Driving Me Crazy, Part 2
the maximum alcohol intake you can get away with, and the three-day deadline for reporting accidents where someone was injured. Not much in terms of teaching respect for the rules and other drivers.
Beware the Scooter Boys
Just as an aside, you have to be 18 to drive in France, but a small moped under 80cc’s doesn’t require a license or even plates, so you see tons of unlicensed scooters flying around with 15y.o. hooligans on them, weaving in and out of traffic and on the sidewalks. Very easy to accidentally squash one of these under your car. Another alarming trend, more prevalent along the Riviera than Paris (so far), are scooter thieves. I’m not taliking about people who steal scooters (although apparently they go like hotcakes), but pairs of thieves on scooters who pull up to cars stopped in traffic, open the door, and grab purses, brief cases, luggage, etc. and zoom off before the driver has even figured out what’s going on. Tourists are a big target, because they usually have passports and large sums of cash on them. Beware. Lock your doors. Wear a seatbelt. Look out for the streets on the right. Try getting an explanation of the road signs before driving your rental car in France for the first time. And don’t say you haven’t been warned!
Coming soon: Buying a Car in France? A Canadian, an American, a Brit and a Dutchman give it a try, each with different results. Hear about their paperwork nightmares and be prepared!
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