Slow Guy

In some areas the big trucks are restricted (not allowed) on the weekends (or is it just Sundays?). When I was there they told us it was MUCH better driving north/south than east/west due to the crappy Eastern European cars and drivers that were going back and forth. Apparently they didn't go north/south as much.

Boston911fan

I drove on the Autobahn last October when I made my religious pilgrimage to the Volkswagen city of Wolfsburg from Berlin. I rented from Avis a Tom Tom GPS and a Passat 2.0 TDI Estate, which was quite zippy for a diesel--140hp and 235 lb-ft of torque. I was cruising at 160kph and thought that was acceptable, but managed to **** off a couple of cars. I thought the light display I got when they passed me was hilarious! Left blinker-right blinker-left-right-left-right-foglight, foglight, foglight!!! After I got used to the etiquette, it was very pleasant to drive on. People got out of your way as soon as you got close to them, but you never had to tailgate. I learned to promptly return the favor, and didn't get any light shows after that. The roads were smooth, and the diesel VW performed well.

For those Porsche aficionados who are also VW fans like me, Wolfsburg is a must. There's the Autostad VW theme park, the factory, a small museum at the Autostad, the Wolfsburg castle, and a huge museum on DieselStrasse. The strees are named after significant car people--PorscheStrasse, Karl Benz, Diesel, Heinz Nordhoff, etc. Other than the ultra rare VWs I saw at the museums, there was a Benz Patentwagen, a VERY early short-wheelbase 911, an Auto Union racer replica with its HUGE V16 removed, a couple of Bugattis, a Bentley Continental R, a Silver Ghost, and even a Cadillac V16.

My next trip to Germany will be to Stuttgart, but being a VW fan since 2 years old, I had to visit Wolfsburg first.

Slow Guy

We were with a group of 6 other couples for 9 days of driving. Every day our tourguide reminded the group to stay in the right hand lanes except when passing ESPECIALLY when other cars are behind you and no one is in front. Every day the same couple parked their asses in the left hand lane and managed to **** at least a few drivers off. I just don't know what it is with American drivers. I've stayed in the right hand lanes since I started driving 35 years ago, I find I must not stand out as well to the police over there.

Jack Ennuste

Still, I was flashed once by M5 on German motorbahn. I had 220-230 KM/h in the leftmost lane and didn't see M5 coming at 250-280?? from behind....

-Jaak

Carrera Mike

Total opposite here in VA!!

Are they from VA??

bart1

I went to that Wolfsburg auto museum, too. Pretty cool stuff. I had some pics in my "Road trip" thread.

Boston911fan

Well, it really was a religious experience for me to go to Wolfsburg. I tried bringing my Autobahn driving habits home, and I miss it every time I drive. Here in Boston, we have some pretty bad drivers, but we're rude in a calculated way whereas if you just go a little to the south to RI, you will find THE WORST drivers! They are rude and wreckless. You can tell an immediate difference when you cross the border. I had a practice in RI for a while, and was commuting 30 minutes to work (not bad, eh?), and as soon as I crossed the RI/MA border, I'd notice the difference every day. For example, a Masshole will cut you off from the right while you're in the fast lane if you're in the fast lane because you're going too slow. A Rhode Islander will cut right in front of you and slow you down, and won't really go any faster than the cars in the middle lane, thus making the lane change pointless. Then there are the local roads, and they get pretty bad, too. You'll be on a four-lane local road with traffic lights, and the guy in front of you will slam on his brakes to let someone from a side street who DOESN'T have the right of way onto your road. Or someone from a side street will make a wide right turn into the inside lane because he's too lazy to make a sharper turn. I know these things happen all over the place, but you really have to drive in Boston and Providence for a while to notice the subtle differences of our bad driving vs. theirs. I truly feel bad for those good drivers and car enthusiasts who have to put up with the RI driving! I'd much rather drive in Boston than Providence!

Slow Guy

Actually they were from California.

I haven't driven thru the entire country but I have driven around a good part of it and I think the worst left lane hogs are in the North and South Carolinas. They just don't move over.

VA is bad too. I was on a motorcycle going down the the eastern shore and there was a good 1/4 mile backup of cars being held up by a couple of cars in the front (2 lanes). I snaked my way up and eventually got next to the car in the left hand lane and it was a woman using her car as an office with her laptop and papers spread on the front seat and a cell phone in her ear! I flipped up my helmet and had a few choice words for her and pointed to all the cars behind her but all she did was give me the finger in return and stay in the left lane. I wish I had a paint ball gun then....

mcpiaseczny

They saw your Eastern European plates

Bull

In NJ it is a ticket-able offense if caught driving in the left lane of a freeway when not passing, although it is enforced all too infrequently. A friend, who moved here from the southeast, received a ticket for his offense, and was incensed that he got the ticket even though he was doing the 65mph "limit". I advised him that he was lucky he didn't get killed going that slow!

When I lived in Washington State (in the '80s), the public schools, in their "driver education" classes, were teaching students that "the right most lane is for entering/exiting the highway, the center lane is for short/medium distance trips, and the left lane is for when you are on a long trip and want to stay out of the dangerous right lane"! It seemed that most everyone listened to that crap!

Carrera Mike

I wish they'd do that here in VA!!!!! State will be super rich just in the first year of enforcing this with all the tickets they'll issue.

Its crazy ridiculous here and it frustrate the heck out of me! Specially the ones on the cell phones and dont give a damn on the long line they're creating behind them!!!

KMASS993

Just got back from a week on the Autobahn, I have to say it was probably one of the best experiences of my life. Driving 125 mph and having cars part from the high speed lane like Moses was sticking out the sunroof.... Nothing like it... When I got back to the states I was so frustrated that I decided I was going to change peoples driving habits on car at a time... what a feat, especially in MA!

Boston911fan

I felt the SAME way! I drove the Autobahn from Berlin to Wolfsburg. I love my Porsche, but Volkswagen is my religion, and had to make my pilgrimage to the VW city. Stuttgart is next on my list, and I will have to wait until one of my best friends can go. Where in Boston are you from, and where do you bring your car? I have only dealt with Prime Porsche in Westwood and EPE in Natick so far. Glad you had a great trip, and hope to see you at Larz Anderson.

thorsche

You're only supposed to turn on your foglights when visibility is below 50 meters -- in FOG (hence the name). In any other weather condition, turning on your foglights (especially rear lights) is just just plain annoying to your fellow drivers.