Driving

autobahn!!! I love that word :lol: our translation is Motorway. Its one of about 15 German words I remember from High School :lol:

It always reminds me of an England World Cup song from 2002

Little Michael Owen he put three past Ollie Kahn
He must have cried his eyes out down the autobahn
Ollie Ollie Ollie Oliver Kahn
Eins Zwei Drei Vier Funf that's five in German

 

I recently started learning to drive too. The lesson are my 17th birthday present though it was after my 18th before i started. I've only had 6 lesson but its not going as bad as i thought. I had a theory that i was going to be a really bad driver because i can't do three things at once, but now i'm getting used to it. I got through my last lesson without stalling so thats progress.

 

Oh wow, y'all make me feel so old! Haha, and I'll be 22 soon too My parents needed a car before I learned to drive (I didn't want to drive AT ALL), so I bought a stick shift. When I didn't want one. In fact I don't even know why I bought it. I fell in love with it at fist sight, and it was a total steal price-wise. Then I took drivers ed (at college, and not required here in the states. But it does lower your insurance rates, and since I was paying my own...), so I learned to drive on an automatic. And then I learned to drive my stick shift, and I realized what Nirvana was. I am absolutely sold on stick shifts. And I get to laugh at all my friends because none of them can drive my car hehe I love driving, most of my family hates driving (I'm basically my mother's chauffeur, but oh well) Fantastic.

Also, I know this has already been said, but WOW are other countries hard on people wanting to get their licenses. Actually, that's probably a good thing. I swear, it's a good thing my mother took her taser out of my car because South Carolina drivers are the DUMBEST... Nevermind. Good luck to all of y'all going for your licenses!

 

Well I just turned 51 and have had my license since I was 18. (My brother taught me the basics of driving when I was a lot younger, but... ) Glad to say my record's pretty pristine...last accident I was in was in 1997 - I'd just had my brakes fixed less than a month before, and they failed on me...on the freeway...and I went into the back of a large truck. Totalled my car, barely dented the truck. The guys in the truck helped me move my car and got me to a call box but didn't want my insurance info. (The cop who showed up at the scene later said they were probably here illegally...) Messed my neck up something fierce, it still pops like a string of firecrackers sometimes when I straighten it... They were real close to doing surgery on it...Friends recommended I sue the shop who worked on my brakes - but by this point they'd already shut down and left town, so there I was...

Just sayin'. Get your car maintenance and repairs done by trustworthy people!!!

 

*grrrrr* Hey that's long ago! And may I remind you of where Germany ended 2002's WC (final!) and what England got (nothing)? :devil: But you're right, that 5:1 was a shame...
But okay that o/T (is there a football thread anywhere? I could say so much more *lol*).
I love my small car, it's always easy to find a place to park. My father's got a Mercedes and I drove it twice (right after passing the drivers' test) and it was horrible! Now I've been driving for 3 years and still wouldn't want to drive it. (I guess he wouldn't let me do that anyway... ) What about you? Do you prefer big cars with a lot of power, or do like the small ones better?

 

When you start learning how to drive it's better to learn it in a big car. And when you finally passed the driving test and you have your licence, you can decide whether you wanna drive a big or a small car. That's the reason why I don't have a problem with driving big cars. Besides, I like them more. And if the car has a lot of power it's a nice extra
I mean, small cars aren't that expensive, but there are really small, especially the inside. For one person such a small car is enough, but if you sit there with 3 or 4 other people, it's not that comfortable. You have no space where you could put your feet and sometimes a car doesn't have 4 doors. So in order to get in the back you really have to climb in that car
Another reason why I prefer cars is the fact that they are safer. In case you have a crash the crush zone is a lot bigger than in a small car. I hope you understand what I mean

Moreover I think that big cars looks better than small cars. I mean for example a VW Touareg looks a lot better than a VW Golf or Polo.
But hey, that's just me...

 

Yes I understand what you mean about big cars being safer than small ones. That's why I don't feel comfortable in a "Mini" and I hate "Smart"s. I'd never feel safe in those. I was on the autobahn once with a few friends, my friend was driving his Mini at 200 km/h. I asked him to drive slower, I was really scared although he's a good driver.
You're right, for learning a big car is definitely better. I learned in a big VW (don't remember which one but bigger than the normal Golf), and that was definitely good. But now I prefer my cute Ford.^^

 

I've experience with both small and big cars smallest is my own Suzuki swift '92 model.. and the biggest so far is my parents Volkswagon transporter 3 (small camper) and a ford focus station wagon which is pretty long. and a bunch of other cars that are in between those mentioned before,

I prefer small. It is so much better to get in between other cars with a smaller car... (I live ina big city lots of lane switches).. For being safer. I don't think it really matters for driving a bigger or smaller car.. maybe only at the real point of being involved in a collision. But then again a big car from 2002 and before will kinda loose/or stay even in a battle from a 2002+ model! The part were the car is built on (don;t know the exact name in English) is made of a stronger merged kind of iron... Ofcourse when the weight of a big 2002-model car extends the strength of the new car... you really have a problem..

But it is to my thought that the insight of driving makes most collisions/accidents/crashes, then the bad maintaining of a car and then the size... I don;t think size really is a big factor in accidents... just the way you drive and bad maintaining.. and other folks on the road!

 

Learning to drive was a riot. My dad would take me out to drive, and he'd tell me all the oposite of what drivers ed would. "Drive one handed, your left hand is fighting your right hand for the wheel, I really don't want to see your left hand win." And then "What was that? You could have made that light."

My mom, too funny. "Both hands on the wheel. SLOW DOWN. That's a yellow light you SLOW DOWN and STOP."


I am a fan of the small compact car. But then again, everyone is scared of my Explorer.

 

Okay, I'm very angry with the gas prices, it's $3.48 per gallon here! I'm making my friends drive everywhere now. End of story!

I love my little compact. I feel cute in my car :lol:

 

I just found (while I was looking for the tipe of oil I need for my transmision) that in Europe big marks just change the name of the car's models.

For example, my car is a Chevrolet Kalos, the same car in the US is called Chevrolet Aveo. I don't know why they don't keep the same name.

 

Come here and you'll think your gas is so cheap. we pay about double here!

ETA make that three times that

 

I just filled up my gas tank and I just HAD to mention.
They charged me 1.25€ per liter ( = 5.625€ per gallon = $7.6635 per gallon). NOW who's complaining?

 

hehe. I'm from holland.. and I pay 1,50 euro's a liter! Everytime I am in Belgium I try to get gas there! I have my Belgium friend over at the moment!