Is it just me...

Leeum

Leeum

Leeum

Associate
Joined
19 Sep 2005
Posts
1,242
... or do the spanish have no respect for their cars/ other drivers? I came back from mainland Spain a few days ago and saw some crazy things while I was there.

They try to park in the most ridiculously tight spaces whilst bouncing off the cars infront/ behind them. Was sitting in a pub one night and saw a new 5 series reverse into the front of an older beemer whilst getting out of a space - the front bumper literally fell to the floor, and none of the four people in the 5 series batted an eyelid! :eek:

They also seem to brake very late for pedestrian crossings - on a few occasions I'd seen people step out onto the road, shortly followed by a driver locking up and sliding their way up to them.

[/random thought of the day] :p
 
Last edited:
Surely not having contempt for other drivers and their cars could only be a good thing? also probably best to wait for traffic to stop before you walk out into the road, that may also be useful in this country ;).
 
Ampeg said:
Surely not having contempt for other drivers and their cars could only be a good thing? also probably best to wait for traffic to stop before you walk out into the road, that may also be useful in this country ;).
Click to expand...

You're right - maybe contempt was the wrong choice of word. :o

That's true, but a lot of people (probably guilty myself) just hop onto the road assuming the green man deems it's safe, haha.
 
I have noticed this, was similar in Italy too, just seems a huge free for all in built up areas! Great fun to watch but when it comes to crossing a road you have to watch out.
 
barcelona was a tough place to drive through, even late at night, it just felt unsafe.

with regard to the total lack of respect, someone crashed into my hired clio one night whilst we were in the hotel. the car was heavily hammered, not notes were left and their car must have been really damaged

it was pure luck that a day later i saw the owner of the car mine was pushed into during the crash. he witnessed it

cost me a £570 excess, which i have now got back
 
I went to Sicily earlier this summer and they were equally bad.

Parking by touch, saw loads of brand new Lancias and Fiats with scrapes down both sides and dents all over.

Crossing the road meant taking your life in your hands. Zebra crossing, dont expect the traffic to stop for you!
 
I spent two weeks in Spain (Andalucia) this summer and visited quite a few places. Some of the little villages in the mountains have really narrow streets and as for the back streets of places like Cordoba and Granada, eek!

No wonder the Focus hire car we had didn't have a straight or unmarked panel on it. Oh, and the clutch slipped more than a cartoon character on a banana skin.
 
Berger said:
I went to Sicily earlier this summer and they were equally bad.
Click to expand...

I accidentally set my sat-nav to shortest rather than fastest so instead of turning right out of Catania airport and joining by-pass, I turned left and went though the centre of town.

It was four years before I used a sat-nav again.
 
When I was in France although the in town driving was not too bad, the twisty roads in the hills where mental. You'd get some guy in an old Citreon AX trying to overtake a campervan, and it would take him about a minute of driving on the wrong side round blind bends and over crests before he'd get past.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;14672703 said:
I accidentally set my sat-nav to shortest rather than fastest so instead of turning right out of Catania airport and joining by-pass, I turned left and went though the centre of town.

It was four years before I used a sat-nav again.
Click to expand...

I feel for you!

I would have driven while over there as would have been able to see more and the car hire wasnt that expensive. However being under 25 means car hire is a no no. My girlfriend didnt fancy driving so we used the buses everywhere.

Local buses were "interesting" on one of them the gearbox blew up half way around a bend and got stuck in gear, it limped around and then we had to change over onto another bus further up the road.
 
I found Bangkok was pretty much a free for all, the cars all there seemed dented and the taxis there seemed to be the nicest cars :eek:

In China the bus drivers were the craziest, overtaking anything and everything. Even on 2 lane roads they'd go for an overtake, beep the horn and the oncoming traffic seemed happy to drive alone the hard shoulder to let them through. I guess people are happier to accommodate others over there
 
I think it's more a case that we're ridiculously over protective of our cars compared to most of the rest of the world. At the end of the day a few dings and scrapes aren't a big deal.
 
my experience of europe and my understanding is that cars won't stop for pedestrians UNTIL the pedestrian walks on to the road. So pedestrians just walk out on the road and the cars will stop. Nobody gets angry about this, it's just the way it works. Pedestrians have priority is a rule that seems to be taken very seriously.
 
yup. find this abroad a lot.

people seem to actually make use of their bumpers. they stop reversing when they knock the car behind etc :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom