Travelogue: Taxis, taxis everywhere—stunningly, shockingly nice taxis

Vegas, New York, Chicago—step aside, because <em>this</em> is how you do transportation.

Read the whole story

 

[The Quick &amp; The Read]

Rayto[/url]":2n045rz9]We live in the "value" economy. As long as its cheap, feels cheap, looks cheap and smells cheap, Americans love it.

Explains a lot.

 

[SavedByTechnology]

daxis[/url]":192fdly2]

심돌산[/url]":192fdly2]

Wickwick[/url]":192fdly2]I'm sure one of our German readers can flesh out the details. However, there are large stretches of road where the "dynamically" assigned speed limit is actually no limit. Because you were in a city center you may not have encountered such stretches.

It's important to note that it's a ticket-able offense to drive in anything but the far right lane unless you're actively passing. That's how the unlimited speeds thing can work.

I'm not German but you mean the far left lane. And you can stay in the far left lane all day as long as you are driving fast.

Nope. You don't just hang out in the left lane on the Autobahn. You only go there to pass, and then you get out of it when the passing is done.

You got that right (no pun intended). Shortly after my vehicle arrived from the U.S., I made the mistake on A3 just south of Wiesbaden to use the left lane to pass; I was doing about 140km/h. No sooner than I got in the lane a Porsche comes SCREAMING up from behind me; I never saw him coming. Scared the living hell out of me. I put my foot down and got the hell out of the way and never used the left lane again.

 

[shebanator]

MartinHatch[/url]":nm0ugxl7]Yup.. Welcome to the civilised part of the world

Surprised you haven't mentioned the food, beer, architecture and evening culture in Munich.
All were awesome last time I visited

My experiences in the US & Canada have been relatively narrow (Boston, Orlando, Miami, LA, Vegas, Toronto, Vancouver) .. But the one thing I ALWAYS miss when I head West from Europe is the food.

I love Munich and Germany in general. But the food? I dunno. They aren't big believers in veggies over there, unless you count cabbage and potatoes. I spent three weeks in southern germany a few years back, and by the end of the trip I was dying for a good salad.

 

[argamond]

In Australia, most of the cabs are now prius' or hybrid camrys

This is because fuel is the biggest consideration, and the unlimited km warranty on the drivetrain offered by Toyota was too good to pass up.

For customers, the plus is a quieter ride

 

[The_Barbarian]

I have never been inside any taxi, but in Seattle it seems like almost all of them are Priuses these days.

 

[aexcorp]

The Quick & The Read[/url]":14uiookn]

Rayto[/url]":14uiookn]We live in the "value" economy. As long as its cheap, feels cheap, looks cheap and smells cheap, Americans love it.

Explains a lot.

His definition of "value" implies a race to the bottom, towards the lowest prices. That's a total corruption of the term "value".

Value is a (admittedly more or less subjective) assessment of the best ratio between benefit/performance/etc to cost. You could also look at it as the marginal benefit/performance/etc. for each extra $. Value is about finding the "sweet spot" of this calculation, which is rarely the very bottom or top of a given market.

A good example is graphics cards. The low end is cheap but offers low performance (barely worth it over a iGPU), the middle is typically where things get interesting, the middle-top is where I typically find my "sweet spot", and the top has ridiculously low marginal gain per $. As you can see here, it's not a race to the bottom.

 

[BenN]

160km/h on the Autobahn? Pshaw. The taxis we use to get to/from our group company near Stuttgart (Mercedes, natch) regularly do 220+. It's always amusing to see the white-knuckled look of terror on the faces of colleagues from the US after they shakily get out of the taxi after one of those rides.

 

[심돌산]

daxis[/url]":2aqhibx6]

심돌산[/url]":2aqhibx6]

Wickwick[/url]":2aqhibx6]I'm sure one of our German readers can flesh out the details. However, there are large stretches of road where the "dynamically" assigned speed limit is actually no limit. Because you were in a city center you may not have encountered such stretches.

It's important to note that it's a ticket-able offense to drive in anything but the far right lane unless you're actively passing. That's how the unlimited speeds thing can work.

I'm not German but you mean the far left lane. And you can stay in the far left lane all day as long as you are driving fast.

Nope. You don't just hang out in the left lane on the Autobahn. You only go there to pass, and then you get out of it when the passing is done.

I have done my share of 220+ driving in the autobahn. Long stretches have only two lanes and at that speed you just stay in the left hand lane- except when you have to merge right to let someone even faster go by.

 

[심돌산]

effgee[/url]":qj1ik620]

심돌산[/url]":qj1ik620]

Wickwick[/url]":qj1ik620]I'm sure one of our German readers can flesh out the details. However, there are large stretches of road where the "dynamically" assigned speed limit is actually no limit. Because you were in a city center you may not have encountered such stretches.

It's important to note that it's a ticket-able offense to drive in anything but the far right lane unless you're actively passing. That's how the unlimited speeds thing can work.

I'm not German but you mean the far left lane. And you can stay in the far left lane all day as long as you are driving fast.

The last time I was in Germany I was stuck driving a van because of the number of people I was carrying. As I entered Germany on the way from Salzburg I was doing 130 kmh and keeping up quite well. At the border there was a lighted "no speed limit" sign overhead. I accelerated to 150, but within seconds I was passed by several cars on their way to 200+

I happen to be German and I can tell you for sure that while you can drive in the left lane all day, it is by no means legal. There's this rule called the "Rechtsfahrgebot" (~ "Right-lane-driving-obligation", compound nouns FTW!!!) which states that unless posted otherwise you have to be driving in the rightmost lane whenever possible. Staying in the left lane for no good reason and obstructing the way for other traffic gets you a €80 ticket and a point against yer license (*).

(* – Not to mention a Porsche/BMW/Audi up yer hindquarters with their left turn signal on and flashing high-beams )

That is why I said "as long as you are driving fast enough". Of course blocking faster traffic is illegal. But if you are the faster traffic you will be staying left.

 

[심돌산]

bk109[/url]":1hjxv9tr]

Joe F[/url]":1hjxv9tr]You need to travel to Europe more.
In Germany taxis have been Mercedes cars for decades. Used to be Mercedes Diesel cars.
Nowadays, you find Mercedes C-Class, Audi, and other nice cars. All very clean and new.
Not at all like US taxi cabs, which are often worn out and pieces of sh*t.

Over here (Dublin) the range goes from Avensis to the C-class and its Beemer and VAG equivalents and I'm always amused at how visiting colleagues from the States always gush about how they were driven from the airport by a Benz (I never find the heart to tell 'em that a C-class is just a normal sedan ).

Edit: As for the Autobahn - I wonder how the author would've reacted if he had seen a 911 Polizei vehicle

A C class is a normal sedan in the USA too. If a bit small, but you won't see them as taxis. That's the novelty.

 

[심돌산]

Fixpir[/url]":1cx2bt9z]American cheese ? Not sold over here. At least not in food stores.

One of of things I missed while living in Germany was a good sharp Vermont cheddar. sometimes that really hits the spot. even Cracker Barrel would have been better than nothing. But in any case there is plenty of excellent Anerican cheese. It's not all Velveeta.

Driving in Germany is so cool. Drivers are polite, calm etc... But there is a strong north-south gradient in driving politeness in Europe.

My feeling about driving in Italy is that it is very similar to driving in the US. The autostrada is very much like a US interstate, including the driving habits of the drivers, and city driving is no worse than Boston.

 

[심돌산]

shebanator[/url]":2avw1wo9]

MartinHatch[/url]":2avw1wo9]Yup.. Welcome to the civilised part of the world

Surprised you haven't mentioned the food, beer, architecture and evening culture in Munich.
All were awesome last time I visited

My experiences in the US & Canada have been relatively narrow (Boston, Orlando, Miami, LA, Vegas, Toronto, Vancouver) .. But the one thing I ALWAYS miss when I head West from Europe is the food.

I love Munich and Germany in general. But the food? I dunno. They aren't big believers in veggies over there, unless you count cabbage and potatoes. I spent three weeks in southern germany a few years back, and by the end of the trip I was dying for a good salad.

Your only problem was your choice of restaurants.

 

[effgee]

심돌산[/url]":2fxu8xot]

daxis[/url]":2fxu8xot]

심돌산[/url]":2fxu8xot]

Wickwick[/url]":2fxu8xot]I'm sure one of our German readers can flesh out the details. However, there are large stretches of road where the "dynamically" assigned speed limit is actually no limit. Because you were in a city center you may not have encountered such stretches.

It's important to note that it's a ticket-able offense to drive in anything but the far right lane unless you're actively passing. That's how the unlimited speeds thing can work.

I'm not German but you mean the far left lane. And you can stay in the far left lane all day as long as you are driving fast.

Nope. You don't just hang out in the left lane on the Autobahn. You only go there to pass, and then you get out of it when the passing is done.

I have done my share of 220+ driving in the autobahn. Long stretches have only two lanes and at that speed you just stay in the left hand lane- except when you have to merge right to let someone even faster go by.

Just you wait until my humble self, or (much more so) Bodolf have caught up with you!

 

[Biceps]

LKGC[/url]":2bxlutd3]As someone who regularly takes cabs in Phoenix, AZ (the 8th biggest city in the country) - your description of US taxis surprises me. The cabs here are generally new, clean and very pleasant. I've never seen garbage in a cab, other than the driver's McDonalds bag or something.

(1) If you have to tell someone how big your city is, it isn't that big.
(2) Having lived all over the US, I can say your experience with clean taxi's is rare - get out of Arizona much?
(3) Because there must always be 3. This is where I apologize for being dickish in my first two comments.

 

[심돌산]

effgee[/url]":2wgcucjs]

I have done my share of 220+ driving in the autobahn. Long stretches have only two lanes and at that speed you just stay in the left hand lane- except when you have to merge right to let someone even faster go by.

Just you wait until my humble self, or (much more so) Bodolf have caught up with you!

I believe Bodolf's photo counts as "rasen"
But yes, I would be getting out of your way. I never had a car well suited to anything over 260.

 

[rachel612]

whisk3rs[/url]":3fyxdu78]

The Quick & The Read[/url]":3fyxdu78]Beautiful travelogue. Thank you.

All were sparking clean BMW 3-series or Mercedes C-class sedans. All were kitted out inside with leather and dashboard displays.

Why? I'm sure there are less expensive automotive options, why did they standardize on the (undoubtedly) more expensive one? I feel a joke about Apple coming on...

Maybe, just maybe, the Europeans are not bent gung-ho on the cheapest option and are OK with spending a little bit more money to enjoy things? Think processed food vs. freshly cooked cuisine, American Cheese vs. French cheese, etc.

I suspect some of it (but not all of it) is also the legacy of super-sturdy well engineered Mercedes, like the W124 series, which you can still see all over Africa and the Middle East, after more than 500,000 miles and more. I'm not sure the current turbocharged engines will be that sturdy, but up until 1995, at least, those Mercedes were (almost literally) bulletproof. They just keep on keeping on.

 

[rachel612]

SavedByTechnology[/url]":1d8o5wo6]

daxis[/url]":1d8o5wo6]

Nope. You don't just hang out in the left lane on the Autobahn. You only go there to pass, and then you get out of it when the passing is done.

You got that right (no pun intended). Shortly after my vehicle arrived from the U.S., I made the mistake on A3 just south of Wiesbaden to use the left lane to pass; I was doing about 140km/h. No sooner than I got in the lane a Porsche comes SCREAMING up from behind me; I never saw him coming. Scared the living hell out of me. I put my foot down and got the hell out of the way and never used the left lane again.

