We aren’t ones to complain. Finding fault’s the lazy way to write, and we like this to be safe space (pardon the term!) for all things good and wonderful happening around Sioux Falls. That being said, how many times have you heard someone say, “Sioux Falls drivers are the worst!” We’re guessing you’ve lost count by now.
But there is something to it. Sioux Falls is the Big City in an empty state, and the ever-so-polite rituals of rural drivers smack hard against the realities of driving in a proper (if still kinda little) city, one that increasingly attracts transplants from other parts of the country. There’s a culture-clash playing out on the roads.
In a big town, driving is a team sport, not a solo endeavor.
On busy roads and packed freeways, it’s polite and smart to use up all all available space, and to make sure that everybody around you is in a good place too. You do things like put your blinker on announce that you need to change lanes. You might blink your lights to let someone know it’s safe to merge. You might actually take turns and learn how to do a zipper merge when necessary.
A recent Sioux Falls Reddit thread caught our eye as it summed up one of the biggest peaves of new arrivals in town: “What’s with people stopping 8 feet to nearly a car length from the white line at stoplights?“ Yes! What’s with that! Out-of-town drivers are often on the edge of rear-ending fender bender around here, yelling vainly at no one, “why is everyone stopping!” You look up to see that that the cars in front of you are double-spaced between bumpers, putting you 20-feet back from where your driving instincts are telling you to stop.
Take a look at the thread. Plenty of good comments like, “Omg this and so many other things I’ve noticed about drivers here after moving from NY!” that might (and ya, should) resonate with you.
So here’s the deal: Take all the space you want when tooling around Renner or Freeman, but when you’re in town, learn to share the road. If there are two lanes, it’s ok if someone wants to turn into the the other one. They aren’t trying to hit you. If the road narrows a few miles up, it’s ok to use both lanes and merger politely when you get there. You don’t need to line up five minutes ahead of time. And at the next red light, stop when you have to, you don’t need a magical air-bubble to keep you safe from the rest of us. We’re all in it together.