Road America Bashny.Net

On his return from the United States, many people asked me what I remember most. I will answer again: endless road of this great country. America - a country for both humans and their machines. I have traveled on these roads and twenty thousand kilometers of driving, and not a single kilometer I did not experience stress or strain, on the contrary - it turns driving the car a real buzz. Photos for this story, I did everything for two months that he was in the United States this spring. They come from different cities, states, but it will be even more interesting. I want to tell you how to construct American roads and traffic regulations.




1. Let's start in the cities. The local street navigation - a great example of how you can drive around an unfamiliar city and getting lost. When the Americans to explain the way, they do not draw plans for a pencil on a knee, they simply list the desired street. The fact is that at every intersection on both sides will be as signs indicating the street on which you are traveling, and intersecting it. Besides, it is very easy to schedule meetings: on the corner of Broadway and Gratot Street. What could be simpler?


2. At any intersection so many traffic lights. And they are always visible. Sometimes the lights are hung on the right in the center of the junction on steel wire ropes, sometimes make such outrigger poles.


3. Yellow lights - a distinctive feature of the State of Michigan. And they Louisiana, for example, green. Do not be scared if the traffic lights in front of you three, and four, five or more sections. The "extra" hide boxes just turn arrows. We do outrigger sections, they have all in one set of traffic lights.


4. Themselves traffic rules are so simple that they are clear and the child. Road signs in the usual sense in America there is: probably, there are only a dozen of icons usually indicates the direction of movement. Most of the signs - these are ordinary white signs with black letters explaining what you can do, or what not. "Cars in the right lane must turn right" - it's brilliant. English is a very simple and concise, all the signs are read at any speed.


5. STOP sign identical worldwide. It met at unregulated intersections, and are normally provided with an additional small plate from the bottom, where it says «All way» or «4-way». This means that you have to stop before entering the intersection, and if there are already other cars, the priority of one who came before. It works perfectly, because the drivers are generally polite and disciplined. No, not one car cooler, but really - who first came to the crossroads with the sign "STOP", the first with him and leave :)


6. With parking here strictly but signs clearly prescribe how you can park directly in this place. Violate parking rules are much more expensive than stand on a paid or look for another place. Sometimes warning signs as they write and the amount of the fine, which will have to pay for the violation. Here, for example, can not park "Christmas tree».


7. Needless to say that in places where parking is prohibited - and no one is parked?


8. Where parking is not forbidden - it is permitted. But of course, it is impossible to put the car at the intersection, on the sidewalk, even one wheel, you can not interfere with your car for other road users. And yet look at how to make American signs. They hold on bolts, and if you want to hang another sign or put a temporary, he simply screwed to the same post just below.


9. In the big cities all along the street paid parking (except for residential areas). Pay parking is possible in such a machine. Almost all take credit cards, but still preserved the old parking meter where you have to shove a coin and be ticking clock. You pay your desired time, you take the ticket and puts it under the glass of the machine, so that it is visible.


10. On streets regularly travel parking patrol and sees to it that everything was in order. If you do not have time or coupons seriously overdue, under glass you put the receipt of the fine. The amount will be much more than a few dollars for a legal parking space.


11. America - a country of great cars and small cars there is a privilege. For example, special, more conveniently located place for the "compact cars».


12. And yet, Americans are not shy to build roads in several levels, it helps to relieve the city of traffic jams.


13. King of the road - not a horseman on the black jeep, and pedestrian. Though it is called here, and offensive to the Russian word "pedastrian" but the priority here is the pedestrian. Transitions are always very visible. But the classic "zebra" does not always occur. In urban crossings are located on each traffic light: there is no zebra, but generally there are signs or pedestrian traffic lights.


14. In some states, there are buttons that in Russia, unfortunately, did not take root. It is necessary to cross the road - zhmakni on the button and wait a minute: the car stopped.


15. Memo where to look when crossing the road.


16. Look to the left, then right, cross the road when. In order to be more visible in the transition, bring the orange flag.


17. These flags I met in the city of Salt Lake City on the unregulated traffic light junctions. This is great, I think.


18. The Americans are responsible for your own safety, so use flags when crossing the road, so just come up to them. Flags nobody steals. :)


19. Sometimes the street is completely closed for renovation. Orange signs always indicate a detour.


20. bumps in the road, too, warned a separate, clearly visible sign.


