Just a bit of fun this one and not aimed at causing offence.
In my everyday driving I notice drivers of the same make, model or class of cars displaying the same types of poor driving.
Has anyone else noticed this. Please give your suggestions & reasons. I will give my four best (worst) examples as this thread is drawing to an end, but in the meantime I do not want to influence anyone.
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I suppose an obvious sterotype is the old gent in his flat cap driving his 1.0 Micra at 40 in a 60 with a long queue behind him. Another obvious sterotype is the BMW that on joining the motorway sweeps across into its reserved lane, hurtles along at a ton, and then when exiting swoops across all lanes at the last minute. I've seen quite a few expensive Mercs racing on the motorway, dodging acros lanes.
I think most drivers don't conform to these stereotypes.
The only one I can think of where the sterotype matches the reality is the white van. Most are driven badly.
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I'll add that it's all too easy to tut tut at others and not notice ones own flaws ...
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LOL yes it's funny how it's always the other guy....
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Leif,
You said it!
Do we realise that less than 2% of ALL drivers, including Police Fire and Ambulance, have any further training after they pass the driving test?
The driving test, recently updated - a written theoretical test - unconnected to actually driving something about one and a half tons, is as much use as a chocolate teapot.
Your comments are constructive - as usual.
Matt35.
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"The only one I can think of where the sterotype matches the reality is the white van. Most are driven badly."
or headgear! in ascending order of competence.
worst : baseball cap, direction of peak indicating propensity to drive like a richard head
middling : trilbies (assuming HJ wears a fedora)
best : flat cap, white top, chequered band. ?? ;-D
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"worst : baseball cap, direction of peak indicating propensity to drive like a richard head"
You have to question the computing power of the wearer's brain when he (and it is genrally a he) manages to wear mankind's simplest garment back to front
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It's because the hole needs to be on his forehead...
Hmm, the worst, mums in massive 4x4s taking their precious child to school which is a 5 minute walk because they need to protect him/her from all the other mums driving their child[ren] to school...
As well as this, they tend not to bother about speed limits, parking restrictions [SCHOOL...KEEP CLEAR doesn't mean much to them], they're ignorant, self important and self righteous.
I remember taking 15 minutes to walk to school on my own. Then when I went to big school I had to catch a bus and still a 10 minute walk, and I'm only 19!
But yes, mums in 4x4s, and why is it, the bigger the car; the smaller the driver?
Kev
P.S. I have bad habits, I drive too fast, don't stop at traffic lights on yellow, I'm impatient and am opinionated on everyone else's driving. But I do think I'm a v curteous driver [and even give way to BMWs... ;-)]
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Pistols at dawn fif, the cheek.
Toad my second - name yours.
I will have you know that last year a survey came up with the gem that a mature white van driver was one of the safest on the road. So what's your excuse?.
The very idea.
DVD
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Maybe a mature driver is, but they say that there are old pilots and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots. Perhaps the same attrition rate applies to van drivers :-)
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Round my way, a fair percentage of the small number who manage to annoy me display the CSMA badge. Don't know what to make of that.....
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I'll name Middle Man as my second, but first please tell me why I'm fighting Leif's battle won't you DVD.
Suggest you read the thread in flat as opposed to threaded view then I'll consider letting you withdraw the challenge.
And after my gentlemanly nomination for best too!
What's up? burnt yorkshire puds for lunch at DVD Towers?
FiF
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"SCHOOL...KEEP CLEAR doesn't mean much to them"
I beg to differ, Keep clear for Discovery/Shogun/Volvo to deposit brood is what springs to mind. Ominously more and more appear in Chrysler Voyagers as driven by the Beloved Leader.
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Pug, you hit the nail squarely on the head.
The previous school our sprog attended had the luxury of a car park. However the driving was so appalling that the parents, well some of us anyway, paid for and installed a pedestrian crossing to connect car park and playground gate to try and give some degree of order with parents and kids crossing the drive.
All that happened is they parked on the crossing, ooh new space so I have to walk ten yards less.
At least I had the satisfaction of seeing the main culprit of poor driving standards in his Merc actually get banged up for fraud amongst other naughties. There is a God after all.
Perhaps it does go to show that those who commit driving offences are prone to other illegalities. Not exactly scientific survey admittedly.
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The worst have to be their mothers in a behmoth of a vehicle. They speed round town and are first to complain about speeding past schools. They can't park. I'm not being sexist they can't because there cars are way to big and they can't see out of them. My mum is not allowed to drive my dad's New Jeep G. Cherokee overland. V. fuuny. and she is not driving my new polo either.
They drive the 4x4 so they can take the speed bumps at speed. Best place to watch bad drivin is a roundabout on a main rout to a school. 90% of the school runners will drive straight round it without indicating, usually going to fast for the vehicle in question thus cause tyre squel and when they see a gap theygo for it not realising how much power they have and then have to brake to stop themselves from hitting the car in front.
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FIF:
but first please tell me why I'm fighting Leif's battle won't you DVD.
Because I can run faster than you ... :>
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Drivers whose hearing is so bad they have to listen to stereos at sounds levels > 100 decibels and then have to open the windows to allow the general populace to enjoy their taste in musack:-(
madf
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>>Drivers whose hearing is so bad they have to listen to stereos at sounds levels > 100 decibels and then have to open the windows to allow the general populace to enjoy their taste in musack:-(
This is simply so they can hear it over their drain-pipe exhaust!
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Anyone wearing a hat is to be avoided;Young kids with baseball caps who drive like richard heads, or old codgers who's recation times are measured with an hour glass.
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I've heard this hat generalisation before, but the 'enthusiasts' who wear the woolie hats whilst driving their MX5s/MGFs /Caterhams etc on a cold morning are amongst the best on our roads, if only because they're so precious about their cars.
My stereotype is the 4x4 driver on the mobile phone. I'd rather take my chances with a drunk.
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You'll have to avoid me and my Landie in winter then. Wearing a wolly hat is standard practice on a winter's day (especially the more traditional ones of last winter) not as a fashion statement but to keep bonce warm.
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Sorry Pug I have to ask, do you mean a woolly hat or a wally hat.
Do realise chancing incurring the moderators' wrath who seem to be having apoplexy at anyone asking about typos. Sensibly avoided asking about the frequent ones on the turning left at red light thread though. ;-)
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Certain individuals with so called blue blood who think they lead by example by having mascots of polo riders or frogs in the middle of their cars bonnet. It is all designed to unzip a pedestrian and despatch them cleanly, as one does.
I guess some Jaguar drivers who retrofit a leaping pussy are in the same category.
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Henry,
Jag drivers who fit - or retrofit - the Jag mascot are breaking the law.
They are still fitted to Jags exported to the US - figures, don't it?
Matt35.
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Drove to an 'out of town' Halfords an hour ago to get windscreen wash - on the way in there is a small roundabout - lady approaching from 12 0 clock going out as I came in from 6 o clock - she seems to have forgotten something so does a U turn across my bows - not using the roundabout, and having to do a kind of 3 point turn to get round.
Got the screenwash, driving home via a large and busy roundabout, an Eastern Counties driver training coach ahead of me trying to emerge - an Eastern Counties Double Decker coming from 3 o clock stops on the roundabout to let the coach come out.
Think I will stay home tonight and watch the European Cup.
Matt35.
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It always used to be anyone (usually old man in porkpie hat) in a Volvo 360 or Maestro... Now it\'s wideboys in Novas or Polos with £10ks worth of \"cool\" spoilers and wheels on. If you buy a Nova for £4k then put £2k of wheels/trim on, why not just buy a decent £6k car to start with (635csi or Rover SD1 3.5 would be my choice...)
O
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People who buy old cars such as 635csi or Rover SD1 3.5 and thereby keep dangerous antiquated old cars on the roads when they should be scrapped:-)
madf
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Yikes!
I'm more of the "restore nice old car (fitting unleaded head where possible) and then don't drive it like a git" school rather than the "buy a banger and drive it to death" school.
Sorry if any cages were rattled though!
O
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I'm afraid I've got to go with the 'mums (or dads!) on school run' scenario here!
As said above, I'm sure most don't fit with the stereotype, but it sure does seem like it sometimes!
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A cynical hard bitten type person i may be. But hope that this is proof that there is some joy in this world.
Filling up today at an almost local garage when I was approached by a woman who identified herself as the mother of kid I represented four or five years ago.
He was up on some nasty motoring offences including thefts of cars (multiple) and faced a long strech. He pleaded guilty and I mitigated for him and got him a Community Punishment. I have often thought of him in reading these columns as he typified the stereotypes of the "bad driver" down to the baseball cap that I whisked off his head that day.
His mother said to me that she "owed me" because since his court appearance he has never, to her knowledge, ben involved in crime.
He now has a job and has a child.
She was quite wrong of course, she owed me nothing, its the lad that kept out of trouble. I have often wondered whether I was doing the right thing in trying to keep him out of nick, and whether someone would pay with their lives. I haven't seen him since. Maybe an unpopular view but some of them can change given the right circumstances. Made my day though.
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PU,
How on earth did you get him CP only?
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Long story, a lot of promises...seems he kept them. Doubt very much that he would get the same result in today's Courts.
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Good you didn't mention Mustangs or I would have feared for your safety......
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