Been out shopping tonight with a friend to get some pet stuff.
Now I live on a cul-de-sac, on the last bend before said dead end.
Tonight, I do my usual on return. I drive to end of road, do a U-Turn, drive past my house and reverse in.
At least I tried to.
However, as I was approaching my drive on the correct side of the road (doing no more than 10mph), some blonde bimbo in a black R reg Punto comes tearing up the road at a completely inappropriate speed and stops in such a way as to block my way, indeed she nearly crashed into me, trying to cut the corner. She indicated to me to reverse so she could pass. I would have had to reverse 30 yards due to skips in the road. I indicated for her to reverse 5 yards so I could get past my drive to reverse back. She refused. The gob on her was a picture.
So we just sat in the car and waved at her to reverse, and crossed our arms.
She lost her temper and reversed the few feet necessary. Skidding her car and nearly reversed into a wall. Pity was \"nearly\" as that would have served the silly moo right.
(Had she not moved, I would have just parked the car where it was, seeing as the reverse manoeuvre I would have had to do was next to impossible!)
I was then able to reverse on my drive. She screeched past. Skidded away. In a residential area.
My friend said \"was there any need for that attitude, time of the month probably\".
Now I just want to move, the area has obviously gone downhill, with the riff raff moving in. Decent people don\'t behave like that.
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There is a lot of it about, round our way the wife of a TrafPol drives her car in our residential area like a fighter visiting from a local USAF base! I was leaving the estate at just under 30 mph keeping a sharp look out for children etc and she was all over the back of my car.
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I once encountered a situation much the same as clariman, except with an older lady in her 50's.
We both sat there a while, then she got out of her car and came over to mine. She told me that if I didn't move my car, she would call her husband who was a policeman.
I told her to go ahead, but that I thought that wasting police time was a criminal offence, and I would be obligated to report her to the police and her husband to the Chief Constable.
Her face was a picture. She stormed back to her car, backed up 6', and I passed.
I got the impression the 'you will do as I say as my husband is a policeman' line had been used more than once.
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Yeah, well, off to the estate agents this morning.
No harm in looking if nothing else.
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Clariman
This sort of thing happens just as much in 'good' areas as 'bad' areas.
In my cul-de-sac we have plenty of Mercedes, BMW and Porsche. The guy over from me has a black Boxter and drives it like a complete idiot. He comes roaring into the Close at full throttle several times a day, around a 'blind' curve and straight into his drive; as a consequence I have to keep my kids off the pavement for fear he'll hit them.
There is also a long curved road near me that always has parked cars along one side. When you pull out to pass this string of parked cars its impossible to see if anyone is coming the other way. Now and again, of course, you'll meet someone coming towards you. Very often instead of waiting they will just drive straight at me 'because it is their right-of-way'. Nowadays I don't bother arguing - I just pull a close to the parked cars as possible, stop, and let them squeeze past.
I think this is very much a British trait. I drive in Germany a lot and I find the German drivers to be a bit more pragmatic and polite - very different from their 'arrogant' reputation in fact.
As a matter of fact I'm increasingly starting to believe that the British are becoming the most agressive drivers in Europe. There was a piece on Teletext this week that said the UK has the highest rate of 'road rage' attacks in Europe.
Yesterday I went to a local accessory/factors to pick up some spark plugs. The parts guy was telling me that one of the most popular accessory products he sells is 'baseball bat' steering wheel locks. These are like a 'Stop Lock' but shaped like a baseball bat (the 'bulge' bit clamps around the steering wheel). They are big and heavy (all metal) and the 'handle' is padded with foam. Apparently they are proving very popular across the country because it is legal to carry them in the car as an anti-theft device - and they douoble up as a 'club' to bash other drivers with. He has sold dozens in the past few weeks and his supplier has run out of stock. Nice country we live in, isn't it?
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"Apparently they are proving very popular across the country because it is legal to carry them in the car as an anti-theft device - and they douoble up as a 'club' to bash other drivers with."
Pug - you may be able to clarify this, but if it is used as an offencive weapon, then isn't is classed as so?
For example, chef carrying 8" knife, once he brandishes it in anger, it is then an offencive weapon, and therefore illegal to posses?
Am I right
H
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I am sure you're right - but I guess one can legitimately drive around with one of these in the car; if you get pulled over then you can point out that it is an antitheft device. It you drive around with a large club in the car then explaining that away might be more difficult.
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Just found this, which makes it clear how these can be used....
makeashorterlink.com/?J1AB54B95
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This sort of thing happens everywhere (in UK) all the time now.
It is a function of us all having the quality of our lives eroded all the time and feeling helpless against THEM (whoever they may be) and so we strike out at the nearest thing.
I'll stop being philosophical now and go back to nursing my hangover.
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Hugo
Not wishing to pre-empt PU:
Section 1 Prevention of Crimes Act, 1953
Any person who WITHOUT LAWFUL AUTHORITY OR REASONABLE EXCUSE, the proof whereof shall lie on him, has with him in any public place any offensive weapon shall be guilty of an offence.
Offensive weapon:
One made for causing injury,or
Adapted for causing injury, or
Intended by the person who has it for causing injury.
Therefore you can be in lawful possession of the Bat/Lock but the minute you take it up intending to flatten the bloke that has just cut you up it becomes an Offensive Weapon.
DVD
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That's all very well, DVD, but does the fact that its an 'offensive weapon' actually mean anything? Would the police be interested if I reported it being used in a threatening way? I think not.
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Aprilia,
he sells is 'baseball bat' steering wheel locks.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=88...6
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