In Atlanta, you must yield to the first five cars running the red light before proceeding through a green light. In order to renew your driver's license, you must have been hit from behind while idling at a red light. Women are only allowed to apply eye liner at speeds above 70 m.p.h. All drivers are required to tailgate within 8 inches of the car in front, in order to reduce traffic congestion. The interstate highways double as a parking lot between the hours of 7 a.m. and noon, and from 12:15 until midnight. If you see a car with a flat tire on a divided highway, you must stop and look for public safety reasons.
I spent 5.5 hours at the funnel of 12 or whatever lanes right before the Atlanta airport on 285 bypass accompanied by a very large and heavy breathing lab with a blown transmission before I was rescued (one of the last mohicans that does not have a cell phone) in the middle of rush hour on a humid, blistery weekday afternoon. I had a humming in my ears from the sheer decibel level of perpetually rushing traffic and slight PTSD that evening when they finally found me!
In Santa Rosa, a red light means speed up, green light means yield. All stop signs and yield signs are void - but most remain in place. Talking on the phone or texting automatically gives you the right of way. No one has the right of way when entering a freeway. Driving between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm has been declared unsafe but is still legal.
He's not kidding. I have never seen a worse case of this than in Santa Rosa. My last trip out there I saw people cruising thru red lights—not just speeding to catch the yellow and missing but completely ignoring the damned thing—over and over. Every one holding a cell phone up to the ear.
It's worse since the last time you were here. Hard to believe, but true. Then they tried installing these bizarre roundabouts that are just made out those little concrete tire bumpers you see in parking lots with all kinds of weird glow in the dark flag pole things sticking up. First they were regular roundabouts then they added stop signs then they put up signs and poles and markers and flags trying to explain what your supposed to do. It's the strangest most confusing mess I've ever seen in my life.
Location: Auckland, New Zealand (former Boston native and Atlanta transplant) Gender:
Posted:
Jun 20, 2010 - 11:25am
Manbird wrote:
In Santa Rosa, a red light means speed up, green light means yield. All stop signs and yield signs are void - but most remain in place. Talking on the phone or texting automatically gives you the right of way. No one has the right of way when entering a freeway. Driving between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm has been declared unsafe but is still legal.
In Atlanta, you must yield to the first five cars running the red light in either an easterly or westerly direction before proceeding through a green light. In order to renew your driver's license, you must have been hit from behind while idling at a red light at least once in the previous 18 months. Women are only allowed to apply eye liner at speeds above 70 m.p.h. All drivers are required to tailgate within 8 inches of the car in front, in order to reduce traffic congestion. The interstate highways double as a parking lot between the hours of 7 a.m. and noon, and from 12:15 until midnight. If you see a car with a flat tire on a divided highway, you must stop and look for public safety reasons.
In Santa Rosa, a red light means speed up, green light means yield. All stop signs and yield signs are void - but most remain in place. Talking on the phone or texting automatically gives you the right of way. No one has the right of way when entering a freeway. Driving between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm has been declared unsafe but is still legal.
He's not kidding. I have never seen a worse case of this than in Santa Rosa. My last trip out there I saw people cruising thru red lights—not just speeding to catch the yellow and missing but completely ignoring the damned thing—over and over. Every one holding a cell phone up to the ear.
Italy always used to have a extremely flexible attitude to red lights and to treble parking.
In much of Europe it is acceptable to turn right on a red light (eg a 4 way stop). It is not OK in the UK.
In Santa Rosa, a red light means speed up, green light means yield. All stop signs and yield signs are void - but most remain in place. Talking on the phone or texting automatically gives you the right of way. No one has the right of way when entering a freeway. Driving between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm has been declared unsafe but is still legal.
He's not kidding. I have never seen a worse case of this than in Santa Rosa. My last trip out there I saw people cruising thru red lights—not just speeding to catch the yellow and missing but completely ignoring the damned thing—over and over. Every one holding a cell phone up to the ear.
Except in Massachusetts, where the get out of my way, I'm coming in rule applies. They work great in this part of the world, although the 4 way stop sign is just as effective, and less confusing for most people.
