Little things you love about Denver that make Denver ... Denver (Aurora: rent, schools)

[McGowdog]

65 or greater, the left lane is the passing lane? Really? Come on out to Pueblo West Colorado via Hwy 50! You'll find that everybody rides the left lane for their eventual left turn and they go about 59 mph and the right lane is for me (I'm going about 69 or so) and for passing.

You'd have to see it to believe it. There's even signs that say "Keep Right Except to Pass".

I just remembered something unique to Denver and Colorado in general; the Colorado Death Merge. Perhaps TREX helped eliminate this dangerous design flaw. It's when you're merging on to the highway only to notice others are in the slow lane behind you trying to merge off the highway in the same lane you're merging onto it from. I think exit 257B up at the Loveland north exit entrance (heading south from say Fort Collins) has this.

In case you didn't know

That's a good one. Speak to the hand.

[nelumbo]

Originally Posted by McGowdog

I just remembered something unique to Denver and Colorado in general; the Colorado Death Merge. Perhaps TREX helped eliminate this dangerous design flaw. It's when you're merging on to the highway only to notice others are in the slow lane behind you trying to merge off the highway in the same lane you're merging onto it from. I think exit 257B up at the Loveland north exit entrance (heading south from say Fort Collins) has this.

This is a "weave lane", or "merge/weave" lane, and isn't unique to Colorado. They were very common in the DC area on beltway exits. In some cases, there was a merge-weave exit both on the smaller road and at the highway on the other end of the ramp...fun times when you are just learning to drive.

[zionvier]

Originally Posted by subsound

Lanes were always okay, merging was crazy. I swear I had a woman drive in the breakdown lane for almost a mile (I wasn't watching, but it was a while) honking at me trying to get me to let her in front of me...there was no one behind me for as far as I could see. It didn't seem to matter to get on the highway, as long as she got in front of some one.

Similar issue with people that think they have the right to force their way in if they are making a right turn at a traffic light and there's a little turn area for them on the road they are coming off of... it happens on roads like Wadsworth as well as exit ramps off I25 onto 104th and 120th. People don't seem to realize a yield sign means "slow down, but stop if necessary"... they seem to think it means "slow down because of the turn, but continue anyway". I've actually had someone honking at me because I had to stop.

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

This is especially common when driving across the 16th Street Mall, I think its patrons forget that at times they are crossing through streets!

Somehow "16th STREET mall" gets lost in the translation from english to moron.

Originally Posted by McGowdog

It's when you're merging on to the highway only to notice others are in the slow lane behind you trying to merge off the highway in the same lane you're merging onto it from. I think exit 257B up at the Loveland north exit entrance (heading south from say Fort Collins) has this.

That is the major design flaw with 'cloverleaf' intersections, they are great until a certain amount of traffic, and then they are a giant gridlock. But as an individual on/off ramp issue, has anyone tried heading west on I70 around 5:15pm M-F and tried to get onto C-470?

[el borracho]

When I first moved to Denver the first thing I noticed was alot of pregnant women smoking

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by el borracho

When I first moved to Denver the first thing I noticed was alot of pregnant women smoking

Hmm, we came here from Illinois and it seemed like there were a lot fewer pg women smoking. However, my nephew took a "social deviance" class at CU. They had to do something "deviant" (couldn't be illegal) and see what people's response to it was. A pregnant woman went to a party and smoked. No one noticed. (According to my nephew)

[NCN]

We lived in a basement apartment and it seemed our landlady was always going to vote for something.

The women in Denver took really good care of their skin using a lot of lotions. They told me it was because the air was so dry. Whatever caused them to do it, their skin was in really good shape for their ages.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by NCN

We lived in a basement apartment and it seemed our landlady was always going to vote for something.

The women in Denver took really good care of their skin using a lot of lotions. They told me it was because the air was so dry. Whatever caused them to do it, their skin was in really good shape for their ages.

There is more coordination of elections now. That is why the Nov. ballot was so packed with dozens (literally) of ballot measures.

[Noahma]

[quote=icewater;6577213]

Originally Posted by UDAirman71

I’ve been reading this forum for awhile now and I’ve heard all about the weather, the suburbs, the great places to eat, the terrible traffic, et cetera, et cetera What I haven’t come across yet though are the little things that are different in Denver.


If there’s anything else you can think of that you thought was strange when you got there, or if there’s anything that guests or relatives thought was strange/different when they came to visit I’d be interested in knowing.
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Someone mentioned something about alleys in suburbs---I've seen alot of dirt alleys in the city (strange at first) even in decent/nicer areas. Very strange, because I'd always assumed this meant neglect or poverty.

Also, the wood fencing that's everywhere, especially on property facing major streets (Evans between I-25 and Colorado).

And lawns full of landscaping rocks instead of grass.

Businesses opening then closing in the blink of an eye.

Sunglasses worn always everywhere.

The cleanliness of old automobiles, (in my home state of minnesota, any car over 6 or 7 years old has a rust spot or two- they take a serious winter beating).

Roving trucks that sell (usually) mexican food- it's funny, there's one of these parked behind a mexican restaurant near my workplace, and the truck beats the restaurant hands down.

in the Construction industry the trucks you talk of are called "Roach Coach" some have incredible food, some well.... you are in the Jon for most of the day lol.

[cory81]

Here's what makes Denver "Denver" for me. Before reading further, realize I love it here and want to stay. Having said that...

1. People running red lights
Skiing is a close 2nd in terms of Colorado's favorite past-times. Running red lights is to Colorado what soccer is to the world. It's THE sport of the Rockies, with no close 2nd. I've lived in San Fran, DC, Atlanta, Dallas, London, Syracuse, and visited all over the place...Denver is the official worldwide leader in Red Light Running. I've thought long and hard about WHY Denver seems to have this problem more than other places. One theory of mine is that, in the winter, people tend to run red lights in snow to avoid losing control, creating a mental "okayness" with running the red lights at all other times.

2. Crazy. Ass. Weather.
68 degrees today. 22 degrees with 6 inches of snow tomorrow. That's Colorado right there. In fact, violent changes in climate can happen in a matter of minutes sometimes. On the bright side, Colorado is sunny all the time. All...the freakin'...time. I love that about here. Beats the **** out of any east coast city, that's for damn sure.

3. Dryness
My first several months at altitude, I could drink an entire bottle of water and it felt dry going down my throat. It was like I wasn't even being hydrated when I was finished. It took a while to adjust to this.

4. Wimpy drivers
My chief complaint are the idiots who drive in the far left lane on the highway who don't know that's the haul-ass-or-get-outta-the-way lane. Actually, that's 99.9% of my problem with the drivers here.

5. Mag chloride
The single most annoying anti-winter surface ever invented. If you run out of windshield wiper fluid, you're taking your vision - and your life - into your hands.

I'll think of more.

[SheridanL]

What makes Denver (Colorado unique?) Hmmm?....
Rocky Mountain High.....if you get it...you are addicted,...if not, you leave!