Motoring prejudices confirmed
Discussion
I watched an interesting TEDx talk by Paul Piff (social psychologist and researcher) recently.
One experiment he organised was fascinating :
In California, pedestrians have right of way at certain crossings, ie if a pedestrian is at the curb and wants to cross, cars must stop for them, by law.
The researchers set up a camera to record what happened when one of them tried to cross.
100% of the cheapest category cars stopped. As the cars get more expensive, they are more likely to fail to give way, rising to (iirc) 57% of vehicles in the most expensive category failing to give way.
The talk is on youtube, and covers quite a bit of ground, but the motoring takeaway is simple : if you think that drivers of expensive cars are more likely to drive like selfish pricks, you may well be correct
One experiment he organised was fascinating :
In California, pedestrians have right of way at certain crossings, ie if a pedestrian is at the curb and wants to cross, cars must stop for them, by law.
The researchers set up a camera to record what happened when one of them tried to cross.
100% of the cheapest category cars stopped. As the cars get more expensive, they are more likely to fail to give way, rising to (iirc) 57% of vehicles in the most expensive category failing to give way.
The talk is on youtube, and covers quite a bit of ground, but the motoring takeaway is simple : if you think that drivers of expensive cars are more likely to drive like selfish pricks, you may well be correct
Zebra crossing just a few hundred yards from work, when I want to cross; which can be a few times a day, almost always the cars that don't stop are Range Rovers being driven by women, they don't even acknowledge that you are there, they just plough on ahead with their gaze fixated on what is ahead.
Edited by HTP99 on Friday 11th July 17:25
Well, I'll stand up and say that I'm surprised, and would wonder if it's different in the uk.
With the exception of BMWs and Audis, which unfortunately almost without exception here in Brum are indeed driven by cocks, I always found once you got up to a better of class of car you got a better class of driver.
When I was a trucker, I found that it was very rare, very rare indeed, that you would get tangled up with a 'good car', but people in sheds and hatchbacks etc would be determined to tangle up with you all day long. I find it now similar on my commute in and out of central Brum - the people driving like knobs are never in a good car.
With the exception of BMWs and Audis, which unfortunately almost without exception here in Brum are indeed driven by cocks, I always found once you got up to a better of class of car you got a better class of driver.
When I was a trucker, I found that it was very rare, very rare indeed, that you would get tangled up with a 'good car', but people in sheds and hatchbacks etc would be determined to tangle up with you all day long. I find it now similar on my commute in and out of central Brum - the people driving like knobs are never in a good car.
heads used to prefer BMW 3-series....HTP99 said:
Zebra crossing just a few hundred yards from work, when I want to cross; which can be a few times a day, almost always the cars that don't stop are Range Rovers being driven by women, they don't even acknowledge that you are there, they just plough on ahead with their gaze fixated on what is ahead.
Have you tried being better looking?Edited by HTP99 on Friday 11th July 17:25
heebeegeetee said:
Well, I'll stand up and say that I'm surprised, and would wonder if it's different in the uk.
With the exception of BMWs and Audis, which unfortunately almost without exception here in Brum are indeed driven by cocks, I always found once you got up to a better of class of car you got a better class of driver.
When I was a trucker, I found that it was very rare, very rare indeed, that you would get tangled up with a 'good car', but people in sheds and hatchbacks etc would be determined to tangle up with you all day long. I find it now similar on my commute in and out of central Brum - the people driving like knobs are never in a good car.
The clear difference was you were driving a truck, not on foot, or in much smaller vehicle With the exception of BMWs and Audis, which unfortunately almost without exception here in Brum are indeed driven by cocks, I always found once you got up to a better of class of car you got a better class of driver.
When I was a trucker, I found that it was very rare, very rare indeed, that you would get tangled up with a 'good car', but people in sheds and hatchbacks etc would be determined to tangle up with you all day long. I find it now similar on my commute in and out of central Brum - the people driving like knobs are never in a good car.
cars that give way to you doesn't prove considerateness, just self preservation
HTP99 said:
Zebra crossing just a few hundred yards from work, when I want to cross; which can be a few times a day, almost always the cars that don't stop are Range Rovers being driven by women, they don't even acknowledge that you are there, they just plough on ahead with their gaze fixated on what is ahead.
Pedestrians crossing have right of way, pedestrians waiting at the side of the road don't. Edited by HTP99 on Friday 11th July 17:25
Personally though I will give way if I notice them (and there's usually no reason why I wouldn't see them).
xRIEx said:
HTP99 said:
Zebra crossing just a few hundred yards from work, when I want to cross; which can be a few times a day, almost always the cars that don't stop are Range Rovers being driven by women, they don't even acknowledge that you are there, they just plough on ahead with their gaze fixated on what is ahead.
Pedestrians crossing have right of way, pedestrians waiting at the side of the road don't. Edited by HTP99 on Friday 11th July 17:25
Personally though I will give way if I notice them (and there's usually no reason why I wouldn't see them).
To me that means you should be aware that there are people waiting to cross and you should stop for them; by the way that women in Range Rovers speed across the crossing without a glance it would say to me that they aren't looking out for pedestrians and have no intention of stopping.
I've always stopped at zebra crossings as that is what I've been taught and I'll continue to do so.
HTP99 said:
xRIEx said:
HTP99 said:
Zebra crossing just a few hundred yards from work, when I want to cross; which can be a few times a day, almost always the cars that don't stop are Range Rovers being driven by women, they don't even acknowledge that you are there, they just plough on ahead with their gaze fixated on what is ahead.
Pedestrians crossing have right of way, pedestrians waiting at the side of the road don't. Edited by HTP99 on Friday 11th July 17:25
Personally though I will give way if I notice them (and there's usually no reason why I wouldn't see them).
To me that means you should be aware that there are people waiting to cross and you should stop for them; by the way that women in Range Rovers speed across the crossing without a glance it would say to me that they aren't looking out for pedestrians and have no intention of stopping.
I've always stopped at zebra crossings as that is what I've been taught and I'll continue to do so.
"you MUST give way when a pedestrian has moved onto a crossing"
'MUST' is the indicator that a passage is a rule, rather than guidance.
I agree with you in terms of driving with consideration and I drive in that manner.
I drive an Audi and every time I see another one being driven poorly, which is often, it annoys me because I end up getting tarred with the same brush.
There is something about rep mobiles and bad driving. Any German saloon with a small Diesel engine. If ever I'm being tailgated or someone is chopping and changing lanes without consideration or failing to indicate it always seems to be a merc/Audi or most often a BMW 3 series diesel.
There is something about rep mobiles and bad driving. Any German saloon with a small Diesel engine. If ever I'm being tailgated or someone is chopping and changing lanes without consideration or failing to indicate it always seems to be a merc/Audi or most often a BMW 3 series diesel.
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