Re: 55 alive?

["Barton P. Chambers" <bartonc@infi.net>]

Hi Paul, Q-heads,

>           I originally received my first liscence in Germany.  I must have 
>           spent 6-9 months of driving school (fahrschule) and roughly $2500 
>           to get it.  Also, the german TUV inspections are no cakewalk.  
>           This difficulty causes two things:  (1) capable drivers on the 
>           roads (2) vehicles in good, safe condition.  

So tell me, WRT 1), have they *stopped* telling the Fahrschule students that the
odds are against someone being in the on-comming lane when entering a blind 
curve, or topping a hill, so that it's OK to pass under those conditions?

I used to take nuclear weapons convoys from Erlangen to west of Nekarsulm, along
Bundestrasse 4, and brother, let me tell you that they *were* teaching that in 
those days (my then-wife, a Lady from Breslau - now Wroclow confirmed that she 
had been taught PRECISELY that in the Fahrschule).  

Each of those trips was worth, oh say, 10-20 years off your life, stress- 
wise...(it's really *interesting* when some clown pulls out to pass a tight, 10 
vehicle convoy transporting live nuclear weapons, and your convoy is in one of 
those situations...)

I also wonder if there has been any change to the rule that every vehicle has 
equal right-of-way.  Ever happen to be blitzing down a two-lane Bundestrasse and
round a curve to find on-comming traffic and a horse-drawn honey wagon in *your*
lane...?  Or a little old farmer's wife, walking along in the middle of your 
land pulling a hand-wagon?

            Plus, it is also 
>           very easy for the Polizei to take that liscense away.  Needless 
>           to say, if it is taken away, it's a VERY EXPENSIVE proposition to 
>           get it back.  The result is people tend to avoid doing things 
>           that attract the polizei's attention.  They are very diligent at 
>           ticketing people who:  (1) drive drunk, (2) pass on the right, 
>           (3) drive too fast through residential and construction zones, 
>           and (4) blow red lights.  

Has there been any change in the wonderful propensity to stop, sprang in the 
*middle* of the inside land on the Autobahn, open all 4 doors and get out to 
take an *interesting* photograph...?  This was so common, Stern ran a cartoon 
showing just that, with the caption "Ach, shon <mit umlaut> is das blick" (ah, 
what a wonderful picture/view)...?

>           These fines are also not cheap.  You 
>           find that people who shouldn't be behind a wheel can't obtain a 
>           liscense, and those that are dangerous lose theirs after a 
>           relatively short time.  Happened to a number of classmates.  I 
>           also went to a High School of 800 students, and in 4 years we had 
>           not ONE drunk driving accident or fatality.  It just isn't done.
>           And that's in a country with no drinking age (well, they say it's 
>           sixteen.......)

Yeah, they instituted their (then new) draconian "drunk driving" laws shortly 
before I left, probably late '64.  First offense was something like a grand, and
loss of license for 1 year. Second offense was a year in the pokey and permanent
loss, if my faiding neural synapses are not failing me any worse than ususal...

>           I think laws here have to 
>           change or fines have to be higher and more strictly enforced 
>           (busted headlights, fog lights on in the dry, passing on the 
>           right, blowing red lights, tailgating, etc), even speeding in 
>           residential areas, where in my neighborhood I routinely see kids 
>           in GnatsuM TG's do 65-70 in a 25.  That's just stupid.

The things that I find even more dangerous (except for cretins who speed in 
residential areas; those folks should not be allowed to breed...) are the bozos 
that switch lanes without signalling (or worse, without looking), and the ones 
that fail to use headlights in periods of reduces visibility.  Like you, I put a
lot of miles on the DC beltway, a real school of how not to drive... (I have a 
78 mile roungd trip).

>           Sorry for the bandwith.

'Sawright...