Crazy Drivers

I know this subject has been discussed several times, but this afternoon I was subjected to one of the most stupid drivers I’ve ever come across, and there have been many.

I was driving along Montrose Avenue (20 mph speed limit) and, I admit, I was being a bit norty as I was speeding at 23 mph, roughly the same speed as the cars in front of me. I was being tailgated by a Mercedes and I just knew he was going to do something stupid. When you’ve been driving as long as I have (45 years) you get a “feeling” – a “sixth sense” - that something is about to happen, you just know, and you prepare yourself.

Well, this idiot decided I wasn’t going fast enough so, at the first mini roundabout he overtook me at a great rate of knots (about 40) on the wrong side of the roundabout to get in front of me, only to find himself behind the car I’d been following at 23 mph. He must have gained at least, oh, about 20 seconds of his travel time, used a lot of fuel doing so and had to anchor up hard behind his next “slow” driver. All I could do was laugh my head off!

Aw! Baby wanted to be first, and who am I to deny him his life’s little pleasures!

Tell us about your experiences of stupidity on the road.

Some years ago I was driving down the side of Debenhams..yes you could in the eighties.. the lights had turned to red, a fancy car and a fancy soft lad pulled up at the right hand side of me sat there grinning. I knew what he was about to do, he obviously thought women drivers were rubbish, well before I started nursing my other job involved very fast driving ( when I looked at him he was smirking )he shot off but I passed him with no problem..went past him just as I hit Standishgate… when I passed him he couldn’t get his two fingers to go any faster which tickled me… the silly sausage.
The lights changed I put my foot down the same time as flash boy

The last two lines of my comment shouldn’t be there.. he must be wishing it on me after all these years lol.

Momac:



The car I had before my present one was a red Vauxhaull Corsa with white go-faster stripes. When they saw it, the lads at work called it Mollie's Boy Racer.

What happened to you with that soft lad happened to me as well on several occasions, one notably was going down a road with speed bumps, so I was doing 19/20 mph. One smarty pants (a teenager), along with his smarty pants passengers, decided to zoom past me. Fine, thinks I, off ya pop lads. They did get a bit of a shock when they saw a little old lady driving, and who yelled out the open car window "gobsh..." at them!

The last two lines of my comment shouldn’t be there.. he must be wishing it on me after all these years lol.

Mollie, mine was a red Ford Cortina Estate the number plate was MLJ.. my Father in Law used to call it Mo’s little Jallopy..I loved it .

Oh I had an orange MK5 Ford Cortina Estate, reg plate CFY 38 Y. I named her "Tina" and I loved that car above all others I've had since. I broke my heart when I had to let her go.

A few weeks ago I was driving home around 11.30pm sticking to the speed limit as is my wont when idiot boy behind in his souped up whatever decided to overtake. Unfortunately for him there was an unmarked police car behind him. I resisted the temptation to wave as he was being invited into the back of the police car.

Same here Mollie I lost my hubby three years ago and our car was Toyota Corolla. My hubby kept it immaculate and it was twenty years old but it looked gorgeous but the insurance was sky high because of its age so I had to watch them drive it away, just like my Mam had to when my Dad died…I’d give anything to be a few years younger..be able to afford a car of my own instead. of relying on my Son or taxis.

I love that, Angelwood.

I don't want to put the cat amongst the pigeons, but why is it always the male drivers who believe they own the road? I must hasten to add, not ALL men drivers. It's usually the youngsters, but there are some foolish older drivers as well. My ex-husband became a chauffeur after leaving the Army, and he was an excellent driver.

There was a time when I'd have got my dander up at daft drivers, but now I just shrug my shoulders and let them get on with it.

Momac:

Mine was 18 years old when I had to let her go. I know it seems daft getting attached to a car, but I always name mine so we're like a team working together!

My Cortina only had about 72,000 miles on it at the end, and the reason it didn't pass the MoT for the first time was because of corrosion to the sub-frame. Poor old girl.

Angelwood ..what a great story.

