A holiday in Britain - Page 3

Aj_ · 12-20-2005, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melanie68

You've not driven Hwy 1 here in California!

The horror!

note:I was a bit selective of which part of highway 1

RLacey · 12-20-2005, 01:34 PM

Let's face it, it says something that American cars have cruise control...

*Melanie68* · 12-20-2005, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aj_

The horror!

note:I was a bit selective of which part of highway 1

Do we need to take away your exposure to American news?

RLacey · 12-20-2005, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melanie68

Do we need to take away your exposure to American news?

Wow, some threat...

BBC News r0x0rz.

Sage · 12-20-2005, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RLacey

Let's face it, it says something that American cars have cruise control...

Sir, are you criticizing my taste in vehicles?

Huz · 12-20-2005, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melanie68

Bah. We have a few here in Davis*. *sticks tongue out again*

Whoa! Five roundabouts! There are as many roundabouts in your entire city as there are in this single, utterly insane piece of town planning:

Well, six if you count the all-encompassing roundabout.

Never been there, never want to! When I learnt to drive I was terrible at roundabouts, and my instructor would spend entire lessons taking me round some nasty ones in varying order. There must have been about ten in a square mile, all linking to each other and all leading to various busy arterial routes, major shopping centres, or... other roundabouts. Nice!

I still hate driving.

*Melanie68* · 12-20-2005, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huz

Whoa! Five roundabouts! There are as many roundabouts in your entire city as there are in this single, utterly insane piece of town planning:

Well, six if you count the all-encompassing roundabout.

Never been there, never want to! When I learnt to drive I was terrible at roundabouts, and my instructor would spend entire lessons taking me round some nasty ones in varying order. There must have been about ten in a square mile, all linking to each other and all leading to various busy arterial routes, major shopping centres, or... other roundabouts. Nice!

I still hate driving.

I was being somewhat silly. Davis is one of those towns that tries to be liberal and European and kind of ends up looking silly. It's nice though. I love the downtown and how cozy it is. Hell, we even have some of London's old double decker buses. We just be London wanna-bes.

Davis, CA

and

Mel

I'd probably be scared going in those roundabouts. The downtowns in our big cities typically have more one way streets than two way streets making for yucky driving (I sucked at that part in driver's ed and still do).

Lucien21 · 12-20-2005, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrift Store Scott

Sir, are you criticizing my taste in vehicles?

Is that wood panelling along the side and do you have to polish it

*shudder*

Sage · 12-20-2005, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucien21

Is that wood panelling along the side and do you have to polish it

*shudder*

It's genuine simulated walnut panelling, harvested lovingly from the vinyl forests of DuPont Chemical Corporation. The dashboard is equally slathered in faux walnut, perhaps even from the same faux tree. As mine isn't the fancy-schmancy model, all the faux wood on it is straight-grain and not faux burl.
The only care it requires is occasional wiping with a damp rag. A perfect example of "Better living through chemistry", you see.

RLacey · 12-20-2005, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huz

Whoa! Five roundabouts! There are as many roundabouts in your entire city as there are in this single, utterly insane piece of town planning:

Well, six if you count the all-encompassing roundabout.

Never been there, never want to! When I learnt to drive I was terrible at roundabouts, and my instructor would spend entire lessons taking me round some nasty ones in varying order. There must have been about ten in a square mile, all linking to each other and all leading to various busy arterial routes, major shopping centres, or... other roundabouts. Nice!

I still hate driving.

I so want to drive that. Once.

seebaruk · 12-20-2005, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RLacey

No roundabouts

? Are you saying that these people have never even learnt to drive properly?!

Had a mate at uni from the states, he said his driving test was a 5 minute exam that consisted of him driving up the road and back, then reversing into a parking space. I'm never driving over there!

Huz · 12-20-2005, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seebaruk

Had a mate at uni from the states, he said his driving test was a 5 minute exam that consisted of him driving up the road and back, then reversing into a parking space. I'm never driving over there!

I know, I've had the driving test conversation with Americans too. From what I understood, the test doesn't even take place on real roads - it takes place on some closed track!

This particular American also reckoned he would be able to move to a manual gearbox easily, despite only having driven automatics before. Apparently there isn't the division between being qualified to drive all cars or just automatics, like we have in the UK. I don't think a manual gearbox is something you can just pick up, especially moving off! I'm surprised the roads near big tourist destinations aren't clogged with stalled American drivers in hire cars.

RLacey · 12-20-2005, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huz

I know, I've had the driving test conversation with Americans too. From what I understood, the test doesn't even take place on real roads - it takes place on some closed track!

Right, I'm never going near American roads

...

Sage · 12-20-2005, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huz

I know, I've had the driving test conversation with Americans too. From what I understood, the test doesn't even take place on real roads - it takes place on some closed track!

This varies greatly from state to state and municipality to municipality. Here in Alabama you take your practical driving test on actual roads, but only on the paved ones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huz

This particular American also reckoned he would be able to move to a manual gearbox easily, despite only having driven automatics before. Apparently there isn't the division between being qualified to drive all cars or just automatics, like we have in the UK.

Not that I've ever heard of. What is the reasoning behind the differentiation?

Quote:

I don't think a manual gearbox is something you can just pick up, especially moving off!

Oh, I don't know...you push the clutch pedal in, put the gearshift in first, ease out on the clutch, give it a little gas when it starts to catch, and gently release the clutch once you start moving...piece of cake. Then again, I've had to teach most of the guys I work with how to drive a manual so perhaps my viewpoint is a little skewed from the norm. I'd actually have more trouble learning to shift with my left hand.

