Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Comparative driving

Had to link to this description of driving practices in Burlington, NC. Sounds so much like home (here), only without the motorcyles and scooters:

See, over the last three years, I've lived in a town where there are no rules, exactly, for driving. They're more like suggestions. You know: "if it's not too much trouble, you might want to consider keeping your car right of the center line--but no biggie. We know sometimes you just need the whole road." Since moving here, Lee and I have (in most cases, many times) seen drivers:
turn left from the right lane
turn right from the left lane
wait in the right
lane until traffic clears so they can get into the left lane to turn left
back up on the interstate to take an exit
back up on a busy four-lane
road to turn into a business (and then still just drive onto the curb and into the grass between the street and the parking lot)
stop in the middle of the road to hand a package from one DHL van to another
park in the entry drive of the TJ Maxx lot because it's easier than finding a spot
pull up to an intersection, wait until we were upon said intersection, then pull out in front of us (and proceed to go 15 mph below the posted limit)
come to a complete stop to turn right from a busy street

There are more, too, but my neural net can only process so much at once.

Sound familiar?

1 comment:

Lance said...

I'm not sure how large Taichung is, but I bet driving there's a bit more harrowing than navigating through the oblivious moseying you find in Burlington. It'll take me awhile to "be there" in Bowling Green, but once I feel I've been enculturated, I'll report on the driving there, too. I'm sure it will be far less eventful.