My Mind is Conflicted

[Trayol]

I've never seen anything more amazing and horrifying than NYC traffic. It's like Discovery Channel mixed with Top Gear.

They are the worst best drivers in the world. There are fewer accidents than one would think there should be. Buses fitting in spaces a Beetle could only dream of, taxis crossing three lanes of traffic for a fare, pedestrians crossing whenever there's a gap regardless of lights.

It's mesmerizing to watch, but I would never, ever want to drive through it.

[EvilEmpryss]

I had that feeling on a recent trip to Rome. Fascinating to watch and thrilling when riding in a taxi.

[csquared]

Been there, done that, have the accident report.

Several years ago, I got to go to the Philippines. Monday morning, I looked out the hotel window at the traffic. The cars were five across on both sides of the road. There were only three lanes on each side of the road. Never saw an accident while I was there.

[KiaKat]

Husband and I lived in NYC for over a decade (well, I was there over a decade, he was born there), and we bought a car a couple years before we moved up here. It's an adventure, driving in the city, and I'm very, very good at it. He's fairly good, but I can get into spaces you wouldn't believe, and have learned how to courteously cross four lanes of traffic to make a left turn.

It's all about recognizing the patterns and staying a couple steps ahead of everyone else, while reading where cars are going to go and how long you have before they hit you. Not easy to learn, but easy to recognize one you do.

[RealUnimportant]

There's parts of London that make NYC look calm, but there's also areas that are just like any other suburb, so you often get people who'll state they "know London traffic" but have no real experience of how to deal with the larger & more complicated areas - we refer to those people as "claimants."

[AccountingDrone]

There's parts of London that make NYC look calm, but there's also areas that are just like any other suburb, so you often get people who'll state they "know London traffic" but have no real experience of how to deal with the larger & more complicated areas - we refer to those people as "claimants."

I'll just get my EVE gaming buddy Cuncannon to drive for us, he used to be a butchers lorry driver. That way I don't have to worry about which side of the road to drive upon

[bhskittykatt]

Dunno about NYC, but I know just from driving in heavy Seattle traffic that if you're trying to get over and you get a few inches, you take that. Just be sure to signal. And if the car up ahead is signalling to get into your lane, it will take those few inches between you and the car ahead of you, so be prepared to let them in.

I only know about NYC traffic from Hollywood. Which does seem like a special kind of crazy. I don't want to ever have to drive there. Even in Seattle, I prefer to find a parking lot and use public transport the rest of the way.

[fma_fanatic]

My one and only experience with NYC traffic was when I was eight years old. I had gone with my mother to visit my grandparents and we were sitting in the car talking. A motorcycle was zipping up between lanes and one of the cars in the lane next to us decided that they wanted to change lanes. The motorcylist slammed right into the car.

We thought for sure the guy was seriously hurt, and it seemed he was, as he was limping after he got up to start ripping the driver of the car a new one. I remember my mother saying something like "This is why I won't ever get my license," or something along those lines.

[Ginger G]

I live in SC, my husband is from Long Island and lived in NYC for a few years and drove a delivery truck there for a while. About a year after we first got together, we drove my car up north to visit his family including a brother who lives in Manhattan. On the way up, I announced I wanted to drive when we got to the city. So we get there, and after about an hour of driving around, I realized there was no way in hell I was going to drive in that place!

[Kaylyn]

I've only driven in New York City once. In a semi. At 3 am. Didn't even leave the interstate, just driving across the George Washington Bridge and through two boroughs on my way to Rhode Island or something.

Traffic was STILL a nightmare. Little cars trying to play chicken with me, acting like they're gonna merge right into my side. I'm like, "yeah, good luck with that," and just kept looking straight ahead. They apparently thought better of it.