Back in Madrid… & Spanish Men in BMW’s
by Ben Curtis
click to enlarge
We just got back to the capital after spending 10 days in the Sierra to the north of the city. We got a lot of work done, saw almost no-one, and breathed a lot of fresh air. It was wonderful. As we drove into Madrid Marina asked me how it felt to be back. Not too bad. She dropped me off at the door to our building with all our bags, and then headed off to park in the underground car park around the corner. When she finally got upstairs she looked distinctly unhappy to be back in Madrid.
Apparently, as she turned onto the ramp down into the basement car park, another car was on its way up. So, she stopped, and began to reverse back out onto the street to let him up. Unfortunately another car was now coming down the road towards Marina, and stopped so close that she couldn’t reverse out enough to let the car coming up the ramp out. She turned and looked at the guy behind, a 50-something man in a BMW, and he crossed his arms in defiance and shook his head, making it clear he would not move, even though he had no cars behind him.
Marina got out, went up to his car, and asked if he would please move back so she could in turn reverse further and let the other guy out. He said no, he would not reverse (we’re talking 2 metres!), that she would have to go forward, drive round the block, and come back instead (which would take about 3 minutes!) At this point the famous Spanish caracter came into play, and Marina gave him a piece of her mind. He promptly reversed the 2 metres, allowing Marina to do the same and let the other guy up, who, of course, drove off without a word of thanks.
Another fine example of why Spanish women have had to learn to take no s*#t! (…and how a lot of people in big cities, or big cars, are complete w*#+!rs …)
Posted: September 19th, 2007 under Spanish Culture and News.
Comments: 9
Comments
Comment from Jon Hundt
Time: September 19, 2007, 7:47 pm
this is so common in Holland. The Dutch have to take so many lessons and learn so many rules… it costs thousands of Euros and hundreds of hours to finally ‘buy’ your license from the government. But by now you KNOW the rules and you will not back down for anyone. I see it every day.
The other day I watched a guy (in a BMW) honk his horn furiously at a woman who was stopped in an intersection talking on her mobil phone. He blared at her several times, until he finally decided to drive around her car - which he could do easily - and roll down his electric window and shout curses at her for blocking his way… which she wasn’t blocking anyway, since he drove around her with no difficulty.
It all made me long for California. There anyone can get a license, the test is SO easy. But no one believes that he knows all the rules and all the answers either. You get in the car to go somewhere, and the idea is to get there safely, alive, and maybe even relaxed. Since you know the other drivers are no better or better-educated than yourself, you watch out for them and they watch out for you. And you all watch out for pedestrians because, no matter what they do, they have the right-of-way.
Of course that may have all changed in the last 8 years since I left…
Comment from Palmer
Time: September 19, 2007, 10:19 pm
Here in Atlanta, there are nice, polite and accommodating drivers and then there are the “w#&*#!&”s who are like the one Marina encountered. It depends, too, on what area of the USA in which one is driving and whether or not is in an urban or rural area. While we’re on the subject, I am intensely annoyed by those whose cell phone chats take more importance than their driving. Aaargghh!
Marina, I wish I had the chutzpah to be able to address those kinds of situations as do you.
Comment from BrianA
Time: September 20, 2007, 12:10 pm
I bet the tree house kids turn into property developers 
Comment from Margot
Time: September 20, 2007, 4:42 pm
Yea…. you go girl! Right on.
By the way Jon Hundt…best NEVER return to California….how sadly disillusioned (if not totally horrified) you will be….
Comment from Carl
Time: September 20, 2007, 4:59 pm
I think Jon has an interesting observation. Since getting a license (and car) is almost a "bigshot†move in Madrid, the drivers there sometimes seem to have a distinct superior attitude. In Los Angeles, everyone is a driver. You start driving at 15-1/2 years old and it is no big deal. It always struck me odd how some drivers in Spain thought their driver’s license set them apart from the masses - like it was a permit to fly 747’s or something.
Comment from Alberto
Time: September 20, 2007, 10:41 pm
Thanks a lot. Now I understand better my wife (she’s spanish, I’m not).
Comment from BrianA
Time: September 21, 2007, 11:31 am
@Alberto - Nobel prizes have been awarded for less
Comment from ValenciaSon
Time: September 26, 2007, 6:17 pm
Ben, it sounds like you need a BMW motorcycle to negotiate the Madrid traffic.
Comment from Ben
Time: September 27, 2007, 11:20 am
I’d need a serious bank loan first!!!
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