Parts of Europe Fingered... authorities baffled.

FingerDemon · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2001 7:26 am Post subject:

Hi all-

Well, I'm back from Europe with the sore feet to prove it. It was a blast, but I never did get a chance to jump in from an Internet cafe to say hi. Didn't have time and couldn't tell how much it would cost in like, real money

Don't know if you any of you U.S. guys have ever been there but the U.K. was great fun. What a bunch of jokers! They have little pet names for things just to mess with the tourists. A truck is called a "lorry" and an elevator is a "lift" and a tourist is a "bleeding bugger". It's fun once you start figuring it out. It's like the whole country is in on the joke too, but they sure don't like being called tourists.

But I will say that this "driving on the wrong side of the road" gag is just going too far. I mean somone could get hurt for crying out loud!

I like the new design of the site, Rob. I'm still getting used to it, but I have already clicked on some banners. It might be just as well, I probably need debt reduction assistance after this trip. With all the currency exchanging, I hardly know what I spent!

See you all in the 'ville after I unpack some smelly clothes.

DoigtDemon
(that's French you know)

Pornstar · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2001 2:05 pm Post subject:

Ah yes Europe! It seems like yesterday I was backpacking through the Duke of Blair Athol's lands seeing beautiful waterfalls and enjoying scolding 88 degree whether(bbbrrggghhh). All I really remeber is the Scots keep asking me about the TV show Dallas since thats where I am from. It was hard to break it to them since this was a popular show at the time even though it had gone off the air before I was born. There are two things a man must do in his like before getting married. Of course this is for the American boys. First get college degree, it doesn't matter in what just get a piece of paper saying you spent money and 7 to 10 years of your life in a classroom. Second is to go on an winging it trip to Europe. Just backpack around and ride the train all over. Of course make sure you have money for a plane ride home. Trust me on this you will never have the chance to go to Europe as a single wild man. Going as a married man is just not the same.

ApacheEyes · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2001 6:07 pm Post subject:

Glad you had fun in England, which is where I was born and raised.....

I've been in the States for two years now and you guys have some funny sayings too.

The Restroom - I've yet to see a bed in the "Lou"
Hood - is a bonnet to us brits
Trunk - is a boot

Driving on the left hand side is natural because you sit on the right hand side of the car and most people are right handed (not me) - Ok I'm really stretching that one.

A bar is a pub
"going for a beer" is "going for a pint"

its Herbs - not Erbs, there is a H in it.

a pole is a fishing rod and a pole is for jumping over high objects.

Trash can is a "Rubbish bin"

And the best one of all: -

"Turn right at an intersection depsite the light being on RED" - what suicidal dumbass thought of that rule ????

Ap.

cstone · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2001 7:23 pm Post subject:

whoohoo culture bashing!! (hehe, j/k)

Seriously though, how can you manage a stick-shift car with your left hand? As you said most people are right handed so wouldn't it make sense to operate the gear shift with your dominant hand?

As for the restroom... of course its a place of rest. Take a magazine in there or something (PC Gamer is sitting next to my toilet right now lol.) You don't really need to get to stressed out in the 'lou.

Pint sounds cool it a Brit sort of way... assuming you are willing to give a 'pint' to a minor (1

Herbs, erbs... thats just one of the words I try not to say so as not to mess it up. Its a whole lot easier to just say, "hey pass the pepper" seeing as thats about all I use.

We should all thank and praise the suicidal dumbass civil engineer who brought us the wonders of right-on-red. Shaves a few seconds off the trip to school or work and could mean the difference in getting a clear road ahead or getting behind the moron who thinks the speed limit is 25.

ApacheEyes · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2001 9:54 am Post subject:

cstone - Giving you a "pint in the uk" would be perfectly legal as its legal to drink at the age of 18 in the UK

Also the legal age of consent is 16 ! in the UK and not 18, like over here. Why am I living here ??????????????????????

We can leave school at the age of 16 (15 if your birthday falls right in the school year)

The only downer is that we can't drive until we are 17 and can't hold a full driving licence until 18..

I agree with the time saving with idea of right-on-red.... however it gets abused. People trying to save themselves one minute in their total journey time by pulling out because they want to beat a car coming along the road, is crazy...

I'm not sure why you can drive a 15 (A car could be considered a lethal weapon, and is in some hands)... but can't have sex(legally) until 18 and not allowed to drink until 21(legally) - go figure... makes no sense to me.

So my advice is live in the uk until your 21 and have fun, then move to the states and get a better standard of living

Ap.

SuperZero · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2001 11:49 am Post subject:

And what the hell is w/ our gambling age? Seriously, 21? I'm still just as young and stupid in 2 years as I am now, let me screw my financial future over asap so I can start to recover sooner! Geez...crazy ass Americans

Actually, in IL, we have a "minor's driving license" until we're 21 (again, what the crap?). Basically, this means if I get 2 moving violations I'm screwed. It also means that if a cop stops you and sees the color of your license, you just lost the benefit of the doubt...I was in an accident caused by a 60-something year old woman turning right in front of me (I had the right of way) and when the cop arrived he saw the license and automatically blamed me for the accident...the funny thing is that I was just coming from an interview for scouts and was wearing my Eagle scout uniform at the time. I always found that amusing. Once he questioned the witnesses he straightened things out, but he was in such a hurry to write the report up that instead of marking the box for injury, he marked the box for ejected from car...so according to the accident report (which, by the way, is hanging on my wall as I type this) I was thrown from my vehicle.

Wow, again I'm the idiot who detracts completely from the topic...but I did have one thing to say. It's looking like I'm gonna be able to do a term abroad in Europe next year, 5 weeks in London and 5 in Paris. I'm totally hyped up about it, and was wondering if you well-traveled folks had any suggestions for spots to hit while I'm out there, b/c I'll likely not get this good of a chance again any time soon. Thanks!

_________________
Relax...it's a shame to die all tensed up

ROOFCUTTER · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2001 12:18 pm Post subject:

After 30 + years of driving one of the things i've learned is it's not a game. Even if you have the right of way after an accident you lose. We all make mistakes and do odd things while driving so always be prepared to give up the right away and never assume that just cause you have the right away the other person will yield to you. My
My cousin and I got hit while on his Harley by a drunk man in a van and when the police got there they gave my cousin the ticket and let the drunk go. GO figure

SuperZero · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2001 12:59 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I was 16 and quite new at the time...just wasn't expecting it and didn't have time to stop. In the long run I think it's good that I got in an accident so early, b/c it's made me a lot more cautious than most of my friends and kept me out of a lot of trouble.

_________________
Relax...it's a shame to die all tensed up

Pornstar · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2001 2:33 am Post subject:

I don't what to tell you to go see in the London, but if you can go north for a weekend, Go see the Edinburgh castle it is awesome. It sits on a pensuila that is shaped like the Rock of Gibraltor ( I know my spelling sucks so excuse me). So there is only one way in across a short bridge and then you go through seven count them seven gates to get to the keep. My advice is not to worry about seeing the biggest sites like Paris which I have been told by many people to just skipped it and go to Versialle. Try to spend time just meeting people and see the cool unknown sites. You will have more to rememeber that way then if you go see the usual stuff like the Eifel tower and such. I am not saying you shouldn't just don't waste a lot of time on the stuff that is plastered on American TV. I remember more of the people I meet and seeing different culture then I do about big name tourists attractions.

LilBigCip · Registered User Joined: 20 Jul 2001 Posts: 174

The gambling age needs to decrease. I play so much poker and its helpful to my finacial situation

. Just too bad for the people i play against.

_________________
Did you say chest chamber?

FingerDemon · Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2001 2:05 pm Post subject:

That's great SuperZero, you'll have a blast. London and Paris are definitely places you want to see when single <wink>.

But for the love of God, if you go to Montmarte in Paris... take the Tram! It climbs a big hill for you and saves you from climbing two huge flights of stairs like the one in the Exorcist. My legs are still aching just thinking about it.

I think I can segue the Euro vacation and car accident parts of this thread. My wife and I had a bad luck streak of getting in car accidents while on vacation. Twice we were rear ended while stopped and once I was in a cab that rear ended a truck. Man nothing wrecks a vacation like having your car totalled.

Thankfully this vacation was accident free, although it was touch and go on this one cab ride in Ireland. The guy was power shifting and swinging through turns like he was in the Gran Prix at Monaco.

Anyway, practice your French cause the folks in Paris like to see you suffering through it for a while before they say it in English for you

Actually, they were really cool to us if we tried to speak French. I kept mixing it up with Spanish. I'd say por favor instead of s'il vous plait and gracias instead of merci. They seemed to find this muy amusing.

It was a great trip but it's good to be back too, hope to join the crowbar war tonight.

FingerDemon