Irish muppets and the Finnish Flick (rant)

RobAMerc

As a commuter cyclist and long time motoring fanatic I still cannot figure out why Irish drivers still insist on doing a "Finish Flick " style turn in the wrong direction before committing to a turn.
I realise its to get a wider angle as trucks and buses must but why does your average car driver feel they must make the turn as wide as possible with zero regard for whats on their outside ( or inside ).

I have damn near been creamed in the car with people coming into my lane to make a turn away in the opposite direction.
And only for my quick realization would have been minced meat more than once on my bike !

rant over
thanks

Mena

I'm puzzled by this phenomenon as well to be frank. Never heard it refered to as the "Finnish Flick" though... learn something new everyday

r3nu4l

My Dad drove a truck for a living, day in, day out. He's retired for years now but even still, performs the 'Finnish Flick' (never herad of it before either ) when turning.

He also tends to tailgate, again, thinking that he's in his cabin and the engine is underneath him instead of out in front of him. In his head, he's well back from the car in front, in reality he's not.

I honestly believe that bus drivers, truck drivers etc should be made to take 're-education' lessons for driving cars, at least once a year. These lessons should be paid for and provided by the company they work for.

EDIT: Oh, and I see this a lot in England, it's not uniquely Irish :rolleyes:

RobAMerc

not to put you wrong guys - the "Finnish Flick" is a rallying term for a manoeuvre practiced by the Finns at first - where the driver flicks the car the wrong way quickly to induce a slide to set it up for a corner.

What these people are doing isn't exactly a Finish Flick but it is bloody stupid !

ninty9er

My grandparents do it. They freak in the car with me when I'm practically driving ON the white line making a right turn..."what if someone cut the corner" mentality.

Bluefoam

Its usually farmers with bogger plates, as they are used to pulling trailers

RobAMerc

Bluefoam wrote: »

Its usually farmers with bogger plates, as they are used to pulling trailers

Eh - two words 1) horse 2) sounds like schmidt

Bluefoam

RobAMerc wrote: »

Eh - two words 1) horse 2) sounds like schmidt

Trailers/Horse Trailers, either way, they are still boggers and should keep away from the big city - with their Finnish/Fermanagh Flicks...

R.O.R

A couple of years ago, a guy I was working with was learing to drive. While doing on-line questions for the theory test a question about where to position your car for a LEFT hand turn.

A) Left hand side of lane

Centre of lane

C) To the right of the lane

My immediate answer of B was incorrect. Correct answer was C!

I can't be ar$ed searching the on-line ROTR, but it's possible these people are sticking to that - although it's more likely they haven't a clue how to drive :rolleyes:

kingtut

R.O.R wrote: »

A couple of years ago, a guy I was working with was learing to drive. While doing on-line questions for the theory test a question about where to position your car for a LEFT hand turn.

A) Left hand side of lane

Centre of lane

C) To the right of the lane

My immediate answer of B was incorrect. Correct answer was C!

Umm that is not correct! You only position yourself to the right of the lane for a RIGHT hand turn. For a left hand turn you position yourself to the LEFT of the lane. (it even says this in the rules of the road and makes perfect common sense - something that a lot of drivers lack!!)

I can't see why anyone could think the correct answer would be B or C ??!!!

BoardsRanger

I agree with you OP however there is one junction in my town where you MUST initially swing your car wide before taking a left turn. If you dont, you will either cross over onto the oncoming side of the road or else your rear wheel will mount the curb! you do not however have to swimg wide outside your own lane. It is a wonderfully designed junction and i would expect no less from our county council. Besides that junction, i have never felt the need to perform this maneuver anywhere else i have drove!!

Dermo123

I must admit I never heard of Finnish Flick either but I can totally relate to the issue. So many times I have been behind a driver that is indicating to turn left, slows down excessively then when I am anticipating moving to the right a bit in my lane to go past them, they move right too to take a big swing. I would love to clip them on the bumper and floor it but I guess that would be illegal:rolleyes:

Martron

I heard it being refered to the scandinavian flick. rally drivers used to use it to get the back round on ice AFAIK.

I notice the flick also. maybe older drivers do it before they had power steering perhaps?

Martron

Dermo123 wrote: »

slows down excessively then

yeah people need to trust their car more also ..... i hate seeing the indicator on and then the brake lights and coming to a near stop to take an easy turn...... *can feel blood boiling*

Berty

It women and old people mostly.

