Covering ground quickly

[MC Bodge]

FiF said:

He would almost always get there before me but usually not much in it, e.g. he would be walking in from the car park to office entrance as I'd come in through the gates.

So you almost always lost then?

[FiF]

MC Bodge said:

FiF said:

He would almost always get there before me but usually not much in it, e.g. he would be walking in from the car park to office entrance as I'd come in through the gates.

So you almost always lost then?

Well yes, not that it was a competition.

Surely the point is that all the extra charging along over permitted llimits didn't really make up any significant amount of time but gave increased exposure to points, stress etc.

[SK425]

FiF said:

Surely the point is that all the extra charging along over permitted llimits didn't really make up any significant amount of time but gave increased exposure to points, stress etc.

Increased exposure to points maybe, but stress? A lot of the time it's painfully tedious sticking speed limits. Perhaps your colleague found the journey more pleasant and enjoyable by freeing himself of that constraint.

[FiF]

SK425 said:

FiF said:

Surely the point is that all the extra charging along over permitted llimits didn't really make up any significant amount of time but gave increased exposure to points, stress etc.

Increased exposure to points maybe, but stress? A lot of the time it's painfully tedious sticking speed limits. Perhaps your colleague found the journey more pleasant and enjoyable by freeing himself of that constraint.

Well we'll have to disagree on that.

[MC Bodge]

FiF said:

Well yes, not that it was a competition.

Surely the point is that all the extra charging along over permitted llimits didn't really make up any significant amount of time but gave increased exposure to points, stress etc.

It may be a case of diminishing returns in your opinion, but driving faster did appear to be quicker. Given clear roads the advantage would, of course, be greater. It can be quite enjoyable at times, too.

[FiF]

MC Bodge said:

It may be a case of diminishing returns in your opinion, but driving faster did appear to be quicker. Given clear roads the advantage would, of course, be greater. It can be quite enjoyable at times, too.

Stop being pedantic. Where did I say that it wasn't quicker?

Given clear roads driving 10 mph quicker would mean that over 90 minutes should be 15 miles ahead. But never ever was, let's say two minutes at best.

Don't understand why you're having difficulty understanding this unless on a wind-up.

Let's be clear this was a journey with the first half mile and the last 5 miles was on urban/suburban 30 limit. Appropriate 30 limit. The rest was on NSL trunk DC/Motorway with a very short stretch of NSL SC.

Someone finds sticking to the limit seriously tedious. Another suggests continuous over the limit on such roads as enjoyable motoring.

Driving rapidly and doing it well is enjoyable, but seriously there's a time and place, and on these roads to save two minutes imvho isn't worthwhile. You of course clearly disagree which is your right.

Goes off to check which subforum this is.

[MC Bodge]

FiF said:

Goes off to check which subforum this is.

Well, as I'm sitting here in a club tie and blazer and feeling a strong sense of moral superiority, am I not in the right place?

[SK425]

FiF said:

SK425 said:

FiF said:

Surely the point is that all the extra charging along over permitted llimits didn't really make up any significant amount of time but gave increased exposure to points, stress etc.

Increased exposure to points maybe, but stress? A lot of the time it's painfully tedious sticking speed limits. Perhaps your colleague found the journey more pleasant and enjoyable by freeing himself of that constraint.

Well we'll have to disagree on that.

On what? I was just questioning your apparent suggestion that, on a journey that takes in (amongst other things) NSL SC, NSL DC and motorway, being willing to sometimes reach 80mph necessarily increases exposure to stress. Of course it increases exposure to points.

[FiF]

SK425 said:

FiF said:

SK425 said:

FiF said:

Surely the point is that all the extra charging along over permitted llimits didn't really make up any significant amount of time but gave increased exposure to points, stress etc.

Increased exposure to points maybe, but stress? A lot of the time it's painfully tedious sticking speed limits. Perhaps your colleague found the journey more pleasant and enjoyable by freeing himself of that constraint.

Well we'll have to disagree on that.

On what? I was just questioning your apparent suggestion that, on a journey that takes in (amongst other things) NSL SC, NSL DC and motorway, being willing to sometimes reach 80mph necessarily increases exposure to stress. Of course it increases exposure to points.

Well I was mostly disagreeing that sticking to the limits on the journey as described, mainly NSL DC and motorway with a short bit of appropriate urban 30, is painfully tedious.

Furthermore if a driver is already on 6-9 points, which this guy was, then the possible acquisition of more points should create stress. If not then clearly a bit stupid. Maybe you disagree on that too.

[SK425]

FiF said:

Well I was mostly disagreeing that sticking to the limits on the journey as described, mainly NSL DC and motorway with a short bit of appropriate urban 30, is painfully tedious.

Oh, I see - although you mentioned NSL SC originally too. But yes, how frustrating one finds a speed limit is obviously a matter of opinion. I was just offering one possible reason why choosing not to always adhere to the limits might, for some people, make driving more pleasant and less stressful. Whether that reason is applicable to your colleague I don't know.

[MC Bodge]

FiF said:

Well I was mostly disagreeing that sticking to the limits on the journey as described, mainly NSL DC and motorway with a short bit of appropriate urban 30, is painfully tedious.

