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Hot Rods Driving a hot rod in Atlanta traffic

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by HOTRODPRIMER, Nov 15, 2021.

  1. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,052

    wicarnut
    Member

    Reading all the comments about traffic today in I have a few. I've noticed cars no longer have turn signals, it's too much work or thought process, up is right, down is left, tailgating, if you leave a car length + 1/2 car someone will dive in there because you were holding them up, does not matter if 30, 45 or 75 mph, again turn signals optional, Now the curb lane is a traffic lane everywhere and a common passing lane in the city, Yellow light at controlled intersection now means, stand on gas, can't be held up for a 2/3 minutes, people now drive 20/30 mph in WalMart and Strip Mall parking lots, I drive 5/10 mph max over posted and I'm the rolling chicane just about anywhere I drive, I'm the Old Fart holding up traffic, Enough Bitching, I have many things I'm Thankful for, Happy Thanksgiving !
     
    Chris Nantus likes this.
  2. junkyardjeff
    Joined: Jul 23, 2005
    Posts: 8,588

    junkyardjeff
    Member

    Normally I would be rolling through Atlanta this weekend but maybe next year but if I take the new job it might be another year.
     
    spanners likes this.
  3. Jacksmith
    Joined: Sep 24, 2009
    Posts: 1,565

    Jacksmith
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Aridzona

    Yeah, I guess I strayed off the exact topic there... (Squirell!)... The last time I drove through Atlanta, I was driving an e-bay purchased old Dodge pick-up from Florida to Chicago & it was pouring rain. The windshield was leaking and the highway was a maze of barricades & construction... a grey hair producing trip for sure! Next time I'll take a by-pass!!!
     
  4. Sky Six
    Joined: Mar 15, 2018
    Posts: 9,480

    Sky Six
    Member
    from Arizona

    Being in the far West Valley I see lots of hay or cotton. When I have to go downtown to the VA hospital, I leave at least a half hour before I should. I also listen to "quiet" music and not Sympathy for the devil. Then I get to the hospital parking structure, park and settle down. This works about 80% of the time...the rest of the time they are a bunch of asshats on the roads.
     

  5. YOU have hit it on the head exactly! I totally agree.
     
    wicarnut likes this.
  6. texasred
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Posts: 1,202

    texasred
    Member
    from Houston

    any large city is now crap shoot no matter what kind of car or truck, should be a nationwide law you have to ride a motorcycle for a year before getting into a car
     
  7. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki





    Hello,

    The areas of Portland/Seattle vs Ft. Lauderdale/West Palm Beach are similar. At least one is on the same Eastern seaboard area on Highway 95 along the coast. Our driving experiences from our long time So Cal living and adjusting has made us leery when on long drives to different cities. We usually center ourselves in the visiting city or resort and based on that, as well as learned responses about big city driving vs. times.

    We use the same rule as adjusting to freeway traffic in our local neighborhood and when driving through Los Angeles. It is not as crazy as most think when they read the headlines about traffic in So Cal. We had to adjust to it just like adjusting to the coastal drive through the waterfront Seattle area and the crazy bridges in the Portland area.
    upload_2021-11-26_4-53-54.png
    Once, we were caught coming home just after the 3:00pm traffic in Portland from the Southwest area. We started to get a slow down and decided one of two options, get off of the freeway and have an early dinner/shopping excursion or continue driving. We got off of the freeway and I found a side street that ran parallel to the freeway going back into Vancouver, Washington over the huge bridge.

    For some reason, the highway next to the freeway was not crowded and we moved past the bumper to bumper traffic on the freeway headed over the bridge. Why? Who knows, but in most cities, including So Cal area, there are always parallel side streets that are better than the main road to get from point A to point B.

    It is the same in all major cities. Our travels to the Pacific Northwest had us going through Seattle plenty of times. It was all good as we timed our arrival and departure during non rush hour freeway times. But, even on the crowded city streets, people seemed like they were in a hurry, so caution was always a need. We were never in a hurry on our road trips.

