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Speeding Tickets
At the risk of feeding a useless and non-BMW-related tread, I just HAVE to
add my 2c to Lou's comment:
>If they spent as much time, money and effort, weeding out the bad >drivers,
ones who don't signal, or travel in passing lanes at or >below the limit,
driving would improve. I have yet to see a cop pull >over the car that's
creating the back-up, it's always the speedtraps >they set up. I'm sure you
have all been stuck behind some idiot >who's slowing everyone down.
I could not agree more!!! Nothing infuriates me more than someone who does
not signal, or who slows everyone up on the passing lane, or who does not
use rear view mirrors. This goes back to another post from a European
digester who commented on the quality of driving education in the U.S.
Every time I see someone who does not signal (and it happens ALL THE TIME,
at least here in Massachusetts), I feel like pulling them over, getting out
of the car and ripping their signal stalk off the steering column, saying
"Hey, you don't need this anyway, do you...", like a crazy acquaintance of
mine did once, back in France.
In France, where I got my licence 16 years ago, like in Germany, it is very
difficult, lengthy and expensive to learn how to drive. People are taught
to understand the mechanics of driving (manual transmission cars) under a
great variety of conditions and using all the safety and signaling features
of the vehicle. Here in the U.S., you might as well get your licence from
finding it in a box of cereal! People who don't understand the art of
driving, the laws of physics and who don't anticipate are the real
dangerous drivers.
Americans who have travelled to Europe often comment on how crazy the
drivers are over there. I don't have the statistics on automobile-related
injuries country-to-country which may prove them right, but it seems to me
that even though they drive faster and in more spirited fashion, they do a
better job at it because of their understanding of what's involved. I
sorely miss this way of driving.
This being said, the laws are here to be respected, and the cops are doing
their job, partially (if only they went after the real bad drivers too...).
I was nailed twice in three months 5 years ago but deserved it. I got
nailed again on vacation in Utah last year, and deserved it again,
regardless of the fact that the road was a long empty straightaway in the
desert. The law is not always just, but breaking it is not an effective
way to change it.
Christophe Lemaire
Email: christophe.lemaire@domain.elided
1997 E39 528i 3kmi
BMWCCA # 132924
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