new york, new york

[Roger Johnson]

finally, i decided to move to new york, upstate new york.

moving home has become more and more exhausting to me. i hire people from emove to move large item, but the tiring part is to organize. i probably will eventually get married because of unable to move home on my own.

i drove my 2005 miata from michigan to new york, now it has 1,100 miles since i bought it a month ago. i became more and more cautious about mileage. when i bought my 1st miata 9 years ago, i drove 7,000 miles in first 1 and half months.

upstate new york is pretty, there are some mountain as well. condition of interstate freeway is excellent, comparing to detroit or toledo.

i drove very fast, my baseline is 80 mph, when i approach vehicle, i put hammer down, speed is sometimes up to 100 mph, the main reason is that i do not want to get chip on my new car, the fear of chip outweight the fear for police.

to be continued
[ July 11, 2005: Message edited by: Roger Johnson ]

[Gerald Davis]

One day last year, I was traveling in a tram to work I saw a motorcyclist on a Lambretta be hit by a Landrover discovery who was driving too fast. The man went flying like a rag doll then hit the floor.

I could not contain my laughter. To the other passengers it was the worst thing that I could do. I was thinking to myself which if these passengers would over speed and what is worse crime; to laugh at a car accident or drive too fast and endanger human life.

KIll your speed, not a human life

[John Dunn]

Gerald, in the event you out-live me, you are NOT invited to my funeral!!

[Badriprasad Bumbabol]

What is the maximum speed in the US on the Motorways(or do you called them highways or freeways ?

Here in the UK it is 70 mph which is not much and every time I am driving at that speed, I am usually the slowest one on the motorway and so I have to drive at 80 (No one wants to be the car which everyone is overtaking). There is a campaign to raise the maximum speed to 80 , but I do wonder if everyone will drive at 90, if they raise the limit to 80.

BTW, I own a Miata too - Its called MX-5 here in the UK and its pretty tough to maintain a 70mph in them.

[fred rosenberger]

Around St. Louis, Missouri, there are variable maximums. Once you get out into the "country", i.e. outside of the major metropolitan areas, the speed limit is 70 m.p.h., although people do anywhere from 70-85. But as the Highway enters the suburban and then urban areas, it gradually drops all the way down to 55.

And i call them both highways(usually) and freeways (less often).

[Ryan McGuire]

Originally posted by Tintin Herge:
What is the maximum speed in the US on the Motorways(or do you called them highways or freeways ?

Here in the UK it is 70 mph which is not much and every time I am driving at that speed, I am usually the slowest one on the motorway and so I have to drive at 80 (No one wants to be the car which everyone is overtaking). There is a campaign to raise the maximum speed to 80 , but I do wonder if everyone will drive at 90, if they raise the limit to 80.

BTW, I own a Miata too - Its called MX-5 here in the UK and its pretty tough to maintain a 70mph in them.

http://www.iihs.org/safety_facts/state_laws/speed_limit_laws.htm

It seems to me that speed limits are going up slowly, probably based on the 85th percentile rule. Given the advances in automotive engineering and highway maintenance, there seems to be a standard comfortable speed range. I know my 1975 Impala started to shake around 72mph, so 65-70 was the natural speed. But my '03 Toyota can do 90-95 without too much trouble at all. But would I go that fast sans limit? Probably not. My favorite cruising speed, even on deserted stretches of road, is between 75 and 85, depending on road conditions. At that speed, I feel comforatable I can identify and react to animals, pot holes, debris, etc. without too much trouble.

BTW, multi-lane roads with access ramps are all "highways". Highways are divided into "freeways" and toll roads. The name of the main toll road in a state varies depending on the state. New York has a Thruway [sic], while Ohio and Pennsylvania have Turnpikes. One usually only says freeway to contrast with a toll road:

How are you getting to Pittsburgh?
Well there's construction on the Turnpike, so I'll take the freeway.

Anyone who says "motorway" is either foreign or over 70.

...or at least that's the terminology I grew up with.

Just as different people take on different roles in various situations, some highways have different roles in various states. I90 (Interstate Route 90) goes from Boston, Massachusetts to Seattle, Washington. In New York, it's the Thruway. In Pennsyvania and Ohio, I90 is just another highway.

