In Germany, many Americans love to take advantage of the autobahns and their famous lack of speed limits.
However, on base driving can be quite the opposite.
First, some basic info. Speeds in Germany are measured in kilometers per hour. Speeds in the States are measured in miles per hour. These are not the same. For simplicity's sake, KPH is .6 of MPH. For example, 30 KPH = 18 MPH (roughly).
Now, driving around the states, residential neighborhoods often have speedlimits of 25 or 30 MPH. Reasonable.
It seems that the numbers were copied over here, if not equally.
Most speeds on base are 30 KPH (18 MPH). Housing areas are 20 KPH (12 MPH). Look at your speedometer... can you see these low numbers?
No?
Tough. You can (and yes, I've known it to happen) be cited for speeding for even just 1-2 KPH over the limit... that's right, as low as .5 MPH over the limit.
But, playing Speedometer Limbo is just beginning.
Our post has a new security entrance complex. There are two speed limit signs that caught my attention. The first is one that slows you to 10 KPH (6 MPH). My truck's speedometer only goes as low as 20 KPH, so it's already lost the limbo. If it weren't for my GPS, I'd not know if I'm speeding.
But I said two signs. As you leave the complex, there's a speed limit posted of 5 KPH (3 MPH)!!!!
Now, since most speedometers don't even twitch at 5 KPH, there's a very handy-dandy radar gun with display to show you if you're speeding. Myself? I have to ride the brakes to try to not speed. Of course, I don't always need the radar gun... as long as someone is walking faster than me, I think I'm not speeding. :)
So, that's Speedometer Limbo... how (s)low can YOU go?
6 comments:
Dang... you can speed when you're *walking* going out!
I have to set my cruise control just to stay at whatever the speed limit is. I ALWAYS drive too fast to suit the law. I'm not sure I realized one could drive slower than 10 MPH. I'm pretty sure I walk about twice that speed!
Ha! I was serious about the walking thing; it isn't a huge deal to walk at 4mph at least for awhile, as Reid probably knows.
So... get some Major outfitted with enough metal, and watch what the radar thingy says as he hustles out to meet someone for lunch...
Ok, so I'm the freak here. I hate driving fast and never drive on the freeway.
However, I have gotten a speeding ticket for going 50 in a 35...but that's because I was listening to Van Halen. No more heavy metal in the car for me.
God only knows what would have happened if you had been on the freeway with that band!!!
I forgot one other detail...
In the stretch where the speed limit is 5 KPH... there is then a further sign saying, "Slow Down Over Barrier". As Ellicia suggested, perhaps they just want us to stop and push our car down the road.
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