Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!hou5f!hou5e!hou5d!hogpc!houxm!hocda!spanky!burl!sb1!ll1!otuxa!we13!ihnp4!ixn5c!inuxc!pur-ee!ecn-ec:dilley
From: ecn-ec:dilley@pur-ee.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Detroit driving
Message-ID: <1052@pur-ee.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 9-Aug-83 14:21:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: pur-ee.1052
Posted: Tue Aug  9 14:21:43 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 10-Aug-83 19:20:54 EDT
Lines: 49

========================================================================


	Since we're now onto NYC and LA driving laws as well as
	the Boston ones, here's one for Detroit.  Even though
	I've never lived in Detroit, I have an uncle who does.
	When I was learning to drive, he gave me the prime rule
	for city driving:
	
	"If you can get the front end in, the back will follow."
	
	Do we have any Detroiters out there who could confirm or deny this?
	
							The Mad Hatter

========================================================================

I'm a Detroiter, and i always thought that we were pretty sane as far
as driving habits go (thanks to the Boston driving rule notes i am
now permanently scared off the east coast - you people there are
*dangerous*.)  If your uncle is a regular commuter on the Lodge
freeway, however, i can see where he might get that rule; it's
pretty crowded there and some drivers use desperate measures during
rush hour.

However, my own nominations for weird driving habits pertain to Cleveland.
My grandfather used to work there, and one of his more interesting stories
about that place was the left-turn laws that used to be there.  Apparently,
Cleveland left turns were made by going into the *right*-hand lane, making
a *right* turn, then waiting for an opening on the street you were on in
order to make a u-turn to steer your car in direction you wanted to go.
There may have been a special signal for this; i can't remember if my
grandfather said so or not.  The purpose of this maneuver was to avoid
interfering with the on-coming traffic.  They did change the law, but i 
don't know when.

The other odd Cleveland law had to do with one way streets.  My grandfather
had a visitor from Ohio once, and the visitor was complaining about a
ticket he had received while driving through Detroit.

My grandfather: "What was the ticket for?"
Visitor: "Going down a one-way street the wrong way.  But i only
	  went a couple of blocks!"
My grandfather: "Oh, you must be from Cleveland!"
Visitor: "How did you know?"

(Apparently in Cleveland this is common practice, and maybe even legal.)

			John Gamble