The DSK affair is not the only legal case that points out the differences between the US and France. The whole respect of the Law in itself is also very different... Hence this little story: due to the number of deaths on the road, the government started installing automatic radars in 2003. But since they are very unpopular, they put a warning sign (like this one I photographed at rue de Maubeuge) a few meters before each of them and allowed GPS to map them! It worked in the beginning, but now the number of deaths is increasing again. The Government then decided to remove the signs and to prohibit radar maps... And this started a nuclear war! Why? Because it is hard for the French to understand that if you don't want to get caught, you just need to respect the law...
"Because it is hard for the French to understand that if you don't want to get caught, you just need to respect the law..." this sentence encapsulates the DSK affair in a nutshell! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL.
ReplyDeleteIt is just as bad here! If you are a pedestrian trying to cross the street at a crosswalk, you better hope the people driving the car who have crossed the thick white line put there to stop them so pedestrian can cross will be looking your way when you get the go ahead to cross because if they aren't and you cross and get right in front of their car they will run you down! Why? Because they also don't think they have to respect the law!
ReplyDeleteGeez!
Yes, it must be universal: the law doesn't apply to me, only to other people.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's something from Chernobyl, or food additives, that are making people more and more dimwitted even though technology is supposed to be making us smarter and smarter. Every day, driving to and from work, I am put in danger by at least one driver in another car.
That's why we need picnics!
No one is above the law and the French and their Law is really very good for human. An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment.
ReplyDeleteIn Paris, I much prefer YSL to DSK! (^_^)
ReplyDeletemais bien sûr! Nous sommes tous des êtres humains 'égales'; seulement les uns un peu plus que les autres!
ReplyDeleteOf course! We are all equal before the law; and some a bit more than others....
Anybody seeing any similarities with the Affair DSK is just biased.... LOL :)
You've got some lovely comments already Eric!
I'm ALL FOR PICNICS! Make
picnics not wars ;)
" Make picnics not wars "
ReplyDeleteLove it: this is going to be my today's motto!
I've heard it said that the law exists for law-breakers, not for law-keepers (who don't need it, of course). If we all did the right thing, we wouldn't need laws or enforcement. Too many ridiculous laws seem to make the situation worse.
ReplyDeleteI must admit I will miss these warning signs... :( but it certainly is a good thing to force us to respect the limited speed.
ReplyDeleteI dislike the word 'to force' though... Oh, must be too French!
The French would go nuts over the PHX intersections that photograph you going thru a light.
ReplyDeleteRespect the law, it's not so difficult, but not respecting it can be a desire for a minory.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Valery
Barcelona Daily Photo
Hopefully it will work and many lives will be saved...
ReplyDeleteFlore
Eric, it seems to me that those who don't want to respect the speed limit are saying they want the right to kill themselves:) If the dumb killed themselves exclusively, that would leave the lovers of life free to respect the law and drive safely. Alas, it's not tha simple and they often take innocents with them:(
ReplyDeleteI surely totally agree with the previous comment and couldn't ever live normally if I knew I had directly caused someone's injury because of my fault, my driving over the speed limit... God saves me...
ReplyDeleteToo bad we need Big Brother to make sure we follow the law—but apparently we do! So glad I don't drive (but as a pedestrian I still have to watch out for all those fools who think the rules don't apply to them).
ReplyDeleteI'm with Kiki: bring on the picnic!
I think it is the increasing sense of 'entitlement' that many people dress themselves in. Their sense of 'self', of their own rights and superiority obliterate any wider responsibility. To other people or to their planet ...
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a whole education to do in France for
ReplyDeletea change of behavior, specially amongst people in my age, less I guess amongst much younger. But that may work !
Always love your subjects Eric and fine comments.
People in LA hate getting a ticket for going through a red light when a camera snapped them going through it. They say its not fair if there's no officer that saw it. So, maybe not so different than the French! I think they're just upset that they don't have at least a chance to talk the officer out of a ticket - and there's no smooth-talking a camera!
ReplyDeleteVive la France!
ReplyDeleteHigh fives to Kiki's, "Make picnics not wars!" If Bob Dylan were here, he'd agree, too. ;-) Actually, when I first saw the sign I thought I should keep to the outside lane to avoid the loud music blaring from the epi-center (likely European techno!)
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing I hear a lot when people know I drive a scooter in Paris is "be careful you know. It's not you, but the others..."
ReplyDeleteAnd I often wonder why they automatically assume that I am totally faultless and put the blame on others, as if I could not drive too fast or dangerously!
If everyone acted in a manner that was concerned about others before self, this world would be a very different place. In our town, you can always tell when summer has arrived, because the crazy tourist drivers come to town! That sense of selfish thinking that the red stop lights or stop signs don't apply to them is just so annoying!
ReplyDeleteYou changed the title of your post. This one is excellent.
ReplyDeleteWell you have shared wonderful information about Law and disorder. I am so happy to visit this site and learned lot of new ideas and information.
ReplyDelete