Hi everybody.

I live in a wonderful small town in Germany. This town has got everything you dream of: 15 km to the closest airport (STR), 2 km to the closest car factory (DaimlerChrysler), and... we have a US Army base ("since 1945").

Okay, beside those really noisy helicopters, tanks and guns, we never had any problems with the US Army. But since 11Sep, they react really confused:

To connect the two main entries of the base, you can use a big street. This street also connects some small towns around to the Highway (so it's a rather busy street). Along this street, there is a special biking lane. To all US-Americans: a biking lane is a lane which is made for bikes, yes we do have those lanes in Europe!

Well, since 11Sep, one of the two main gates of the US Army Base is closed, to offer a better protection. Okay, so if you want to enter, you have to use the other gate. But what do those US soldiers do? For any strange reason, they mis-understand the arrows showing the way to the other gate, and they drive on the biking lane! A traffic sign says "70 km/h speed limit" for the STREET, but I think US-Americans don't know what a biking-lane is, so they drive 70km/h even on the biking lane!

Today I used that biking lane (with my bike!), when suddenly a really fast American car crossed my way, I had to react quickly, left the lane to escape from this really fast car, and fell off my bike. When I stood up again and shouted at this soldier (I was really angry!), I just heard a voice shouting back "Shut the F-U-C-K up, you bloody German asshole!"

Heyheyhey, he nearly killed me, and then he shouts at me like that? 11Sep, okay, and special protection for the US Army Base, okay. But driving on a german biking lane and endangering the lifes of german bikers - that has nothing to do with the events of 11Sep!

It's not only this particular rude soldier, naerly *every* American drives on that biking lane. Despite WTC etc., do Americans have the right to endanger german bikers' lifes? What do you guys think?

Here in Barcelona is normal for cars and motorbikes to go by the bike-line, we have to go carefully! (of course, only if it is on the road)

If your complaining about this, stay out of south Korea. Roads mean NOTHING there.

That AFB is Ramstein?

I hope you got some kind of ID, or license number, and filed a complaint. He can get his ass kicked from his own superiors for that (breaing the law and undue verbal abuse of a civilian)

Charles

An American used the term, "bloody"? I guess there's a first time for everything...

Yes, Americans don't use the expression 'bloody'. Maybe it was a Brit. We kind of look like each other.  

Can you file a complaint?

Zulu Alpha

The German traffic police has been invented to deal with traffic culture. You know the phone number.

A guy acting like you describe shall of course not hold a drivers license.

Glad to hear that you didn't get hurt.

But you must report it. If this way of driving has become standard, then someone may get hurt tomorrow, if police don't know about it and can take action.

Regards, Preben Norholm

Yeah, defiantly report it, especially if it happens routinely. But are you sure he was an American? Kind of odd he would use the word "bloody" like you say. I have never heard an American use it, but like it has been said there has to be a first for everything.

Could be Canadians they seem to be more British than Americans!! hehe

Oh and did they say "Get oot the way"  

KROC, 777kissass, JetService, .. despite of your own offensive behaviour against a fellow here right in front of all eyes, you still don't get it why people could hate, or begin to hate Americans after reading your high-handed bullshit, huh?

LY772:
No, it's not Ramstein. In Stuttgart-Vaihingen, there is a kind of headquarters of US Defense in Europe (I don't know the exact name, maybe someone can help?), and so we have many small US barracks around here in the region of Stuttgart.

Jtb106, Jetservice and all the others:
Maybe he said "bloody", maybe he didn't, at least he was cursing and swearing a lot. The license number of the car was US-American. I don't remember literal what he said, but the turning point is that *he* was angry about *me*!

I won't file a complaint about this soldier's rude behaviour - it was only him, most US-Americans are really friendly, and in addition I haven't got his license number, so it's senseless. But Prebennorholm is right, I should report it, so that nobody will get hurt.

I'll keep you up-dated,
Ndebele.

Yeah, you should file a complaint!
A bike lane is totally unknown here in Malta. For that matter, bikes are only used by kids, teenagers my age (I don't ride one though) and foreign tourists. Apart from the fact that most Maltese are too lazy for pedalling I suppose they've realized how life-threatening it is.
-turbolet

TWAmerican

I hope that was meant to be a joke. If it wasn't, then you are a sad, sad individual.

How old are you TWAmerican - 5, 6?

Hey i am only guessing, you are not worth a view of the user profile  

No wonder no one respects TWAmerican, what a loser.

"Like me! I'm an american and im really nice. so SHUTUP."

Well, TWAmerican, looks like your last post wasn't so nice after all.

Kevin/DCA

Yes, there are a lot of RUDE american soldiers and very sick people.

Cliffie, ease up bubbaloo. What's so high-handed about helping my friend, Dbenele, find the perpetrator?

If you disagree what I say, please explain.

Cliffie - I'm not American anyway.

Blame Canada

Ndebele-please go and report the incident to authorities even if you don't have a license plate number, mainly because this will be forwarded to the base CO and you can bet he will have a fit if one of his men acted like this. Investigations will be done and reminders sent out on just what a "bike" lane is. Like those before me, I surely am glad that you weren't injured very much and as one American to you, I am sorry and embarrassed by my countrymans behavior.

Look, the soldier was obviously rude and all that, and I hat rude a**holes as much as anyone else but it could just have easily been a German trucker, a taxi driver, whatever. Obviously if there is a spate of bad roadmanship on the part of overseas forces (and that includes British troops because we are worse drivers than the Americans) then you can start worrying but it sounds like it was just an isolated incident by one idiot. Don't worry too much about it. Next time you visit the USA you can get your revenge by stealing the hotel towels  

Just curious, why do you keep referring to us as “US-Americans”? Every American is a “U.S.” American.
There is no such thing as a "German" American, unless you are talking about ancestry.

All over the world people think Americans can do whatever the hell they want. Well, I have news for you....





We can, and we do. 

Bravo, We're Nuts.

Funny Ryanb741.

Bombstar, no need for profanity please. Be a bigger man then me!

TwamerICAN

We're Nuts, I hope that was a joke...

We're Nuts,

BRAVO! Exellent post!      

Sfaffan,

You better be goddamn sure that wasn't a joke.

Hey Hitler, Quit your bitching  

Delta L-1011

Europeans complaining about American drivers? I never thought I'd see the day...

Please note that I just added TWAmerican to my Respected Users-list. I've got compassion for him, nobody respects him   Please also note that I will probably remove his name within the next 24 hours  

Ryanb741:
LOL, great post! But I doubt a german taxi driver would swear at me in English with an US-American accent

Tsully:
I will keep referring to you as "US-Americans", just because you come from the United States of America, which is part of America. In my logical way of thinking (hahaha!), an American could also come from Canada, Surinam, maybe even from the Galápagos-Islands...

For all the others:
I will not report this particular driver, because I don't want to serve the impression that germans are nothing but whiny bureaucrats  

Thanks for all your attention,
Ndebele (hello JetService, it's Ndebele, *not* Dbenele!)

Ndebele, that´s correct! Finally somebody pointeout that not every American is a US American!
I noticed, that specially the U.S American by themselves are making that mistake!
Aslo when you talk about a country, America is more than the USA! America are a lot of countries.

BTW, Ndebele, are you working at the STR airport? I´m pretty often there!

I can't remember the name of the Kaserne either. I spent 8 months on Stuggart Airfield myself back in 1992. I know it wouldn't be Nelligan(spl?) that one shut down when I was there.

I had thought everything was pretty much shut down up there.

I don't know what it is like now but they where pretty picky on obeying the traffic laws and not causing a rabble when I was stationed there.

The747Man & We're Nuts

Not so hard to understand that Americans loose respect in the world with disrespectful comments like that.

Staffan     you spoke my mind 

Ndebele, i thought you were nuts putting TWAmerican on ur respected users list!!!...Ok that was till i saw your post regarding that .

Very sorry for what happened to you. Well it is time to teach that idiot driver a lesson right? go ahead and complain buddy, don't just leave it like that.

Cheers,
Thomas

In Seoul, The only place you could get biking lanes is in Yeouido. Nowhere else. Maybe in other parks. BUT not in the other parts of the city.

The Yongsan Base in Seoul, I'm actually scared of passing by. I see U.S Army (also ROK army) with guns. It's impossible to not pass by if you're going to Gangnam via Banpo bridge or Namsan Tunnel#1,2,3.

Hoons90: I was stationed in Korea, and I am sure you can attest to the fact that Koreans drive anywhere. Roads, Sidewalks, over anything in there way. Also, why would you be scared to pass by Yongsan? Because of Guns? It's old ass Korean men that have the guns, because they are at hte security check points. And fo rthe record...me and my friends used to try and travel Korea, and we would run into trouble from punk Korean students. I knew a few people who got beat up, but they could do nothing back, because of the SOFA agreement.

Delta L-1011:

Hey Redneck, quit your breathing!  

Do you live in Vaihingen ?

Disrespectful? Not hardly! I speak only the truth.

Some Month ago, the US Army at the Training Area Grafenwöhr (biggest army training area in europe) shot a grenade into a Public School in Grafenwöhr. They hit the roof, so nobody was injured, but what whould have happened if they have hit a classroom?? I think they have to take more care.

We´re Nuts, right from inbreeders heaven  

LOL!!  

Ndebele, my apologies for mucking up your name.

Also, if he really said 'bloody', he was not an American!!!!!!!!!

I have to say that from my personal experience drivers in the uSA are more friendly and just more relaxt than our guys in europe. All times I came back home from the USA to Europe, I realized how far more hectic and rude our traffic is. From that point of view I can only say the best about US drivers, I think they stay more calm in general than we do in europe.
To the bicycle incident: Maybe the traffic signs had been a little bit weird or something like that. Because if I´m honest, I haven´t realized the meaning of ALL signs that are used in germany, because we have different ones in austria (dont´ tell me an "ösi - witz", I know them all  ))) ). I gave up bicycling some time ago, because it´s more and more dangerous due to heavy traffic. Espescially trucks and drivers that are not used to a city or location (and therfore under stress allready) are of high potential risk for bikers.
I had so many "near misses", that I decided to go all times by car or bus or train. But I don´t use the bike anymore. I know it is good for mother nature, but i don´t want to meet the grim reaper so early, and therefore mother nature comes second.
My car is my castle....... )))......it´s a Mercedes  )))......

If I would live in Austria, I wouldn't go by bike either. But not because of the traffic (no idea about that, I've never been to Austria yet), but because of too many mountains. Congratulations to your Mercedes! Probably built in that very car factory 2km away from my home.

Turbolet:
I know what you mean when you're talking about traffic in Malta! I've been there twice, it's a wonderful place to spend your holidays, but I didn't dare to ride a bike when I was there. I always took the bus - which was exciting enough...

B737-700:
No, I don't live in Vaihingen. In fact I don't want to tell everybody here where exactly I'm living. Anyways, as I already said it's 2km to the DaimlerChrysler factory (Sindelfingen), that has got to be precise enough.

Um, we have bike paths here in the U.S. as well...

Alright sorry that I dared to ask !!
I was just curious cause I'm living in the region as well.

I know that you are living in the region as well (where exactly? )

btw have a look at the latest STR-pics here on a.net - you will find the answer to that topic recently discussed ("What is that aircraft behind the DLT?"), just up-loaded by CrewChief32 aka Torsten Maiwald.

No need for words anymore as they only convert into insults...

Good One   I'm glad to see we can have fun on da Forum.

Delta L-1011

Maybe he was drunk. 

ndebele:
Thank you!!! You are completly right! Americans are people who live in the American continent which includes many more countries than the USA.
America is not USA. America is from Canda to Argentina and Chile, including my country Mexico which is also North America (just in case someone intended to change America fro North America).
Regards MX727 (a Mexican-American)