One of the Worst States to Drive Across is Illinois?

If you've ever done a long road trip, you know the states you absolutely dreaded driving through. (Looking at you, Kansas) However, I found a long-forgotten article that decided to rank these places you'd prefer to fly over and not drive. High on the list is Illinois and I'm genuinely surprised.

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It's important to understand what this list is NOT. It's not the states you don't enjoy driving in or safest or anything like that. This is specifically the states you can't stand to drive totally ACROSS. I found this not-new article on Jalopnik and it's one of the only ones that talks about this specific driving experience. Among the top 10 worst is Illinois. But, why? Here's one experience that was shared:

Illinois is my personal worst state to drive though. It is the only time I was solicited for a bribe by the officer who pulled me over for ‘speeding'. When I was pulled over said I can pay a $75 cash fine now and make it all go away or he would have to issue a ticket where it would be settled in court. He had me on the gun at 68 in a 65 and wrote a ticket for 77 in a 65 when I didn't have the cash to pay upfront. Then he threatened to take me to jail for questioning him.

That sounds more than a little fishy. Makes me wonder if this is someone who's just bitter over a ticket or a legit under-the-table attempt.

After giving it a bit of thought, I think I understand. Last time I drove all the way across Illinois, I remember how much a fan of Danville I'm not. Especially if you're driving the 74/72 corridor, the scenery doesn't change much.

As for the rest of the list, the usual suspects like Kansas and Nebraska make the top 10 not-fun-to-drive-across list. I've never driven across New Jersey, but that makes sense, too.

In defense of Illinois, I really don't mind and actually enjoy driving through all the farm land. It's an acquired taste and isn't appealing to city folk, but that at least is understandable if you consider driving all the way across Illinois a bit of a drag.