I am in the Piedmont because of a woman. en'ff said.
1. Piedmont means cul-de-sac. It is so American to define an Italian word with a French word.
2. Four right turns will NOT get you back to where you started.
3. Always stay in the lane with the most vehicles. The other lanes exit or end.
4. When asking directions you will NOT get compass directions. You will get "Head down this road until you get to Wendy's restaurant. Turn left. Keep on that road till you get to Hardee's. Take a right, and it is just before you get to the McDonalds."
5. Don't give directions using compass directions. No one here knows which way is West.
6. Roads that are more than two miles in length will change their names. Or they can do it in one-tenth of a mile. Forum Dr. crosses Six Forks Rd and becomes Colonnade Center Dr., in two blocks it crosses Strickland Rd. and becomes Kings Arms Way.
7. Don't be surprised if the intersection of two roads results in four different street names. Such as the four corner intersection at Lassiter Mill Rd, St Mary St, Scotland St and White Oak Rd. --- or --- Litchford Rd, Old Wake Forest Rd, Atlantic Ave and Dixie Forest Rd.
8. Roads are built either: on a ridge, next to a stream or along a railroad track. And if they were not, they are a cul-de-sac.
9. Many streams, here, have reeds growing in them, the name along many of these streams is Reedy Creek Rd. Of course none of these Reedy Creek Roads connect to each other.
10. Here, only a crow can travel the shortest distance between two points.
11. Don't get upset if you have to travel East to get to a location West of you.
12. Do not ask about a town without knowing what county it is in. Chapel Hill, is that the one in Madison County? or Orange? Avoid the town of Five Points, it can be found in ten counties.
13. The most common warning sign is "Bridge ices before road." It must be a state law that every bridge must have this warning sign. It is so common that if you ask someone about the sign they do not recall ever seeing it.
14. Raised lane reflectors glued to the highway was probably the idea of some state executive, originally from California. You can find all the little amber, white and red reflectors at the exit ramps of the freeway where the road graders that plowed the snow dumped them.
15. Beltline is an Eastern term. The rest of the country calls these Interstate loops, Loops. Such as 440 Loop and 540 Loop, which makes life simple when you talk about the outer 440 Loop.
16. Raleigh's 440 Loop has the distinction of requiring you to Exit it to be able to stay on it.
17. Greet a person with "Hey there". "Howdy" is a give-a-way that you are from the Great Plains.
18. History Markers are usually placed 2 blocks to 2 miles from the historical site, I don't know why.
19. The road you drive under while on the freeway is not identified. Avent Ferry Rd., Jones Franklin Rd, Athens Dr, Glen Eden Dr and Lassiter Mill Rd have no markings on them from I-440. Must be an Eastern thing.
20. You know you have left DOWNTOWN when square or rectangular blocks no longer exist.
21. When driving through an intersection do not expect to keep driving straight. Going from New Falls of the Neuse across US 1 (Capital Blvd.) to Main Street of Wake Forest, you will have to veer about 30 degrees to the left to stay on the road.
22. Small towns have "strip malls" and shops along the "main drag", here we have Capital Blvd Mall. It goes from the "Time and Light Tower" in Raleigh, through Wake Forest to the Franklin County Water Tower in Youngsville.
23. Some cars here have a license plate on the front that says "NATIVE". I mentioned that the driver did not look Cherokee, my woman scowled at me.
24. At some time you will have to merge into a crowded lane of traffic, Southern hospitality will allow you to merge. BUT, you are required to wave, wave BIG!!! Big waves are definitely required.
25. Axiom of number 2 and 10, do NOT be surprised if it takes you 5 left turns in a row and travelling 2 miles to get to a location a quarter mile from you.
For example in maps.google.com or mapquest.com (optimize for distance) enter: FROM 6701 Foxfire Pl, 27615 TO 1408 Horsepen Pl, 27615.
The most extreme example of this is the ELEVEN left turns going
26. Don't assume you know how to pronounce a word. In Oklahoma they had Governor and Senator Robert S. Kerr and owner of Kerr-McGee Oil Company, pronounced 'cur'. In the Piedmont is Kerr Lake, Kerr Drug Store, etc., pronounced 'car'.
The people of Wilson pronounce their town, Wilston. The people of Clinton, pronounce their town, Clinon. The people of Wilson say they got their 't' from Clinton.
And then there is the town of Beaufort, one in NC and one in SC. You will be corrected if you mispronounce, either one.