Have you ever felt unsafe as a passenger due to bad drivers
Discussion
No, but in the interest of marital harmony, I’ve given up doing a running commentary when I am passenger to my wife.
“I would be in third”
“I would cover the horn, there”
“Indicate left a bit earlier, give that car a chance to pull out of the side road”
All I get back is,
“Well, which of us has never had an accident?”
“I would be in third”
“I would cover the horn, there”
“Indicate left a bit earlier, give that car a chance to pull out of the side road”
All I get back is,
“Well, which of us has never had an accident?”
Oh yeah, old friend of mine used to tear up to junctions, slam on the anchors, stop, look and then go. Even on junctions with good visibility, he'd tear up, slam, stop and look. No anticipation, but flat out.
Another one, I used to work in London and would be picked up 5am, we'd be 5up in a 306 with me in the middle rear seat, with just a lap belt. The driver would take the twisty back roads and drive sans lights to avoid the rozzers. He'd drive like a loon, maxing the gears, torturing the tyres, twisting the antiroll bars. I'd be white knuckling the two front seats.
One day he didn't turn up. Got a call from the boss saying someone else would collect me an hour later. Apparently Mr 306 had put the car in a ditch the previous evening. He was only slightly injured but car was written off.
Another one, I used to work in London and would be picked up 5am, we'd be 5up in a 306 with me in the middle rear seat, with just a lap belt. The driver would take the twisty back roads and drive sans lights to avoid the rozzers. He'd drive like a loon, maxing the gears, torturing the tyres, twisting the antiroll bars. I'd be white knuckling the two front seats.
One day he didn't turn up. Got a call from the boss saying someone else would collect me an hour later. Apparently Mr 306 had put the car in a ditch the previous evening. He was only slightly injured but car was written off.
Yes - in the back of a taxi trying to get from Swansea to our digs near Port Talbot on a very wet night. I have rarely felt so scared.
The utter moron of a driver decided to park up on the tiger-tails (chevrons) of an off-slip on the M4 in the pitch black in the pouring rain because he didn't know which way to go and was trying to ask his despatcher for directions.
Having spent the preceding eight years dealing with the remains of cars (and worse...) struck on the hard shoulder, I'm afraid I lost my temper with him and suggested that he drive somewhere - anywhere - and get off the motorway pronto while his single brain cell decided what to do next.
We did eventually reach our destination, and I didn't tip him.
The utter moron of a driver decided to park up on the tiger-tails (chevrons) of an off-slip on the M4 in the pitch black in the pouring rain because he didn't know which way to go and was trying to ask his despatcher for directions.
Having spent the preceding eight years dealing with the remains of cars (and worse...) struck on the hard shoulder, I'm afraid I lost my temper with him and suggested that he drive somewhere - anywhere - and get off the motorway pronto while his single brain cell decided what to do next.
We did eventually reach our destination, and I didn't tip him.
On too many occasions.
I've had to ask numerous drivers to put their phone down or stop tailgating other drivers. A few that have tried to impress me how fast their car is when they can't drive.
I've have had a friend that has cracked open a beer when driving to a weekend away.
I've had to ask a few taxi drivers to clam down. I asked one taxi driver to stop driving so aggressively and up the backside of other cars.
A few minutes she admitted she had borrowed the taxi she was driving after crashing her own taxi last week. She was angry with the reaction of the other driver as they were angry because they knew she was too busy eating crisps and not paying attention.
I've had to ask numerous drivers to put their phone down or stop tailgating other drivers. A few that have tried to impress me how fast their car is when they can't drive.
I've have had a friend that has cracked open a beer when driving to a weekend away.
I've had to ask a few taxi drivers to clam down. I asked one taxi driver to stop driving so aggressively and up the backside of other cars.
A few minutes she admitted she had borrowed the taxi she was driving after crashing her own taxi last week. She was angry with the reaction of the other driver as they were angry because they knew she was too busy eating crisps and not paying attention.
Ha! Yes in the 70s I was hitching to Angelsey. Got a lift in a Jag. Driver was under the influence and overtook on the brow of a hill. On coming car!!! The Jag swerved into a convenient gateway to a field and we bumped several yards until he came to a stop. Next thing two guys from the other car dragged me and the driver out to give us a good thrashing...fortunately they believed that I was hitching... I didn't look back as I left the field.
2 times many years ago
On back of mates motorbike, approaching junction, opened it up & went straight over
Same era, in a different friends typical 70s deathtrap, hit 80 in a 30
Funnily enough, still see mate 1. Has a pin in his leg due to a motorbike crash soon after. Walks like an old man.
On back of mates motorbike, approaching junction, opened it up & went straight over
Same era, in a different friends typical 70s deathtrap, hit 80 in a 30
Funnily enough, still see mate 1. Has a pin in his leg due to a motorbike crash soon after. Walks like an old man.