21. In all the cities have bicycle paths. Cyclists - equal members of the movement.


22. Cyclists - no pedestrians. They run transport, which can be dangerous for people walking. Therefore, they can not ride on sidewalks, easier to allocate a separate lane on the road.


23. High-speed highway goes right through the city. They are located either above or below the city roads. There are no ring-type MKAD, but highways intersect, they can be used to reach the desired part of the city very quickly, or leave the city.


24. These highways have replaced the Americans railway. They come in two types, local and federal roads. The first - it's just the route from point A to point B, within the same state. Repair by local authorities. A famous Interstate, this highway, crossing several states, they always kept in perfect condition, followed by the federal government.


25. There are also traffic jams, which are called "traffic." Most often there is congestion on highways near urban areas at peak times. It scares me terrible traffic jams in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York. I in them, too, stood, and I want to say that all of their terrible traffic jams - a sophomoric in comparison with what is happening in Moscow. Here, the most serious traffic jam when you're driving at a speed of 10-20 kilometers per hour, but you're still going. Traffic obtained when on the road too many cars, but the global "riser" does not happen because no one rushing lanes, not trying to overtake on the side, and respectful of their neighbors downstream, knowing that all things and all hurry.


26. Travel direction on highways such as convenient as in the cities. Indicate the points of the compass. Almost every car has a built-in compass. This is a pointer to Interstate.


27. And this is a pointer to the regional road in the center of a small town in South Dakota. In other states of the same :)


28. And here we are with you got to the operating room, the other cities! Now we will focus on the asphalt and concrete threads, bound with a large web of United States of America.


29. Highway - is usually two lanes in one direction. They expand only at the entrance to the big cities, but two bands enough to highways in the country did not happen cork. All move in the right lane, using the left to overtake. Roads of different directions separated by a striker or often with lawn stripe. I do not know who mows the grass here, but I have not seen the thickets on highways.


30. What is the secret of highways? The lack of overlap with other. All conventions and turns - over bridges, perpendicular.


31. Razvyazki- "butterfly", which continue to build with me incomprehensible obstinacy, to the United States are not built for thirty years, they are completely ineffective machines only interfere with each other. Yes, here, too, almost all the congresses of the track - from the right lane. But then on the other.


32. It looks like a typical US highway interchange. You know who is moving where, and how it is convenient? Why is it impossible to build in Russia?


33. These roads perform basest human desire for food, toilets and beds. It is impossible to describe, it is impossible to stay hungry and impossible to sleep in the car on the roadside. Once you want something, a few kilometers (or a couple of dozen) will certainly appear so blue boards to the right of the road.


34. These "service" for the Congress - a whole oasis in the desert. You can eat, refuel, to spend the night. Here reigns the competition, so in addition to McDonald's, you're sure to find the network and other fast foods: Burger King, Vendi's Chinese Panda Express Mexican or Taco Bell.


35. Constantly meet the recreation area. Here you can get tourist information booklets, maps, discounts on hotels and food.


36. Rest areas are very different, there are the same chain restaurants, are just a latrines and machine with soda / chocolate.


37. Piss at the curb on the wheel of a car - it's not about America. Find toilet anywhere, even in the desert, and even more so on the road - a trifling matter. I'm not even afraid to go to defecate, because there's always toilet paper (it is not stolen or unwound around the room), as well as special cellophane covers on the toilet seat. The toilets are very clean !!!


38. Refueling is also a masterpiece of savage grin of capitalism. To just pour petrol, no need to go to the checkout, everything is paid here, near the car, through the terminal, which is of course, takes credit cards. The two types of fuel, as well as our petrol and diesel. The octane number of the gasoline from the US is not like we have 87, 89 and 93. But here you can safely buy the cheapest that I did. The cost of gasoline, surprisingly, exactly the same as in Russia. It varies from state to state, from 3, 5 dollars per gallon (3, 8 liters) to 5, 5. But on average, if the round, just get a dollar per liter. Thirty rubles and kopecks. Price 95th in Moscow.


39. On the highways there are many advertising. Shields huge, sometimes obsessive. Directly attract and name!


40. One brewery somewhere bought a dozen of old fire engines and put them along the road in South Dakota. I met just about ten of their billboards, and standing next to each such machine.


