You are my sister.

I've tried driving correctcly, but I always end up bumping into some police car and start RPGing people.

Actually, yeah. Kind of just start driving slow, waiting at red lights and whatnot. Once I accidentally hit someone, dialed 911 and left.

When I very first played GTAIV via a borrowed copy of the game from a friend, I drove in my own lane and stopped at lights and all of that. I was afraid not to because I naturally assumed that as soon as I did anything the police would come bust a cap in my ass.
 
Eventually I ended up stealing police cars and weaving through oncoming traffic, ending in a jump off of a bridge and into the water below. Then I got a shotgun and holed up in a hospital, killing everyone, got arrested, then went back and started a fist fight in the same hospital.
 
I didn't get very far into the story, obviously.

Yeah i do it sometimes.

I drove realistically for the first 20 minutes, before realizing that virtual traffic jams are just as bad as real life ones, and driving on the footpath is an effective circumnavigation technique.

" You are my sister. "

" I've done sort of Falling Down style regular guy goes insane.  I've tried playing realistically then eventually get fed up with the virtual society and go on a rampage "just trying to get home". :) "

Great topic!

In alot of games, its actually impossible to drive as slow as traffic

Yes. Usually lasts about 30 seconds.

I had a much more luck trying to role-play San Andreas than I did GTA4. Perhaps that's why I had more fun with it overall. Though somehow BOGT makes it easier than GTA4 did.
 
I dunno what it was about GTA4 that doesn't give me the same sense of "I am <lead character>" as SA did. I just hope they try to revive that sense of immersion with the next one.
 
But from a driving aspect, GTA4's actual mechanics are top notch. I wish SA drove like that. One problem with driving realistically in GTA4 is that traffic lights are on the wrong side of the intersection, so it's hard to see what the signal is since it's directly above you instead of across the street.

Yeah I try this every now and again, but the urges to shoot people and drive like a maniac are too strong.

Got better things to waste my time on than trying to emulate life.

I haven't done it in GTA 4 but I used to do it a lot in Vice City to amuse my cousins.

Shamefully yes, I've pretended to be a taxi driver and I actually do drive reasonably slow in the game. Feels more real, I don't think that is so odd a thing to see despite what folks say. Actually quite enjoyed playing the taxi driver, allows you to immerse in the city which is part of the whole point in GTA4. 
 
I use to do the same thing in the original GTA.

Sometimes. Eventually it gets tiring so I start driving on the sidewalk painting my car red.

If I wanted to do that, I'd set the controller down and go outside.

" I've tried driving correctcly, but I always end up bumping into some police car and start RPGing people. "

i haven't tried anything crazy like eat and sleep at correct times, but i gotta add myself to the try out the no crime and drive slow party.
 
and then of course within minutes I'm loading people up with a shotgun... but yea...
 
PS: GTA 4 isn't as good as 3.

" You are my sister. "

Not really, the graphics are too cartoony for that imo.

Not this one have with pass games but this one is lacking in thngs to do for this to be viable. Of coarse The getaway has Argos and stuff so you have to play that game like that at least once.

I have done a little bit of that. I have driven at a reasonable speed, park correctly, pay the toll on the bridge, taken the taxi when I had no ride too.

I actually tried that. At least, trying to drive "correctly." It never ends well, I end up getting annoyed and go back to driving the right way in GTA IV, and not the real way in real life.

I've tried driving in a safe manner until a car runs a red light and hits me. No one obeys the traffic signals so why should I?

" You are my sister. "

" I have, I would only drive in my lane at the same speed as everyone else, sleep at realistic hours, hang out with my friends, eat at realistic hours, never commit a crime (using only Roman's Taxi and The Yellow Comet to drive), stop at red lights, pretend to fill up gas, take taxi's or the subway when I didn't have a car, go to the internet to check my emails, watch tv and date women at realistc hours, just like in real life. Eventually I got bored and started killing everyone in sight and banging hookers. What about you? "

I have tried to take the Sub Way to go see some famous places or buildings, and I actually found it quite fun. Those times, were the times I discovered the most random things happening in the city itself. It made me realize just how crazy detailed the city really is :)

I've done it for about... 8 seconds, then I get pissed off with how long everything takes and just push past other cars lol

" You are my sister. "

I have quickly attempted driving in a realistic manner but usually slide to the side and flatten a pedestrian when trying to make a meticulous turn. It seems like the game just wants me to kill its people.

" If I wanted to do that, I'd set the controller down and go outside. "

I tried driving realistically, but got bored and started driving through everything.

I have not tried playing GTA4 like real life. I have, however, tried playing life like GTA4.

I think you just created Mafia.

Yeah, playing as a mass murdering skitzo driver is like someones real life I'm sure. 
 
Do I play it like its some sort of Sims expansion?....no

I  actually tried to play it as a more or less a good person. Never attacking citizens avoiding crime and driving right but then I understood that you really don't have to do any of that. It's still a GTA game but with very limiting controls, horrible car handleing and just plain boring gameplay. But they really got the atmosphere down with some great humor and a few memorable characters. You kind of want to play by the rules.