In Santa Rosa, a red light means speed up, green light means yield. All stop signs and yield signs are void - but most remain in place. Talking on the phone or texting automatically gives you the right of way. No one has the right of way when entering a freeway. Driving between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm has been declared unsafe but is still legal.
Location: Auckland, New Zealand (former Boston native and Atlanta transplant) Gender:
Posted:
Jun 20, 2010 - 11:04am
Inamorato wrote:
Whether entering a highway or traffic circle, giving entering traffic the right of way seems counterintuitive, which is why in most of the U.S. and in most of the world, entering traffic yields. In some parts of the world, though, the rule seems to be that a smaller vehicle yields to a larger one, which is a self-regulating. A late friend learned the hard way in Bangkok that a truck/lorry always trumps a motorbike.
When I first encountered traffic circles, not only were they alien but I was driving in a driver-sits-on-the-right-and-drives-on-the-left country. Negotiating them now is a snap in the suburb where I live and where they have replaced many intersections formerly controlled by stop or yield signs. Some folks, though, seem to find them baffling intrusions by interventionist government (along with speed limits).
Except in Massachusetts, where the get out of my way, I'm coming in rule applies. They work great in this part of the world, although the 4 way stop sign is just as effective, and less confusing for most people.
When I first encountered traffic circles, not only were they alien but I was driving in a driver-sits-on-the-right-and-drives-on-the-left country. Negotiating them now is a snap in the suburb where I live and where they have replaced many intersections formerly controlled by stop or yield signs. Some folks, though, seem to find them baffling intrusions by interventionist government (along with speed limits).
I find them a poor use of real estate, pedestrian-unfriendly, hard to plow in the winter, and a real chore to negotiate pulling a trailer.
Yeah...they changed that system before I moved over there, thank goodness. If I read the article Jrzy linked to correctly, some of the roundabouts in New Jersey are old-style like that. Who ever thought that would be a good idea? Giving right-of-way to people coming into the circle?
Just like freeway onramps in the western US: entering traffic has right of way. I gather it's different back east, and east coast drivers cause all kinds of problems out here by coming to a dead stop on onramps—tying up traffic behind them and on the highway as people try to get out of their way.
Edit: we have a faction in city governments out here that hate cars, and will do anything they can to make it inconvenient to drive. One of their favorite tools is the traffic circle.
In the winter you can often follow tracks in the snow straight thru them, right over the top of the little curb in the center.
Whether entering a highway or traffic circle, giving entering traffic the right of way seems counterintuitive, which is why in most of the U.S. and in most of the world, entering traffic yields. In some parts of the world, though, the rule seems to be that a smaller vehicle yields to a larger one, which is a self-regulating. A late friend learned the hard way in Bangkok that a truck/lorry always trumps a motorbike.
When I first encountered traffic circles, not only were they alien but I was driving in a driver-sits-on-the-right-and-drives-on-the-left country. Negotiating them now is a snap in the suburb where I live and where they have replaced many intersections formerly controlled by stop or yield signs. Some folks, though, seem to find them baffling intrusions by interventionist government (along with speed limits).
Just like freeway onramps in the western US: entering traffic has right of way. I gather it's different back east, and east coast drivers cause all kinds of problems out here by coming to a dead stop on onramps—tying up traffic behind them and on the highway as people try to get out of their way.
Edit: we have a faction in city governments out here that hate cars, and will do anything they can to make it inconvenient to drive. One of their favorite tools is the traffic circle.
In the winter you can often follow tracks in the snow straight thru them, right over the top of the little curb in the center.
Wow, I guess I haven't been to those states yet. Here there is a YIELD sign on the ramp, directed at the entering traffic and the traffic already on the freeway has the ROW. The one traffic circle I'm aware of in this town is the same way - entering traffic must yield.
Do the folks in that anti-car faction drive, or do they ride horses?
Location: i believe, i believe, it's silly, but I believe Gender:
Posted:
Jun 20, 2010 - 7:21am
State of Emergency called in Chester, PA: Too many murders
Chester under State of Emergency due to shootings Updated at 08:02 EDT PM 6/19/2010
Chester, Pa. - June 19, 2010 (WPVI) — In response to the ongoing deadly violence, the city of Chester is declaring a State of Emergency.
At a press conference Saturday afternoon, Mayor Wendell Butler declared he had enough and it is time to take action.
