I've started a new job for a client in Kenilworth, New Jersey, and work has given me a car to get there and back each day (how very nice of them). I've travelled there and back for two days now, and I've discovered that New York traffic is absolutely insane.
Driving back this afternoon, I came via the Holland Tunnel. The run through New Jersey was fantastic, but as soon as I hit Chinatown, all bets were off. There were cars driving in whatever lane they felt like; pedestrians walking across the flow of traffic; cars deciding that they were about to miss their street so blocking four lanes of traffic so they could turn across; three UPS vans double-parked and blocking a lane; the list goes on.
I've got a hire car at the moment, and now I know why any cars that live in the NY City area have all got dints on them. With traffic like this, it's inevitable.
I saw a pretty decent accident yesterday. A woman decided that she wasn't going to wait for the traffic to ease up for her to come out of a side street. So she just pulled out anyway. Because she squeezed through a gap in the cars coming in the other direction, she had absolutely no idea where the cars were. Sure enough, she cleaned up the front of her car, made a nice dint in the poor car that had right of way and decided that when she was done, she'd stop where the accident occurred and blocked off the road that she wasn't even supposed to be on.
The traffic in this town is insane. Good thing we don't have a car. I don't think we'll be getting one in a hurry.
4 comments:
Hi Bloke,
Seems that you have finally realised why most NYers don't own their own cars. They get in the back seat of one of those yellow machines with a Cuban in the front.
Doesn't surprise me after seeing a small truck side swipe a 4WD out the front of your apartment and the driver just looking at the damage he had caused and drive off leaving no details. Problem is, they can get a licence over there and then on holidays drive over here. Bring on the future with cars that drive themselves(as long as the NYers don't design them). haha
Dave
ha ha... your commenters are funny... can't remember what you said in your post....
Oh, I found an interesting website full of photos taken by a NY cabbie. It's my guess as to why I don't think even I would brave the NY streets behind the wheel.
http://nyctaxishots888.blogspot.com/
Oh, bugger, I think it has been erased... maybe that's another reason!!
Arnie: "This is Arnie Pie in the Sky. We've got big problems on the Springfield Memorial Bridge, people. Traffic going waaaay back in both directions. And look out at the corner of 14th and Elm, because I just dropped my bagel."
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