🚀 go-pugleaf

"sanjian"

> > This is a 'very' common feeling throughout the western world, happens at
a
> > time of globalization, does this surprise you?  I would guess not.
>
> Globalization is part of the problem.  The average American (especially in
> the south) is about as eager to be Europeanized as the average European is
> to be Americanized.  Don't try to tell me France and Greece are rushing
> forward to embrace America (in Greece, many pubs have signs on the door
> stating that Americans are not served).

Your Greek example does not surprise me.  On Australia's 60 Minutes program
last night, was the story of the concern about the 'lack' of Greek
preparation for the 2004 Olympics.  At one point the coverage shows a
demonstration of stomping leftist militants locked arm to arm carrying anti
American banners with the swastika emblazoned over the U.S flag.  Loud and
forceful.

Of interest was that the demonstrations included a few military personnel,
navy, army and air force uniforms.  Now that is an interesting view.  I
would have thought military personnel would have been subject to 'service'
rules forbidding them from public demonstrations.

Security will be an issue.  The program announced a Greek government
expenditure of  A$1billion on security for the games, video surveillance and
so on.

Funny place Greece, seems to have a sense of humour!



> > Arguable sure, what about merely posting the "keep right unless passing"
> > signs as an 'advisory'?  Some countries do this for a few years and if
> > deemeed necessary later back it up with legislation.  This methology
> relies
> > on the goodwill and commonsense of drivers.
>
> The question is, should it have the force of law?  If some drivers aren't
> maintianing good "lane discipline", is that a severe problem, requiring
> legislation?

How bout the signs posted as an advisory then?

> It's hard to judge whether or not it works.  I could say that the
> requirement to wear seat belts has worked to prevent accidents, since
there
> are fewer than ten majore pile ups in Hampton Roads per day, but that
really
> doesn't say anything.

Seat belts do not in most circumstances prevent crashes and are not the
cause of them, but reduce injury or death when they do occur.



> > (Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, BTW)
> >
> > I am a foreigner, however I know this sir.  In fact I was taught this
when
> > attending Primary school in a country called Papua New Guinea of all
> places,
> > just north of Australia, not far from the Solomon Islands where
thousands
> of
> > US service personnel lost their lives fighting the Japanese in various
> > bloody campaigns back in WWII.
>
> ^^;;;;  Why would they teach the capitals of the states?  I mean, I can
see
> the capital of the U.S., but each state?  Unless you're actually in an
> American school, it seems a bit odd.

They show a detailed series of maps, texbooks and we studied them carefully.
It is a known fact that here in Australia most kids, and adults of course,
can name the first US president, yet not our own first Prime Minster, this
sort of thing is reflected throughout parts of the world, where I guess the
idea is to know your trading partners, - well.

This year we have television commercials showing just who WAS our first
Prime Minister, Sir Edmund Barton.  It is out year of Federation.  Bit of a
worry this eh?

The schooling system in Papua New Guniea at that point was based on the New
South Wales (Australia) system.


> > The 'keep right unless passing' laws would only be enforced during light
> to
> > moderate traffic conditions, this is what happens everywhere else.  No
one
> > has been fined for keeping left during times of traffic congestion, this
> > would be lunacy.
>
> I see no provision for that in the bill as drafted.

Perhaps it should be spelled out then, or re-worded to reflect that safety
net?


> > This in fact is perhaps a devious form of speed control, you accelerate
> > between lengths of vehicles as opposed to flying past them at speed in
the
> > adjacent lane.  A clever German speed managment method.
>
> If you think it's better to accelerate between vehicles, as opposed to
> maintaining a higher steady speed.  I don't.

I mean where the space between those length of vehicles runs for a distance.
Sure, the practical application is that one can and does maintain a high
steady speed in any case, I perhaps had not made this clear.


> > Any future U.S freeway projects with left (was right) lane exits must be
prevented
> from
> > being constructed until plans are upgraded to right lane exits.
>
> Did that come out right?

No:-)  Corrected.

> Again, I see the benefits as dubious.  Anyways, the greater good be
damned.
> There's a reason we leave decisions up to the most local government we
can.
> They're the ones who can best judge whether or not the law is appropriate
to
> their area.

A common thought even here with local council issues.


> There's also the lingering American sentiment against new laws (at least,
in
> the older generation, the younger crowd is just as willing to sell their
> freedom as the Europeans).  If we're going to put restrictions on people,
> then there better be a danged good reason.  I don't see the benefits of
your
> "lane discipline" as being all that great.

The healthy scepticism.

> Instead of herding competent drivers like single file sheep, we need to
take
> care of people like the one driver I was behind, who couldn't decide on a
> lane, so he just took both.  *That's* the type of lane discipline we need.

Gotta love that one!!

Regards,


Jeremy H. Pritchard
MA
jpkt@wxc.com.au

> sanjian@wido(you know the drill)maker.com
> http://www.widomaker.com/~sanjain
> President P.A.C.  Order of the Mallet
> ----------------------------------------------------------