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Old 09-03-2010, 11:18 AM   #21 (permalink)
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I've spent some time driving around the country and I've noticed a few interesting quirks. The biggest one is the difference between city drivers and country drivers.

Country Drivers: Will wait at a stop sign until they can not see a car anywhere before pulling out. If they see one a mile down the road, they will wait.

City Drivers: Stop signs are suggestions.

Country Drivers: Freeway left lanes are for cruising, right lines are for pulling on and off.

City Drivers: Any lane will do

Country Drivers: Speed Limit signs are to be OBEYED!!! So its better to be 5 mph under!

City Drivers: Speed Limits are lower limits.

Now a rundown on peculiarities by City:

Chicago: If you see a turn signal in the next lane, it is a warning to get out of the way.

Detroit: 7 cars can make a left turn after the left turn arrow as turned off.

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Old 09-04-2010, 11:12 AM   #22 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee View Post
I walk like an Egyptian too!

That reminds me... my legs work for locomotion but I must be in the minority, as it is evidently too much effort to go ring the doorbell upon pulling up to someone's house; better to lay on the horn for a while so that the entire neighborhood knows someone there is being summoned.
My neighbour had a golfing friend who did this on Sunday mornings. Roll up outside, screech to a halt, a few beeps and then sat there with the engine running on his car, the radio blaring, windows open, smoking.

He made the mistake of doing this on the first Sunday we got our son home after he was born - the little chap was a little unwell and we just got him off to sleep after a disturbed night. I wasn't a happy parent.

Its amazing how loud a flat hand slapping the roof of a car can be when its done just right. Its also amazing how much of a shock factor this can have on the driver when they aren't expecting it, and indeed how much of a mess a dropped cigar can make of Rupert The Bear style golfing trousers.

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Old 09-04-2010, 12:21 PM   #23 (permalink)
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Welcome to Scotland...

...home of the brave, or at least the most foolhardy of drivers. Some of the observations from my decade of being here.

1. On entering a motorway or any 2 lane road, you MUST DIVE INTO THE OUTSIDE LANE STRAIGHT AWAY OR YOU WILL JUST DIE OF THE SHAME.

2. Its perfectly fine to turn right on a roundabout from the left hand lane without indicating.

3. Speed limit is a target. Not a limit.

4. Riding the outside bumper of any vehicle in front as close as possible will immediately make them speed up or get out of your way. It happens all the time.

5. Traffic lights don't apply to bicycles.

6. Hazard flashers mean free parking anywhere.

7. Mobile phones help you drive because you can ignore everything going on and concentrate on your conversation.

8. But if you must stop to use the phone, why not just use one of those convenient places where buses stop. They don't mind, they like the company.

9. Take the racing line everywhere. Remember, you are The Stig.

10. When taking kids to school it is proper to park as close as possible to the door. After all there are pedos everywhere. In fact just drive on in and park the Range Rover in the classroom just to be extra safe.

11. Being fat, lazy and usually orange (you get that tan from being in Scotland ?) is a disability, so use those special spaces.

12. It is your job to control the speed of others by sitting in the outside lane. They will thank you for it with many friendly waves and gestures.

13. Its best just to maintain your road speed in a car park.

14. If driving a convertible make sure everyone can appreciate your musical tastes. Hmmm Micheal Buble - fantastic!

15. If you encounter unexpected ice on the road, it is advised to just hit your brakes as hard as possible.

16. The Fast and The Furious is a documentary.

17. Sat Navs are made to be adjusted when you are driving.

18. ABS means you are invincible.

19. You can only refuel on the side where the cap is. Those signs saying 'fill up on both sides' don't mean you.

20. When travelling on a 2-lane road remember to keep close behind the car in front otherwise someone from behind will just push in. Remember though that you are unable to overtake.

Honestly it is a strange place. This is the only place in the world where you will see people standing at a bus stop (because they don't have a car) carrying a set of Golf clubs worth more than 2K GBP.
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Old 09-06-2010, 08:10 AM   #24 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arragonis View Post
...home of the brave, or at least the most foolhardy of drivers. Some of the observations from my decade of being here.


2. Its perfectly fine to turn right on a roundabout from the left hand lane without indicating.


4. Riding the outside bumper of any vehicle in front as close as possible will immediately make them speed up or get out of your way. It happens all the time.

5. Traffic lights don't apply to bicycles.

6. Hazard flashers mean free parking anywhere.

9. Take the racing line everywhere. Remember, you are The Stig.

11. Being fat, lazy and usually orange (you get that tan from being in Scotland ?) is a disability, so use those special spaces.


