Living In USA

By Car
Americans' love affair with the automobile is legendary, even notorious. If you live in a large city, you may very well be able to avoid the hassle and expense of owning a car. Also, many college towns and enlightened small cities (such as Portland, Oregon) are still accessible by foot or public transportation. But poor regional planning has made it difficult, or even impossible, for anyone living in most of the country to get around comfortably without a motorized vehicle.

Costs
Owning a car in any U.S. city is expensive. In addition to the original cost of the car, one has to pay heavy insurance premiums. Rates vary by city and by coverage, but one can pay substantial amounts in insurance alone in congested cities. In addition, the car must be registered and licensed (fee depends on the weight or type of car). The cost of a driver's license must be added to that. The price of gasoline, although low by world standards, is still substantial, and parking costs are often very high, particularly in large cities.

There are no customs or other duty charges on a private imported car if it is shipped home again within one year; however, if you sell it in the United States within a year, you will have to pay duty — based on the appraised value of the car at the time of import. Be sure to bring your registration papers or proof of ownership. This is very important. Check with your nearest U.S. consulate or with your local automobile club on the latest rulings and charges before you come. There are also strict regulations regarding the pollution emissions of cars. Your car will have to be adapted to conform to these rules. This can be prohibitively expensive for foreign cars.

In many states, a car tax is added to the registration fee (done once a year), the amount dependent on the age and make of the car. Also, most states require an inspection once a year or every six months to determine that the car is safe to drive.

Licensing
If you bring your car to the U.S., you get an international registration marker for it before leaving home. You will be allowed to drive to your destination with your national license plates or tags, but immediately on arrival you must obtain American license plates from the state in which you will be living. Each state has its own Department (or Registry) of Motor Vehicles (see your local telephone directory for the address), which issues both license and registration. Motorists may have to take a test and secure a U.S. driver's license unless they come from a country that is party to the International Convention on Road Traffic (1949) or the Inter-American Convention (1943), in which case they must carry an international driving permit. In many states, you are required to obtain a local driver's license immediately (or within 30 or 90 days) of taking up residence. If you buy a car in the United States, you must obtain a driver's license for the state where you live within a set time. And if you move to another state, you must do the same. Since regulations are complicated and vary somewhat from state to state, play it safe and call the Department of Motor Vehicles in your town or city to inquire about licensing and license plates.

Bring lots of documentation; requirements for issuing driver's licenses have become more onerous since September 11, 2001. Department of Motor Vehicle personnel commonly insist on seeing passports, notices from the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Social Security cards, and proof of local addresses.

It is also wise to have at least a few hours of professional instruction no matter how well you drive, to learn rules of the road, local requirements, and, especially, American "driving psychology." Brazilian, Greek, Japanese, and French drivers all behave differently behind a wheel; so do Americans. Just as important are the informal road rules that vary from city to city. Etiquette for passing and merging is different in Boston and New York; both are very different from that in Portland, Oregon, or Portland, Maine.

Each state's Department of Motor Vehicles will give you a free booklet, upon request, covering state rules. It is important to remember: ignorance of the law is never considered an excuse if you run into trouble. You are expected to learn the law and abide by it when you drive.

Automobile Insurance
It is imperative that you protect yourself with liability insurance (covering damage to the other person), and you should insure yourself at a substantial level, not the minimum. If you should hit someone, damages charged here can be astronomically high. Lawyers assume that insurance companies (not the individual) will pay, so they ask damage fees accordingly. If you are not covered, you can be financially ruined by gigantic fees charged for injury, fright, shock, or other complaints — even if the accident appeared to you to be slight. Not everyone presses such suits, but enough people do so that you need to be well protected. Although insurance is costly, it is absolutely necessary and is legally required in most of the country. Insurance premiums vary, depending on the age and sex of the driver, the type of car, and the geographic area; premiums for young, single men who own sports cars are extremely high.

Buying a Car
Barring any strikes or emergency delays, you receive delivery on a new car quite quickly in this country. American manufacturers are still building cars with high horsepower and low mileage per gallon of gas. Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) as well as small cars, both American-and foreign-made (or a combination thereof) are also very popular. In general, foreign cars are easy to obtain and to keep repaired, although repair and parts may be more expensive. Hybrid vehicles — ones that run on a combination of electricity and traditional gasoline — are gaining popularity. Very few cars in the U.S. use diesel fuel, but if you do get one, be extremely careful to use the correct fuel when refilling (see "Service Stations" later in this section for more details).

Don't buy a car at what is called "list price" until you have talked to a number of people about it. Automobiles are perhaps the one commodity in the United States where haggling is still expected. Prices can usually be "bargained down" and can vary considerably among dealerships. Prices also fluctuate markedly from one month to another, depending on how close it is to the appearance of new models. If you buy in the fall, just before the new models become available, dealers are trying to get rid of last year's models, and you can get a good bargain as a result. Ask and explore; don't buy too fast. There are very good Websites (www.cars.com/ and www.edmunds.com/ are two of them) that can be extremely informative about how much you should expect to pay for a particular vehicle.

Car dealers make their greatest profit in two ways: (1) on extras and (2) on arranging the financing and insurance.

Extras. Extras are the multitude of optional features, which all dealers try hard to sell: radios, cassette players, special paint color, air conditioning, fancy seat covers, extended warranties, sunroofs, and other items that are not standard. Dealers are skilled at selling these items, but you do not need to buy them. If you are persuaded by a clever salesperson, you may end up paying a considerable amount of money for features that you will not need.

Financing and Insuring. Dealers normally charge higher interest rates than banks when they arrange the terms of financing. Over the months or years of payment, this can be a considerable amount. Look into alternative possibilities before you buy. Generally, you will do better to take out your own bank loan rather than work through a car dealer, who, after all, must take his or her share, and then work with a bank anyway. Dealers will do their best to persuade you to finance the car through them, but it is not required. Don't feel obligated.

Secondhand Cars
The drop in value of American cars after a year or two is so great that many people buy used cars rather than new ones. Prices depend on the age of the car, its condition, its size and make, the area of the country where it is bought, and the time of year. Here are two suggestions that will help you:

Be especially careful when buying a secondhand car that is older than four years.

Never go alone. Take someone with you who not only knows cars well but also knows the ways of American dealers.

Often it is an advantage to go to an area where wealthy people live to find your car. They turn their cars in more often than less affluent people, and the cars are normally in good condition.

Used-car dealers vary widely as to reliability; try to deal with one that has been recommended to you. Generally speaking, your chances will be better with a reputable dealer (one that represents one or more specific brands of new cars) than at a used-car lot, though you will see a lot of these outside most big cities.

Many people do their buying outside city limits for a couple of reasons. The dealer's reputation is at stake in a small town, so he or she tends to be more careful than in the anonymity of a large city. Second, a smaller dealer may be more motivated to sell a car. However, do not think that you can avoid paying sales tax by buying in another location. Sales taxes are usually assessed when you register the car, and it is based on your residence, not the location of the dealer. Many people buy used cars without going through a dealer at all. Classified advertisements in newspapers and on the Internet can help you find a bargain. Be aware, however, that there are fewer buyer protections for a privately arranged sale.

It takes time and trouble to buy a secondhand car. If you do not have a friend or colleague who knows cars well, take a garage mechanic whom you trust with you. It is worth what you have to pay for his or her time. Many mechanics are glad to do such consulting work after hours or on weekends. Determine the price of this service in advance, however.

Be sure you actually drive the car before buying. You will be allowed to do so. If you haven't brought a mechanic with you, take the car to a nearby garage and ask the mechanic to test it out and give you an opinion as to its condition. There are certain key points he will look for that will give him a quick idea of the car's general condition. It is worth paying something for a careful examination by a mechanic whom you trust. Do this before you sign any papers. Before you buy any car — new or used — talk to people at your office or college or to any friends you have made. There are various tricks of the trade that you should know.

Another way to arrange an inspection of a used car is for you to arrange to pay a mechanic for the car directly; he or she is therefore working for you. The seller then takes the car to the mechanic at a convenient time, avoiding the hassle of your trying to juggle three schedules — yours, the seller's and the mechanic's — to do this yourself.

Leasing a Car
Leasing has become quite popular in the United States. It can be a particularly attractive option if you plan to live in the United States for only a few years and don't want the trouble of having to sell a car before you leave. Typically, leases last for two to three years, during which time you make monthly payments. At the end of the lease, you simply return the car to the original dealer with no remaining obligations. Lease rates tend to be high, though, and most dealers require you to carry extra insurance.

Leasing has two major drawbacks. First, if you decide you don't want to keep the car for the duration of the lease and wish to return it early, you may be obligated to pay the dealer the difference in the value of the car from the date you first leased it to the date you return it. Second, if you exceed the number of miles stated in the original contract, you will be charged a penalty per mile. These can sometimes add up to thousands of dollars. If you're sure you will keep the car for a set period of time and can predict the distance you will travel, however, a lease is an option to consider.

