From: johnsw@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu (William E. Johns)
Subject: Swedish drivers/riders
Originator: bill@wsuaix.csc.wsu.edu
Organization: Washington State University
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 92 04:15:31 GMT

>>From: Neil@swamp.demon.co.uk (njb)
>Message-ID: <721185644snx@swamp.demon.co.uk>
 
>In article <1992Nov4.111125.6249@hasler.ascom.ch> kevinh@hslrswi.hasler.ascom.c writes:
 
>>Any votes for the country with the stupidest riders/drivers :-) :-).
 
>It has to be the Swesds. I've never been there,
>but don't they *all* drive V*lv*s?
 
Ahem.
 
There are several points to this ever-so-brief posting I must comment
on.
 
I had the rare privilege of living in Sweden for 14 months several
years back.  Spent a lot of time driving around and learned a bit about
the country. These are some reflections on the driving habits of Swedes.
 
No.  Swedes in general don't really go for Volvo's.  This has to do
with some sort of if-it's-made-at-home-and-really-sells-well-everywhere
-there's-obviously-something-wrong-with-it mentality.  Sorta like
Hogs in the States.  :-)  Swedes think of the Volvo as the ultimate US
Yuppie toy and much prefer to drive Saabs.  Or so they tell me.
IN FACT they like them as much as we do in the States...as much as
Ed Hackett, for instance. (You _did_ tell them, didn't you Ed??)
 
Some thoughts on Swedish roads and drivers...and Volvo's.  Swedish roads
are generally very good.  They have to be well made to get through the
typical Swedish winter without frost heave.  They don't have bunches of
what we call freeways.  They have as the primary road a ribbon of
pavement 4 lanes wide, but with only two formal lanes on it.  The two
inner lanes are the driving lanes, the two outer lanes are where you
pull over if someone want to get by.  In Sweden if you are being
approached at speed, you move over.  No blinking of lights, no
signalling. It's an automatic.  When I caught on, I found it the most
civilized driving the world.  In the back country of Sweden that is.
 
It is not possible/practical to say Swedes are good/bad drivers.  In
the country they are some of the best drivers around.  In Sweden
driving is considered a privilege, not a right.  Students can take
drivers ed in high school, but that is rarely enough.  Most commonly
extra private training is required, at a cost of usually between $2,500
and $5,000.  The typical student must pass rigorous tests, both
written and driving. You can lose your license for having the blood
alcohol equivalent of 1 (yep O-N-E) US beer.  They are a careful bunch
in the country.  This does not mean they don't drive fast, they do.
Given their level of skill, I'd rather drive/ride fast in Swedish
country traffic than in the States any day of the week.
 
All of the above applies to Swedish country drivers.
 
The typical Volvo driver is above average intelligence, handsome,
capable and an altogether great person to know and share time, space,
air conditioning, magnificent stereo, quiet, civilized auto transport
with.  This, of course, is a well-recognized international standard.
 
In the cities, Swedish drivers are some of the stupidest, imbecilic,
incomprehensibly outrageous, impatient nincompoopish blockheads ever to
get behind a wheel.  This is to mean that they are no where near as bad
as the Italians who are simply suicidal nor as aggressive as the
German/Dutch.  Just really dumb.
 
I have seen cars get perhaps not quite half way through an intersection
trying to turn left as they waited for a light.  When the light changed,
the cars waiting to go in the cross direction would accelerate as
rapidly as practical the half or one and a half lanes, blocking all
hope for the person to complete the turn, blocking all hope for their
continuing on forward and forming a classic grid-lock that would not
clear for tens of minutes.  I saw this any number of times.  When I
asked Swedes about it they acknowledged that this was done and it was
not real bright.  Yes, they all admitted to doing it.  When I asked
_WHY_!  "It's the Swedish way."
 
I happen to be there for a general strike of maintenance workers and
eventually saw traffic lights fail at intersections and everyone
just go blasting through as if the broken light system were the green
flag at Indy.  Kids had to cross a major street to get to school and
during one outage it took us long minutes to get traffic stopped so
kids could cross safely.
 
In San Francisco, you can step off the curb and stop 4 lanes of traffic.
In Stockholm you step off the curb and you kiss your toes good-bye.
 
I remember having many impressions of Swedish bikers.  Then I was not a
biker, only a dreamer.  EVERYONE I ever saw riding a bike in Sweden wore
a full leather suit.  I think it is a law.  Confirm???  I saw lots and
lots of sport bikes, no Hogs, no Wings, no standards.  I have vivid
memories of packs of bikers, stopped waiting for the light to go green,
straddling their bikes doing burn-outs.  I have seen numerous
light-to-light wheelies in downtown Stockholm.
 
Sweden is a marvelous country.  Outstanding education, health care,
environmental attitudes.  Excellent shopping, marvelous crystal and
cutlery.  Clothing optional parks and beaches are _great_ fun.
Driving and I suspect riding is great.  In the country.
 
Final thought:  Last time I was there a few years back, some friends
offered to drive me around.  We spent a day in their Saab 9000 and at
the end of the day I offered to buy them a tank of gas.  After a major
argument, they insisted that I did not have to do this and I insisted it
was the American Way (tm), I filled their nearly empty tank.  Had to
use plastic.  $63.
 
Ride Free,
 
          Bill
___________________________________________________________________
johnsw@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu  prez=BIMC  KotV KotRR
DoD #00314  AMA #580924   Squid Index 3.0    WMTC #0002  KotD #0001
Yamabeemer fjgs1200pdr100 and a Volvo.  What more could anyone ask?
 
Help I've tripped and I can't get down.
                                             Zen graffiti  NOT