【美国】Driving Etiquette 驾驶礼节

Ingeneral,drivingamotorvehicleintheUnitedStatesofAmericaisawidelyvariedskill.Everystatehasitsownlaws,guidelines,andtypesofintimidationsonhowtohandletheircars.Therearesomebasiclawsthatgovernallstates,though:

Keepyourcarontheright-handsideoftheroad,unlessyouliketomeetinterestingpeopleface-to-facereallyfast.

KeepuptodateonallthelatestAmericancursewordsandgestures,asyouwillneedtouseand/ortranslatethemwhentravelling.

Learnindividualstatelaws.Forinstance,Delawaredoesnothaveaseatbeltlaw,buttheydon’tneedonesincenobodydrivesformorethananhourtherebeforehittinganotherstate,andallthesurroundingstatesdohaveseatbeltlaws.

Speedlimitsgiveyouanindicationofhowfasttodrive.Ifyougobelowthatnumberyouarelikelytoberearended.ThisdoesnotapplyinOhiothough.Ifyoudriveataspeedanywherenearthelimititwillbeassumedyou’vedonesomethingillegal,andwillbejailedaccordingly.

Trafficlights:greenmeansgo,redmeansstop.Amberiswheremostforeignvisitorshaveproblems.Innormalpracticeitmeansspeeduptomakethelightbeforeitturnsred.Also,ifyoucanseethetrafficlightforthecrosstraffic,anamberlightforthemmeansyoumayproceedbeforethelightturnsgreen,butdoitquickly.

FormanyyearsintheUnitedStatesithasbeenalawforthedriverandfrontpassengertowearseatbelts,butmanypeoplehaveignoredit.ButrecentlyinOhio,andprobablyalotofotherstates,alawhasbeenpassedallowingpoliceofficerstopulloverandfineamotoristjustfornotwearingtheirseatbelt.SowhentravellingintheStates,buckleup,notjustforyoursafety,butforwallet’ssafetyaswell.

Atlanta,GeorgiaDrivingEtiquette

Firstly,thehighwayshavesixtoeightlanes...ineachdirection.Apparentlyitisokaytoexitontherightfromtheleft-mostlane,aslongasyouaretravellingatleast80mph.Ifthepersoninfrontofyouisonlygoing70mph(thelegallimitis55mph)itisokaytoswerveoffoftheroad,aroundthe’offender’,andbackontotheroad,aslongasyoudon’tuseasignal.

Bewarned:Atlantaistheworstcityforrubber-neckingintheworld.Everyonedrivesfastunlessanythingremotelyinterestingishappeningontheothersideoftheroad,thenalltrafficslowstoasnail’space.

CaliforniaDrivingEtiquette

Treatspeedlimitsignsstrictlyasasuggestion,unlessthereissomeformofpoliceofficerorhighwaypatrolmanaround.

Inaright-of-waysituation,themostexpensivecaralwayshastherightofway.It’snotwrittenanywhere,it’ssimplyunderstood.

InLosAngelesCountyitisagenerallyacceptedrulethatthreecarswillpassthroughagivenintersectionafterthelighthasturnedred.Nooneseemstocare,sofeelfreetotakeadvantageofthis.

ChicagoDrivingEtiquette

DrivinginChicagoislikedrivinginaDragRace.Youmustslamthegasimmediatelyorriskbeinghonkedat.Conversely,ifyou’rebehindsomeonewhoshouldbegoingwhentheyarenot,itisyourknowndutytolayonyourhornforatleastfivesecondstogentlyremindthemtomovetheircar.Turnsignalsareonlyforusewhennooneisbehindyou.

FloridaDrivingEtiquette

InFloridayoubasicallyhavetwokindsofdrivers:relativelyyoungexecutive-typesandreallyoldold-timers.Thismakesforgeneralchaosforthefollowingreasons.

Theelderlydriverstendtoownenormous,powerfulluxurysedans,but,paradoxically,tendtodrivethematextremelyslowspeeds-usuallypayingverylittleattentiontowhat’sgoingonaroundthem(thisincludesthecolouroftrafficsignals,noticingthelanechangesoccurringneartheirvehicles,thestrangewayinwhichtheirgaspedaliseitherputentirelytothefloorornotdepressedatall).Atthesametime,theyoungexecutive-typedriverstendtohaveslightlysmaller,sportierandevenfastercars-oftenluxuryconvertibles,andtendtodrivethemextremelyfast,recklesslyandwithoutemployingturnsignals.Largeintersectionsareparticularlyproblematicduetothefactthatno-onecanseemtoagreewhenthesignalshavechanged.

Floridaisalsofulloftouristswho,despiteneverhavingdrivenabroadbefore,havemadeittheirquesttofindDisneyWorld,eventhoughtheirhotelisclosertoJacksonvillethanOrlando.

NewJerseyDrivingEtiquette

IfyoufindyourselfinNewJerseyyouwillencounteraphenomenonknownas’psychicdriving’.Themassesofmotoristswillbethinkingforthepersonaheadofthemandrespondingaccordingtowhatthepersonaheadshouldbedrivinglike.

Psychicdrivingisamarvellousphenomenontobeholdwhenitworks.Youwillseehundredsofcarszoomingalongmakingtheexactsameturnsandspeed-upsandslowdownsallinunison.IfyouarenotfromNewJerseyandhappentobedrivingthereforthefirsttime,thiscanbeaterrifyingexperience.

NewYorkCityDrivingEtiquette

Neveruseyourturnsignalwhenyouwanttochangelanes.NewYorkCitydriversrespondtothisbycongestingthelaneyouaretryingtogetinto.Onlyuseyourturnsignalforturns.

