Quote:
Originally Posted by Sainters7
Travelling around helped me realize how it just seems to be part of North American culture. The amount of wild stuff I've seen on the road in Europe and South America, and the party it happens to barely bats an eye. Then you see it happen over here, and the person it happened to acts like the offending party called their mother a terrible word in front of both them and their mom.
We just seem to take minor road offences SO personally...it's weird. Witnessing driving in other countries (outside of the U.S.) really helped me relax in this regard and not take it so personally, that stuff is embarrassing.
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One of my favourite cities is Paris. Go to the Arc de Triomphe.
Its a beautiful monument. That is surrounded by the most insane Traffic Circle on Earth.
Its like goddamned bumper cars out there. They swear, they shake their fists at each other and then they get on with their day and get a glass of wine and a baguette.
If your car is pristine? That defines you as a lame wussy. What? You dont have any 'battle wounds?' No scars to commemorate vehicular combat?
You do no deserve that Croissant!
And thats PARIS!
Go to Rome! Those people are genuinely nuts! They see a pedestrian or cyclist and they hit the gas!
And that is the social convention. The cyclist or pedestrian will just their hand up and wave..."mea culpa..." and everyone goes on with their day.
Its insane.