Renting a Car
With street parking so difficult, parking rates so high, and streets so crowded, increasing numbers of city dwellers find owning a car in the city not worth the effort. Instead, they use public transportation within the city and rent a car only when they need one for out-of-town trips or vacations. Most overseas visitors are likely to find this by far the cheapest and easiest method, too. There are many rental companies everywhere. You can rent by the day, week, month, or year.

If you work in the United States, your own firm may have a special discount arrangement with a particular rental agency — companies often do. It is worth asking about this at work. Some agencies have had bad experiences and will not rent to individuals from abroad because of past insurance difficulties or problems with payments. On the other hand, other agencies give additional discounts to visitors from abroad as a special courtesy. You will need to explore a bit and make inquiries.

Costs are usually determined by length of rental time and size of car. Insurance is extra. However, there are other options: some agencies also charge by mileage, others do not; some require that you return the car to its starting point, others will rent cars for one-way travel between cities, although the cost for one-way rentals may be considerably higher.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Other Drugs
The United States is trying to stop drunken driving — as are many other countries. Still, nearly 20,000 people a year in the U.S. are killed annually in alcohol-related crashes — nearly half of all traffic deaths. State laws vary on this, but police can stop drivers and require them to take breath or blood tests in many states if they suspect the driver of being under the influence of alcohol. Penalties vary from state to state: fines for a first offense, overnight (or longer) imprisonment, suspension of license, and/or, in some areas, required community service (working as assistants in hospitals or nursing homes, for instance), or alcohol counseling.

Theft of Cars and From Cars
Unfortunately, car theft is quite common. You can expect little sympathy if your car was not locked or if the key was left in the ignition. The registration papers and your driver's license should be kept with you and not in the glove compartment, where they would be convenient for the thief but not for you when trying to recover a stolen car! Many people keep photocopies of these papers in the car.

Care should be taken regarding any possessions left in the car. If you must leave something, put it in the trunk or out of sight on the floor, even if the car is locked. If you are traveling across the country in a loaded car, try to park it where you can see it when you stop for meals. At night take all visible items with you into your motel or hotel. Put the rest in the locked trunk.

Service Stations
Cars are now made to take only unleaded gasoline. Leaded gasoline pollutes the air and can cause lead poisoning, especially in small children.

Prices vary by company and by area or state, depending on local taxes, but in general gasoline in the United States is cheaper than in most countries of the world. You can pay with cash or credit card. The U.S. gallon is approximately four liters, slightly smaller than the British imperial gallon.

At full-service stations or full-service islands, you can ask for free services, such as checking the oil and tires, and cleaning the windshield. You do not tip gas station attendants for any of these services. You can order gas by asking for a specific number of gallons, by price ("eight dollars' worth, please"), or by asking to have the tank filled up. Most tanks hold from ten to twenty gallons when full.

Most stations have self-service islands, where you put in your own gas, usually at a reduced price, and forgo other services. If your car takes diesel fuel, be sure to use diesel. Fuel pumps are designed to prevent accidentally filling a gasoline car with diesel, but not the other way around. Driving a diesel engine with gasoline will result in an unbelievably high repair bill. Even if you are relying on an attendant, be sure to remind him or her that your car takes diesel. In many gas stations, self-serve is the only option, although in a small number of states (at the time of this writing, New Jersey and Oregon), self-serve gas is not permitted and you must wait for an attendant.

If your engine is hot, do not ask the attendant to check the water in your radiator. So many attendants have been badly burned by gushing steam and water that this is no longer a regular service.

Traffic Rules
Cars travel on the right throughout the United States. By law, one must signal not only for all turns but also for lane changes. Traffic laws are being enforced more and more strictly as congestion problems grow ever more acute in American cities and on the highways. If you hear the sirens of fire trucks, ambulances, or police cars approaching, immediately pull over to the right and stop or slow down to let them pass.

Horn blowing is not appreciated and is prohibited in some cities; don't try to move traffic along by using your horn. You could be fined and you will surely attract the anger of other motorists.

If you come to a yellow school bus at a standstill and with flashing red lights, even if it has stopped on the opposite side of the road, you must stop your car. This law is strictly enforced because children may be running across the road to or from the bus.

Never stop your car on a highway. If you have a problem or want to read a map or change drivers, drive the car (or push it) well to the side of the road and switch on the emergency lights. Speeds on our highways are so fast that a stopped car is extremely dangerous, for oncoming drivers cannot see that it is stationary until they are too close to stop or swerve to avoid a collision.

Never pass on a curve or near the top of a hill; don't ever cross solid yellow or white lines, double or single. These are among the most common offenses police look for. They also watch for anyone going through a red light or a stop sign at an intersection or making a U-turn on a highway. In some states you can turn right on a red light after coming to a complete stop if you are in the outside lane; in others, you cannot. Also, some intersections are marked "no right turn on red." You can be stopped and fined for any of these faults.

