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发表于 2008-10-6 01:28:00
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规划行程-华人旅行社
http://www.americaasia.com
http://bravotravel.com
7）规划行程-预定酒店
http://www.ratestogo.com
http://www.hotelclub.net
或让旅行社帮订能拿到更低折扣
８）旅途须知－CAR RENTAL（ＺＴ）
ａ）la机场出关后，按照car rental的指示牌,找到紫色的站牌，好像写的是是car renting shuttle,专门是租车公司来免费接送的,看准自己租车公司的logo,上车就可以了。
还车的时候也很方便，差不多五分钟，有个小姐拿着一个工具在车上扫描了一下，让后打着火看了下汽油就好了，给你个单子，你签字就行了！
ｂ） 提车: 填表--验驾照--签合同--刷信用卡预授--拿钥--停车场取车.
信用卡在提车的时候会刷预授权,还车时正式结帐,到时候可决定付现金还是划卡.
取了车先别走,把车外观,内部看看,有问题当时说,免得还车时说不清.夜灯开关,转向灯,刹车灯,雨刷器,后备箱盖都查一下.
ｃ）认路
推荐一有用网站www.mapquest.com 输入START,END,就会出来详细行车路线,可下载,还可打印详细路书,但该网站有时有10-20米的误差,故推荐用GOOLE MAP确认.
注意:1.国内高速公路下道及并入其它高速出口都在右側居多,北美两边都有可能.但北美高速公路设计很人性化,临近出主路差不多十公里,就开始有横跨高速路的指示牌,按指示牌所示目的地,顺着车道走最踏实,
如果迷路,在市区的话就找僻静地方停车问,高速就找服务区或加油站.
ｄ）安全驾驶
右转弯 必须让开人行横道.
并线先打灯,2秒后再并.
尽量避免走夜路,毕竟在国外,不便于认路.
拐弯永远让直行,由支路入干路,别把车头探入干路,否则干路的车以为你要冲进来,不敢开快,影响路口通行能力,还容易误以为对方在让路,易出事故.
ｅ）还车
在机场还车,只要是在TERMINAL BUILDING有分店,在开车靠近候机楼,就会看到"Rental car return" 的标志,按着标志开就可以,大多数只问不查车,选择划卡还是付现金, 付款走人.
市区还车,最好事先在mapquest上打好行车路线,
ｆ）加油
千万别加成柴油,找汽油里最便宜的(REGULAR),油枪伸进油箱,将信用卡插入加油机制定位置,快速拔出卡,选RUGULAR按START,加满自动跳枪.选择当时打印单据或者到服务台索取.
９）entertainment in Lａｓ Ｖｅｇａｓ（ＺＴ）
ａ）ｓｈｏｗ
Go to www.vegas.com and click on light yellow tab "SHOWS" to search for available shows on your date. You can click on the links and learn about each of them.
Also, if you click on the red tab "Attractions", you should find out there are many attractions and free shows ( not as good as the ones above) you do not want to miss.
One more tip: In Vegas, you should get free drinks as long as you are gambling. So you can choose to play at cheap slot machines (as low as 1 cent per bet and for 5 dollars you can kill quite a long time:-)) and there will be waitresses asking if you need anything. You can order water, juice, beer or other alcoholic drinks. For alcoholic drinks you should give a $1 per drink as tip and for non-alcoholic beverages it is totally up to you whether to tip her or not.
ｂ）Ｏｕｔｌｅｔ ｉｎ ＬＶ
这家很好，强烈推荐
www.premiumoutlets.com
ｃ）foods in LV
you can have a big hot dog for less than $3, that's how I re-fuel after a long gambling night or other convenience stores such as Walgreens. And most of the fast food places open till 3-4AM, if not 24 hours. This may help you with the budget.
I have been to and eaten at quite many places in China and many many China Towns and Chinese restaurants around the globe. And I still think the cooking in Vegas is pretty good. Except that they do not have some ingredients to make certain things here, I should give them a 8 out of 10.
After you get back to LA from Vegas, maybe you should consider getting some food and supplies from China town. The tour company will take you to some very bad Chinese buffets on the road so you might want to have some backup plans in your backpack From San Simeon to Fresno there won't be much to see let along to eat.
１０）tipping （ＺＴ）
for tipping the housekeeping staff at motels, $2 per day is fine.
一般自助式的餐馆不用留小费，其他的餐馆小费在总账单上加10%到15%之间。但是也有的餐馆在客人多（10人以上）时账单已加了“服务费”，所以要先把账单看清楚。在旅馆如果请人帮你搬行李，也要
给每件1-2元的小费。
１１）driving （ＺＴ）
Normally the GPS should have a speaker and there will be a 'human' voice that reminds you that you are approaching an exit or turn along with the on-screen map.
