Examples of poor driving you have witnessed!

Serendi

Active Member
Last nights taxi driver from the rank outside Casa scared the shite out of me with his driving. Didn't think we were going to make it back to Wildwood in one piece.

I posted on the previous page about a taxi driver that was flashing his lights and honking his horn at me whilst I waiting for a box junction to become clear. I saw the same taxi at the taxi rank by Casa, I wonder if it's the same taxi driver that took you home?
 

henryscat

Well-Known Forumite
Anyone who treats every other motorist as someone not to be trusted and therefore makes an effort to be aware of exactly what is going on around them at all times is in the wrong mindset to be a safe driver? What farking planet do you live on?
http://www.rospa.com/roadsafety/adviceandinformation/driving/road-rage.aspx

ROSPA said:
Aggressive, selfish or impatient attitudes influence the way we drive. This can develop into a tendency to take irresponsible risks, such as tailgating, exceeding speed limits, undertaking, or jumping red lights.
 

henryscat

Well-Known Forumite
I posted on the previous page about a taxi driver that was flashing his lights and honking his horn at me whilst I waiting for a box junction to become clear. I saw the same taxi at the taxi rank by Casa, I wonder if it's the same taxi driver that took you home?
I suspect there's more than one crap taxi driver in Stafford.....
 

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
As far as I am concerned, anyone who is unnecessarily in the fast lane doing an inappropriately low speed is a danger to themselves and others and the correct thing to do is to get away from them as safely and quickly as possible. This is because they are clearly oblivious to the rules of the road and are liable to do something daft at any time. Sitting at a safe distance behind them is not an option because a) they will do something else erratic and b) other drivers will take undertaking action, even if you won't.

It's possible to undertake a dangerously slow driver who clearly shouldn't be on the road without being aggressive or bullying. It's not possible to do it without breaking the law, but hey ho, sometimes you have to take that chance in the name of common sense.
 

shoes

Well-Known Forumite
Aggression, no. I'm perfectly calm, I just want them out of my way. They're welcome to carry on at whatever speed they wish in the correct lane, meanwhile the rest of the world has a life to get to.

As for bullying? No, simply attempting to alert them to the fact there is someone behind them and that they should move over. Passing on the inside with finger extended is the lest they deserve for being a prick in the outside lane.

I think you have this vision of me red faced, spitting feathers with steam coming out my ears as I drift all over the road trying to get past. I'm perfectly calm, I just don't want to watch my life passing me by whilst travelling at 60mph for absolutely no reason at all.
 

photography_bloke

Well-Known Forumite
Just seen a good one - walking down past the front of the leisure centre heading towards the petrol station and I was suddenly faced by a car driving the other way down the footpath, right in front of the leisure centre?!?!?!?

Must have turned out of the petrol station thinking it was the road - how though, remains a mystery...
 

henryscat

Well-Known Forumite
Aggression, no. I'm perfectly calm, I just want them out of my way. They're welcome to carry on at whatever speed they wish in the correct lane, meanwhile the rest of the world has a life to get to.

As for bullying? No, simply attempting to alert them to the fact there is someone behind them and that they should move over. Passing on the inside with finger extended is the lest they deserve for being a prick in the outside lane.

I think you have this vision of me red faced, spitting feathers with steam coming out my ears as I drift all over the road trying to get past. I'm perfectly calm, I just don't want to watch my life passing me by whilst travelling at 60mph for absolutely no reason at all.

It doesn't matter how you dress it up: your behaviour is aggressive, you admitted it in your post. Blasting your horn, flashing your lights and sticking your finger up is aggressive driving and is the behaviour of a bully. Your language above reflects this. The behaviour you have admitted affects your safety as a driver. The fact that you cannot recognise your behaviour as aggressive makes you an even greater risk to others on the road. Had you been "perfectly calm" you would have undertaken without making your feelings known. Your behaviour towards the other driver could have un-nerved the other driver and (further) taken their concentration, making them a greater risk to others too.

Exactly how fast did you wish to travel for your life to not "pass you by"?
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
As far as I am concerned, anyone who is unnecessarily in the fast lane doing an inappropriately low speed is a danger to themselves and others and the correct thing to do is to get away from them as safely and quickly as possible. This is because they are clearly oblivious to the rules of the road and are liable to do something daft at any time. Sitting at a safe distance behind them is not an option because a) they will do something else erratic and b) other drivers will take undertaking action, even if you won't.

It's possible to undertake a dangerously slow driver who clearly shouldn't be on the road without being aggressive or bullying. It's not possible to do it without breaking the law, but hey ho, sometimes you have to take that chance in the name of common sense.

Apart from where you call it the fast lane (really it is lane three, or lane two on a DC), I agree with much of this.

However I won't undertake when the motorway is busy, as there is far too much inattention about to make it safe in my opinion.

When I do undertake a car in lane three I do it quickly and with as little fuss as possible. There is no point in gesturing or brake testing as the lane hogger is doing it because they haven't got a clue how to drive or they don't care or they want to provoke a reaction, so trying to 'educate them' is pointless.

Get past, get on with your life and let them get on with theirs.
 

zakkwylde87

Well-Known Forumite
I haven't been on here for literally three years and henryscat is still banging on about driving etiquette and totally disagreeing with what most people seem to think about it, in anyway shape or form. Haha. Ridiculous. Literally the first post I've looked at in years...
 

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
Can't say i have personally noticed any improvement in the standards of 'driving etiquette' in the last three years.

Bang on...
bangheadwall.gif
 

henryscat

Well-Known Forumite
Assertiveness yes!
Nope. This needs to be made absolutely clear- Shoes' driving in the instance he describes was aggressive. Assertive driving is different altogether. Being assertive behind the wheel does not involve blasting horns, flashing lights to intimidate, or middle finger gestures. Shoes thinks he is a safe driver but his driving behaviour demonstrates otherwise. If Shoes did an advanced driving course he would not be taught to react to others demonstrating poor lane discipline in the way that he did.
 

db

#chaplife
whilst i dare say i drive in a similar manner to you, shoes, and most certainly in a way that would have henry scat weeping into his macrobiotic tofu shake, it's hard not to lol at:

Aggression, no. I'm perfectly calm...
no amount of beeping and flashing moves them so I just undertake usually with the middle finger extended as I pass. Some of us have a life to get to...

</devilsadvocate> ;)
 

shoes

Well-Known Forumite
whilst i dare say i drive in a similar manner to you, shoes, and most certainly in a way that would have henry scat weeping into his macrobiotic tofu shake, it's hard not to lol at:

</devilsadvocate> ;)


I find it really hard to understand why it seems impossible gesture someone to feck off in a calm way. Seriously, it's really easy. You don't even have to look at them - drive past, finger up, job done. You don't have to be leaning out of the window whilst trying to maintain your undertake drift by steering with your knees.

Nope. This needs to be made absolutely clear- Shoes' driving in the instance he describes was aggressive. Assertive driving is different altogether. Being assertive behind the wheel does not involve blasting horns, flashing lights to intimidate, or middle finger gestures. Shoes thinks he is a safe driver but his driving behaviour demonstrates otherwise. If Shoes did an advanced driving course he would not be taught to react to others demonstrating poor lane discipline in the way that he did.

Shoes has done an advanced driving course and he still manages to undertake, give the finger and operate basic vehicle functions without causing a 52 car pile up.
 

henryscat

Well-Known Forumite
I find it really hard to understand why it seems impossible gesture someone to feck off in a calm way. Seriously, it's really easy. You don't even have to look at them - drive past, finger up, job done. You don't have to be leaning out of the window whilst trying to maintain your undertake drift by steering with your knees.
You still don't grasp the very simple premise that despite what you claim or think your behaviour was aggressive. If you were "calm" you would not have used lights, horn, or made hand gestures. Your own posts show that you bully others on the road. Show me a psychologist who would describe your behaviour as calm.


Shoes has done an advanced driving course and he still manages to undertake, give the finger and operate basic vehicle functions without causing a 52 car pile up.
Then you are not applying it.
 
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