Comments on: I Remembered How To Drive! http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/12/18/i-remembered-how-to-drive/ Thoughts and photos from an American living in Spain. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:02:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Sharon http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/12/18/i-remembered-how-to-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-3003 Sharon Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:27:08 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/12/18/i-remembered-how-to-drive/#comment-3003 i passed first time too (smiles smugly), even after making a left hand turn when i was supposed to turn right.. conversation went something like this... inspector: al fin de la caraterra vamos a la derecha me: (saying nothing and turning left) inspector: vale.. entonces vamos a la izquierda i was always crap at left and right.. i passed first time too (smiles smugly), even after making a left hand turn when i was supposed to turn right.. conversation went something like this…

inspector: al fin de la caraterra vamos a la derecha
me: (saying nothing and turning left)
inspector: vale.. entonces vamos a la izquierda

i was always crap at left and right..

]]> By: erik http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/12/18/i-remembered-how-to-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-293 erik Tue, 19 Dec 2006 09:29:46 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/12/18/i-remembered-how-to-drive/#comment-293 I suspect that the perfect solution lies somewhere in between lackadaisical Americans and the overly strict Spanish. It's funny that you should mention the word "compensation". Despite my initial concern upon being licensed that, "You mean the rest of these people out on the roads only had to do <em>that</em>?", I feel much more safe on American roads than I do on Spanish roads. On the American interstates, almost all the drivers fall very close to the mean velocity. The difference in speed between any two cars is almost never more than 5-10 mph. On the Spanish motorways, however, it's not at all uncommon for someone to pass you going 30-40 mph faster than you. Not only is that extremely dangerous, but it'll scare the crap out of you when a car approaches from behind going 105 mph and you're going 70 mph. I have only anecdotal evidence to support it, but don't they say that children brought up in really strict households or schools much more likely to do drugs and be generally wilder once they escape the strict rule makers? Don't they say that brothels in Japan and Victorian England are/were particularly wild due to the heavily restrictive culture? Maybe I'm making this up, but if there really is a psychological effect from this "compensation", then it might explain how the strict driving schools and tests in Spain are able to produce so much more dangerous drivers on the road. On the flip-side, did you hear that some towns in Germany are <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,448747,00.html" rel="nofollow">removing all traffic signs and lines on the roads</a>? The idea is that the uncertainty will make people overly cautious. Crazy Europeans! I suspect that the perfect solution lies somewhere in between lackadaisical Americans and the overly strict Spanish.

It’s funny that you should mention the word “compensation”. Despite my initial concern upon being licensed that, “You mean the rest of these people out on the roads only had to do that?”, I feel much more safe on American roads than I do on Spanish roads. On the American interstates, almost all the drivers fall very close to the mean velocity. The difference in speed between any two cars is almost never more than 5-10 mph. On the Spanish motorways, however, it’s not at all uncommon for someone to pass you going 30-40 mph faster than you. Not only is that extremely dangerous, but it’ll scare the crap out of you when a car approaches from behind going 105 mph and you’re going 70 mph.

I have only anecdotal evidence to support it, but don’t they say that children brought up in really strict households or schools much more likely to do drugs and be generally wilder once they escape the strict rule makers? Don’t they say that brothels in Japan and Victorian England are/were particularly wild due to the heavily restrictive culture? Maybe I’m making this up, but if there really is a psychological effect from this “compensation”, then it might explain how the strict driving schools and tests in Spain are able to produce so much more dangerous drivers on the road.

On the flip-side, did you hear that some towns in Germany are removing all traffic signs and lines on the roads? The idea is that the uncertainty will make people overly cautious. Crazy Europeans!

]]> By: Paul http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/12/18/i-remembered-how-to-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-292 Paul Tue, 19 Dec 2006 00:28:19 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/12/18/i-remembered-how-to-drive/#comment-292 I took you to your USA test. You and the test-giver drove off, and I wondered how I would pass the time waiting for you to return. Before I could change position, however, I saw our vehicle returning. I didn't know what had gone wrong. It was pretty obvious to me that you must have done something bad, but no. Maybe Spain's difficult driver's hoops are a natural compensation for America's lackadasical oversight. I took you to your USA test. You and the test-giver drove off, and I wondered how I would pass the time waiting for you to return. Before I could change position, however, I saw our vehicle returning. I didn’t know what had gone wrong. It was pretty obvious to me that you must have done something bad, but no. Maybe Spain’s difficult driver’s hoops are a natural compensation for America’s lackadasical oversight.

]]> By: erik http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/12/18/i-remembered-how-to-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-291 erik Mon, 18 Dec 2006 16:17:22 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/12/18/i-remembered-how-to-drive/#comment-291 Yeah. I think my exam in the US took maybe 3 minutes. Maybe less. I'm working at the moment, but I'll definitely visit the barrel in the dining room for dinner. I can still feel the weight lifting from my shoulders. I'm so glad to be past this! Yeah. I think my exam in the US took maybe 3 minutes. Maybe less.

I’m working at the moment, but I’ll definitely visit the barrel in the dining room for dinner.

I can still feel the weight lifting from my shoulders. I’m so glad to be past this!

]]> By: Betsy http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/12/18/i-remembered-how-to-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-290 Betsy Mon, 18 Dec 2006 16:09:37 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/12/18/i-remembered-how-to-drive/#comment-290 Congratulations! It's good to be (almost) legal again. What a harrowing ordeal compared to becoming a licensed driver in the states. Did you all go out for a vino tinto to celebrate? Congratulations! It’s good to be (almost) legal again. What a harrowing ordeal compared to becoming a licensed driver in the states. Did you all go out for a vino tinto to celebrate?

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