But you should still be prepared to miss quite some exits on the hwy due to several reasons;
1) the trafic is too fast and you cannot merge to the exit lane
2) there are several road signs along the hwy and you get confused
3) you cannot see or read the signs
Do not panic. Just keep driving until you can find the next exit or follow the instructions of the GPS. Be aware that it takes the GPS some time to re-calculate the route for you. And you should ignore the voice that asks you to make a U turn on a hwy. After all, GPS does not work like human brain.
Make sure you double check all the lights including the emergency light (left and right turn signal) of the vehicle. Not only is it dangerous without proper lights but also will you get tickets for it.
There are two types of left turns; Yield or Left on Arrow Only.
First one means you make sure there is no incoming trafic from the other direction and then turn. If there is any car or pedestrians on the street, no matter how fast or slow they go, you MUST yield because they have the right of way.
In this case, whatever happens you will take full responsibility and be considered failing to yield.
For pedestrians I think you must know that you can never ever drive by them on the street hoping you can pass without hitting anyone. As long as there are pedestrians walking, you should make full stop and yield, regardless they might be on the wrong side or jumping the red light.
Second one means there will be a left turn green arrow for you and there won't be incomg trafic from the other direction (they have red light). It is safe to turn.
But in some cities such as LA, there are just too many places where there is no left trun arrow but only yield sign. And there is endless incoming trafic. In this situation you probably have to jump a little or you will be stuck there for a long time. And cars behind you will be honking.
Right turns is easier but still there are places you must not turn when there is no right turn arrow.
Typically, you can seafely turn right when the light for straight/through trafic is green. But again, when bad things happen, it is your responsibility.
Also, there might be signs that say "No Turn on Red" and you should not make right turns when the light is red.
There is one simple rule to remember this. The party that turns or changes lane will always take most of the resposibility in an accident.
You will see Yield sign mostly when you merge from local ior service road to hwy or when you exit hwy and try to merge to service/local roads.
At intersections, it is 99% STOP signs.
Again, it is easy to understand since you are changing directions or lanes and others are driving through so they have the right of way
Stop means you must make full stop for 2 to 4 seconds at least, look all the ways, then drive.
You should be aware that when there are other vehicles stop at a STOP sign, the one the stoped first should go first. Unless it is T intersection, there will always be a Two Ways STOP sign or All Ways STOP sign. Two Ways means there are two STOP signs. You can see one and othe other one for the oppisite direction. All Ways means there are four or more for all the directions.
It is sometimes hard to know who gets to the sign first. You can wave your hand and let others pass first. It is safer. But just the ones you think might get to the STOP sign before you. If you are too modest and humble, the driver of the car behind you might show you his middle finger
What other driver do or do not should not distract you.
Your stop time at a STOP sign starts from the time you stop at the white line (or where it should be a line).
Sometimes you may approach a busy intersection that there are many vehciles in front of you. The only thing you should do is follow them till your turn at the stop sign, wait and look around, then drive.
You can never ever drive on emergency lane or shoulders. Typically, regualr lanes are seperated with white paint lines. The far left and far right lines on the hwy should yellow paint lines . Driving or parking outside yellow paint lines can be a serious violation in the case there is another emergency and you block the lanes.
As long as you do not speed too much, and signal properly, you can pass from either side. By the book, I guess it is the same everywhere that you should pass from left lanes (right in the British system).
When you are driving on a hwy outside of city/town, there will be two lanes, try to drive on the right lane so others can pass on the left lane. After you pass someone, get back to right as soon as possible. ( You should stay in the left or middle lane when you drive through a city since the right lane should be used to exit only in most cases).
And the police officers would stay/hide on the left emergency lane to read your speed. So you are driving mostly on the right lane, it is hard for them to read your speed so less likely to give you a ticket.
但是通常在路上被交警抓住开罚单，都是一张“罚款通知”，
被罚人有到交通法庭去争辩，申述的权利。美国通常形容警察把超速的人抓下来的第一句话叫“license and registration please”，意思是“请出示"这两样证件。
１）Never ever get of of your car after being pulled over by police officers. You were lucky that it happened in a national park and there might be a safer country for the office. If it was in a big city, you could get arrested just for doing that. My friends was almost shot by a shotgun after she got out of the car without officer's instructions.
2)It rarely happens when the office should ask you to pull over as some have seen in the movies. When you see and hear the signals and/or sirens, you should pull over immediately. If the officer is after you, he/she will pull behind your car. Or, if it is some other emergency, they should just pass you.
Try not to pay to the officer but instead tell the officer that you will go to the court.
