besides, those are the types I close ranks on, them and BMW drivers.

Noticed a few BMW's around. Rear wheel drive and snow

The Crown Vics driven by the cops are RWD in the snow, they seem to get by.

Im guessing traction control etc, plus decent tires makes them OK, in fact for the longest time the cops had all seasons on the cruisers year round anyway.

I can take the Jag out tomorrow am and report back. Even with traction and winter tyres I don't fancy 400 BHP and a supercharger.

This was such a fun read.....one difference of driving in Canada compared to the UK is the speed limit in Canada is obligatory, (altho everyone drives over it) when we came 10 years ago the license exchange wasn't in operation, so we had to take a test, I failed my first one for going "too slow" I was taken round an area which had signs saying "slow deaf persons area" and the roads were all wet, speed limit was 40 k's I took it steady at around 35 k's, because in the UK u are taught to drive to the conditions of the road, here in Canada u do the speed limit or u fail...so if u are on a slip road entering an expressway that is 100k's u HAVE to be doing 100 k's by the time u hit the top, then change your speed to merge in with the traffic....

another thing that amazes me is how bikes are allowed to ride around at night with no lights and normally the riders wear black, and travel down the wrong side of the road and they think they are safe and visible.....yet Moped riders have to wear helmets yet are allowed to ride on pavements!!

So you have been driving along in the right-hand lane -- not wanting to be mistaken for one of those "middle-lane hogging cradles", only to find that you are being siphoned off the Deerfoot, due to the lane you driving in becoming an off-ramp! And how about that pig's-ear of an interchange between Southland Drive and Anderson Drive?

Bascially when you move to NA you need to suspend your UK courteousness and drive a like a ****.

Courteous driving is not something I associate with UK. Quite the opposite in fact.

No! To quote the Alberta Drivers' Handbook: "Speed limits do NOT indicate the speed you should travel. They are the maximum speed permitted if conditions are favourable. Any speed that is unsafe under the prevailing conditions is illegal." However, on your driving test, you are required to keep to within 5kms of the posted limit, conditions permitting, thereby keeping up with the flow of traffic. A failure to do so is deemed a failing point on your test, but I don't think they will fail you if just commit this infraction one time only.

Maybe not if you're a taxi or bus driver, but on the whole, I think there is far more civility, courteousness and obedience to the rules and conventions when driving in the UK as compared with NA. For one, I think its courteous not to drive intoxicated whether from alcohol or drugs.

I agree (at least in principle) with the latter point.

Make sure your children know that (like in the UK) the green man does not mean its safe to cross the road, we nearly got taken out early on by a minivan driver turning right on red as we were crossing (we had the ok to cross), Canadian pedestrians here are on the whole not afraid just to walk out in front of you in parking lots (Costco especially) trusting that you the driver will stop promptly and not mow them down. Beware too in rural towns with walkways (the lines can be covered with snow or just faded), no lights to say stop so keep an eye out for the signs, here too walking across the street without even a glance is common. 4 way stops work remarkably well usually, just depends where they are!!

Saying that I am never more scared than when going back to Scotland to visit and getting onto that M8 traffic where the traffic is SO CLOSE, takes a day or 2 to adjust back to super crazy UK driving.

Well can I just say........I think UK drivers are shit! (It's a rant so read on)

Going to work, minding my own business in the second lane of two lanes. No one in front of me, clear lane behind me and passing stationary cars in lane one. I wasn't overtaking anyone, just travelling in my own lane slowing down for the traffic lights ahead. This numpty in lane one decides to throw a u-turn from stationary and ploughs straight into me! It's of those things that you just couldn't predict, like a tree falling on you or being struck my lightening. I was even 3/4 of the way over in my lane, perfect textbook riding position. His excuse was "I needed to go back for my dinner money" - honestly, I'm not even making that up to get a laugh (although I think it will make me smile once I'm not hurting).

For those beady eyes out there, I wasn't overtaking on the hatchings (I was completely in the lane) and the line you can see is beading in the road, it's not skid my marks, they are further back. The accident investigation that was launched also backed up that fact that it was this guys fault and that there was nothing I could have done to avoid it.

Anyway, this knob has admitted full responsibility and full fault and I'm now bruised and torn and feeling quite pissed off! My bike is a complete write off.

At the end of my street and across a Major road is a store I shop at often.

It's one of those irritating stretches of road where one would like to cross straight over but the official crossing involves a walk along, over and then back again.

Coming back today, I could see it was clear on "my" side and there were three cars approaching from the other direction.

I deduced I could cross between the second and third, so I began crossing calculating that as I got halfway, the second would be passing, leaving me with time to continue without breaking stride.

Instead, the driver of the second car slowed and allowed me to cross.

I'm sure we all have such anecdotal tales.

But this happens all the time here.

Bad luck. Hopefully your insurance means you can get a decent bike now