flying dutchmen?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Humpday. The weekend is long gone and I have finally cooled down enough to blog about the drive home from the in-laws.

It’s a well known fact that some of the German Autobahnen (highways) have no speed limits. Thus we see quite a few of our European neighbors enjoying the roads, which is fine with me. We like to share.

Sometimes entire races are organized. Driving through Germany at night, racing each other, breaking speed records... I’ve heard the English are quite fond of these races but hey, as long as they don’t go overboard or endanger anyone – fine (though often times they do)

So we’re driving along on Sunday. There are two lanes in each direction plus the shoulder.The sun is out, we’re enjoying the music and it is your typical dense weekend traffic. We’re in the left lane behind a couple of cars, overtaking a couple of slower cars creeping along in the right lane, when someone behind us zips out into the right lane, overtakes us on the right (which is illegal) and most of the cars in front of us, almost crashes into the car in the right lane. He swerves to the left, thereby cutting the guy in the left lane and narrowly avoids hitting him. This sets of a chain reaction. Brakes were slammed, tires screeched, traffic is almost paralysed.

We catch our breath and continue on our way, when eventually we catch up with Mr. Idiot, whose car surely needs to fill the void for a missing brain or a few inches in the pants department or both.

He repeats before action – this time cutting right in front of us. We see our lives flash by (okay we didn’t but could have been happening) and this time the hubby has had enough. He calls the police.

While on the phone with them, traffic has slowed down and we’re now creeping along in the right lane with less than 20mph. I see the guy switching from the left into the right lane, where he’s blocked from my view because of the vehicles in front of us. He then reappears on the shoulder, coming towards us! He’s turned the car around. On the shoulder of a highway no less! Driving in the wrong direction into a rest stop. My mouth is agape and I frantically point at him because I can’t get out a word.

Things get interesting. The police sends an unmarked police car into the rest stop, they wait for the guy who isn’t alone but has his wife and kid with him in the car. He admits going the wrong way on the highway. Money seems no issue. Legally the police can’t do a whole lot because he’s not a German citizen. So he pays a very, very hefty fine and receives an entry into his license which prohibits him from driving in Germany – forever (but who’s going to enforce this unless he’s caught in a spot check). We’re asked to drive to the nearest police station to have our witness account recorded, which we do. This cost us two hours but will hopefully prevent fancy pants will from endangering driving ever again. Though judging by what we were told this isn’t going to be happening…

*Update* I forgot to add that after that exciting episode the hubby and I are in bed talking about the crazy afternoon, when I suddenly blurt out : "The a**hole isn't going to find us, is he? Because he looked wealthy enough to find out our address by hacking into the police computer and next thing you know I'm going to bed and instead of seeing your lovely face I will find a horse's head." To which the hubby replied: "Sure, sure (eyes were rolled)."