"We need law enforcement to step up, to vigorously go after any violator; our number one priority is to get guns off the street then drugs and try to make our neighborhoods as safe as we possibly can," Butler said.
The State of Emergency will take effect beginning at 9:00 p.m. tonight.
From 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. each day in the five areas of the city, no person without a legitimate reason is allowed in any public street or place, no assembling of three or more people is allowed without a permit, and all vacation and personal days by members of the Chester Police Department have been canceled immediately.
The Chester Police Department will be assisted by State Police, the District Attorney's Office, and the Delaware County Sherriff.
Patrol units will be covering the five sections of the city.
Four killings in 8 days leads to state of emergency in Philadelphia suburb Published: Saturday, June 19, 2010, 7:50 PM Updated: Saturday, June 19, 2010, 8:26 PM
A suburban Philadelphia city has declared a state of emergency following the fourth killing in eight days, including the death of a 2-year-old boy a week ago.
Chester Mayor Wendell Butler Jr. today proclaimed the state of emergency beginning tonight and running through Thursday morning, and he said he will ask the city council to extend it for a month.
During that time, no one is allowed on the street from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. each day, and no assembly of three or more people is allowed without a permit.
Butler said police officers would be working 12-hour shifts or more, state and county authorities had promised more resources and a federal task force would be operating in the city.
The most recent shooting death happened Friday night, and another man was killed Tuesday night.
'Zactly, hence the overtaking-traffic-yields rule. The sooner merging traffic gets up to speed the smoother traffic flows, so it makes sense to give them room.
On my east coast trips I've noticed they deal with this on newer roads by merging traffic into a separate lane, then end the lane a half mile down the road. Works fine if you've got the real estate.
That is SO weird to me. And you're not supposed to come to a dead stop on an on ramp, but people do it anyway. The ramp is so you can get up to speed and merge into traffic.
'Zactly, hence the overtaking-traffic-yields rule. The sooner merging traffic gets up to speed the smoother traffic flows, so it makes sense to give them room.
On my east coast trips I've noticed they deal with this on newer roads by merging traffic into a separate lane, then end the lane a half mile down the road. Works fine if you've got the real estate.
He always chats up the French girls at any party for exactly that reason. There was this one time when he didn't understand what someone was saying and he's hoped for a repeat offer ever since!
I should've listened more carefully at the time, though. A young French lady I met at a wedding a few years later used a similar phrase. I thought it was an instruction, turns out it was more of an invitation.....but perhaps now is not the time - I'll tell you over a bourbon one day
Location: Still in the tunnel, looking for the light. Gender:
Posted:
Jun 19, 2010 - 11:04am
AliGator wrote:
Always important to increase one's vocabulary.
I should've listened more carefully at the time, though. A young French lady I met at a wedding a few years later used a similar phrase. I thought it was an instruction, turns out it was more of an invitation.....but perhaps now is not the time - I'll tell you over a bourbon one day
He always chats up the French girls at any party for exactly that reason. There was this one time when he didn't understand what someone was saying and he's hoped for a repeat offer ever since!
Yeah...they changed that system before I moved over there, thank goodness. If I read the article Jrzy linked to correctly, some of the roundabouts in New Jersey are old-style like that. Who ever thought that would be a good idea? Giving right-of-way to people coming into the circle?
Just like freeway onramps in the western US: entering traffic has right of way. I gather it's different back east, and east coast drivers cause all kinds of problems out here by coming to a dead stop on onramps—tying up traffic behind them and on the highway as people try to get out of their way.
Edit: we have a faction in city governments out here that hate cars, and will do anything they can to make it inconvenient to drive. One of their favorite tools is the traffic circle.
In the winter you can often follow tracks in the snow straight thru them, right over the top of the little curb in the center.
That is SO weird to me. And you're not supposed to come to a dead stop on an on ramp, but people do it anyway. The ramp is so you can get up to speed and merge into traffic.
Lexington got a little roundabout a few years ago, and it took folks a while to grok the concept; lots of people just drive straight over it. If it's possible to do that, the roundabout hasn't been built right. The next one they built, just a few months ago (to replace a dangerous intersection) is all nice and big and 18 kinds of awesome.
Hey! don't go spoiling my anecdotes 