Driving In Chicago (Vermont, Ohio: living, law, license)

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by sukwoo

I guess you've never driven in Boston or NYC, right?

I grew up in Boston and learned to drive there - Boston is definitely a million times worse than Chicago.

The two worst cities I've driven in have been Bangkok and Rome. I feel lucky to have lived through those experiences.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Attrill

I grew up in Boston and learned to drive there - Boston is definitely a million times worse than Chicago.

The two worst cities I've driven in have been Bangkok and Rome. I feel lucky to have lived through those experiences.

Boston's generally pretty bad for driving, but I'm one of those crazy people who actually enjoyed driving there. It took me about six months to figure out the back ways to get from point A to B, but once I did, I felt like I had joined a secret club.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by sukwoo

Boston's generally pretty bad for driving, but I'm one of those crazy people who actually enjoyed driving there. It took me about six months to figure out the back ways to get from point A to B, but once I did, I felt like I had joined a secret club.

Exactly - once you know the streets it is a lot easier. Even having grown up in Boston it took me awhile to figure which streets were one way. I was so used to biking and walking everywhere I just assumed I could take the same routes in a car - no such luck. I don't mind driving when I'm home, although the area changed by the big dig confuses me now.

I think one of the biggest problems in Boston is all the people who don't know how to get where they're going. You end up behind people slowing down at every intersection, starting to turn down one way streets and then merging back into traffic (or just driving on it the wrong way), straddling lanes, etc....

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Attrill

Exactly - once you know the streets it is a lot easier. Even having grown up in Boston it took me awhile to figure which streets were one way. I was so used to biking and walking everywhere I just assumed I could take the same routes in a car - no such luck. I don't mind driving when I'm home, although the area changed by the big dig confuses me now.

I think one of the biggest problems in Boston is all the people who don't know how to get where they're going. You end up behind people slowing down at every intersection, starting to turn down one way streets and then merging back into traffic (or just driving on it the wrong way), straddling lanes, etc....

It doesn't help that the main streets don't have signs on them, what's up with that?

In comparison to colonial-era cities like Boston, the regular grid system of Chicago is quite straight-forward to navigate. Unlike Boston, the number of lanes (usually) doesn't change suddenly without warning. The only really complaint I have is the deficiency of left-turn signals which causes drivers to resort to lane-blocking, etc.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by sukwoo

It doesn't help that the main streets don't have signs on them, what's up with that?

Yeah, it is kind of crazy. It also doesn't help that you can't give people simple instructions like "keep driving on Boylston". It has to be "Boylston becomes Huntington, then Stuart, be sure to bear right, then turn left to get on Boylston again...." Tremont was always trouble for people when I lived in the South End, I think at point it actually runs parallel to itself.

[advocatusdiavoli]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

The City-Data forum has convinced me that there's a special circle in Hell for people who move to a new town and procede to bash it on the premise that it's not exactly the same as the place they came from.

Three years and counting.... That's not new.

[advocatusdiavoli]

Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan

You're entitled to every opinion. The fact that I'm a transplant underscores my point. I moved to a place I enjoy.

Or you enjoy the placed that you moved to. Have you convinced yourself already?

Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan

I'm just saying that it might behoove you to do the same if you're unhappy. That's all.

What do you mean "unhappy". Is a city supposed to make me happy or unhappy? Really? I am only commenting on stuff that I do not like.

Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan

And I'm not talking about small towns either. I'm talking about smaller cities. (I've never driven in NYC or LA, the only two cities that aren't "smaller". I've been WITH people who drove in those cities and saw about the same level of driving...) I specifically am talking about places like Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh etc...

Since you haven't driven in these two cities I will not comment.
I liked driving in Atlanta. That was faaaast.

[advocatusdiavoli]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

If you live in Irving Park I don't understand how the L takes 45 minutes, if you're getting on at Addison or Irving Park blue line... unless you're going over to the Brown Line? It takes 45 minutes to get to the Loop from O'hare (my brother and I timed it when he was in town. )

And you never had to wait for the train???

[advocatusdiavoli]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

If you don't pull into the intersection you'll never be able to complete a left hand turn. But if you pull into the intersection, you'll likely not complete the turn until the light turns red.

And that's OK if you already INSIDE the intersection. That's why there is a delay between your RED and GREEN for traffic on your left.

Originally Posted by jdiddy

If you want to live in a place where every intersection has a dedicated left turn lane w/turning arrows, move to the burbs.

Thanks for the tip. Why do not you move to the burbs so you can drive the suburbian way?

Originally Posted by jdiddy

It takes only an iota of common sense to figure out why people have to turn left on red, and how you can avoid an accident. You wait a few seconds until the intersection is clear.

No exactly. As a matter of fact if you make a left turn on red and you are not in the intersection already you may be ticketed. That's the law. There should be enough delay before red and green to allow a single car to clear the intersection.

By the way, I saw another phenomenon today. There is an intersection with four four-signal traffic lights. A few cars made the jump after the light turned red (they forced their right of way, they were not IN in the intersection already). What happened is they blocked the people on their left trying to use the green arrow to make their left turn. These cars got stuck before the light turned green for traffic going straight. Is this productive? Bottom line is when you make the left turn on red not being inside the intersection you disobey a traffic signal and you may get a ticket for it.

Originally Posted by jdiddy

By the way, the 80 bus runs until midnight. If you're out past then, take a cab.

Thanks for the tip, I would never figure this out myself. Then again please do not tell me about public transportation if it is not available at night. Nobody works late hours in Chicago?
BTW. Find me a cab at midnight, OK?

Originally Posted by jdiddy

More importantly, move to the suburbs.

Why don't you move to Wisconsin and enjoy your country-style driving?

[advocatusdiavoli]

Originally Posted by sukwoo

I guess you've never driven in Boston or NYC, right?

Yes, you guess but your are wrong. And if only Chicago drivers were as disciplined as NY drivers. It all comes down however to the police, either they pay attention or they don't. Just try to block an intersection in New York or even blow your horn next to a police car.