Ana scared the bejeezus out of me.

[conuly]

Apparently there isn't any school today? I was not expecting that.

On the subject of school, only one more month-ish until we know where Eva goes next year!

********************************************************************

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Comments

[ratcreature]

The lack of speed limits here is so irrational, and it's part of the reason why I don't drive.

I still remember failing my driving test the first time because I was not reaching the recommended target speed of 130km/h (i.e 80mph) on the autobahn, but decided to stay behind some trucks in the right line rather than overtaking them in dense traffic. I suppose it made some sense, because you really need to be able to maneuver and react at high speed race conditions to survive German highway traffic so to be able to control your car at at least 130km/h is a minimum requirement and they need to test that ability, but I still felt aggrieved.

But the last time I used my license was on an US vacation quite a while back. US highway traffic was wondrously relaxing -- the very first time I actually enjoyed driving a car, with everyone going so slow and no crazy people overtaking you with speeds nobody should drive at outside of race tracks. It was great.

[workday_dreamer]

130km/h is incredibly fast and I think I would piss my pants if I had to be in a car with other traffic going at that kind of speed. We have a 120km/h limit here outside of towns and I find that a little fast.

[ratcreature]

Yeah, no, here 130 km/h is considered slow, and actually unless traffic is congested you can expect that most normal "slower" cars that are not trucks to go 150-160km/h at least, and you are regularly overtaken then. If you go 150 on the left lane, maybe trying to overtake someone slower on the right, you risk that someone else driving 240+ comes up behind you honking expecting you to get out of the way (of course technically that dangerous bullying is illegal, but it happens all the time). So you have to react at 150 to get back into slower traffic before the faster traffic kills you.

When these articles say that there is no speed at which you won't be overtaken, it is absolutely true, at least for any regular car experience. I've been unfortunate enough to be a passenger in cars going over 200km/h (so about 125mph), 240 for brief periods even, in highway traffic and we were still overtaken often.

German car manufacturers build sport cars for normal road use that go up 330-345km/h (so over 200mph) in their specs in theory, and people absolutely buy these expecting to drive them that fast on regular roads, with highway traffic surrounding them. So basically you have to expect to have a crazy Porsche coming up to you at that speed at any time the traffic is flowing somewhat normally and not congested.

[workday_dreamer]

That's... very, very fast. Doesn't sound particularly pleasant if you're someone with slightly slow reflexes.