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Texas is the only state in the USA, I think they said, that still allows open
bottles of alcohol in cars on the road - and yet most of the accidents and deaths
are alcohol related - go figure!. The legal drinking age is 21 in Dallas.
Our area and surrounding areas, are zoned as 'dry' and consequently there are no bars. However, lot of restaurants have their own bar incorporated and apparently you don't need to necessarily follow on with a meal. At a restaurant in a dry area, you need to produce a 'Unicard' for I.D. to order alcohol. If you don't have one, you can get a form from the waiter for a temporary card, then apply for one later.
Some of the large liquor stores actually stock quite a good range of imported wines and prices aren't too bad. The New Zealand wines were of course shelved in amongst the Australian wines (well aren't they the same country ! - Not). It is rare to find any NZ beers though.
There are a couple of large multiplex complexes in Texas - AMC and Lowes, and plenty of small independents. The Concession bars sell the usual popcorn by the bucketful as well as soft drinks, bags of candy and small candy bars. What they don't sell, to my dismay, is ice cream in cones - definitely my fix when going to see a movie. The closest I can get to an ice cream is at AMC who sell packets of ice cream cubes, chocolate coated - not a real substitute for the rock hard, chocolate coated dipped in nuts, ice creams in Australia and NZ cinemas. We have a little local cinema which shows movies a month or so after the big commercial screens and you pay only $1 - or $1.50 in the evenings - such a bargain! They are old art deco theatres, but comfortable enough, plenty of leg room (unlike a lot of modern cinemas) and at that price you don't mind waiting a few more weeks to see a movie. During the winter you need a jacket as the heating is never up far enough (for me anyeay). There are also the 'Movie Grills' where you can order your meal before the movie starts from quite a varied menu and it is served to you while you watch your film. Obviously you have little tables in front of you - quite a different layout altogether from regular cinemas. A very nice way to go to enjoy a film - they are also licensed.
Insurance is outrageous - Texas law requires you to have auto insurance, and if you are still paying off your vehicle, your Lender demands it. Auto liability insurance is optional Home insurance is also astronomical. This year (2002) the rates went up by 30-50% and there was no recourse to object - other than shop around and try and find something a little cheaper. Why? Because apparently Insurance companies have spent years exploiting loopholes and avoiding accountability. Big insurance companies get to write their own rules in the State of Texas and consumers as well as the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) can do little or nothing about it. There are also so many fraudulent claims allowed to pass through which in the end, everyone else has to pay for. Our house/contents insurers raised our insured value (without any consultation) and when we requested it - would not reduce the value - they were including land as well, so we shopped around and switched companies.
Tipping for everything you do (dinner/valet/hairdresser/taxi's etc) makes everything, including holidays, very expensive. We have the tax (GST) built into our prices now so you know exactly what you are being asked to pay. In the States, it depends on the particular State and even the City/County within that State as to what percentage will be added on to the price once you get to the checkout.
The bankruptcy rate is high. A lot of people do not handle their credit cards well and some have up to around 13, shuffling payments between them all until they get into ridiculous situations where they cannot even meet the finance charges let alone pay off any of the principle amount and end up declaring bankruptcy.
Driving on the right side of the road is so disorientating for those of us who have for all our driving lives, driven on the other side of the road. Turning at large intersections is even more of a nightmare. Everything is in reverse - even the simplest thing will bring about a minor panic attack until the brain reverses everything. While the slow lane has previously been on the left for me, it is now on the right.
Traffic Lights are also very confusing. I am used to having the traffic light 'pole' on MY side of the intersection, right where I stop, here they were on the other side of the intersection. Instinctively I want to pull up under it but to do so, would have put me right in the middle of the intersection. Most are on either wires suspended over the road which swayed on windy days and I often wondered how much of a gust it would take to bring them down, or they are on metal arms which extend out over the roadway. The lights themselves are also confusing. Instead of just getting a green arrow to turn, you also got a green light with it, but this light may not always apply to the cars beside you going straight ahead. At first glance, you think you can go.
On a red light, traffic making right hand turns can turn without waiting for a green light, if the way of course is clear. When doing this for the first few times, I felt like I was 'running a red'.
In our City, road markings are sadly lacking. Where there are normally white lines on the road at a 'stop' sign, these are either invisible or totally worn out and since 'stop' signs were sometimes placed at the weirdest of places, not having that white line meant there was a good chance I may drive right through it without realising. 'Yield' signs are another name for 'Give Way'. You can also find yourself in a centre lane, coming up to an intersection then suddenly with no warning or road markings to show that the lane was ending, find that you were in a left turn only lane with no way to continue ahead. Centre lines are yellow dash stripes and of course if its solid, then don't overtake. White dash stripes separate dual lanes of traffic in the same direction. It all gets a little confusing when you're used to solid white centre lines - not yellow.
