GolfHos

I've got a question for the Pittsburghers here (I think there's 3?)

Do people still do the "Pittsburgh Left" at intersections?  Is it pretty universal/assumed by everyone in an intersection that a car will do it these days?

I grew up assuming it was normal everywhere, but if I were to see someone pull one now, it would freak me out.

What's the "Pittsburgh Left"?

Aargh, sorry, I forgot to include the wikipedia link.  It's a hasty left turn in front of oncoming traffic when the light turns green.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Left

I saw it quite often in New Jersey too.

Don't see that around here.  People in that big of a hurry turn left after the light turns red. 

I do that every now and again.  Doesn't involve elaborate signaling though.  I just go while the person across from me shakes himself loose from his little nap.

Never saw that one, but I did almost kill somebody in Pittsburgh by rear ending them at the bottom of an on ramp the first time I rolled out of the airport.

I mean, who the *fudge* STOPS at the bottom of an on ramp to merge except a bunch of Yinzers??

I see it here in MN occasionally. Similar situations to Uisce with the people going straight napping when the light turns green.

Ditto.

I've heard they do it in Seattle, too.

I've seen it occasionally, too.  Though not as much in recent years as I did some years back. 

You don't even have "some years back" my young miss.  :nono:

lol! :D

In the last 3 years, as opposed to the years before that.

Don't know about the "Pittsburgh Left", how about a "Hook Turn" for confusion?

 ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_turn

I don't care who you are.  That's funny right there.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Hook_Turn_Sign_Melbourne.jpg)

I do it, and I let people do it. It's sort of a given at some intersections and it's almost a courtesy to allow it to happen; let one more car get across a bad intersection. That said, there are getting to be fewer and fewer intersection where you can make a left in NJ. It's possible to drive for miles making nothing but right turns.

lol. 

I've actually wished I could do something like that a time or two while biking. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/Minnesnowta_Girl/Smileys/silly.gif)  Maybe I should move to Illinois, the article says bicyclists are allowed to do that there... (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/Minnesnowta_Girl/Smileys/22mmm.gif) 
Nah, I like Minnesnowta.

I found that out the hard way.  New Jersey.  WTF?  Everywhere you go, you have to exit on this little off ramp/service road.  You can't make a left turn at a light.

And he wasn't Officer Friendly.

It's even funnier watching someone from out of town try and do it... they always manage to get stuck in the middle of an intersection not knowing what the hell is going on :o

Jughandles, baby! It's essentially a protected hook turn.

We're starting to see roundabouts around here.  The problem is, the only people who know how to use them are those who've spent time in Europe.  Drives you crazy to come up on what has to be considered the most cost-effective stroke of civil engineering genius ever invented and six cars in front of you are stopped waiting for 20 seconds of clear space to merge in.

Even these Europeans seem to be having a problem with the concept.
C3pDh_NslKI

Alas, the explanation is all too predictable.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/14/51a.jpg)

I go through one every day on my way to/from work. Much worse than those waiting for a space to clear are those who stop in the middle of the roundabout to let someone in. (Happens to me at least once a month.) I realize they think they're being polite and/or courteous, but dammit people, learn how the effin' thing works!

Part of the problem is there doesn't seem to be anywhere for the "never left Utar; never bin on a plane" crowd to actually learn how the effin' thing works.  Some sort of public service announcement seems to be order.  If someone hasn't seen one in proper operation I can see how they'd be tentative.

There's one in Lehi for cryin' out loud.  I keep expecting to see someone trying to take a combine harvester around the damn thing.

We have one of those things on the way to the golf dome.  They're fun. :D

We've outgrown roundabouts, which used to be very prevalent. Now they're all being replaced with over/under passes, and at great expense with terrible disruption during construction. And yeah, you could always count on one idiot to screw it up for everyone, including the New Yorkers who would just make a left into the roundabout and drive the wrong way.

That's not just a New York thing, I actually had some moran flip me off after I properly used a roundabout by going all the way around to the right, LOL....

da burgh has some nice "new" protected left arrows  at intersections that have been installed or 'major' commercial streets repaired/repaved since I moved here in 2001 . however, if you are on streets that are minor, or haven't been repaired lately, they still have straight old greens, and if you dont do the PGH left you will sit through the light 4-5 cycles pissing off everyone behind you.

most of 5th and Forbes from the 376/BoA interchange all the way to Squirrel Hill is still without arrows in all but 1-2 of the intersections.  not fun at 7-8 am and 4-6 pm  ....  in any other {major or not} city i have ever been in (dfw/ san antonio / austin / houston / chicago / boston/ dc/ denver / albuquerque / phoenix / allentown /    ....etc )  if even as a 1 day tourist ...  I have never seen such major streets stuck in the 1930's traffic design.

There would be no need for the Pittsburgh left if the on-coming cars actually slowed down on yellow instead of gunning it through the intesection.

In California, we have protected lefts everywhere. However, we also have red left-turn lights, which makes the wait excruciating when there's no on-coming traffic.

well, duh.  unfortunately people don't get the yellow concept.

Ah, see, now that's familiar territory.  That's called an Anoka County Left.  Typically see them around 2 am....right after bar close.

I don't encounter a lot of roundabouts around here, and when I do, they're usually very small.  I can't imagine what the drivers around here would be like in a large "Look, kids. Big Ben, Parliament."-style roundabout.

Americans, well Utahns at any rate, would simple cease to exist if they encountered a multi-lane roundabout.  Poof.  Gone.  All proof of their existence.  Genealogy records too.

The latest traffic management advancement for Utard drivers to not be able to understand or navigate: Coninuous Flow Intersection (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_flow_intersection)

Yeah, those things, too. :D

wtf is that thing

wtf is that thing



Something Fuzzy currently ain't got.

 ;D

You actually have to pay someone to implement that nightmare.


BTW, here's a little UDOT-produced video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVI3Ledw7mc) that explains the CFI.

Wow, the things cities will do to avoid putting in a left-turn traffic light.

Way back in the heyday of the automotive era (40 years ago), my drivers'-ed teacher actually taught us to pull out into the middle of the intersection when turning left, and to wait for the light to change.

Basically, it turns one intersection into three (or four?).

why do you hate merka ?

Love 'merka!  The drivers'-ed teacher was also the wrestling coach.  Doesn't get more 'merkan.

Holy chit!!!  Like I need another reason to avoid WVC. 

SPUIs are all the rage off I-15 through Salt Lake Co.  They seem to work pretty well as you don't see traffic backed up through 2-3 lights.  Plus it sounds dirty.

 [sm_rolling]

I was taught that as well in the mid 90's.  Still do it to this day.  I believe it is okay for a green light yield left turn intersection with no turn arrow.  At least I hope it is. 

[just as an aside]
Of course, I was pretty toasted most of the time 40 years ago. [sm_smoking]
[/just as an aside]