1) "You're going the wrong way"
The obvious difference is that people drive on the left/wrong side of the road here. It's actually quite remarkable how quickly we've adjusted to it. It's to the point where when we watch TV and an American show is on it looks odd to see people drive on the right side.
2) "I've got the need, the need for obeying the posted speed limit"
For the most part Perthonians don't speed. Yes, there is the occasional testosterone fueled young man with a more powerful car and less sense than what's required. But for the most part, people either drive at the speed limit or even below. The reason for this is easy to explain. According to (my) empirical evidence the entire Perth police force has no other duties other than to prevent and/or catch people speeding. Almost every weekend in the Northbridge bar district, where we first lived, there is a violent incident with a knife, bottle or other weapon. You would think the area would be crawling with police but they are all too busy ensuring that drivers aren't speeding. Also, there are speed cameras (along with red light cameras) set up throughout the city in addition to the mobile speed traps. I think I prefer the 'slower' driving culture here but sometimes it feels a little too big-brotherish when it comes to the road and not enough when it comes to violent crime.
3) "You call that a truck?"
The car culture in Perth is significantly different than in Calgary. They sell basically the same brands of vehicles with the notable exception of a bargain brand Chinese car company called "Great Wall". Fords are popular here. So are Holdens (GM). So are Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, etc. However, the types of vehicles are a little different. First the good: it's rare to see pick-up trucks or minivans in Perth. The bad: a very popular vehicle here is the Ute which is like an old El Camino (two seater pickup truck built low to the ground with an engine that is disproportionally powerful for the size of the vehicle). The Ute is short for Utility implying that it serves a useful purpose. Originally the Ute was a useful vehicle that was used by farmers and ranchers. Now it's primary purpose is to demonstrate the verility of young males. SUVs are also very popular.
^ A Holden Ute. It also comes in "Manly Mauve", "Pugnacious Pink" and "Baby Blue Bully".
4) "Get on your bike and ride"
Motorcycles are also popular in Perth. Not surprising considering that you can drive them year-round. Motorbikes have their own little sub-culture. They have parking spots designated for them in the CBD and other popular places. Also, when traffic is slow on the freeway they are encouraged to drive between lanes. It's completely legal here. Also, the typical motorcycle rider here tends not to be an idiot with a death wish.
5) "I can barely fit my Hummer"
The lanes here are a little more narrow. It's not narrow like a cobblestone lane in Europe but it's also not the vast lanes like in North America. It's enough space but not what we're used to. As a result, occasionally we drift close to the line.
6) "The blinker is used to indicate"
A funny thing happened to us the other day. We were in bumper to bumper traffic and needed to move over a lane. I turned on my turning signal and the person in the lane beside me made room for me. Later in the drive, I had to move over again. I indicated with my blinker and yet again the person beside me made room. It doesn't happen all the time but we've noticed that, in general, people are a little more courteous on the road here.
7) "Horn not working, watch for finger"
Once in a while, everyone drives like a jerk. We do this either because we're jerks on the road or because we made a mistake and then need to recover by, for instance, abruptly changing lanes or cutting in front of someone. When this happens in Calgary usually you get one of two responses: "the look" or "the bird". I haven't seen either of those here yet. I'd say that, in general, people are not quite as uptight on the road here and a little more forgiving.
8) "Pedestrians beware"
In Calgary, whether it's a marked crosswalk or not, motorists are generally encouraged to stop for pedestrians. In Perth, pedestrians are fair game. If you are jaywalking, which is common, you need to be very aware because a car is not going to stop for you, unless they need to peel you out from the undercarriage after they've run you over. We've had to change our mentality about pedestrians but occasionally we still stop for them when we shouldn't. When that happens the pedestrians are surprised and the vehicles behind us are irritated. The real problems occur when there is a marked cross-walk where pedestrians do have the right of way. We've come close a couple of times to mowing down a pedestrian in a marked cross-walk because our mind-set has largely changed to that of the locals.
9) "No left turn on a red?"
In Calgary, at a red light you are able to legally turn right after coming to a full stop. In Perth, at a red light you can not turn left until you get a green light. There is the occasional intersection where you yeild prior to turning left but for the most part you stop and wait at the light. I've personally run a couple of red lights because of this. Fortunately, there were no police in the area as it was not a good place for a speed trap.
10) "What's antifreeze?"
The temperature in Perth this winter has gone below freezing (zero) exactly once. It was for about 5 minutes and it was overnight in an area of the city that is below sea level and far from the ocean. Otherwise, it doesn't get that cold here, except in our house. So, cars don't have block heaters. They also don't have anti-freeze. And they also don't use windsheild washer fluid. Instead, they use water. It's a little different in that the water doesn't clean as well but it's good enough to scrape the pedestrians off.
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