Rant for the Day

[Fareham_Bee]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook Exactly, all you can do is wait. But it's not the end of the world if you have to wait for a bit. So why bother to complain about it? Do you complain if you're held up by traffic jams, accidents, landslides, snow or other natural hazards? Bad drivers are just a natural hazard. There's nothing you or anyone else can do about them so there's no point in moaning about them Steve

Because we're not all as perfect as you Steve. Letting off a bit of steam is good for the old pressure valve and therefore I had to have a moan about them. Bad drivers are certainly not a natural hazard. If the police took more time dealing with bad driving than just speeding perhaps they'd learn. You say it's not the end of the world if you have to wait a bit. The main complaint about the numbskulls is that they are causing bunching, closing down a lane on an already congested road system and are a hazard. That's the frustration.
My mate does pull them up, and the most popular excuse he hears is "I feel safer here".. What???? He just tells them he doesn't care, and next time he'll give them a ticket. Obviously there won't be a next time, same as when you let someone out who doesn't say thanks, you think "next time I'll make you wait" LOL.
I never moan about an accident ahead because there could be someone dead up there, the weather is a natural hazard and that isn't an everyday occurance. Traffic frustrates but it isn't risking everybody else's wellbeing through utter ignorance and selfish, lazy driving.

[Fareham_Bee]

Originally Posted by David Brent At the same time I also hate tailgaters. Those idiots that drive right up behind your car trying to intimidate you into going faster - leaving no room for error. Most likely person to drive that way is your typical young hoon. Dave.

I had one of those behind me last night. I just touched my brakes lightly to set the lights off. He backed off but was soon back. So close you couldn't see his lights in the back window. I slowed and thought he would pass but he didn't. I don't understand that mentality.

[batman]

Originally Posted by Fareham_Bee I had one of those behind me last night. I just touched my brakes lightly to set the lights off. He backed off but was soon back. So close you couldn't see his lights in the back window. I slowed and thought he would pass but he didn't. I don't understand that mentality.

And they always seem to drive silver coloured cars.

Bats.

[Fareham_Bee]

Funny you should say that, it was a silver rover!!! Spooky. You weren't tailgating a Scenic in Lee on Solent last night were you bats?

[batman]

Originally Posted by Fareham_Bee Funny you should say that, it was a silver rover!!! Spooky. You weren't tailgating a Scenic in Lee on Solent last night were you bats?

Mrs Bat has a silver Avensis .... I am lumbered with an ancient red Rover turbo diesel tank!

Bats.

[christoph404]

Originally Posted by Fareham_Bee I had one of those behind me last night. I just touched my brakes lightly to set the lights off. He backed off but was soon back. So close you couldn't see his lights in the back window. I slowed and thought he would pass but he didn't. I don't understand that mentality.

I think driving habits and techniques are a cultural thing because interestingly on the continent things like tailgaiting are the norm and there is no malice or intimidation intended. I have done a fair amount of driving in Spain, Italy and France, needless to say everyone drives faster but I generally find the lane discipline better than the UK and people don't sit in the overtaking lane or middle lane holding up the flow of traffic just for bloody mindedness. In Spain if you leave a safe breaking distance from the car in front someone will be on your tail trying to nip into it, its pretty much the same in France. On the dual carriagway from Malaga to Almeria people drive very fast and the accepted procedure seems to be that if you want someone to move out of your way you have to drive right up to their back bumper in order for them to move, a manouvere that could incite a fist fight in the UK, but curiously no malice or intimidation seems to be intended in Spain, its just the way it is. In some ways I feel safer driving on the continent because of that but ironically the carnage on the roads in Spain during a Bank holiday weekend is usually very high, certainly there are more accidents than in the UK but that I think is caused by the sheer speed motorists drive whereas in the Uk I do believe there is a competitive aggressive attitude amongst some motoroists towards each other which causes needless accidents. If you indicate to pull out and overtake a truck on the continent the car travelling behind you who is already on the ouside lane will let you out, I have experienced a lot of drivers in the UK who will actually increase their speed to try and prevent you pulling out and in essence are forcing you into the back of a truck or will flash their lights at you because they are pissed off that you have called their bluff and they then have to reduce their speed back to which they were originally travelling! I think that is a very British driving phenomena, not at all sure why it should be so but I am convinced most accidents are caused by peoples aggression and competitiveness overiding their common sense.

[Fareham_Bee]

I too have driven a lot on the continent and would agree with you 100%. I was overtaking a lorry on the Motorway in Sicily and was surprised to find someone overtaking me. Surprised because it was a dual carraige MWay! They weren't alone as someone was following them, I just had to laugh at the way it just seemed the norm out there.
I drove back from Perpignan to St Malo in one hit and have to say the stress levels felt a lot higher on the short journey from Pompey to Fareham than the whole of France.