Driving in the US
Aug 28th 2007, 8:59 am
#31
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Re: Driving in the US
Ah, yes. American attitudes to drink driving are a hoot.
EVERYBODY I know drives to the bars. It's insane. As long as you're sober enough to stand up, you're sober enough to drive. Unless you get pulled over.
Everybody thinks I'm nuts when I get a taxi if I'm having a couple of beers.
EVERYBODY I know drives to the bars. It's insane. As long as you're sober enough to stand up, you're sober enough to drive. Unless you get pulled over.
Everybody thinks I'm nuts when I get a taxi if I'm having a couple of beers.
Aug 28th 2007, 9:19 am
#32
Militant Ginger
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Wrong Side of the Hudson River
Posts: 2,311
Re: Driving in the US
Walk? Half a mile?
Although she used to walk twice as far as that to get to work in England (couldn't afford a second car at first... then couldn't afford to park it in Winchester.)
Aug 28th 2007, 4:09 pm
#33
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 38
Re: Driving in the US
My Garmin is my bestest friend at the moment though. Noone comes between me and Garmin!!!
Aug 29th 2007, 3:45 am
#34
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,717
Re: Driving in the US
I should also add I paid the toll some 4 times that evening. I am not sure how I managed it but I kept exiting the freeway through a toll booth and entering the freeway the other side; never intending to leave the freeway at all. I remember thinking how crazy it was that Houston has so many toll booths on the freeway, and why couldn't I pay just once for the length of my journey I arrived in Houston after a delayed 26 hours journey. It was 2 a.m. I had only ever driven in the UK, Kos, and Cyprus before.
I jumped in to a bright orange Ford Mustang convertible and left George Bush Intercontinental Airport feeling tired and stressed.
The roads were wider, marked differently and signs were confusing (ie Freeway signs did not necessarily hang over the lane they related to).
I encountered my first ever flashing red traffic light - WTF! I had no idea what it meant; luckily at 3am nobody was there to give a hoot.
I arrived at my hotel at 3:30am, not before almost missing the hotel and quickly jumping off the freeway. In my haste I exited, and looked the wrong way (well, the right way if your British) to check for traffic. I pulled straight in front of a car doing 50mph! Figuring I could avoid an accident by accelerating I stabbed the accelerator to the floor and roared off - only to find the car I cut up was a pissed off cop who had been about to pass me and was now left in my dust trail. Lights flash, choice words are screamed at me (AT GUNPOINT - "driver, exit the vehicle. driver let me see your hands etc" all very scary). After explaining my lack of US driving experience the cop lightened up and joked with me. He wrote up a simple warning, shook my hand and wished me on my way.
So my first driving experience was unforgettable
I jumped in to a bright orange Ford Mustang convertible and left George Bush Intercontinental Airport feeling tired and stressed.
The roads were wider, marked differently and signs were confusing (ie Freeway signs did not necessarily hang over the lane they related to).
I encountered my first ever flashing red traffic light - WTF! I had no idea what it meant; luckily at 3am nobody was there to give a hoot.
I arrived at my hotel at 3:30am, not before almost missing the hotel and quickly jumping off the freeway. In my haste I exited, and looked the wrong way (well, the right way if your British) to check for traffic. I pulled straight in front of a car doing 50mph! Figuring I could avoid an accident by accelerating I stabbed the accelerator to the floor and roared off - only to find the car I cut up was a pissed off cop who had been about to pass me and was now left in my dust trail. Lights flash, choice words are screamed at me (AT GUNPOINT - "driver, exit the vehicle. driver let me see your hands etc" all very scary). After explaining my lack of US driving experience the cop lightened up and joked with me. He wrote up a simple warning, shook my hand and wished me on my way.
So my first driving experience was unforgettable
Aug 29th 2007, 3:46 am
#35
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Re: Driving in the US
I should also add I paid the toll some 4 times that evening. I am not sure how I managed it but I kept exiting the freeway through a toll booth and entering the freeway the other side; never intending to leave the freeway at all. I remember thinking how crazy it was that Houston has so many toll booths on the freeway, and why couldn't I pay just once for the length of my journey 
Aug 29th 2007, 5:23 am
#36
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 86
Re: Driving in the US
Ah, yes. American attitudes to drink driving are a hoot.
EVERYBODY I know drives to the bars. It's insane. As long as you're sober enough to stand up, you're sober enough to drive. Unless you get pulled over.
Everybody thinks I'm nuts when I get a taxi if I'm having a couple of beers.
EVERYBODY I know drives to the bars. It's insane. As long as you're sober enough to stand up, you're sober enough to drive. Unless you get pulled over.
Everybody thinks I'm nuts when I get a taxi if I'm having a couple of beers.
Crazy people.
Aug 29th 2007, 11:18 am
#37
You're all mugs!
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: San Antonio, USA
Posts: 442
Re: Driving in the US
Yeh but it's 7 pints of piss water though which equates to about 1 pint of proper beer!
Aug 29th 2007, 12:06 pm
#39
Last orders please...
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Way down deep in the middle of the Jungle..
