John, my husband's biggest reason for moving to France is the attitude towards bikers. In British Columbia, Canada you will get a parking ticket for two motorbikes in one parking spot. Too strict on motorbikes.
Norman, my apologies for the Hungarian name callers. I am not sure exactly why my country of heritage and my husbands birthplace, has such a hate-on for the French. But they do.
Louise, the south has its own set of rules, but their charm outweighs any slight flaws. Oh and you don't look intimidating, they are probably better behaved in the Centre.
Gordon, Hahaha, sarcasm does not translate too well in French, but that is very funny!
The Hungarian driving test is also difficult to pass. The only change I have seen on Budapest's roads is when they changed to zero tolerance for drinking and driving. Before that I refused to drive there.
Brian, I like the way you think! I wonder if the risky drivers are young or old or simply drunk? Teaching them a lesson makes sense to me. Also I worked Canada Safeway grocery store for 20 years and the trolly filling by second person was at a minimal, and usual young mothers with screaming kids. Probably better if they shopped faster than projecting us to the tantrum stricken children. Just saying.
Oh the last time I was driving in Britain, on the motorway to London from Ashford, driving a French registered car, I do remember someone drifting alongside waving me to open the window, which I did thinking something must be wrong with my car. I was a little surprised when he yelled at me 'F*****off you French Bastard!'
I did at least have the presence of mind to reply 'Australian bastard if you don't mind!' before winding up the window again. It must be me though as I have had the same experience in Hungary and Italy.
Incidentally in none of these cases were the screamers young 'hoons', but middle-aged men. Odd?
There are bad manners everywhere I suppose. I haven't spent more than three days (non-driving) in the UK for over 20 years now, so can't say I am up on British behaviour either in supermarkets or on the roads.
Hahaha, driving in Bergerac yesterday but using GPS because I was going somewhere new, there was a place with three consecutive roundabouts within 100m! The instructions became impossible to follow. All I heard was rundpoint repeated but then it was already on the exit for the next one before I had left the first. If there is a junction then it is fairly certain to have a roundabout. I imagine this slows people down so that they proceed with caution but then if they are lost that care is surely cast to the wind.
Tailbaiting tailgaters is a risky but quite fun game. Because our local roads are mainly windy and narrow I accelerate out of corners into straights where they can overtake if they know the road, which many do not, only stick to limits into and in villages but accelerate as I reach the end of the 70 zone and places where I know there are regular police checks, radar traps and so on, give them space to pass me just before reaching the high risk place. Mean of me? Yes, but I'm usually well within the law and they are not and just perhaps if they lose enough points theyll give it up.
Shopping trolley filling by second person and France? No Norman, I think you merely missed it elsewhere. I remember a Tesco in England where I frequently felt like screaming because of people turning up with a half-filled trolley that eventually filled the entire conveyor belt as it was added to. Have a handful of those ahead of you anywhere and rag will go missing anyway...
Surely tailgating is a very British bad habit too. Many times, being in the outside or even middle lane and being tailgated by someone wanting to drive at suicidal speeds. And, at least here they don't sit in the middle/outside lanes crawling along like they do there. First thing I noticed when I went back, no one wants to use the inside lane.
I'm afraid that tailgating is a way of life here. There seems to be something that demands French drivers cannot cope with any vehicle in front of them.
I have been told that France has more roundabouts than any other country in the world, and although they do speed up access in some areas, I understand that in others they are a form of speed control.
Yesterday in the Dentist waiting room I was reading of the stunning mortality figures on French roads, and which regions had the highest. I remember the three worst were 39 (Jura), 46 (Lot), 47 (Lot et Garonne) and one close to Paris which I can't recall now. On the coloured map of France it was a bit distressing to see the South-West as being the worst quarter of France - and by a long way.
Talking of queues, one thing that really annoys me is the person with the trolley in the queue whilst the partner continues the shopping and filling the cart. I know it shouldn't irritate but it does. I try to be a bit more generous with 'little old lady seniors' as I used to think they were rushing as they had been 'caught short' as they say, but the chatting bit also annoys until I think, well maybe that's the only bit of company they might have in a day.
I had no idea people were like that in the UK.
Love driving over here especially on the bike when i used to tour on the bike it was great so much different than the hostile attitude in the uk they love bikes in every cafe you are a hero in the uk you cant even get a cup of coffee in a half decent cafe, for years touring in the uk was very unpleasant refused petrol no hotel no meals thats why i started to tour europe
Like Jane I am in the Centre and haven't had any problems with drivers, or queues. Everybody is very orderly in queues and have never tried to push in front. Perhaps I look intimidating.
I once complimented our French teacher to say how skilled the French drivers were being able to drive so close to the car in front - I`m afraid the irony was a bit lost on her!
Have you ever tried to navigate a line-up for a bus? Yikes!
Must be something to do with the south. I haven't found anything more than the odd problem with drivers here in the centre, no more so than in UK. :)
Driving in France is a nightmare! I have driven all over the world, but the attitude of French driver's is appalling.
Or, Holly, when they finally pull in front of you after tailgating for 20 km, just to slam on their brakes to turn right sharply! It really is a funny phenomenon.
I love the seniors. Today I had a man inch ahead of me until I said for him to go ahead. He just assumed I would let him. I had 4 items and he had 3, I mean really! But like I mentioned,we have time and really trying to take it all in stride.
This brings back memories of our first few days driving in France, knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel too tightly, everything is in the "wrong" place. Had a couple of embarrassing moments, marching over to the car, keys in hand, and opening the passenger door, then having to close it and walk round to the left side.
The motorways in Ireland are used much the same as you describe in Canada - there's an empty lane so let's fill it, so driving on the motorway here is a pleasure. Driving on the minor roads is much as Holly describes.
Yes, you've found the positive side of French traffic. Here's one of my pet peeves: drivers who tailgate, sometimes making rude gestures, following your bumper for quite a distance. Finally, they pass (even though they've had ample opportunity to do so long before then), but then drive in front of you even more slowly than you were going in the first place.