Subject: Re: What is the speed limit in US?

From: [email-masked] (Adam Fila)
Date: 13 Jun 1995 23:39:20 -0400

"James L. Brunson" <jlb> writes:

>Yaaaaaaaaahoooo!  I do both these things about 4 times/month, traveling from
>Lugano, Switzerland, to Vicenza, Italy/back again.  The A4 is one *monster* 
>of a drive at times, like Stuart says.  I can't think of *anyplace* in the
>US that compares...  in Milan, there are no such things as 'traffic laws'.
>They are 'traffic suggestions'... red light means stop, unless you don't want
>to.  Solid white line means no passing... unless you want to.  Yield... uhhh,
>sorry, that species is extinct.   A serious trip (pun intended) but not
>for the weak of heart!!! :)  You gotta try it to believe it... but keep your
>wits about you, no snoozing here.

>James
>95 Civic VTi

Haven't been to italy, but it sounds a lot like malta.  It's an island
about 20km long and 15km wide, with no real highway, yet they have
*no* speed limits at all...  There are signs "Please, slow down" all
over the place though (the only speed restricting signs you see)

The only time I ever saw a cop in malta was at the accident sites,
which we'd pass every other day...

And what really got me were all these little gravestones along all
even slightly sharper turns, some even with steering wheels sticking
out (there was this particulat curve close to the hotel we were staying
at with 5 of these gravestones - I am not kidding)

-adam

---

From: [email-masked] (Caleb Cohen)
Date: 16 Jun 1995 15:07:34 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, steve barnes <[email-masked]> writes:
>In article <[email-masked]> Stuart Leitch,
>[email-masked] writes:
>>You should go to Italy then, Drive from Milan to the Brenner Pass, three lane
>>Traffic, the slow pokes are hitting 75 and there is no such thing as lane
>>discipline.  Or for the real thing hit Milan's Tangentialli at mid day, it's
>>a living, writhing obstacle course of a road, just get on and weave.
>
>who drives on these roads. i mean who can afford cars that can safely
>drive these speeds? do only people who drive expensive sport cars get to
>drive? where do the people in the volkswagens drive?

	I recently returned from a European vacation.  I didn't hit Italy, but
did so Germany and all the surrounding countries.

	After driving over 100 MPH (160 KPH) for about 2,500 miles on the
autobahn - most all of it in the right hand lane, I started thinking about this
in the US.  The problem is that most cars in the US can not even think of
driving at speeds of 100 MPH.  My Oldsmobile (which was totalled upon returning
by some 17 year old kid in daddy's car) would shake at 70 MPH and shake
horribly at 80.  Driving at 100 would be outrageous in that car.  BUT - my
rental car, an Opel, made by GM, would drive at 100 MPH with little problem and
with no threat of shaking or loss of control.

	The question you are asking is moot.  The Volkswagens in Europe are
much better equiped to handle the speeds than the models sold in the US.  The
lowest speed limits on the Autobanh are 120 KPH (75 MPH).  My Olds would not be
able to drive the speed limit over there safely.  Volkswagen makes some serious
autos including the cool european looking Passat.  Not everyone drives 100 MPH
over there - most probably cruise between 80-95.  I was driving everywhere
between 100-120 MPH just because I knew I wouldn't be able to back home.

	SO the answer to your question is:  Don't bring your US VW over there,
drive a real car and you won't have a problem.  BTW:  I'm thinking of bringing
my new sportscar (all american) over with me for my return visit just to put
the hammer to the floor both regularly and legally!  $750 to ship it each way
including paperwork :)

Caleb

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