Quote:

I'm surprised the roads near big tourist destinations aren't clogged with stalled American drivers in hire cars.

Sort of the way I'm surprised the roads near our tourist destinations aren't clogged with British tourists trying to drive on the left-hand side of the road?

Fairygdmther · 12-20-2005, 08:07 PM

In the Boston area where I grew up there were a zillion round-abouts, but we called them rotaries. Sarasota has only one, and people here have trouble with that! Boston has narrow roads, and many are one way - tourists have a hard time driving there. Many of the coastal towns have roads so narrow (and one-way), that trucks of any kind are not allowed, and if you go through these sections, you can't even open your car door - notably Rockport, and on Martha's Vineyard, an island just off the coast of Massachusetts.

Back when I got my license, I got it on a manual, but I've never driven a manual to any extent. Our licenses used to differentiate between the two, but don't any more. We drove on real roads for our test, and had to do a hill-start, to show that we knew how to control the manual, and not allow it to roll backwards. I wonder how they'd do that in Florida - there aren't any hills here. We had to do a 3 point turn, but we didn't have to parallel park.

Lynsie

seebaruk · 12-21-2005, 02:11 AM

I've got an image of a load of Americans kangaroo-hopping their way down the road now. And now I've got the song from National Lampoons Vacation stuck in my head. Holiday rooo-ooooo-ooooo-ooooad!

Intrepid Homoludens · 12-21-2005, 02:17 AM

seebsie, you were supposed to take the green pill, not the lavender and pink polka dotted one.

seebaruk · 12-21-2005, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

seebsie, you were supposed to take the green pill, not the lavender and pink polka dotted one.

Ooooooh, pink polka dots, pretty. I'm gonna eat you, bwahahahahaa!

Intrepid Homoludens · 12-21-2005, 02:29 AM

Very well, then.

pinkgothic · 02-19-2006, 11:48 AM

Well, not much longer now

Less than a week and I can spend some lovely time basking in the dark aura. I'm looking forward to it! ^_^

12-20-2005, 01:34 PM	#42
RLacey The Thread™ will die. Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 22,542	Let's face it, it says something that American cars have cruise control... Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ RLacey \| Killer of the Thread™ I do not change to be perfect. Perfect changes to be me.

12-20-2005, 08:07 PM	#55
Fairygdmther Magic Wand Waver Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 3,142	In the Boston area where I grew up there were a zillion round-abouts, but we called them rotaries. Sarasota has only one, and people here have trouble with that! Boston has narrow roads, and many are one way - tourists have a hard time driving there. Many of the coastal towns have roads so narrow (and one-way), that trucks of any kind are not allowed, and if you go through these sections, you can't even open your car door - notably Rockport, and on Martha's Vineyard, an island just off the coast of Massachusetts. Back when I got my license, I got it on a manual, but I've never driven a manual to any extent. Our licenses used to differentiate between the two, but don't any more. We drove on real roads for our test, and had to do a hill-start, to show that we knew how to control the manual, and not allow it to roll backwards. I wonder how they'd do that in Florida - there aren't any hills here. We had to do a 3 point turn, but we didn't have to parallel park. Lynsie Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Ralph Waldo Emerson

12-21-2005, 02:11 AM	#56
seebaruk Chris Barraclough Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London Posts: 2,437	I've got an image of a load of Americans kangaroo-hopping their way down the road now. And now I've got the song from National Lampoons Vacation stuck in my head. Holiday rooo-ooooo-ooooo-ooooad! Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ Games and Tech journo, and broke-arse author of Bat Boy (UK Authors Prize 2010 Winner), Crack (Page Turner Prize 2011 shortlisted) and Dead Dogs (nominated for the Dylan Thomas Sony Reader Award). Check out www.chrisbarraclough.co.uk for promotions and giveaways. Twitter: Seebaruk

12-21-2005, 02:17 AM	#57
Intrepid Homoludens merely human Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Chicago Posts: 22,309	seebsie, you were supposed to take the green pill, not the lavender and pink polka dotted one. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ platform: laptop, iPhone 3Gs \| gaming: x360, PS3, psp, iPhone, wii \| blog: a space alien \| book: the moral landscape: how science can determine human values by sam harris \| games: l.a.noire, portal 2, brink, dragon age 2, heavy rain \| sites: NPR, skeptoid, gaygamer \| music: ray lamontagne, adele, washed out, james blake \| twitter: a_space_alien

12-21-2005, 02:29 AM	#59
Intrepid Homoludens merely human Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Chicago Posts: 22,309	Very well, then. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ platform: laptop, iPhone 3Gs \| gaming: x360, PS3, psp, iPhone, wii \| blog: a space alien \| book: the moral landscape: how science can determine human values by sam harris \| games: l.a.noire, portal 2, brink, dragon age 2, heavy rain \| sites: NPR, skeptoid, gaygamer \| music: ray lamontagne, adele, washed out, james blake \| twitter: a_space_alien

02-19-2006, 11:48 AM	#60
pinkgothic Feind der Anonymitaet! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Germany Posts: 1,898	Well, not much longer now Less than a week and I can spend some lovely time basking in the dark aura. I'm looking forward to it! ^_^ Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ "Me pee stick bigger you pee stick." (credit to, but not attributed to, Jeysie) "Don't be careful, be immortal." Brat™, certified as by Trep Winner of the Second-Best-Dressed and Non-Specific awards in the Unbiased Impostor Awards™, amongst many others. Non-Conformist to Non-Conformism™ Internet Explodifier™ - the best weapon of mass destruction!!!11one Trademark Overuser™

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