18. ABS means you are invincible.

19. You can only refuel on the side where the cap is. Those signs saying 'fill up on both sides' don't mean you.

Honestly it is a strange place. This is the only place in the world where you will see people standing at a bus stop (because they don't have a car) carrying a set of Golf clubs worth more than 2K GBP.

2. This does My Tits in!! Also folk who cant maintain Lane Dicipline.. Sherrifhall roundabout is a prime Example.

4. I always find this a convenient time to commence my "Glide" Phase

5. They are mental, absolutely mental.

6. This is actually the fact in Spain-worked a treat for me in Madrid and Barcelona

9. I really should drag you accross some of the roads in the North West.. You CAN be the STIG!

11. This really gets my goat, I have, on occasion looked at blocking in these people, then showing as much contempt as they have by going shopping for 5hrs. My mother has a Blue badge, and mobility issues-its an important service, and one which should not be abused.

18. ABS + 4x4 + traction control just means you look like more of a pillock in 2" of snow as I pass you in my old BMW.. people mistake passive and active safety items for "Driving skill"

19. I take utmost Joy in using any free pump, bgetting ahead of the 10 cars waiting sheep like in line!Vive la ambedexterous (appaulling Faux Frenchery!)

as for the golf clubs, he'd probably just been on an "Aquisition Mission" to relieve the rightful owner..


I can see that all the points you rased can be attributed to individaul junctions on the A720, and would usrge you to use the A71 wherever possible!
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Old 09-06-2010, 08:21 AM   #25 (permalink)
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Sherrifhall roundabout was designed by Jackson Pollock during a drunk phase. Apparently Dobbies put in a proposal to be allowed to extend but it was turned down because of traffic - but they also suggested they would change the roundabout to a flyover and proper on-off ramps. But by then Embra was on its anti car crusade...

Sheriffhall named as 10th scariest junction in the UK.
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Old 09-07-2010, 04:12 PM   #26 (permalink)
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Hoosiers don't use turn signals. Michiganers come to Ohio to patronize our speed traps. Ohioans are reasonably polite and will let you enter traffic. Pennsylvanians tailgate you if you have a kayak on your roof.

Californians endure a highway system that is "way overcapacity". They dive in and change lanes into tiny spaces that you are leaving as clearance for the car ahead. In California, if you are merging onto one of those incredibly busy freeways, you *will* be able to squeeze in somewhere. To their credit, drivers don't speed up "for the block".

In California, the mountain roads have pull outs for slower traffic to yield. Motorists use them and it works well. yay for California!!!
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Old 09-07-2010, 04:37 PM   #27 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by Ecobalt View Post
In California, the mountain roads have pull outs for slower traffic to yield. Motorists use them and it works well. yay for California!!!
Last time I was in the states we did a trip from SF to Carmel. The trip 'to' was pretty much freeway which I drove, and Mrs A (who hates driving on the wrong side) got frustrated and decided she would drive back. Fine thought I, I would snooze after a beach day, Arragonis Jnr promoted to front seat.. Woo.

However 'Annoying Nora' (as we called the Hertz sat nav) decided we should do a mountain freeway thing on the way back.

Mrs A was not happy - everybody was 90+ (55-75 limt) and we were restricted by a USA made car (Buick fuggin Regal) which fell over on every corner - well to us it felt like it did - and everyone else drove BMWs - wonder why? And of course there was a guy in a Metro (go figure as I think you say) swaying from lane to lane - seemed like he was pished - not ecomiling at all, just swerving randomly.

But for the whole time we were stuck behind Mr beer nobody in Calif would let us out at all, despite lights kind of saying 'please'. Finally Mrs A just decided to pull out which resulted in tons of beeps and lights flashing. We just decided to sod it, and them.

We exchanged finger signs with California and the next day flew to MN - where they drive better but muppets in SUVs think the outside lane is for them and wonder why someone from Europe is passing them in a 4-cyl Toyota.

So why do Americans need so much power ? The answer is they don't.

Kind of makes me like the M8 in Scotland.
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Old 09-08-2010, 11:53 AM   #28 (permalink)
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Louisville KY the city with 1/8mi on ramps every 1/2mi the speed limit is 55mph every one does 65mph, they do not use turn signals and if you use your turn signal it is a sign to other drivers to speed up so you can't get over.