Speed enforcement. Different places have different standards. The official highway speed limit around here (Cleveland, Ohio) is 60mph (55 for trucks), but you can go 65-70 past a police car on the side of the road and not worry too much, especially if you're just going with the flow of traffic. But anything above 75, and you'd be in trouble. Once you get away the Cleveland urban area, the limit goes up to 65mph, but you can do 70-75.
[ July 12, 2005: Message edited by: Ryan McGuire ]

[Thomas Paul]

The highways in upstate NY have a max speed of 65 mph.

[Michael Ernest]

Originally posted by Gerald Davis:
One day last year, I was traveling in a tram to work I saw a motorcyclist on a Lambretta be hit by a Landrover discovery who was driving too fast. The man went flying like a rag doll then hit the floor.

I could not contain my laughter.

I don't even want to guess what experiences in life lead you to find this kind of thing funny. After four years in emergency services, you hear (and possibly tell) a number of 'grim humor' stories. You hear about 6 kids in a Camaro who died doing 110 in I-5 in tule fog, and someone around the table is bound to say the gene pool is that much cleaner.

And you learn not to react to the spectacle of accidents like the one you describe -- it wastes time.

But to have a laugh as a witness at such a thing, that's genuinely disturbing. Characters get portrayed in movies this way to make a point about human character that I, for one, have never seen played out in reality.

I'd ask someone about your reaction, Gerald, if in fact this actually happened. It's worthwhile wondering aloud why a life-threatening accident, however preventable it may have been, is a source of amusement for you.

Whatever God is, I hope he's watching out for you.

[Joel McNary]

Originally posted by Ryan McGuire:

Anyone who says "motorway" is either foreign or over 70.

I just call it a super-slab.

[Dan Maples]

I recently drove from Wisconsin to California on I-80, most of the way the limit was 75mph, dropping to either 70 or 65 when entering urban areas. (Max speed in CA is 70 everywere) Most people on the road did at least 80 especially in long straight sections of road found in Utah and Nevada. It was not uncomon to see somebody pass me doing at least 90. Even the big trucks were going 75mph were the speed limit would permit. One thing I found strange was that the big trucks have a speed limit of 55mph in CA even when the regular limit is 70. It seems a little bit dangerous to me to have a 15mph difference on the freeway, I think they need to change that.

[Marilyn de Queiroz]

Originally posted by Tintin Herge:
What is the maximum speed in the US on the Motorways(or do you called them highways or freeways ?

First each state decided, then there was a federal limit of 55 mph. Now each state decides the max speed. I think Nevada has no upper speed limit. Some state have upper and lower limits.

"Highways" is more general than "freeways" where freeways have limited access and highways may or may not. "Turnpike" is a freeway which is not free, i.e. a toll road.

[Gerald Davis]

Originally posted by Michael Ernest:

I don't even want to guess what experiences in life lead you to find this kind of thing funny.

What happened to that guy was like something from Jackass The Movie. Weather I be good or whether I be evil I could not help myself; you should have seen him go.

The only thing I could do to make up for it is to be a more careful driver so I would not end up doing something like this. Human life is a precious thing and I am getting the image that is more ok to compromise it recklessly and needlessly. Do we live in such a image conscious world that endangering life is seen as something better then laughing at it.

Tomorrow more sane man will speed on the highway and more rag doll shall fly

[Alan Wanwierd]

Originally posted by Tintin Herge:

Here in the UK it is 70 mph which is not much and every time I am driving at that speed, I am usually the slowest one on the motorway and so I have to drive at 80 (No one wants to be the car which everyone is overtaking). There is a campaign to raise the maximum speed to 80 , but I do wonder if everyone will drive at 90, if they raise the limit to 80.

..and when I moved from UK to QLD I had to adjust from 80mph on motorways to 100kph (62mph)... I felt like I was going to fall asleep all the time, and worried that since I couldnt hold my concentration on the slow traffic I would daydream and not pay attention to anything happening on the road! I felt unsafe!

Harder to adjust to though was the adjustment from 60mph urban main roads down to 60kph (38mph)urban roads - I could not get used to it and within four months of moving hear had a 3 month driving ban for being caught speeding too many times!

A few years on and I have managed to downgrade my natural driving speed with the help of a more sluggish vehicle and a great deal of restraint - and now when I go back for a visit to the UK I feel like I'm on a racetrack!

