traffic
I normally don't like to have people drive me around, but in this case I was perfectly happy to do so. The signs were are different -- except STOP signs. This one is my favorite. It means no parking (and occasionally has white arrows telling you where to go.) I interpret it as "DON'T DO ANYTHING!"Germany seemed to have the best drivers. That may have something to do with some pretty serious fines -- some of them have points, and when you accumulate enough points (12 or 16, I forgot) you lose your license, and then you get to apply for it all over again, including the $2000+ fee. Depending on the infraction (like drunk driving) you may not get your license back, even if you take the psychological test and pay all the fees and fines. So the system enforces good behavior.
But not in other countries. As a German passed us on a blind curve in the Czech Republic, my Czech Kid said "Germans are the worst drivers!" So I guess the point system only works in Germany.
My Japanese kid said the Dutch are the worst drivers, and then said she was not a very good driver.
All three of them drove me around safely, which is all I ask in a driver. Of course, 160 km/hr (100 mph) on the autobahn is pushing my comfort zone. My German kid says that is all his wife will let him do, sometimes he does 200 km/hr (125 mph) by himself.
My German kid has a Volkswagon Minivan, which had some really cool features that I want on my next one. (Don't groan! I like Mommy vans!) But VW doesn't export their minivans. They export medium priced cars. Mercedes Benz and BMW and Porsche export their high end cars. Some of the Semis in Germany were Mercedes Benz'. In Bellevue, a rich suburb of Seattle where I grew up, at the grocery store you you can see rows of high end cars: BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Mercedes...dirty blue Chrysler minivan (That was ours). You see the same thing in German grocery stores, except they are not all luxury cars. (At my home, there are lots of dirty blue minvans at the grocery store. And other colors, and pickup trucks and the occasional car decorated with primer, as well as luxury cars. Diversity rules!)
posted by Marion @ 5:48 AM
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