I use to drive a large van and also a rigid truck and had to make long and wide turns quite often but I never do this in the car.

One guy did this on a one way system in front of me yesterday. Back of Arthurs quay in Limerick there are 3 lanes wide of a one way. At the corner by the customs house the guy in the middle pulled left and then turned right. the car on his left blew the horn and when he made the turn he turned too far and went into the right lane only to swing back into the middle lane and then cross over to the left lane on top of the other car again on the next corner.

I despair sometimes.

Dartz

1 Word... Visibility.

So the driver can see clearly what's coming down the road, to his left especially, but also to his right. So he doesn't run over that hidden cyclist who'll rant about bloody car drivers not following the rules of the road and giving themselves a clear view through the corner....

ninty9er

Berty wrote: »

It women and old people mostly.

I use to drive a large van and also a rigid truck and had to make long and wide turns quite often but I never do this in the car.

One guy did this on a one way system in front of me yesterday. Back of Arthurs quay in Limerick there are 3 lanes wide of a one way. At the corner by the customs house the guy in the middle pulled left and then turned right. the car on his left blew the horn and when he made the turn he turned too far and went into the right lane only to swing back into the middle lane and then cross over to the left lane on top of the other car again on the next corner.

I despair sometimes.

That particular place is BRUTAL...also to the tool in the X5 who was in the right lane on Shannon Street and turned into the left lane on Henry Street...WHYYYYYYYYYYYY? You were at the front of the queue as was I, but you insist on cutting em up!!

Dartz wrote: »

1 Word... Visibility.

So the driver can see clearly what's coming down the road, to his left especially, but also to his right. So he doesn't run over that hidden cyclist who'll rant about bloody car drivers not following the rules of the road and giving themselves a clear view through the corner....

Visibility my arse....you block out visibility by going in the opposite direction

Berty

Making the flick is down to a lack of knowledge or understanding to the dimensions of the vehicle you are driving OR you really really dont want to kerb your alloys.

I put it down to dimensions and possibly no peripheral vision whether it be man, woman, young or old, newly on the road or experienced.

roosterman71

I seen a guy do this on Tuesday in Athlone. He was making a right turn, and even though there was a dedicated little island thingy on the road for making the turn, thus leaving the road free for motorists to pass, he parked on the road blocking a queue of traffic. I blew the horn to inform said driver of his stupidity and ignorance, but I fear I was wasting my time. As he made the turn, he was actually making a U-turn to go back in the opposite direction, and ended up parked across the road he turned at and blocked that.

I gave out for the rest of the trip home, and it completely ruined my good mood. I had some maltesers then and was alright

Paddy001

RobAMerc wrote: »

not to put you wrong guys - the "Finnish Flick" is a rallying term for a manoeuvre practiced by the Finns at first - where the driver flicks the car the wrong way quickly to induce a slide to set it up for a corner.

What these people are doing isn't exactly a Finish Flick but it is bloody stupid !

that would be a scandanavian flick, and its still practiced, it shifts the weight of the car so more speed can be carried through the corner.

De Hipster

Always heard it referred to as a ’Scandinavian flick’, generally in the context of rallying. Perhaps the Fins are becoming increasingly territorial?!

Can't say I use it (off stages) or have noticed it being regularly used on Irish commuter routes.

De Hipster

Paddy001 wrote: »

that would be a scandanavian flick, and its still practiced, it shifts the weight of the car so more speed can be carried through the corner.

Damn you Paddy001...beat me to it!

RandomAccess

Handbrake FTW!!

bladebrew

RandomAccess wrote: »

Handbrake FTW!!

stop! we dont want to see people flicking the car to the right then yanking the handbrake to make a left hand turn!!:D
cyclists wouldnt like that!

Type 17

I heard it described as "Swan-necking" by a guy on a UK driving programme. (think of the shape of a swan's neck)

It's usually done by idiots who have no idea how to position their car on the road, and who have destroyed multiple rear wheel rims/doors/arches on various kerbs/pillars/lamp-posts over the years, and who have (unconsciously, in most cases) developed this method for turning.

Stuff like this is why drivers should re-sit the driving test every ten years... :rolleyes:

Berty

In Limerick:

At the turn off William Street onto High Street there is a brilliantly positioned electricity pole(metal) which has claimed many a door and is adorned with many colours of paint.

