"bloody drivers!"

[rippedoffagain]

Originally Posted by kawabusa

I scream up the motorway flashing at reps and lane huggers to get out of the way

If people flash their lights at me to get out of the way, I just gently ease of the throttle and slow down. The way I see it is if someone's main beam is flooding my mirrors, I can't safely switch lanes because I can't see anything but bright light in the mirrors. I can't hold my speed because if I'm being tailgated then I have to apply the 'breaking for two' rule.

But yes, middle lane dwellers tend to do my head in slightly. Ok if there is a junction comeing up with people joining, but as a general rule we should stay left.

The middle lane hogs need to consider what happens if, as has happened to me once right in the middle of an overtaking, they get a sudden total loss of engine power and have to freewheel to the hard shoulder. Tailgaters should also remember that the vehicle in front may choose the least appropriate time to break down. We generally know nothing about the vehicle in front of us, or it's driver, so that alone is reason enough to give them room and not zoom up behind them with the headlights flashing away.

[Laney760]

Originally Posted by rippedoffagain

I think this George Carlin chap was perhaps a bit bad tempered.

Lol, I must be bad tempered then. I tend to shout 'Sunday driver' at dithery indecisive hesitant plodders and 'idiot' at reckless drivers who are driving too fast for road conditions, both these types cause accidents as far as I'm concerned. Fast drivers where road conditions allow don't bother me though

[johnjp]

I had a classic today. Joined the A27 and stayed in inside lane till I was up to speed and began to overtake a few cars and trucks bringing it up to about 75 where the speed limit before a roundabout becomes 50. Could see a `59 S60 coming up behind me and, although I was the only car in outside lane then saw it drop into the middle lane as we came up to traffic lights at the roundabout. By now I had a car, a van, another car and then the S60 to my left, and just me in the outside lane. The lights change and I pull away keeping the flow at about 2500 revs as I get up to speed. I easily get in front of the nearsiders so I pull to the inside lane and then see the S60 coming up behind me in the outside lane. I`m doing 70 odd so I think, must be cops (nearby town is Sussex police HQ), then at over 80 the S60 literally swerves in front of me with no indication and backs off to about 75. We are coming up to another roundabout and I`m gently backing off but the S60 is still hammering it over the rumble strips and suddenly has to brake hard to allow through a car on the roundabout, then, without indicating swerves into the left turn. To cut a long story short I can see the S60 some way ahead take another left and then a right and another left into Tesco`s without indicating at all. By now I am behind it and thinking to say "Nice car but don`t they sell them with indicators". I was parked and in the store before they had. The thing is the person seemed to be a very poor driver, perhaps it was a rental, it was raining/wet etc. There is a tendency by some drivers to think that the car will be all forgiving.
I think they were just plain stoopid, but in a Volvo ffs!!!!

[stevo48]

Unfortunately the make of the car does not always reflect the mentality of the driver. What really frightens me is following a slow moving vehicle for some distance only to see it park up and watch an elderly gent or lady climb out of it barely able to stand without the aid of walking sticks, surely the reflexes and reactions of an elderly motorist are going to be considerably slower than someone twenty years youngerand in good health, it makes me wonder if the compulsory test for elderly drivers should be a lot stricter.

[rippedoffagain]

Originally Posted by stevo48

it makes me wonder if the compulsory test for elderly drivers should be a lot stricter.

Is there a compulsory test for elderly drivers? I thought when you reached 75 or whatever it is, you just have to declare yourself fit to the DVLA by signing a form that says something like "Yes, I'm still fit to drive, I aint dead yet".

[stevo48]

Originally Posted by rippedoffagain

Is there a compulsory test for elderly drivers? I thought when you reached 75 or whatever it is, you just have to declare yourself fit to the DVLA by signing a form that says something like "Yes, I'm still fit to drive, I aint dead yet".

The father of a friend of mine has taken the "test" twice now and passed, they apparently have to take some kind of eye and driving test to see if they are still fit to drive, the old boy asked me to look at his cd player in the car because it wasn't playing cd's, he had missed the cd slot completely and inserted the disc into a gap above the stereo.....................go figure.
Oh and he is 81yrs young.