That's because the Porsche was probably coming at you at close to a 100k/hr differential. If you're not used to driving at those speeds it's hard to understand what that's like. I've had similar experiences.

Like you, I find unlimited-speed autobahn driving a bit white-knuckle. My reflexes just aren't up to it, even in a fast car like a big Mercedes. I know my limitations.

 

[LB1LF]

Borkis[/url]":3j114y04]

LB1LF[/url]":3j114y04]

-In the EEC (EU+Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), heavy trucks and buses are limited to 100km/h (62mph).

Edit: (Or, come to think of it - I think I have seen a few buses labelled '110km/h maximum' (69mph) - perhaps there is more than one class of heavy vehicle)

I'll have to correct you a little there: In Norway, most trucks are limited to 80km/h, busses usually 90km/h.

-You are (almost!) right - funny how the mind can play tricks on you; I really, really had an image in my mind of lots of buses with 110km/h stickers on them.

Now, straight from the horse's mouth, in this case the horse is Norwegian legislation on the subject, which basically is just an EU law rubber-stamped by our parliament:

Trucks with a maximum gross weight of more than 3500kg (7750lbs or so) - 90km/h or 57mph.

Minibuses (More than eight passenger seats; max gross weight less than 5000kg/11000lbs) and larger buses - max 100km/h (62mph).

 

[MTVGray]

For some real fun, try a taxi in the Dominican Republic.

 

[MarkinCA]

The contrast between taxis in the US and Europe is very similar to the contrast between waiters in the two areas. In the US, both are usually low-end jobs requiring few skills and offering low wages. In Europe, both are considered professions and offer living wages. Also, I believe most taxis in Europe are individually owned and operated, and so the drivers actually care about their cars.

 

[Joel_B]

Drew314[/url]":19b6wqcb]NYC taxis legally have to have a medallion stamped to their hood which currently cost about $1 million. This cost is generally passed on to the driver as a per-day fee to lease the taxi from a management company.
The NYC taxi is actually a very exclusive and valuable vehicle, but the benefit is not enjoyed by the drivers or passengers.

That's why it always feels like I am entering the 3rd world when taking a taxi in NYC.

 

[Constructor]

rachel612[/url]":1zcks57r]That's because the Porsche was probably coming at you at close to a 100k/hr differential. If you're not used to driving at those speeds it's hard to understand what that's like. I've had similar experiences.

Like you, I find unlimited-speed autobahn driving a bit white-knuckle. My reflexes just aren't up to it, even in a fast car like a big Mercedes. I know my limitations.

That's a good attitude. Even when you're used to it and you have all the necessary reflexes and specialized attention habits it takes to drive fast safely, it's still significantly stressful to do.

And the most important thing to know is when you might nominally be able to drive fast, but weather, road conditions, traffic density and overall circumstances are telling you you still shouldn't.

With some drivers I've felt decidedly less than safe on the passenger seat because I knew where they were taking risks I wouldn't have, such as zipping by packs of trucks and cars in the right lane blindly depending on none of those suddenly veering out because they might not have seen us coming.

So while it can be fun, driving fast on the Autobahn is decidedly not to be taken lightly, and especially not without great care and sufficient experience.

 

[fragile]

Around here (South East UK), the taxis are a selection of Diesel Skoda's - which are really VW/Audis in dowdy clothes, Mercedes Diesels - Taxi Spec and the occasional Ford Mondeo Diesel.

It is always interesting to see the immense mileages that some of the cars have attained.

From memory I was in a Skoda Taxi last week that was showing 350,000 miles, there was obvious wear to the gear shift, the steering wheel and the rear seats were a tad saggy, but everything worked, it was still quiet, made no silly noises.

I always chat to the driver about these crazy high miles, they just say that the oil is changed monthly, all servicing is done on time and usually the only big bills are a clutch at 200K and many, many set of brakes.

Personally I prefer the Mercedes in taxi-spec, they still smell fresh at 200K miles and they are always more comfortable than the Skoda's.

