What's so bad about running the Northeast?

I abhor running the NE because for me, it's a different world. And not a better one, I'm from a small town in the midwest.
The NE has too many hills, I'm not talking about mountains now. Mountains you go wayyyy up, then wayyyyy down. I mean that in the NE, you're either going up, or your going down. No flat land. Ok, NJ is flat, but that's about the only thing good about it, sorry.
The roads are tiny and twisting, the road numbering system, if there IS a system is to bizzare for me to figure out. No where to safely park a truck. No where to safely turn one around if you miss a turn. Rest areas that you can't rest in. What's up with that? What's the use of a rest area with a 2 hour parking limit?
Rude people that are all seemingly on speed or something as they all seem to be in a rush. Too many people crammed to close together, to much traffic. No where to get something to eat. Well, there are places to eat, but no where you can park a truck and eat.
Road signs that are misleading or just plain not where you need them. What's up with a "no trucks beyond this point" sign in the middle of a block or at an intersection where trucks can't turn OFF of the marked street because the cross street is also forbidden to trucks?
Docks, dock areas and intersections that are too tight and crowded to be safely navigated by a 70 foot long vehicle. Did I mention no where to park?
Day cabs and straight trucks driven by drivers that are just as rude and rushed as the 4 wheelers.
I know it sounds like I bashing here, but you DID ask.

 

I've never driven a rig in NYC, but I lived there for five years and have driven cars there. It's bad enough in a car! I once tried to enter NYC via the George Washington bridge on a Sunday evening. 5 and a half hours!! I am a company driver. Without any bonus, what would that come to, about 15 cents an hour?

When I was lived there (1989-1994) the only time Manhattan didn't have massive traffic jams everywhere was between 2 am and 5am. I worked a while in the 14th Street meat district on the West Side. You would never get your shifter in the high range there for sure.

Also, when I was there, jaywalking was the norm. People step in to the street with no regard to the vehicles. So be prepared to pound your brakes several times each block. If you run someone over, you may be able to prove it wasn't your fault. But you still have to stay for hours filling out reports and pulling pieces of brain and guts out of your grill.

 

Hey HardCard does this bring back any memories of The Big Apple ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv-ISen-UTQ

and to think, we wedge trucks through this place. Well not me....THEM !

 

Haha Not bad actually, bunch of "Fighter Jocks". The fact that they pretty blatently broke tons of rules, sometimes right in front of cops just shows that in NY there are rules in books, and there are 'the way things get done'.

I hope if I ever nail one of these fools though, that they are dumb enough to have this much incriminating evidence. You blow the red? It sucks to be you. You're on a bike, I'm driving a Town Car (at least in my limo days)

 

Ha Ha Ha, yea from what I understand those bike messengers are not very well liked up there.

 

I guess my inner hoodlum kinda likes them, because it was the kinda stuff I would have done when I was 14. The whole blatent disrespect for authority thing too kind of appeals.

But then I think about how many times, in that video alone, they ran lights and cut off cross traffic. And when I used to be a cab driver green lights on a crosstown street in NY were everything. I'm just thinking about trying to make a light and having some hotdog flip over my hood. And even if I had the green light, and was obeying the laws, the courts would come down on me.

A little locals only trick:

It's all psychological warfare. Put on your game face and give the pedestrians and bikers the impression that you WILL run them over. It really is like the whole alpha male/lord of the jungle thing. You just slowly nudge your way into a packed cross walk and eventually a hole will open. It's the out of towners waiting for a hole in the crowd that cause traffic to back up.

He who hesitates goes 2nd.

 

I like that ! A look at the New York Minute mentality. I used to deliver to a place in College Point Queens and the customer would let me park there after they unloaded me. I would walk around a little bit, eat some good pizza, and just look at the people. Overall I was very surprised the first time I went as to how nice the people were well a few of em !

 

I drove for an air expediter in S. Jersey, When I went to New York City i allways took a 12 ft. clearence trailer and slipped in through the Lincoln Tunnel to go to the general post office terminal on 9 th Ave. Saved me a ton of time. I was surprised they let TT got through it. Was before 911, may be different now.
New York, 5 burroughs was always like a foriegn country to me.
Getting back into driving, will see it again I'm sure.

 

ye gods, that brings back memories!

gotta respect the bike messengers though.... they push limit all day long for same reason truckers do, they get paid by the piece and truckers by the mile.... only difference, they are MUCH more squashable!

I remember when I moved to NYC back in '92. It took a good two weeks to get my head around the traffic... the foot traffic that is! everyone there walks like they have a high gear that non-new yorkers don't know about. I finally learned how to do that mental 'shift' and I was running over toddlers and stray dogs with the best of 'em! LOL

I do hope I get back to NY... have a lot of old haunts I'd like to see (prob'ly have to take a couple trips!) especially Two Boots Pizza, Red Hot Szechuan and a Essa-bagels! and, of course a couple of Indian Restaurants out in Queens (the real little india!)

I'll have to make sure the companies I apply to all run to NYC.... let them know I have no timidness about NY traffic.

 

anyone on the us express NE regional virginia to maine how is it, how long are you out on the rd