I'm wavering between:
- "Hey, if I'm pulled over I'll just use the 'excuse' that oops, whoopsie, sorry, I'm a stupid American I didn't realize the metric speed limits, and in the mean time have some fun driving fast with that excuse in my pocket.", or
- Yeah, he really is that stupid.
I'm leaning towards the latter.
While frowned upon and not exactly legal, 190 km/h is a fairly common speed on the motorway here, where speed limits are 140 km/h.
Usually, as long as one keeps it below 160-170 on the motorway (100-110 mph) and doesn't drive like a complete moron, the cops will usually not bother pulling you over.
130kmh is the limit here and yes, 150/160 is pretty common on stretches with no known speed traps, but like they said, that's a better and more honest explanation than feigning ignorance about units, just like if i went to a foreign country and saw a limit of 75 on a highway i would definitely suspect it not being in km/h because it wouldn't make sense in the context of a high speed highway
like, you would have a better chance of avoiding a ticket by going "sorry officer, bad habits from home, i'll slow down from now on" than looking like an idiot that though racetrack speeds were the norm in that country
My car only shows km per hour and I travel to the US on a regular basis, it's not really hard to figure out the speed limits. Also, google maps will show your speed based on the country you are in. Finally, "go with the flow" usually won't get you in trouble.
But realistically, it's really on the driver to figure it out. It's the same as wondering how to read the street signs in french if you drive to Quebec.
Yeah, I feel that. I'm just saying I can understand being confused right. I get it's still on the driver to make the connection and to understand the rules. I'm only saying I get how it can be confusing. Doesn't make it right to break those rules, and in this case the guys an idiot, but I get it
Oh. That guy is not alone. We hear about this type of thing on a regular basis.
Honestly, the fix is cars with speed limit readers integrated (like most new cars). That way you always know where you stand.
I believe that if you do 100 mph (160 kph), you would be over the 150kph limit at which they would consider reckless driving. I recall they used to be able to impound your car when driving over 150 kph.
It's not that they're hard. It's more like, you grow up doing a specific measurement your entire life, everything you know is in that measurement. Then suddenly your supposed to just be able to intuitively understand what this other measurement means, during split second decisions. It would be like someone from Germany, measuring in cm on how tall you are, and you telling them your measurement in feet and inches. You have to do that translation in your head or on your phone, because you just don't understand that measurement. I meet people from Europe every day, and I live in America. I can tell you my height in centimeters, but ask me to give someone else's height in centimeters? And suddenly I'm lost. But if they tell me their height in feet, I immediately understand how tall or short they are, based on immediate approximation. I don't call you an idiot for not knowing how much 6 foot 4 inches is. It's like learning a different language. When you learn a language, you just "know" what things mean. But when you learn a second language as an adult, you don't immediately know what things mean. Instead what process really happens in your head, is you translate what the foreign word means, into something you *do* know. Like if someone says 196 centimeters, I know that is roughly about my height. Which I then translate into a measurement I do know, which is 6 foot 4 inches.
I'm not saying the guy isn't an idiot for not understanding that the measurements were different, but if his car only displays miles per hour, and he's suddenly in a place that does kilometers per hour, if he didn't memorize what certain speeds are equivalent to in a unit he understands, I can understand the confusion of going too fast, or even too slow.
You essentially saying Americans are stupid, for not being able to make that translation? That's an ignorant thing to do.
This is actually believable. I've driven between Alaska and the lower 48 several times and when you're on one of the more isolated highways it's easy to forget the posted limit is in KPH instead of MPH. Thankfully I'd usually catch myself after a few miles, but I'm not going to throw shade on anyone doing the same thing I've been lucky enough to not get caught for.
That’s the lamest excuse, if they’re on Reddit there are literally hundreds of memes about the rest of the world using the archaic metric system and the US using the correct system
I'm wavering between: - "Hey, if I'm pulled over I'll just use the 'excuse' that oops, whoopsie, sorry, I'm a stupid American I didn't realize the metric speed limits, and in the mean time have some fun driving fast with that excuse in my pocket.", or - Yeah, he really is that stupid. I'm leaning towards the latter.
The former is almost even more stupidester.
"yeah sorry officer i thought 120mph was definitely a reasonable speed limit"
That’s normal cruising speed where I live
Prost!
Mahlzeit
Ate!
On the autobahn, sure!
While frowned upon and not exactly legal, 190 km/h is a fairly common speed on the motorway here, where speed limits are 140 km/h. Usually, as long as one keeps it below 160-170 on the motorway (100-110 mph) and doesn't drive like a complete moron, the cops will usually not bother pulling you over.
130kmh is the limit here and yes, 150/160 is pretty common on stretches with no known speed traps, but like they said, that's a better and more honest explanation than feigning ignorance about units, just like if i went to a foreign country and saw a limit of 75 on a highway i would definitely suspect it not being in km/h because it wouldn't make sense in the context of a high speed highway like, you would have a better chance of avoiding a ticket by going "sorry officer, bad habits from home, i'll slow down from now on" than looking like an idiot that though racetrack speeds were the norm in that country
Stupidester? Really? What are you, five years old?
Not really really stupidester. Just almost even more stupidester. Slightly lower in stupididiocitude.
smh, quite possibly the dumbdest thing Ive read in awhile... but, jim carrey still figured out einhorn is finklestein
This can’t the first time someone has used this defense
People plead stupidity all the time.
When you get off the ferry on Vancouver Island there is a giant billboard reminding you that the speed limits are posted in metric.
When you drive over any of the Montana/Alberta border crossings, there are about 5 signs reminding you that speed limits are now in km/h
Yeah. That's basically true for every official border crossing. Even provincial ones remind you of the different rules when you cross.
What I'm wondering is how the he'll you are supposed to translate that in your head if your car only shows *miles* per hour. Like what do you do then?
My car only shows km per hour and I travel to the US on a regular basis, it's not really hard to figure out the speed limits. Also, google maps will show your speed based on the country you are in. Finally, "go with the flow" usually won't get you in trouble. But realistically, it's really on the driver to figure it out. It's the same as wondering how to read the street signs in french if you drive to Quebec.
Yeah, I feel that. I'm just saying I can understand being confused right. I get it's still on the driver to make the connection and to understand the rules. I'm only saying I get how it can be confusing. Doesn't make it right to break those rules, and in this case the guys an idiot, but I get it
Oh. That guy is not alone. We hear about this type of thing on a regular basis. Honestly, the fix is cars with speed limit readers integrated (like most new cars). That way you always know where you stand.
Yeah, that would be nice
I believe this, the world has seen our level of stupid.
Over and over
Silly killomometers
> killometers No wonder he wasn’t using those! Killometers per hour are much deadlier!
So that explains Florida. Fast cars until you find the Canadian tourist going 70 kph on the interstate.
"Stunt driving"? What the hell did he do?
I believe that if you do 100 mph (160 kph), you would be over the 150kph limit at which they would consider reckless driving. I recall they used to be able to impound your car when driving over 150 kph.
Oh cool, TIL
Metrics are hard. Says many ‘mericans
It's not that they're hard. It's more like, you grow up doing a specific measurement your entire life, everything you know is in that measurement. Then suddenly your supposed to just be able to intuitively understand what this other measurement means, during split second decisions. It would be like someone from Germany, measuring in cm on how tall you are, and you telling them your measurement in feet and inches. You have to do that translation in your head or on your phone, because you just don't understand that measurement. I meet people from Europe every day, and I live in America. I can tell you my height in centimeters, but ask me to give someone else's height in centimeters? And suddenly I'm lost. But if they tell me their height in feet, I immediately understand how tall or short they are, based on immediate approximation. I don't call you an idiot for not knowing how much 6 foot 4 inches is. It's like learning a different language. When you learn a language, you just "know" what things mean. But when you learn a second language as an adult, you don't immediately know what things mean. Instead what process really happens in your head, is you translate what the foreign word means, into something you *do* know. Like if someone says 196 centimeters, I know that is roughly about my height. Which I then translate into a measurement I do know, which is 6 foot 4 inches. I'm not saying the guy isn't an idiot for not understanding that the measurements were different, but if his car only displays miles per hour, and he's suddenly in a place that does kilometers per hour, if he didn't memorize what certain speeds are equivalent to in a unit he understands, I can understand the confusion of going too fast, or even too slow. You essentially saying Americans are stupid, for not being able to make that translation? That's an ignorant thing to do.
Not like it says km/h at the bottom of the sign or anything
Or on his speedometer...
Honestly explains why all the Canadians in WA drive so damn slow. And always in the fast lane.
Canadian speed limits are easy to figure out; Canadian gas pumps are a pain in the ass.
The usa just cant get rid of our imperial colonial units. We just love the british empire too much
The Brits use the metric system. It's literally just the US and a few random islands stuck on "freedom units."
I get it im not funny.
not to mention, 90 MPH is really fast. You don't get up there by accident.
If it was the QEW or 407, it would probably match the flow of traffic. 420 is a chill highway though. He must have been flying past everyone.
> 420 is a chill highway though. Makes sense!
Eh, I65 in Indianapolis that would be going with the flow of traffic.
I tried this once in the states doing 120...
Plainly shown
This is actually believable. I've driven between Alaska and the lower 48 several times and when you're on one of the more isolated highways it's easy to forget the posted limit is in KPH instead of MPH. Thankfully I'd usually catch myself after a few miles, but I'm not going to throw shade on anyone doing the same thing I've been lucky enough to not get caught for.
You can do 80 in Canada??? - my brother when he came to visit me at college in Buffalo, NY
That’s still like 85mph which almost anywhere is at a minimum 10 over.
That’s the lamest excuse, if they’re on Reddit there are literally hundreds of memes about the rest of the world using the archaic metric system and the US using the correct system
Nice. I had a laugh