I once was driving along Upholland road from Billinge Higher end to Billinge when a Merc came up behind my car. I drove all the way along sticking roughly to the speed limit with this Merc staying behind my car. When I got near to Wigan road there is a blind bend about 200yds from the junction. You have guest it ,It was at this point the Merc driver decided to overtake my car on this bend after being behind my car for well over a mileI thought what a plonker but was glad no vehicles were coming the other way

I was negotiating a roundabout when I somehow sensed that an approaching car was about to enter the roundabout without giving way. I was going quite slow, so easily braked, and sure enough the car drove straight in front of me onto the roundabout.

It beggars belief. I could not help but see that the damn driver had pages propped onto the steering wheel and was reading.

Mollie.. Even my Dad name his little Austin “Betsy”

Momac:

My dad also had a Betsy in the 50s, but ours was a 1940s American Dodge. The doors opened opposite to modern cars, meaning the hinges were on the right of the door. It was a proper Elliott Ness car with running boards as well.

Peter:

It does make me wonder how many of these idiots have actually taken driving lessons. More to the point, have they ever passed a driving test?

The ones that make me grit my teeth are those who drive at 22mph as if going any faster will take them into orbit. I often wonder what the person at the front of the traffic jam is doing.

I stick to the speed limit where it's safe to do so but, going back to your first story, I always drive as if I have an unmarked Police car behind me.

I do understand what you're saying though.

Another gripe of mine is people indicating right when approaching a roundabout. Doing that signifies that they're turning round at the roundabout to go back from whence they came. No need to signal at a roundabout if you're going straight on, but indicate left if you're going left. It's not complicated.

Or indicating right when in a right hand turn lane only. The best one is at the bottom of Greenough Street, turning on to Central Park Way.

Speaking of right hand turn lanes, a few weeks ago I was driving to work and was approaching the traffic lights at the Scot Lane/Beech Hill Lane junction which were on red. I was first in the queue to go straight on, and a taxi pulled up alongside me in the turn right lane.

Lights turned to green so I set off, BUT, the taxi driver had a change of heart and decided he wanted to go left towards Standish Lower Ground, so he revved his engine and pulled in front of me, turning left. I braked hard and stopped, although I was still in first gear at this point, but other drivers must have seen what happened and they hung back until I could continue. Could have been nasty if I hadn’t been paying attention.

Now these guys are supposed to be professional drivers who have had to pass a test to convey the public and I’ve used them for many years when my car has been at the garage, but I’ll never use that company ever again. Out of respect for other taxi firms and their drivers, I won’t mention the company name here, but I hope their wheels turn square and fester at the corners!

Every day on our 20 mph street which is a rat run for idiots, especially by the 4x4's, Audi/BMW drivers who think that they are a Louis Hamilton or as I suspect may be driving full of drink and/or drugs which appears to be the norn for many drivers today!

Driving at a excessive speed, no use of indicators, going pass a red light, parking on yellow lines with some where their are kerb lines to indicate no parking under any circumstances, overtaking where there are double white lines, going up one way streets in the wrong direction, cutting corners, blaring a horn if you are in their way etc, etc.

And that's not counting the number with no driving license, insurance, mot, never passed the driving test, driving while banned etc.

No pleasure in driving today for fear that you will end up in a accident caused by the increasing number of idiot bad drivers!

Folk of my age will probably recall that when police pulled you over for speeding, the frequently heard phrase was, "Who do you think you are, Stirling Moss?"

When Stirling Moss got stopped for speeding, that is exactly what they said to him as well.

It's very embarrassing when you are beaten away from the lights by a fiat 500.

A Knight of the road LINK

Not much pleasure in driving these days. Road rage is the worst. mate was involved in a crash with a guy in a car. When the claim came from another 4 passengers claimed to be in the car it was a scam for money police said always take photos if your involved for proof

nobody worse than taxi drivers

EEeeeee Mollie ..if I started to relate every moment of bad driving I had witnessed....I would be rabbeting for a week....

Why are we only targeting speeders here?

