Do's & Don'ts in the US !

[evilzee28]

Hi Guys, well, we've finally set the date for coming to the Good 'Ole US of A! We're coming to Florida on March 31st until April 14th 2006. Arriving at Sandford airport & we'll be renting a villa At The Abbey at Westhaven, Orlando.

Now I know we've spoken about stuff on my other posting here but,........What are the do's & don'ts of living/driving in the US, you know "don't go into this area" or "make sure you tip the bellboys", "watch out for alligators" etc etc. I know that it's second nature for you guys but for me it'll be totally alien as I've never been to the US before, come to that I've never driven abroad before either so that'll be a totally new experience just trying to understand the road signs I guess!! lol.Any thoughts would be appreciated. For the driving experience side of things, just remember the first time you went out in a car on your own :eek:Hope to get to NPD to get parts for my car, maybe do the Garlits museum & the Ocala cars thing,anything else you could suggest? Thanks guys,..................Nigel

[907rs]

#1, and definitely the most important rule....... Drive on the right side of the road. :D

[MaxHarvard]

where are you from? that might help us know what to tell you since we can kinda know what to compare it to :)

Lets see, when you see flashing lights behind you... MOVE OVER!! Americans dont even do this, but its common curtesy, as i'm sure it is in your country too :)

Tips... very few hotels in America have bellboys anymore, its rare unless you go to a high-end hotel, so i wouldnt worry about it. Most hotels will turn down the sheets every day, so if you have anything of value in the hotel room, hide it or put it in your rental car... too many horror stories. Plus, if you have money out on the table or somewhere in the hotel, the staff cleaning the room will think its a tip. Just an FYI.

Dont mess with the aligators in FL, they get touchy about that... ;)

Act with confidence when you travel and go places, honestly... people who prey on foreigners can see who's "lost" when they go places and when they arent from the area. Act like you've been there 100,000 times before. The black socks with open toed sandals give away a tourist from 10 miles away :D

[evilzee28]

#1, and definitely the most important rule....... Drive on the right side of the road. :D

Oh Yeah,very good, never thought of that lol :D

Someone told me that the road signs are above the freeways etc but tell you where the intersecting roads are going,not the road you're on (does that make sense) is this right, sounds a load of B***cks to me? Over here the signs on the overheads tell you where your road is going. He also said that sometimes the red traffic lights don't always mean stop, & on occasions you go through them,surely this isn't right!!!!!!!!! I think he's having a laugh at my expense.DOH!!

[evilzee28]

where are you from? that might help us know what to tell you since we can kinda know what to compare it to :)

Lets see, when you see flashing lights behind you... MOVE OVER!! Americans dont even do this, but its common curtesy, as i'm sure it is in your country too :)

Tips... very few hotels in America have bellboys anymore, its rare unless you go to a high-end hotel, so i wouldnt worry about it. Most hotels will turn down the sheets every day, so if you have anything of value in the hotel room, hide it or put it in your rental car... too many horror stories. Plus, if you have money out on the table or somewhere in the hotel, the staff cleaning the room will think its a tip. Just an FYI.

Dont mess with the aligators in FL, they get touchy about that... ;)

Act with confidence when you travel and go places, honestly... people who prey on foreigners can see who's "lost" when they go places and when they arent from the area. Act like you've been there 100,000 times before. The black socks with open toed sandals give away a tourist from 10 miles away :D

Thanks for that Max, I'm from Great Britain if that helps any.Thankfully I don't wear open toe'd sandals so ok there I guess. trouble is if I do get "lost" as soon as I open my mouth they'll know I'm a foreigner for sure "awright mate, 'ows it gowing" lol. :thumbsup:

[Damn True]

With a regular 3 lamp (Red, amber, green) signal lamp if the red lamp is solid red, it means stop until it turns green.
Sometimes you will find that type of lamp flashing red (usually only late at night) when you see this you are to treat the intersection as a 4-way stop yielding right of way to the car on your right.
In some rural areas you will see a single flashing red light over the center of an intersection, again, a 4-way stop.
If you see a flashing yellow you are to slow but not stop for the intersection and proceed with caution.

[dagger]

If you are bringing young children with you (10 years old or less) be sure to arrange for daycare if you plan on making excursions without them. I live in Tampa and it seems like once or twice a year there is a story about European tourists leaving young children alone at their Florida hotel for some length of time. The children always get out of the room and start wandering around and the parents wind up in jail for child neglect/abuse.

