We must study them, emulate them and do like them. We all know that Europe is a millennium up on us but does that mean that we North Americans will always be a thousand years behind? “That's preposterous, Matt, stop talking trash!” I won't 'cause we just don't and won't get it. What we've got is everything back-asswards.
I just recently spent two days barrelling down various stretches of the Autobahn in a 2011 Porsche 911 Sport Classic (review coming soon) and a 2011 Volkswagen GTI Edition 35. With these cars, I reached speeds that would have me drawn, quartered and hung upside-down naked by my genitals in our country which considers itself “free” without repression or oppression. Newsflash bud, that ain't the case. Fine, the grass may not be greener over there at all times but when it comes to cars, they know what they are doing. We are Neanderthals and I'm insulting them by saying it.
Driving in Germany is a skill that is taught, honed and tested. That's the difference. We suck as drivers, period. I don't care how good you think you are, spend 20 minutes on an Autobahn and you'll see that you are a danger to yourself and others behind the wheel of a car. “That's why I drive at 100 km/h on the freeway”. Awesome. While some of us are wanting to get around at 120 km/h, your slowness in the middle or worse, left lane, is causing traffic, peeving-off other drivers and even causing accidents.
“That's why we have speed limits”. No, we have speed limits because most of us don't know how to manage a 3,500-plus-lb vehicle; worse still, don't care to find out how to be better at it. It's an education thing. See, Governments know this, but figure that instead of spending money on making us skilled and realistically earning our driver's license, they prefer to slap us with fines (aka making money), restrictions and all-out BS. They think that by asking us to slow down, it'll help save lives. Wrong.
In Germany, at 140-150 km/h, traffic not only flows and people get to where they want to go without stressing out, but they get there safely because they know how to drive, respect their cars and the ones sharing the road.
I'm just about angry with this. It'll always be this way because that's the greedy, lazy American way and, I'll say it again, we CAN DO BETTER.
I just recently spent two days barrelling down various stretches of the Autobahn in a 2011 Porsche 911 Sport Classic (review coming soon) and a 2011 Volkswagen GTI Edition 35. With these cars, I reached speeds that would have me drawn, quartered and hung upside-down naked by my genitals in our country which considers itself “free” without repression or oppression. Newsflash bud, that ain't the case. Fine, the grass may not be greener over there at all times but when it comes to cars, they know what they are doing. We are Neanderthals and I'm insulting them by saying it.
Driving in Germany is a skill that is taught, honed and tested. That's the difference. We suck as drivers, period. I don't care how good you think you are, spend 20 minutes on an Autobahn and you'll see that you are a danger to yourself and others behind the wheel of a car. “That's why I drive at 100 km/h on the freeway”. Awesome. While some of us are wanting to get around at 120 km/h, your slowness in the middle or worse, left lane, is causing traffic, peeving-off other drivers and even causing accidents.
“That's why we have speed limits”. No, we have speed limits because most of us don't know how to manage a 3,500-plus-lb vehicle; worse still, don't care to find out how to be better at it. It's an education thing. See, Governments know this, but figure that instead of spending money on making us skilled and realistically earning our driver's license, they prefer to slap us with fines (aka making money), restrictions and all-out BS. They think that by asking us to slow down, it'll help save lives. Wrong.
In Germany, at 140-150 km/h, traffic not only flows and people get to where they want to go without stressing out, but they get there safely because they know how to drive, respect their cars and the ones sharing the road.
I'm just about angry with this. It'll always be this way because that's the greedy, lazy American way and, I'll say it again, we CAN DO BETTER.