Driving/working in the States ?
25 January 2008, 02:52 PM
#31
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Top advice from markus there...echo what he said.
And remember- you can turn right on a red (unless signposted otherwise) but pedestrians crossing the road you are turning onto get priority and you MUST stop to let them cross...
Particuarly about the bit regarding speeding on open roads....I recently had a bit of a smokey and the bandit moment on a wide open california rural road in a mustang...
And remember- you can turn right on a red (unless signposted otherwise) but pedestrians crossing the road you are turning onto get priority and you MUST stop to let them cross...
Particuarly about the bit regarding speeding on open roads....I recently had a bit of a smokey and the bandit moment on a wide open california rural road in a mustang...
25 January 2008, 05:56 PM
#32
Driving on the wrong side of the road isn't too bad, you do get used to it fairly quickly. I had a moment last time I was back in the UK, thought for a second that my dad was driving on the wrong side of the road, then I remembered what country I was in 
As others have said, turning right on a red is a rather nice idea (why can't the UK adopt turning left on a red light?) and does work well, just make sure you do stop before doing it and not just sail through.
On the stopping front. When you come to a stop sign you must, must, must stop dead, for a few seconds, then move on, even if there is nothing there. If you don't and the cops are having a bad donut day then they'll do you for a moving violation, which is a fine, think it was about $25 when my boss got a couple of them a few years back.
Stick to the speed limits. I know some of the roads are wide and straight as an arrow and go on for what seems like forever, but the cops usually sit in the central division with their speed cameras just waiting for someone to fly on past. Cruise control is very handy for roads like this, set it, and sit back and "enjoy" the drive.
If you do get pulled over by the cops then do NOT get out of the car, put your hands on the steering wheel, keep them there, and wait until the cop comes over to the car and do everything he tells you to. If he asks for your licence/insurance and it's in the glovebox, tell him you're going to reach over and get it, otherwise he could think you're reaching over for a gun.
For car hire, usually credit card, drivers licence and photoid (if you don't have a photo id licence). I'd also take my passport along just in case, as it's official identification. You may also want to check age requirements as I think you typically need to be at least 21 to hire a car.
Oh, if you're not 21, no drinking for you, well, in most states. The legal age for drinking is 21. I was 28 and kept getting asked for ID when drinking in anywhere apart from the local town's bar (when I worked out of our US office), you get used to it eventually.
Over/Undertaking. On a three or more, lane highway you can under and overtake, so you will be passed by big rigs on both sides of you, somewhat disconcerting the first time it happens, but again, you'll get used to it, but do remember they and you can do this when changing lanes, so you need to check all around before switching, just in case.
Bottom line, the driving side of things is pretty easy
One other bit of advice, if you've not had the pleasure of US Customs and Immigration (US version of Passport control) then do NOT try and joke with them, the majority of them have no sense of humor and seem to be on a power trip and want to know exactly why you have the audacity to want to enter their country. Make sure you have a letter from your employer stating why you are in the USA and how long for, and where you will be working (including address). Also have a printout of your hotel reservation.
For < insert deity here > sake don't say you're getting paid in the US (I'd presume you're not), they really don't like that at all.
If you're visiting a client, then it would be advisable to have a letter from the client detailing your visit. If it's a post sales visit then a copy of the sales invoice/purchase order might be handy to have.
I've visited clients for a pre-sales demo of our software and the immigration android suggested that next time I should bring a purchase order with me. Not wishing to be refused entry, I agreed with him politely, but come on, how thick are you! The letter from the company said it was pre-sales tech demo visit, and I said the same thing. How the hell can you have a PO from a client who isn't a client yet and might never be if they don't like the demo I'm going to give? Go figure!
Don't let that put you off though
As others have said, turning right on a red is a rather nice idea (why can't the UK adopt turning left on a red light?) and does work well, just make sure you do stop before doing it and not just sail through.
On the stopping front. When you come to a stop sign you must, must, must stop dead, for a few seconds, then move on, even if there is nothing there. If you don't and the cops are having a bad donut day then they'll do you for a moving violation, which is a fine, think it was about $25 when my boss got a couple of them a few years back.
Stick to the speed limits. I know some of the roads are wide and straight as an arrow and go on for what seems like forever, but the cops usually sit in the central division with their speed cameras just waiting for someone to fly on past. Cruise control is very handy for roads like this, set it, and sit back and "enjoy" the drive.
