In 1984, a German reporter in Paris shared some unconventional knowledge for crossing the busy Place de la Concorde - "Walk steadily across & never look at the drivers. If you do, they'll think you've seen them and won't stop."

so basically just ignore them and hope they don’t hit you lol

More or less

Same in Egypt. It felt like Indiana Jones's leap of faith.

They used 25 reporters for the clip

that’s mental.

I wouldn’t do it now. There are no more Europeans in that city.

same in Vietnam. sea of scooters. trick was to just start walking and keep walking. if you paused, you'd cause a massive wreck. if you keep going, the flow would work around you.

He later became a news anchor in Germany, this was when he was correspondet in Paris. His name is Ulrich Wickert.

Ulrich Wickert Masterclass

Driving in Paris a couple years ago, I realized the driving imperative is: be predictable. Going around the Arc de Triumph, 6 unmarked lanes, 12 exits, jammed traffic going every way … just don’t surprise anyone and go wherever you want.

I wonder how many of those drivers were texting on their cell phones.

Bit like the Colosseum in Rome.

Wow basically just ignore them and hope they don't hit you LoL....😆

That’s Ulrich Wickert, one of the best journalists here and a great novelist to boot. He was a foreign news correspondent for many years before becoming a news anchor. He’s a legend. PS: he’s right about the “trick”. Works in Italy, too

That's how you cross the road in Viet Nam.

Of course. Years ago I discovered this. Helped if you dangle a cigarette in your lips. None of which I’d do today, of course.

Don't try this with today's imported drivers.

A ridiculous idea with modern cars, you are depending on people seeing you from the side/corner of the windscreen and nowadays many cars have rather wide A-pillars obscuring a large part of the road close to the front side of the car.

This is Ulrich Wickert, ein sehr bekannter Nachrichtensprecher, Journalist und Autor in Deutschland, mittlerweile in Rente.

I lived in London 15 yrs ago and a local colleague gave me same advice for crossing any street. By law they had to stop and if don’t face stiff penalties. Don’t wait to get in intersection. Just go and don’t look back

Yes, more or less. I did the same thing at Place Charles de Gaulle in 1974 to visit l'Arc de Triomphe. Then I found out there's an underground passage 😂

Reminds me of that great scene from Bowfinger where they convince Eddie Murphy's simple character that walking across a busy motorway was safe because they were 'stunt drivers'.

Remember this one from when it came out . He also said that driving in Paris was one of the last adventures , thrilling and dangerous , still to be had in Europe .

Exactly how you do it in Vietnam. I'm guessing the French taught them, or the other way around.

Ulrich Wickert. He's still with us.

I lived in Ho Chi Minh City for a while, back in 2009, and soon learned that that is the ONLY SAFE WAY to cross the downtown streets.

Don’t know if it’s the same now but it was 20 years ago, anywhere at a crossing in Paris, step out and they’d miraculously stop. Scared me half to death the first time my ex-girlfriend who lived there did it. Prague was the opposite, I’m sure they aimed for pedestrians!

A friend of mine and I crossed the roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe. Once.

Only "works" if the oncoming traffic's drivers value human life, and or aren't distracted on their cell phones lol. Also, goes "wrong" 1nce and in general, no more "sporting activities" for the rest of your life. I think I'd just wait for the signal lol.

#UlrichWickert oldschool german journalist.

In Cairo, find an old lady who is crossing a busy street, and cross with her. Drivers magically stop.

Cutest thing I have ever seen in Tokyo: Tokyo subway staff pushes young woman in a wheelchair. Flags down cab. Cab stops, opens trunk, opens door. Staff puts her in the back seat, folds the wheelchair, puts it in trunk. Waits for door to close. Bows when cab leaves. Normal.

@Grok please translate Ulrich Wickert into English

Vorsprung durch Technik

Did he ever visit south Asia???