Bada Bing!

I see them as nothing more than obstacles; faceless drones that stand between me and empty roaded VTEC joy. I don't recognise people I know when I'm out driving. Sure, I see the car they're in, but unless it's something unusual like my own, it's just another obstacle and isn't noted down as important if no action is necessary.

I overtook a guy from work last night on a long twisty uhill section of road and was having the time of my life with the roof down in the sunshine. I never thought about the driver of the other car at all, beyond the fact that I had to get past him at the earliest opportunity. He was laughing about it today because he had never seen a car corner so quickly whilst staying so stable.

Whilst on NSL roads I just don't think of other cars as being remotely important, beyond getting past them, but this mentality disappears on urban streets as you need to think much more about letting people out at junctions, people turning and pulling out without indicating etc.

One thing I really object to sharing NSL roads with are horses and pedestrians walking their f*cking dog! Far too often have I come round a blind bend on a NSL lane only to be met by some f*cking muppet wearing dark clothes with his mutt in tow. The horse c*nts are worse though, because if they f*ck your car up they are uninsured and you'll get bugger all. Same goes for cyclists, no insurance but very likely to cause an accident. Where's the justice in that? Oh, and the folk doing 40 in a 60 for no reason. I came across one old c*nt the other day doing 25 in a 60! If I was doing almost 40mph over the speed limit I'd be fined all the way up the a*se!

Am I alone? Am I just a selfish product of the Playstation generation, or do you think of the Mondeo/dog walking/cycling brigades as just another obstacle as well? I don't think I own the road, but I do think that if you want to use the road you should at least do the speed limit if appropriate, and pay tax/insurance.

bigfecker

- you forgot mothers on school runs with their little darlings in the back, spend more time talking to the kids telling them to behave rather than driving and not realising that their car can actually take a bend without braking at more than 35 mph without falling over.

But my pet hate (happend this morning) drivers who approach a roundabout come to a complete stop then look and then dither, just fecking get with it you deserved the beep I gave you!

gaddafi

an interesting rant as usual

I sympathise, apart from the horse bit, rounding blind bends and being surprised

I live at the end of a road which is NSL (incredibly) - MarkB and RichUK will testify having visited for acolyte indoctrination training recently

people driving at more than 30 mph down that road, with a short stretch exception, are a feckin menace

I walk down it sometimes and I pay more insurance on more cars than most people, so I think my rights are fairly sound

I will drive as fast as anyone - under the right conditions, which are not b-roads with poor visibilty and a probability of encountering walkers/horses/blackberry pickers/tractors/nutters in sports cars

Bingo-a-go-go

I agree with Gad - driving on public roads involves sharing it with other members of the public.

Not all MoP's are mini schumachers on a B road mission...

Its a sad indictment of our society that you view everyone else an an inconvenience, an obstruction.

In reality, they are just going about their business, and have different skill levels/attitudes to driving than yours.

Its an interesting viewpoint - My biggest point to make is that you want everyone else to obey the highway code and drive correctly, whilst you blast down country lanes at 90....or have I missed your point?

This isn't a flame - you solicited opinions, so please take it as that...

Pete Findlay

Are you sure you shouldn't be driving a BMW instead ?

I'm afraid I'm with Gad and Bingo on this one - a bit of give and take will get you there a lot less stressed out!

I suggest a track-day to vent your pent-up aggression. I read a nice quote somewhere in another thread - Take you car on a track day, then you realise you can't drive really fast and safely on the public road, so you don't try. - A bit of an over-simplification, but in principle, it struck a chord with me.

Having said that...

What's with 'Baby On Board' stickers? Am I supposed to drive any different around you just because you have a sprog on board? Actually I do - I read it as 'Baby on board, therefore likely to be distracted at the worst possible moment, turning round to wipe up sick, pick up toys etc, and otherwise drive in an entirely unpredictable manner paying little or no attention to the road and traffic around me'

Saxo Boy

I know exactly what you mean about drones. Its like I'm Neo and nearly every other driver is still plugged in....

gaddafi

they are useful

file with baseball cap wearers, frong fogs on in fine weather, neons, trilby on parcel shelf (ditto small dog), fish symbol, furry toys on mirror, 'back off' signs and stereo louder than the engine

early warning twat alert

Liam

LOL i dont mind other road users, i sit in traffic all day to get to work so i'm kinda used to it.

BUT!

The people who are completely oblivious to whats going on around them should not be on the road, i have not time at all for them. I would even go asfar as saying they are quite dangerous!

Shiskine

I'm with Gad on the horse thing. I had one of my biggest ever moments on a country road when I lived in Northamptonshire.

I was piling along this country road (in my then company Cavalier SRi ... ), hurtled round a blind bend to be greeted by two horses trotting along in my lane. Had to swerve and brake to avoid them, which of course unsettled the car, causing me to fishtail down the road. Only just held it and had the old "jelly legs" sensation all the way home.

I can't even remember if the horses reared up or unseated their riders, but I realised immediately how incredibly stupid I'd been and how, had there been an oncoming car, there might have been carnage.

Since that incident, I've always tried to be a bit more circumspect in areas where there might be horses and always now follow the Country Code, giving them a wide berth ...

EddandSam

Not sure about the trilby bit. When I was at Goodwood last year EVERY supercar had one on the passenger seat on parcel shelf

Although I guess if you twin the Trilby with a Rover thats when the problems start!

Don't get me started on other road users. I try to be polite and nice to them all but some just get my goat...........middle lane sitters, speed limit enforcers, none indicators etc etc

I don't mind people making mistakes and plenty do and some even apologise with a wave etc etc but those who are oblivious annoy me.

Conversation on the M5 with the wife on Sunday night:

"Edd why do you flash and beep your horn at people that are sat in the outside and middle lanes. You should just undertake them!"

Me "My dear I do it in the hope that one day or one time they will actually realize what they are doing wrong and drive like the highway code and law states"

But alas no most sit there or pull over for 4 seconds to let you past and then back out again!

Rant Over!

Edd