What on the roads has annoyed you today?

[Daggers]

Had to do the rush hour run down the M1/M25 to Heathrow. Teaming down with rain so poor visibility when the traffic was moving, just plain frustrating when it wasn’t. 

 

But what annoyed me was the wife’s driving. By Christ she’s awful. 

[tom27111]

On 20/06/2023 at 10:56, Daggers said:

Had to do the rush hour run down the M1/M25 to Heathrow. Teaming down with rain so poor visibility when the traffic was moving, just plain frustrating when it wasn’t. 

 

But what annoyed me was the wife’s driving. By Christ she’s awful. 

 

That stretch from Toddington services to the Luton Airport Junction has been horrendous lately, every single day.

 

I was driving up the M1 last week, out of London, in the really bad hail storm, visibility was literally 5 metres. Genuinely feared for my life. It was under about 2 inches of water and you could only drive at about 20mph.

 

Still some absolute idiots without lights on. Unreal.

[HighPeakFox]

1 hour ago, tom27111 said:

 

That stretch from Toddington services to the Luton Airport Junction has been horrendous lately, every single day.

 

I was driving up the M1 last week, out of London, in the really bad hail storm, visibility was literally 5 metres. Genuinely feared for my life. It was under about 2 inches of water and you could only drive at about 20mph.

 

Still some absolute idiots without lights on. Unreal.

I'm not sure I can readily think of a better metric of utter ignorance and boneheaded stupidity than driving, especially in poor conditions.

[Free Falling Foxes]

I've just read this about women killed by reversing van.

Everyday I'll witness drivers reversing out of their drives and straight across the pavement without looking.

Of course they stop when they reach the road to check there are no cars coming. Sod any folk who happen to be walking past their drive however.

 

Fella on our street reversed out on me the other week. Fortunately for me, I was able to dodge out the way.

 

Some years ago I was walking with my young son along the street. He was toddling along on his bike, 2 or 3 metres in front of me when a car quickly pulled out on him.

My son was ok luckily.

The driver and I had one or two words.

It was my fault apprently because my 3 year old son should be riding on the road!

I suggested he should have had a cursory look up and down the street before reversing and also back out slowly.

 

 

 

[NAKC20]

36 minutes ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

I've just read this about women killed by reversing van.

Everyday I'll witness drivers reversing out of their drives and straight across the pavement without looking.

Of course they stop when they reach the road to check there are no cars coming. Sod any folk who happen to be walking past their drive however.

 

Fella on our street reversed out on me the other week. Fortunately for me, I was able to dodge out the way.

 

Some years ago I was walking with my young son along the street. He was toddling along on his bike, 2 or 3 metres in front of me when a car quickly pulled out on him.

My son was ok luckily.

The driver and I had one or two words.

It was my fault apprently because my 3 year old son should be riding on the road!

I suggested he should have had a cursory look up and down the street before reversing and also back out slowly.

 

 

 

Its amazing how many times you do see this happen. A lot of drives nowadays probably have a hedgerow or even a wall that you cant physically see over until your vehicle is well into the path or road. Add into that this vehicle was a 'van' so therefore probably had no rear window or side windows, except obviously the 2 door ones, so the view would be even more restricted. The poor old women could have been completely under the vehicle before the driver had even realised. I drive a Transit type vehicle for work and i will NEVER go onto a customers driveway forward if it means i have to reverse out as it is just not safe. Like you say just simply walking around my village with the pooch in tow you can guarantee at least once a week you have to stop on the pavement whilst someone is reversing out their drive and you just know they cant see you, let alone a dog or a child on a bike. The simple solution is is for people to reverse onto their drive but unfortunatly the majority of people seem to have the 'I need to be somewhere so get out of my way' attitude and sod everyone else. R.I.P to the old lady.

[Sparrowhawk]

32 minutes ago, NAKC20 said:

The simple solution is is for people to reverse onto their drive but unfortunatly the majority of people seem to have the 'I need to be somewhere so get out of my way' attitude and sod everyone else.

The really stupid thing is if they reversed in then they would come out forwards and getting out would be quicker!

Also, reversing in is actually easier.

[Daggers]

https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/using-the-road-reversing.html#:~:text=Do not reverse from a,drive out if you can.&text=check there are no pedestrians,in the road behind you.

[NAKC20]

10 minutes ago, Sparrowhawk said:

The really stupid thing is if they reversed in then they would come out forwards and getting out would be quicker!

Also, reversing in is actually easier.

Totally agree. The only time i dont reverse park is on the weekly big shop where access to the boot is needed. I detest driving into a parking space forward and really do not understand why people think its easier to do. IT'S NOT!!!

[String fellow]

One good reason for not reversing onto one's own driveway is to do with subsequently wanting to garage the car. Reversing into a garage is fraught with problems, unlike reversing out of it, which is easy.     

[Sparrowhawk]

30 minutes ago, String fellow said:

One good reason for not reversing onto one's own driveway is to do with subsequently wanting to garage the car. Reversing into a garage is fraught with problems, unlike reversing out of it, which is easy.     

I've not used garages much, but when I have I've never found reversing in to them to be a problem?

[String fellow]

1 hour ago, Sparrowhawk said:

I've not used garages much, but when I have I've never found reversing in to them to be a problem?

