As a resident of the DC area, I feel that it's time to put in a positive word. I don't use the Metro (subway) any more, but back in my working days, I commuted daily by Metro. Most of the time people were nice to each other. It was before the days of ubiquitous cell phones, but people's noses were usually immersed in whatever they were reading. I never saw anybody jump in front of a train, thank God.
The only complaint I had was that everyone was always in a hurry, and there was a general feeling of impatience. In order to get on a train, you had to go through a turnstile powered by a fare card. You bought the fare card from a large dispenser. The people in back of you were always in a hurry, and I always felt sorry for the tourists and newbies who had to read the instructions.
Drivers in the DC area are another story. Everybody drives at the maximum speed all the time. During my years living in WA state, I got used to the pleasantness and decency of other drivers, and when we returned to the DC area I had to readjust to horns honking, people speeding and cutting each other off, etc. It's just part of the atmosphere.
But I have to add, I've never seen any actual road rage. If somebody is driving like a crazy person, I just keep my distance from them.
