Have people forgotten how to drive?

[munroman]

Just back from a trip up and down to Aberdeen, generally driving standards were pretty good, until I came across the following 3 idiots.

1) On the back road from Loch Lomond to Glasgow, a Honda Jizz whose non male driver decided that rather than the normal 45-60 mph speed on this A road, we would be better served by travelling at 30 mph.
For some strange reason people got upset about this, and were overtaking in some dodgy places.
However, once we got to the twisty bits, she decided that 30mph was a bit risky, so moderated her speed to 25mph.
After 7 miles, there were probably at least 30 vehicles behind her, (I couldn't see the end of the queue) and eventually after the cars in front pulled off at various junctions, presumably for the drivers to hang themselves, I ended up behind her.
Luckily, there was a roundabout ahead, where I had a choice of routes.
Just in case I was unsure which lane to take, she kindly straddled both lanes, so that I could clearly see where she was going.
I bade her farewell, and hope that she enjoys her parent's wedding.

2) Bint in Black Honda Civic, due to road works the normally quiet dual carriageway through the local town was gridlocked.
Streaky would have loved her technique of holding her mobile at her side below window level, as she animatedly chatted to her therapist or whatever, and erratically weaved in and out of the traffic without signalling, and she tried to force her way in front of me, despite my having priority, and being in front - perhaps her surname is Vettel?
She then pulled in behind me, but I think I must have snagged her on my towball, as she seemed to be stuck against my rear bumper as we headed out of town in the 30 limit.
At the NSL sign, I accelerated 'con brio' to 60mph, and was surprised to see her remaining at 30ish, I suspect her conversation was so rivetting that she hadn't noticed the change in the limit.
As the 'wacky races' roundabout, I went left as she went straight on, I suspect someone she was friends with was in the car she drove in front of without giving way to flashed and waved excitedly at her.....

3) I ended up behind a Pious, (deep shame), and as we went along the rural back road, we caught up with a JCB in a 30 limit.
The JCB appeared to be magnetic, because the Pious was drawn very close to it (I was about 60 metres behind it so I had a chance of seeing past it, and so I wouldn't pressurise the Pious).
6 times the Pious just pulled out to overtake, on 2 occasions he must have seen his friends coming the other way, because they waved and shouted at him.
The final time he tried to overtake was about 100 metres from a roundabout, he pulled in after nearly hitting another friends car, then he turned off the same route as the JCB, as its forcefield dragged him with it.

BiB, why do we never see you when these eejits are on the road?

W

[Daston]

not just you

Every day I walk to work though a mid sized county town and the amount of drivers going though red lights, driving too fast though town or going straght through zebra crossings without even lifting off.

[pilchardthecat]

munroman said:

BiB, why do we never see you when these eejits are on the road?

I would really like an answer to this question.

[placebo]

I am imagine the traffic police are out doing important speed camera revenue generation schemes - err I mean traffic calming schemes! Seriously though they cant be expected to do much with their dwindling budgets so I guess its put up or shut up really.
I would have thought we could drum up some revenue by introducing a compulsory re-test every 5-10 years or give a real incentive for people to take advanced driving courses by offering far better insurance savings.

[FrostyCab]

Thats the trouble these days, with "safety" Cameras everywhere we're just making slower, not safer drivers!

I have a friend who insists shes an excellent safe driver as she never speeds. She's on her 5th or 6th car now having writen off all the previous ones in accidents....

Edited by FrostyCab on Tuesday 20th July 19:58

[lescombes]

Yep......most of them are going their own sweet way and f**k the rest of us....
then there are the middle lane junkies....who stay there what ever the speed the traffic is running at....oldies who do 40 mph....everywhere...and the Tw*ts who drive at 80mph...see speed cam, panic and brake to 50 mph so as not to get caught....

[Celt]

On the BBC news yesterday there was a car driving through a high street to show high street banks for what ever reason. The person driving the car through the high street jumped a red light. Which is stupid on two levels, shouldnt jump red light first of all, especialy not when its getting filmed to be broadcast to milions.

[stevesuk]

My pet hate at the moment is Mr/Mrs Drive at 40 Everywhere - Usually driving a Clio/206, he or she drives at 40mph no matter what the posted speed limit is. Doesn't matter if the road is national speed limit, or a 30mph zone through a village.

Oh, and people who accelerate towards a red traffic light, and brake (hard) at the last minute.

[Andy Meads]

I generally try to keep calm about this kind of idiocy, but tonight was overtaken in a built-up area with a 30mph limit by someone who seemingly felt that 50mph was more appropriate. Never mind the kids on bikes, etc. Now I don't profess never to have broken the speed limit, but 50 in a 30? It's that kind of stupidity that gives speed campaigners a stick with which to beat us all.

[pilchardthecat]

My pet hate at the moment;

People sat at a junction wanting to turn into the traffic, see that there are cars coming and the gap is quite small, and pull out..... then they accelerate at the slowest rate imaginable. Had they put their foot down it would have been fine, and they would have got up to speed, but they don't. It's almost like they are doing it on purpose out of some quest to slow everyone down.

I fking hate them, and i hope that they die.

[munroman]

lescombes said:

Yep......most of them are going their own sweet way and f**k the rest of us....
then there are the middle lane junkies....who stay there what ever the speed the traffic is running at....oldies who do 40 mph....everywhere...and the Tw*ts who drive at 80mph...see speed cam, panic and brake to 50 mph so as not to get caught....

On the M6 at Penrith last week a T5 Estate Bib joined at the northbound slip, he sat in the inside lane and gradually caught up with the trucks in front.

I saw that he would shortly want to pull out to the middle lane, so moved to the empty outside lane, he pulled out, I passed him, and he flashed acknowledgement when I pulled back in front of him. (which was appreciated!)

Later he did the zoom up the outside lane thing, then dropped back again, I passed him again , he was doing about 60.

I then found that the motorway was deserted, shortly afterwards I assume he pulled into Southwaite Services, because there was a rolling drag race restart as if the Safety Car had pulled off, it appears that the 'never overtake a Police Car no matter what speed it is doing brigade' consists mainly of A3, Passat, and Quashai drivers, as these shot past me at way over the limit.

They had formed a rolling road block beside the Police Car, terrified to go faster than him, absolutely pathetic!