If you’re new to the city, chances are you want to know more about driving in Philadelphia. Is it hard? Are the drivers as spirited as the sports fans? Indeed, Philadelphia is a major city and can be challenging to navigate if you aren’t familiar with doing so. Like every major city, there are unwritten rules of the road.
We asked our Instagram followers for driving advice for newbies to our city. Below are some of their answers giving you an overall cheat sheet for how to properly drive in Philly according to Philadelphians.
Driving In Philadelphia Part I:
- Without a doubt, Be careful of stop signs. It only means stop to you. Everyone else will roll through the intersection
- Only in South Philly can you park your car in the MIDDLE of the street. Anyplace else, it’s towed
- Avoid driving in the rain bc everyone forgets how to drive when it rains
- Buy “Bumper Buddies” and fender guards for your vehicle
- Be aggressive but cautious, read parking signs, keep up with your meters, watch for cyclist, use your turn signal, do the speed limit or over (we can’t stand slow drivers, we’re in a rush everywhere)
- Don’t move anybody’s white chairs out of their parking spots and watch out for potholes
- Don’t expect other people to drive like they don’t want to get in an accident. So many people with the mindset “If I break it I’ll just get a new one
- Always wait for the car to blow the red light before going on green
- Stay right, pass left
- Don’t
- As a newbie myself, Avoid Roosevelt Blvd. it has 28 lanes and once you drive on the outer lanes you’re stuck, no left turn or middle lane access for 3 miles 😬😒
- Leave lots of distance between you and the car before you, don’t get boxed in at a red light (car jacking is rampant), have your head on a swivel and do NOT honk or argue
- Don’t double park in the street where there’s a goddamn open spot right next to you. Also learn what a double yellow line means
- Avoid.The.Boulevard
- Don’t slam on your brakes at a yellow light 🙄
- Please use blinkers 🤲🏼
- If you don’t know where you’re going/looking for something, PULL OVER for the people behind you who are losing their shit! And be safe ❤️
- Watch for cyclist
- Don’t drive on Lincoln drive
- The sober drivers are swerving wildly to miss the pothole
- Surprisingly, You CAN fit down those narrow streets. 👊🏼
- The left turn lane is for creeping up to the front of traffic and then blasting past the first car before the light turns green
- Golden rule “Mind yah business
- Expect the unexpected when driving in Philadelphia
- Move your ass. Roll thru stops
- First, keep yo head on a swivel, secondly, the hood has the best food ( go at your own discretion.. go in the day time) . Lastly, do not argue with aggressive drivers.. they will follow you home
- Send someone else
- Be afraid. Be very afraid
- Every lane can be a turning lane, those double yellow line’s don’t mean anything
- Indeed, it’s the wild wild west 0ut here, so pay attention. cops don’t come if you’re in an accident 😅 lol not kidding