[Damien Howard]

Wow it is amazing how many people don't know the speed limits in this country (USA)

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Damien Howard:
Wow it is amazing how many people don't know the speed limits in this country (USA)

Why would anyone know the speed limit for a highway that they have never driven on?

[Aj Mathia]

Originally posted by Michael Ernest:


I'd ask someone about your reaction, Gerald, if in fact this actually happened. It's worthwhile wondering aloud why a life-threatening accident, however preventable it may have been, is a source of amusement for you.

Whatever God is, I hope he's watching out for you.

One smart person once told me that laughter is not always caused by amusement.
In many cases it is out of helplessness, like when a person slips the reaction of the person near him is to grab or assist him, and a person who is quite further away either bursts out or signs/ groans whatever.
I assume that Gerald�s reaction was unknowingly caused by this.

[Gerald Davis]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:


Why would anyone know the speed limit for a highway that they have never driven on?

They could read the Highway Code but why on earth would they do a stupid thing like that for.

[Dave Lenton]

Originally posted by Gerald Davis:
They could read the Highway Code but why on earth would they do a stupid thing like that for.

What annoys me quite often is just how many people either have completely forgotten their Highway Code (the regulations for driving in the UK), or purposely ignore it. One example I see of this just about everyday is at the zebra crossing near my office. These are a kind of road crossing where once a pedestrian has a foot (or a buggy or wheelchair wheel) on the road, they have right of way and cars have to stop if they can. On the zebra crossing near my office, which I cross four times a day, just about everyday I will be several steps onto it and a car will attempt to drive through.

The only possible conclusions I can see are:

1) I look like an evil criminal and the driver wants to run me down for the public good

2) The driver has completely forgotten what he once needed to know to pass his test

3) The driver is an arrogant fool who has decided that all pedestrians are lower forms of life which don't matter.

Most pedestrians give up at this point. They step out onto the crossing, see a car coming and step back off of it. I'm a bit more stubborn, and carry on walking, but this means that its very rare for a day to go past without a car nearly hitting me. The only reason I haven't come a cropper so far is that I look straight at the driver of the car heading towards me, and most people have an aversion to running over people making eye contact with them.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Gerald Davis:


They could read the Highway Code but why on earth would they do a stupid thing like that for.

My highway code says follow posted speed limits.

[Michael Ernest]

Originally posted by Dave Lenton:

I'm a bit more stubborn, and carry on walking, but this means that its very rare for a day to go past without a car nearly hitting me. The only reason I haven't come a cropper so far is that I look straight at the driver of the car heading towards me, and most people have an aversion to running over people making eye contact with them.

I was just in downtown Oakland last night and saw no small number of "California stops" where people seemed to be willing to risk getting broadsided if it meant they might not have to stop at all. Idjits.
[ July 13, 2005: Message edited by: Michael Ernest ]

[Layne Lund]

Originally posted by Tintin Herge:
What is the maximum speed in the US on the Motorways(or do you called them highways or freeways ?

Here in the UK it is 70 mph which is not much and every time I am driving at that speed, I am usually the slowest one on the motorway and so I have to drive at 80 (No one wants to be the car which everyone is overtaking). There is a campaign to raise the maximum speed to 80 , but I do wonder if everyone will drive at 90, if they raise the limit to 80.

BTW, I own a Miata too - Its called MX-5 here in the UK and its pretty tough to maintain a 70mph in them.

In northern Idaho (northwestern United States), the main highway has a speed limit of 60 or 65 (I forget which since I rarely actually observe the speed limit). In southern Idaho where I grew up, the speed varies depending on whether you are on the freeway or the highway and whether you are going through one of the major (for Idaho) cities. And yes, I use the words "freeway" and "highway" to mean two different things. At least the way I learned it, a "freeway" is a road with usually four (or more) lanes that is divided and has on- and off-ramps for access. In contrast, a "highway" has intersections where the cross traffic must stop and can turn either direction or drive straight across.

Layne

[Layne Lund]

Originally posted by Dave Lenton:


What annoys me quite often is just how many people either have completely forgotten their Highway Code (the regulations for driving in the UK), or purposely ignore it. One example I see of this just about everyday is at the zebra crossing near my office....

