Bucko, .. your post on WLPG about traffic...that would explain quite a few things

[TheEngineer]

Downtown Boston is the absolute worst place in the country to drive (and I've driven pretty much everywhere in the US, plus Canada, Thailand, HK, Japan, Spain, Portugal, UK etc...). (outside Boston is much better,...but...)

I think if we tack on the lack of knowledge/technique to the selfishness, general agressiveness, and poor eyes....we would be able to explain Boston. (Sorry to pull a thread over here...but...)

Left turns on change to green, passing on the right, travelling too slow, travelling too fast, not looking before changing lanes, gas on yellow/full gas on turning to red.etc, etc,...

[Capocheny]

Hi E,

Have you ever driven Beijing? [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

Now, that city HAS to be tops on the list of "fearsome places to drive!"

There's a definite lack of road markings so that you're never quite sure whether you're driving on the right side of the street (???) or not. Or, in someone's backyard! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

This is a city where cars are king, scooters/motorbikes come next, and pedestrians CERTAINLY come last in the hierarchy. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img] It's pretty amazing to watch... scary too!

Cheers

[Thomas]

I lived and drove in Tehran in the 1970s. That was a trip--managed only one accident (really wasn't my fault--really).

Anyway, no road markings so no lanes, traffic cops were routinely ignored--some were run over, it was a law NOT to turn on your headlights at night in the city, I am positive their local cars did not come with signal lights, either that or that page was torn out of the Iranian driver's manual, and they drove by the credo: the biggest one goes first, which left pedestrians in quite a dangerous situation.

Next--Italy. About as bad as Iran, except they do have road markings--they just don't care about them!

But driving in New Jersey still makes me crazy, or is it that the other drivers seem crazy.

[TheEngineer]

Cap...I was a pedestrian in Bejing...I thought that was dangerous enough... [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

I saw a crossing guard in Boston running across the street once and grab two young kids just as an SUVjumped out of traffic, drove on the opposite side of the road and sped towards the two kids...without the crossing guard, they would certainly not have survived...

[Bucko]

The worst I've seen was Pipeline Road (between Saudi Arabia and Iraq) during Desert Storm. Two lanes of roads became six lanes. If someone wanted the right of way, they flashed their lights at you. Several people were killed in the madness (not to mention the madness of war).

[Capocheny]

E,

Good thing you're still around to drink wines... good AND bad! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img] It's a scary place indeed! :>|

I always loved seeing the police driving high-end Mercedes as police cars! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

And, a small bottle of warm Evian water going for US$50...

BTW... have you ever tasted that sweet wine (orange color) from The Great Wall Wine Company while over there? Yikes! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

Cheers

[Innkeeper]

The worst I've ever seen was in Libya before the current regime. We had a base there, believe it or not, called Wheeler. When you drove off the base, people would throw babies in front of your car, hoping to collect from Uncle Sugar.

[californiagirl]

Eng- let's not forget the alltime fav Bostonian driving habit... "what is behind be does not concern me"! Ya'll might as well not have rear-view mirrors!! Nobody uses them! (This is coming from experience. Born and raised in NE [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img])

[TheEngineer]

Bucko,

I can't compare anything with that. Glad you came back okay! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

CG, what about...Signal...what's a signal for...by the way, the lane that you are in...that's mine too....move...

The definition of the white dash line on the road......your car should be immediately over it...as a matter of fact, it should be in the middle of the car....

@#!$!%

[This message has been edited by TheEngineer (edited 05-28-2005).]

[californiagirl]

Eng- My bil drives w/one hand on the wheel and one on the horn. Doesn't matter what's behind. Definitely agree w/ the lane change idea. Or non-compliancy of. Which lane are they in anyways? I think they're staddling both until they decide which is better [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

[Bucko]

WA drivers are too !@#$%^ polite. There was a cute cartoon referencing Seattle drivers. There are four cars at a four-way stop -- all of the drivers are skeletons. (explaning that for WW, you go first, no you go first, no you go first ...)

[wondersofwine]

I've driven in Boston from the airport rental car lot to Cape Cod and back to the airport about three times (also to JFK Museum). I was talking about it to two Indian ladies (from India, not Native Americans) on the Nantucket ferry and said at one point I wasn't sure if I was to go straight or take a left turn so I hesitated and got an earful of angry horns. They said "Never hesitate! If you miss your turn you can get back to it later but just keep moving!!!" One of my uncles who lived in Hingham, MA used to park his car on the sidewalk, lawn edge facing the wrong direction when he visited us in Nebraska. It drove my Dad nuts but I guess wasn't uncommon around Boston 'burbs.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 05-31-2005).]

[wineguruchgo]

Here in Chicago we have what they are calling the "left hand lane law" which basically means that if you are doing 55 or 75 in the left hand lane and you are holding back traffic they will ticket you.

Quirky huh? It's to reduce road rage. Sad thing is many people haven't heard of it.