[DeTomaso] NPC: Paris moto-taxis and near death

[Matt]

Likewise I have experienced Paris once and had a interesting Taxi ride back to the hotel. It was dark and we'd been sampling beers at a pub that had 3 or 4 stories,underground! Cool place filled with local college students kickin' it on the weekend. Anyway we decided to not walk all the way back so we hailed a taxi.
We slide into the back seat and the first thing we see is a Doberman Pincher looking straight into our bloodshot eyes. He plopped his head on the back of the seat and didn't waiver from his appointed guard duty. With that wake up call the driver procedes to haul ass in his little Renault with no seatbelts. We're whipping through the very narrow backstreets at warp speed,why I don't know but it seems they all drive that way.
Pulling my eyes away from the Dobey staredown I notice at every unmarked intersection the guy flipped off his headlamps!

I asked him why he did that and he replied "So I can see traffic coming." 

mmmmmm, methinks this theory is flawed and I ask what if the other guy doesn't have his lights on either?

"Only the taxis do it." he says.

Ok sooooo what if another taxi is coming?

No reply.

Back to the staredown with the nice doggy and I stopped asking questions , nice and quiet even as the drool hit my pants leg.
We survived somehow and proceded to use the Metro the rest of our stay.

Matt
3584

original message-
"Only been to Paris once but I've had the same experience with taxis in 
Naples. The right front seat in those taxi is referred to as the 'Death seat' by 
most sailors. Having consumed a couple of beers in the traditional 
'Survivors Party' upon landing from our transatlantic flight in P-3s, we made a 
large mistake going into town: we hired three taxis and told them, 'the first 
one to the Hotel Norge gets a big tip'. In the downtown areas, they use the 
SIDEWALKS as passing lanes.... slowing to only 35-40 mph for safety, of 
course. Must be a Mediterranian thing- thanks for the memories- J Deryke"