Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Only when management isnt... Maybe I should get a coffee can exhaust for the new Honda...:decision:

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

When the wife picked me up from Pearsons we joined the 401 and she immediately hogged the middle lane (she had been driving in the Toronto/Mississauga area for 3 months before my arrival) and I thought wtf with the middle lane hogging? She just smiled and said shut up and watch. Jesus I thought after passing a few junctions they are clueless on how to join the highway, everything from 140kph slip road direct to outside lane manouvres to trying to merge at 60kph with 20 ton of truck steaming up their ass. I even saw one muppet stationary on the slip road with his indicator on (waiting for a gap I guess lol) Since moving to Belleville things are a little less hectic on the roads but who thought it would be a good idea to give drivers and pedestrians the green light/white man at the same time! Now it might just be this area but nobody seems to want to let you out when you are trying to exit a shop car park even when the lights are on red and they're going nowhere they still block the exit to the car park. Other things I've witnessed is drivers refusing to move for an ambulance on blue lights, red lights being treated as optional and people driving because they are to drunk to walk. As a pedestrian you can get high here on the smell of 'wacky backy' from passing vehicles.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Not where I live. Everything is straight with roads that are either parallel or perpendicular to each other and all cornering is of the 90 degrees variety.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

And another thing, there's a road nearby which is 104th, and then further along there is another 104th but they aren't joined up. In fact there are 3 or 4 "104th" streets that aren't connected. I understand the reason is that they are at the same latitude, but really how is that not confusing? :confused:

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

must piss the postie off.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

At least in Calgary they put N S E or W on roads with the same name:)

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Try the GTA, the same road can go from E to W and then back to E and back on to W as it passes through diffrent municipalities...

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

What about parking? Do people park on 'yellow lines', park badly or are they pretty considerate?

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Most places dont have yellow lines like the UK. Street parking is governed by signs i.e no parking, parking on this side only, parking only between certain hours. Same as the UK park illegally and you either get a ticket or towed. Most places dont implement boot or clamping of vehicles.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

For the most part Canada doesn't have the narrow streets such as in the UK. Apartment buildings generally have underground or off-street building. You must park in the traffic direction. No hood (bonnet) to trunk (boot) parking. Many suburbs have three hour overnight parking restrictions. This allows for municipal snow plowing. With perhaps a few exceptions, we do not have the parking nightmares they do in the UK.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Most people do not need to park and so have no ability to drive a car backwards. It's a sad thing to watch someone taking 15 tries to get the SUV parked at Costco.

I forgot a feature of the 401 that drives me bonkers. Suppose you're in the left lane, having just passed something in the middle lane, you come up behind a car, today a grey Mazda 5, going at 80 or so. You can't undertake as there's another vehicle to the right also going at 80. You flash, blow your horn and wiggle around from side to side 1/2" behind the Mazda, waving gayly and chit-chatting with your passenger about the probable ethnicity of the Mazdist. After a few minutes the driver notices you and pulls into the middle lane. You pass and also pull to the centre lane, as you do so you look in mirror and the ditherer is moving back to left, no doubt congratulating him or herself on being a polite Canadian and having moved over. Hopeless!

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Parking? See attached. This was outside my apartment in Toronto, a narrow residential street. The car had been there for some time in that position. I was stunned that someone would just leave it like that, now things like this don't surprise me so much.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

don't forget you have to park the direction you are going too.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

I can't imagine there's anything about driving on the 401 that doesn't drive YOU bonkers.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Well, I dislike the hell along the sides, Mississauga, Milton, places that make one shudder and press hard on the loud pedal.

I dislike the lack of camber and the consequent way that way that rain puddles on the road so that vehicles in the "fast" lane on either side must drive through waves of spray from the other. I'm not comfortable with the wall of lorries in the centre lane obstructing the signs and making it difficult to find the exit.

You know how I feel about the drivers on it.

But! We made it from the centre of Guelph to Bay and College in 45 minutes this morning so, if you're willing to hold your nose and pass on the wrong side, it is, I admit, possible to drive really quite quickly along it.