6 ms·

Your post seems odd. The autobahn is generally regarded as some of the best highway experience there is when it comes to other road users. As someone who spen

Your post seems odd. The autobahn is generally regarded as some of the best highway experience there is when it comes to other road users. As someone who spends too much time going slower than the rest of traffic in grossly overloaded light trucks I think I have some authority when I say that being a road obstruction to the point where people pull dick moves to pass you is a great way to turn everyone else into an asshole make driving stressful. As long as you're not trying to go a ton slower than everyone else in your lane (forcing them to rapidly merge left or slow down, wait for a gap and move left cutting someone off) driving in your lane shouldn't be too stressful.

joezydeco 7y ago
I'm an American that has driven in Germany over the past 20 years and I can sympathize with my German friend up top. It's changed, and I'm sure if OP was less polite he'd mention the influx of beat-to-shit vehicles from the east that can now drive through western Europe and don't follow the rules as well. And the trucks from Poland. So, so many trucks from Poland.
- Moru 7y ago
  Yes, have noticed this too. Love when trucks try to pass each others, one going 80 kmh and the other 81. Blocking two lanes completely for 10 minutes.
  - teh_klev 7y ago
    In the UK we call that "elephant racing". Deeply annoying.
    - FabHK 7y ago
      "Elefantenrennen" in Germany.
  - scotty79 7y ago
    In Poland our equivalent of autobahns have mostly just 2 lanes so that's fun. You may use that time of forced slowdown to adjust heating/cooling or find something good on the radio.
- ahartmetz 7y ago
  The trucks have very calm and largely rule-abiding drivers though. Many of them are just Polish companies doing Western European transports because they are cheaper. But the Polish small transporters... On a drive two weeks ago I've had several overtake on the right (which is illegal) and recklessly merge into small gaps in the left lane in thick traffic. All lanes have minor speed variations in that kind of traffic and that kind of behavior just makes things worse for everyone else. The density of dick drivers is generally pretty high on the Autobahn. BMW and Audi drivers tend to be the worst. Actual proper sports cars (except Lamborghinis and other Mafia-appeal cars) are the fast cars with the nicest drivers.
- jacquesm 7y ago
  The trucks are from Poland because Polish drivers are cheaper than German drivers. So that's a lot of German loads hauled between German companies with Polish trucks and drivers just for cost cutting reasons.
yoodenvranx 7y ago
> Your post seems odd. The autobahn is generally regarded as some of the best highway experience there is when it comes to other road users I drive Autobahn both in Germany and Netherlands and I can tell you that driving in Germany is a 100 times more stressfull compared to NL! As soon as you cross the border to Germany everyone channels their inner race car driver and it becomes stressful. Driving in NL is much more relaxed and laid back.
- FabHK 7y ago
  Well, driving in most countries but Germany is more relaxing because everyone goes at the same low speed. You can have the same experience on a German Autobahn by staying in the right lane. You'll go at the same low speed as the trucks, nice and cozy, straight, without much worries or concentration needed. Now, if you want to go faster, you do have the option (unlike in other countries), but then you'll have to be a bit more careful and dynamic, because it is quite possible that a car approaches you from behind faster than you approach a stationary target (if the car goes 250 km/h while you go 120 km/h, say). Of course that requires keeping an eye on not only the traffic in front, but also the traffic behind, and getting out of the way when required, so you have to change lanes quite frequently. It is somewhat more stressful (if you choose to leave the slow lane), but that's the price you pay. Furthermore, after a while, all this becomes second nature, and rather stress free, as long as everyone follows the rule. (What remains stressful are drivers not following the rules, eg not signalling before changing lanes, or changing into your lane when you're about to overtake them, etc.)
  - blattimwind 7y ago
    > Of course that requires keeping an eye on not only the traffic in front, but also the traffic behind, and getting out of the way when required, so you have to change lanes quite frequently. This hits the nail on the head. I know people who complain intensely about Autobahn driving and when I ride with them all of them have very poor viewing technique ("Blicktechnik") and are the kind of driver that's rather oblivious to anything that happens on the road that isn't squarely in front of them. Of course, with these predispositions, just things like merging or changing lanes become stressful each time. You have to be able to do both on the Autobahn, so Autobahn = very stressful for them.
scottlocklin 7y ago
One of my great experiences of last year was driving a giant snake-like Audi on the autobahn while listening to Kraftwerk, but muh dude has a point. Stuff can get pretty intense, especially up in the crowded regions of the Ruhr. I actually trusted most of the other drivers because their behavior was precise rather than foolhardy and because I know about the ridiculous $4000 training program for the Führerschein, but those would have looked like real dick moves if done in any other part of the world. For my money, best driving experience for a country is Spain. First class roads and drivers. Not too intense.
- saganus 7y ago
  Giant snake-like Audi? Like a modified limousine Audi, or? I can't picture what you are describing as I don't think the A8 qualifies as snake-like, does it? Piqued my curiosity for sure :)
  - scottlocklin 7y ago
    Try driving it in their bomb-shelter parking garages or turning around on one of their raised agricultural dirt roads; it's like driving a big black snake. They don't look real big in America, but for Europe an A8 is bloody hyooge.
    - saganus 7y ago
      I've never driven an A8, and it definitely looks like a very big car. I just thought that you were referring to something else. But yeah, I can imagine that a car that big is hard to maneuver pretty much anywhere.
      - scottlocklin 7y ago
        It was OK on the autobahn, and mostly OK in cities, but there was a lot of car behind me. Had an odd stance compared to other big cars I've driven (mostly old 60s stuff like an Olds Jetstar or pickup trucks); felt very snakey.

joezydeco 7y ago

I'm an American that has driven in Germany over the past 20 years and I can sympathize with my German friend up top. It's changed, and I'm sure if OP was less polite he'd mention the influx of beat-to-shit vehicles from the east that can now drive through western Europe and don't follow the rules as well. And the trucks from Poland. So, so many trucks from Poland.