I'm a calm and relatively brave passenger. If I'm in with someone I trust and I think they know what they're doing I don't bat an eyelid. I have a mate who had a 997 3.8 911 who threw it down the San Bernadino pass like he was trying to commit suicide and take me with him. I wasn't remotely bothered about this because I knew he knew what he was doing.
I can't stand " bad " driving. Being in with someone with no lane discipline, displaying a lack of concentration, driving with a lack of assertiveness. Stopping at roundabouts when it's obvious just keeping going won't affect anyone infuriates me to the point that I'd rather walk than sit next to someone too stupid or lacking in basic understanding of traffic flow to comprehend this. Catching something up on the motorway and then slowing down and sitting behind it at the same speed ( usually too close ), rather than maintain speed and overtake it. WTF are you doing?
I can't stand " bad " driving. Being in with someone with no lane discipline, displaying a lack of concentration, driving with a lack of assertiveness. Stopping at roundabouts when it's obvious just keeping going won't affect anyone infuriates me to the point that I'd rather walk than sit next to someone too stupid or lacking in basic understanding of traffic flow to comprehend this. Catching something up on the motorway and then slowing down and sitting behind it at the same speed ( usually too close ), rather than maintain speed and overtake it. WTF are you doing?
Back when I was at college I had a friend who thought highly of himself and his driving prowess. I remember one day getting into his car, we turned left out of his driveway and before we got to the end of his residential street we'd hit 80.
After that I quietly disappeared from his life. I had no intention of becoming a statistic due to this chaps ego, so left him to it. No idea whether he's calmed down or not yet, it's been about 10 years since I last bothered seeing him.
After that I quietly disappeared from his life. I had no intention of becoming a statistic due to this chaps ego, so left him to it. No idea whether he's calmed down or not yet, it's been about 10 years since I last bothered seeing him.
Yep. Had to go down to the south coast for a work trip and allowed the junior team member I was going with to drive the company Insignia. Cruising speed was 90-100 and he would accelerate everywhere as fast as he could then brake at the last second.
If we were approaching a junction or stationary traffic he’d still be accelerating towards them even though it was obvious he’d need to stop. I told him that unless he started driving like a normal human being I’d be refusing to get a lift anywhere and he could explain to everyone why I was claiming for a train back.
If we were approaching a junction or stationary traffic he’d still be accelerating towards them even though it was obvious he’d need to stop. I told him that unless he started driving like a normal human being I’d be refusing to get a lift anywhere and he could explain to everyone why I was claiming for a train back.
One of my closest friends was a lovely man , I am godfather to his kids and I was executor of his estate. He always drove too quickly , especially , it seemed, on narrow roads with blind corners. He never could accept he was driving dangerously and for many years I made any excuse I could not to travel with him . He got faster and faster cars and I was working on how I could get him some driving tuition as I genuinely feared for him.
Too late - he crashed his Audi S4 into a deep roadside loch in North West Sutherland . His passenger escaped but he didn't .I've hate an irrational (but I hope understandable ) loathing of Audis ever since .
So yes , is the answer to the question , sadly .
Too late - he crashed his Audi S4 into a deep roadside loch in North West Sutherland . His passenger escaped but he didn't .I've hate an irrational (but I hope understandable ) loathing of Audis ever since .
So yes , is the answer to the question , sadly .
Pica-Pica said:
No, but in the interest of marital harmony, I’ve given up doing a running commentary when I am passenger to my wife.
“I would be in third”
“I would cover the horn, there”
“Indicate left a bit earlier, give that car a chance to pull out of the side road”
All I get back is,
“Well, which of us has never had an accident?”
I always suggest to people who quote similar , that they should look in their rear view mirror more often. Because the trail of chaos is behind them.“I would be in third”
“I would cover the horn, there”
“Indicate left a bit earlier, give that car a chance to pull out of the side road”
All I get back is,
“Well, which of us has never had an accident?”
Quite a few times, as others with friends or work colleagues etc.
The one that sticks in my mind was in a taxi going to the airport after a lovely week in NYC. We were on the freeway, traffic moderate but slowing, and we heard a screech of brakes behind us. Then Bang! We were hit from behind. Before we knew it our taxi driver floored his taxi, and was taking off down a slip road. It took us a minute of screaming at him whilst he’s going through red lights and swerving around other cars to work out he was chasing the guy who’d hit us. A further two minutes of absolute hell and yelling ensued before we got him to slow back down and get it together.
We got to the airport in silence, got our bags from the back and the cheeky bugger held his hand out for a tip! I don’t get angry but it’s one of the few times I’ve yelled at someone.
We went to check in, but the attendant was aware that my wife was holding her neck and asked after her. My wife being honest and slightly dazed explained and within minutes she was being blue lighted off to a nearby hospital to have checks.
It all ended fine but quite an ending to a holiday.