The highest mileage I have seen on a Taxi recently was just short of 500K miles, The driver had 'driven it every day for years' and had put every single mile on it since it was new. It was a Mercedes.....

It seems that if you look after them, and you order them in taxi spec to begin with, they last pretty much forever.

 

[torp]

SavedByTechnology[/url]":3cpd62ix]

daxis[/url]":3cpd62ix]

심돌산[/url]":3cpd62ix]

Wickwick[/url]":3cpd62ix]I'm sure one of our German readers can flesh out the details. However, there are large stretches of road where the "dynamically" assigned speed limit is actually no limit. Because you were in a city center you may not have encountered such stretches.

It's important to note that it's a ticket-able offense to drive in anything but the far right lane unless you're actively passing. That's how the unlimited speeds thing can work.

I'm not German but you mean the far left lane. And you can stay in the far left lane all day as long as you are driving fast.

Nope. You don't just hang out in the left lane on the Autobahn. You only go there to pass, and then you get out of it when the passing is done.

You got that right (no pun intended). Shortly after my vehicle arrived from the U.S., I made the mistake on A3 just south of Wiesbaden to use the left lane to pass; I was doing about 140km/h. No sooner than I got in the lane a Porsche comes SCREAMING up from behind me; I never saw him coming. Scared the living hell out of me. I put my foot down and got the hell out of the way and never used the left lane again.

However, most Porsches will politely brake behind you if you *have* to go on the left lane to overtake a truck on the mid lane that has decided to overtake an even slower truck on the right lane
Of course, you'd better not stay on the left lane a second more than you have to, or you'll get the flashes and honks.

 

[AxMi-24]

Wickwick[/url]":vgllztdi]I'm sure one of our German readers can flesh out the details. However, there are large stretches of road where the "dynamically" assigned speed limit is actually no limit. Because you were in a city center you may not have encountered such stretches.

It's important to note that it's a ticket-able offense to drive in anything but the far right lane unless you're actively passing. That's how the unlimited speeds thing can work.

Are you sure about this? I see tons and tons of people driving in the middle lane with the right one completely empty and it's making me wish for a rocket launcher on my car to convey how annoying that is.

I remember a few years back around Hannover where I was the only car in the right lane and was passing everyone as they stuck to mid and left lanes for some reason. 15-20 km of no car in the right lane...

 

[fragile]

AxMi-24[/url]":2n8aoty7]
I remember a few years back around Hannover where I was the only car in the right lane and was passing everyone as they stuck to mid and left lanes for some reason. 15-20 km of no car in the right lane...

They were probably American tourists.

[/s]

 

[Zod]

Most are E Classes, not C Classes. You see the occasional S Class or 7 Series. I've even seen a Jaguar XJ.

 

[Tan68]

daxis[/url]":2x4p16gm]

Wickwick[/url]":2x4p16gm]I'm sure one of our German readers can flesh out the details. However, there are large stretches of road where the "dynamically" assigned speed limit is actually no limit. Because you were in a city center you may not have encountered such stretches.
.

Yes. The fact that there were dynamically allocated speed signs means you were close to a city, in a place where there is a lot of traffic. Most of the Autobahns are governed by fixed signage. And one of the those signs is "end of restrictions," which means the speed limit (among other things) is removed after you pass it.

I've driven only some in Austria.

Even on secondary highways (not autobahn/motorway/interstate), the roads were built to help people move. There were ramps built in areas the US would have none. The fuel stations I saw were ordered so traffic turned in and out orderly.

The system of puncts on some bits of road to help drivers judge how far they can see in bad weather and adjust speed accordingly is great. The adjustable speed limit signs help with this as well.

Everything seemed designed to help drivers drive.

In US, it is not uncommon to find ramps with decreasing radius curves and the most helpful sign I have found is "DUST STORM AREA do not stop on roadway next 30 miles".

