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Sicilian Suspension Bridge to Go Ahead
SpanningTheGap writes "According to the BBC, Italy plans on building a suspension bridge connecting the Italian mainland with the island of Sicily. The bridge will be five kilometers long and its central span will be over three kilometers long, easily breaking the old record length for a suspension bridge. The artist's conception image of the monster is a sight to see. Another article with more info can be found here." There's a website with assorted technical info about the design.
I live in Canada and every time I go to the USA I am shocked at the driving. This is mainly in New York and Michigan states. I see more stomach-churning driving there in a day than I do in a decade in Canada. This is not exaggeration. And the rudeness ... oh the rudeness of those drivers. It makes my blood boil.
One thing I noticed about American roads (I am from Canada) is that the police enforcement of speed limits is much more thorough than North of the border. Does it span a similar spectrum as the driving skill? Typically on Canadian highways that I have driven on you drive 20-40% above the speed limit as a rule. Once you get 60% above it the cops might come after you if you happen to pass one (which is atypical, except on holiday weekends when they are out in force.)
Also the laws in some US states (NY) that double traffic fines in construction zones, are IMHO, a good idea and I have never seen such things in Canada.
Most every country as its share of bad drivers, I think. I have heard of some true madness from driving test examiners (in Canada) about old ladies who literally drove down the wrong side of the driveway but I have never seen such a spectacle.
Perhaps it is that both the USA and Canada have very well developed road systems that were designed for big cars. The roads are wide, smooth, well marked with lines, barriers, traffic lights, crosswalks, and well patrolled by cops. All of these measures lower the threshold for driving skills and thus stupider and stupider drivers can make forays onto the streets.
If you look at a country like Trinidad (where I vacationed once) you have to drive along narrow mountain passes at night and honk your horn as you are coming around blind corners so you don't bump into a car going the other way since the road is only 1.5 lanes wide and sometimes chunks of it crumble and fall into the sea or get blocked by falling debris from the cliffside. The driving skill threshold is much higher there and probably is similarly high in Europe because of the small congested streets that were not really designed for cars. In those cases it is about natural selection because the stupidest drivers will get into accidents and kill themselves or at least drive their car repair and insurance costs so high that they can't afford it.
It is controvesial because of the cost. The cost of the Chunnel was justifiable because it connects countries. It is less clear if $4.5 billion is justifiable to connect a small island to Italy.
Lies about crimes
Uh, loro hanno uciso quell assitente dalla ministero delle economia.
In ogni caso gli italiani guidano come pazzi, e sei non meritavono un patente, non è difficile da comprare..:)
Se voi vedere un casino, prova Napoli dopo la nove dalla sera. Rosso, verde, no hai importanza, solo non ferma!
Damn my written italian is ugly.. sorry.
He tried to kill me with a forklift!