    We would eventually get to our destination and if timed correctly, miss most of the madness. In the city driving of the Seattle waterfront locations, people were still in a hurry and seemed like they were thinking if I don’t see the water, it will disappear. Not too friendly drivers even during off hours.

    On our Eastcoast road trip, the Fort Lauderdale area was usually the same as any big city. Off hours were 60-70 mph on the freeways like Highway 95. But along the coast, it must have been those same people from Seattle, as they seemed to be in a hurry. Isn’t coastal driving anywhere supposed to be calming with the ocean on one side and the views they give?

    My wife and I had planned our itinerary to get us to West Palm Beach along the coast. We did not want to miss seeing and feeling the Atlantic Ocean on our little feet. The drive was pleasant, different than the Pacific Ocean views and feelings, but at least it was the ocean and coastline driving. Never a bad thing, except during hurricanes.

    Perhaps it is the locations. The inland streets seemed similar anywhere, but as long as your driving is planned and you don’t make radical stops or lane changes, people seem to be ok. Visitors or locals, a car and good driving are similar anywhere. It all worked down to timing the duration/local time of the drives. We were usually taking a nap during rush hours in the afternoon and had already seen the “sights” during the mid morning hours.

    Jnaki

    So, from experiences in some of the largest cities to the small towns on the Eastcoast, Midwest, Oklahoma and even on the Westcoast, timing is the key to enjoying the drives, wherever they are. For us, and all of the miles put on our cars from age 16 to the present, it still holds true as to the idea of timing where and when you drive.
    upload_2021-11-26_4-58-59.png
    Nowhere is it more crowded than on PCH in the whole downtown area of So Cal’s Laguna Beach. In the summer, the street is clogged so much and people are anxious that they will miss the only open parking spot on the beach area. Those driver's rushing and tempers do flare. But, as locals, we know to stay off of the PCH jam up every time it was necessary to drive up or down the coast.

    So, we knew different local routes that paralleled the PCH jams and if we had to be on the road on those times, the alternate routes gave us a “locals only” advantage. It is the same in most cities. Summer tourists are too caught up on being there and don’t want to miss anything, as if the resort areas will go away if not used or seen. YRMV





     
  8. garbage gang
    Joined: Jun 10, 2020
    Posts: 1

    garbage gang

    I live outside of Atlanta and my c10 is my only vehicle. I know my truck and take it anywhere I need to go. You get used to it if you have too
     
  9. Hemi Joel
    Joined: May 4, 2007
    Posts: 1,528

    Hemi Joel
    Member
    from Minnesota

    I'd rather drive thru Atlanta than Minneapolis/St. Paul. At least in Georgia, most people try to keep up a decent pace. In Minneapolis, they drive 50-60 in all the lanes, and there is no way to get around them. Plus they all try to merge with the brake pedal.
     
  10. [​IMG]

    This is for anyone who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, has ever lived in Atlanta, has ever visited Atlanta, ever plans to visit Atlanta, knows anyone who already lives in Atlanta, or knows anyone who has ever heard of Atlanta.
    Atlanta is composed mostly of one-way streets. The only way to get out of downtown Atlanta is to turn around and start over when you reach Greenville, South Carolina.
    It generally takes about an Hour, to an Hour and a Half to get to Atlanta, from Atlanta.
    There is no real Rapid-Transit or Mass-Transit system in Atlanta. There’s something called MARTA (Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) that doesn’t cover all of Metro Atlanta, and that’s neither “Rapid” nor “Mass”. It’s more of an “Afterthought-last-chance-of-getting-someplace-Transit”
    Carpooling rarely happens.
    Atlantans love their cars as much as their privacy. There are High Occupancy Vehicle lanes that had to be converted to toll lanes because there weren’t enough 2 or more passenger cars to make it worthwhile.
    People have been ticketed for having blow up toys in the passenger seat and dolls in car seats just to try and fake carpooling.
    All directions start with, "Go down Peachtree" and include the phrase, "When you see the Waffle House." except for Cobb County, where all directions begin with, "Go to the Big Chicken" (Including GPS directions).
    Peachtree Street has no beginning and no end and is not to be confused with:
    Peachtree Circle
    Peachtree Place
    Peachtree Lane
    Peachtree Road
    Peachtree Parkway
    Peachtree Run
    Peachtree Terrace
    Peachtree Avenue
    Peachtree Commons
    Peachtree Battle
    Peachtree Corners
    New Peachtree
    Old Peachtree
    West Peachtree
    Peachtree-Dunwoody
    Peachtree-Chamblee
    Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
    Or any of the 30+ additional streets that have Peachtree in their names.
    Atlantans only know their way to work and their way home. If you ask anyone for directions, they will always send you down
    Peachtree.

    The gates at Atlanta 's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are about 32 miles away from the Main Concourse, so wear sneakers and pack a lunch.
    The 8 a.m. rush hour is from 6:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
    The 5 p.m. rush hour is from 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 pm.
    All remaining hours are the lunch rush hour.
    Friday's rush hour starts Thursday afternoon and lasts through 2 a.m. Saturday.
    Red Lights and Stop Signs in Atlanta aren't treated as LAW. They're more like suggestions.
    If the Light has been red for a while, you probably should stop, but if it's only about to turn red, speed up - You Can Make It!
    And a STOP sign is treated as a "Slow-down-just-enough-to-make-sure-there's-not-a-cop" Sign.

    And yes, they have a street named simply, "Boulevard."
    The falling of one raindrop causes all drivers to immediately forget all traffic rules.

    I-285, the loop that encircles Atlanta, has a posted speed limit of 55-65 mph but you have to maintain 80 mph just to keep from getting run over and is known to truckers as "The Watermelon 500."
    And 285 has wonderful directional signs that advise towns like “Augusta, Greenville, Chattanooga, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Macon” depending which part of the Circle of Hell you are trying to enter. BUT, 285 does NOT take you to any of those cities. It merely points you in a general direction that might lead you there eventually on other highways.
    Hell, 285 won’t even take you to Atlanta.
    Don't believe the directional markers on highways: I-285 is marked "East" and "West" but you may be going North or South. The locals identify the direction by referring to the "Inner Loop" and the "Outer Loop ." If you travel on Hwy 92 North, you will actually be going southeast.
    Never buy a ladder or mattress in Atlanta. Just go to one of the interstates and you will soon find one in the middle of the road.
     
    chopped, wicarnut, delray57 and 4 others like this.
  11. junkyardjeff
    Joined: Jul 23, 2005
    Posts: 8,588

    junkyardjeff
    Member

    Its almost 10.30 and this is the time I like to be going through Atlanta and glad I am not going through there tonight with everyone coming back home.
     
  12. The biggest issue I have with Atlanta (or GA drivers in general) is the tendency to drive without care for whoever is in behind/around them. They accelerate like it's Sunday afternoon and the road's empty (when in reality, there are 10+ cars waiting behind them), they change lanes without any regard to the 3 second rule (had one fellow with a car full of little kids tell me it was now a 1 second rule), and (the best) pull out of their side street/driveway right in front of you after they've waited until it's unsafe to do so (and mostly on 45-55 mph roads)... oh, did I mention sitting in the left lane at or under the speed limit (GA state law requires you to ride the right lanes EXCEPT to pass, but that's an issue in lots of places, like VA)?

    I cut my teeth driving in Philly, along the Schuylkill Expressway, I95, the River Drives, and Roosevelt Blvd, so I've had plenty of experiences with aggressive drivers, but "Atlanta" drivers took some getting used to... :p
     
  13. I really hope to say that same thing in the semi near future.......granted around here isn't Los Angeles, but I have been here long enough to see the area die a slow death, traffic SUCKS.
     
