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A comment on Ask HN: Why do they make cars go so fast if it’s illegal?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: Why do they make cars go so fast if it’s illegal? by bierjunge on Monday December 14, 2020 @08:00AM (#25416949)
Especially Autobahn in Germany is interesting. Generally there is no speed limit, but something called "Richtgeschwindigkeit" (the advised speed you should go, which is 130km/h). But there ARE speed limits on most parts of the Autobahn (construction sites are generally limited to 60 or 80km/h, dangerous sections, etc. so it's often limited to 100-140 km/h). Sections without speed limit are a lot of fun and created a whole industry around them. There are car rentals with sports cars you can get for a few hundred/thousand Euro a day, depending on the car (and they have almost everything, from Porsche and Mercedes AMG to Ferraris and Lamborghinis).
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Re:Ask HN: Why do they make cars go so fast if it’s illegal? by ThePadawan on Monday December 14, 2020 @08:14AM (#25417091)
As someone living near a luxury car rental place (but in a country with a national speed limit), I want to point out that the main target audience for renting Lamborghinis and Ferraris isn't passionate drivers.

It's 28 year old males with money and no sense of self-worth. There are regularly reports of people doing nothing but driving up and down a nice street downtown. Flooring it from red light to red light, dropping the clutch on every gear change. All. Day.

The completely unrelated question I would like to ask is "Why is it allowed to show your middle finger to random people on the street, but as soon as they're in a car, it's a crime?"

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Re:Ask HN: Why do they make cars go so fast if it’s illegal? by nikisweeting on Monday December 14, 2020 @09:10AM (#25417682)
Woah it's a crime to flip someone off in a car in Germany? TIL
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Re:Ask HN: Why do they make cars go so fast if it’s illegal? by ce4 on Monday December 14, 2020 @09:56AM (#25418232)
It's also a crime to insult people outside of cars in germany. When doing so behind the steering wheel it may result in a temporary driving ban in addition to a penalty.
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Re:Ask HN: Why do they make cars go so fast if it’s illegal? by majewsky on Monday December 14, 2020 @10:25AM (#25418578)
IANAL, but in the German legal system, one can only be convicted on an insult charge if the insulted party explicitly requests it.

Behind the steering wheel, the situation is different because road rage will usually not be litigated as an insult, but as attempted coercion.

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Re:Ask HN: Why do they make cars go so fast if it’s illegal? by martin_a on Monday December 14, 2020 @08:15AM (#25417100)
We should add that traffic flow on normal days will prevent you from going _real fast_ for longer durations. People who try that will regularly provoke dangerous situations.

A general speed limit on the Autobahn is long overdue. Lots of our neighbours (see Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Italy) are doing fine that way.

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