Typically on the ticket there will be a phone number of the civil court and maybe the address.
You can call the number and find out how much you should pay, regardless what the officer may tell you on the spot.
Then you can mail a money order (you can get the money order at most gas stations, retail stores or even Wal-Mart. It costs about 49 cents at Wal-Mart and no more than $1 at gas stations.You must pay cash to get the money order.)to the court. This is a safe way to pay the fine and you get to keep the stub of the money order as proof of payment.
The cheapest way to track your mail is using USPS (US Postal Service) delivery confirmation. You just go to any post office and ask for the form (small green sticker).
It only costs about 40 cents (postage for first class mail is another 39 cents) and gives you a tracking receipt with a tracking number.
With the delivery confirmation and the stub of the money order, you are 100% sure your fine is paid in full and on time.
It will take them a few days to get the info to the court.
You can ask the officer who issued the ticket that when is the good time to call.
Well, if it is after your departure date, you might want to ask the officer how to expediate the process, or maybe pay on the spot. In the state of Texas it is impossible to do that but as we have read in other posts, people can do that near the Yellowstone NP.
If it is not a severe violation and can be settled by a fine, you just tell the court the ticket number and that you want to pay with money order and they should let you know the amount and address. There won't be any explanations or negotiations on the phone since a court requires everything to be black and white on papers.
BTW, within each state, your ticket/violation info is real time and that means if you have another violation 10 minutes after the previous one, the officer would know and you might have trouble. There is wireless connected computers in patrol vehicles in most cities. In rural area, the officers would notify the central dispatch/control station about what happened. So next time some officer pulls you over, he/she should immediately know everything that has happened by searching the license tag of your car in their system. That's why mostly they will sit in the patrol car for a while after they pull you over. They are searching info about your car on the computer or through the radio and maybe waiting for backup.
But, the court will create a file for each ticket and it takes a few days there.
Do three things if the car breaks down:
1) Turn on the emergency lights (double turn signal)
2) Open the trunk and push the hood to the highest position
3) Find a safe place on or beyond the shoulder. Do not stay in your car unless it is it is in the middle of nowhere and you might get attacked by wild animals
１２）ＧＡＳ （ＺＴ）
ａ) Make sure you can use your credit card to gas purchase. Sometimes the machine (it is called pump in US) will ask for your zip code if the card is from out of town. But you cannot use your zip code in Shanghai since the pump will only recognize 5 digits. Debit card purchase usually requires PIN. Gas purchase does not work the same way as other transactions. It will take lots of money, sometimes $200 from your account as deposit, and will release the difference between the deposit and your actual purchase a few days later. So some of the cards may not work properly at gas stations.
ｂ) Typically only the disabled or old people would ask for the re-fueling service. And most of the gas stations will charge for that plus you have to tip. It is called FULL SERVICE and can be very expensive. You should look for SELF SERVICE sign on the pump.
ｃ) Be careful and make sure you do not put diesel in your tank.
ｄ) Most stations in US will ask you to pay first. If you can use your card, it is fine. Just remember the pump will usually ask if you need a receipt. Choose yes and it will print one for you. Some pumps will print without asking but some will. And some will try to sell you something such as car wash. Read the screen on the pump carefully and choose NO for everything but receipt. Or you can give your credit/debit card to the staff in the store (there will be a small convenience store at each gas station) and tell him/her you want to fill the tank at pump number ##. Then they can activate the pump to let you fill without paying for it first. After you are done, they will ask if you want to pay with cash or swipe the card.
ｅ) For a rental car, you only need to use the lowest grade available which is also the cheapest. Depending on where you are, it can be 85, 87 or even 90, with 87 being the most popular grade in US. The lowest grade is also called regular.
ｆ) All the pumps I have seen will ask you to insert your card and take it out quickly. There will be instructions on every pump. And the staff should help you to make it work. They may help you to refuel as a courtesy but again, they can charge you for full service. I guess sometimes they see that you must be new in US so they help you but that does not necessarily mean the refueling service is free and that they only get tips.
ｇ）There is a pressure sensor on the nozzle (油枪) so it will stop when the tank is filled.
ｈ) The will be no 扳钮 to pull. New pumps will let you choose the grade, then put the nozzle into the tank top, then start fueling. Some old ones may ask you to take the nozzle and lift the lever/handle that holds the nozzle to activate the pump.
They will hold on to your card so you have nothing to swipe.
In that case they can override it and activate the pump. You just do the steps such as selecting the grade, take nozzle, and lift the lever, and pump.
There will be a small trigger thing you have to hold in order to pump gas. And it can be held with another small thing on the nozzle so that you do not have to stand and hold it. The fueling will stop automatically when the tank is full.
