Lesson 1: The streets and pedestrians
Before getting behind the wheel in Pittsburgh, you have to understand the differences between the streets in Pittsburgh and other places. The first thing you should realize is that the intersections are not typically rectangular, and are also typically too large or too small.
Also, there are few rights for pedestrians and other nonmotorists, what with the city's rough terrain and poor maintainance. Besides, pedestrians don't belong on the road anyway - they should be sitting at home getting fat.
The pedestrians that do come out better be on their toes. The intersection used in all the instructional videos here is a good example of what you will have to deal with here. Note that one road is sloped upward at a large angle and the other comes to a peak here. These slopes allow for reduced visibility and added danger. The road planners in Pittsburgh have designed the city this way to add excitement to an otherwise dull existence.
In a future lesson we will discuss the rights on the road further, but it is worth noting here that busses always have the right of way. They stop for almost nothing - and for good reason. To navigate the terrain here, busses must keep up their momentum, even if it means killing a bunch of inattentive Pitt students every year.