Hello from Germany

[DucPete]

So I just got into Germany to attend a friends wedding and I must say that the drivers on the roads here make americans look like self-centered, or completely distracted numb-nuts.   

People are hauling ASS on the roads and it's seems just fine.   People make it work. 

And of course I'm in a Fiat POS.  My bike has probably 1.5 times the power of this car.   I was FLOORING it in it's top gear practically the entire time on ze autobahn.  It had a top speed of roughly 170kph and at that speed it feel very unsafe.    Made me wish I had rented a motorcycle. 

[moto]

[tonyj311]

newsflash- most Americans are self centered butt holes while behind the wheel. I saw something on tv about the autobahn. drivers in the fast lane would turn on their left turn signal and the slow driver would move over right away- without road rage. hmmm what a concept.

[somegirl]

newsflash- most Americans are self centered butt holes while behind the wheel. I saw something on tv about the autobahn. drivers in the fast lane would turn on their left turn signal and the slow driver would move over right away- without road rage. hmmm what a concept.

Actually, the slow drivers just stay out of the left lane on the autobahn. Best drivers I've seen around the world.

And it's great with a good car or on a bike on the autobahn, but there are even nicer roads in the Alps if you rent a bike. [moto]

[bulldogs2k]

Imagine how I felt upon returning to the U.S., I got my drivers license in Europe while my dad was stationed in England.  I was frustrated when I moved back (DC metro area) and since then, I've been dreaming of European roads......sigh... 

[KnightofNi]

i'll be there in a month! 


i'm just hoping i can get a bike while over there. [moto]

[NuTTs]

I wanna do the Nurburgring next summer, the trip is being planned...  we would like to bike it there and back. Although my lazy ass friend wants to drive up in a van with the bikes inside 

[lucazuma]

...i was born and raird in Rome and have driven many a times in several EU countries. It's quite frustrating when you firs move out here and try to drive 

i noticed how the close you are to LA the more cars you find cloging the left lane...

In my commute (35miles on PCH) i spend more time passing cars in the right lane than i am in the left!!  It almost feels like being in an other country where the rule IS to pass on the right... 

ciao
(zee germans say that as well )

[SP3]

Actually, the slow drivers just stay out of the left lane on the autobahn. Best drivers I've seen around the world.

And it's great with a good car or on a bike on the autobahn, but there are even nicer roads in the Alps if you rent a bike. [moto]

True, there is (was? - haven't been in 20 years now) very little of the PASSING lane stupidity that there is here in the US.

Matter of opinion/viewpoint on how "great" the bahns are though. If you want(ed) to get somewhere quickly, they ARE great. I never got a rush from the high speed though so the "greatness" was strictly from a utility standpoint. The "GREAT" roads were always the slowest for me.

[SP3]

In my commute (35miles on PCH) i spend more time passing cars in the right lane than i am in the left!!  It almost feels like being in an other country where the rule IS to pass on the right... 

Are you sure you aren't in the UK or Australia? 

[DucPete]

One thing I've noticed is that Germans aren't multi-tasking while driving.   There are these little pullover places with nothing but a garbage can and a picnic table every several miles where there are cars.  In these cars are people on the phone or doing whatever.  They take their crap off the road. 

Do we just have no hope of making it any better in the US?  I'm just going to start being an asshole when driving.  and keep a "Don't Multi-task while driving asshole!" sign in my car.

[lucazuma]

Are you sure you aren't in the UK or Australia? 

...if it werent for the accent, sometimes i think i am!!

[TiNi]

In my commute (35miles on PCH) i spend more time passing cars in the right lane than i am in the left!!  It almost feels like being in an other country where the rule IS to pass on the right... 

right..... it's the new left 
it is like that here on the east coast as well 

is the PCH as nice down near LA as it is south of carmel?
my commute is 25 mi. of beautiful, rolling hills with  2 lane country roads... no passing on most of it.

and drive on the autobahn is on my list of things i want to do...