I just spent 2 1/2 hours white knuckling the steering wheel as I drove from Heidelberg to Luxembourg, as the boys comfortably watched episode after episode of Gilligan's island (by the way, the best money I have ever spent on DVD's...thanks J's!). To ease my anxiety a bit, I started thinking about how I would like to remodel our kitchen, what I would do if I were Lindsay Lohan's parent and how incredibly efficient and well-planned the Autobahn really is. Which led me to think, would the Autobahn work in the US? My conclusion...no...and this is why - The Autobahn works so well for the Germans because it assumes the driver will obey the rules of the road. For instance, during the stretch of road where the speed limit is 130 km/h, 98% of the drivers go 130. As soon as a 60 km/h sign appears, everyone immediately slows down to 60. Given the chance, however, to go as fast as one wants, the Germans drive like bats out of hell. If everyone obeys the rules, and thus can be trusted to drive as fast as they can, in areas where appropriate, it works. I'm not so sure Americans could handle it, we're not rule followers like the Germans. I now understand why the Germans go crazy when on vacation...they need to let off a bit of steam. Being so efficient and obedient is exhausting...
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