Moru 7y ago
Yes, have noticed this too. Love when trucks try to pass each others, one going 80 kmh and the other 81. Blocking two lanes completely for 10 minutes.
- teh_klev 7y ago
  In the UK we call that "elephant racing". Deeply annoying.
  - FabHK 7y ago
    "Elefantenrennen" in Germany.
- scotty79 7y ago
  In Poland our equivalent of autobahns have mostly just 2 lanes so that's fun. You may use that time of forced slowdown to adjust heating/cooling or find something good on the radio.
ahartmetz 7y ago
The trucks have very calm and largely rule-abiding drivers though. Many of them are just Polish companies doing Western European transports because they are cheaper. But the Polish small transporters... On a drive two weeks ago I've had several overtake on the right (which is illegal) and recklessly merge into small gaps in the left lane in thick traffic. All lanes have minor speed variations in that kind of traffic and that kind of behavior just makes things worse for everyone else. The density of dick drivers is generally pretty high on the Autobahn. BMW and Audi drivers tend to be the worst. Actual proper sports cars (except Lamborghinis and other Mafia-appeal cars) are the fast cars with the nicest drivers.
jacquesm 7y ago
The trucks are from Poland because Polish drivers are cheaper than German drivers. So that's a lot of German loads hauled between German companies with Polish trucks and drivers just for cost cutting reasons.

yoodenvranx 7y ago

> Your post seems odd. The autobahn is generally regarded as some of the best highway experience there is when it comes to other road users I drive Autobahn both in Germany and Netherlands and I can tell you that driving in Germany is a 100 times more stressfull compared to NL! As soon as you cross the border to Germany everyone channels their inner race car driver and it becomes stressful. Driving in NL is much more relaxed and laid back.

FabHK 7y ago
Well, driving in most countries but Germany is more relaxing because everyone goes at the same low speed. You can have the same experience on a German Autobahn by staying in the right lane. You'll go at the same low speed as the trucks, nice and cozy, straight, without much worries or concentration needed. Now, if you want to go faster, you do have the option (unlike in other countries), but then you'll have to be a bit more careful and dynamic, because it is quite possible that a car approaches you from behind faster than you approach a stationary target (if the car goes 250 km/h while you go 120 km/h, say). Of course that requires keeping an eye on not only the traffic in front, but also the traffic behind, and getting out of the way when required, so you have to change lanes quite frequently. It is somewhat more stressful (if you choose to leave the slow lane), but that's the price you pay. Furthermore, after a while, all this becomes second nature, and rather stress free, as long as everyone follows the rule. (What remains stressful are drivers not following the rules, eg not signalling before changing lanes, or changing into your lane when you're about to overtake them, etc.)
- blattimwind 7y ago
  > Of course that requires keeping an eye on not only the traffic in front, but also the traffic behind, and getting out of the way when required, so you have to change lanes quite frequently. This hits the nail on the head. I know people who complain intensely about Autobahn driving and when I ride with them all of them have very poor viewing technique ("Blicktechnik") and are the kind of driver that's rather oblivious to anything that happens on the road that isn't squarely in front of them. Of course, with these predispositions, just things like merging or changing lanes become stressful each time. You have to be able to do both on the Autobahn, so Autobahn = very stressful for them.

scottlocklin 7y ago

One of my great experiences of last year was driving a giant snake-like Audi on the autobahn while listening to Kraftwerk, but muh dude has a point. Stuff can get pretty intense, especially up in the crowded regions of the Ruhr. I actually trusted most of the other drivers because their behavior was precise rather than foolhardy and because I know about the ridiculous $4000 training program for the Führerschein, but those would have looked like real dick moves if done in any other part of the world. For my money, best driving experience for a country is Spain. First class roads and drivers. Not too intense.

saganus 7y ago
Giant snake-like Audi? Like a modified limousine Audi, or? I can't picture what you are describing as I don't think the A8 qualifies as snake-like, does it? Piqued my curiosity for sure :)
- scottlocklin 7y ago
  Try driving it in their bomb-shelter parking garages or turning around on one of their raised agricultural dirt roads; it's like driving a big black snake. They don't look real big in America, but for Europe an A8 is bloody hyooge.
  - saganus 7y ago
    I've never driven an A8, and it definitely looks like a very big car. I just thought that you were referring to something else. But yeah, I can imagine that a car that big is hard to maneuver pretty much anywhere.
    - scottlocklin 7y ago
      It was OK on the autobahn, and mostly OK in cities, but there was a lot of car behind me. Had an odd stance compared to other big cars I've driven (mostly old 60s stuff like an Olds Jetstar or pickup trucks); felt very snakey.