Driving to Florida soon from Ontario, worried and scared

[cabanafrau]

Yes, I have. (You didn't expect that answer, did you?)

So, yes, I know what it is like. And no, I don't plan on going back any time soon.

It's like Iraq? You still haven't explained your basis for that. Matter of fact, you were loathe to explain your experience with Detroit to make any assessment at all. Which is quite frankly the answer I expected.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I love Detroit and have been downtown many times. But I am careful there---it DOES have the second highest homocide rate in the US after all, and the US's rate is pretty high as is.
I wouldn't call it a war zone, but it isn't a place to take for granted either (niether is St Loius, or much of Chicago, or Naples, or Marseille or Glasgow . . .).
I tend to visit all of these places--but am wary of what is going on around me, of being out ofater dark, pay attention to the neighborhood, etc. More so than I do otherwise.

 

[LisaR]

I don't know of any formal training required to obtain a driver's license, at least not where I live (and my daughter will be eligible in 2 days).

Not saying that's a good thing, or that it's justification for lax firearms training, just clarifying.

In my state there is a "First Time Driver" course that must be taken online. After that, the student must take and pass a knowledge exam and a vision exam. They are then given their permit and they must drive a minimum of 50 hours with an adult in the car. They must then return and take a road test before being given their permanent license which also comes with restrictions for their first six months. And none of that is possible if the person cannot provide proof that their vehicle is registered and insured.

On the other hand, purchasing a shot gun, rifle or handgun in my state does not require any type of permit. There isn't a mandatory safety course. They don't require the person to even hold the gun in their hand, make sure they know how to put the bullets in, or any discussion whatsoever about the safety of the gun or the laws of our state with regard to guns. They do run an instant background check and a handgun does have a whopping three day waiting period. That is all that is required.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Funny thing is, other than my cousin's murder, I never thought i had encountered much gun violence/issues until my oldest was asking me how much i had seen of it about a year ago and I started thinkign thoruhg and listing off. And until this thread I did not know that amount of contact with gun related minor issues was uncommon. My husband has similar stories (minus the cousin). We both grew up in middle class homes in "safe" areas.

Having grown up in Colorado and Texas I am surprised though by how many say they have never seen a gun except on a police officer. You see them all.the.time in both places. I've been gone long enough now that seeing people with open carry pistols on their belts last summer DID unsettle me (and we saw it several times)

I should clarify, I've seen guns in shops, etc. And it is possible I've seen one holstered on someone (I live in Kentucky). I've just never seen one in someone's hand, etc.

Now, in college I worked at Rite Aid and about fifteen minutes after I got off work, the women who had taken over my cash register was held up at gun point. I'd forgotten about that.

 

[cabanafrau]

I love Detroit and have been downtown many times. But I am careful there---it DOES have the second highest homocide rate in the US after all, and the US's rate is pretty high as is.
I wouldn't call it a war zone, but it isn't a place to take for granted either.

Say what you will about Detroit, to my knowledge it's never had incidents where ethnic groups were targeted and gassed to death with chemical weapons. It's also possible to find lots of Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc. all living and openly practicing their faiths.

 

[LisaR]

That's not formal training, nor is any of it verified. My daughter's driving log could be entirely fabricated & nobody would be the wiser.

Anything in life can be fabricated and I have no doubt that some parents don't put the effort into it as much as others do. However, the student will still need to pass a road test. If you don't take your daughter out at all and then send her to the DMV where she will need to park the car between cones and drive on the road with someone, my guess is she will likely fail.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

It's like Iraq? You still haven't explained your basis for that. Matter of fact, you were loathe to explain your experience with Detroit to make any assessment at all. Which is quite frankly the answer I expected.

The situations that I saw, yes, it was bad enough to be compared to a war zone. Sure there are places there that are fine. But too many places that aren't and there is no warning until you are in the middle of it.

Do you really expect me to enumerate each item that caused me to believe that?

 

[Dentam]

I had heard that in Charlotte they were trying to serve a warrant on someone else. This man was in his car with Marijuana in plain sight. I think they said he was rolling a joint when he was seen through his car window. I think their seeing his gun was after the drugs.

Yeah, like I said, there are many different versions of the story. His family claimed he was reading a book... marijuana is legal here and soon to be in many other states. It's hardly worth killing someone over. If he in fact had a gun and was pointing it at the officers, that's the only way I could see them justifying what they did.

 

[Dentam]

I forgot to mention that we actually had a professional come in to give our entire staff active shooter training here a couple of months ago. I think most schools have this now as well. It's sad that this is needed, but very good to be prepared.

 

[tigercat]

The scariest thing to me is that the OP plans on driving at the speed limit
Now that's dangerous!

Up here on the highway it is 100 km per hour but if you are going up to 120 km you most likely won't be stopped. The tripkit that I have from CAA tells you to really watch your speed. Are we allowed to go faster? Also which States are you allowed to turn right on a red?
tigercat

 

[NHdisneylover]

Say what you will about Detroit, to my knowledge it's never had incidents where ethnic groups were targeted and gassed to death with chemical weapons. It's also possible to find lots of Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc. all living and openly practicing their faiths.

