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Thread: Driving standards these days..

  1. #51
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Central Virginia

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    Quote Originally Posted by dave2010 View Post
    Here is the DMV book for CA - https://www.dmv.ca.gov/web/eng_pdf/dl600.pdf
    and here is the DMV book for Virginia - https://driving-tests.org/virginia/v...ndbook-manual/

    The CA book does have a section on roundabouts - page 36.

    Odd how one has many more pages than the other. Also, looks like the 2019 revisions for CA actually decriminalised refusing to give a blood test for DUI, though perhaps urine tests or breathalyser tests are allowed alternatives. In the UK refusing to be tested is an offence - though one is allowed a choice of tests I think.

    In the UK it would often be impossible to do a U turn quickly because the roads are too narrow - even the wider ones, so generally banned.

    Turn on red is not allowed in the UK, except if one has already decided to turn when there was a green light, in order to complete the movement - if safe to do so.

    I rather liked 4 way stops, as they are - or should be - fairly safe. They do slow the traffic down. If they are busy they work rather like a roundabout, with an important difference - everyone gets a turn - if things work as they should. In the UK it is permitted to approach a roundabout at speed, and if there's a stream of traffic it can be very hard for cars from other directions to break into that.

    Maybe in some states 4-way stops are less of a problem. There might be quite a lot in some cities in CA.

    One problem with 4 way stops in the US is if drivers from other countries encounter them - as indeed I did when I first started to drive in the US. Drivers from the UK or Europe will stop (OK), but not know what to do next.

    Some UK towns now have something called a road table. This is a 4 way area. Nobody has a clue what to do on those.

    Love that! Bureaucracy doesn't always join up - probably different departments, and privacy laws prevented data exchange. Or just simply what we would call a cock up.

    I liked the sign outside the airport in Boston, which said something like "In this state pedestrians always have right of way".
    The consequences if they didn't .... doh .... though on the other hand pedestrians can be a nuisance if they misbehave.
    The laws most everywhere claim pedestrians have right of way, to some degree. But the interpretation of, “Right of Way”, is different for some people. If pedestrians are crossing at cross walks, then they have right of way, but jay walking doesn’t give you right of way. And having right of way doesn’t mean you can step in front of a speeding car!

    Back in high school, a friend had a hot rod Pinto wagon! No really! But some asinine teacher thought he was speeding in the school parking lot, so jumped into the road in front of him with his hand out as a stop signal. My friend stomped the gas and made it downshift, making that sucking sound, and the teacher dove for the sidewalk and tore the knee out of his pants.

    The next day he arrived at school and was promptly arrested. When they finally got to court, he and his father were on their side, with no lawyer, expecting to get hammered. The judge asked the teacher what happened, and as he explained the judge stopped him, and said, “Wait a minute, you say the car was speeding, and you jumped in front of it?”, dropped his hammer and said, “case dismissed!”. My friend never even got to speak. The poor teacher who was not well liked to begin with caught hell from students and staff for that one!

    I do believe in VA, they can demand a breathalyzer test, but you can refuse it and ask for a blood test instead. Many do, hoping their blood alcohol level will drop by the time they get to an emergency room for the test. But, refusing a test is an automatic revocation of your license. You basically agree to the test before you can get a license.

    I’ve even heard a few years back, they tried putting a breathalyzer lock on habitual drunk driver’s cars! You had to blow into the tube to start the car. But they just brought their kids along to blow in the tube for them. Or paid someone else to blow in the lock for them. A very dumb idea from government, how stupid do you have to be to think that would work? Now they just take their license, and if caught with a revoked license, you go to jail!

    Russell

  2. #52
    Join Date: Feb 2010

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    Quote Originally Posted by alphaGT View Post
    I’ve even heard a few years back, they tried putting a breathalyzer lock on habitual drunk driver’s cars! You had to blow into the tube to start the car. But they just brought their kids along to blow in the tube for them. Or paid someone else to blow in the lock for them. A very dumb idea from government, how stupid do you have to be to think that would work? Now they just take their license, and if caught with a revoked license, you go to jail!
    I like that. It's a bit like having swipe cards to check whether students are in class. It's not unknown for one student to turn up with ten or so cards and swipe everyone in. Causes hell if there's a fire alarm or emergency.

    I also liked a news item in the UK years ago when it was announced that there was going to be a tightening of the driving laws in, I think, Texas.
    From that day it was going to be illegal to be driving, drinking, eating, and carrying a gun at the same time!
    Dave

  3. #53
    Join Date: Jun 2014

    Location: Chorley Lancs

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    Many years ago a friend was stopped and breathalysed. He blew positive, and was taken to the police station to provide an evidential sample. In those days you could provide a blood sample or a urine sample. He opted for urine.

    When he emerged from the cubicle with his little 'pot', He was just about to hand it over to the copper when all hell broke loose - some drunks fighting in the charging area, pretty much a riot. The copper said to my mate "Wait here", and ran off to assist. Never one to miss an opportunity, my friend legged it out of the police station with his sample.