I've never heard this name before and we have similar crossings all over the United States. Here we typically just call them "crosswalks". I learn new things every day

Layne

[Dave Lenton]

Originally posted by Michael Ernest:

I was just in downtown Oakland last night and saw no small number of "California stops" where people seemed to be willing to risk getting broadsided if it meant they might not have to stop at all. Idjits.

[ July 13, 2005: Message edited by: Michael Ernest ]

Mostly people don't do that here (probably because of the nasty cost of insurance when you loose your no-claims bonus), but people on bikes are another matter. I'm sure most cyclists seem to be under the impression that none of the rules of the road actually apply to them, and they can merrily drift through any red lights that happen to be on their path. They must have a death wish or something, unless wearing a helmet heats up the cyclist's brain and stops it working.

[Dave Lenton]

Originally posted by Layne Lund:


I've never heard this name before and we have similar crossings all over the United States. Here we typically just call them "crosswalks". I learn new things every day

Layne

Does the same right of way rule apply on the US version i.e. if a pedestrian has at least one toe on the road then that have right of way?

What probably confuses the matter in the UK is that we have several different types of crossing. The most common is the normal traffic light variety where pedestrians have to wait for traffic to stop before crossing. Maybe most drivers get so used to these that they forget that zebra crossings have different rules.

These other crossings also have rather odd names, such as Puffin crossing, Pelican crossing, Toucan crossing and Pegasus crossing. Mostly people don't use the animal related names though, except for the zebra crossing.

[Thomas Paul]

In the US, pedestrians at a crosswalk must wait for traffic to clear. In NY, most crosswalks have a walk/don't walk sign that pedestrians are (theoretically) supposed to follow. In mid-town Manhattan, pedestrians ignoring the don't walk signs has gotten so bad that cops are ticketing j-walkers on a regular basis.

Personally, as a pedestrian I am always careful in a crosswalk even when I have the signal. An apology from a driver at my funeral because he didn't see me in the crosswalk isn't going to mean much to me or my family.
[ July 14, 2005: Message edited by: Thomas Paul ]

[Sameer Jamal]

It take me about 45 minutes to reach my office from my home which is about 2 miles away can you guess where I live ?

Yes its Delhi, India
[ July 14, 2005: Message edited by: Sameer Jamal ]

[Aj Mathia]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:
In the US, pedestrians at a crosswalk must wait for traffic to clear.
[ July 14, 2005: Message edited by: Thomas Paul ]

In Australia its the reverse

[Roger Johnson]

are you kiding me?

2 miles = 3,200 meters

it won't take 45 minutes to walk 2 miles.

do you swim to work or something?

Originally posted by Sameer Jamal:
It take me about 45 minutes to reach my office from my home which is about 2 miles away can you guess where I live ?

Yes its Delhi, India

[ July 14, 2005: Message edited by: Sameer Jamal ]

[Jim Yingst]

[Tom]: In the US, pedestrians at a crosswalk must wait for traffic to clear.

Hmmm, "clear" is a bit misleading here. For example, here are the relevant regulations in New York. "No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impractical for the driver to yield." Drivers are expected to yield to pedestrians, but there are limits to how quickly a driver could stop, and pedestrians must allow for those limitations. So pedestrians must wait until the area is "clear" enough that oncoming vehicles are far enough that they can stop safely. But as long as that's the case, a pedestrian in the crosswalk does have precedence - legally at least.

Personally, as a pedestrian I am always careful in a crosswalk even when I have the signal. An apology from a driver at my funeral because he didn't see me in the crosswalk isn't going to mean much to me or my family.

Agreed.

[Sameer Jamal]

Well it takes about 45 minutes to ride to my office is not a joke is just because of huge traffic snarls, Delhi has got approx 4 million vehicles plying on the roads daily and in the peek hours on an average you have to spend about 5-10 minutes in a traffic light and there are about 4 traffic lights in the way betwen my office to home now 45 minutes make a sense.

[Layne Lund]

Originally posted by Sameer Jamal:
Well it takes about 45 minutes to ride to my office is not a joke is just because of huge traffic snarls, Delhi has got approx 4 million vehicles plying on the roads daily and in the peek hours on an average you have to spend about 5-10 minutes in a traffic light and there are about 4 traffic lights in the way betwen my office to home now 45 minutes make a sense.

So wouldn't it be easier to walk than to drive? Personally, I live about a mile away from campus in a small town in the United States. I rarely drive to school even though the traffic on the streets is not that bad. However, finding parking for my car can be a pain in the ass, so it's not worth it. Of course, I don't know the other conditions in Delhi. I'm sure in some cities (even in the U.S.) you would probably be in fear for your life if you walk for two blocks instead of drive. Is Delhi that bad?

Layne

[Layne Lund]

Originally posted by Dave Lenton:


Does the same right of way rule apply on the US version i.e. if a pedestrian has at least one toe on the road then that have right of way?

What probably confuses the matter in the UK is that we have several different types of crossing. The most common is the normal traffic light variety where pedestrians have to wait for traffic to stop before crossing. Maybe most drivers get so used to these that they forget that zebra crossings have different rules.

These other crossings also have rather odd names, such as Puffin crossing, Pelican crossing, Toucan crossing and Pegasus crossing. Mostly people don't use the animal related names though, except for the zebra crossing.

I don't know about the exact laws regarding pedestrians and crosswalks. A lot of the crosswalks here, especially near campus, have signs telling motorists to stop if the crosswalk is occupied. In the end, the laws don't matter a whole lot since the pedestrian will have the worst outcome in an accident anyway.

Layne

[lee honw]

you are so happy,i living in China,and i can't free move my home,i think maybe i will going to looking for a girlfriend.

[Roger Johnson]

before i bought my 2005 miata, i thought about the consequence of owing 2 cars, there is no easy way to relocate, you can not make the moving in 1 trip, cheaply. if you move through uhaul, you are probably looking at

1) renting a truck with a auto transporter to move one car, then come back to drive the other car, or

2) rent a trailor behind my jeep, then drive miata on 2nd trip, or

3) rent a truck for 1st trip, use jeep to tow miata, or

....

no matter how you do it, you got to have 2 trips, of course, how do you come back for the 2nd trip, there are a bunch of variation too. i tend to believe the cheapest way is to take greyhound.

anyways, that is how i thought before the purchase, after the purchase, when i called uhaul to make moving arrangement, there is a problem: mazdaspeed miata can not be put on auto transporter, or towed, because of low ground clearance, miata can, but not the mazdaspeed miata, which is a different animal. the only way to move it is to drive it, period. unless you count on the commercial flatbed truck, i suspect that will cost too much money.

so another thing to deal with in the future, each time i relocate, i have to make a miata trip, it is fun, but highway is dirty, i rather drive it in city. besides, if i move during winter month, i perhaps have to ground my miata in a local garage, then come back for it next summer. i want to keep my miata in a perfect condition.

[Roger Johnson]

speaking of garage, i am looking at a multi family property, with 5 one-car garages, 6 units, and 8,000 sqft. current ownner rented out 5 garages seperatly, $60 /month for each. perhaps i will get one of those. so someday in the future, my furnitures stay in Michigan, my miata stay in New York, and I am working in North Carolina (?), sounds like a lot of fun!

[Roger Johnson]

this past weekend, i went back to michigan to get my 2nd car and rest of the belonging. i took greyhound, ticket costs $59, because of booking 7days in advance.

i heard of greyhound long time ago, it is said to be a very good way to travel, later i also heard some rumor that greyhound serves mostly the poors. either appears to be true. overall it is a pleasant trip, except i missed a bus in cleveland, have to spend 3 hours from 4-7 am waiting in the bus station.

i get to detroit around 11 am on saturday, bus to wayne won't depart until 1:30 pm, i figure there should be some city bus that can take me home, unfoutunately i did not make success, so 2 hours later, i went back to greyhound station to catch that bus. after i get to wayne, i still do not know how to get home, there does not appear to be bus on the street, so i decided to use last resolution, call taxi, my home is 10-20 miles, the trip is going to cost me around $30. but then i decided to try a resturant, i walked in a resturant, ask them: "do you deliver?" they said "yes", i order 2 entries, costing over $20, i said to them :" i will come with you and show you how to get there?" they said: "you live too far, but since you order this much, ok". the driver is a american girl, she called her bf to come with us.

so i got home with the delivery driver, i gave her $5 tip, but that was a big meal, i finished in 3 meals.