Annoying things motorists do

[Beefy198]

First of, I am not a perfect driver. I like to think that I analyse situations I sometimes get in and think "you idiot, you stuffed up there". I think you need to be self-critical of your own driving, and I'm not afraid to apologise to another road user (and not in that half-hearted giggly way that some people seem to do). For example, I hate it on the odd occasion that I misread the movement of the traffic ahead and end up blocking a junction so that people can't pull out.

But we're all human...

But the things that are likely to really wind me up....

1) School run mums that tailgate me outside schools in the morning when I am driving at around 20mph to ensure I don't hit their darlings

2) People that don't understand how lanes work on the motorway

3) People that do 40mph no matter what the speed limit

4) People that don't understand the positives of zip merging and think it's a better idea to start a traffic queue with 400 yards of empty road to their right. Vans that turn into vigilantes and straddle two lanes to prevent vehicles passing

5) People that block light controlled junctions. Nothing worse than your side going green and not being able to move as some cretins have blocked up the whole junction, leaving the lights to go red again and you haven't moved

6) People that sit in their cars or alongside them on the hard shoulder... yes, it doesn't affect me per se but I wince when I think what I could happen to them at any second...

7) People that brake whenever they see a police car, even if they're already travelling at or below the speed limit

8) People that don't understand roundabouts and brake at every single one

9) You're queuing at a junction, there's a slight gap but a car is coming... and then it turns into your road at the last moment, when if they had indicated you could have pulled out...

10) Kids on scooters. They're everywhere, and I had one up my exhaust pipe just today. They have no road sense and I wonder how many have accidents. Mum and dad buy them a scooter, they take a CBT and pass by driving around a few road cones and suddenly they're allowed loose on the roads

11) I live in the countryside and constantly meet people in lanes that want more than just their side of the road... cue a deep breath as they whisk past and you think that you're both about to lose a door mirror or worse....

12) Further to that, the woman in the BMW (yep, them!) who seemed to never want to pull over for other cars in the narrow parts of the lanes whenever I saw her on a morning commute for one contract. That was until one day the car she met at the front of the queue was me.... we met in a narrow part of the lane, she was about five metres from a passing spot and I was a good fifteen. She indicated that I would have to reverse, I said no, she was closer to a passing spot and she knew it, she got stroppy and said she wasn't budging. I was running early that morning so simply turned off the engine, turned up the radio and smiled in a way that said "I can sit here all day". She blinked first and reversed. Now every time I meet her she has a face like a slapped arse

[TimberWolf]

First of, I am not a perfect driver. I like to think that I analyse situations I sometimes get in and think "you idiot, you stuffed up there". I think you need to be self-critical of your own driving, and I'm not afraid to apologise to another road user (and not in that half-hearted giggly way that some people seem to do). For example, I hate it on the odd occasion that I misread the movement of the traffic ahead and end up blocking a junction so that people can't pull out.

But we're all human...

But the things that are likely to really wind me up....

1) School run mums that tailgate me outside schools in the morning when I am driving at around 20mph to ensure I don't hit their darlings

2) People that don't understand how lanes work on the motorway

3) People that do 40mph no matter what the speed limit

4) People that don't understand the positives of zip merging and think it's a better idea to start a traffic queue with 400 yards of empty road to their right. Vans that turn into vigilantes and straddle two lanes to prevent vehicles passing

5) People that block light controlled junctions. Nothing worse than your side going green and not being able to move as some cretins have blocked up the whole junction, leaving the lights to go red again and you haven't moved

6) People that sit in their cars or alongside them on the hard shoulder... yes, it doesn't affect me per se but I wince when I think what I could happen to them at any second...

7) People that brake whenever they see a police car, even if they're already travelling at or below the speed limit

8) People that don't understand roundabouts and brake at every single one

9) You're queuing at a junction, there's a slight gap but a car is coming... and then it turns into your road at the last moment, when if they had indicated you could have pulled out...

10) Kids on scooters. They're everywhere, and I had one up my exhaust pipe just today. They have no road sense and I wonder how many have accidents. Mum and dad buy them a scooter, they take a CBT and pass by driving around a few road cones and suddenly they're allowed loose on the roads

11) I live in the countryside and constantly meet people in lanes that want more than just their side of the road... cue a deep breath as they whisk past and you think that you're both about to lose a door mirror or worse....

12) Further to that, the woman in the BMW (yep, them!) who seemed to never want to pull over for other cars in the narrow parts of the lanes whenever I saw her on a morning commute for one contract. That was until one day the car she met at the front of the queue was me.... we met in a narrow part of the lane, she was about five metres from a passing spot and I was a good fifteen. She indicated that I would have to reverse, I said no, she was closer to a passing spot and she knew it, she got stroppy and said she wasn't budging. I was running early that morning so simply turned off the engine, turned up the radio and smiled in a way that said "I can sit here all day". She blinked first and reversed. Now every time I meet her she has a face like a slapped arse

This was sounding quite exemplary until point twelve Ditto for most, the part about people not pulling over far enough when turning right at junctions rings a chord, this can be very annoying and a possible breeding ground for accidents in frustrated road users behind.

Do you ever get days when you think jeez, two clowns in one day! (possibly within minutes of each other), and then think...umm.. maybe it's me

[Peoplesoft bloke]

..

Do you ever get days when you think jeez, two clowns in one day! (possibly within minutes of each other), and then think...umm.. maybe it's me

Yep - but their apparent annoyance at my doing stuff like actually stopping at red lights reminds me it isn't

[PAH]

Had some cretin in a rush overtake me on an A road the other day, even though I was only leaving a reasonably safe gap between me and the car in front, only for him to be stuck in the convoy due to no further safe overtaking opportunities for about 5 miles.

