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Rules to know when driving in Phoenix

T

Thoreau

Golden Member
Before you dismiss this list as a joke, ask someone you know who has lived
in Phoenix for a little while. No... Really.


1. You must learn to pronounce the city name. It is: "fe - niks."

2. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Phoenix has its own
version of traffic rules...the cars/truck with the loudest muffler goes next
at a 4-way stop. The truck with the biggest tires goes after that. (Note:
Blue haired ladies driving anything have right of way anytime.)

3. To find anything in Phoenix it is required that you know where Central
and Washington is... which is the Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and the
End.

4. The morning rush hour is from 5:00 to 10:00. The evening rush hour is
from 3:00 to 7:00. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.

5. If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear ended, cussed
out and possibly shot.

6. You must know that "Maricopa Freeway, Papago Freeway, I-10" are the same
road.

7. Construction is a permanent fixture in Phoenix. The barrels are moved
around in the middle of the night to make the next days driving a bit more
exciting.

8. Watch very carefully for road hazards such as drunks, skunks, dogs,
barrels, cones, cows, horses, pot holes, cats, pieces of other cars, truck
tires, squirrels, rabbits, and crows or vultures feeding on any of these
items.

9 . If someone actually has their turn signal on, wave them to the shoulder
immediately to let them know it has been "accidentally activated".

10. The minimum acceptable speed on "all freeways, I-10, I-17 & U.S.60 (see
above) is 85 mph. Anything less is considered downright sissy. This is
Arizona's version of NASCAR.

11. Never honk at anyone. Ever. Seriously. (it maybe a hazard to your
health)

12. If you are in the left lane, and only going 70 in a 55-65 zone .. you
are considered a road hazard, and will be "flipped off" accordingly.

13. Ground clearance of at least 12 inches is recommended for city driving.

14. If it's 70 degrees, Thanksgiving must be next weekend.
 
I would have thought that Phoenix would be nice to drive in, since it's in a fairly flat area and the roads are laid out in a grid, unlike something like New Orleans or Boston.
 
I lived there in 84 down on 48th and E. Thomas road, and my in-laws now live in glendale. I learned real quick that if you ever wanted to be able to turn left at a traffic light you would need to wait till it turns yellow and then lay on the gas. Even after it is yellow at least 5-7 cars will go through.

We drive on the freeways at least at 75 or more. But I do that here as well. Just not as often.

I really like it down there. 🙂
 
Amen to the list.
You forgot to add that red light does not mean a thing here (nor certain signs such as yield or no turn on red).
There is a reason why when you are in the middle of intersection waiting for left turn, you wait til the light turn red before truly turn left. Yellow here means floor it and a lot of people who turn left on yellow have been smack by those leadfoots.

People here are brutal in traffic. 15mph over posted speed limit is the norm anywhere.
45mph limit on construction ? If you drive that speed, you will get ram from behind.
Even though the road here are nice, wide and smooth, you better be careful if you want to survive.
Trucks, SUVs and Vans rules the road and have no respect to other smaller car.

If you can survive driving in Phoenix, you can survive anywhere else.
 
Originally posted by: kyutip
Amen to the list.
You forgot to add that red light does not mean a thing here (nor certain signs such as yield or no turn on red).
There is a reason why when you are in the middle of intersection waiting for left turn, you wait til the light turn red before truly turn left. Yellow here means floor it and a lot of people who turn left on yellow have been smack by those leadfoots.

People here are brutal in traffic. 15mph over posted speed limit is the norm anywhere.
45mph limit on construction ? If you drive that speed, you will get ram from behind.
Even though the road here are nice, wide and smooth, you better be careful if you want to survive.
Trucks, SUVs and Vans rules the road and have no respect to other smaller car.

If you can survive driving in Phoenix, you can survive anywhere else.
Click to expand...

It's facts like these that make me glad my new car has a bit more power under the hood than my last. Being able to floor it to make those left turns (be it at an intersection, or ANY left turn onto a 6 lane road) definitely requires a bit of talent and raw horsepower. Ever try getting from the on ramp to the HOV lane going southbound on I-17 from say Thunderbird Road during morning rush hour?
 
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