Well done ORB!

Not an uncommon attitude among drivers of Range Rovers and other large, expensive vehicles.

I will not comment on which gender of driver seems to be more common in my experience.

What a charming person that driver was! I agree that this sort of thing is getting worse.

On a personal note, I remember several years ago (about 20-25 when I was living at my parents' house) I cycled into the town centre through the retail park car park and through a shared pathway/roadway to the main high street.

A car block my and pedestrians' path, and, after waiting a minute waved at the driver and said 'hello', politely asking them if they could move to let us all pass.

Needless to say, he took umbridge to that request and reversed at me, then chased me on the bike around the car park at speed. I had to 'bunny hop' over a large kerb to get away from them, damaging my wheel (bending three spokes) in the process.

All because the driver though he owned the road and could do as he pleased.

I still see some people deliberately rev their engines at pedestrian crossings to 'encourage' OAPs to cross faster, often laughing and/or smiling as they do. Even motorcyclists and cyclists appear to get impatient.

I've witnessed this sort of thing many a time in London (not just in the sticks) when road users think that red lights don't apply to them, honking their horns and gesticulating towards pedestrians 'deigning' to cross the road when they are supposed to (I realise that many pedestrians don't).

As ORB says, we're all going to be OAPs some day, so should be more understanding.

Somewhat off-topic - I don't become "absolutely fuming" very often these days, but the behaviour of some drivers at school crossings is often despicable. Apparently school crossing patrols are routinely abused by people who presumably just didn't allow enough time for their journey.

She was being followed by an Evoque

Did it have 'prat plates'? I find that fitting them seems to give the driver some sort idea of privilege.

The signage clearly states all motor vehicles are prohibited:

Mon-Thurs 11am-4pm, and Fri-Sat noon-4pm.

Unless the restrictions have changed, and unless the old girl was walking down there on a Sunday, I would have ben tempted to whip out my mobile and taken a video of the offender to forward to the relevant authority.

Edited by bathtub tom on 10/11/2021 at 17:28

I was absolutely fuming.

I don't see what offence has been committed, and I suspect that if the car had been a Fiat 500 (for example) you might have fumed a bit less.

Most mornings I stroll down a narrow hill parallel to the main road. It is the original turnpike, with old cottages fronting it, but has been 'by-passed' and made less steep for later traffic on the A56. Residents, and myself too, occasionally drive slowly down, often taking some time before some strollers realise we are behind them. Quite often it is because their world awareness consists of the phone they are looking at, or the noise emanating from their earphones. It's not the same as an elderly lady (who may be deaf) but the situation is the same. I don't know what a driver should do if a gentle toot has no effect. In my local example it may be more understandable as toots can easily be coming from the main road. In this case that doesn't seem a valid explanation.

".. Well done ORB! .."

Yes, well done, absolutely agree.

I'm not sure though that the vehicle is particularly significant.

There was a TV prog a few years ago where various people (drivers etc) were swopped around and their progress was monitored.

Conclusion - - (eg) aggressive "white van man" was just as aggressive when riding a bicycle, or walking.

Vicey versey polite pedestrian was just as polite when in the white van or on a motorbike.

Maybe there should be a "Psychologically Suitable" aspect to allocating driving licences, as opposed to "it's everyone's right ..." ?