If you live in Queens, you've seen, and heard, this move. For years I've called it The Queens One Way and defined it as the popular, but false, belief that as long as the car is pointing in the right direction, you're not really breaking the traffic laws.
The borough of Queens is a maze of one-way streets that can break your spirit. Want to make a left at your corner? Tough darts. You need to take three right turns around three corners to get home. A lot of people want a shortcut from that frustration, hence the Queens One Way.
But when the shortcut becomes a long-distance reverse, sometimes up to 100 yards in length, it's dangerous. Drivers can't see as well when going in reverse, which makes it a hazard to other drivers and pedestrians. Plus it's annoying. The sound of a car in reverse hitting 20 to 30 mph is grating.
The Queens One Way is a traffic violation, though one rarely enforced. One-way signs refer to the movement in the direction of the sign.
Does anyone really believe in the Queens One Way?
