[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

When I'm senator, I'll bring you these laws:

1. Minimum Speed Limit: you c'ain't be getting on the freeway at 40 MPH grandma!!
   
2. Repeal of anti horn honking law. Did you know that it's illegal to use your horn in a non-emergency sitcheeation for some states? Of course, I could argue that getting smooshed into a concrete barrier (because tailgating commuters aren't leaving you enough room to get in with grandma at 40 MPH) is an emergency. Better yet, having the concrete divider give way for you to fly out into the lake, yes, that sounds pretty dire too.
   
3. 12 years of prison for the DOT designer of any onramp that hits the freeway at 70 degrees--so good luck getting up adequate merging speed, even without a grandma in front of you. And when the ramp does get almost parallel to the freeway, you've got 40 feed to merge before said concrete? If any of those DOT engineers are dead, fine each of their direct descendents $40k each, to be used for onramp extensions.
   
4. The fines for breakers of the "Keep Right Except To Pass" law should be double of the "Speed Limit" law (and actually enforced). That ought'a learn those self-imposed, left-lane enforcers of the speed-limit "I'm going 60 MPH so I don't have to move over, dammit" assholes who're decreasing my safety be increasing congestion. Oh weepin' Jesus on a triscuit, to see the bridge clear as far as the eye can see and a busy bunch of pissed-off lane weavers behind, all because of this one Mr. butt-plug, I'll tell you what...
   
5. Tailgater enforcement! On the second offense, they should be sent back to high-school drivers-ed to watch those scare-tactic movies. Third offense, they should attend "Mortality 101--you could die and take someone with you and I personally don't want to be your companion, asshole". I'm not done yet!
   
6. Age-triggered drivers testing. How is it that people don't have to test after they're a teen-ager? I'm not just worried about myself or the farmers markets that these geezers are plowing through, I'm worried about them. When I saw 85 year-old grandma driving on I-90 on the way to Idaho, it scared the shit out of me.

[lumi]

Driving back from lunch on the 520, I had an experience that reminded me of your post. There was an old woman who could barely see over the steering wheel driving in the left lane doing 60mph. The car also kept crossing into my lane with its right tires, and almost scraped my side before I first noticed her.

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

That bridge is an accident in the making almost weekly.

(Are you interviewing in Redmond?)

[lumi]

It actually wasn't on the bridge, but the section coming from Redmond. I work there right now.

[Jazhara7]

Let's see in which ways German traffic is better organised compared to US traffic...

Originally Posted by Not A Speck Of Cereal

When I'm senator, I'll bring you these laws:

1. Minimum Speed Limit: you c'ain't be getting on the freeway at 40 MPH grandma!!

You have to be able to drive at least 60 km/h to be allowed to drive on the Autobahn. So no chance for Mopeds and motorised wheelchairs (that look like little cars).

1. Repeal of anti horn honking law. Did you know that it's illegal to use your horn in a non-emergency sitcheeation for some states? Of course, I could argue that getting smooshed into a concrete barrier (because tailgating commuters aren't leaving you enough room to get in with grandma at 40 MPH) is an emergency. Better yet, having the concrete divider give way for you to fly out into the lake, yes, that sounds pretty dire too.

That rule is pretty normal. You cannot go driving through a town and honk at any time you want, because it would annoy the people. You can use it in emergency situations, but not to express your anger or something like that. You're allowed to use it outside of towns at night and day to signal that you are in the process of passing them.

The Autobahn is divided by so called "Leitplanke" which basically translates as "leading plank". They're metal constructs that might not look feeble, but are able to prevent a car from flying off the street. They are supposed to be flexible and bend, because if they don't, they would break. And if they broke, they'd have failed at their purpose. After having a car crash into them, they have to be replaced at that place of course, but that's normal.

1. 12 years of prison for the DOT designer of any onramp that hits the freeway at 70 degrees--so good luck getting up adequate merging speed, even without a grandma in front of you. And when the ramp does get almost parallel to the freeway, you've got 40 feed to merge before said concrete? If any of those DOT engineers are dead, fine each of their direct descendents $40k each, to be used for onramp extensions.

Have they never heard of an accelleration lane? You're not supposed to accelerate in the bends, that's why there's acceleration lanes, that after some time merge with the normal lanes.

Of course, there's always those idiots that do not drive out the full of the acceleration lane as they're supposed to be, but that's not the state's fault.

1. The fines for breakers of the "Keep Right Except To Pass" law should be double of the "Speed Limit" law (and actually enforced). That ought'a learn those self-imposed, left-lane enforcers of the speed-limit "I'm going 60 MPH so I don't have to move over, dammit" assholes who're decreasing my safety be increasing congestion. Oh weepin' Jesus on a triscuit, to see the bridge clear as far as the eye can see and a busy bunch of pissed-off lane weavers behind, all because of this one Mr. butt-plug, I'll tell you what...