OregonDrivingEtiquette

Whenattemptingtochangelanes,Oregondriversneversignal.Furthermore,theymovefromlanetolaneataspeedroughlyequivalenttothatofasnailwithaherniapullingaVolkswagen.

Evenworse,whenfacedwithayellowwarningsignbearingthephrase’rightlaneends’,Oregondriversinvariablyzipintotherightlaneandstandontheaccelerator.Thisresultsinlargeblursofspeedingmetalzoomingpasttheout-of-statedriverswhohavesmartlymovedintotheleftlaneandgenerallyalsocauseslargefitsofyellingandobscenegesturing.

ItseemsthatallhighwaysinOregonweredesignedbymentally-inhibitedapesmakingpaintsplattersoncanvas.Asaresult,manyhighwaystwistandturnandhaveoddly-placeddivisionsinthemiddlethatsplitonehighwayintotwowhichthengototallyoppositedirections.Thereisneveranywarningofthesedivisions,andyouoftenendupinthelanefurthestfromtheoneyouneedtobein.Asaresult,itiscustomaryfordriverstospeedtowardstheconcretebarriersignifyingtheendoftheexitwhiletryingtoforceotherdriverstoletthemin.Theotherdriversneverdo,sotheexitingdriveralwaysendsupsmashingviolentlyintotheconcretebarrierorslammingontheirbrakesandleaningontheirhorninavainattempttoconvincethebarriertomove.

PittsburghDrivingEtiquette

OnepeculiarthingthedriversinPittsburghliketodoisnotgowhenthetrafficsignalturnsgreen.Itseemsthelocaletiquetteisforthefirstvehiclewaitingtoturnlefttohavetherightofway,thentrafficmayresumeatitsusualfreneticpace.Itcanbequiteembarrassingtonotknowthisruleasthesecondvehicleinline.Thelightturnsgreen,youhittheaccelerator,youhitthecarinfrontofyouandyouhaveaverydifficulttimeofitintrafficcourtexplainingwhyyourammedintotherearofanothercar.

Equallydangerousisbeingthefirstvehicleinaqueueataredlight.Thelightturnsgreenandyoubegintogostraightthroughtheintersectiononlytofindthatthepersonontheothersidehasturnedleftintoyourpath,assumingyouwouldnotdrivethroughagreensignalasperPittsburgh-etiquetterules.Thatcollisioncanbeequallyembarrassingbecausethetrafficofficerwillinvariablyfindyouatfaultforcausingtheaccidentbydrivingthroughthegreensignal.

StLouis,MissouriDrivingEtiquette

StLouishasthehighestratioofstopsignstoresidentsintheentireUnitedStates.Youwouldthinkthiswouldmeanstoppingearlyandoften,butthisisnotthecase.Insteadofactuallystopping,onemustmastertheskillofslowingdownenoughtoallowtheothercarattheintersectiontocrossbeforeyouattemptyourcrossing.Ifyouactuallycometoastop,madnesswillfollow.Allcarswillstop,andbeingthefriendlyMidwest,everyonewillwaveeveryoneelseon.Ifallthecarsdon’thiteachotherheadon,thedriverwiththeleastvaluablecargoesfirst.

Signallingappearstobeoptional.Unfortunatelyiftheoptionistaken,itisusuallyduringoraftertheturniscompleted.

TexasDrivingEtiquette

DrivinginTexasissimple.Therearetwospeeds-stop,andgoveryfast.Goveryfastshouldbereachedassoonaspossible,whichmeansthateveryonefloorsthegaspedalwhenthelightsturngreen.It’saspeedthatisoftenmaintainedforaslongaspossible,whichmeansthatmanyTexansbrakeverylateandveryhard.Thesteeringwheelisn’tnecessarilyameansforchangingdirection,infactit’sahandilypositionedarmrest.Sometimesitseemsasifitismandatoryunderstatelawtomakeallturnsone-handed.Everyonedrivesintheoutsidelaneuntiltheyneedtomakeaturn,thenthey’llcutacrossalllanesoftraffic.Infact,anymanoeuvreshouldmadeatthelastpossiblemoment.

Havingsaidallthis,whendrivinginTexasyoumaynoticethefolksareveryfriendlyonthelongstretchesofhighway.Theywillevenpulloverontotheshoulderonthesideoftheroadtoletyoupass.ButthesesamepeoplewillramyouintothepostifyoumeetupwiththemonI-20enteringDallas.Onceyougetontheoverpassesallbetsareoffandyou’reonyourown.

InthetownofCorpusChristi,Texas,forsomereason,mostoftheshopsliningthestreetshavetheirownentrances,butyoucannotgetfromoneshoptoanotherwithoutgettingonthemainroadfirst.Thismeansthatthereissomeonetryingtogetonthemainroadeveryfivefeet,andasaresult,nooneonthemainroadwantstoletanyoneelsein.Therearetwopopularstrategiesforgettingontothemainroad,bothofwhicharesuretodrawafewshotsfromtheconcealedhandgunsthateveryoneisallowedtocarry:

Slowlypulloutintotherightlaneoftraffic.Youshouldbegoingslowenoughthatyoucoverlessthanthreeorfourinchesperhour.Inafewdaysyouwillbefarenoughoutsothatsomeonewillhavetoeitherletyouin,orhityou.

Pulloutintoanylaneoftrafficassoonasyoufeelyouareready.Makesureyouarelookinganywhereotherthantheroad,suchaslookingataninterestingtree,oratthefloorbehindyourseat.