iGo
My youngest daughter and I were taking a walk after our Sunday morning breakfast when I looked up to see a sign for iGoCars.org.
Could it be? I’ve heard of these programs in California, and that they’re quite successful out there. But can the city with possibly the worst drivers and the worst road rage I’ve ever seen (including New York City) really handle playing nicey-nice with shared vehicles?
It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out. I’m rooting for it, I really am. But I have serious doubts.
soapbox
ps- Will everyone please do everyone else a favor and pick up your DMV handbook from time to time? Merging traffic has the right of way people!!!
/soapbox
It’s been around for a while now in Chicago, hasn’t it?
1. Worse drivers/road rage in Chicago than LA?! I think not.
2. iGo has been in Chicago since March of 2002, and they are adding more cars to more areas, so they must be working out okay…
I think iGo has been in Chicago for about two years now.
Well maybe I should walk around downtown more often. I just saw this sign for the first time. It’s a great idea. I’d like to know how it’s going. Does anyone know anyone who uses this service?
Dave, I challenge you to a duel. You call the weapon.
I’m pretty sure that Chicago drivers (broad stroke) are way worse drivers than anywhere else in the country.
Might I suggest that we settle this debate over a friendly turtle race?
I don’t think you’ve spent much time driving in LA then… or San Francisco. Or D.C. (which, in my experience is the worst).
In fact, in the Allstate “Safe Driver” Rankings for 2005, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and D.C. (among others) all rank worse than Chicago.
Not that people here don’t drive like ass, but they aren’t the *worst*.
What are they basing that on? Have they met that beyotch who cut me off, then flipped me off, then went back to reading the paper and finishing her cell phone call & morning coffee? I hate her.
“Merging traffic has the right of way people!!!”
Really? Since when? I’m not saying through traffic shouldn’t slow down to allow other drivers to merge and avoid accidents, but I’d like to know where in the Illinois Rules of the Road it says that through traffic HAS to give the right of way to merging traffic.
I assume you don’t bring this point up to be argumentative. Are you suggesting that perhaps merging traffic does not have this privilege?
Ok– here we are:
“YIELD: The three-sided (triangle) sign tells you to give the right-of-way to all vehicles and pedestrians near you. Slow down to a safe speed and stop if necessary. When stopping, do so at a marked crosswalk or before entering the intersection.
You may also see YIELD signs on expressway ramps. They are posted when there is no extra lane where drivers may speed up to join with expressway traffic.”
Right-of-way laws tell drivers who goes first in different situations. To yield means a driver gives the right-of-way to another driver or pedestrian. A driver must yield:
-when approaching a YIELD sign.
(I should clarify: I was specifically referencing traffic merging onto the freeway from entrance ramps. That’s my most common problem, drivers who are above allowing others onto the freeway.)
I can’t stand people who are above allowing others on the freeway too. But merging drivers have a responsibility as well and can’t just assume they have the right-of-way. For example, a lot of expressway ramps don’t have a yield sign, but they do have a merge sign. And now that I’ve found the Illinois Rules of the Road online, I find this passage under “Right-of-Way”:
“A driver must yield…to through traffic when approaching a MERGE sign. You must increase or decrease speed to avoid an accident.”
I guess I interpret “through traffic” as traffic that’s already on the highway, not those traffic that’s merging. Anyways, I definitely agree that if Chicago drivers had a more defensive mindset, the roads would be a happier place.