Tell us something really trivial about your life (Vol 27)
Discussion
Observations from a 300 mile round trip in the worst conditions I've ever driven in (down to 40mph and still blind with driving raindrops the size of peas all through Warwickshire)...
1) People bumbling along the motorway with absolutely no lights on, in poor light with clouds of blinding spray thus rendering your car invisible to traffic behind and in front of you - what the hell is going through your head?! The answer, I suspect, is not a great deal.....
2) From one extreme to the other, fog lights are meant for use in fog. The clue is in the name. You don't need to blind oncoming traffic and fool tailing traffic into thinking you're braking hard, just because it's raining.
3) I don't know what the current formulation of motorway tarmac is, but it could certainly do with a review. When recently surfaced bits are covered in a mirror-sheen surface of standing water thus obscuring all road markings and creating massive spray, whilst older tarmac is draining/running-off so effectively as to be merely damp, then the road pavers are doing it wrong
4) Similarly, Highways Agency people, it might be a good idea to do something about the randomly occurring slight dips in the outside lane causing half-inch deep pools against the central reservation curb. Sudden aquaplaning at even 40mph isn't a great deal of fun
5) Whoever thought it was a good idea to carpet-bomb the new smart motorway stretch of the M6 in Cannock with permanently live 70mph speed cameras needs shooting. Now everyone is petrified of overtaking, causing a 3 lanes of stagnant same-speed flow
6) To the driver of the SSangyong 4x4 with a Mercedes badge fixed to the front grille, you're not fooling anyone. Get a life.
On the plus side, I did get to spend the day at the Williams F1 collection with some guys from my old Bristol Uni Motorsport society. A very interesting day and great to be able to get so close up to so many varying F1 cars, and touch and handle so many other bits of kit such as steering wheels and trophies
1) People bumbling along the motorway with absolutely no lights on, in poor light with clouds of blinding spray thus rendering your car invisible to traffic behind and in front of you - what the hell is going through your head?! The answer, I suspect, is not a great deal.....
2) From one extreme to the other, fog lights are meant for use in fog. The clue is in the name. You don't need to blind oncoming traffic and fool tailing traffic into thinking you're braking hard, just because it's raining.
3) I don't know what the current formulation of motorway tarmac is, but it could certainly do with a review. When recently surfaced bits are covered in a mirror-sheen surface of standing water thus obscuring all road markings and creating massive spray, whilst older tarmac is draining/running-off so effectively as to be merely damp, then the road pavers are doing it wrong
4) Similarly, Highways Agency people, it might be a good idea to do something about the randomly occurring slight dips in the outside lane causing half-inch deep pools against the central reservation curb. Sudden aquaplaning at even 40mph isn't a great deal of fun
5) Whoever thought it was a good idea to carpet-bomb the new smart motorway stretch of the M6 in Cannock with permanently live 70mph speed cameras needs shooting. Now everyone is petrified of overtaking, causing a 3 lanes of stagnant same-speed flow
6) To the driver of the SSangyong 4x4 with a Mercedes badge fixed to the front grille, you're not fooling anyone. Get a life.
On the plus side, I did get to spend the day at the Williams F1 collection with some guys from my old Bristol Uni Motorsport society. A very interesting day and great to be able to get so close up to so many varying F1 cars, and touch and handle so many other bits of kit such as steering wheels and trophies
CC, a couple of things.
2. If the visibility was really that bad and you couldn't clearly see the car in front, I'd also have my fog lights on. They're meant to be used in reduced visibility, not just fog. If you were down to 40mph then I'd say that is certainly the right time for fog lights.
4. If you were aquaplaning at 40mph, I'd be checking your tyres. Did you say you had all terrains on your car?! That shouldn't be happening.
7. Sure 70mph is grand. I thought the weather was terrible anyway?
2. If the visibility was really that bad and you couldn't clearly see the car in front, I'd also have my fog lights on. They're meant to be used in reduced visibility, not just fog. If you were down to 40mph then I'd say that is certainly the right time for fog lights.
4. If you were aquaplaning at 40mph, I'd be checking your tyres. Did you say you had all terrains on your car?! That shouldn't be happening.
7. Sure 70mph is grand. I thought the weather was terrible anyway?
leglessAlex said:
CC, a couple of things.
2. If the visibility was really that bad and you couldn't clearly see the car in front, I'd also have my fog lights on. They're meant to be used in reduced visibility, not just fog. If you were down to 40mph then I'd say that is certainly the right time for fog lights.
4. If you were aquaplaning at 40mph, I'd be checking your tyres. Did you say you had all terrains on your car?! That shouldn't be happening.
7. Sure 70mph is grand. I thought the weather was terrible anyway?
Visibility was to the point where a car became a dim silhouette in the clouds of spray, but was more than cured by a normal set of taillights without having to resort to foglights - which in the distance do look like someone is braking for a hazard, causing everyone else to slow up2. If the visibility was really that bad and you couldn't clearly see the car in front, I'd also have my fog lights on. They're meant to be used in reduced visibility, not just fog. If you were down to 40mph then I'd say that is certainly the right time for fog lights.
4. If you were aquaplaning at 40mph, I'd be checking your tyres. Did you say you had all terrains on your car?! That shouldn't be happening.
7. Sure 70mph is grand. I thought the weather was terrible anyway?
I was in the 435, which runs on very fat, very low profile summer tyres - ideal for planing. I can't even get the RR on its all terrain tyres to aquaplane by childishly charging 3" deep puddles on country roads, let alone a bit of surface water on motorways. It wasn't just me having problems however - all along that stretch the outside lane was empty as people would move into it, feel their car squirm horribly then move back out of it again after a few hundred yards.
The weather was varying degrees of terrible - the above mentioned monsoon was through Warwickshire on the M42 and 40, but further north on the M6 in cannock it was merely raining a bit and thus didn't require crawling speeds - hence being easily able to do 70 as normal
Dear all, thank you again for all your kind wishes. 
An amazing day, it just all went so quickly!
An amazing day, it just all went so quickly!
hidetheelephants said:
My most sincere contrafibularities. Will there be cake? I like cake.
There was cake and it was rather nice. I'll try and get a photo up later.Edited by g3org3y on Sunday 7th February 08:15
g3org3y said:
Dear all, thank you again for all your kind wishes.
An amazing day, it just all went so quickly!
That looks absolutely marvelous. But had we known you were planning something grand I'm sure we could have found a corner for you here at the Towers.An amazing day, it just all went so quickly!
hidetheelephants said:
My most sincere contrafibularities. Will there be cake? I like cake.
There was cake and it was rather nice. I'll try and get a photo up later.
Last night we watched 4 episodes of making a murderer on Netflix.
If you havent seen it it is a must watch, (as long as there are no kids around) and be prepared for much shouting at the tv both for the "policing" and for the stupidity and naievity of some of the people involved.
Going to try finishing it off this aft and find out how it finished
If you havent seen it it is a must watch, (as long as there are no kids around) and be prepared for much shouting at the tv both for the "policing" and for the stupidity and naievity of some of the people involved.
Going to try finishing it off this aft and find out how it finished
Nik da Greek said:
Just got up 
I seem to have contracted man-flu of the face 
Shortly to be forced into helping build a cardboard replica of the Mars Curiosity Rover with the Boy. Weirdness
Unless your face has now taken on the gross characteristics of chunk from the goonies, it ain't that bad. I seem to have contracted man-flu of the face Shortly to be forced into helping build a cardboard replica of the Mars Curiosity Rover with the Boy. Weirdness
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