Montreal City Driving Rules
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A right-lane construction closure is just a game to see how
many people can cut in line by passing you on the right as you
sit in the left lane waiting for the same drivers to squeeze
their way back in before hitting the orange construction
barrels.
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Turn signals will give away your next move. A real Quebec
driver never uses them. Use of them in Montreal may be illegal.
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Under no circumstances should you leave a safe distance
between you and the car in front of you, or the space will be
filled in by somebody else putting you in an even more
dangerous situation.
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Crossing two or more lanes in a single lane-change is
considered "going with the flow."
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The faster you drive through a red light, the smaller the
chance you have of getting hit.
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Never get in the way of an older car that needs extensive bodywork.
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Braking is to be done as hard and late as possible to ensure
that your ABS kicks in, giving a nice, relaxing foot massage as
the brake pedal pulsates. For those of you without ABS, it's a
chance to stretch your legs.
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Construction signs warn you about road closures immediately
after you pass the last exit before the backup.
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Electronic traffic warning signs are not there to provide
useful information. They are only there to make Quebec look
high-tech, and to distract you from seeing the provincial
police radar car parked on the median.
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Never pass on the left when you can pass on the right.
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Speed limits are arbitrary figures, given only as suggestions,
and are apparently not enforceable during rush hour.
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Just because you're in the left lane and have no room to speed
up or move over doesn't mean that a Quebec driver flashing his
high beams behind you doesn't think he can go faster in your
spot.
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Always slow down and rubberneck when you see an accident, or
even if someone is just changing a tire.
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Throwing litter on the roads adds color to the landscape and
gives Adopt-a-Highway crews something to clean up.
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It is assumed that provincial police cars passing at high
speed may be followed in the event you need to make up a few
minutes on your way to work, or the beach.
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Learn to swerve abruptly. Quebec is the home of high-speed
slalom driving thanks to potholes.
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It is traditional in Quebec to honk your horn at cars that
don't move the instant the light changes.
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Seeking eye contact with another driver revokes your right of
way, except in Montreal where it acts as an invitation to duel
or play chicken.
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Never take a green light at face value. Always look right and
left before proceeding. In Quebec it is common to stop and then
decide which direction to turn.
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Remember that the goal of every Quebec driver is to get there
first, by whatever means necessary.
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Real Quebec female drivers can put on pantyhose, apply eye
makeup, and balance the check book at seventy-five miles per
hour during a snowstorm in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
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Real Quebec male drivers can remove pantyhose and a bra at
seventy-five miles per hour in bumper-to-bumper traffic during
daylight hours (who would want to at night?).
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Heavy snow, ice, fog, and rain are no reasons to change any of
the previously listed rules. These weather conditions are God's
way of ensuring a natural selection process for body shops,
junkyards, and new vehicle sales.
Alexandre Guimond <guim@guim.org>