    51504bat likes this.
  14. hot rods have to be driven like motorcycles, and people will miss that you're there just as much.
     
  15. F-ONE
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 3,271

    F-ONE
    Member
    from Alabama

    [​IMG]
     
    Petejoe likes this.
  16. Zax
    Joined: May 21, 2017
    Posts: 623

    Zax
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. 1952-59 Ford Social Group

    Do not go down Boulevard at night, heck even during the day it's sketchy.

    I love my city, but driving in it i'm sure has cost my hairline at least half an inch over the years... So glad my job is full remote these days.
     
  17. Fingers
    Joined: Feb 23, 2005
    Posts: 118

    Fingers
    Member

    My commute is 30 miles, and 32 minutes at the speed limit.
    Cruise control and no stress
     
  18. cfmvw
    Joined: Aug 24, 2015
    Posts: 977

    cfmvw
    Member

    I-95 in Maine is a cakewalk by comparison, but I avoid driving on it as much as possible because it's still crazy. I'm in a vanpool to get back and forth to work, so I don't have to deal with any traffic.
     
  19. GlassThamesDoug
    Joined: May 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,527

    GlassThamesDoug
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I'll drive US Routes & State Routes around it before ever going thru Atlanta again.

    Some great scenery on back routes...
     
    Petejoe likes this.
  20. redoxide
    Joined: Jul 7, 2002
    Posts: 756

    redoxide
    Member

    rush hour near Lochinver, west coast of Scotland October 2020

    5fd9eeb8-6916-4fa9-b419-c9e90cce7e8c.JPG thumbnail (2).jpg
     
  21. Petejoe
    Joined: Nov 27, 2002
    Posts: 12,263

    Petejoe
    Member
    from Zoar, Ohio

    9F68B394-9C95-4035-BCFE-911F70E7CC13.png
    We will be pulling a 38 footer through Atlanta in a couple weeks.
    My plans are to take a western route around it. Primarily on Route 27.
    Is that a good route to use?
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2021
  22. chopped
    Joined: Dec 9, 2004
    Posts: 2,139

    chopped
    Member

    27 from Carrollton to LaGrange is a good run, never been north of Carrollton on it. I live close the to 27 but use 285 west bypass when going thru the state.
     
    Petejoe likes this.
  23. Petejoe
    Joined: Nov 27, 2002
    Posts: 12,263

    Petejoe
    Member
    from Zoar, Ohio

    Thanks.
    I plan to get off of 75 going south near Rome then take 27 south to LaGrange.
     
  24. flatmotor40
    Joined: Apr 14, 2010
    Posts: 621

    flatmotor40
    Member
    from georgia

    No good route even 27 north.Just have to grin and bare it.I stay out of Atl unless I go to the doctor.Everyday crash crash all around but go through around lunch time but never after 2pm
     
  25. Pinstriper40
    Joined: Sep 24, 2007
    Posts: 3,602

    Pinstriper40
    Member

    I've driven old cars in big cities... Denver, Minneapolis, Wichita, Austin... And when I get home to my town with three stoplights I really feel grateful. There are too many bad drivers out there.
     
  26. 6sally6
    Joined: Feb 16, 2014
    Posts: 2,459

    6sally6
    Member

    You sound just like "the-guy" we don't want and certainly don't need!!
    We get enough of "your-kind" from New Yourk and Joeyzee that love to rush-rush and tell everybody else how to do stuff.
    The great-state of Californication needs you righ where you are! You helped create that mess now..........you clean it up. Don't come out here with your attitude and pocket full of ways for US to be more like you...
    6sally6
    PS Yep drive in Atlanta with my old hot rod and can't say I enjoy it any more (or less)
    6s6
     
    phat rat likes this.
  27. JWL115C
    Joined: Jan 28, 2010
    Posts: 286

    JWL115C
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Driving a vintage vehicle in a city with fast and crowded traffic is like trying to land a Piper Cub at LAX.
     
    51504bat and chopnchaneled like this.

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