On a lighter note, check out the cruise at Old Town in Kissimmee on Saturday nights (I think it's on Saturday nights). Hundreds of cars show up any given weekend. It's pretty cool.

Dave

[evilzee28]

With a regular 3 lamp (Red, amber, green) signal lamp if the red lamp is solid red, it means stop until it turns green.
Sometimes you will find that type of lamp flashing red (usually only late at night) when you see this you are to treat the intersection as a 4-way stop yielding right of way to the car on your right.
In some rural areas you will see a single flashing red light over the center of an intersection, again, a 4-way stop.
If you see a flashing yellow you are to slow but not stop for the intersection and proceed with caution.

Hell that stoplight thing gets complex huh?Whats a 4-way stop,is this where everyone at the intersection has the right of way from all the different directions, sorry for being stupid? :eek:

[evilzee28]

If you are bringing young children with you (10 years old or less) be sure to arrange for daycare if you plan on making excursions without them. I live in Tampa and it seems like once or twice a year there is a story about European tourists leaving young children alone at their Florida hotel for some length of time. The children always get out of the room and start wandering around and the parents wind up in jail for child neglect/abuse.

On a lighter note, check out the cruise at Old Town in Kissimmee on Saturday nights (I think it's on Saturday nights). Hundreds of cars show up any given weekend. It's pretty cool.

Dave

what sort of time does the Old Town thing start & finish?? Are there any best vantage points?

Thanks for the info guys :thumbsup:

[907rs]

Hell that stoplight thing gets complex huh?Whats a 4-way stop,is this where everyone at the intersection has the right of way from all the different directions, sorry for being stupid? :eek:


The person that comes to a stop first has the right-of way, so it's a good idea to pay attention if you come to one.

[MaxHarvard]

The person that comes to a stop first has the right-of way, so it's a good idea to pay attention if you come to one.

Or just do what i do... just sneak your way into the intersection and see if the person lets me go first and if they dont... get all mad and pretend its all his fault!! HAHAHHA!!

:willy:

[Derek69SS]

The unwritten rule of stop signs is "No Cop, No Stop" ;)

You are aware we don't all walk around dressed as cowboys, right? :D

[evilzee28]

The unwritten rule of stop signs is "No Cop, No Stop" ;)

You are aware we don't all walk around dressed as cowboys, right? :D

That'll upset my boy then!!lol, so don't you wear cowboy hats anymore either ??? :unibrow:

[Damn True]

Well, Steve does. But only when he's working at that bar out on the interstate. Chaps too. :eek:

[69MyWay]

Here is your link to Old Town:

http://www.old-town.com/

In Florida you can make a RIGHT turn on a RED LIGHT, only after you have come to a complete stop, looked both ways, and made sure it is safe to do so AND, there is no sign telling you NOT to make a right on red at that particular time of day or intersection in general. Other than that STOP at all red lights.

A 4 way is simply where two roads intersect so that all parties in all directions must come to a stop. The driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.

Please know that traffic in Orlando is CRAZY. It would serve you well to plan your trips out from the area in hours that are off the rush hour grid. Rush hour is anytime from 8-9:30 a.m., noon time, and 4-6:00 p.m. Most business is open from 9-5 and the workers use I-4 and the connecting roads to go to work. If you can get out ahead of that and plan on heading back to the hotel after that you will spend less time in traffic. Even at that traffic is unpredictable in the area. They have large digital road signs that will warn you of traffic problems and give estimated times to make it through different points on I-4.

Make sure you have the newest possible road map/atlas as the roads are under constant change.

You will feel quite at home as Orlando is packed with people from all over the world that time of year.

We would be happy to have your family over for diner one night while you are here. We can take a spin in the cars, and you can tell us all about life across the pond. We need to at least meet up at Old Town.

[69MyWay]

Oh, and here is a trick we use when we go to the theme parks.

1. Get there early right when they open.

2. Once in the park, go as fast as you can to the BACK of the park-bypassing all the attractions as you go.

3. Once you get to the back of the park you can enjoy the rides (the newest are always in the back anyway) with minimal if any lines at all. Work your way forward to the front of the park. You will see the park in 1/2 the time and double your fun not standing in line most of the day.

