Vroom Vroom

Thursday, August 22, 2013 - Day 28 Living Down Under

Around here they have cameras all over the roads taking pictures of violators.  They snap your picture while you are breaking the law and then they mail you a ticket.  So far,  I haven't gotten one. (knock on wood) They will give tickets for 2 km over the speed limit. (That's  about 1.5 mph over).  They will snap your pic if you are holding a cell phone while driving.  You can't text or be making phone calls, even at red lights. (A friend got a ticket over $300  for using her cell.)  And you better not pull over that white line when stopping for a red light.  Or bam, you get a ticket.  It's only a matter of time before one of us gets a ticket.  Who do you think will be first?  Erich or Me? 

Because of the cameras,  most people obey the laws.  They seem to be kinder drivers that are more considerate of others.  They slow way down and observe the lowered speed limit in construction zones, they (usually) don't try to bully their way ahead when two lanes become one, they don't ride your tail if you are going slower, and they allow people to merge in front of them.  I spend 2 hours a day in the car driving right now since the kids' school is so far from our hotel.  I'm seeing a lot of road time.  It's so nice to drive in an atmosphere like that!  

We kept seeing cars with a big L or P on the back and we were wondering what they meant. When you turn 16 and you pass a drivers test,  you have to have the L, for "learner" on the back of your car for one year.  After that,  you have to have the P, for provisional. You get your full license when you turn 19 and have had your P for at least a year! 

They have random breathalyzer tests morning and night. (Yes! The morning! For people that have been out all night partying or started too early.) (But is there really a too early?)  If you get stopped at a random check you have to do the test or you will be arrested. No other choice.  The legal limit is lower here.



Thank goodness for these signs on the street! They keep me going the right way!

Our household goods are still in Sydney and we got word that the quarantine will start on August 29th.  We don't know exactly what that means other then that's when they start going through our stuff.  Fingers crossed they don't find a problem! We still don't have a better time line than that.  It could be 2 more weeks.  Or it could be four...  Tomorrow will mark 4 weeks since we arrived in Canberra.  I can't believe it.

Random Observations and Thoughts...

• You know the dot at the end of the sentence that we call a period? They call is a "full stop."
• The legal drinking age here is 18.
• Instead of saying "he has a handicap", they say "he has handicap."
• A group of kangaroos is called a troop or a mob. 
• September 1 is Father's Day here.