    He got away with the drink driving, but was charged with taking the piss.
    I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in

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  4. #54
    Join Date: Apr 2012

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    Did he negotiate to get the fine slashed?
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  5. #55
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Central Virginia

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony View Post
    Many years ago a friend was stopped and breathalysed. He blew positive, and was taken to the police station to provide an evidential sample. In those days you could provide a blood sample or a urine sample. He opted for urine.

    When he emerged from the cubicle with his little 'pot', He was just about to hand it over to the copper when all hell broke loose - some drunks fighting in the charging area, pretty much a riot. The copper said to my mate "Wait here", and ran off to assist. Never one to miss an opportunity, my friend legged it out of the police station with his sample.

    He got away with the drink driving, but was charged with taking the piss.
    I guess tampering with evidence is not a traffic violation?

    Russell

  6. #56
    Join Date: Jun 2014

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    Quote Originally Posted by walpurgis View Post
    Did he negotiate to get the fine slashed?
    It was still a big fine, but his drinking buddies pooled their resources to help him.
    I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in

    T/T: Inspire Monarch, X200 tonearm, Ortofon Quintet Blue. Phono: Project Tube Box CD: Marantz CD6006 (UK Edition); Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated.
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  7. #57
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Central Virginia

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    Many,many years ago, I was speeding down the interstate, on my way home from work, when a State Trooper pulled me over. We sat there for a few seconds, and as he was about to get out of his car, another car damn near side swiped his police car! And went sliding down the road sideways at breakneck speeds!

    The officer jumped back in his car and shot off after him! I didn’t waste any time getting back into traffic, a lucky break that doesn’t come along every day.

    Russell

  8. #58
    Join Date: Feb 2010

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    In days gone by the traffic on the 99 highway outside Fresno CA used to travel at around 55 mph. It was generally monitored by police cars and a helicopter. When there were riots in LA most of the police were sent to that city to assist. The guy in the radio helicopter who used to give traffic reports on the local radio station in the morning mentioned something to the effect that "The police are all busy elsewhere today. If you've ever felt like testing your car's top speed out, today's your day".

    Almost immediately all the cars on the road accelerated way beyond their usual limits. Everyone - collectively!
    Dave

  9. #59
    Join Date: Apr 2015

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    Quote Originally Posted by dave2010 View Post
    In days gone by the traffic on the 99 highway outside Fresno CA used to travel at around 55 mph. It was generally monitored by police cars and a helicopter. When there were riots in LA most of the police were sent to that city to assist. The guy in the radio helicopter who used to give traffic reports on the local radio station in the morning mentioned something to the effect that "The police are all busy elsewhere today. If you've ever felt like testing your car's top speed out, today's your day".

    Almost immediately all the cars on the road accelerated way beyond their usual limits. Everyone - collectively!
    Haha! Yes! I’ve been caught in fast traffic before myself. The company I used to work for was in Richmond VA, but they owned warehouses up in Pennsylvania and Maryland. So one night around 2am, coming home just South of Washington DC, a group of cars, about 30 or 40 of them, came up behind me going 100mph! I put myself smack in the middle and joined in. Wow I made good time! If I could drive that fast all the time, i could get places! We continued all the way from DC to Richmond at that speed, I’m not sure how much time it took, but it seemed like no time at all! An hour and a half I guess? I was sorry to have to exit off, and return to the regular speed limit.

    Russell

  10. #60
    Join Date: Jun 2014

    Location: Chorley Lancs

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    Quote Originally Posted by dave2010 View Post
    In days gone by the traffic on the 99 highway outside Fresno CA used to travel at around 55 mph. It was generally monitored by police cars and a helicopter. When there were riots in LA most of the police were sent to that city to assist. The guy in the radio helicopter who used to give traffic reports on the local radio station in the morning mentioned something to the effect that "The police are all busy elsewhere today. If you've ever felt like testing your car's top speed out, today's your day".

    Almost immediately all the cars on the road accelerated way beyond their usual limits. Everyone - collectively!

    Except for the poor buggers who were enjoying a bit of Michael Buble or something on CD instead of listening to the radio. It must have felt like the end of civilisation to them.
    I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in

    T/T: Inspire Monarch, X200 tonearm, Ortofon Quintet Blue. Phono: Project Tube Box CD: Marantz CD6006 (UK Edition); Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated.
    Speakers: Zu Omen Def, REL T9i subwoofer. Cables: Atlas Equator interconnects, Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cables

    T'other system:
    Echo Dot, Amptastic Mini One,Arcam A75 integrated, Celestion 5's, BK XLS-200 DF

    A/V:
    LG 55" OLED, Panasonic Blu Ray, Sony a/v amp, MA Radius speakers, REL Storm sub

    Forget the past, it's gone. And don't worry about the future, it doesn't exist. There is only NOW.

    KICKSTARTER: ENABLING SCAMMERS SINCE 2009

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