Furthermore if a driver is already on 6-9 points, which this guy was, then the possible acquisition of more points should create stress. If not then clearly a bit stupid. Maybe you disagree on that too.

You are becoming more and more specific. I think the other people were commenting generally.
Anyway, I'm even boring myself by responding.

[FiF]

More specific? I'd already mentioned that this guy had the points due to being consistently more than 10 mph over the limit wherever possible. What little new information introduced is because you seem determined not to get it. Finally if you're so bored, there's one solution and that is to be on your way.

[monthefish]

theboss said:

SVS said:

theboss said:

And yes, I get flashed, all the time.

I don't understand why you get flashed all the time How do you approach an overtake?

I'm in the same habit as you, but strive to make each overtake as unobtrusive as possible (because of third party perception).

Many people of a certain mindset simply don't like being overtaken - its as simple as that - and a certain proportion react without fail. I'm generally careful and considerate in my approach but 'unobtrusive' is obviously a rather subjective measure and I certainly don't care about trying to conform to everyone's sense of approval - otherwise I'd just resign to sitting behind them rather than trying to ungraciously 'jump the queue'.

I do try to remind myself of third party perception and realise its significance - so you raise a good point there.

If I get flashed more than it seems I 'should' on average, I'd wager it has something to do with local demographics in my area (lots of old / retired / generally slow paced) as I get flashed more within 20 miles of my house than anywhere else in the country - and I do travel a lot. I also know the roads well so there may be a perception I'm overtaking dangerously if I'm using a stretch of road which I know to be safe but that which others may consider marginal. Some people just seem to go mad whatever the circumstances. I passed someone sat in the middle lane of the A1M near York a few nights away, completely clean, no flashing or objection to them being sat in the middle lane on an empty carriageway, I just moved well in advance from L1 --> L3 and they went absolutely berserk on the headlights as I passed. I was cruising at a fast but not licence losing pace, and I'd estimate they were doing 55-60, so there was some differential. I can't think of anything I did to warrant the reaction.

Have you really never observed this phenomenon?

Edited by theboss on Friday 3rd April 23:52

Most PH'ers have.

Poll from a few years ago.

[Technomad]

monthefish said:

Most PH'ers have.

Poll from a few years ago.

Our local main roads suffer from being all of a) fantastic driving/biking roads a) main arterial routes for logging trucks and supply lorries heading to and from the Isles and c) principal tourist routes through The Highlands. So we have a very mixed driver and vehicle demographic with massively varying levels of competence, intelligence and mental stability. Speed differentials can be very high and many large vehicles have a habit of occupying more road than they have a right to. So people die, in quite substantial numbers, but not necessarily the most obvious suspects. Yes, bikers, because they come of worst in any confrontation with other vehicles or the scenery but much of the worst driving I see is by elderly (usually) holidaymakers (more often than not) and wearing flat caps (I kid you not - it's become a warning observation hereabouts).

Whether I'm in car or on bike, unless the traffic is so heavy that I'd be forcing the pace, I'll seek to overtake - exactly as noted by others - whenever a safe opportunity presents to do so as unobtrusively as possible - I just want to get on with my day and leave others to get on with theirs. So I'm careful to consider third party points of view. And that way madness lies: you have to make a judgement on just how a person 'reasonably skilled in the art' would react - not an expert but someone capable of making reasoned decisions and not driving with chips on both shoulders about some part of their lives. I'd say that, about every third or fourth journey of any length, I have similar experiences to those of other posters, with people putting themselves, me and others at risk by taking psychotic exception to being overtaken, either with flashing and arm-waving, through to block-swerving to trying to close your return point to the nearside. So a Plan B (and C, and D…) is always essential, as is a way of failing safe when psycho numpty strikes.

My most spectacular WTF?! moment that illustrated just how far off the island some people are was last September: there's a long straight on the A84 between two twisty sections. Usual queue of traffic, quite well spaced and moving at 35-40mph in NSL. fine - sight line opened up, I waited a couple of seconds to see what anyone else was going to do. "Nothing" was the answer so, having identified two possible drop-in points, I overtook three cars. The more cautious of my drop-in gaps was still fine, ahead of a Renault Scenic, it being occupied by an elderly couple. And yes, the male was driving and yes, he was wearing a flat cap. I matched speed (no brakes needed) alongside the gap, indicating left, then moved very gently in. Job done, or so I thought. There's a short pause, then Mr Scenic goes ballistic: On the horn, lights flashing repeatedly and much gesticulation visible in my mirror. Ignored him. By this point, the blind right-hander at the end of the straight is approaching. Next thing I see in the mirror is the Scenic, halfway alongside me and fully offside on the entry to the bend. He's got nowhere to go and never did have - the only thing he was living on was pure blind luck. As was anyone coming the other way. So when you get people who are utterly determined to risk their own and other people's life and limb in pursuit of some mindlessly perceived slight, what chance does 'third party perception' have? Unfortunately, my dashcam is forward facing, so all that's to be seen is my original manoeuvre and then a brief position change in my car as I go defensive/shocked. Had I a rear-facing camera, I'd have just handed everything to the Plod.

[MarkwG]

Technomad said:

...wearing flat caps...

We get those, too, same advice: does my head in, who needs a hat in a car with a roof, anyway, unless it's a rally car & a race helmet ?