VW Vortex - Volkswagen Forum banner
Cancel
Create thread New Garage Forums

Great R&T article by Peter Egan

Jump to Latest
21 - 35 of 35 Posts
#21 ·
Re: Great R&T article by Peter Egan (Sunil)

The comments about driving in Canada are definitely a generalization. Driving in Toronto is miserable. If I was to drive 50 km on Highway 401 it's likely that I was capable of taking another human life at least 3 times during the trip.
 
#22 ·
Re: Great R&T article by Peter Egan (Sunil)

I let my R/T subscription lapse a couple of years ago. The one thing I really miss is immediately flipping to read Side Glances. Peter Egan is the best automotive columnist out there, and as someone else mentioned, the books that collect his columns are highly recommended - especially if you have any interest in old British cars.
 
#24 ·
Re: Great R&T article by Peter Egan (jaredpgh)

Quote, originally posted by jaredpgh »
Thats exactly what I'm talking about. Its idiots like those (no offence to your friend) who think that it is their god-given right to occupy the left lane that infuriate me....
Image
Image
Image

No offense taken. The only thing that perhaps stopped me from yelling at her for that was that we still had a good 2.5 hours to go before getting to San Francisco and I didn't relish the idea of arguing for 2.5 hours over her driving skills, thus ruining the rest of the drive and the start of the weekend.
 
#25 ·
Re: Great R&T article by Peter Egan (gti_matt)

Typical American drivers they want soft riding toyotas and big suvs so that they can point the steering wheel straight and never have to think about driving. I guess they just don't want to experience anything close to driving excitement. IMHO the greatest country for driving experience is Germany, there the only ones who care enough to have every drivers dream the "autobahn".
 
#26 ·
Re: Great R&T article by Peter Egan (corradoslc7)

Quote, originally posted by corradoslc7 »
Typical American drivers they want soft riding toyotas and big suvs so that they can point the steering wheel straight and never have to think about driving. I guess they just don't want to experience anything close to driving excitement. IMHO the greatest country for driving experience is Germany, there the only ones who care enough to have every drivers dream the "autobahn".

I've been there recently, and indeed, discipline is a lot higher. but those limitless autobahns quickly turn into a crawl when you approach major towns/cities - no wonder german cars are known for their brakes...
 
#27 ·
Re: Great R&T article by Peter Egan (WannaCorrado)

Quote, originally posted by WannaCorrado »

I've been there recently, and indeed, discipline is a lot higher. but those limitless autobahns quickly turn into a crawl when you approach major towns/cities - no wonder german cars are known for their brakes...

Yeah good point but isn't that what the author was trying to say that the responsible driver drives quickly (but responsibly) on the open highway. Then once you near major towns/cities, drivers should slow down. Oh well i don't think America drivers will ever change.
 
#29 ·
Re: Great R&T article by Peter Egan (eh)

Quote, originally posted by eh »
The comments about driving in Canada are definitely a generalization. Driving in Toronto is miserable. If I was to drive 50 km on Highway 401 it's likely that I was capable of taking another human life at least 3 times during the trip.
Absolutly, but what abot those expances of the 401 between major metropolitan areas, EH?
 
