Monday, April 9, 2012

Driving in New Jersey



I think I've made it pretty clear that I live in New Jersey.  For those not familiar with this special place, the act of getting behind the wheel and driving is no trivial walk in the park. It requires skills and grit that few out-of-staters (Massachusetts drivers excepted) possess.  Here are just a few examples:

Want to turn left on certain highways?  Better be in the right-hand lane - but only on those certain highways.  You won't know which ones until you've driven them before.

Enjoying that 4-lane road?  You'd better do it quick, because it could revert to a 2-laner at any moment.  You won't be sure when unless you've driven it before.

Approaching a traffic circle?  Which one - they each have their own right-of-way rules.  You better have driven that circle before.

Want to make a left turn onto a busy road but have no traffic light?  Better be prepared to use your vehicle as a mobile stop traffic signal as you nose across traffic because it only gets worse at rush hour.  Assume the oncoming traffic knows about this necessity, having driven this route before.

Solid white lines separating you from the next lane?  No problem - they're only for out-of-staters and other people who haven't driven this stretch before.

The common road design principle applied here, as you may have observed, is "drive it once before you drive it for the first time."  I just don't understand why so many drivers appear confused.  

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