１３）Insurance （ＺＴ）
在租车公司网站上一般有下述险种供选择：
一.Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) 或者Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)。以下以CDW为代表。
依不同州或公司，该险种由10美元至20几美元每天不等。
上了这个险种，如果租车人把租来的车给损坏了，无论是碰撞、车祸、或者是失窃，无需你赔付。
选择这个险种要注意的是：有的租车公司还会有一定的Deduction，就是车出险后，只有一部分数额的费用是由保险公司承担，超出部分由租车人承担。这种CDW只能称为“小CDW”，这种租车公司往往还会提供名为FULL-CDW的险种供选择。也就是说，你选了“小CDW”，出险后你可能要承担一部分，而上了FULL CDW，产生碰撞、车祸、或者是失窃等与车有关的问题，你不用承担任何费用。至于选择FULL CDW还是“小CDW”，还要根据个人驾驶技术，路线的难易程度来确定。
选择建议：由于美国人工费昂贵，稍有事故几百美元甚至上千美元都是有可能的。此项还是上到无须承担任何费用为好。
二。第三方责任保险（Liability）.
依不同州或公司，该险种一般在10-20美元每天
上了该险种，租车人开着租来的车，出了事故，造成了租车人和租车公司以外的第三方人身或者财产损失，这个保险就可以替租车人负担这种损失的全部或一部分。只负担一部分是指：不同州法律不同，有些公司车租金里只含基本的第三方责任保险，出险后，保险公司只支付某一固定数额，如造成第三者的损失很大，超出部分要由租车人承担。换句话说，这是一种有限额的赔偿。所以租车公司还相应提供名为Supplemental Liability Insurance ("SLI")或Additional Liability Insurance("ALI")的附加险，来提高保险公司负担的数额，相应减少你的风险。
选择建议：确认车公司是否在资金中含基本的第三方责任保险，这部分保险就是自费也要上。至于SLI或ALI，个人根据具体情况自行确定。
三.个人险
Personal Accident Insurance ("PAI") 和 Personal Effects Insurance (“PEI”)
不少公司把这两种合为Personal Protection Plan("PPP"),每天在10美元以下。
1.PAI：上该险，保险公司给驾车者及乘客在因车祸产生的死亡，致伤，救护车的费用
以AVIS为例：下列情况陪付给司机及乘客的费用分别为
死亡：175,000美元
医疗：2，500美元
救护车：250美元
2.PEI：上该险，保险公司给驾车者及其家人租车其间车内财物遗失赔付。一般限额1，500美元。
上述PAI和PEI在很多公司是以PACKAGE供租车人购买。还以AVIS为例，有些公司还提供PAI PLUS供选择，也就是说，再多上这个险种，可将死亡陪付金由175，000美元提高至250.000美元。
如果个人在本地的保险包括在境外自驾出险的赔付，可考虑不上PAI，至于PEI，自己注意些，贵重物品随身带，也可不上。
综合上述，保险选择的总则是：花钱买保障。
既不要贪图省钱或抱侥幸心理而舍弃一些重要险种，也切莫因为上了全险而有恃无恐，不注意交通安全。
. LDW covers everything no matter whose fault it is! Unless you broke or burn the car for fun (intention), you have nothing to worry about.
2. It means if the total cost of repair exceeds the fair market value of the car, then you are only responsible up to that fair market value, in the event you did not get the LDW or have no other insurance.
3.First part means that, in the case of vandalism but car was NOT stolen, you will not be asked to pay for more than $500. And, unless they can prove that you left the car unattended which lead to theft, you will not be responsible for theft.
4.I think if you have other travel insurance then you can pass PAI.
5.All travel related insurance, including rental car insurance, will NOT cover your belongings or just cover the essential items. Do not expect them to pay you $100,000 even if you claim your wedding ring with 10 ct. diamond.
In the case of accidents involving more than yourself and your car, you should find a safe place to park, like shoulders on highways, and then check both parties for injuries and losses. If you leave, the other party can sue you for Hit and Run. And since you have left, it will be hard to prove who's responsible for what, right?
Always call 911 after accidents. You will need the police report for insurance purposes. Without it, most insurance companies will decline your claim. After that, call car rental compan and your insurance company if it has service in US. If you are injured, the police will call Ambulance and take you to a hospital. You should show them your insurance card, if you can, as soon as possbile. If your policy is from a domestic bearer, then you might have to pay up front and get reimbursement after you go back home.
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|Archiver|手机版|小黑屋|武汉在路上俱乐部
( 鄂ICP备11000556号 )
发表于 2008-9-29 19:30:00
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