Those seem to exist in every country, sadly.

1. Tailgater enforcement! On the second offense, they should be sent back to high-school drivers-ed to watch those scare-tactic movies. Third offense, they should attend "Mortality 101--you could die and take someone with you and I personally don't want to be your companion, asshole". I'm not done yet!

I fully agree. Luckily, here in Germany they get into big trouble if they are caught. But first they have to be caught.

1. Age-triggered drivers testing. How is it that people don't have to test after they're a teen-ager? I'm not just worried about myself or the farmers markets that these geezers are plowing through, I'm worried about them. When I saw 85 year-old grandma driving on I-90 on the way to Idaho, it scared the shit out of me.

In some cases, that kind of testing happens here. One thing that really has to be tested is not only if they

Also, here in Germany it's pretty common for older people to hand in their driving licence without being asked for it. You don't have to, it's just something that people do. When they feel they're getting too old for driving, be it because their reaction time is getting too long, or they're have really bad eyesight, or any other reason, they often decide to hand their driver's licence in. My grandpa handed in his licence when he was a certain age, and I was very surprised to see really old people still driving cars when we were in the US (and we saw a lot of those, since we were in Florida).



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[tsa]

HaveyoujustgotyourdriverslicenceJaz?

Sorryspacedoesntworkonthiscomputer.Itwillbefixedne xtweek...

[Jazhara7]

Originally Posted by tsa

HaveyoujustgotyourdriverslicenceJaz?

Sorryspacedoesntworkonthiscomputer.Itwillbefixedne xtweek...

Not yet.


But I just passed my theory test for my driver's licence.

And don't worry, I read your post in the community blog.


-

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

Originally Posted by Jazhara7

You have to be able to drive at least 60 km/h to be allowed to drive on the Autobahn. So no chance for Mopeds and motorised wheelchairs (that look like little cars).

I was mainly talking about the on-ramp, but yes--even on the freeway they should go with the flow.

Heh, I once saw an older couple in some sort of tin-can farming truck on the AutoStrada in Italy doing

(on honking) That rule is pretty normal. You cannot go driving through a town and honk at any time you want, because it would annoy the people. You can use it in emergency situations, but not to express your anger or something like that.

Of course you should not just drive through town honking wildly, but there are many non-emergency scenarios where nothing better will do.

The Autobahn is divided by so called "Leitplanke" which basically translates as "leading plank".

I've driven on the Authobahn. A very sensible driving solution.

Have they never heard of an accelleration lane? You're not supposed to accelerate in the bends, that's why there's acceleration lanes, that after some time merge with the normal lanes.

Right. Most on-ramps are just that, long lanes to accelerate to mainline speeds. But then there's the Seattle ramps. (oy).

(tailgaters) I fully agree. Luckily, here in Germany they get into big trouble if they are caught. But first they have to be caught.

We seem to enforce speeding laws very well, but not the tailgaters. This irks me. They're just as much the menace.

(on old age testing) In some cases, that kind of testing happens here. One thing that really has to be tested is not only if they

Also, here in Germany it's pretty common for older people to hand in their driving licence without being asked for it. You don't have to, it's just something that people do. When they feel they're getting too old for driving, be it because their reaction time is getting too long, or they're have really bad eyesight, or any other reason, they often decide to hand their driver's licence in. My grandpa handed in his licence when he was a certain age, and I was very surprised to see really old people still driving cars when we were in the US (and we saw a lot of those, since we were in Florida).

We have some folks voluntarily stop driving, but there's no official age test, and there should be.

[stepurhan]

Originally Posted by Not A Speck Of Cereal

Of course you should not just drive through town honking wildly, but there are many non-emergency scenarios where nothing better will do.

What sort of things did you have in mind?

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

Originally Posted by stepurhan

What sort of things did you have in mind?

There are many occasions where a slight horn tap (much like a shoulder tap or *ahem*) will remind someone that they could have gone SO much long ago. Basically, people who are asleep at the wheel or talking on their phone need to know that we would rather that they engage with traffic and be aware of their surrounds.

[Lady Kestrel]

Unfortunately, in the 2 seconds it takes to take your foot off the brake and start to accelerate, that slight horn tap often turns into horn lean from a vehicle 2 cars back.

[Melanie68]

Originally Posted by Lady Kestrel

Unfortunately, in the 2 seconds it takes to take your foot off the brake and start to accelerate, that slight horn tap often turns into horn lean from a vehicle 2 cars back.

I've been in New Jersey (I see you live there) for the past couple of days and I've heard more people honk their horns than I've heard in California the past 7+ years I've lived there.