 

[Tan68]

effgee[/url]":2aziyyi8]

심돌산[/url]":2aziyyi8]

Wickwick[/url]":2aziyyi8]I'm sure one of our German readers can flesh out the details. However, there are large stretches of road where the "dynamically" assigned speed limit is actually no limit. Because you were in a city center you may not have encountered such stretches.

It's important to note that it's a ticket-able offense to drive in anything but the far right lane unless you're actively passing. That's how the unlimited speeds thing can work.

I'm not German but you mean the far left lane. And you can stay in the far left lane all day as long as you are driving fast.

The last time I was in Germany I was stuck driving a van because of the number of people I was carrying. As I entered Germany on the way from Salzburg I was doing 130 kmh and keeping up quite well. At the border there was a lighted "no speed limit" sign overhead. I accelerated to 150, but within seconds I was passed by several cars on their way to 200+

I happen to be German and I can tell you for sure that while you can drive in the left lane all day, it is by no means legal. There's this rule called the "Rechtsfahrgebot" (~ "Right-lane-driving-obligation", compound nouns FTW!!!) which states that unless posted otherwise you have to be driving in the rightmost lane whenever possible. Staying in the left lane for no good reason and obstructing the way for other traffic gets you a €80 ticket and a point against yer license (*).

(* – Not to mention a Porsche/BMW/Audi up yer hindquarters with their left turn signal on and flashing high-beams )

I think wording things like this: Right-lane-driving-obligation
Instead of this: keep right except to pass
helps people understand what is expected versus up for negotiation.

 

[심돌산]

Tan68[/url]":32ovvtvm]

effgee[/url]":32ovvtvm]

심돌산[/url]":32ovvtvm]

Wickwick[/url]":32ovvtvm]I'm sure one of our German readers can flesh out the details. However, there are large stretches of road where the "dynamically" assigned speed limit is actually no limit. Because you were in a city center you may not have encountered such stretches.

It's important to note that it's a ticket-able offense to drive in anything but the far right lane unless you're actively passing. That's how the unlimited speeds thing can work.

I'm not German but you mean the far left lane. And you can stay in the far left lane all day as long as you are driving fast.

The last time I was in Germany I was stuck driving a van because of the number of people I was carrying. As I entered Germany on the way from Salzburg I was doing 130 kmh and keeping up quite well. At the border there was a lighted "no speed limit" sign overhead. I accelerated to 150, but within seconds I was passed by several cars on their way to 200+

I happen to be German and I can tell you for sure that while you can drive in the left lane all day, it is by no means legal. There's this rule called the "Rechtsfahrgebot" (~ "Right-lane-driving-obligation", compound nouns FTW!!!) which states that unless posted otherwise you have to be driving in the rightmost lane whenever possible. Staying in the left lane for no good reason and obstructing the way for other traffic gets you a €80 ticket and a point against yer license (*).

(* – Not to mention a Porsche/BMW/Audi up yer hindquarters with their left turn signal on and flashing high-beams )

I think wording things like this: Right-lane-driving-obligation
Instead of this: keep right except to pass
helps people understand what is expected versus up for negotiation.

Perhaps, but Rechtsfahrgebot actually translates better as "Drive right law" than "Right-lane-driving-obligation". Other examples are the famous Reinheitsgebot or "Purity law" (for beer) and die Zehn Gebote or "the ten commandments".

 

[RogerGraham]

TheEphemeralElectron[/url]":3saskilg]When I rode in a taxi in Nagoya, Japan, I felt like I was riding in a vehicle that would shortly be used as a surgical theater. It was immaculate, the technology felt like it was built in, and the driver was highly polite and wore white gloves that were spotless.

I can't recall if there was a partition or not, but it was a good experience overall.

If US cab companies want to compete with the newcomers (Uber, Lyft, et al), then they are going to offer similar experiences rather than making their users feel like overpaying, underserviced cattle.

...but you forgot to mention how frighteningly taxis are in Japan.

 

[Tan68]

심돌산[/url]":1m3x94x4]

Tan68[/url]":1m3x94x4]

effgee[/url]":1m3x94x4]

심돌산[/url]":1m3x94x4]

Wickwick[/url]":1m3x94x4]...

...

...

I think wording things like this: Right-lane-driving-obligation
Instead of this: keep right except to pass
helps people understand what is expected versus up for negotiation.

Perhaps, but Rechtsfahrgebot actually translates better as "Drive right law" than "Right-lane-driving-obligation". Other examples are the famous Reinheitsgebot or "Purity law" (for beer) and die Zehn Gebote or "the ten commandments".

Oh, 'drive right law' is even better if you consider 'right' is often a synonym for 'correct' in American English.

 

[Tan68]

RogerGraham[/url]":cj7kroyq]

TheEphemeralElectron[/url]":cj7kroyq]When I rode in a taxi in Nagoya, Japan, I felt like I was riding in a vehicle that would shortly be used as a surgical theater. It was immaculate, the technology felt like it was built in, and the driver was highly polite and wore white gloves that were spotless.

I can't recall if there was a partition or not, but it was a good experience overall.

If US cab companies want to compete with the newcomers (Uber, Lyft, et al), then they are going to offer similar experiences rather than making their users feel like overpaying, underserviced cattle.

...but you forgot to mention how frighteningly taxis are in Japan.

Frighteningly... /what?/
You can't leave me hanging

Like the pachinko taxis/mini-vans of Cairo ?

 

[Wardatrigger]

Henrik Mikael Kristensen[/url]":2skex0sk]

Ostracus[/url]":2skex0sk]Mercedes? Wow!

Complete standard Taxi over here... rode one a number of times as a kid to school, because the school bus driver also owned a taxi company. They're nice.

Used as taxis all over Europe, there are plenty in Belfast from classes C to S.

I beleive MB have a "taxi" factory option for their cars when bought for use as such, so they roll out the door ready for a fare.

 

[l3v1]

Tan68[/url]":2jfm48pr]
Even on secondary highways (not autobahn/motorway/interstate), the roads were built to help people move. There were ramps built in areas the US would have none. The fuel stations I saw were ordered so traffic turned in and out orderly.

Oh my, don't even make me remember the yellow middle double-tripple-godonlyknows-direction turning lanes of the U.S. I'm fairly frequent there, but some traffic issues still make me crazy. No keeping right, overtaking from every direction (with lots of drivers never signaling their lane changes), no right hand rule at intersections, the crazy-a$$-gazillion stop signs at almost every freaking corner (even in parking lots, man..., also even in the middle of nowhere out in long desert roads, whoa), and so on and so forth. And, oh my, the 65mpg highway speed limits... 100kph, really? I always feel like I'm going crazy and every trip takes forever (I don't mind if there's more of us and spending vacation days, but if I'm alone and want to get someplace... come on).

If I think hardly about all of it, the only positive thing I can come up with is the right-turn-on-red, now that one I do like a lot.

 

[Tan68]

l3v1[/url]":2w37z58q]

Tan68[/url]":2w37z58q]
Even on secondary highways (not autobahn/motorway/interstate), the roads were built to help people move. There were ramps built in areas the US would have none. The fuel stations I saw were ordered so traffic turned in and out orderly.

Oh my, don't even make me remember the yellow middle double-tripple-godonlyknows-direction turning lanes of the U.S. I'm fairly frequent there, but some traffic issues still make me crazy. No keeping right, overtaking from every direction (with lots of drivers never signaling their lane changes), no right hand rule at intersections, the crazy-a$$-gazillion stop signs at almost every freaking corner (even in parking lots, man..., also even in the middle of nowhere out in long desert roads, whoa), and so on and so forth. And, oh my, the 65mpg highway speed limits... 100kph, really? I always feel like I'm going crazy and every trip takes forever (I don't mind if there's more of us and spending vacation days, but if I'm alone and want to get someplace... come on).

If I think hardly about all of it, the only positive thing I can come up with is the right-turn-on-red, now that one I do like a lot.

Dude, it's the wild west.
Steve Martin style.

I will admit I don't recognise "the yellow middle double-tripple-godonlyknows-direction turning lanes" but this probably comes from living in the midst and not seeing a tree for the forest. [but it makes me laugh and I don't doubt your reaction is valid]

I did feel ashamed near Zell am See...
I did some wild west stuff pulling up over (but not stopping on) train track at a small intersection with a light. I pulled up to.. turn right on red. In the process, I sensed I was 'doing it wrong'. Not unsafely, just not by local custom. I had committed so I pressed on... I pulled over and had a short talk with myself about doing better.

Oh, the yellow light to get ready for green light is a wonderful technology.
Not only a Germanic thing, though :^)

+ one thing that frightens me while driving outside the US is the lack of yellow paint. Here, one way streets do not have yellow paint. I am constantly having an 'oh, no' moment as I start a turn in a 'no yellow' part of the world.. thinking 'is this einbahn??' like my yellow paint :^|

 

[insanitymoose]

Here in Norway we actually have Teslas as taxis. In several cities you can call the taxi service and ask specifically for a Tesla if you really want to ride in one.
They save a lot of money on it, as EV's are exempt from tolls, have a lot of free or cheap charging points and free parking.

 

[Bicentennial Douche]

I do believe that the car in the picture is E-class Mercedes, not C-class. Over here (Finland), the usual taxis are Mercedes E-class, 5-series BMW and Volvo S60/V70.

And speaking of this: "the drivers themselves were attentive, safe, and polite as hell.".

In here, if you take a Taxi late in the night, you might notice that after you pay the trip and get out, the Taxi stays around. That's because Taxi-drivers are required by law to make sure you get safely to your destination (home, usually).

 

[Cubytus32]

spztoid[/url]":1rh2o420]Mercedes are popular for taxis in Europe because when they're well taken care of, they can still command a high resell value, while the professional driver/owners also enjoy tax depreciation after about 3 years, just like an office item or computer.

Teslas are becoming popular as taxis too because of their technical novelty, silence, lack of a transmission hump, and fuel savings. If being new tech and silent brings in more clients, that's good. Taxi drivers usually drive these same cars for personal use when they're not on duty. They use a magnetic sign they can re/place on top that lights up wirelessly when they are working. That's so much more professional than a pink mustache.

Do drivers usually own their car in Europe? I know this is much more common here for drivers to rent one for half a day ("shift") or a full day ("single"), and pay for their gas. The taxi car license itself is completely separate from the car, most being grandfathered through a rule introduced in the 90s, which pushed their value to very high prices of 200k+ because there's no new supply. Previously, they were handed out by the city for free. The only rule taxi owners have to follow is to have a 4-door car, less than 10 years-old. They have absolutely no incentive to buy anything more expensive to maintain. And drivers are stereotypically immigrants whose diplomas were not recognized and must do something to support their family.

On the other hand, while Mercedes is considered luxury here in North America, the ones commonly used in Europe as taxis are the same shells, just with less luxury equipment in order to keep them affordable.

As an hypothesis on Germany's speeds and why it works: drivers there just happen to be more responsible than in North America. They get ticketed for irresponsible behaviour, not for merely speeding. And they don't get more accidents per mile than other countries with far more restrictive rules.

 

[Danellicus]

Most interesting taxi ride I ever got was June 2013 in Tallinn Estonia*. Hotel desk clerk called for a cab and a near-new black C-class Mercedes pulled up. Driver (large, imposing Russian) did not speak English or Estonian. With a map and hand gestures we communicated that I needed to go to the airport. Got into the cab and it was very clean, but hot-glued to the center console were 4 large silver coins. I do not speak or read Cyrillic, but I can recognize CCCP. This driver was nostalgic for the good old days.


*Keith Alexander gave the last 'happy, self-deprecating humor, smart guy' keynote speech of his life at the NATO CyCon on the day of a certain document dump.