Guess I'll scratch Paris off of my vacation destination list.
Guess I'll scratch Paris off of my vacation destination list.
Feedyurhed wrote: Guess I'll scratch Paris off of my vacation destination list.
You should go and do the tourist things, but don't expect cleanliness or to not be hassled by beggars constantly.
I enjoyed Chambery and Lyon better.
In reply to TeamEvil:
Team Man, I was in Paris in May, '13. I love the smell of unfettered exhaust fumes and unburned hydrocarbons in the morning ... especially when coming from a vintage hot rod Rolls! Smelled like the Lime Rock paddock during vintage weekend!
Paris is awesome, bus we were on clipped a BMW motorcycle and dropped him at slow speed, cycle rider rode up to bus driver window at the next stop, stood up and punched the bus driver through the open window, then the bus driver threw a punch back, Then all was good and light was green.
After reading this thread. So just like Detroit is "The Paris of the midwest", Paris is the Detroit of Europe?
tw78911sc wrote: Paris is awesome, bus we were on clipped a BMW motorcycle and dropped him at slow speed, cycle rider rode up to bus driver window at the next stop, stood up and punched the bus driver through the open window, then the bus driver threw a punch back, Then all was good and light was green.
Hmmmmm. Another way it's like Detroit.
LuxInterior wrote:Sine_Qua_Non wrote: This is the future for the US as well.Do you have any actual information? Or are you just feeling shiny-happy today?
I work in this industry, from the regulation standpoint. This sort of thing may well be proposed.
Upwind from us is a "clean" state. Because they are clean they can have dirty power plants. Those power plants are right on the state line, so the pollution from them doesn't affect the state they are in.
We are a "dirty" state. In part because of our own pollution, and in large part because of the pollution from the dirty power plants in clean states upwind from us. We have done a heck of a job reducing our own pollution. If we were measured only on our own pollution, we could be labeled a clean state. But because of the dirty air blown into our state from upwind clean states, we can't get there.
This is where the possibility of proposing the elimination of things like vehicles or certain entire industries may finally pop up. We the downwind states/regions/districts have done almost everything that can be done to reduce our air pollution. Yet we are still punished for having dirty air blown into our states by so-called clean upwind states.
Attempts to get/force those upwind states or power plants to clean up their dirty sources of dirty air pollution have failed. About the only thing left is to shut down entirely our sources of air pollution. It still won't work, the air being blown in is still to dirty to pass. But it makes the statement, our air pollution problem isn't just from us.
Somewhere on the east coast, some state/region/district is finally going to propose this.
It's America, it's GRM, I guess I shouldn't be supprised at the hate for Paris, one of my favorite cities.
The first time I went to Paris, my wife and I were part of a group tour. We got on the "English Speaking" bus, out of deference for my poor Spanish. After sitting on the bus listening to the asshat comments by our fellow Americans, we got off that bus and got on the one for Spanish speakers. IMHO what's ruining Paris for me is America, with McDonalds, and other crap American chain stores everywhere and Americans who think it should be like EPCOT and why doesn't everybody speak ENGLISH dammit. (Almost everyone there does speak a sufficient level of English for the typical American to communicate).
If a French tourist showed up in your city, how many French speakers should they find? (Quebec dwellers excepted).
What do they call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual What do they call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual What do they call someone who speaks only one language? American.
"Smelled like the Lime Rock paddock during vintage weekend!"
You made me laugh, and made me remember to put that weekend on the list for this year. This time around, bring an extra camera battery.
As for those random cars parked everywhere on the streets of Paris. Last time I was there, if the car happened to be a van, someone was living in it. It honestly seemed like a pretty good idea at the time, considering . . .
In reply to turboswede:
And the French don't pick up after their dogs do their JOB! Add that to your list of negatives. I lived in Manila for a year. All you need is a note from a local government politico or have a bottle of scotch to offer the police when stopped. Easier to get around w/motorcycle.
In reply to Feedyurhed:
Go to Nice, Monte Carlo is just up the road. Both are beautiful and the Mediterranean is fantastic.
maj75 wrote: It's America, it's GRM, I guess I shouldn't be supprised at the hate for Paris, one of my favorite cities.
I don't hate it, but I worked there for a month on a project some years ago. I have a different perspective as I lived like a local instead of taking a tour bus.
Number 1 problem = Train strikes... Toujours la greve.
Number 2 problem = crazy beggars and pick pockets
Number 3 problem = the filth
Number 4 problem = People like to randomly pee in subway stations.
Now.. Baring those things I had tons of fun shopping for flowers and wine in shops that were not near the normal places by the Gare du nord.
Well.. Ok.. Maybe you have a point. The tourists create and generate a certain amount of collateral damage. Once away from that.. It was a really pleasant place. I also speak enough french to make a small conversation. Once the French realized that I wanted to talk to them in French.. Doors opened.
Sorry you ugly old thing, stay away!
w/o paris it is harder to go get to LeMans
I don't think people in this country have any idea how tight and congested European cities are that have been built up and evolved over the last thousand years or so. The narrowness of streets over there just does not compute to Americans.
I don't believe we will ever ban old cars over here. People in this country bitch and moan about how this is becoming a socialist nanny state, you have no idea. Hard left over here is still way to the right in most of Europe, especially on social and environmental issues. I don't believe any city, let alone state will ban old vehicles in this country.
Over in Europe I can believe it will happen at some point, and it's actually fine with me. The noise and pollution is hard to understand. I don't know if this report is true or not, but the Major of Paris is trying to ban diesels there.
There are already towns and communities in the US that ban cars. Generally all cars, as well trucks and motorcycles, not simply old cars. Usually island based towns or gated type communities.
Last time I was in Paris it took me over an hour to find a place to park the car and a two mile walk to the hotel. I seriously considered setting fire to the car and calling Avis to drop another one off for when I was leaving.
I used a cab to get around rather than move the car.
Have you seen how they parallel park in Paris? It is a full contact sport.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n51OdFlOi1o
I thought the most surprising thing was the 1997 cutoff. It's not just cars pre-80's or anything. Is this just part of the new anti-diesel move in Europe?
Feedyurhed wrote: Guess I'll scratch Paris off of my vacation destination list.
Don't. Everyone should go and experience it. Read up before you go on some basic french phrases (or learn the language), don't be a loud shiny happy person, be nice to people and most of all have patience as things are at a different pace there.
I'm truly glad we went and truly it is beautiful to look at (at a distance), but I'm also glad we only stayed long enough to hit some of the highlights and hopped on the train back to London for the rest of the trip. Personally, taking the train from London to Paris was one of the highlights for me, but I'm a bit of a dork and enjoyed the extreme engineering involved in that project.
When we go back, we want to explore more of France and Europe in general.
BoxheadTim wrote:JFX001 wrote: Clarkson goes nuts about congestion and buses and city car taxes in London constantly. My thoughts are; if they want people to utilize public transport within those city centers (centres), then streamline the process and keep them safe and clean.And affordable - especially in London, public transport is really expensive as well. And slow, so your commute times go nuts if you don't live in convenient places. Mind you, it's cheap compared to the cost of parking if you're not on a motorcycle, but that doesn't make it cheap overall.
The funny part about the Tube in London? You can generally walk faster between the various major locations than it would take on the tube. Seriously. London is a very compact city and riding the tube makes it seem so much larger. Still handy to ride the tube if you're feet are tired, you've had a few too many or you've got luggage to move (even though you have to sometimes carry them up or down stairs).
Around the touristy centre of London, yes. London is rather spread out by European standards and if you go beyond the immediate centre, you pretty much have to take the Tube or a bus unless you ride a bike or are willing to get stuck in traffic.
How is this any different than Japan where your car has to undergo a test at year four to certify that it is in "As New" condition?
As to driving a classic car in Paris, are your freaking nuts? Other drivers give zero berkeleys as to what you drive when it comes to the bumper car driving mentality. Unless your classic is a Sherman Tank, I would steer well clear.
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