Steet Directory Syndrome

The other thread about female navigators got me thinking about another strange phenomena ......namely.

When you are driving and are in a hurry and need to refer to the street directory all of a sudden all the traffic lights will synchronise to turn green.

OK sometimes they will tease you by being red,,,only to turn green when you stop and put your hand on the directory...that has inevitably fallen onto the passenger side floor facilitating releasing and then a hastily, fumbled refastening of ones seatbelt.

This phenomena is so constant I feel it must be a Universal Truth like Murphy's Law...............or am I the only one to have noticed this?:rolleyes:

Has anyone else noticed? (add twilight zone theme music here)

Yes I have experienced this but I think there is a logical explanation for it: the guys in the traffic control room are toying with you :)

It is a universal constant. :D

A similar thing occurs when smoking, it only falls from your lips when driving in shorts in busy traffic or high speed on a freeway :oo:.

Glad I got a gps and gave up smoking in 2002, some types of excitement we just don't need in our lives :wink:

Yep!! Definitely a universal law. Also works with kids dropping stuff on stretches of road with no stopping opportunities.:doh:

And when the kid says "Gota go to toilet...NOW" there will be nowere to stop and solid traffic.

And when you want ta take a bite of yousandwhich.:doh:
And when you want to sip your hot coffee.:oo:

Or reach over a get a drink out of your fridge :)

Does anyone know if it's actually illegal to eat and/or drink while you're driving? Someone once told me it was but sounds like a myth to me.

Now come on surely not :B

Never had any trouble like that driving heavy vehicles, directory sat nicely inside the steering wheel, as did the Daily Telegraph coffee sat at my right, hand burger on the dash a quick bite or sip between gear changes and turning round corners :no: problem :doh:

But those woman putting on their make up in their little cars wondering all over the road:doh::((:oo: not to mention trying pulling on pantyhose between lights

Its illegal to drink an alcoholic beverage but not a softdrink in NSW anyway. Bleedin wowsers!

Yeah thought so. What about leaning over and getting a drink out of your fridge while you're hurtling down a freeway at 110kph in a B-Double full of paper?

obviously out of reach should have had the fridge right at his elbow so when he opened it up his hand went straight to it.:doh:.

No different to putting in a Tape/CD/DVD using CB radio, two way radio, smoking looking for that lighter. turning round to slap the kids or stop the fighting.

never have those problems on two wheels just use a long straw

I'm waiting for a Braille street directory. I can't drive with my reading glasses on and can't read a street directory without them...and I can't stand a womans voice telling me where to go.:rolleyes:

Why is it that the place/ street you want is always right in the middle of where the bluddy directory is stapled/ glued/ concreted together?

Third Law of Street Directories.

"Street Directories shall not be used when the radio is turned on"

I hate being navigator because as soon as I look down at the map I feel car sick.:puke:

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Originally Posted by tea lady

I hate being navigator because as soon as I look down at the map I feel car sick.:puke:

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What? All those squiggly lines and place names make you giddy? :)

/me runs and hides

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Originally Posted by silentC

Or reach over a get a drink out of your fridge :)

Does anyone know if it's actually illegal to eat and/or drink while you're driving? Someone once told me it was but sounds like a myth to me.

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it is here in Vic got a ticket for eating a hamburger (for not haveing full control of the car):C

Strange as it may seem, there have been a plethora of patents issued for Auxiliary Steering Devices; from USno. 0751876 (9 Feb 1904) to at least as recent as USno. 5598742 (4 Feb 1997). All to facilitate eating, drinking, smoking, etc. while driving. Enter [5598742] at http://www.google.com/patents and see "Citations" for more.

Generally, patents may not be issued for illegal activities. I don't know how that last one got by.

Joe

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Originally Posted by Christopha

Why is it that the place/ street you want is always right in the middle of where the bluddy directory is stapled/ glued/ concreted together?

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Statistially the road you want will be more likely to be near an edge than than the centre of a directory map. If You look at a map age of say 15*22cm you have a map area of 330 sq cm. If you count the edge as a 3 cm band around the perimeter that band has an area of 186 sq cm. Therefore you have a better than even chance (56.4%) that the point you wish to find is within 3 cm of an edge,

So sometimes your perception is real.

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Originally Posted by Christopha

Why is it that the place/ street you want is always right in the middle of where the bluddy directory is stapled/ glued/ concreted together?

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This is the corollary of the 2nd Lieutenant's law - all the best battles are held on the edge of the map.

I'm sure there is another law about why the maps are hard to read, Invading army chiefs end up having a fight with their navigator way before they get to the battle field. Canberra as built on those laws for sure.:rolleyes: