Note: I have pictures, but in a (what seems like an increasingly frequently occurring) senior moment, I left all my cables in the rental and can’t load them from my camera. Will add them and video later.)
May I just say that driving on the autobahn is an exhilarating experience! Yesterday, on my way to Buchenwald, I spent almost the entire time flying down the autobahn at super 100 speeds, legally!
At one point I was grooving at 125, listening to some Elton John “Madman Over the Water” and got passed like I was standing still by a BMW station wagon. How cool is that!
The autobahn is one of the great wonders of the world. People actually pay attention when they’re driving there. They really do! They actually look into their rear view mirrors once in a while and not just to adjust their lipstick or check their teeth for left over parsley.
If there are three lanes, the right lane is fast, the middle lane is faster and the left lane is fastest. And people actually move between the lanes to adapt to the traffic around them! What an incredible concept!
I had a lot of thoughts about this as I was driving. Most prevalent was just how much of a joy it is to drive the autobahn. People do what they’re supposed to do, the road is impeccable, the cars are maintained, the signs are clear and efficient. They pay attention! Metaphors of life ran through my head and I think I even composed a new symphonic masterpiece. It’s really that inspiring people! :)
Why do people pay attention on the autobahn? I suppose it’s because if they don’t, they know they’ll either suffer the wrath of the other drivers or simply die. I witnessed one truck driver who lingered far too long in the left lane. Once he finally passed the other truck he suffered the wrath of the drivers he held back for so long, Two or three Mercedes and BMW drivers surrounded him and slowed him down to a crawl. On the autobahn, this is roughly 35 MPH. It wasn’t for long or gratuitous and I didn’t see any fingers in the air. But, it seemed like everything else on the autobahn, just long enough to get the message across, it was an immediate message delivered effectively with efficiency.
I could talk all day about the autobahn. Just that drive was worth the trip. I was wishing I had my BMW. As it was, I had a Ford. It didn’t do terribly, but it definitely didn’t have the road feel of a BMW and my confidence was a little shaky on some of the curves. Keep it straight and no problem. At super 100 speeds, I actually feel safer on my motorcycle than in that Ford…
The metaphor goes pretty deep and wide. It covers aspects of social, economic and human behavior. For example, the autobahn, I believe is unique in the world because it simply couldn’t exist in another part of the world. Where else could you have vehicles flying down the road only a few feet from each other at 100+ MPH in an orderly and relatively safe fashion? It requires a certain attention to detail, a certain efficiency, passion for excellence, collective dedication and adherence to rules both written and common sensical, cooperation between participants without maudlin politeness, astute management, critical awareness and finally, engineering! Can you think of anywhere else in the world such a combination can be found?
Didn’t think so.
The autobahn rocks!
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