The one that sticks in my mind was in a taxi going to the airport after a lovely week in NYC. We were on the freeway, traffic moderate but slowing, and we heard a screech of brakes behind us. Then Bang! We were hit from behind. Before we knew it our taxi driver floored his taxi, and was taking off down a slip road. It took us a minute of screaming at him whilst he’s going through red lights and swerving around other cars to work out he was chasing the guy who’d hit us. A further two minutes of absolute hell and yelling ensued before we got him to slow back down and get it together.
We got to the airport in silence, got our bags from the back and the cheeky bugger held his hand out for a tip! I don’t get angry but it’s one of the few times I’ve yelled at someone.
We went to check in, but the attendant was aware that my wife was holding her neck and asked after her. My wife being honest and slightly dazed explained and within minutes she was being blue lighted off to a nearby hospital to have checks.
It all ended fine but quite an ending to a holiday.
Yes.
One time our neighbour (who had a large MPV at the time) did us a favour and took me to B&Q to buy some grass turf for the back garden. On the way back he did a sharp turn into a bus stop to try and open his doors to vomit, only he was a little too slow and vomited on his dash and door card. Turns out he was hung over. I didn't know he drank, I assumed he didn't as he's of a faith that says it's forbidden.
Since then i decided I'm never getting in as a passenger with him ever again.
One time our neighbour (who had a large MPV at the time) did us a favour and took me to B&Q to buy some grass turf for the back garden. On the way back he did a sharp turn into a bus stop to try and open his doors to vomit, only he was a little too slow and vomited on his dash and door card. Turns out he was hung over. I didn't know he drank, I assumed he didn't as he's of a faith that says it's forbidden.
Since then i decided I'm never getting in as a passenger with him ever again.
I'm a terrible passenger, almost every time I'm in the car with someone I have a running commentary in my head that fortunately only very rarely surfaces. I recall a trip to the NEC with a work colleague where he was far too close to the vehicles in front, I did seriously think about getting the train back rather than sit in a car with him. An old mate used to drive everywhere flat out, and while he didn't have any collisions while I knew him, I expect it was luck rather than skill - I think he thought he was impressing me. I know people who have no lane discipline, no use of indicators, and yet criticise other drivers.
Thankfully not very often. I think my first truly awful passenger experience was around 17-18, got a lift from a mate who drove everywhere about 6 inches from the car in front, weaving all over the centre line looking for questionable overtakes in his 60bhp Punto.
A couple of years later I got a lift back from the Reading Festival in a mates old diesel Peugeot 309, he was desperately trying to get past a newish 3 series which probably had 2-3 times the power and was getting more and more irate when the driver sped up, at one point I thought he was going to try and run the BMW off the road. This was an otherwise placid bloke so really out of character and not something I expected.
A couple of years ago I worked with someone who got a formal reprimand from work for his driving. He'd taken a pool car with a colleague for a meeting and the colleague refused to get into the car for the return journey, so the company ended up paying about £200 for a taxi!
Probably should add an honourable mention to the coach driver when we visited Santorini. Took those hairpin bends on the edge of the cliff faster than I would do in a car
A couple of years later I got a lift back from the Reading Festival in a mates old diesel Peugeot 309, he was desperately trying to get past a newish 3 series which probably had 2-3 times the power and was getting more and more irate when the driver sped up, at one point I thought he was going to try and run the BMW off the road. This was an otherwise placid bloke so really out of character and not something I expected.
A couple of years ago I worked with someone who got a formal reprimand from work for his driving. He'd taken a pool car with a colleague for a meeting and the colleague refused to get into the car for the return journey, so the company ended up paying about £200 for a taxi!
Probably should add an honourable mention to the coach driver when we visited Santorini. Took those hairpin bends on the edge of the cliff faster than I would do in a car
I once had a lift from a chap who used to race sidecars at the TT and road races in Ireland, so was a bit mad. I knew he liked driving quickly as he had over 20 points on his licence (long time ago and he had a tyre shop, so would be jobless if he lost his licence), but we weren't going far, so I thought it would be ok. I have never been so scared in a car in my life. Bravado got the better of me and I didn't say anything, but f
k me was I gripping my seat and praying for it all to end !
In contrast I was chauffeured to work for a few weeks when I worked in NI by the company rally driver (Stanley Orr - company was Corry Cars building the Cultra) who for some unknown reason had an ex-funeral directors Granada limo. He was very, very fast, but totally in control at all times, even when drifting sideways through the factory gates. Very impressive for a then 18 year old me !
k me was I gripping my seat and praying for it all to end !In contrast I was chauffeured to work for a few weeks when I worked in NI by the company rally driver (Stanley Orr - company was Corry Cars building the Cultra) who for some unknown reason had an ex-funeral directors Granada limo. He was very, very fast, but totally in control at all times, even when drifting sideways through the factory gates. Very impressive for a then 18 year old me !
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