The Technique at the Pump thread prompted this:
The 'queueing on the filler cap side' mentality IMHO is simply a further expression of lack of 'space awareness' The other prime example of this is drivers who, on a two lane road that can easily (and I mean easily, not just squeeze by; not 'you could get a bus through there love' ) take four cars abreast, will stop for oncoming traffic when presented with a car parked on each side of the road. And as for those who take a dozen goes to parallel park...
rgds
Reginald Molehusband
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In my 11 years of driving it's always amazed me the number of people that don't know the width of their own vehicle.
Agree with you normd2 on your two examples. Also, the same people will drive down the middle of the two lane road that can take four cars abreast and then panic when you drive towards them, because of course you can't fit that many cars down there...........
Doesn't seem to be a specific type of person, it's something that affects all ages.
Chris
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I agree there are a few who are over-cautious in these situations. But they bother me far less than the much larger category of drivers who will gaily barge past any obstacle, and who simply expect the oncoming vehicle to stop and make way for them. And then the driver behind will do the same thing, using the first vehicle as a shield.
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>>will stop for oncoming traffic when presented with a car parked on each side of the road.
This is frequently caused by an incorrect approach to the parked cars. Instead of easing out in good time to pass parallel to the obstruction, many drivers (either through poor observation, timidity or ignorance) will leave it to the last minute - requiring an angled pull-out.
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"Reginald Molehusband"
You must be knocking on a bit now - sure you're fit to drive..?
:-)
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You must be knocking on a bit now - sure you're fit to drive..?
Oh it's not that long ago, really.
"People would come for miles just to see him"
"Until the day that Reginald Molehusband got it right!"
"Not too far forward, Reginald......."
Seems like yesterday :-)
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most people say I'm very young for my age; now where's that chappie with the red flag, I want to go for a drive....
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I well remember the words of London cabbie directed at a lady who would not drive her red Panda through a very wide gap - she was holding up about 100 yds of traffic on the Kings Road, many years ago.
"Just because it's red, love, doesn't mean it's bus"
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I find it's women that have a problem with spacial awareness.
Isn't it scientifically proven that men are better at the spacial awareness and women are better at cleaning?
This morning, going through a road, not huge but two 7.5 tonners could pass easily, and a lady in a freelander in front of me slams on the brakes and nearly throws the thing in the ditch when a van comes the other way.
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Aim low, expect nothing & dont be disappointed
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Not just women. In my brief minicabbing days I double-parked in a one-way on Clapham Common waiting for a punter to emerge. A car stopped behind me and started hooting. I got out and looked at the space, which was two feet wider than this fellow's car. I told him so. He said the space was too narrow, it was all very well for me because I didn't have a New Car. I said he had plenty of room and got back into my car. Eventually he drove through the space, moved into the centre of the carriageway blocking it properly and stopped again, hoping to have his revenge. As my punter still hadn't come out I had to wait anyway, but by this time there were quite a few cars waiting to pass and they began to hoot. When some of their drivers got out and started to advance on him the idiot finally drove away.
I bet he's still driving about today, thirty years older and less competent. Unless someone's done the obvious (if hardly decent) thing by now.
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from here I look down on a small industrial estate - just watched an artic reverse down the narrow road with parked cars either side and round a left corner and in between another two parked vans - driver jumps out and guess what? very definately female!
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Thats why we used to have Wing-mirrors! - Cats whiskers logic, if the whiskers wont go through, then forget the rest of the car!.
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I watched, as it was blocking my path, an artic reverse from the road through a gate that was little wider than the trailer. During this maneuver it occurred to me that the driver's mirrors were useless because, at the critical moment when the trailer reached the gate, the cab was at 60 degrees to the trailer. The truck completed the maneuver it two attempts and did not hit anything. How do they do that?
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I remember watching an army tank entering Alexandra barracks in Osnabruck, as a child. Driver got a little too enthusiastic I suppose, on the swing to his right on the hard packed snow, and slid into the left-hand pillar and steel-work of the open main gates. Much guffawing by those out of sight of the RSM, who lived downstairs in our shared billet.
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I find it's women that have a problem with spacial awareness.
Interesting that. When I'm driving with my wife as a passenger, she seems to be forever saying "You just missed that by a couple of millimetres!"
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I prefer to fill up at the filler cap side of the fuel pump so as not to drag the hose across the car scratching the paintwork in the process, although I will go straight to whichever side of the pump is vacant rather than wait. The most annoying queuers at petrol stations are the ones who stop in the entrance to wait, rather than drive up behind another car, causing everyone else behind them to queue in the road causing an obstruction.
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I've had people express annoyance when I pull out of such a stationary queue on the forecourt to use an empty space and fill my car from the "wrong" side. Hohum.
As for spatial awareness/width of car, I wonder if it's due to the relative height of the person in the driver's seat. One of our cars sits lower in the road and the seat is normally adjusted to a lower vertical setting, meaning my POV might be several inches lower than in the car I usually drive - I've even occasionally raised the seat base by a couple of notches when performing tight manoeuvres in order to get a better view out. Don't know how the wife copes at all, she's 10 inches shorter than me!
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andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...
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I was taught that if you have the kerb 'disappearing' into the middle of your bonnet, you're tight in but not about to clip your mirror so you can go as fast as you like using this rule.
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You, Sir, owe me a wing mirror.
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The other delightful variation on this is the situation where the oncoming driver (and by observation over many years, I've noticed women seem more numerous doing this pro-rata) leaves a humungous gap when passing a parked car , leaving themselves in a head-on crash position.
I leave plenty of gap for door-width-openings & also observe for children/dogs hiding/running out etc., but try to leave a safe gap in the 3-abreast (!) passing situations.
The 'logic' I suppose, is that they'd rather risk a head-on crash 60-odd mph closing speed, than risk clipping a wing mirror.
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>>... The other prime example of this is drivers who on a two lane road that can easily ... take four cars abreast will stop for oncoming traffic when presented with a car parked on each side of the road...
That's me.
Not much wrong with my spatial awareness as far as I know but what about the other twerps in play?
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