RE: Things you've found in your travels that you wish we had in the US.
Jul 11th, 2003, 06:15 AM
#23
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Anonymous - Yes, I think that's the right strategy for Fresh Pond, but my local rotary is the one at Rt. 2/MCI Concord, and the "local rules" allow for exiting from the inner lane if you're continuing onto Rt. 2 (but not if you're exiting onto local roads) - so if you're circling round on the outer you're at risk of people cutting in front of you - or worse. Good grief - what a joke.
Jul 11th, 2003, 06:38 AM
#24
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These last few posts remind me of when I applied for a job at Arthur Anderson, which put me right in the vicinity of Fresh Pond. What a traffic nightmare! Didn't take the job, but one at MIT instead, where I safely walked to work over the Charles River Bridge from my Back Bay apt!! A much nicer arrangement.
Jul 11th, 2003, 06:50 AM
#26
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Oh, flyfish, you're making me so nostalgic! I lived in Acton back in the early 70s, when the only places to shop were in Concord, and my husband worked there, too, so I'm very familiar with that rotary and its "rules." In fact, we got clipped in that very rotary by someone exiting from the left of us, he told us he assumed that since we were in the right-hand lane, we were exiting. And we had the Christmas tree on top of our car, how strange the things we remember.
But I'm sticking to my strategy, at least for the other rotaries! That does make them different from the roundabouts in England, which are not quite such a free-for-all, they have lots of signs and white lines to bring more order to things.
I'll never forget, either, the radio program that took a poll on who had the right-of-way -- the cars in the rotary, or the cars entering. It's the former, of course, but a surprisingly large proportion of the callers cited the car-on-the-right privilege, not realizing that the rationale is that the cars in the rotary have the right of way becuase they're already in the 'intersection." No wonder Massachusetts drivers have such a terrible reputation, but part of the problem is the roads, not the drivers.
But I'm sticking to my strategy, at least for the other rotaries! That does make them different from the roundabouts in England, which are not quite such a free-for-all, they have lots of signs and white lines to bring more order to things.
I'll never forget, either, the radio program that took a poll on who had the right-of-way -- the cars in the rotary, or the cars entering. It's the former, of course, but a surprisingly large proportion of the callers cited the car-on-the-right privilege, not realizing that the rationale is that the cars in the rotary have the right of way becuase they're already in the 'intersection." No wonder Massachusetts drivers have such a terrible reputation, but part of the problem is the roads, not the drivers.
Jul 11th, 2003, 06:56 AM
#27
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And lets not forget the most infamous rotary of all - the one at the Sagamore Bridge. An estimated $30 million to redesign this rotary so that traffic does not back up all the way to Braintree on Saturday mornings.
The thing that I found that wasn't in the US was really good tea from Canada and Ireland. But now I have a source for Canadian tea (my brother-in-law's mother from Nova Scotia keeps me well stocked in Red Rose). And my local supermarket now carries Barry's tea from Ireland as well as Irish cookies.
The thing that I found that wasn't in the US was really good tea from Canada and Ireland. But now I have a source for Canadian tea (my brother-in-law's mother from Nova Scotia keeps me well stocked in Red Rose). And my local supermarket now carries Barry's tea from Ireland as well as Irish cookies.
Jul 11th, 2003, 10:10 AM
#29
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Squat toilet holes
Cold showers
Non-stop smokers
Grafitti on everthing
Deisel fumes
Football gang fights
Purchasing toilet paper from an attendant
Gift shops in the entrance of every historical site
Dogs in restaurants
Warm milk
But I do like Europe and all the positive things it has to offer!
Jul 11th, 2003, 11:51 AM
#31
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* I agree that the U.S could definately benefit from better public transportation via trains. Amtrak is totally useless, SLOW and expensive for the substandard service.
* We could also benefit from the European family value/system where workers get to spend more time with their families. For example, I work for a European company with offices in the U.S. It makes me sick to the stomach to see how much more Maternity Leave my female European counterparts get. Keep in mind my company is one of the more generous companies on such issues. I have friends who have to run back to work 3-6 weeks after giving birth!
* The U.S chocolatiers should just give up manufacturing chocolates and import it from Europe.
*Can we say small Outdoor cafes everywhere!
*We need to shed our U.S. centric attitudes.
* We could also benefit from the European family value/system where workers get to spend more time with their families. For example, I work for a European company with offices in the U.S. It makes me sick to the stomach to see how much more Maternity Leave my female European counterparts get. Keep in mind my company is one of the more generous companies on such issues. I have friends who have to run back to work 3-6 weeks after giving birth!
