It's fascinating to me the way they drive -- it's really a reckless art form. The other day I was walking to the library and spotted a driver who was actively reading a newspaper. The paper was sprawled across the steering wheel and he was turning pages while careening down the street. Somehow, it wasn't a surprise to me.

My favorite of their quirks is they way they parallel park themselves into itty-bitty spots that, as far as I can see, are impossible to get out of. I watch but still don't understand how they finagle themselves into these spaces, leaving just centimeters -- if that -- between themselves and the two cars they're sandwiched between.

As Karlene was saying, pedestrians in Scotland don't have the right of way. The same applies in France. The first time I stepped up to a crosswalk, I was confused because the drivers kept racing by. The reality is that you're in their lane, just an obstruction in their way. They don't even yield for emergency vehicles. In the bustling streets at Châtelet, I watched as an ambulance — lights flashing and siren wailing — struggled to make its way through an intersection. I was disappointed with the drivers who refused to even slow down.

Nearly every taxicab I see is a Mercedes Benz, as was the case when I visited Dublin last January. My favorite French vehicles are the little green garbage trucks. I've seen a few station wagons and sport-utility vehicles, but the majority of cars here are small because they're the most functional in city streets. Peugeot is a very popular make, as is VW (especially Golfs) and Mini (Coopers). The most popular are Smart cars which are so tiny there's only space for 2 passengers and a baguette.