Off topic: The mystery of Ireland's worst driver Thread poster: Rossana Triaca
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From BBC News UK:
Details of how police in the Irish Republic finally caught up with the country's most reckless driver have emerged, the Irish Times reports.
He had been wanted from counties Cork to Cavan after racking up scores of speeding tickets and parking fines.
However, each time the serial offender was stopped he m... See more From BBC News UK:
Details of how police in the Irish Republic finally caught up with the country's most reckless driver have emerged, the Irish Times reports.
He had been wanted from counties Cork to Cavan after racking up scores of speeding tickets and parking fines.
However, each time the serial offender was stopped he managed to evade justice by giving a different address.
But then his cover was blown.
It was discovered that the man every member of the Irish police's rank and file had been looking for - a Mr Prawo Jazdy - wasn't exactly the sort of prized villain whose apprehension leads to an officer winning an award.
In fact he wasn't even human.
"Prawo Jazdy is actually the Polish for driving licence and not the first and surname on the licence," read a letter from June 2007 from an officer working within the Garda's traffic division. (...)
Full article here. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jack Doughty 
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:10
Russian to English
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In memoriam | | Old problem! | Feb 20, 2009 |
Yes, I read the article...very amusing
Here in England many rivers are called the River Avon, Avon being the Welsh word for River, so 'River River'.
There must be examples of this all over the world....!
Interesting to think there have been interpreters and translators for a long time into history- without bulletin boards and the internet....makes you think!
| | | | Giles Watson
Italy
Local time: 07:10
Italian to English
In memoriam
Probably the same bloke who asked why there were so many road signs in Wales to a place called "Canol y Dref".
Giles
[Edited at 2009-02-20 10:44 GMT]
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Stephen Rifkind
Israel
Local time: 08:10
Member (2004)
French to English
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| Confused tourists in Israel | Feb 20, 2009 |
I enjoyed the Polish one a lot.
In Israel, many tourists might get confused by the signs asking for mercy or charity. In Hebrew, the term "sim lev" means "pay attention" but, word by word, means "put" and 'heart". So, the 'pay attention" sign has a big heart on it. Lovely?
| | | | | Put a name on it!!! | Feb 20, 2009 |
After the Seward purchase of Alaska (1867), an office was set up to map and identify the new territory, including the names of existing towns amd settlements.
One settlement was found that did not yet appear to have a name, so a Post-it (or its 19th cenury equivalent) was put on the gigantic wall map, saying "Name it" or "Put a name on it".
However, in those ancient days (like when I went to school) Latin was used for many official purposes. Thus the Post-it was in Latin ("Nome"). <... See more After the Seward purchase of Alaska (1867), an office was set up to map and identify the new territory, including the names of existing towns amd settlements.
One settlement was found that did not yet appear to have a name, so a Post-it (or its 19th cenury equivalent) was put on the gigantic wall map, saying "Name it" or "Put a name on it".
However, in those ancient days (like when I went to school) Latin was used for many official purposes. Thus the Post-it was in Latin ("Nome").
[Edited at 2009-02-20 13:39 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Yeah, and this town called Ausfahrt seems to be all over the place.
| | | | Giles Watson
Italy
Local time: 07:10
Italian to English
In memoriam | Make your minds up | Feb 20, 2009 |
Wolfgang Jörissen wrote: Yeah, and this town called Ausfahrt seems to be all over the place.
Is that the place they call "Ausgang" in Austria?
G.
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Buzzy
Local time: 07:10
French to English
| I had a similar problem with a room booking | Feb 20, 2009 |
As a student I was proud of myself for writing and booking a room for a language course in Italy, but when I arrived they said they didn't have a booking for me.
After a long time I persuaded them to let me see the list, and there was my room - booked in the name of "Kirkstone Drive" (my street)!
I'd written my letter English style, with my address on the top corner of the letter, and someone had taken that for my name. I still had a lot of persuading to do to get the keys, because ... See more As a student I was proud of myself for writing and booking a room for a language course in Italy, but when I arrived they said they didn't have a booking for me.
After a long time I persuaded them to let me see the list, and there was my room - booked in the name of "Kirkstone Drive" (my street)!
I'd written my letter English style, with my address on the top corner of the letter, and someone had taken that for my name. I still had a lot of persuading to do to get the keys, because my passport had no address in it....
And I have always wondered what the Italian person registering the booking thought the "46" before my "name" indicated. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Parrot
Spain
Local time: 07:10
Spanish to English
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(I see it was already mentioned)
[Edited at 2009-02-20 23:26 GMT]
| | | | Andrea Riffo
Chile
Local time: 01:10
English to Spanish
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Jack Doughty wrote:
Reminds me of someone I heard of in Germany who wondered why so many streets were called Einbahnstrasse.
That happened to me my 1st time in Germany (in my defense, all the names were "somewhat-strasse", so it wasn't such a farfetched confusion). Also, while in Barcelona I once told my brother I'd meet him outside a public parking called "LLiure".
Greetings
[Edited at 2009-02-21 06:15 GMT]
| | | | | We Irish pulled the same tricks too ;-) | Feb 21, 2009 |
When I was living in Munich, I heard a story about some Irish students who took full advantage of the U-bahn honour system (Schwarzfahren). They never bothered to buy a ticket, such a waste of valuable beer money!
Inevitably they would get caught and they always gave a fake name like Miley Byrne from Glenroe Co Wicklow, Ireland.
Glenroe, you see, was a popular Irish TV drama.
It would be like an American saying their name was Joey Tribbiani from New York C... See more When I was living in Munich, I heard a story about some Irish students who took full advantage of the U-bahn honour system (Schwarzfahren). They never bothered to buy a ticket, such a waste of valuable beer money!
Inevitably they would get caught and they always gave a fake name like Miley Byrne from Glenroe Co Wicklow, Ireland.
Glenroe, you see, was a popular Irish TV drama.
It would be like an American saying their name was Joey Tribbiani from New York City ▲ Collapse
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| This happened to me once! | Feb 22, 2009 |
Reminds me of someone I heard of in Germany who wondered why so many streets were called Einbahnstrasse.
Durinh one of my first visits to Germany, I wanted to go from the Hotel to the railway station to catch the "S-Bahn" (local train).
When I saw the first signal with the arrow saying "Einbahnstrasse", I of course assumed that that must be the "street" (Strasse) towards the train (Bahn) station....
After following those mysterious arrow signals through several streets (some times in totally opposite directions) I realised that my clever linguistic deduction had to be wrong.
A passer-by pointed me in the right direction in the end.
Daniel
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