On the freeways you will see an endless supply of shredded tyres. Just watch out for the whole tyres and don't run over them like we did on a dark night when we didn't see it until it was going under the car. Believe me, they can do damage as well as give you a hell of a shock. At the time of arriving here in Texas, there was a serious issue with Firestone tyres being unsafe and the amount of accidents that they had caused (fatalities). A lot of accidents here are also caused by the use of cell phones while driving. The police are big offenders also I see. It is not illegal, but there is quite a bit of discussion going on, all around the country on this issue. Road Rage is a bit of an issue also - so don't piss someone off!. Most of the roads are concrete. I'm told this is because of the heavy load of cars and trucks as well as to endure the Texas heat. Motorbike riders are not required to wear helmets or any other protective clothing for that matter. The majority can be seen in the skimpiest of outfits (in summer) with uncovered heads, hair (men included) flowing in the wind. One who was actually wearing a helmet, was happily smoking while riding. I imagine that cigarette wouldn't have taken long to burn out. One of the most dangerous thing I have seen happening more lately is bikies talking on their cell phones while riding - steering obviously with one arm!!!
The freeways are huge - some 10 lanes across with some flyovers/overbridges/bypasses
whatever you want to call them, being at 4 levels. There is a new 5 level one
being constructed in Dallas - look out George Jensen, we'll be joining you
in the skies soon. Driving over the top level solo for the first time can be
quite an experience - I ended up having to take that route by accident while
not having a clue 
where
I was going - I was very happy to get off it. Traffic in rush hour is very
arduous and if there is an accident as well, everything can grind to a halt
and be backed up for miles. Its best not to let anyone in the next lane sit
along side you - speed up or slow down to shift your position - you never know
when they are going to just move over on top of you - I was forced into an
emergency lane through a truck not seeing me and moving over. The big semi's
that travel the freeways are a law unto themselves and are best kept well away
from. When entering an onramp to a freeway, plant your boot, you need to be
up to speed hitting the traffice to survive. They travel at speeds illegal
for their size, carry tonnage which is beyond the
restrictions
and
generally
don't
give
a dam
because
they
are
bigger
than you. If you are in a little car they can easily run over you without seeing
you - its happened and continues to happen. A common sight to see is a car
or truck on the side of the freeway in flames. Whether it be electrical or
simply heat of the Texas summer, it doesn't seem to be anything unusual here.
Check out a "Visitin'
Dallus"
Indicators - now aren't they the sticks on the left (or right) side of the steering wheel which are to be used for turning? Well someone should tell that to the "Texas Drivers". Don't expect anyone to indicate where they may be going, if they do, it will be a pleasant surprise or it could be totally useless as they will do the opposite of what they indicate or change their mind half way through an intersection. Don't expect any waves of thanks for road courtesy - its not going to happen! One day out driving, the car in front's boot (trunk) appeared to be punctured by holes - a new form of air-conditioning??. First impressions suggested bullet holes. First impressions were right - that's exactly what they were. I wonder if anyone had been in the boot at the time?
Roundabouts or traffic circles are not that common a sight, where I live anyway, and I dread ever having to come across one and remember to go around it backwards. At intersections which have no traffic lights (signals), it is first come, first to take off. That is the accepted rule.
In Texas, the maximum speed limit for cars and light trucks (pickups, panels, vans, etc.) is 70 mph during the day and 65 mph at night on all numbered highways in rural areas. Any areas with lower speed limits have signs posted. Speed limits on urban freeways typically range from 55 mph to 70 mph. Speeding tickets here are sent to insurance companies for their files therefore putting your insurance rate up. You have an option here to pay some of the ticket and do a defensive driving course (which can be done online and which you must pay for). By doing this the information does not go to the insurance company and you do not get a demerit point. A motor vehicle may not be operated in Texas unless a policy of liability insurance is in effect. Evidence of insurance must be given when requested by a police officer.
In our area there is no public transport - no buses and no trains (that stopped that is - they passed straight through - well who could blame them). So for getting around, it is mandatory to have a car and be able to drive or be driven. Even the sight of a taxi cab is rare and the only odd one I saw initially in our area was a 'Cowboy Taxi'. The name in itself was a bit of a worry. In Dallas itself you will have more success in getting a taxi if you tried hailing it from a hotel. Of course there is no problem from the airport.
Service Stations - prices vary a lot from gas station to gas station. Air is not always free either. Sometimes you can pay up to .50c to inflate your tyres. Grocery stores which have their own service stations and who also provide a card for discounts on store items will also allow a discount for purchasing their petrol as well. 
Be careful either approaching or following school buses. You are required to stop when they do and wait until they have picked up/off loaded and their 'stop' signs are back in before you proceed. Be careful also in school zones during certain times of the day where a much reduced speed limit (20 mph) is enforced.
New residents to Texas are required to obtain a Texas license within 30 days of arriving. That's really a bit rough especially if you are coming from overseas and not just transferring from another state. I arrived not only with my current overseas drivers licenses but also obtained an international one for 12 months while I got sorted out here. You will need to sit the full test unfortunately. Texas Mileage Guide
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