If you do get pulled over by the cops then do NOT get out of the car, put your hands on the steering wheel, keep them there, and wait until the cop comes over to the car and do everything he tells you to. If he asks for your licence/insurance and it's in the glovebox, tell him you're going to reach over and get it, otherwise he could think you're reaching over for a gun.
For car hire, usually credit card, drivers licence and photoid (if you don't have a photo id licence). I'd also take my passport along just in case, as it's official identification. You may also want to check age requirements as I think you typically need to be at least 21 to hire a car.
Oh, if you're not 21, no drinking for you, well, in most states. The legal age for drinking is 21. I was 28 and kept getting asked for ID when drinking in anywhere apart from the local town's bar (when I worked out of our US office), you get used to it eventually.
Over/Undertaking. On a three or more, lane highway you can under and overtake, so you will be passed by big rigs on both sides of you, somewhat disconcerting the first time it happens, but again, you'll get used to it, but do remember they and you can do this when changing lanes, so you need to check all around before switching, just in case.
Bottom line, the driving side of things is pretty easy
One other bit of advice, if you've not had the pleasure of US Customs and Immigration (US version of Passport control) then do NOT try and joke with them, the majority of them have no sense of humor and seem to be on a power trip and want to know exactly why you have the audacity to want to enter their country. Make sure you have a letter from your employer stating why you are in the USA and how long for, and where you will be working (including address). Also have a printout of your hotel reservation.
For < insert deity here > sake don't say you're getting paid in the US (I'd presume you're not), they really don't like that at all.
If you're visiting a client, then it would be advisable to have a letter from the client detailing your visit. If it's a post sales visit then a copy of the sales invoice/purchase order might be handy to have.
I've visited clients for a pre-sales demo of our software and the immigration android suggested that next time I should bring a purchase order with me. Not wishing to be refused entry, I agreed with him politely, but come on, how thick are you! The letter from the company said it was pre-sales tech demo visit, and I said the same thing. How the hell can you have a PO from a client who isn't a client yet and might never be if they don't like the demo I'm going to give? Go figure!
Don't let that put you off though
25 January 2008, 06:48 PM
#34
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My HQ in is Atlanta, near Perimeter Mall and I've driven there a few times. It's pretty easy as long as you remember which side of the road you should be on - sometimes in an emergency you react with instinct and revert to how you drive in the UK, so look ahead and plan where you are going.
When turning, remember tight-right, long-left so you end up on the correct side of the road.
In Atlanta though, you will be lucky if you go over 10mph in rush hour. You may want to consider the MARTA (tube) if going into the city.
When turning, remember tight-right, long-left so you end up on the correct side of the road.
In Atlanta though, you will be lucky if you go over 10mph in rush hour. You may want to consider the MARTA (tube) if going into the city.
26 January 2008, 02:46 PM
#35
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Its not too bad to get used to driving on the right, funnily enough it seems to be more easy to set off on the wrong side of the road when you get back here again.
Best thing initially is to find a quiet area to get used to it and you will soon find the traffic bit alright in the rush hour. One tip which can be confusing is that when you are following someone in the left hand lane and you want to overtake, he will often use his right indicator to tell you to overtake on his right-in other words-like "undertaking" over here. You have to be sure that he really means it though!
Les
Best thing initially is to find a quiet area to get used to it and you will soon find the traffic bit alright in the rush hour. One tip which can be confusing is that when you are following someone in the left hand lane and you want to overtake, he will often use his right indicator to tell you to overtake on his right-in other words-like "undertaking" over here. You have to be sure that he really means it though!
Les
26 January 2008, 04:22 PM
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It is also worth remembering that they have fairly open laws on shooting people.. "forcible felony" i.e someone is using force to commit a felony crime you can open fire, and also you can use the same force to protect your home, car, business if the person in question is using force.
I'd heard of the bit about protecting your home, but what does the "forceable felony" bit mean in practice ? That you can shoot bank robbers ? Got any examples ?
cheers,
AndytJ
26 January 2008, 04:38 PM
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i've come across US immigration a few times.
Went to Tijuana in Mexico. As iItried to get back across the border to San Diego, it was found that the printed 6 month visa in my GB passport had fallen out. I was forced to queue for 2 hours with the Mexicans waiting for immigration documents, was served again by the same guy, who then said I'd have to get a friend to come over from my hostel with the visa slip. I said I didn't know anyone at the hostel (not entirely true
) and he simply printed off another visa, which took about 30 seconds ! 
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