Re: Completely off-topic question about American roads.

IIRC on my driver's ed, and subsequent refreshers (Changing states every

2-3 years has been good for something), it is illegal to leave a vehicle

unattended for _any_ length of time in front of a fire-hydrant, or 
in/blocking designated fire lanes.

Translated into American English:
So long as someone capable of driving the vehicle (legally) is in, or
near 
enough to the vehicle to respond to a need to move it, you can be 
there...  AFAIK there is a time-limit even to this, but I'm guessing at
15 
minutes.

Unlike what many American's seem to think, the "near enough" does NOT
mean 
"running into the building real quick-like, just so I can
get/do/drop-off 
X."  Those people, and the ones who insist they're not going to be long,

which is why they should be allowed to park in a handicapped space even 
though they aren't, those kinds of people really get my goat.

Interestingly enough, there's a picture that floated around the net 
sometime ago, of a car parked in front of a fire-hydrant and a
fire-truck's 
hose going through the obviously broken windows of said car.  Mercedes, 
IIRC.  Made me cheer to see it.

Possibly to bring back on topic...
A scenario of desparate NAC infantry trying to put out a fire...  No...
Your buddies been shot, but that darn size 1 vehicle is in the way of
the 
armored medical...  No...
Ah, I got it...  You're set up for an ambush in a mall, when a cop pulls
up 
telling you you can't park your MBT in a fire lane, even if you're just 
going to run in real quick to plant some demo charges...  Hrm, no that 
doesn't work...

Ah hell, there's no way.
Rand...  Cheerfully being off topic, but at least it's pleasant 
conversation!  :)

At 10:11 PM 6/4/2002 +0100, you wrote:

>I've noticed, in movies and the like, that some US roads in cities
>have lanes labelled "Fire Lane".
>
>What are the rules about those? I'm imagining it's something like
>"don't be stationary in this lane" - is this near the mark?