Shocking Driving in Yamhill County

In Ashland, even up as far as Eugene, driving is easy. People drive normal. Up here in North Oregon, though, people drive different.

They pull out in front of you. You're driving down a street, and another car comes to a stop at a cross street. He looks at you, and when you get 20 feet away - he pulls out in front. Calmly. Slowly. Not so you have to slam to a stop, but you definitely have to come off the gas and apply some brake. You have to Deal With It. People do it all the time. In fact, they do it every time.

The other thing they do up here is when you come to a stop sign at a cross street. There's a car coming, so you wait. And wait. Five minutes later, the car finally passes. "I coulda gone three times! What is wrong with these people?!"

It took me several weeks to realize that out here in Yamhill county people Drive The Speed Limit. Huh? They do WHAT? That took a little getting used to. Now I'm the one that SUVs and Jettas with Washington plates crowd up behind on 99 West. "What? What's your hurry, bub? What's wrong with you?"

Another weird thing. Everyone turns into the nearest lane.
I'm facing you across 99 West. We're both going to turn North when the light changes. We both have our blinkers on(!). Here in McMinnville, we both get to go as soon as it's green. I know you're turning into the curb lane, and you know I'm turning into the other one. It's like traffic magic every day (except I don't even drive my car every day).

People in jacked-up trucks with obnoxious stickers do it. Grammas in Cordobas do it. Hispanics in import tuners with tinted windows do it. Even I do it.

But I need to be in the curb lane! Easy. I put on my signal and change.

Something really shocking. Left on red. You can turn LEFT from a two-way street, onto a one-way street on a RED light. This may be legal in California, but I don't think I've ever seen it. It blew my mind the first time I saw someone zip a left on a red into a gap in traffic. WHAT?!
Well... it looks safe. And the Oregon drivers' handbook says you can. And the people behind you in that left-turn lane looking at the oncoming traffic waiting for their green sure want you to.
It's pretty cool when you do it. You feel like you're getting away with something.