#30 ·
Actually, if anyone bothered to research some of the background of the evolution of passenger automobiles in the United States, they might discover that there are foundational reasons why American cars generally developed into "freeway cruisers" especially since the end of WWII. The US is a v. large landmass compared to Europe, with huge expanses of featureless, flat territory. Highways thusly were designed to take advantage of this, and when the Interstate Highway System came into being in the fifties, this process was taken to the nth degree. Americans didn't NEED cars that that could whip around tight, curvy highways, and American cities, being so much younger than the urban areas and villages of the Old World, were similarly laid-out with much more ability to be "straight-line" and generous in lane-width, etc. The automobiles of any culture evolve to accomodate the prevailing conditions that exist in that culture and geography. Thusly, American cars proceeded to evolve into soft and comfy straight-line mile-eaters, as that was what most Americans wanted, and indeed, needed. Is there something so wrong in people building, buying and using the things that they themselves decide that they want and need? Why do we not vilify Europeans for not coveting big and cushy highway cruisers? There's some self-loathing going on here on this side of the Atlantic, and it's not v. healthy.
It gets kinda tiresome to constantly read the lamentations of people who rather naively see some kind of "conspiracy" of American carmakers to build cars that are so UN-European in character. Well, for many many years prior to the here-and-now, there simply was no real need, or desire, among the great masses for such automobiles.
I have been driving for 35 years now, and have never wanted a large and cushy car for myself. I grew fond of European automobiles early-on and never looked back. But, as people like me used to be a sort of "lunatic fringe", and thusly innocuous, our numbers gradually increased to the point that Detroit's automakers were forced to accomodate us, instead of simply writing us off to the foreign carmakers. I still prefer smaller and more nimble machines, and always will. But, just because that's what I prefer doesn't mean that my neighbor's preferences, being more American-traditional, are something wrong or to be mocked, at least IMO.
I'd just like to see more tolerance of other motorists in our society, and a general recognition that there's room for everyone's tastes and preferences in automobiles. There might be a whole lot less hostility on our highways, not to mention right here in these often-too-contentious forums.
Image
 
Save
Reply Quote Like Like
#31 ·
Re: (vantage78)

Since I refuse to drive any rental I am willing to pay for...I take public transport when I travel.
Perhaps Italian drivers are scary to other drivers...but I was astounded at how you could merely put one foot off the curb and the traffic in Rome just STOPPED.
Compare to back in the States where 30 feet from my door I was crossing with a WALK sign and some fat woman in a Navigator nearly clipped me! She took an illegal right-on-red, and had the nerve to give ME the finger!
If my wife wasn't there that fat woman would have had a nice big multi-key scrape down the entire side of her vehicle.
 
#32 ·
Re: Great R&T article by Peter Egan (vwlarry)

Quote, originally posted by vwlarry »

I'd just like to see more tolerance of other motorists in our society, and a general recognition that there's room for everyone's tastes and preferences in automobiles. There might be a whole lot less hostility on our highways, not to mention right here in these often-too-contentious forums.
Image

Here, Here,
Nice post.
Best
 
#33 ·
Re: Great R&T article by Peter Egan (vwlarry)

I can't tell if you're responding to Peter Egan's article or someone's post, but what about the main point Peter is trying to emphasize? The abundance of people that fail to pay attention to their surroundings while driving. How does this fit in with our history of expansive highways and our preference of 'cushy, straight-line cruisers?' Is it a culture thing? Is it a driver-ed (or lack thereof) thing? It's hard to pin point the root of the problem.
 
#34 ·
Re: Great R&T article by Peter Egan (vwlarry)

Quote, originally posted by vwlarry »
Why do we not vilify Europeans for not coveting big and cushy highway cruisers?

I agree with much of your post, Larry, but I respectfully add that big and cushy highway cruisers have very poor accident avoidance capabilities, and frequently long braking distances. The result is Americans buy ever-larger cars to endure, rather than avoid accidents. This engenders higher fuel consumption and increasing danger to those choosing to drive the smaller, nimbler cars.
To be fair, this trend is on the rise in Europe, too. Larger and heavier cars are becoming more popular there as well.
 
#35 ·
Re: Great R&T article by Peter Egan (masa8888)

It was indeed a response to a previous poster, and I apologize for the tangential nature of my little screed. It is not the first time.
Image

As far as the general lack of discipline and general ignorance of drivers in our country goes, I have no quarrel with the view that we are a nation of generally idiot drivers. That's a whole 'nother animal though, from what I was talking about earlier. Slovenly and inattentive driving HAS TO BE cracked down upon. Sometimes you look around yourself in traffic, and wonder how all these people manage to make it to their destinations without being killed, or killing others. It's BAD out there.
Image
 
Save
Reply Quote Like Like
21 - 35 of 35 Posts
About this Discussion
34 Replies
27 Participants
Last post:
vwlarry
VW Vortex - Volkswagen Forum
posts
85M
members
1.5M
Since
2001
A forum community dedicated to all Volkswagen owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, builds, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, new releases, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
The Car Lounge Golf IV & Jetta IV Golf III & Jetta III Golf II & Jetta II Golf IV/Jetta IV Parts