I have a new client in Queens and this is the reaction I'm getting to my driving. :eek: :( Can't NY drivers be a little more understanding and patient when they see out of state plates on rental cars? When I get to an intersection, I'd like more than a second to decide if I need to turn left, right or go straight. Sometimes directions can be misleading and vague. :)

OT question (well I suppose my whole post is slightly OT). How often do NY drivers have to replace the horn on their cars?

There are only two options here:

Either it might be a NJ driver in New York... or your rental car
has an NJ plate. :)

Life of the horn depends on how many New Jersey drivers we encounter :)
j/k I'm a New York driver and I rarely use the car horn. There are
enough people around to do the job for you.

When driving in Michigan earlier this year, in Midland specifically, the flashing red lights for left turns were very confusing to me. Turning left at busy intersections on a red (flashing) just seems wrong. What's the problem with a green arrow or green light?

Don't think I've seen something similar to that anywhere else in the world!

I've seen something similar in Toronto, and presume it's true in the rest of Canada.

A flashing red arrow would mean it's okay to turn left after coming to a stop, and making sure it is safe to do so. (like a stop sign) What's so confusing about that? I hate when you get a red arrow, that doesn't flash, when there are no oncoming cars and you have to sit there and wait.

Some of my "favorites"

Pennsylvanians who insist on coming to a complete stop on freeway on-ramps.

People who don't pull into an intersection for a left turn at a light that is not a green-arrow light.

Sicily -- Use of a turn signal depends on the age of the driver. Younger driver: Left turn signal means I'm turing left. Older driver: Left turn signal means I'm turning right and it's OK to pass me on the left.

California -- Their annoying habit of rolling down their window and sticking out their hands to signal you to wait for them to pull out or cut you off.

Finally, I wish US cars had rear fog lights like European cars.

I wish US cars' turn signals flashed orange instead of red. It's *such* a terrible design that (traditional) US light clusters go red when a) braking b) turning and c) driving in wet or dark conditions. At a half-second glance, it just makes it much harder to tell whether someone is turning or slowing down.

From my experiences...

Drivers in (and just south of) San Francisco on 101 and 280 seem to think that the left lane is reserved for those desiring to go 10 miles an hour below the speed limit.

Merging drivers in Michigan seem incapable of controlling their car speed to arrive at the merge point before or after you (as the driver in the right lane) reach it -- rather, they become belligerent when you don't slow down to accomodate them. (I always try to move over if I can, but it's not always possible.)

While not an odd driving custom, I would like to add that I'm consistently impressed with Brazilian drivers. While many are aggressive, they all seem to get along pretty well on the road -- slow pokes move over when someone comes up from behind, multiple cars passing one vehicle almost do so gracefully, drivers make space if you're in the middle of a tight pass, etc.

In contrast, on a recent trip to Malaysia, I was floored by the low quality of the drivers, particularly their habit of slowing down to a crawl in the driving lane before making a left turn (rather than using the shoulder.)

On Interstate 70 between Washington, PA and where it merges with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in New Stanton, PA there are some on-ramps that have absolutely no room whatsoever to merge. On some of the on-ramps there is a stop sign so drivers HAVE to come to a complete stop and wait until they can safely enter the freeway. That is poor design and as far as I am concerned a safety issue. I try to avoid that stretch but when I have to take it I make it a point to plan my trip so I do NOT exit Interstate 70 between Washington and New Stanton because as bad as it is for cars, it is much worse for trucks enter the highway from a complete stop and take forever to accelerate while going through as much as ten gears. The speed limit on this stretch is mostly 55mph with a stretch posted at 45mph.

Flashing red is the equivalent of a stop sign. What's the problem?

I do agree it's a bad design but I don't think orange is the right color--it wouldn't be of much help to those of us who are color-weak. How about blue?

I do think the "flashing red ultimately changes to a green arrow" that's found in Michigan isn't something that I have seen elsewhere.

In Florida:
Driving 35 miles on the highway with the left turn signal on. Mostly seen in the..um..."age-challenged" set.

Stopping when the light turns red is considered merely optional. It's not at all uncommon to see six cars go through a red light. You'll see one driver stop for the light and the driver behind them whip around and run the light.

Some of the motorway onramps in Auckland NZ have traffic lights (on the ramp). There used to be an offramp from the fast lane (one of the busiest in the country and caused lots of headaches due to lots of traffic crossing several lanes over from an onramp a couple of miles back) - that has now been fixed. There is a stretch in the central city with on and off ramps every few hundred metres - very messy.

It would be better if it were consistent, I would agree. In the US we get a mix of amber and red turn signals (in the rear; the fronts are always amber). It's not even just US-branded cars. I have a Japanese car sitting downstairs that has red turn signals in the back. It may only be that way for the US market, though.

That said, I haven't found it to be a big problem. The only time I've seen it be a problem is when someone is tapping the brakes on and off with one brake light out. Then it can at first glance look like a turn signal instead. Otherwise the differentiation is still clear enough to me. The red brake lights are *much* brighter than the ordinary rear running lights. They have to be to be distinguishable at night.