Thoughts on Driving to Illinois

So as we were driving down to Illinois, a few thoughts popped into my head.  Are there any worse collective group of drivers than the FIBs?  I will tend to speed from time to time, well, more than from time to time, but I don't like going more than 5-10 mph over the posted limits, especially when the speed limit is 65 or 70.  But I felt as if I was holding up traffic by driving 70.  Then, the tailgating that was going on was ridiculous.  There was one woman who I was driving next to for a short time who was busy smoking a cigarette, and either texting, or surfing the internet on her iphone.  Always a good idea when you are traveling 75 mph in heavy traffic.  Finally, as we were going down the tollway and I am doing about 70-75 mph, which was already over the posted limit, some car come flying out of nowhere on my left, and zips between me, and the car in front of me and into the right lane.  He was doing about 90 mph at least, and the clearance when he cut in front of me was about 5 feet, if that. I had to hit my brakes as it surprised the hell out of me when he zipped in front of me. I had visions of spinning out and barrel rolling down I-94. The sad thing was that the car's license plate was from Wisconsin.

As much as I dislike Minnesota, I have to say that I prefer driving around Minneapolis much more than Chicago.  I seriously don't know if I could live in northern Illinois just due to the traffic alone.  I also thought the tolls were ridiculous.  It has been a long time since I have driven to Illinois, on the tollway.  I am not exactly sure what I paid the last time I drove it, I want to say it was 70 or 80 cents.  Maybe I am thinking of the Florida tolls.  But either way, it was $2.80 at the first toll booth, and $1.90 at the second one.  WOW!  That is not what I was expecting.  However I do have to say, the road was very flat and drivable.  Again, not like a remember.  So I guess the $2.80 helps pay for the quality of the road.  I do remember there being a lot of construction there a few years ago. 

I think it will be a while before I head back down to Chicago, and if I do, I am going to plan out the route so I don't need to take the tollway.