[s-cars] Frederic has a new job? (Transport Minister gets ticket)

[The CyberPoet]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2003/11/10/252800-ap.html

ROFL!

"The radar initiative is part of a campaign by the centre-right
government to try to curtail the carnage on French roads, where roughly
8,000 people die annually - more than in any other European Union
country. The campaign has included stepped-up police checks against
drunk and speeding drivers."

IMHO (and it is humble, when it comes to the French), their accident
rates have to do more with the following than their speeding:
(A) Less than ideal car inspection standards and road-worthiness
standards -- I've seen unbelievably beat up cars trolling the roads
there. The headlights around the area surrounding the city of Bitche
(which I've often driven, spelled "Bitch" on German road signs) are
particularly horrid, with 1 out 10 burned out and 3 out of 10 dim or so
lens covered in dirt & grime as to look burned out. Doesn't help
pea-soup fog permeates the area much of the year at night.
(B) The wonderful wines that seem to go with every meal. Not to mention
the before-dinner aperitif, the after-dinner... you get the idea.
(C) Long, open roads with little traffic, large amounts of fog and poor
road maintenance (combined with poor line & edge markings). Throw in
unexpected farm traffic (including wandering cattle, manure spreaders),
and those poor headlights and it just gets worse...

The difference becomes glaringly apparent if you drive on any back
country road from back-woods Germany into back-woods France -- it's
like a harsh line was laid and everything beyond it in France was
muddled by some abstract artist who left his water color paintings in
the rain.

Cheers
=-= Marc Glasgow

PS - trying to find the Bitche? Great place to spend an afternoon
visiting the citadel, and drinking at night with the local French Army
soldiers...
MAP:
http://www.maporama.com/share/Map.asp?SESSIONID={935DD1C6-DF24-4E21-
B410-331751E9ECA7}&ZoomSet=12
INFO ABOUT:
http://flagspot.net/flags/fr-57-bi.html

Brandon Macintosh Mac Consultant Tampa Florida FL
www.cyberpoet.net