driving pet hates
I drive to work along country lanes that cut across lovely fields. There's a single track hump-backed bridge over a canal, and lots of fabulous snaking bends to curl around. I start my journey in one town and end it in another. It should be the loveliest drive ever, and sometimes, if there is no one else on the road, it is. But usually I have around 3 near misses each way.
So here's 5 things about driving that make me want to scream:
1. People who will not indicate. What do you think I am? Bloody Psychic? It's the little stick thing on the steering wheel and it takes but a millisecond to let me know where the hell you are going.
2. People who forget to cancel their indicators so that you think they are turning into the road you're turning out of, but then go straight on - and straight into you!
3. People who talk on their mobile phones even though we know it is not a great idea. My little one got run over by some idiot on a mobile phone (who was also drunk and on drugs - fair point) when she was 2. Every day some git in a white van will refuse to give way on a narrow road and will not even notice me in my tiny car because they're on their bloody phone!
4. Not giving way. What is that about? Is it too much to ask that you pull in when the parked cars are on YOUR side of the road?!
5. People who get all aggressive if you overtake them because they're doing 20 mph on an empty country lane - a straight one - in good weather with perfect ground conditions.
6. Meeting the bus on the narrow country lane on the snake bend.
And before you say anything - I have no problem with tractors and farm equipment cos it's their livelihood to be on those little roads spilling carrots and shit.
So - tell me - what do you hate about driving and/or drivers?! Do tell and we can all rant together!
Hmm.
Other than that, today has been a good day. A lovely day. I got lots of lovely things said to me from some of my students and got to ride a friend's horse but I'll tell you about that tomorrow - as well as a writing up date.
Till then. Hasta mañana!
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13 comments:
Aaaah! Don't get me started LOL!! Most times I'm driving it's no further than about 2 kms and back. Each time I resolve to not swear for a change... but each time I end up with boiling blood just the same!
Your nos. 1, 2 and 4 sound terribly familiar. I would add those maniacs in their SUVs that feel obliged to overtake me at neck-breaking speed, and then proceed to sit smugly in front of me. At 20 mph...
Oh, and those pedestrians that nonchalantly stop for a chat on the kerb of a zebra crossing and don't even react when I make eye contact with them in order to figure out whether they're going to cross or what!
Oh yes! I forgot about pedestrians! Where I live, it's like being in a computer game trying to drive the length of the main road through town. Kids come from one direction, grannies from another. Hardly anyone uses the zebra crossings here - they prefer to cross at random - to keep us on our toes I presume.
And teenagers who cross the road convinced that we'll see them in time to stop...
And SUVs. On the school run...
Watch the film Duel. All you need to know ...
(Hello Hesitant Scribe, btw, I found you through Ms Melancholy ...)
mopeds...that aren't quite fast and aren't quite slow and veer all over the road cos the rider still thinks he's on a BMX.
I only came down to e-mail, I'm writing for goodness sake! Why did you go and distract me? :-)
Hi Political - have seen that film *shudder* It was very scary, and I'll remember that next time I have the urge to make annoyed faces at horrid drivers!
Jon - that's what I'm here for! I distract myself!
Is your little one OK now? And what happened to the driver?
Being tailgated. Does my head in. It's aggressive, inconsiderate, scary and selfish, and it rarely gets people where they're going more than a couple of car lengths faster than they would have got there anyway. I drive on country roads and am often tailgated where there is NO scope to overtake (and I don't drive slowly - I've done the advanced driving course, am a confident driver and am usually at or near the speed limit) and then when there is an overtaking opportunity, whizz they go past, and then guess what happens at the next Give Way or traffic lights? Yup - I come up right behind them. SO WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THAT, THEN, YOU EFFING MANIAC???
Oops, sorry for shouting, but you seem to have touched something of a raw nerve.
Zinnia - please feel free to shout - it's in a good cause! Tailgating is VERY annoying I agree - and absolutely no need!
My little one was very lucky. She bit through her tongue and swallowed a lot of blood, suffered severe shock, and had a massive blow to the back of the head - from the underside of the car when he reversed over her - and chin (from the tarmac during said reversing). She was terrified of cars for about 6 months but otherwise made a full recovery. The driver? Not a lot happened there. A £50 fine that no doubt the DHSS paid. No insurance you see. No licence either I don't think. Oh well. Justice for ya eh.
On a lighter note - today's annoyance on the road was an SUV that drove at 20 mph on the nice flat straight bit, and then sped up to 40 mph through all the 30 mph village bits - go figure?!
What an excellent post!
My hates:
Slow drivers sticking to the middle lane on a motorway even though there is NOTHING on the inside lane and you have to go all the way out to come back in again.
Drivers not thanking you - the merest nod would do - when you give way to them and the obstruction was on their side.
Mobile phones - you've covered that.
Drivers who park VERY close to you when they can see you have a car seat in the back and need decent access.
Drivers that don't indicate when they are going right at a roundabout - yet put their left one on to say they are coming off.
I bet I think of more later as well. Thanks for the rant!
Your poor wee sprog - and poor you, too; it must have been horribly traumatic. So glad she's OK. The penalties for careless and/or uninsured drivers are woefully inadequate.
Thought of another one driving home tonight. Horseboxes. Horses are for transporting PEOPLE, people, not the other way around. If you have to take a horse somewhere it can't walk/trot/canter/gallop to for itself, you should carry it there. It's only fair.
Helen - oh yes - I love those!
Zinnia - yup - it were crap but she's okay and that's all that matters. But horses... oh no! I love horses! I want to have a horse box and a horse to put in it one day, but I will try to be a good horse-box driver! What really annoys me is drivers who roar past people on horses, after all, they were our first form of transport and we ought to owe them something for that?
Or am I just totally horse mad?!!
People who do not use their turn signals. I almost got creamed yesterday by this one idiot who was driving in the lane to my right and then decided, what the hell, she'd get into mine. No signal. No horn. After she barely missed me and I honked at her showing my non-appreciation of her assertiveness while driving I was the one that got flipped off.
Oh and children with bikes who decide they're going to cross against the light, not using the crosswalk, and usually at snail speed, across a street that has cars going 50 mph on it. It's a wonder these kids don't get run over.
Thank you for letting me rant.... - Em
your kid got run over??? My goodness, how awful ...glad she's ok, though.
I hate the fact that everyone is so aggressive on the road and also so casual - I can' t believe people drive at 120kms per hour on the freeway with a mobile in one hand. They must think they're invincible.
Em - rant away... we love a good rant here! Right there with you about the kids on bikes!
Rebecca - the aggression levels are definitely rising. Sadly that includes mine!
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