They say it’s the little differences that bind us together, but here’s one I’ve only just noticed, I hope it’s useful.
I was wondering why the French didn’t thank me as I stopped the car to let them cross at a zebra crossing, “bloody rude” was honestly how I felt about it, so I asked one why that should be.
It turns out you MUST stop your car if the pedestrian has one foot on it, so the local pedestrian doesn’t think you, as a driver, is doing him a turn and therefore makes no indication of you going out of your way to not run him over.
I tried this when out of the car, all along the valley from Briancon to Monetier, and yes it seems to work in Serre Chevalier. But please take care when doing this, pay attention to the number plates, because if you see the little I for Italy take all your toes off the crossing as it is a challenge to this lot who will try and run you over.
Good luck.
Tags: active web, Serre Chevalier, french alps franceNo related posts.
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To confuse you all even more, I believe that it is only the red and White ones that are compulsory, the standard black and White ones are optional. However deciding to optionally run people over is still frowned upon, even in the 05 department.
Particularly watch out for the Italian plates and, contrary to the norm for us, AVOID eye contact – in Italian law once you have made eye contact it is the driver’s right to carry on and the pedestrian then has to give way…
@pippa CURTIS: Blimey, that reminds me of the famous order “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes” which was popularized in stories about the battle of Bunker Hill.
Wikipedia says: “The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed’s Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after the adjacent Bunker Hill, which was peripherally involved in the battle and was the original objective of both colonial and British troops, and is occasionally referred to as the “Battle of Breed’s Hill.”