Toronto Driving and the drivers

[breadman]

First off.......rush hour is supposed to last from 7 to 9am and from 4 to 6 pm.....NOT 7 to noon and 2pm to 7pm. And what's with the parking lot everyone says is the 401??

I did notice high speeds on the freeways, but all the drivers are just too polite. In the states, if someone cuts you off you must: swerve around them, give them the finger while blowing the horn and then cut them off as payback. Its written in the driving test right after the question "what do you do if a cow is in the road"......(answer to the cow question is BBQ).

Yellow means 'go faster'....not stop. That's what you do after it turns red. The speed limit is really the speed minimum plus 15.

And when you let someone in your lane, they are expected to give a 'wave'.....seems ya'll just expect to be let in as a given. If your in the wrong lane you are supposed to miss your turn and take the scenic route, not cut off 5 cars to get to your exit.

I love the people, everyone is real friendly....but the driving habits are hard to adjust too

 

[vidi vici veni]

Toronto Driving Habits

Breadman:

Toronto drivers have all sorts of cute habits which, to fit in, you must adopt.

I like this one: Someone is trying to cross at a crosswalk. Ignore the pedestrian just taking the first tentative step or two off the curb. Instead of stopping, speed up and race through. As you do so, give a little Queen-Elizabeth-type wave to the poor soul just off the curb.

vvv

 

[Willywants]

Welcome To My Stomping Ground!

Been driving in this city for 46 years! Wow! Do I love it!
I love the agressiveness of my competitors for road space!
The challenge is unequalled!
Love it when the cabbies squeeze up on the inside at a stop light with parked cars on the other side of the intersection! Suck them up the tail pipe and then slow right down! What a rush!
Love driving the devil's strip on the street car tracks scaring the shit out of oncoming! (except the street cars, of couse!)
Love the merges on the Gardiner. I relish the opportunity to move right and block the asshole trying to squeeze up the shoulder! Geez I'm bad!
My golden rule of driving in and around this city, is not that of many, like "do unto others as they do etc, etc,...) but one of courtesy. I always try to drive in such a manner as to not cause the car behind me to apply brakes! Traffic lights and stop and go situations aside, of course!
Have fun! Don't stress! And don't vacilate about taking your right of way! I'll be behind you honking my horn!

Willywants (to go for a fun drive now!)

 

[breadman]

part 2

Toronto has all those signs over the freeway that say "police are targeting aggressive drivers"......i dont think its the mildly aggressive drivers that are the main problem, its the "too laid back drivers" that dont pay attention to their driving.

I even asked several different people how long it would take to drive from the airport to the wagg close to rush hour: 15minutes was always the answer. But you look out and 427 north is a parking lot. Is there some secret freeway system that only Torontonian's use??

 

[Jenn_angel]

Willy...

Hello I am the one generally stuck in the cab... Which is behind some ass intent on costing me more money!

Aggressive drivers... Honestly I thought I would die before I made it home when my friend was driving the other day... My knuckles were white... The road was pretty packed but still moving fast... And he was doing 160-180 in and out of this lane and that... NEVER AGAIN will I ride in his car!

 

[2sexxxy]

Problem with driving is (flame on its the truth).

1. Too many old people on the road, after 60 make them retake the test every year.

2. Too many of a certain sex on the road(I think you can figure it out which one).

3. Too many of a certain ethnicity on the road(figure it out).

Disclaimer: No sex or race was mentioned, but if you drive in the city I think you can figure out if we take away there licenses it would be great. Less crazy drivers on the road.

Note: the combination of thise three creates a driving monster that if seen you must drive into poll to avoid, if they have not hit it already.

 

[Toad-O-Line]

I get a laugh out of the signs posted on overpasses that advise drivers that vehicles over a certain height will not fit. Let's see now.....I'm driving a transport 100 km an hour, it weighs a few tonnes and the sign is so small I cannot read it until I'm what, about 100 yards away? Why bother putting those signs up in the first place?

 

[MuffinMuncher]

ahem?

Toronto is a breeze compared to Atlanta, home of the States' longest average commute (35 miles.. or 58 km... one-way and growing).

The Atlanta freeway system is Fantasy Camp for all those good old boy redneck NASCAR wannabes... the golden rule is "do unto othes before they do unto you". No good deed goes unpunished, and the nice little old lady you let merge will be the same one who goes 55 in the passing lane.

Seriously, ya'll have it just fine....

 

[revolver]

Re: ahem?

Seriously, ya'll have it just fine....

I agree, driving in Toronto is a breeze although somewhat slow at times with traffic. I once drove in Santo Domingo in the DR. That was a nightmare ...

 

[james t kirk]

Three of my driving pet peaves in toronto.

1. Cab drivers (Hate em all)

2. Guys who run the solid reds

3. Going down any side street and the guy coming at you up the street is right in the middle of the damn road.

4. Letting someone in and they don't wave.

5. Guys who park on the street at 5:50 p.m.

6. Yes, i have noticed that one ethnic group that someone else mentioned.

7. did i mention cab drivers

way over 3

 

[luckyjackson]

I can't think of a less dangerous or 'challenging' place to drive than Toronto. Sure the cabs are pretty bad here, but on the whole, just about every other place I've driven in the world is much much worse.

For pure danger - Cairo has to take the cake. They have a combination of traffic volume and high speed that is deadly. And the cars DO NOT stop for pedestrians, completely ignore lanes and all drivers are seemingly always leaning on the horn. It's crazy. And I say that after having driven in Bangkok at least half a dozen times. The Thai capital is as horrendous as you've heard, but mainly because it is in contant gridlock. There are so many cars that it can easily take two hours to cross even a portion of the city - at a snail's pace the whole way.

 

[Willywants]

Myopia and Eye Glasses!

We all know who they are!
What's even worse is that they learn all their bad habits from their own! Some driving schools should be banned!

Sorry Jenn! Didn't know you were in the cab! Late for an encounter were you??? Lol!!

Don't you love the tailgater who you move over for and then they take their time to pass you and then slow down once they do!!!

Don't you love right turners onto a four lane road who won't turn into the curb lane until all oncoming left turners have made their turn! Hate that!!!

Car manufacturers need to really check the turn signals on all new cars before sending them to market!
It seems that more and more of them are malfunctioning!!!

Took a voluntary test with the ministry at age 59 for which i was paid $50! Passed with flying colours! No bad habits!
Let's raise someones suggested retesting at age 60 to age 70!

Enjoy the game in the meantime!

Willywants (to keep the bad ones on their toes!)

 

[Jenn_angel]

Not often...

It is not often that I run late... Only a couple of times and those were out of my control...

No... It does not piss me off due to time constraints as I generally allow 15-30 minutes of get lost time... lol.

No what pisses me off about it is 80$ taxi rides when I know they can be done in 40$.