You must "flick" the car out here. For those who knows this turn, I have had to make this turn in heavy traffic many times in a 17 tonne rigid truck. It is a nightmare.

Type 17

Berty wrote: »

In Limerick:

At the turn off William Street onto High Street there is a brilliantly positioned electricity pole(metal) which has claimed many a door and is adorned with many colours of paint.

You must "flick" the car out here. For those who knows this turn, I have had to make this turn in heavy traffic many times in a 17 tonne rigid truck. It is a nightmare.

Indeed, there are many poorly-designed (or too tight to re-design) junctions around the country, but the difference is that when we (those reading this thread) reach them, we are aware that swan-necking/flicking is required, and we check all around us before doing it.

The numpties mentioned above do it for every junction and, in most cases, don't check around them* because they aren't even aware that they're doing it.

*These type of drivers don't check anything outside (or inside) their car anyway. They think that they're 'driving', but in reality they're only 'steering and braking for obvious obstructions'.

Paparazzo

R.O.R wrote: »

A couple of years ago, a guy I was working with was learing to drive. While doing on-line questions for the theory test a question about where to position your car for a LEFT hand turn.

A) Left hand side of lane

Centre of lane

C) To the right of the lane

My immediate answer of B was incorrect. Correct answer was C!

I can't be ar$ed searching the on-line ROTR, but it's possible these people are sticking to that - although it's more likely they haven't a clue how to drive :rolleyes:

Quick check of the ROTR:

Turning left from a major road to a minor road

* Check your mirrors well in advance for traffic following behind you.
* Give a left-turn signal and slow down.
* Keep as close as you safely can to the left-hand edge of the road, using your mirrors to watch for cyclists or motorcyclists coming up on your left.

Anyway, the finnish flick is done by a huge amount of drivers. I hate it! A lot of boy racers do it too.

Rowley Birkin QC

I never do it and would be well used to driving tractors with towed implements and machinery.

If I get out of the tractor and straight into the car I do feel quite vulnerable for the first few minutes and often find myself reaching up and to the right to change gear:o:o

Berty

Paparazzo wrote: »

Anyway, the finnish flick is done by a huge amount of drivers. I hate it! A lot of boy racers do it too.

BTW, why cant boy racers sit up straight when driving and Im not talking about being slumped down. You look in the rear view mirror and their body is leaning right and their head is stuck between the head rest and the B pillar.

WTF?

R.O.R

Paparazzo wrote: »

Quick check of the ROTR:


Anyway, the finnish flick is done by a huge amount of drivers. I hate it! A lot of boy racers do it too.

Thanks - I was pretty sure it was wrong, but could see some sort of mis-guided logic behind it.

S.I.R

RobAMerc wrote: »

As a commuter cyclist and long time motoring fanatic I still cannot figure out why Irish drivers still insist on doing a "Finish Flick " style turn in the wrong direction before committing to a turn.
I realise its to get a wider angle as trucks and buses must but why does your average car driver feel they must make the turn as wide as possible with zero regard for whats on their outside ( or inside ).

I have damn near been creamed in the car with people coming into my lane to make a turn away in the opposite direction.
And only for my quick realization would have been minced meat more than once on my bike !

rant over
thanks

i only ever done it when trying to loose traction

concussion

Berty wrote: »

Back of Arthurs quay in Limerick there are 3 lanes wide of a one way. At the corner by the customs house the guy in the middle pulled left and then turned right. the car on his left blew the horn and when he made the turn he turned too far and went into the right lane only to swing back into the middle lane and then cross over to the left lane on top of the other car again on the next corner.

I despair sometimes.

That place is a joke, the only time you don't see people drifting across lanes there is when the traffic is bumper to bumper. Plus, despite the lanes being marked well in advance, most think that the left and middle lane are interchangable until you get to the Hunt Museum, there's many a time I've been beeped and overtaken quite dangerously when I've taken correct lane position (on me bicycle :eek:) for the right hand turn down the quay's.

Another huge thing I see is people cutting corners tight, pretty stupid if you're making a right turn at a signalled intersection but the traffic from your right has a filtered left (from their perspective) turn. Shelburne Road onto the Ennis Road is a prime example.

Don't ya hate pants??