is rampant here also. Heck even the city's cemetery went into foreclosure - and no I'm not kidding.

Drive south on highway 5 and you enter Tijuana. Think driving in the US is bad? You ought to drive in TJ. Violent gangs, panhandlers, painted donkeys. Try to explain that to your insurance agent - - you swerved to avoid a vendor that was selling Elvis on Felt paintings and you killed a donkey that was painted like a zebra. The paperwork is frightening my friends. Oh and bring lots of cash, it's the only thing that can get you out of a jam with the Federalies, trust me, I know of what I speak.

Drive west and well, come on people we are the west, there is no more west that the west in which we live. Sure you can drive out on the Mission Beach pier and get a little more west but that's only a couple hundred feet and then you have to come right back.

So you can see my friends we are surrounded in San Diego. No wonder we drive crazy, we're driving in circles over here.

JHAP
~~~~~~~~~~
"My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives."
...Hedley Lamarr (that's Hedley not Hedy)