Driving in DC

I would say I've done my fair share of driving. I grew up mostly in Alabama, where kids were allowed to get a driving permit the day they turned 15, and their license when they turned 16 (no supervised driving hours - or even driver's ed - required. I dearly hope this has since changed.). I was lucky enough to be able to drive to and from school in Utah after that, and often made multiple trips around town for both me and my little sister. I didn't drive a ton through college due to living in a city with limited parking, but after graduation, I started a job that required a 45 minute - 1h15m commute each way through crowded city streets, random back ways, and winding river roads.

In all of these driving experiences, I have never met drivers worse than those in the nation's capital.

Now, I remind you - I lived in Philadelphia for 7 years, and drove 10+ hours a week for 3 of those. I lived and commuted in Los Angeles for a summer during college. I've driven in New York City, Boston, and probably at least half of the country's states. But really, DC drivers just hit an all-time low.

They regularly honk at you for not moving even when traffic is completely blocked. They get angry when you have to merge into a lane even though you have no other choice and they just did the exact same thing. And while I regularly complained about driving in Philly, drivers there were, at least, somewhat skilled, if rather aggressive. Drivers in DC are aggressive AND lack skills.

Take, for instance, a couple of days ago. I was driving down a main street by my house to pick up a friend. She lives on a relatively small street, a little bit past a stoplight. Like I had been taught, I got into the rightmost lane of the three available well ahead of time. I waited until I had made my way through the stoplight, and then turned on my right turn signal. I slowed down in order to safely make my turn. This is the point at which the woman behind me LAID on her horn for a good 10 seconds. Can somebody please explain this to me?

Ugh.