What about the inconsiderate individuals who......

Give way to and Flash waiting traffic out and in doing so delay those behind them who DO have right of way

Refuse to move over to the white line when turning right and in doing so PREVENT others from passing on the inside

IGNORE BUS LANE SIGNAGE and refuse to travel in them when the accompanying signage clearly states they are not operational

REFUSE TO ENTER YELLOW BOX junctions when the exit is clear and you are only waiting for oncoming traffic to clear.

INCORECTLY POSITION themselves at crossroads and junctions and prevent surrounding traffic flow

TAKE THE WRONG LINE through roundabouts and cut others off at the last second

Middle and outside lane motorway HOGGERS

I am going to level the field here and state its not generally the younger drivers who do these sort of things

Many valid points here. However:

Mr Brush:

Totally unfair comment. In my experience, I would say the vast majority of taxi drivers are excellent and follow the rules of the road.

Mr Biker:

I don’t doubt that for one minute. I’ve watched Traffic Cops, Police Interceptors etc and have seen for myself some examples of shocking driving and their excuses. Tell us of yours please.

Star Delta:

I personally wasn’t targeting just the speed merchants. Everything you’ve said also apply which comes under the umbrella of inconsiderate drivers.

However, I’d have to take issue with you about the yellow box junctions. According to the Highway Code, you may NOT enter the box until you’re clear to continue your manoeuvre. This is because, if the lights turn green for drivers to your right and left, you’re in their way. I don’t enter that box until I’m free to continue. One night a couple of years ago, I entered the box because I was free to do so. All lights were still on red so I moved off to take the right turn, but I noticed a little red van driving at speed coming from the opposite direction, overtaking stationary vehicles, and I knew he was going to come through that red light, which he did, so I took evasive action to avoid him by pulling my car sharply left again and he just missed me. It was a very close shave. By now, vehicles to my right and left had seen what had happened and held back to let me get out of the way. I did so and, a little further down the road, I pulled into a space to calm down. A white car pulled up alongside me (who had been behind me) and asked if I was alright, and no, it’s definitely not just youngsters who can be a problem on the roads. I shouldn’t have generalised in that way, because older drivers can be more aggressive and youngsters can just be thoughtless and silly through lack of experience.

I always enter a yellow box junction if turning right if my exit is clear even if the traffic coming towards me is going straight on.As for bad driving we all make mistakes.

"According to the Highway Code, you may NOT enter the box until you’re clear to continue your manoeuvre"

........UNLESS your exit is clear and you are waiting for oncoming traffic to clear.

Its a simple enough concept, why people cannot grasp it is a complete mystery!!!

If I am turning right at a 'none' yellow box traffic light junction, and the exit to the right turn is not clear, I won't even go into the middle of the junction and wait, because if by the time the traffic lights change, if I still cannot complete my right turn maneuver, then I will end up 'stuck' in the middle of the junction, possibly blocking other traffic from passing through.

One snag is, you can sit waiting for a gap in oncoming traffic, when you are going to turn right and the exit is clear, and in heavy traffic, this can be a long wait - meanwhile a number of oncoming vehicles take a left turn (to them, that is ie your right turn), and the buggers end up blocking the exit which had been clear when you positioned as permitted by Highway Code.

The nearest crossroad to where I live, you can almost guarantee this happens in rush hour traffic. Now made worse by traffic lights with green arrow filter: If you get a green light permitting you to move, you will be thwarted by exit being blocked, and you will be blocking traffic when the lights change. This has produced enormous tail backs of traffic: gridlock, preventing drivers from being able to clear from junction!

On occasion, the traffic lights fail, and the traffic is much more free flowing when the lights don't work.

Ena

Oncoming traffic turning left can block the right turn, but dealing with it, it's all part of the art of 'driving', each situation is different, and all yoo can doo, is doo your best

An interesting paradox:

95% of drivers believe they are better than average drivers

From which we might infer that drivers are critical of the errors made by others, but are permissive and dismissive of errors they make themselves.