Oh, Maryland, what happened to you?

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Bethesda and made my way over to Virginia after college due to better work prospects in Virginia. My parents finally left Maryland a few years ago and we don’t go back often. I traveled to Bethesda and Rockville yesterday for the first time in about a year. What struck me the most:

-panhandlers at every side of all the major intersections. I’m shocked Montgomery county allows that.

-why on earth did they take 1/3 of a major artery (Old Georgetown Road) and close it off for bike traffic? Want to know how may bicyclists I saw using that section of the road? Exactly zero.

-I almost hit two pedestrians in two completely different areas who stepped in front of my car in the middle of the block when they were looking at their phones. Neither of them ever seemed to even notice I was there.

-I also almost got hit four separate times by people either pulling into traffic from the side streets without caring if it was clear, or realizing they wanted to turn at the next intersection when they were several lanes over.

Is it entitlement? Or do people in Maryland just tend to have their heads up their rears? I couldn’t figure it out but the vibe there is so different than it was when I was growing up there (in the 70’s and 80’s) and so different from Virginia. How do people stomach living there these days?

[Anonymous]

At least we don’t have a Youngkin. Grew up in NoVa and live in MD now. Drivers here are terrible tho true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least we don’t have a Youngkin. Grew up in NoVa and live in MD now. Drivers here are terrible tho true.

"But muh abortions!" - every Marylander making an excuse for every single piece of 10,000 crappy parts of their worthless state

[Anonymous]

It's true Maryland drivers are the worst, but it's always been true. OP, as a native Marylander, you are probably a terrible driver.

- Native District resident

[Anonymous]

It’s still a solid place to raise a family if you are undocumented though. In-state tuition and generous financial aid are big draws.

[Anonymous]

Funny, I only see roadside panhandlers in DC and Virginia. In Bethesda/Rockville we have the rose sellers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least we don’t have a Youngkin. Grew up in NoVa and live in MD now. Drivers here are terrible tho true.

Speak for yourself. Youngkin won and fortunately most don’t agree with you.

[Anonymous]

Richest and most educated state in the country.

Virginia can’t stop it’s inferiority complex seething spamming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Richest and most educated state in the country.

Virginia can’t stop it’s inferiority complex seething spamming.

Massachusetts is laughing at the first statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least we don’t have a Youngkin. Grew up in NoVa and live in MD now. Drivers here are terrible tho true.

Speak for yourself. Youngkin won and fortunately most don’t agree with you.

And thus the problem is that type of attitude is pervasive in VA: The South Will Rise Again. Good lord I'm glad there is a river to separate VA from the north.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least we don’t have a Youngkin. Grew up in NoVa and live in MD now. Drivers here are terrible tho true.

Speak for yourself. Youngkin won and fortunately most don’t agree with you.

And thus the problem is that type of attitude is pervasive in VA: The South Will Rise Again. Good lord I'm glad there is a river to separate VA from the north.

And thus the problem with you and your hostile take on anything that doesn’t agree with you. It’s your way or the highway thinking. Guess what, it’s not your way and you can suck it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Bethesda and made my way over to Virginia after college due to better work prospects in Virginia. My parents finally left Maryland a few years ago and we don’t go back often. I traveled to Bethesda and Rockville yesterday for the first time in about a year. What struck me the most:

-panhandlers at every side of all the major intersections. I’m shocked Montgomery county allows that.

-why on earth did they take 1/3 of a major artery (Old Georgetown Road) and close it off for bike traffic? Want to know how may bicyclists I saw using that section of the road? Exactly zero.

-I almost hit two pedestrians in two completely different areas who stepped in front of my car in the middle of the block when they were looking at their phones. Neither of them ever seemed to even notice I was there.

-I also almost got hit four separate times by people either pulling into traffic from the side streets without caring if it was clear, or realizing they wanted to turn at the next intersection when they were several lanes over.

Is it entitlement? Or do people in Maryland just tend to have their heads up their rears? I couldn’t figure it out but the vibe there is so different than it was when I was growing up there (in the 70’s and 80’s) and so different from Virginia. How do people stomach living there these days?

When I moved to the DMV and we reconnected with some relatives who lived in Maryland, my dad was concerned that we needed to take his uncle's car keys away because he was just pulling out into traffic without looking. Then he realized that everyone was doing it. It wasn't age or senility - it was just Maryland driving.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, both states suck. The entire area (save for the District) is utterly charmless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Funny, I only see roadside panhandlers in DC and Virginia. In Bethesda/Rockville we have the rose sellers.

Maybe it's different in the other side of the county, but I rarely see roadside panhandlers in Silver Spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Bethesda and made my way over to Virginia after college due to better work prospects in Virginia. My parents finally left Maryland a few years ago and we don’t go back often. I traveled to Bethesda and Rockville yesterday for the first time in about a year. What struck me the most:

-panhandlers at every side of all the major intersections. I’m shocked Montgomery county allows that.

-why on earth did they take 1/3 of a major artery (Old Georgetown Road) and close it off for bike traffic? Want to know how may bicyclists I saw using that section of the road? Exactly zero.

-I almost hit two pedestrians in two completely different areas who stepped in front of my car in the middle of the block when they were looking at their phones. Neither of them ever seemed to even notice I was there.

-I also almost got hit four separate times by people either pulling into traffic from the side streets without caring if it was clear, or realizing they wanted to turn at the next intersection when they were several lanes over.

Is it entitlement? Or do people in Maryland just tend to have their heads up their rears? I couldn’t figure it out but the vibe there is so different than it was when I was growing up there (in the 70’s and 80’s) and so different from Virginia. How do people stomach living there these days?

Newsflash: people on bikes have EXACTLY the same rights to drive on the road as you do. Why is it outrageous that they have 1/3 of the lanes? Safe bike lanes should be physically separated from car lanes, not just by paint on the pavement. The day you said you saw no one on the road it was very cold and windy out. Those lanes were installed after a young boy on a bike fell in front of a car on Old Georgetown Road and was killed. Sorry if it is inconvenient for you to spend a few extra minutes (LITERALLY) to get to your next store or restaurant.

People looking at their phones when they should not is not unique to MD.

https://wset.com/news/local/pedestrian-deaths-have-tripled-on-roanoke-region-roadways-a-260-percent-increase-from-2021-danville-lynchburg-radford-salem-amherst-bedford-campbell-dmv-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles

You are being ridiculous. At least we don't have to drive by confederate flags here.