Posts: 6,154
Re: Driving in the US
The first time I drove in US was about 5yrs ago in Tampa, we lived in an apartment complex and was lucky to have a strip mall right next door, anyway one saturday night I thought I'd be brave and drive to pick up the chinese, we had an expidition and I'd been driving it around the complex for weeks getting used to the size and everything, so packed my baby into the back and my brother (over for a hols) jumps in the front and off we went...I only went the way where I made right hand turns so turned right onto main road and then immediately turned right into the strip mall, (all the while telling my bro not to speak or put the radio on as I didn't want any distractions !) so there's a stop sign, so I stop, then start moving again and go a few more yards to the chinese....and yes a cop pulls up behind me and has a go at me telling me I didn't stop at the stop sign for long enough, apparently I paused for only 3 secs and I should of paused for 5 secs no lie, I was stunned, then he spends a good 10 mins checking my UK licence as he'd never seen one before, so I'm stood there red faced while everybody's watching, my chinese is getting cold and my bro is pissing himself laughing, he finally lets me go after another 10 min lecture ......
Needless to say it took me a good 5 months before I tried that again...
Needless to say it took me a good 5 months before I tried that again...
Aug 29th 2007, 2:41 pm
#40
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 38
Re: Driving in the US
I should also add I paid the toll some 4 times that evening. I am not sure how I managed it but I kept exiting the freeway through a toll booth and entering the freeway the other side; never intending to leave the freeway at all. I remember thinking how crazy it was that Houston has so many toll booths on the freeway, and why couldn't I pay just once for the length of my journey
Aug 30th 2007, 8:12 am
#41
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 409
Re: Driving in the US
Before coming to the US, I spent several years driving in Cairo, Egypt.
Even though I think the driving round these parts is really quite crappy, it is nothing compared to negotiating the streets of Cairo - and outside...
For instance, even here people use headlights at night, and you don't get shaken down for Baksheesh after getting a 'police escort'....
Even though I think the driving round these parts is really quite crappy, it is nothing compared to negotiating the streets of Cairo - and outside...
For instance, even here people use headlights at night, and you don't get shaken down for Baksheesh after getting a 'police escort'....
Aug 30th 2007, 9:33 am
#42
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 207
Re: Driving in the US
Have tried the driving in Orlando which is not to bad, probably helped by the fact that every 2nd car is a tourist and has no bloody idea where they are going. On our arrival in June after getting very lost on way from airport to apartment my OH managed to turn off the freeway and by this time being very tired (his excuse turned directly left therefore wrong way he continued for a minute or two when we suddenly saw car coming straight at us ! panic happened so he promptly took the brand new hire car (9mile on clock at collection) straight over the central reservation. the sheer look of panic on his and the other drivers face was priceless.
His complaint whilst driving out there is where the hell are all the road signs ? and when there are road sign they are so close to the juntions its too late to move over. we do more U turns in 2 weeks than he does in a year. should be fun when we move out there, or maybe he will finally get the hang of it.
His complaint whilst driving out there is where the hell are all the road signs ? and when there are road sign they are so close to the juntions its too late to move over. we do more U turns in 2 weeks than he does in a year. should be fun when we move out there, or maybe he will finally get the hang of it.
Aug 30th 2007, 3:00 pm
#43
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2004
Location: 30°16'29" North 097°44'26" West
Posts: 22,151
Re: Driving in the US
One Friday afternoon, early in my career as a coach driver, my then boss told me I would have to go to England the next Tuesday. Realising that the Brits drive on the other side of the road I decided that some experience would benefit me once I crossed the Channel.
That Monday I went to my boss and told him that I wouldn't go to England, no matter how much he would pay me to do so. I told him that last Saturday I tried driving from Utrecht to Amsterdam on the left side of the road and I had never felt so scared and horrified.....
That Monday I went to my boss and told him that I wouldn't go to England, no matter how much he would pay me to do so. I told him that last Saturday I tried driving from Utrecht to Amsterdam on the left side of the road and I had never felt so scared and horrified.....
Aug 30th 2007, 3:06 pm
#44
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,105
Re: Driving in the US
One Friday afternoon, early in my career as a coach driver, my then boss told me I would have to go to England the next Tuesday. Realising that the Brits drive on the other side of the road I decided that some experience would benefit me once I crossed the Channel.
That Monday I went to my boss and told him that I wouldn't go to England, no matter how much he would pay me to do so. I told him that last Saturday I tried driving from Utrecht to Amsterdam on the left side of the road and I had never felt so scared and horrified.....
That Monday I went to my boss and told him that I wouldn't go to England, no matter how much he would pay me to do so. I told him that last Saturday I tried driving from Utrecht to Amsterdam on the left side of the road and I had never felt so scared and horrified.....
Aug 31st 2007, 1:47 am
#45
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 86
Re: Driving in the US
Good God. He pulled you over for a 2 second short pause?! Talk about anal!!
The first time I drove in US was about 5yrs ago in Tampa, we lived in an apartment complex and was lucky to have a strip mall right next door, anyway one saturday night I thought I'd be brave and drive to pick up the chinese, we had an expidition and I'd been driving it around the complex for weeks getting used to the size and everything, so packed my baby into the back and my brother (over for a hols) jumps in the front and off we went...I only went the way where I made right hand turns so turned right onto main road and then immediately turned right into the strip mall, (all the while telling my bro not to speak or put the radio on as I didn't want any distractions !) so there's a stop sign, so I stop, then start moving again and go a few more yards to the chinese....and yes a cop pulls up behind me and has a go at me telling me I didn't stop at the stop sign for long enough, apparently I paused for only 3 secs and I should of paused for 5 secs no lie, I was stunned, then he spends a good 10 mins checking my UK licence as he'd never seen one before, so I'm stood there red faced while everybody's watching, my chinese is getting cold and my bro is pissing himself laughing, he finally lets me go after another 10 min lecture ......
Needless to say it took me a good 5 months before I tried that again...
Needless to say it took me a good 5 months before I tried that again...
