 | Paris Driving & Drivers Reviews | 1 - 10 of 58 |  |
 by JLBG
A special thank to Jeff (VT Seabiscuit) who wrote the following note on the history of the wheel clamp.
The Denver Boot was invented in 1953 by a gentleman by the name of Frank Marugg. Besides being an inventor, he was a musician with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, and a pattern maker. He was a friend to many politicians and police department officials in Denver.
The Denver Sheriff's Department came to him to ask for help with their parking enforcement problem. Frank and the Sheriff decided to build a device to immobilize vehicles whose owners didn’t pay their outstanding parking tickets. He invented and patented the Denver Boot.
Frank was quite a guy, he could build almost anything, he even made his own violin, which he played for the Denver Symphony. The Denver Boot was only one of his brilliant inventions. (Ed. Note: And one of his worst).
Jeff- Leave a Comment
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Visiting Paris?
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The Parisiens drive like lunatics. I have been close to being run over on several occasions in Paris (not all of them my fault, although I probably deserved to be when I ran across the roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe, but that's another story...)
I swear that the average Parisien driver would rather hit a pedestrian than to lose the top surface off of his (or her!) brake pads, by having to brake at all.
Be very careful crossing roads, and be aware that the Parisiens drive very fast (Princess Diana was of course a famous casualty of the roads in Paris). Leave a Comment
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 Place Charles de Gaulle by Helga67
French drivers can be very rude, drive too fast and don't pay attention to pedestrians.
Thank God, there is an underground passageway to Arc de Triomphe ;-) Leave a Comment
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 The Black Prince by sourbugger
Watch out for any nutters trying to better his record. Leave a Comment
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 I though you said fourth
left...oh sh... by sourbugger
Even on quite small roundabouts these days in the UK, the local council ensures that it is festooned with white lines, traffic lights and directional signs. They will also probably add a bloody silly lamp or sculpture to it and a crummy little sign informing you it is cared for by the local firm of solicitors - oh yeah, like they come out and weed it during their lunchbreak in their suits.
But not in Paris : Around the Arc de Triomphe you will find no white lines, apart from the ones that most of the drivers must have sucked up through their noses before attempting to navigate the place.
Avoid at all costs, but if you end up here by accident (and you probably will) then :
1. Keep an even speed
2. Don't other indicating - no one will notice, or care
3. Never make eye contact with other drivers
4. Feel free to cut across several cars when you find your exit
5. Beware of local schoolchildren playing 'chicken'
6. Try to forget the excess charges on your hire car.
7. Learn a few choice words of French to use to advise other road users
8. Never leave a space - anywhere
9. Remember it's worse in the rain
10. Learn to pray - And may your God go with you.
Bill Bryson explained it this way :
"Ch. 4, p. 47-8 - I know Baron Haussmann made Paris a grand place to look at, but the man had no concept of traffic flow. At the Arc de Triomphe alone thirteen roads come together. Can you imagine that? I mean to say, here you have a city with the world's most pathologically aggressive drivers - drivers who in other circumstances would be given injections of thorazine from syringes the size of bicycle pumps and confined to their beds with leather straps - and you give them an open space where they can all try to go in any of thirteen directions at once. Is that asking for trouble or what?" Leave a Comment
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I can remember, years ago, watching in disbelief at a Parisien driver approaching his parked car, finding they was about three millimeters clearance on one side and a gnat's whiskers on the other : he scratched his head.
He then repeatedly rammed his crappy Renault backwards and fowards until he had bumped the adjoining cars enough for him to get out of his predicament.
The moral of the story ?
If you have a hire car then, if possible, always put it in a car park rather than using on-street parking - it may save you a small fortune in fines impossed by the hire company for damages accrued under your hire period. Leave a Comment
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The French TV announced the sixth fatal accident in Paris of a user of Velib bicycle self-service since its launching on July 15th, 2007.
They did not mention the number of deadly accidents implying cyclists using their own bicycle.
Any person having visited Paris will have noted that the traffic is particularly dense and often risky. Cohabitation between cyclists, busses, taxis, heavy trucks and vehicles of delivery is particularly dangerous because these vehicles are generally authorized to drive on the same lanes as the bicycles!
These accidents with Velib users were almost all due to a truck or bus turning right without having seen the cyclist on their side; the traditional problem of “the dead angle”.
If you are a tourist in Paris and want to drive a bicycle be particularly careful. This city does not have the infrastructures reserved exclusively to the cyclists such as in Amsterdam for example.
Best is to choose for your cycling days of less traffic like Sundays or the periods of holidays like August.
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 Remember 31Aug97 by morgane1692Leave a Comment
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I think they should create a video game in which you rent a scooter and try to get around Paris while dodging bad drivers, tourists standing in the middle of the street taking photos of Arc de Triomphe, and the occasional French poodle that snaps off of its leash and chases Vespas.
2006 update: The Arch of Triumph is still a fun place to just hang out and marvel at the amazing traffic whirlpool that has made Paris notorious for mishaps. I actually thought about renting a car just to drive in circles around the Arch. On my second trip I witnessed another traffic accident just west of the China embassy involving a local taxi and an old man from the suburb of Meudon. How do I know he is from Meudon? He gave me his address and asked me to send him the photo I took with my digital camera! (See second photo.) Leave a Comment Phone: Dial "15" for emergencies
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 'Top gear' in France by sourbugger
With the use of a few broken bits of pallet, and careful inching foward the Zonda and the Ford eventually made it onto the street after causeing a massive back up of bemused Parisien drivers. The Ferrari made it out - just, with a clearance equilvalent to a gnat's backside.
Don't drive a supercar in Paris - if you want to get it out in one piece. Leave a Comment
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- Premiere Classe Villepinte Parc Des Expositions
53 Avenue des Nations ZAC Paris Nord II-BP 65085, Paris - Tamaris Hotel
14 Rue des Maraichers, Paris - Hotel Elysees Mermoz
30 Rue Jean Mermoz 08 Arr., Paris - Hotel Louvre Marsollier Opera Paris
13, rue Marsollier 2nd Arr., Paris - Best Western Etoile Saint Honore
214 rue du Faubourg Saint Honore 8th Arr., Paris - Alba Opera
34 ter, rue de La Tour d'Auvergne 9th Arr., Paris - Hotel Lenox
9 rue de l'universite 7th Arr., Paris - Pullman Paris Arche Defense
11 Avenue de l'Arche Formerly Sofitel La Defense Grande Arche, Paris - Best Western France Europe Marais
112 Boulevard de Sebastopol 3rd Arr., Paris - Hotel Londres Anvers
133 Boulevard de Magenta, Paris - RELAIS SAINT SULPICE
3, rue Garanciere, Paris - Hotel Cluny Sorbonne
8, rue Victor Cousin 05 Arr., Paris - Hotel Costes K
81 Avenue Kleber 16 Arr., Paris - Hotel Du Pre
10 Rue Pierre Semard 9th Arr., Paris - Le Relais Saint-Germain Paris
9, Carrefour de l'Odéon, Paris
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