Traffic lights are controlled for different speeds; in large cities these vary depending on the area, flow of traffic, and time of day. Often they are set for 25 miles per hour. If you try to find and maintain the set speed, you will "make" most lights and flow with the traffic. Talk to taxi drivers about this. They are experts at making lights and can give you many tips.

Speed Limits
Although you will see people driving at high speeds, speed limits can be — and often are — strictly enforced by radar, by police helicopters, by unmarked police cars, and sometimes by regular police cars that radio to one another up and down the highways.

Watch all road signs carefully as you drive along. Speed limits change frequently at various locations. Do what they say. They may decrease suddenly, for example, at the approach to a small town or built-up area, a factory roadway, or a railroad. They are particularly enforced in school zones, which extend on either side of any school, are clearly posted as "School Zone," and are usually posted at 15 miles per hour. It is essential to reduce speed drastically in such zones. Small children may cross the road by themselves on their way to or from school; they may also play and ride bicycles along the edge of the road and therefore create a hazard.

Parking Rules
When you park a car, read the signs carefully. Parking regulations vary in different parts of the city, at different times of the day, on different days of the week, or during different seasons of the year. The only way you can know what is legal for that particular spot is to read the sign. Many cars are towed away each day by city police for parking violations. It is not worth the risk to disobey the rules. You must pay the towing cost, expenses for actually retrieving your car, and a heavy fine for parking illegally in the first place. The whole thing can add up to several hundred dollars. In addition, you go through endless red tape, embarrassment, and inconvenience. Be careful not to park near fire hydrants, bus stops, private driveways, or too near the corner at intersections. Being towed away can result from any of these parking violations, as well as for being in a "no parking" area. In cities where it snows during the winter, signs are often posted for snow removal after a storm. Do not park on a street so posted.

The following are some common parking rules:

No stopping. This means what it says, you cannot park or even stop.

No parking. Here you may stop long enough to pick up or discharge passengers or to drop off merchandise. You can stop your car for a brief time if someone stays in the driver's seat and is able to move the car if necessary.

No standing. You may only drop people off or pick them up if you can do it quickly. You cannot wait for anyone, and you cannot leave the car while you deliver a parcel or message.

Fire hydrants. The rule is no standing or parking within 15 feet.

Bus stops and taxi stands. If you do not interfere with traffic, you can pause briefly, but you cannot get out of the car. You must be able to move at a moment's notice.

Hitchhikers
You will sometimes see people of either sex "thumbing" a ride, especially along the main highways. Do not stop for them. Unfortunately, this practice can be quite dangerous, as hitchhikers may not be as innocent as they look. Furthermore, in many states it is as illegal to pick up a person as it is to ask for rides. You can be fined quite heavily and lose your insurance for picking up a hitchhiker.

Finding Restrooms
A newly arrived visitor from Scotland was asked what had been the most difficult thing for him on his first day in the United States. Without a moment's hesitation, he answered, "Finding a men's room."

Some countries have public restrooms plainly visible on the street or in small buildings that are clearly marked. The United States does not. Americans find facilities in such public places as restaurants, libraries, museums, or department stores. Reasonably clean restrooms are available at most gasoline stations, but toilets at bus terminals or railroad stations may be unpleasant, and restrooms in subway stations are sometimes unsafe.

You can always go into a hotel and use the facilities, whether or not you are registered there as a guest; you will usually find them somewhere off the main lobby. Many Americans use the restrooms at national fast-food franchises, even if they are not customers. Although the restaurant owners are probably displeased by this practice, the staff rarely seem to mind. The restrooms there are usually clean and, except in very large cities, unlocked and easy to find.

Don't be confused by the name on the door. Sometimes it is marked "Men" or "omen," sometimes "Gentlemen" or "Ladies," or there may be no words used at all, just a picture of a woman or a man or some other clue painted on the door. The European designations "comfort station" or "W.C." are not used. If you are in need, just ask for the "men's room" or the "ladies' room." Some theme-based restaurants may use other languages or even puns based on their themes. One Australia-themed chain restaurant, for example, uses "blokes" for men and "sheilas" for women, and one canine-themed restaurant uses "pointers" for men and "setters" for women!

In a large hotel or restaurant, leave a tip in the small saucer if there is an attendant — 50¢ is common. One does not tip in clubs, but a smile and a friendly word are appreciated. In some public restrooms there may also be some "pay toilets," although these have been abolished by law in most states. A coin must be inserted in the door to unlock the stall so you may enter.