Thoughts on Nationality?
Most, if not all, people have strong preconceptions about people of different countries and what they're like and what their interests are. (ie Americans - loud, Irish - leprauchans, Welsh - ''fond'' of sheep, Germans - humourless etc)
So what impressions do you have of the people of most European countries? Whether they be backed up by having met people from the nation or not, I'm still interested.
Been there...
Having spent some time in Europe, I'm abundantly qualified to speak...but not seriously.
French: snotty
Danes: snotty
after sex change: perfumed and snotty
North Germans: Schnotty
South Germans: Politely snotty
Finns (sober): inquistively snotty
(drunk) know-it-all snotty (but good dancers)
Berliners: Defiantly snotty
Poles (Solidarnosc): Giddily snotty
(Security): Brutally snotty
Russians: Seriously snotty
Brits: snotty (cream in tea is just weird)
after insulting the Queen: REALLY snotty.
Yankee (after release from the Queen's Hospital): sore and snotty
By the way, Beam Me Up, Snotty.
Phlegethon (West German): Snotty and proud of it.
And all my youth passed by sad-hearted,
the joy of Spring was never mine;
Autumn blows through me dread of parting,
and my heart dreams and longs to die.
- Nikolaus Lenau (1802-1850)
Real misanthropes are not found in solitude, but in the world; since it is experience of life, and not philosophy, which produces real hatred of mankind.
- Giacomo Leopardi (1798-1837)
USA: the freedom to carry weapons and shoot around.
Germany: the freedom to race on the Autobahn as fast as you want.
Thorburnulf (West German moderate Autobahn racer)
As fast as I want? Hardly. Racing is only a theoretical option, with traffic congestions, roadblocks, construction sites and the horrible condition of the asphalt.
And all my youth passed by sad-hearted,
the joy of Spring was never mine;
Autumn blows through me dread of parting,
and my heart dreams and longs to die.
- Nikolaus Lenau (1802-1850)
Real misanthropes are not found in solitude, but in the world; since it is experience of life, and not philosophy, which produces real hatred of mankind.
- Giacomo Leopardi (1798-1837)
Depends on where you live. In densely populated North-Rhine-Westphalia you'll spend much time in standing still on the speedways.
But, for example, great areas of Bavaria are less populated and more rural, with not such a high density of traffic, but with Autobahn routes in excellent condition. Not directly the metropolitan area around Munich, but quite many other routes.
Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatine, Hesse, Lower Saxony... even parts of East Germany with its underdeveloped infrastructure: There are a lot of regions in Germany where you can fly over the speedway like a God and needn't take off your foot from the accelerator pedal for a long time.
lol, not that you think that I'm one of these aggressive drivers who - not impressed by density of traffic and speed traffic signs - shoot with 250 km/h until two meters behind you and then stick at your car, until you give way and move your car on the right track, and who then shoot as far away in front of you as they did come behind you.- I only drive carefully fast when there's the permission and chance of it, and I don't come to near to other cars, not to think of aggressive-dangerous manoeuvres ... and with the "family van" I mostly use I've also got a certain personal speed limit for my God-like flights through the landscape...
Last edited by Nordgau; Friday, August 15th, 2003 at 09:41 PM.
I don't have a problem with fast drivers as long as they know what they are doing. When I still had a car I always drove as fast as I could legally do - and my engine allowed.
With rental cars I enjoyed going well over 200 km/h though, normally on an autobahn in the middle of nowhere.
And all my youth passed by sad-hearted,
the joy of Spring was never mine;
Autumn blows through me dread of parting,
and my heart dreams and longs to die.
- Nikolaus Lenau (1802-1850)
Real misanthropes are not found in solitude, but in the world; since it is experience of life, and not philosophy, which produces real hatred of mankind.
- Giacomo Leopardi (1798-1837)
No chance of racing over here, not with those damn speed cameras every 500 yards of the bleeding road!!!
Free driving
By Elise Kissling
It's mid-summer, you've just arrived in Germany and you're raring to hit the Autobahn: that mythical highway where you can pass a cop car at 220 kilometers an hour with impunity. All you need is enough horse power, reason enough to splurge for once in your life.
But before you go and buy an expensive sports car for your Autobahn adventures, it may pay to get behind the wheel and find out what “free driving for free citizens“ - the motto of Germany's biggest car club - really means.
For ultra fast drivers, this probably includes the freedom to go through several sets of brake pads a year. They are continually closing in on less powerful cars, themselves using the left lane to pass even slower cars or trucks that are blocking the right and middle lanes.
Hoping that these annoying slow cars will move over quick smart, many a BMW driver will cruise along at 220 until the last possible minute and then slam on the brakes. Which brings me to my second freedom: the freedom to inflict yourself, your friends and your family with whiplash.
Regular old traffic jams are also a common feature on Germany's Autobahns. Don't be surprised if you find yourself stuck in a traffic jam on a Saturday afternoon, even if there is no sign of an accident anywhere around. These spontaneous traffic jams tend to happen around major junctions, where confused drivers start breaking to figure out where they need to go. A colleague believes that many a traffic jam is caused because poor vision - drivers are awarded licenses for life - means drivers are unable to read the exit signs. And that's not to mention the speedup-slam-brake action at long stretches of road works.
A late night drive will allow you to avoid the traffic jams. But watch out. If you aren't paying close attention, you may be slapped with a hefty fine for doing 170 in a 130 km/hour zone. Wait a minute, you may be asking yourself, what happened to “free driving for free citizens“? Well, the authorities - it seems - also enjoy their own sort of freedom: the freedom to make exceptions at whim. This includes random speed limits when the Autobahn is too close to a town or village, the asphalt is uneven, and in areas where wild animals may cross your path.
And all my youth passed by sad-hearted,
the joy of Spring was never mine;
Autumn blows through me dread of parting,
and my heart dreams and longs to die.
- Nikolaus Lenau (1802-1850)
Real misanthropes are not found in solitude, but in the world; since it is experience of life, and not philosophy, which produces real hatred of mankind.
- Giacomo Leopardi (1798-1837)
French - Smug, sometimes arrogant, ostentatiousOriginally Posted by Scathach
English - varies; upperclasses haughty and pretentious, lowerclasses white trash with terrible grammar
Irish - humorous, casual but fiercely proud and often short-tempered, not always terribly cultured
Italians - flashy, loud, womanizing
Germans - hard to stereotype because of so many regional differences
Russians - cynical, philosophical, jaded, great tolerance for suffering
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks