Driving in America - a view from an Englishman.

[MrJan]

No we don't use the chip & pin though most major card issuers are going that way. Long overdue. The magnetic strip is way too easy to fool. and there is massive fraud here as a result. In a number of ways you guys are ahead of us.

Over here the magnetic strip is pretty much useless, except in banks. I had a problem where a zip in my wallet broke the chip on my card (actually happened twice before I realised what the problem was) and I couldn't get money or pay for anything anywhere. Even getting money out of cash machines or some places where they have the ability to swipe wouldn't work.

We're now moving towards more 'contactless' places where payments under £20 just require you to hold the card near the machine.

As for driving in the US, sounds like a lot of it is the same as when I was in Canada. The drive from the airport in Toronto to my brother's house 20 minutes away was just madness, the way that people change lanes and how close they drive to each other is insane. It's not so bad out of the City but still not great. On the plus side, at least if some dick is sat in the middle lane you can quite happily undertake him.

[Mark]

Last time I drive in America was 2003 but my experience was about the same. Nobody stuck to the speed limit on the freeway and there was no lane discipline.

The junctions on the whole compared to the UK were poorly signed and easy to miss. Especially with no countdown markers.

Stop signs are strange too. You don't even need a roundabout. Just give way lines would do fine.

[donKey jote]

I always like the turn right even when red rules

[555-04Q2]

Driving here is much the same. Nobody obeys the rules anymore!

[Zeakiwi]

The magnetic strip and chip cards are still subject to fraud. The next addition to that ever size increasing wallet will be the 'credit card defender' - an aluminium lined credit card holder to reduce the possibility of your card's info from being remotely skimmed.
http://www.rippleshot.com/chip-pin-e...p-fraud-heres/

http://youtu.be/tVf9ZRD53BE (credit card defender)

[schmenke]

I can’t say that I’ve ever had any issues with the roads or highway system in the U.S. In fact, I find for the most part, they are well laid out and easy to use. I think much of the negative issues are more a result of poor driving habits, which is as much the case here in Canada as it is in the U.S.

But I agree, the U.S. needs to adapt the chip technology for payment as this has been the norm in Canada for several years now.

[schmenke]

Now that's another thing. I tried to buy a Metro card for the New York subway with my credit card and couldn't because it asked for a zip code. ....

That reminds me of the following true story.

A while back I was trying to place an on-line purchase through a U.S. based retailer (I can’t remember for what). However the web site indicated that transactions for shipments to Canada required calling their 1-800 number. So I promptly called and explained to the person on the phone that I was calling from Canada and wished to ship the item to my Canadian address. The conversation went something like this:

“O.k.” the operator replied pleasantly, “What city are you calling from sir?”

“Calgary” I replied.

“And what state is that in?”

“Erm” replied I, “well, we don’t have states in Canada, but it’s in the province of Alberta.”

“Hmm” she replies, “that’s not showing up as a selection in our on-line system.”

“Yes, I know, that’s why I’m calling this number.”

“O.k. I guess we’ll have to do a manual order. What’s your zip code?”

“Erm...”

[Starter]

That reminds me of the following true story.

A while back I was trying to place an on-line purchase through a U.S. based retailer (I can’t remember for what). However the web site indicated that transactions for shipments to Canada required calling their 1-800 number. So I promptly called and explained to the person on the phone that I was calling from Canada and wished to ship the item to my Canadian address. The conversation went something like this:

“O.k.” the operator replied pleasantly, “What city are you calling from sir?”

“Calgary” I replied.

“And what state is that in?”

“Erm” replied I, “well, we don’t have states in Canada, but it’s in the province of Alberta.”

“Hmm” she replies, “that’s not showing up as a selection in our on-line system.”

“Yes, I know, that’s why I’m calling this number.”

“O.k. I guess we’ll have to do a manual order. What’s your zip code?”

“Erm...”

reminds me of the call center person I spoke with a couple of years ago who insisted I couldn't ship something to an address in Taos because they only shipped to the US and New Mexico was a foreign country.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

reminds me of the call center person I spoke with a couple of years ago who insisted I couldn't ship something to an address in Taos because they only shipped to the US and New Mexico was a foreign country.

Another issue we had in the states was my girlfriends I.D.

In the Europe we have the date format of day/month/year, so as my girlfriend is only just 21 and her birthday is on the 11th of the month, the locals not familiar with this difference mistook her for a 20 year old who didn't turn 21 until November.

Luckily there was an Irish girl at the bar who was aware of the difference.

[MrJan]

Another issue we had in the states was my girlfriends I.D.

In the Europe we have the date format of day/month/year, so as my girlfriend is only just 21 and her birthday is on the 11th of the month, the locals not familiar with this difference mistook her for a 20 year old who didn't turn 21 until November.

Luckily there was an Irish girl at the bar who was aware of the difference.

My brother had a similar problem with a barman who was convinced that he had a fake ID because "there's no 14th month".