In a particularly short and narrow garage, there's almost no margin for error, and another problem is that the car doors open the wrong way when you try to get out of the vehicle.

[NAKC20]

3 hours ago, String fellow said:

One good reason for not reversing onto one's own driveway is to do with subsequently wanting to garage the car. Reversing into a garage is fraught with problems, unlike reversing out of it, which is easy.     

I used to reverse a Ford Galaxy into my garage. The reason being if you drove in the garage door wouldnt shut because of the high roof at the rear of the car. Because the front of the car slopes it allowed the up and over garage door to close no problem. At the end of the day if you go in forwards or reverse the car and the garage are the same size. More of the problem lies in the fact people cant park nowadays. Ive spent hours watching people trying to get in and out of parking spaces whether its in a car park or on a road

[FoxesDeb]

1 hour ago, String fellow said:

In a particularly short and narrow garage, there's almost no margin for error, and another problem is that the car doors open the wrong way when you try to get out of the vehicle.

Surely your garage is the same size whether you drive in or reverse in? Your car is much more maneuverable in reverse so it should be easier to back it in than drive in forwards 

[Daggers]

I bet a good 99% of people with a single garage don't use it for parking a car.

 

Almost nobody in this village does. I've got bicycles and motorbikes in mine - all my neighbours store assorted crap in theirs.

 

No one parks in a single garage.

[String fellow]

46 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

Surely your garage is the same size whether you drive in or reverse in? Your car is much more maneuverable in reverse so it should be easier to back it in than drive in forwards 

You're correct, of course, on the first point, although mine does feel bigger when driving in forwards. However, whilst extra manoeuvrability is essential when getting into a tight parking space on the roadside, that same facility isn't needed when backing into a garage. If anything, the 'oversteer' in that situation can be a disadvantage. As someone who has experimented with both, there's no way I'd ever risk reversing in again.   

[Parafox]

1 hour ago, String fellow said:

You're correct, of course, on the first point, although mine does feel bigger when driving in forwards. However, whilst extra manoeuvrability is essential when getting into a tight parking space on the roadside, that same facility isn't needed when backing into a garage. If anything, the 'oversteer' in that situation can be a disadvantage. As someone who has experimented with both, there's no way I'd ever risk reversing in again.   

As anyone who has tried to push a rear wheel steering shopping trolley such as those flatbed things at B&Q or a hospital wheelchair, will testify.

It's so much easier if you pull them as then the steering is then effectively at the front and much more controllable.

Edited 27 June 2023 by Parafox

[NAKC20]

28 minutes ago, Parafox said:

As anyone who has tried to push a rear wheel steering shopping trolley such as those flatbed things at B&Q or a hospital wheelchair, will testify.

It's so much easier if you pull them as then the steering is then effectively at the front and much more controllable.

Not as easy to kick the wheel when its pointing 180 degrees the opposite way to which you want to go though if its at the front!!

[Wymsey]

Motorcyclists who glide fast without giving drivers much notice.

[Unabomber]

15 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

Motorcyclists who glide fast without giving drivers much notice.

Yeah they are mostly idiots. Also do speed limits not apply to motorbikes? 

Edited 27 June 2023 by Unabomber

[Daggers]

56 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

Motorcyclists who glide fast without giving drivers much notice.

Dear Wymsey,

 

I am writing to confirm that myself and a bunch of friends plan on gliding fast by you on July 12th at approximately 8:42am. 
 

Hoping that this meets with your approval. 
 

Yours,

Some rufty tufty leather boys. 

[FoxesDeb]

5 hours ago, String fellow said:

You're correct, of course, on the first point, although mine does feel bigger when driving in forwards. However, whilst extra manoeuvrability is essential when getting into a tight parking space on the roadside, that same facility isn't needed when backing into a garage. If anything, the 'oversteer' in that situation can be a disadvantage. As someone who has experimented with both, there's no way I'd ever risk reversing in again.   

So ultimately what you're saying is you're not capable of reversing into your garage. Are you sure you should be driving?

[FoyleFox]

Always drive into our garage, having the boot at the open garage door makes loading and unloading a lot easier. Reversing in would mean either very restricted boot access or moving the cupboards and work bench. 

 

Sorry to ruin your theory @Daggersbut I do park in a single garage. Although it's 26ft long so probably is an above average size single garage. 

[Daggers]

3 hours ago, FoyleFox said:

Always drive into our garage, having the boot at the open garage door makes loading and unloading a lot easier. Reversing in would mean either very restricted boot access or moving the cupboards and work bench. 

 

Sorry to ruin your theory @Daggersbut I do park in a single garage. Although it's 26ft long so probably is an above average size single garage. 

Statistical aberration 

[String fellow]

10 hours ago, FoxesDeb said:

So ultimately what you're saying is you're not capable of reversing into your garage. Are you sure you should be driving?

I'm not saying that. The point is, it takes more care and therefore more time to reverse in, which means that if I'm in a hurry, the risk would be higher. And since you're questioning my ability to drive, it's that same carefulness that has resulted in a clean driving licence and not a single accident in over 40 years of driving.    

[The Bear]

28 minutes ago, String fellow said:

not a single accident in over 40 years of driving.    

You've seen hundreds though...