For a small-town driver, things to know about New York City traffic? -

I have not driven in New York before, have done highways but in smaller town with decent traffic, and never really been in many traffic jams. The traffic here is very different.I m going on business to New York shortly and thinking about getting a car. Yes, I know there are subways and cabs and buses, but really want to be able to have my own car now that it is winter. I m a bit nervous because NYC is notorious for its traffic. Can you guys tell me some about the traffic there and what I ll need to deal with? Tips for someone who hasn t driven in big cities, much less ever run into traffic cops?

I need more details. Until then, drive safely

Joe, you have a great way with words : )Everyone here is right. If you drive in NYC better take some aspirin, cause driving s a headache.You may be better off Parking and Riding (park your car outside of NYC, hop on either a train (depending on where you re coming from, i.e. train to Grand Central, NY Penn Station) or NJ Transit train to the Secaucus Transfer (there s parking there), hop the train to NY Penn Station (puts you midtown) or Hoboken, then take PATH to the WTC.Good luck

We play bumper cars with real cars :) Please reconsider driving in my town,

The highway lanes are going to be a lot narrower than what you re used to, for starters. Also, entrances to the highway are going to be shorter, so merging onto it will be difficult. People in NY are not polite drivers. They won t wave you in when you want to change lanes. You need to be as aggressive as everyone else. It will be stressful, so keep your radio off. I know that seems extreme, but you ll want to concentrate. You probably won t want to drive, though, because parking is next to impossible. You re going to end up paying so much money for parking garages ($20 and up!) that you ll cry each day.

If you insist on having your own car, then here s the skinny.I assume you mean Manhattan when you say New York.Parking on the street is a miracle.Parking near where you re going is a miracle with sprinkles on top.Parking in a paid garage is about $50 per day. You will find the fees you actually pay akin to a bazaar in Morocco.The roadmap of New York is pretty straight forward. Streets run east and west, Avenues North and south. 1 miles is roughly 20 blocks (streets) along an Ave.Gas stations are few and expensive and limited to the peripheral edges of town.The general rules are : If I get the nose of my car ahead of yours I have the right of way.Taxis will only stop short on days ending in Y .The narrower the street the more trucks are required to make deliveries on that street.Traffic cops are there to keep traffic moving, unless you block the intersection (block the box), hit somebody, or otherwise obstruct the flow of traffic you have nothing to worry about.Pedestrians are always right, even when they are wrong. And there are a lot of em !Do yourself a big favor and reconsider the car unless you plan to go far from the city and need it for that.Chances are you will walk further from parking to your destination than from the subway stop.Good luck and have a nice trip.

skip the car, seriously. It s not worth the time and money. City drivers are a breed all there own (most of us don t drive, about 1/2 don t own a car, and i d say about 2/3 to 3/4th of those don t even have a license.) Unless posted on a road sign, right turns on red lights are NOT allowed in the city. Parking prices are sky high (I ve seen over $12 an hour, and that was in Downtown Brooklyn). Gas is high too. people are some times willing to risk running dry in the tunnel to get cheaper gas in New Jersey. Street parking is a nightmare. Large sections of midtown are either no parking at all or deliveries only during the work day hours.