41. Never, hear - ever !, you will not find on the highway cop with radar under a bush. The vegetation near the road, too, not for security. Police on the road, of course, there are, especially at high speed. It called the Highway Patrol. It is the only service, something similar to our cops: they are engaged only in patrolling roads. Any other cop in America has a car radar, with which it can also control the speed and fine violators of traffic rules, no matter what position he has. I saw offense - cut short. Themselves traffic police found on the tracks is not often, but they have a special garrison, where get a call at the scene within seconds. These guys - the real professionals, the best drivers in the country! When they are in a hurry in the incident, they rush at a rate of more than 200 kilometers per hour, while never get into an accident and do not interfere with other traffic participants. On the way, they do not punitive, and they are here to work not to earn money, but to help people if they need help. If the car stalled and struck the wheel, they will come and help bring technical assistance from the nearest town. If you ran out of gas - bring it. However, a caveat: in some states, the lack of fuel in the tank is a violation. The driver must keep the fuel level under control. Therefore, the police first brought gasoline, and then write out the penalty. And so in everything, first serve and protect, and only then to be punished.


42. Toll roads are found more on the east of the country. The amazing feature of the US toll road: You can only pay in cash. No credit cards. It's very strange for such a commonly used plastic of the country. There is another option clearing, but it is only for regular customers: Buy a box, which is a radio signal transmits information about the machine, and at the end of the month invoice is issued. But such devices are unique to each operator of the road and a lot of companies out there.


43. In Florida, the idiocy of the toll road reaches its climax. This is perhaps the only evidence that American roads also meet asshole. For small departures from the motorway can be paid either through this most radio receiving FasTrack, or throw a coin in a special box, exactly as long as necessary. Did it not to hire a black woman, aunt, as traffic on these small congresses. Well, if I do not have the required number of coins? And if the bill? As a result, I barely scraped coins to 75 cents, including nickels. I blurted to cart and rode a handful (at most toll roads, in addition to New York, there are no barriers). This green light is not lit, and I ran a red. They sent you then fine for the car - I do not know.


44. I can say that America's roads are close to ideal, but it does not mean that there's always a brand new asphalt and without any cracks or other such unpleasant details. But the two main components: on the road will never be any pits and potholes and the very fabric will be smooth. In this way continuously remodel, but not the same every year, of course. Repair of tracks here - it's bright and colorful show.


45. Normally, repairing the road, blocking one lane and slightly changing the traffic scheme. About repairing the driver learns a few kilometers away, will hang bright red signs on the closed lane stand impressive and notable "bars" that few will want to test the strength.


46. ​​Of course, in those areas require lower speed. And lower. The fact is that in the work area on the slopes of all the fines are doubled. It is not someone's whim, but a bitter experience. Too many road workers were killed in the country from such reckless. Therefore, before repairs are usually hung signs: "Penalties are doubled for the injured worker a penalty of 7, 5 thousand dollars for the murder - to 15 years in prison." Rights for that deprive usually for life.


47. Sometimes the cover and fully both bands, then by separating the lawn build a temporary ramp, cars allowed on a single-lane road toward each other. But it is rare.


48. The end of the repair work, the speed can be added. The usual speed limit on the highway - 120 kilometers per hour. Yes, it's not Germany, where in many cases, you can actually go as you want. But even at a constant speed of 100 km / h when no settlements on the track and permanent trucks on the narrow path, the same speed is average. It is always possible to calculate the time of arrival.


49. Sometimes, incidents and accidents, alas. Rarely, but neatly. Police arrives almost instantly and also alerts the driver in advance that ahead of forced speed reduction.


50. And during the local repair of small towns on the road closures are here are the guys (sometimes tёtki) and are holding signs.


51. That tunnels in America is almost there, even in mountainous areas. It is generally preferred to construct a road to bypass the mountain, but to save her full highway.


52. So who traveled on these roads? Cars are not less interesting than the road system. Alas, rarely seen such rarities. As a rule, long-distance travel truckers and travelers.


53. Travel in caravans convenient and profitable. Almost everywhere you can find not only the motels, but also special areas for motor homes, campers here they are called. Camps are leased, private car behind clings to a rigid coupling, a man travels far, far away, and then rents a house on wheels and had returned light.


54. Towing is only possible on a rigid coupling.