[Spridgets] New York Police - Two of Them Yelling at Me Full Bore

[bjshov8 at tx.rr.com]

> As soon as I come off the bridge I get out half way into an innersection and
> the light changes.  I actually had two New York police officers yelling at
> me out of their windows, one to my right and one to my left . . yelling full
> bore at me for being an idiot.  Crap, I don't know if I should back up or go
> forward or what kind of a ticket I am going to get?  I couldn't back up due
> to the car behind me pulling up to the line, so I hit it and headed forward
> . . both cops left me alone.

The same thing happened to me almost.  I decided to drive through NY on a business trip one time, and I hit Manhattan at the evening rush hour.  I discovered that drivers expect you to continue though a light unless you are clearly some distance from the light when it turns red.  And if you block the crosswalks partially, the pedestrians really give you dirty looks.  Traffic was heavy but moved from light to light, but people would stop right in front of you to double park and you had to be aggressive to get into the next lane because the people there wouldn't let you in if you asked.  I quickly found myself driving just like they were, and I managed to make it out with me and the rent car unscathed.

I've visited Mexico City on business and that is a different world.  You can be in heavy traffic on a 3 lane street, but when you get to a traffic light it turns into 6 or 7 lanes.  Then when the light changes the first ones across the intersection get to claim the 3 lanes.  I remember very few instances where it was possible for the cab driver to choose his own speed, almost all of the time he was limited by the cars in front of him.  The open road was nonexistent.