Um, I said I love it there. I really do--used to live pretty close (Livonia) and visit often and had girl scouts from in the city at camp. I hate that any child must grow up with the many issues the city has (and there are many). I also said I would not describe it as a war zone--but that I am more alert there.
I am not sure exactly what your examples have to do with anything--not all wars and war zones just target one ethnic group or one religion. Many do, but far from all. For example, the brutal civil war in Syria is mostly a battle for governement control from pro democracy forces versus a ruling family with a tight hold on the country, with some religious terrorist thrown in, but they are just fighting for control of everyone too---not targeting any particular religion or ethnicity for the most part.

 

[gwynne]

Up here on the highway it is 100 km per hour but if you are going up to 120 km you most likely won't be stopped. The tripkit that I have from CAA tells you to really watch your speed. Are we allowed to go faster? Also which States are you allowed to turn right on a red?
tigercat

I would obey the traffic signs, speed limits and laws in general.
About right turn on red.. @MaryLovesPoohBear has the correct info below.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Up here on the highway it is 100 km per hour but if you are going up to 120 km you most likely won't be stopped. The tripkit that I have from CAA tells you to really watch your speed. Are we allowed to go faster? Also which States are you allowed to turn right on a red?
tigercat

Right turn on red, after stop, is allowed in every state.

Look for signs as you approach the intersection. At some intersections it is not allowed, but it will be posted.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Right turn on red is prohibited in NYC (unless sign indicates otherwise).

 

[luvsJack]

I think some of you keep saying "war zone" and yet have never been to an actual war zone.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

In my state there is a "First Time Driver" course that must be taken online. After that, the student must take and pass a knowledge exam and a vision exam. They are then given their permit and they must drive a minimum of 50 hours with an adult in the car. They must then return and take a road test before being given their permanent license which also comes with restrictions for their first six months. And none of that is possible if the person cannot provide proof that their vehicle is registered and insured.

On the other hand, purchasing a shot gun, rifle or handgun in my state does not require any type of permit. There isn't a mandatory safety course. They don't require the person to even hold the gun in their hand, make sure they know how to put the bullets in, or any discussion whatsoever about the safety of the gun or the laws of our state with regard to guns. They do run an instant background check and a handgun does have a whopping three day waiting period. That is all that is required.

Passing a test & receiving formal training are two entirely different things. For example, I have to pass a test to get a hunting license, but I'm required to take a 12-hour course with certified instructors prior to taking the test.

My daughter must have 50 hours of road time with an adult, but that adult isn't held to any standards. That adult could have had multiple moving violations and be an awful instructor and it would still count. I do the best I can, but my instruction is in no way comparable to a formal drivers Ed class. Moreover, there is no requirement to "prove" she actually accomplished those hours.

You're also comparing the licensing of a driver to the purchase of a firearm. That's not an apples & apples comparison. You should compare it to the purchase of an automobile - which BTW only requires reaching 18 years of age. Even if my driver's license is currently revoked I can still legally purchase, insure, and license an automobile.

And again, I'm not arguing in favor of loosening the concealed carry standards. I'm just pointing out that the car comparison doesn't really wash.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Anything in life can be fabricated and I have no doubt that some parents don't put the effort into it as much as others do. However, the student will still need to pass a road test. If you don't take your daughter out at all and then send her to the DMV where she will need to park the car between cones and drive on the road with someone, my guess is she will likely fail.

I passed my road test with a total of 10 minutes of public road driving under my belt.

 

[Magpie]

Have either of you ever even been to Detroit? It's like Iraq? Dying to know what your basis for making that leap is.

Actually, I don't personally believe Detroit is like Iraq. I meant to illustrate what the previous poster might tell someone who is concerned about visiting her country.

But I would also love to know what experiences the previous poster has had in Detroit that lead her to conclude it IS an actual American warzone!

 

[Magpie]

The situations that I saw, yes, it was bad enough to be compared to a war zone. Sure there are places there that are fine. But too many places that aren't and there is no warning until you are in the middle of it.

Do you really expect me to enumerate each item that caused me to believe that?

Please, would you?

I'm really, really curious to know exactly what you saw and experienced in Detroit!

 

[cabanafrau]

Um, I said I love it there. I really do--used to live pretty close (Livonia) and visit often and had girl scouts from in the city at camp. I hate that any child must grow up with the many issues the city has (and there are many). I also said I would not describe it as a war zone--but that I am more alert there.
I am not sure exactly what your examples have to do with anything--not all wars and war zones just target one ethnic group or one religion. Many do, but far from all. For example, the brutal civil war in Syria is mostly a battle for governement control from pro democracy forces versus a ruling family with a tight hold on the country, with some religious terrorist thrown in, but they are just fighting for control of everyone too---not targeting any particular religion or ethnicity for the most part.

My point was that comparing Detroit to Iraq as a war zone was off the mark, which is why I gave the examples I did. No, you didn't call it a war zone. Yes, Detroit has it's problems. My comment was that, yes, you (generally speaking, not specifically you) can say what you will about Detroit and it's problems, the problems I stated about Iraq are not issues Detroit faces, and they are issues associated with Iraq being a genuine war zone. The things I stated were not meant to encompass all war zones, but the Iraqi war zone in particular, as that is the comparison that was drawn above by someone else.

ETA I'm not sure if you're correct or not about Detroit having the second highest murder rate in the U.S. So far the reliable information I've located points to the southern region of the country (not certain what that means) is in fact much more dangerous than the rest of the country -- 2015 data from the FBI.