How do you deal with the stress of driving in the Newark / New York Area?

Oopsy?

 

Nope. That was me. Some bozo came right alongside me in my blind spot. I needed to change lanes and felt resistance when I moved. I stopped immediately and looked to see what happened and I see this car that wasn't there just before I moved. The guy was upset and called the police. Two of NYPD's finest arrive and ask questions. The trainer cop stepped away to watch traffic leaving things to his lovely partner. She liked me and took my side issuing no citations. I phoned the Incident in to WE claiming no fault and the issue went away.

Wish I had gotten her badge number.

 

I beg to differ! You can get away with running Houston around 1am. Not with NYC don’t matter what time you go there will always be heavy traffic.

 

It got a whole lot easier once I discovered double parking. They get real upset about you sitting at an intersection trying to decide which way to go. Similarly for creeping down the road trying to look at a map while not running over anything. Double park? Not an issue, they'll just go right around you. At most you might have someone ask you to move so they can get out of a parking spot. So when your trip plan falls apart due to clearance, truck/turn restrictions and such you can just stop and figure out what to try now. Go off-duty while you do that and you don't lose that much time. Trying to adapt while you keep rolling and you're burning the clock.

 

Just think about all that good ethnic food. I ate like a king doing food service around the 5 boroughs. Freshly made bagel from a Jewish bakery or a hard roll, pastrami on rye. As soon as i hear NYC my mind goes straight to food lol

 

oh god.... must. have. food.

 

Pink Floyd

 

Yes Driving in those areas are high in the stress factor....and you do get cutoff a lot and turn signals (what are they?) we NY’ers ain’t got time for those.....the accelerator is our main focus...
New Yorkers are always in a hurry...you just got to stay alert.
I drive I-87 a lot and it’s loaded with cops; you can’t drive 10 miles without seeing one and still you see speeders and lots of them and 45 mph construction zone speed limits....they laugh hysterically
They kinda think they’re above the law when they drive...

If they are 3 lanes, stick to middle lane whenever possible...off ramps are famous for being backed up onto highways and for blind merges..
Also. Read all signs and look as far ahead as possible
Know when a lane ends or opens up and anticipate how that changes traffic flow..

Merging and lane changing are the most stressful....in Pa where I live as soon as you put you’re blinker on you will see car at your rear immediately give way and any cars next to you will speed up...
But, in NY it’s like a game of “Hot Potato” The cars all to your rear in your merge lane will speed up until someone decides that the risk isn’t worth it...
With so much traffic in these areas, following distances are at a minimum so being behind a tractor trailer isn’t a place you really want to be...
So when you move over, just do so very slowly even if it takes a tenth of mile to fully complete the lane change....
If merging to your left in stop and go traffic it’s helpful if you can roll down your window and stick your head out to ask for space....it makes you more like a person than a machine...