Thursday 4 February 2010

A Rant.

I don't know if it is just me, getting older, but when I went to work yesterday, in the late afternoon, I found I was constantly amazed at the lack of consideration and pure bad manners demonstrated by other drivers.  What passes as a main road from our village to the proper main road, all 7 miles of it, had not been cleared or gritted after the most recent snowfall, and was only open due to the traffic flow.  As a result, the surface is slippery like polished marble, and bumpy and uneven, like a rough cart track.  My old van can't cope with being thrashed up and down over a surface like this, so I was toddling along at about 30mph, wincing each time the exhaust got bashed and listening to the rattle of the CV joints or whatever it is that rattles over bumps, and letting people behind me go past because they obviously don't mind wreaking their cars.  Oh, forgot to mention that the road has gone from being wide enough for two cars to pass easily, down to a one and a half car width.  The last thing I need is an idiot, flying around a bend towards me, the car literally leaving the road after impact with the bumps, and the driver most obviously out of control.  Had I not climbed up the wall of snow on the verge and nearly got stuck, I would have had lost more than a wing mirror.  There's no need for driving like that.  Ok, he might have been in a hurry, but I could see him, I had my lights on as the daylight was failing, and he couldn't be bothered to slow down carefully, and in enough time to allow us to pass in relative safety.  Then, when I got down on to the main Aberdeen road, the temperature was below freezing, the road again was less wide than usual, and on each carriageway, there was a ridge of snow and ice in the middle.  I was in a nice line of traffic, travelling steadily and carefully, and I had to be the lucky one who had the numpty driver behind me, weaving around with his lights in my mirrors, trying to make me go faster.  Well I'm sorry, if you can go faster in these conditions, feel free to overtake me, but don't expect me to pick you out of the ditch.

I'm sad to say this doesn't only apply to car drivers.  When I met up with a local modern bike group a while ago, to attend a MAG demonstration, I was overtaken on a blind bend by about 4 sports bikers, in a 30mph limit.  Needless to say, I was boring and doing 30mph.  Is there someting wrong with me?

By the way, had another few VERY GOOD pictures in for the photo comp, so come on, you've still got time, take your camera with you next time you go out and get snapping.  Just to reiterate, it doesn't matter if there isn't any snow, a bright sunny winters day picture with some sort of travel or transport related thing in it, is just as good as one with a blizzard.  And if you're not in the UK, and it isn't technically winter in your part of the world, that's ok too, because it's winter here, and I make the rules!

19 comments:

sfb said...

Quite agree there are too many rude drivers. I think a lot of so-called Road Rage is often down to the downright bad manners on the part of so many other drivers (and bikes too).
A few years ago in North Wales, I was overtaking a car on my W650, Jon was following on his Triumph Legend and several idiots on sportsbikes/streetfighters (with stick-on mohicans on their helmets) came tearing past us. As we pulled in, their "stragglers" were still passing us, heading into oncoming traffic. And yet North Wales police get bad press for trying to clamp down on speeding bikers!

Gorgeous Biker Chick said...

Phew, it's not just me then. Do they think it's impressive or summat?

Shorty said...

Yes, it probably is the fact that your getting older and more grumpy,but I was watching a prog on telly last night and thought of you. (Grumpy Old Women )
However I agree that there ar some idiot's out there in Cars and on Bikes but I just refuse to move for them then watch the panic on their faces as they Look for a gap.

kawa said...

Shorty did you say more grumpy, is that possible?

Got to say I get really p***ed off with the amount of inconsiderate moronic drivers (?) on the roads and it seems to be getting worse down here in the busy bit. Was going to say it would be nice to be out in the sticks, but dosen't seem to be much better.
and Shorty not a word about bikes filtering ;-)

kawa

Anonymous said...

I agree too, there are too many people out there who don't seem to take into account road conditions or the safety of either themselves or other road users. Whatever happened to common sense, courtesy and good manners?

Stuart :-(

Mrs. B.C. said...

I do believe we've got concensus, 'cause I agree with everybody! Well, that's gotta be a first, but it's a pretty good sign don't you think, that we've got a decent buch of people on the blog.

Anonymous said...

