Comments on: Possibly almost licensed

By: Passed my road test! | Truffles for Breakfast

Passed my road test! | Truffles for Breakfast — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 18:40:14 +0000

[...] Truffles for Breakfast …in which two dreamers simplify their lives and move to Paris About This Site • The Story So Far • FAQ • Contact Joe and Morgen « Possibly almost licensed [...]

By: Joe Kissell

Joe Kissell — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:42:59 +0000

MHA: I barely know where to begin. Well, first of all, there's the whole prioritÃ© Ã droite rule, which means that people will randomly come zipping in front of you from your right assuming they have the right of way (which they do, legally), even in situations where, in the U.S., we'd take for granted that they'd have a Stop or Yield sign. That's a biggie. Left turns are different, in that if two cars meet at an intersection, both wanting to turn left, each must turn behind the other (rather than in front), unless special signage indicates otherwise. There's a whole set of rules (written and unwritten) for how to behave in traffic circles, which are everywhere. Turn signals are not used to indicate that you'd like to turn up ahead at some point if that's OK with the drivers behind you, but rather that you are in the process of turning (or changing lanes) at that very moment. There are strict and complex rules for when you may, must, or must not use various combinations of low beams, high beams, and front and rear fog lights. And so on... I'd driven in France a couple of times before taking the driving class without incident, but actually getting my license here has been a real eye-opener.

By: MHA

MHA — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:30:45 +0000

Glenn, my TomTom can be set to speak French, and its sultry female voice often tempts me to leave it that way.

So, Joe, what are some of the odd driving behaviour differences you’ve noticed? I didn’t really have any trouble driving in France last spring.

By: sims

sims — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:16:27 +0000

In a certain Mediterranean country, a few months ago, that silence you experienced might have been the pregnant pause before handing over an envelope which would ensure that one passed.

Failure to recognize the meaning of that silence might have been taken as refusing to pass an envelope (the test also). But… the bad inspectors have been slapped and now life shall go on in a very correct manner

People here do not drive exclusively on the right or left, the drive in the shade.

By: Glenn Fleishman

Glenn Fleishman — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:44:41 +0000

I meant to write “damn the cost,” but “damn the course” works, too.

By: Glenn Fleishman

Glenn Fleishman — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:42:57 +0000

I say this without any trace of bigotry, having visited France three times, but the French appear to me to be terrible drivers. Not as bad as the Italians. Not as bad as the Swiss guy I was driving with who was passing on a blind curve, talking over his shoulder to me, about to enter a tunnel (all turned out fine). But not great drivers. In the U.S., there is a generally competent level of driving even as there are plenty of outriders who drive poorly. And I want to impose a mandatory driver retesting (road only) for people every few years, damn the course.

But still!

Anyway, it's very French that they would mail you the results, instead of just, you know, telling you, and then sending you something formal.

My favorite experience driving in France (as a passenger) was in a Lexus SUV driven by a friend (who works for a Lexus reseller) with a GPS that said in a sultry female French voice, "tournez a gauche...maitenant."