Crap Drivers

[Dibs-h]

Dibsy

As you mature (I perceive you are in your 30s) you will realise there are things you can change & things you can't do owt about.

Concentrate on the former & let the latter go over you head.
Saves a lot of stress & wasted energy
Go with the flow matey :wink:

Accept Mrs Dibsy for what she is - I promise you won't change her!

DAMHIKT

Well got the car running last night, seems to be ok so far. I know what you mean. I do try - problem is as time goes by I'm slowly becoming a version of Victor Meldrew.

I think I am going to have to adopt some sort of strategies for dealing with these sorts of things - other than going spare and keeping my hands in my pockets (so they don't end up round anyone's neck).

Is the reference to association to "the PC brigade" intended as derogatory? Obviously it normally is I'm just curious to know whether I've misunderstood a more subtle point. :?

Sorry Matt - that could have been put better. It wasn't derogatory, I was trying to make the point that because of the PC brigade one can't really drive in any urban area these days without paying more attention to the speedo than the road. I certainly do drive to the conditions, but in an urban area common sense has to take a back seat sometimes due to these sorts of things - i.e. Plod is likely to be a jobs-worth these days.

 

[matt]

Is the reference to association to "the PC brigade" intended as derogatory? Obviously it normally is I'm just curious to know whether I've misunderstood a more subtle point. :?

Sorry Matt - that could have been put better. It wasn't derogatory, I was trying to make the point that because of the PC brigade one can't really drive in any urban area these days without paying more attention to the speedo than the road. I certainly do drive to the conditions, but in an urban area common sense has to take a back seat sometimes due to these sorts of things - i.e. Plod is likely to be a jobs-worth these days.

No problem. Just goes to show that one's initial perception is not always the right one.

 

[Digit]

When I passed my test I thought I knew it all, after stopping off to visit a variety of different ditches i slowly began to understand that that might not be the case.
As Ray says, one needs to practise, around here that is one of the problems, a recent survey revealed that many older drivers drove only once a month!
Personally I allow no radio or phone usage when I'm driving.

Roy.

 

[WeeJoiner]

Was working on a Edinburgh city centre high rise building site a few years back, well quite a few actually, when my workmate. A lad in his early twenties pointed out a blue hatch back car down in the traffic. We were about 5 floors up. The car was at a traffic light T junction where 3 lanes go into 2, bus lane included on one of the busiest city centre routes.

He announces" thats my sister, isnt she doing well". How do you mean says I.
"She doesnt have a driving licence" he says. To top it all the car was their fathers mobility car. :shock:

Dont know how she was on dash lights :lol:

 

[matt]

I've always fancied doing the advanced driving course but the cost is prohibitive. I'm surprised some of the basics are not taught as part of the standard driving tuition, especially as they cut against what might seem like common sense but, when explained, make perfect sense. For example, driving near or even over the centre line of the road going in to a left bend seems like madness until you realise how much further you can see round the bend.

 

[Dibs-h]

I've always fancied doing the advanced driving course but the cost is prohibitive. I'm surprised some of the basics are not taught as part of the standard driving tuition, especially as they cut against what might seem like common sense but, when explained, make perfect sense. For example, driving near or even over the centre line of the road going in to a left bend seems like madness until you realise how much further you can see round the bend.

Yes - and almost in the gutter on a right hand bend. Track time is good too & you don't have to have a beast. Been to plenty of days where folk turned up in their everyday cars just to get a taste.

We had a 10 min car basics sessions for the "don't know" brigade last night. It almost made up for the several evenings of work on the car. I so had to keep a straight face.

Just watching Wifey take a while to find out how to open the bonnet and then even longer to find the bonnet stay - almost made up for the aggro! She did get frustrated and almost stomped off inside - until I pointed out that because of her lack of knowledge I'd spent 3 evenings sorting it out in the cold and rain.

Ran thru all the gauges\lights - did get a few "ahh's!" - so hopefully something has been learnt. I think I'll be adopting a "she does her own basic car checks every week" approach from now on (happy to watch\supervise).

Later when the new garage is built and the 2 poster ramp fitted - I will be getting her to service her own car - well at least once!

 

[TrimTheKing]

Haha, you crack that whip lad!

In fairness, you are absolutely right. I can't understand why a certain amount of basic machanical knowledge, or at least understanding, is not made part of the testing.

My missus is very good a picking up on warning lights, and even the smallest changes in behaviour of her car, so we haven't had any of these thus far. Good job too as she drives a bl00dy big 3L V8 Touareg.

I was very impressed about 12 months ago when she said to me that the car had, for the past 2 days, been appearing to lose power when going round a particular bend, and only when she went round it over a certain speed. No other corners, just this one bend, and the ESP light flashed on/off/on for a brief second each time. :?

Most ridiculous thing I had ever heard so obviously I took the pi$$ for a while then out we go to try it out and sure thing, going round the bend at 40, all fine, going round at 50 (it's on a country lane) and I felt it lose power, saw the ESP light flicker then soon as we're round the bend all back to normal.

So we get home and check through the manual and it says to check tyre pressures, so out she goes with the pressure guage and finds that the nearside rear is low (but she had only topped them all up about 10 days before). So we re-fill it and check the next morning, down again, slow puncture.

So all in all I was very happy with her for picking up on it and taking the initiaive to work it out.

She's also a very good driver :wink: in fairness. Years ago she had a Peugeot 206CC and was flying home from work at about 8pm doing about 90 when she had a nearside front blowout!!!! :shock:

She managed to keep control and safely steer to the hard shoulder before calling the recovery people. Tyre was shredded and wing was covered in black marks but all safe

 

[Digit]

Not quite how far round the bend the driver who ploughed into me could see but he was well over the centre line.
Using bends to your advantage is something every biker learns quite early on.

Roy.

 

[matt]

My wife is generally a good driver, although does tend to brake late because she can but does not seem to accept that that style of driving reduces the volume of warning the driver behind gets of her intentions thus increasing the risk of being hit in the rear. And it's bloody uncomfortable as a passenger!

She also seems prone to slow bumps... Drove in to the back of my car when following me as I edged out of a side turning and had to immediately stop to wait to get round a bus. Scraped side of car against Waitrose trolley park. Reversed off drive into her father's (previously) spotless BMW. Explanation pending of why the towbar power socket seems to be constantly bent under the car (but suspicion lies around comments such as "everyone always remarks at how good I am at getting in to tight spaces...")