4. Be strategic in planning your time split between rides and shows and spread it out over the distance of the park.

5. Bring a poncho and be prepared for some rain.

[ProdigyCustoms]

Myway gives great advice on the driving times in Orlando, that was going to be my number one.

# 2 SUNBLOCK, Like 30 or so, everyday. Ya'll are pretty pale, and you'll be dead red in a few days! We always enjoy looking at your burned feet and sandal stripes.

The other thing is tipping. I understand it is not customary to tip over there, and I here many complaints from service people about F--kin Brits, cheap bastards! Servers, Vales, Bellman, even maids, all work for very low salaries, maybe $1.95 per hour, so they count on tips. Now it is not illegal to not tip, and it is done after the service is rendered, so you can get away with not tipping if you don't want to, but I would not suggest going back to the same dinner or you may get a "modified" meal. Normal tips would be:

Servers / waitress / bartender 15% if she is good, 20% if she is real good,

Vale $2 to $3

Bellman $2 per bag

Maid This one is often overlooked, but if you want a really clean room, a couple dollars on the bed each day will help. Be warned ,it is customary here that if it is money on the bed, it is for the maid!

Saftey wise, You are in good shape in Orlando. there pretty much is a unwritten "don't f--k with the tourist" rule here. There are not to many areas of Orlando that are not safe, especially in promotoed areas you will be directed to. Of coarse we have some hoods, and the brothers shoot one another up from time to time. but all in all, your pretty safe here.

[evilzee28]

Here is your link to Old Town:

http://www.old-town.com/



We would be happy to have your family over for diner one night while you are here. We can take a spin in the cars, and you can tell us all about life across the pond. We need to at least meet up at Old Town.

Thanks,that'd be great, we'd would love to take you up on the offer. I'll speak to you about it nearer the time if that's ok :thumbsup:

Thanks for the info, it's as clear as mud now lol :unibrow: No, I think I've got it now, thanks........Nigel
ps how far are you from Westhaven?

[evilzee28]

Myway gives great advice on the driving times in Orlando, that was going to be my number one.

# 2 SUNBLOCK, Like 30 or so, everyday. Ya'll are pretty pale, and you'll be dead red in a few days! We always enjoy looking at your burned feet and sandal stripes.

The other thing is tipping. I understand it is not customary to tip over there, and I here many complaints from service people about F--kin Brits, cheap bastards! Servers, Vales, Bellman, even maids, all work for very low salaries, maybe $1.95 per hour, so they count on tips. Now it is not illegal to not tip, and it is done after the service is rendered, so you can get away with not tipping if you don't want to, but I would not suggest going back to the same dinner or you may get a "modified" meal. Normal tips would be:

Servers / waitress / bartender 15% if she is good, 20% if she is real good,

Vale $2 to $3

Bellman $2 per bag

Maid This one is often overlooked, but if you want a really clean room, a couple dollars on the bed each day will help. Be warned ,it is customary here that if it is money on the bed, it is for the maid!

Saftey wise, You are in good shape in Orlando. there pretty much is a unwritten "don't f--k with the tourist" rule here. There are not to many areas of Orlando that are not safe, especially in promotoed areas you will be directed to. Of coarse we have some hoods, and the brothers shoot one another up from time to time. but all in all, your pretty safe here.

Thanks Frank, it's real strange to have to tip everyone, over here it's not expected unless you go to a restaurant.Good to hear that it's relatively safe as I've heard horror stories of people turning into the wrong areas by mistake & meeting some unsavoury characters. Is there much mugging there? What are the drink laws? Are there any other "unwritten laws" I need to be aware of? thanks for the help guys, greatly appreciated. :thumbsup:

[ProdigyCustoms]

Very little mugging, And even less against tourist. There really is a unwritten do screw with tourist rule. Those guys go pretty much under the jail. And truthfully, most of our grime is in the hood againsnt one another'

Drinking laws, Well, it is illegal to ask the officer to hold your stout while you dig for your registration and liscence.

[evilzee28]

Drinking laws, Well, it is illegal to ask the officer to hold your stout while you dig for your registration and liscence.

Yeah, very good LMAO :D Just wondered why in all the films I've seen, people seem to have booze in brown paper bags? Over here you can walk the streets with crates of the stuff without problems (not that you'd want to of course)lol :unibrow: