sth@rayssd.UUCP (03/18/85)
Being as I am going to be in the northern part of the Golden State in June,
I was curious about driving conditions there. I hear of strange rules,
strange drivers, and police who really think traffic laws are to be enforced.
Having cut my driving teeth on the mean streets of New York and Boston, all
I ask for is consistency. Are there any Easterners like me who have made
the transition successfully? Many thanx in advance.
Steve Hirsch, {allegra, decvax!brunix, linus, ccieng5}!rayssd!sth
Raytheon Co, Submarine Signal Div., Portsmouth, RIchu@lasspvax.UUCP (Clare Chu) (03/21/85)
In article <> sth@rayssd.UUCP writes: >Being as I am going to be in the northern part of the Golden State in June, >I was curious about driving conditions there. I hear of strange rules, >strange drivers, and police who really think traffic laws are to be enforced. >Having cut my driving teeth on the mean streets of New York and Boston, all >I ask for is consistency. Are there any Easterners like me who have made >the transition successfully? Many thanx in advance. > >Steve Hirsch, {allegra, decvax!brunix, linus, ccieng5}!rayssd!sth >Raytheon Co, Submarine Signal Div., Portsmouth, RI I'm from Southern California, but I imagine the driving trends are similar. Californians are more relaxed about their driving. There is no need to cut sharply in front of people because the streets are nice and wide and the freeway signs give ample warning to off-ramps and exits. Also the flow of traffic is important to be maintained as much as possible, and a little courtesy goes a long way. When we have merging situations, it is generally understood as every-other car from each lane. No fair cutting in front when it's not your turn. One more hint: Pedestrians really do get the right of way at cross- walks and many will assume that you will stop for them. They just step out into a crosswalk without looking. (like I have done a few times in New York with almost disastrous consequences). A cop will ticket you very fast if you zoom across a crosswalk with pedestrians in it, especially if its a four-year old kid and a little old lady. Just remember to STOP FOR PEDESTRIANS and cruise along with the flow. You'll be all right, at least for L.A. Clare
2141smh@rduxb.UUCP (henning) (03/21/85)
> I'm from Southern California, but I imagine the driving trends are > similar. Californians are more relaxed about their driving. There > is no need to cut sharply in front of people because the streets are > nice and wide and the freeway signs give ample warning to off-ramps > > Just remember to STOP FOR PEDESTRIANS and cruise along with the flow. **** **** From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA rduxb!2141smh Excuse me for laughing, but Northern California only has one freeway and that is I5. It goes through Yreka, Weed, Dunsmuir, Redding, Red Bluff and down through the rice country. Traffic is not what you call bumper- to-bumper. The main problem in Northern California, ( as versus Central and Southern) is finding good highways. Also you have to keep from running into people who are not used to good highways when they get on them. Humbolt county has many rugged areas with correspondingly difficult driving conditions. In California a stop is slightly slowing down so that you can bring the stop sign into clear focus. Stopping for pedestrians is a/the virtue of California drivers. I think they must have a death sentence for not yielding to pedestrians.
klein@ucbcad.UUCP (03/22/85)
> I'm from Southern California, but I imagine the driving trends are > similar. Similar, yes, but not the same. Southern Cal drivers, who spend a great deal of time on freeways (I lived there for 20+ years) are better at maintaining traffic flow. It is a pleasure to drive on LA freeways. Up north (where I've been for 6 years) it is not quite so, but still OK. People don't think as much about smooth flow and merging. Compared to the East (I assume) it's still pussy cats on the road. Downtown San Francisco is an island of wildness, though. You must be aggressive but fair, or you'll be stuck politely signalling for hours. -- -Mike Klein ...!ucbvax!ucbmerlin:klein (UUCP) klein%ucbmerlin@berkeley (ARPA)
phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai) (03/25/85)
> stop sign into clear focus. Stopping for pedestrians is a/the virtue of > California drivers. I think they must have a death sentence for not > yielding to pedestrians. This is almost true, as most pedestrians will die if you don't stop but run over them. When I was going to school in Boston, the drivers didn't seem to care about that. The San Francisco bay area is generally considered to be in Northern California and certainly has more than one freeway. We have 80, 280, 380, 480, 580, 680, 780, 1, 101, 17, 24, 13, 237 and probably some more I don't know about. -- Liar liar, pants on fire. May your nose grow long as a telephone wire. Phil Ngai (408) 749-5720 UUCP: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra}!amdcad!phil ARPA: amdcad!phil@decwrl.ARPA
mike@amdcad.UUCP (Mike Parker) (03/27/85)
> merging situations, it is generally understood as every-other car from > each lane. No fair cutting in front when it's not your turn. > > > Clare Absolutely *not* true in Silicon Valley! Mike @ AMDCAD
dee@druxv.UUCP (Gadbury) (03/28/85)
We went on a two week vacation last June going thru 7-States (4700 mi.) and spent a week of that in central Calif and L.A. area and found the Calif. drivers OK. In only two times that we had any problems was by drivers passing and cutting us off. Low and be hold, when we were able to see the license plates they were good ol' Colorado vehicles. These happened in the L.A. area on the belt ways. When we were up around the Bay area last Feb. we had no problems. Dee Gadbury
robert@nmtvax.UUCP (03/30/85)
Most Californians don't claim the bay area as part of the state.
Don't tell me about people from the bay area, I live (normally) in
a small town that they have to drive through to get to yosemite.
God knows that the roads are unsafe in California on weekends when
some family packs up the house into the winnebago and tows the Honda
down two lane small town streets. In fact I have spent many
hours swearing at these clowns while I sit at the end of my driveway.
If any of you people see a white Capri with some crazed lunatic behind
the wheel, don't get out of your winnebago. I'll run you over.
If the area our east coast friend is moving to is east of the
Coast mountain range and north of Bakersfield, the rule of thumb
is 10 MPH + speed limit outside of town (most roads are outside of
town) and 5 mph + speed limit in town. This will keep you out of
trouble. Whatever you do, don't show up in a winnebago in Oakdale.
San Franciscans go away!
Robert Kenyon
...ucbvax!unmvax!nmtvax!robert
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P.S. By the way, it's safe until May to go through Oakdale.
I don't get out of college till then.
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