* The U.S chocolatiers should just give up manufacturing chocolates and import it from Europe.
*Can we say small Outdoor cafes everywhere!
*We need to shed our U.S. centric attitudes.
Jul 11th, 2003, 12:16 PM
#32
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While driving in the UK I appreciated how much they painted on the road. It seemed the speed and other info was painted on the road every few miles, it seems more effecient to do that rather than putting up signs all the time - makes for prettier roadsides too.
I wish we appreciated old-ness. A building gets a little outdated and we tear it down and build a new ugly one. We don't build pretty buildings in the first place and then tear them down. This also goes for traditions. I really appreciated the silly wigs and traditions in the UK. They were silly but they also keep a continuity, Americans only like the brand-new fad.
I wish we were better about using our resources - we have so many and so much space and we waste it!
I agree with mass transit - whoever said that Amtrak should be made to wait for freight trains was crazy!
As for roundabouts, in some areas they were great in others they stacked traffic up for hours.
I also appreciated their new, non-polluting cars! I couldn't believe how clean they are, what a great way for the government to make money, you pollute excessively you pay! I know so many old, ratty, polluting cars around here! (I'll probably get in trouble for that, but yes, I would pay to have a clean car that met certain standards)
I also appreciated the pubs and small places to eat. They were fun and different and it felt like such a gathering place. (Though they smoke like chimneys and that was difficult!)
I loved the small villages rather than suburbs. One reason I chose to live where I live is that it is a bit more like that than many other places. I think the east coast has more of these than the west coast, it is difficult to find a village type place out here.
Lastly, it seems that the laws here in the US are made for the dumbest. We are so sue-happy here that we make all these rules and laws - duh the coffee from McDonalds is going to be hot! It seemed like they allow common sense to rule a bit more. We put up stop signs because people are too dumb to look both ways before crossing.....
All said, I do love the US and wouldn't live anywhere else!!
I'll be looking for the laughing cow wedges.
I wish we appreciated old-ness. A building gets a little outdated and we tear it down and build a new ugly one. We don't build pretty buildings in the first place and then tear them down. This also goes for traditions. I really appreciated the silly wigs and traditions in the UK. They were silly but they also keep a continuity, Americans only like the brand-new fad.
I wish we were better about using our resources - we have so many and so much space and we waste it!
I agree with mass transit - whoever said that Amtrak should be made to wait for freight trains was crazy!
As for roundabouts, in some areas they were great in others they stacked traffic up for hours.
I also appreciated their new, non-polluting cars! I couldn't believe how clean they are, what a great way for the government to make money, you pollute excessively you pay! I know so many old, ratty, polluting cars around here! (I'll probably get in trouble for that, but yes, I would pay to have a clean car that met certain standards)
I also appreciated the pubs and small places to eat. They were fun and different and it felt like such a gathering place. (Though they smoke like chimneys and that was difficult!)
I loved the small villages rather than suburbs. One reason I chose to live where I live is that it is a bit more like that than many other places. I think the east coast has more of these than the west coast, it is difficult to find a village type place out here.
Lastly, it seems that the laws here in the US are made for the dumbest. We are so sue-happy here that we make all these rules and laws - duh the coffee from McDonalds is going to be hot! It seemed like they allow common sense to rule a bit more. We put up stop signs because people are too dumb to look both ways before crossing.....
All said, I do love the US and wouldn't live anywhere else!!
I'll be looking for the laughing cow wedges.
Jul 11th, 2003, 12:27 PM
#33
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Well regarding public transportaition all of u are missing one very important point. The biggest system is in the US, its in New York City, and its wonderfull and great and better then anything in Europe. Ive been to the system in Paris, and have seen others, and have actually done a Stats project for school about subways, anyways the one in New York is the only one that actually works 24/7, it is the only one in the world that has dedicated express trains, its huge, more stations then any other subway system, its cheap $2, compared to other system, if u take into account a bunch of factors like GDP, Size, etc... . Oh and of course the trains are actually air conditioned unlike in europe, where even the new trains are hot and stuffy, even in London, its only forced air, and not actual a/c. Finally its simply better then any system in Europe.
Jul 11th, 2003, 12:54 PM
#37
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The portable credit card machines that waiters have in France. They run your card right at the table. It's much more efficient than having the waiter run back and forth to the register a couple of times for every dinner bill.