This morn in Sacramento while driving to work and thinking evil thoughts about bad drivers...utter morons speeding, weaving, dangerous lane changes...it seems to be everywhere...like they say kids..."there is no re-set button on the game of life" ...Hairy Larry

Bodger said...

It's not just here as the San Antonio, or perhaps Texas as a whole, has a high percentage of idiot drivers. Both two and four wheeled varities.

And it gets worse when it rains when they seem to go even faster for some reason.

Prats!

Lindsay said...

"A rant" making up for lost time.

Right back at you BC. The Flip side.

I usually find that the people that get the most upset about other drivers / riders on the roads are ones that are causing the biggest tail backs and or hold ups, those who can't drive or ride and judge everybody by their own poor standards, they think that their judgement is correct and everybody else is wrong. If I can't do it / make it safely at that speed then they can't do it safely either, or how about the bloody minded hat wearing Sunday driver that thinks it's OK to travel at 30 mph on a bonny sunny Sunday afternoon with a five mile tail back behind him or her on a main road or those that leave insufficient space to the vehicle in front to allow for safe braking, let alone allow someone to safely overtake. (three caravans in a row with the tow cars right up to the bumper of the caravan in front) I have as much right to use the road as anybody else has. Perhaps more because I road tax seven bikes and cars - (only joking before the holier than thou brigade come out with guns blazing).

Your opinion is relative to your position and the current situation as is mine and both can be right, but completely opposite. However you do not have the right to dither around and hold up progress, (that is called obstruction, and just as bad as speeding, if not worse because it causes frustration in other drivers and is ultimately the root cause of many an accident. I don't say fault as in insurance assigned. I mean root cause, the one that God looks at) pull over and let the guy behind you passed.

The Numpty in front might not be in a hurry but he / she travelling behind might well be in a very big hurry, legitimate or not. It is not your place or mine to decide for them, be courteous, pull over at the earliest opportunity and wave people by. It gets them off your tail and lets you feel good about helping somebody, (quite possibly through the fence round the next corner, but that's their problem not yours.) ;)

Izz,

PS, I don't know about the North Wales Police, but them from Mid Wales "Powis" (sp) could teach the SS a few new tricks.

John said...

Saw an article this week that said 1 in 3 young men drivers will be involved in a fatal accident before they are 25 ......

That got me thinking ......again, cos it was never that high 20 years ago.

The speed, the impatience, the rudeness, the hurry ........ well its all the fault of the tyre manufacturers .....lol

You see, car or bike, 20 years ago, tyres were rubbish and had a mind of their own. Going around corners at 25 mph resulted in loads of noise and smoke and an almost certain meeting with a dry stone wall .... all things that tended to restrain your driving style.

With the restraints gone .... well you know the rest

Mrs. B.C. said...

O.K., so I spoke too soon!

Anonymous said...

Latest score:- 9-1, We are still winning Mrs B.C!

Stuart

Gorgeous Biker Chick said...

So this is what I have to do to get you all talking! I forgot to mention another thing that really annoys me is people not bothering to indicate when they intend to leave a roundabout...or not dipping their lights...

Anonymous said...

What we need is more female riders as they do fewer crazy testosterone fuelled antics and give motorcycling a better image with the general public who know little about bikes.

Also - tinted glass in cars should be banned, fullstop. No justification for it whatsoever. And it makes eye contact and the reassurance that the car is not going to pull out in front of the rider unnecessarily difficult.

I'd better stop there ... ;o)

Graham B

Mrs. B.C. said...

And, People blowing their noses while they're not driving, just sitting in traffic, out of gear with the hand brake on. Now that really is bad driving. Course, you'd have to be a copper with nothing to do and a big chip to notice!

Shorty said...

I read in the paper that the same copper who booked the guy for blowing his nose whilst stationary also booked a guy who dropped a ten pound note for littering!!!!!!!

Mrs. B.C. said...

He's being paid too much, shorty!

Anonymous said...

I had heard about that too! Sounds like that nick has coppers with way to much time on their hands. Shouldn't they be out catching criminals and such???

Tim

UN said...

Also, now we've had some bad weather, watch out for drivers that will leave their rear fog lights on until April!

U N

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