Really enjoyed waiting for him to finally overtake the next car, only for me to follow him and overtake him too when he pulled back in!

Even better are those straight wide roads where you can overtake a car whilst it's still overtaking something else, so three abreast.

One of the many reasons I can't stand slow cars, which I class as anything that can't do 0-60 in under 7 seconds.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Had some cretin in a rush overtake me on an A road the other day, even though I was only leaving a reasonably safe gap between me and the car in front, only for him to be stuck in the convoy due to no further safe overtaking opportunities for about 5 miles.

Really enjoyed waiting for him to finally overtake the next car, only for me to follow him and overtake him too when he pulled back in!

Even better are those straight wide roads where you can overtake a car whilst it's still overtaking something else, so three abreast.

One of the many reasons I can't stand slow cars, which I class as anything that can't do 0-60 in under 7 seconds.

At what point in any of those examples would 0-60 times be relevant?

[bogeyman]

What is it about driving, and cars in general, that turn otherwise reasonable people into total, maniacal knobs?

I drive as little as possible these days, because I don't think I'm some kind of infallible, indestructible ubermensch.

[Board Game Geek]

You're queuing at a junction, there's a slight gap but a car is coming... and then it turns into your road at the last moment, when if they had indicated you could have pulled out...

Or even worse...

The oncoming driver does indicate (hurrah), visibly slows down, so you start to pull out.

Then the driver decides to change his mind, it's not the turning he wanted, and he carries on straight ahead across causing you to either brake, attempt to cut him up and escape collision, or just get rammed.

Now, whenever I see an incoming to turn in to my junction, I just let them pass...I can wait a bit longer for another gap.

Gaps in traffic don't cause problems. Indecisive drivers do.

[NickFitz]

First of, I am not a perfect driver. I like to think that I analyse situations I sometimes get in and think "you idiot, you stuffed up there".

Absolutely. We all make mistakes, but when I make a mistake - whether accidentally doing something that could potentially kill me or another person, or just a trivial thing like missing the correct lane at an unfamiliar junction and having to go around again, or possibly five miles in the wrong direction before I can turn round - I always work through it afterwards, in the hope that this will help me avoid such mistakes in future.

12) Further to that, the woman in the BMW (yep, them!) who seemed to never want to pull over for other cars in the narrow parts of the lanes whenever I saw her on a morning commute for one contract. That was until one day the car she met at the front of the queue was me.... we met in a narrow part of the lane, she was about five metres from a passing spot and I was a good fifteen. She indicated that I would have to reverse, I said no, she was closer to a passing spot and she knew it, she got stroppy and said she wasn't budging. I was running early that morning so simply turned off the engine, turned up the radio and smiled in a way that said "I can sit here all day". She blinked first and reversed. Now every time I meet her she has a face like a slapped arse

This was sounding quite exemplary until point twelve Ditto for most, the part about people not pulling over far enough when turning right at junctions rings a chord, this can be very annoying and a possible breeding ground for accidents in frustrated road users behind.

Do you ever get days when you think jeez, two clowns in one day! (possibly within minutes of each other), and then think...umm.. maybe it's me

I don't think there was much wrong with point twelve. Where I live we have narrow streets rather than lanes, and gaps in the parked cars rather than passing places, but the same principles apply.

I'm always very patient - even if somebody is right the way down the bottom of the road as I turn in I'll wait at the top (if I can - it can cause traffic to back up onto the main road) to let people through.

But when somebody starts charging up towards me when I'm already moving and have priority and that person could have:

a) waited where they were;
b) come a bit further up and pulled into a gap;

but instead they drive up the road until we're face-to-face and:

i) the nearest gap to them is five yards behind them;
ii) I would have to reverse all the way to the top of the road a hundred yards away and hope nobody comes round the corner too fast;

then I have no qualms about turning the engine off and waiting for them to back up.

The vast majority of people who use these roads understand that they require a good amount of give-and-take. On the (thankfully rare) occasions that some arrogant twonk thinks that it's all give-to-him and take-from-us, I have no problem proving him wrong. I'm a patient man, and I'm happy to sit there until he burns his engine out revving and flattens his battery flashing his lights - I have Radio 4

Funnily enough it's always w4nkers in flash motors who have this attitude problem. Usually they're trying to impress some girl in the passenger seat as well. Bunch of fscking losers

[Purple Dalek]

What is it about driving, and cars in general, that turn otherwise reasonable people into total, maniacal knobs?

I drive as little as possible these days, because I don't think I'm some kind of infallible, indestructible ubermensch.

My experience is most people are total, maniacal knobs. They are just good to hide it, most of the time. When they think they have anonymity, their real personality comes to the fore. And there is another of their character traits, sociopathy, they don't introspect, i.e. realise what other people can see.

There again, not many people are self-actualised (as Maslow might term it), and granting such people driving licenses is the real root cause of most car accidents, i.e. there should be a psychological assesment as part of the driving license.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

My experience is most people are total, maniacal knobs. They are just good to hide it, most of the time. When they think they have anonymity, their real personality comes to the fore. And there is another of their character traits, sociopathy, they don't introspect, i.e. realise what other people can see.

There again, not many people are self-actualised (as Maslow might term it), and granting such people driving licenses is the real root cause of most car accidents, i.e. there should be a psychological assesment as part of the driving license.

Agreed (mostly) - BTW we spell it "licence" here.