Jay wrote after Denys :

> On Wed, Nov 03, 2004 at 09:03:05AM -0600, Denys Beauchemin wrote:
> > But I think the biggest difference between Europe and North America,
is
> > the distance.  Europeans have no concept.

This can be construed as highly offensive for some Europeans. I feel
offended by such a statement. Europeans are supposed to know that the 48
contiguous States stretch over 4 time zones, with a 5-hour plane stretch
from coast to coast, and Alaska and Hawaii in yet other time zones. It's
roughly the same distance from Paris to NYC (OK, a little less) and NYC
to LA, and roughly the same distance again from LA to Honolulu, Hawai.

A stretch like NYC to Washington is about the same than Paris, France to
Frankfurt, Germany. Yet it is barely visible on a full US road map
(source : Rand McNally Road Atlas, '94 issue).

Last time I considered spending my summer vacation in the US, I wanted
to do a coast-to-coast car journey, spending a few days here and there
on the way. It was a 5-week plan, if I wanted to pay a decent visit at
most places of interest along the way.

My point : after having been in contact with you and your country, we
are supposed to know it a little, and yes, we have a concept of what
distances mean.

> Texas, a single state, is bigger than France and Germany combined.

And Alaska is 3 times the size of France and 2% of its population.

And California's size is 85% the size of France, its population about
70%, and its GDP about the same. And so forth.

Another measure to grasp the concept of size and distance of the USA
would be the population density. The 48 contiguous states have 36
inhabitants per sq km (92 per sq. mi). As a comparison, the relatively
sparsely populated France has a density of 105 inhabitants per sq. km,
Germany 288 and the Netherlands 410. No wonder you have to drive such a
long distance to find someone else.

> This is why I simply ignore Europeans' snide remarks about my SUV with
the
> 3-liter engine and 20 MPG fuel economy (11.76 l/100 km). They don't
> understand that conditions are fundamentally different.

Well ... SUVs ... this should be a no-brainer .... Can you guess which
part of France has the highest sales of SUVs ? Hauts-de-Seine, which is
basically the Western suburb of Paris. Totally urbanized, with not a
single off-road trail in sight, and a population density of about 2,500
inhabitants per sq. km.

In other words, the French can't blame the Americans for using SUVs, for
we're using them too. Besides, the Government is a tacit accomplice ....
They collect an 19.6% VAT on SUVs, as well as on other cars. With SUVs
tending to be about twice the size and price of a compact car, they
won't forgo the tax money.

> > In a post-9/11 world, who wants to go through the humiliation at the
> > airports to fly from Houston to Dallas?

No problem. What you call "humiliation" (basically, showing an id with a
photo) has been standard in Europe since the mid-70s, even for domestic
flights. And yes, I've been in the States before and after 9/11.

> In the 3-hour drive from
> > Houston to Dallas, one would have gone through 12.3 countries in
Europe
> > and still not have found anywhere to park.

That's if you shun public parking places. They are very common in Paris,
Frankfurt and most major cities I've been too. Of course, if you mean
parking along the curb, they that's clearly an uphill struggle ! BTW,
this is one of the few decent features of driving in Europe : you always
find a place to park. Always.

> Not me. I drive for any trip that will take 8 hours or less, now, and
some
> that will take longer (for example, where a significant drive is
needed at
> either end).

Makes sense. I'd probably do roughly the same. In fact, having a company
car, it even makes economic sense to do so. 

Christian

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