Today marked the first time i got behind the wheel in the USA. When you add the fact that i sold my car a few weeks before i left and that Mum, for some reason, did not want me driving the camry (a luxury automobile), it had been about 3 months since i had been in control! And i was very keen to get that back!
All in all, i did a pretty good job. Adjusted to being on the other side of the road (although at times wanted to keep using the right lane marker as the guide), only put the windscreen wipers on instead of the blinkers twice and only partially mounted the curve parking the first time. Being on the left side of the car is weird!!
Being a passenger for so long though, especially on some rather long car trips, has allowed me to make several observations regarding Californian roads and drivers. And let me tell you, it ain't all pretty. Best Coast said it best. Well they showed us in a video clip. "I love California (but i hate the traffic)"
Californians are obsessed about driving. The SNL skit was not lying! Back home, people will go to the shops or something when they are bored. I think in California they just go for a drive. Not necessarily to go anywhere in particular or with any destination in mind. It is just to have something to do. One night i was on the way home from a baseball game in LA and it was bumper to bumper at 11pm. I have no idea where they wanted to go or where they came from. But the road was chockers! Didn't people have work tomorrow?
City driving is hilarious. Californian drivers are so susceptible to weather changes. California's climate is pretty right on. Warm all year round and little rainfall. But, given a light shower in the city people will lose all dexterity. They will mainly refuse to drive at all but when they do they will swerve and struggle and eventually just run off the road. The same applies if the temperature goes just a little bit above what is normal...
Roads are a huge problem here too. Bottlenecks everywhere and traffic comes to a standstill on the regular basis. Sydney drivers who complain about the M4, M5, M7 etc! would not be able to cope. And that is something which makes me smile. There is no road rage apparent when we go down the 101 or the 80 or anywhere else! It is very heartening.
I have learnt that a "California roll" is what people do at a stop sign. My thinking is that, as there is no one around, it is understood that there is no reason to entirely stop. Also, there are no roundabouts, only stop signs. And it is quite systematic that each direction goes one at a time. What order! It is also apparent that there is an accepted rule whereby the speed limit is just a sort of... a suggestion. 5-10 miles per hour over is completely reasonable and expected. I suppose when you are so used to being in traffic, you ought to take advantage of any free driving space as possible!
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