scott wrote:
> We (UK and Germany and most other countries I've been to) have just 
> solid amber to mean it's about to go red.  It's illegal to go through on 
> red and you will be fined (or photographed then fined!), so the amber is 
> needed to give people a chance to stop before it goes red.  Faster roads 
> have longer amber phases to avoid you needing to do an emergency stop in 
> fear of running a red.

Same here. Our traffic laws are set at the state level, but everywhere 
I've ever been, the technical is "Yellow means stop if it's safe to stop 
and you'll not be in the intersection. If it's red and you're in the 
interesection, you're risking a ticket."

In other words, if you're going slow enough, stop when it turns yellow 
even if you could have made it through on the yellow. It doesn't mean 
"this is your last chance to make it, so slam on the gas."

-- 
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)

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On Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:14:37 +0000, Invisible wrote:

> Jim Henderson wrote:
> 
>> Incorrect contraction use in #5. ;-)
> 
> What, you never make any mistakes? :-P
> 
> There's a difference between one occasional mistake, and people who
> write page after page of horribly incorrect garbage.

It just struck me as funny, especially after reading your missive that 
included being annoyed by people who misuse apostrophes.

It's what's known as McKean's Law. ;-)

Jim

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m_a_r_c wrote:

> Did you ever come in France?
> If yes, were you drunk or mind-boggled by driving on the right side of the 
> road (instead of the wrong one)?? :-)
> 
> The correct sequence is
> 
> Green
> Amber
> Red
> Green

Good to see France has some sense ;)

This is the same as the U.S., btw.


-- 
~Mike

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Mike Raiford wrote:
> Good to see France has some sense ;) 
> This is the same as the U.S., btw.

Altho I have seen things where, for example, the left turn lane has a 
green arrow, and when that's going to a red arrow, all the lights go to 
yellow.  So if you're not in the left turn lane, you get
    green
    yellow
    red
    yellow
    red
    green

Not often, and a bit confusing when it happens, and not dangerous since 
you're already stopped. Just takes a bit of looking around to notice why.

-- 
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)

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On 11-Nov-08 14:15, Invisible wrote:
> In the interests of public service, I'd like to point out the following 
> small details:
>
> 7. If there is no more space on your drive, 
Buy another 1TB USB disk?

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Jim Henderson wrote:
> Depends on your ear. ;-)

True, my ear is not a native English listener.

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Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> Tom Austin wrote:
> 
>> My favorite is when your light turns green
>> which means that the other traffic must have been red for 3-4 seconds
>> yet cars are still continuing to go through the intersection trying to 
>> 'beat' the red.
> 
> Yeah. Of course, the only thing they're likely to "beat" is the bodywork 
> of their precious sports car when it smashes into another vehicle.
> 

I also love people who go through an intersection and hit the person 
that ran the red light - in plain view.  Like you couldn't see someone 
was going to hit you or you were going to hit someone.


>> Another is when you are going to make a right turn and almost hit the 
>> guy that's been driving on the shoulder for 1/4 mile to make his right 
>> turn.
> 
> I don't know about other countries, but here that kind of thing is 
> illegal. (Not that this stops anybody...)
> 

Driving on the shoulder is illegal here as well, but people don't care.
If you are driving on the shoulder and you get hit (even if it is 
because the other person failed to look) it is your fault.  I know 
several people who thought they were cheated because it turned out to be 
their fault for driving on the shoulder.


> I don't know why, but people who drive expensive sports cars seem to 
> have the mentality that it's their road and everybody else is required 
> to get out of *their* way, and that the rules to not apply to them. As 
> if the world is put there for their own personal convinience or 
> something... grr!
> 


I honestly do not care how fast a person drives - just respect the 
others around you.  If the traffic is heavy, don't cause problems by 
weaving and the like.

If someone is bring a jerk, it's best to just let them past and get way 
ahead of you so that their actions don't cause you to get into an accident.

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scott wrote:
>> My favorite is when your light turns green
>> which means that the other traffic must have been red for 3-4 seconds
>> yet cars are still continuing to go through the intersection trying to 
>> 'beat' the red.
> 
> In the UK at least I see a lot of junctions where the instant one 
> direction changes from amber to red, the other changes from red to 
> red+amber.

The delay is probably similar to red+amber.
Are you allowed to go on a red+amber?



   If you have a 3-4 second delay where all directions are on
> red, then of course people are going to be tempted to carry on jumping 
> the red for a few seconds after it's switched from green.
> 

Yes and no - it depends on where you live.  Some areas are really bad - 
10-15 seconds of red light running.  Other areas are very lawful and 
compliant.  I think it depends on the demeanor of the people that drive 
through the area.

I like that some places actually put in red light cameras - then it is 
automatic with the ticket, not only when there is a cop around.


>> Another is when you are going to make a right turn and almost hit the 
>> guy that's been driving on the shoulder for 1/4 mile to make his right 
>> turn.
> 
> Hehe, I guess you don't need to look out for cyclists while making right 
> turns there, here you just get into the habit of *always* looking to the 
> right - alongside and behind you - before actually turning.
> 

A cyclist is different, he should be there - that's where it is safer. 
You should always look before changing lanes.

It's those cars who are trying to get 30 cars ahead that cause the 
problem.  They think they have the right to drive on the shoulder 
because they are turning ahead - even to the point where if there is a 
car parked on the shoulder, they pull back into traffic - they just used 
the shoulder as a passing lane!



Tom

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scott wrote:
> red, then of course people are going to be tempted to carry on jumping 
> the red for a few seconds after it's switched from green.

My favorite is when I stop safely for the amber light and the guy behind 
me pulls out, goes around me, and blows thru the red light.

-- 
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)

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On Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:20:22 -0200, Nicolas Alvarez wrote:

> Jim Henderson wrote:
>> Depends on your ear. ;-)
> 
> True, my ear is not a native English listener.

:-)

One of my favourite quotes of all time comes from H2G2 - "...to boldly 
split infinitives that no man has split before."

Jim

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