(Untitled)

[shevek]

I have been reading the California Drivers' Manual. It is the California equivalent of the Highway Code, and it scares the living daylights out of me. It is available for free on the internet. It is hard to condense the horror to one or two gems, so I offer the following extended list

Comments

[arwen_lune]

p.70 Do not shoot firearms on a highway or at traffic signs.

p.82 In a bus, taxi, camper, or motor home, the law does not apply to non-driving passengers.

Oh, that's okay then..

[x_mass]

so people doing a driveby aren't actually breaking the law - if they don't hit anything?

[longobord]

Only if in a taxi. If they're in a personal car then it's still illegal.

[babysimon]

I think some of these (Do not rely on traffic signals, Avoid driving directly alongside other vehicles, Watch out for confused people) are sensible defensive driving measures (certainly in South London...)

But seeing them mixed in with "Don't waterski on the road while reading a newspaper and shooting at passers by" is... remarkable.

[quercus]

People who need to be told this can read?

[ladykalessia]

The thing to remember is that the proportion of people who are licensed and who actually go through the process of getting this all sorted legally is far smaller than the number of people who just have their uncle teach them to drive, and start driving. The handbooks call them unlicensed drivers or uninsured drivers. Depending on the neighborhood you live in, the locals could call them something considerably more specific w.r.t. country of origin.

[x_mass]

I remember a woman posting to a board i was reading about how she can only cope with driving LA, she found driving in SF too difficult.

So how does driving in SF compare to say the racetracks of london?

apparently the californian test is harder than the UK one

[x_mass]

as apparently everybody in California has to be able to do stunt driving...

Free Practice Test

1. If your right wheels are off the pavement, __________
A. gradually turn back on the pavement.
B. brake lightly.
C. hold the wheel firmly and steer sharply to the left.
D. all of the above

from http://www.testquestionsandanswers.com/drivers-license/california.html

Re: apparently the californian test is harder than the UK one

[thekumquat]

bear in mind that 'pavement' = the paved (tarmac'd) road surface, not the sidewalk!

Re: apparently the californian test is harder than the UK one

[x_mass]

i know but if you ignore the tomato issue it sounds really silly to english ears