For one, we "Spring Forward" a week later than the USA. But not just a week. A week and a day. While my computer fast forwarded me on Saturday evening, Turkey actually fast forwarded last night, on Sunday evening.
That means that we are now back to 7 hours ahead of the East Coast. (8 hours ahead of Eglin, 9 ahead of my buddy Kristi in New Mexico, and 10 ahead of all of you Californians.)
And check out this link to witness another way Turkey does things a bit different. I've been reading this gal's blog for a bit. She's an American living in Turkey by choice. Just up and moved to Istanbul. While it is Istanbul (very different from here), it's still fascinating. Ashtrays advertising no-smoking? Could someone please explain this to me (and this blog's author.)
It doesn't end there.
Yesterday on our way to our little getaway, we actually received a speeding ticket. Firstly, I had no idea that they even gave speeding tickets in Turkey. Don't know if I had ever seen a cop pull someone over before. But apparently, I was wrong. They do.
But here's what's strange. A cop clocked us going 134km. A few miles up the road, we were pulled over as we went through a toll booth. I, being our Turkish speaker, got out of the car to speak with the officers. They informed me that the speed limit was 120 (yuz yirmi), but Turkish law allows us to go 133. We were going 134, and thus, a ticket ensued.
What I found interesting about this was that they actually "told" the upper limit. I mean, in the USA, there is a speed limit, and we all know that we can go "a bit" over without getting a ticket. But could you imagine if someone were to actually pull out a chart telling us what the upper limit was? What would the point even be of having a lower number if it was the upper number that you couldn't break?
Just a few things that are a bit different over here on the other side of the world.
2 comments:
I could never figure out the rules regarding speeding. After receiving what seemed like my nineteenth speeding ticket, I just decided to stay just under the speed limit at all times. It worked. They have had a fortune off me!!
I had a lawyer explain the speed limit thing to me. It's that the range of error on the radar machines is 10%, so if the speed limit is 70, they won't give you a ticket unless you were going 78 or higher. That's why you're fine up to 12 KM/hr over the limit.
I think the speed trap thing is ingenious. They actually post signs before the speed trap saying that you're passing through a radar zone, and then they just flag over the people who were speeding. I tried to fight it once and they took me back to the car who had scanned me and showed me the picture of my car with the speed I was going. totally busted I was.
I'm with Natalie, it's not worth speeding any more. (although I did just get pulled over recently for running a red light... but got out of the ticket with shear stubbornness).
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