I have now taken the liberty when in Louisville to have my horn let them know that the turn signal does not work when changing lanes.
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Old 09-09-2010, 02:04 AM   #29 (permalink)
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What I see most is just about everybody here drives like a bat outta hell. Every day I see people passing into oncoming traffic (often it's not even me, it's cars coming the other way too) and act like they have no care in the world when they run others off the road. Even going the speed limit, people will pass me on the right, people will use left turn lanes to pass me, people have used a grassy median to pass me. Many times I've had to whip off the road totally to avoid getting rearended even when going highway speed. Even on a sparsely traveled road, day or night, it doesn't matter. Many go so fast when they make a right turn at an intersection they overrun into the left lane and just about sideswipe me or hit me head on when I'm there. I've even had a lot of people blow past me when I am only maybe 500 feet from a stop sign and slowing down normally, or I'm in various towns and the speed limit is already 25 anyway. It's 25 through my neighborhood and kids are out playing or waiting for the bus, and I commonly have people blow past me even on the blind curves. What gets me is the same 2-faced people who pushed for the speed limit (in public meetings it's "protect our precious kids") are the same ones who I see blow past me or just speed through the neighborhood in general everyday. Many cars squeal their tires as they blow around the sharp corner at my house.

Another thing I see a lot is what I call the train. Somebody pulls out from a stop sign fairly close, and at least 3 other cars will pull out like they're all connected ("hey it's not MY fault, it was the first guy who cut you off, I was just following..."). Stop signs are just a suggestion anyway, I see about as many people run stop signs as those who even do a near stop. Every day when I do a full stop I always feel like I'm going to get rearended because they don't expect you to actually stop at a stop sign. I watched one blow through the stop sign near home last time back from downstate and took the steep transition (it scrapes my airdam at 10 mph) at at least 40 mph and underneath the whole car was a shower of sparks. Had I been 5 seconds later I'd have been toast.

Same with tailgating. It's like people don't know how to leave a reasonable following distance. VERY FEW actually leave a safe distance. Even when they don't plan to pass, they just ride you like they want to hook on and get towed. If I had to stop for a deer (VERY common in Michigan), or hell even slow down a little, they'd be in my backseat. 18 wheelers and commercial trucks are some of the worst, even though they'd have me flattened if I had to stop quick. Thankfully most vehicles do pass but I've been rearended a lot too, more than anything else. A couple notable accidents (both in daylight) on my way home I've seen pics in the paper over the last month or so, a small car that was tailgating and ended up going under the car in front, and another small car that was tailgating a bus and ended up under the bus when it slowed down to turn. Seriously, if your small car can't outstop a freaking BUS you're WAY too close. I read people on other forums comment on how Michigan is so notorious for tailgating too.

I've been to northern Ohio several times and while most people in Michigan whine about it being a speed trap and call it "slow-hio" or other things, I found it quite refreshing. You don't feel like you're going to get run over everywhere you go. I was also in the southeast area before (Cadiz area) and while it was probably the prettiest place I'd ever been, it was a lot like Michigan with people passing on hills and blind curves with total disregard to oncoming traffic.

I spent a weekend in Washington DC once and while it was the most confusing ridiculous ratrace of highways I'd seen, I didn't have a problem with the drivers. Everybody acted like they were in the same boat. Almost robotic. There is a ton of traffic but everything seemed fine. One highway was under construction but I didn't have people trying to blow around and cut me off like they do here. True my experience was limited, and I haven't been to places like Jersey or NY or Chicago or Boston or LA but I definitely knew when I was back on Michigan soil. There isn't as much traffic here, but the thing is that it's just so freaking erratic. It doesn't even raise my heartbeat or blood pressure to get run off the road anymore. I just totally expect it and see it everyday.
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Old 09-09-2010, 07:54 AM   #30 (permalink)
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Hi Wagonman

I owned an 89 Celebrity wagon with a 2.8 liter V6. I got 22 mpg "all the time" except in winter. I got the EPA rated 29 mpg on highway trips.

I am sure that the roof rack and the "eight passenger spoiler" hurt the fuel economy. That spoiler was designed to keep exhaust from being sucked into the wing windows way in the back of the car. That is not the same concept as a spoiler that is designed to make air flow smoothly off the back of the car and leave a big slug of air that "just rides behind the car" in its wake.

Apparently, the MPFI in the 3.1 liter V6 makes all the difference for fuel economy.

I spent 40 hours changing two head gaskets in the engine. It was very intuitive. Then I gave the car to my mother and she drove it for another two years. It had ECM problems, but it never left us stranded.

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