Road issues that irritate me.......

Frigating

Drivers who go full speed, or even speed up, through large puddles when there's a pedestrian walking along beside. I'm already wet enough, no need to soak me with muddy ground-water just to save 10 seconds.

MeatTwoVeg

People who drive while wearing hats.

It's a pretty much universal rule and covers everyone from the teenage boy racer to the 80year old senile Sunday driver, but if you see someone wearing a hat, they're most likely, a **** driver.

whoopsadoodles

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

People who drive while wearing hats.

It's a pretty much universal rule and covers everyone from the teenage boy racer to the 80year old senile Sunday driver, but if you see someone wearing a hat, they're most likely, a **** driver.

:pac:

I was in and out of the car so much over the weekend that I was wearing a hat a lot! It's a very pretty hat

BailMeOut

you indicate to park in a free spot coming up on your left, slow down and drive past the spot so you can back in to it however the person driving behind you comes right up your a$$ so you cannot reverse.

Cantona's Collars

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

People who drive while wearing hats.

It's a pretty much universal rule and covers everyone from the teenage boy racer to the 80year old senile Sunday driver, but if you see someone wearing a hat, they're most likely, a **** driver.

Nah,certain hats are OK. Its the lads who insist on driving around wearing hoodies with the hoods up. Almost zero peripheral vision to compliment the limited front vision from having the seat let down and back so far they can barely reach the pedals or see over the steering wheel.

astrofool

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

People who drive while wearing hats.

It's a pretty much universal rule and covers everyone from the teenage boy racer to the 80year old senile Sunday driver, but if you see someone wearing a hat, they're most likely, a **** driver.

Add people wearing headphones to that list.

Should note that this is OK in old timey open top cars, and the hat needs to be made of leather, and be brown, or black. Goggles make you a better driver in this instance.

astrofool

zerks wrote: »

Nah,certain hats are OK. Its the lads who insist on driving around wearing hoodies with the hoods up. Almost zero peripheral vision to compliment the limited front vision from having the seat let down and back so far they can barely reach the pedals or see over the steering wheel.

Which certain hats? Pictorial evidence please.

CFlat

You're driving through a town and a line of cars are parked on your left. You can just about see the right indicator flashing on one of them, so you assume they want to pull out. Traffic is slow, you're not in a rush so you decide to be polite and flash them to merge onto the road in front of you. You wait...you wait..you wait and there is no sign of them pulling out. Frustrated you drive on, look over at the car to see what the f88k they were at and realise that they had their hazard lights on but you couldn't see the left indicator flashing as well.

If you're parked up normally and haven't been in a crash or broken down, switch off your hazards ya tool.

astrofool

CFlat wrote: »

If you're parked up normally and haven't been in a crash or broken down, switch off your hazards ya tool.

Then how would people know you're just using the disabled space to grab a coffee or newspaper?

RainyDay

astrofool wrote: »

Add people wearing headphones to that list.

Why? What's the problem with drivers listening to their own choice of music, instead of some inane DJ chatter?

MadDog76

RainyDay wrote: »

Why? What's the problem with drivers listening to their own choice of music, instead of some inane DJ chatter?

Here we go again ........... don't worry, we won't take cyclists headphones away from them ............. they're oblivious to what's going on around them anyway!

Cantona's Collars

astrofool wrote: »

Which certain hats? Pictorial evidence please.

I sometimes wear a baseball cap. Those hats that you see auld lads wear specifically for driving mean they are exempt from using indicators and can hog the white line at 60 kph. A tartan blanket on the shelf in the back window is also a clear sign they may also own said hat.

Cantona's Collars

RainyDay wrote: »

Why? What's the problem with drivers listening to their own choice of music, instead of some inane DJ chatter?

Its dangerous, you tend to concentrate on the music rather than your surroundings. By all means stick one in for the phone, I saw a guy driving one of Nolan's transport artics the other day while wearing a pair of over ear Beats.

SixSixSix

CFlat wrote: »

You're driving through a town and a line of cars are parked on your left. You can just about see the right indicator flashing on one of them, so you assume they want to pull out. Traffic is slow, you're not in a rush so you decide to be polite and flash them to merge onto the road in front of you. You wait...you wait..you wait and there is no sign of them pulling out. Frustrated you drive on, look over at the car to see what the f88k they were at and realise that they had their hazard lights on but you couldn't see the left indicator flashing as well.

If you're parked up normally and haven't been in a crash or broken down, switch off your hazards ya tool.

And if ya have right of way then take it! Beckoning to others can get you a fail in the driving test. Don't do it. By all means hold back and wait, so you don't block junctions. If there is no room for you to proceed then don't stop in traffic alongside someone waiting to pull out. Care courtesy and consideration! Forget polite - be predictable and take right of way when you have it!

OldNotWIse

People who park beside you even though there are lots of free spaces. People who drive around and around looking for a space near the entrance instead of walking twenty paces.

CFlat

SixSixSix wrote: »

And if ya have right of way then take it! Beckoning to others can get you a fail in the driving test. Don't do it. By all means hold back and wait, so you don't block junctions. If there is no room for you to proceed then don't stop in traffic alongside someone waiting to pull out. Care courtesy and consideration! Forget polite - be predictable and take right of way when you have it!

Politeness, courtesy and consideration are synonyms.

I'm not going to worry about failing my driving test at this stage as I did it a few decades ago! It's hard to believe that a driving tester would fail you on something like that. Maybe they are worried about the car behind you not knowing what's going on and rear ending you. In real life, that's what drivers do.

I'm not spiritual or anything but I believe there is 'road karma' when you let people out at junctions or trying to merge into traffic. Someone down the road will let you out or flash you if there's a traffic camera van ahead

talking_walnut

CFlat wrote: »

Politeness, courtesy and consideration are synonyms.

I'm not going to worry about failing my driving test at this stage as I did it a few decades ago! It's hard to believe that a driving tester would fail you on something like that. Maybe they are worried about the car behind you not knowing what's going on and rear ending you. In real life, that's what drivers do.

I'm not spiritual or anything but I believe there is 'road karma' when you let people out at junctions or trying to merge into traffic. Someone down the road will let you out or flash you if there's a traffic camera van ahead

The reason it's an instant fail in the driving test is because you're changing the right-of-way of the whole road when you so this. It's a disruption to the flow of traffic, causing tailbacks to start which is the ultimate in bad 'road karma'.

Just keep going and they'll get out in the normal flow of traffic.

astrofool

talking_walnut wrote: »

The reason it's an instant fail in the driving test is because you're changing the right-of-way of the whole road when you so this. It's a disruption to the flow of traffic, causing tailbacks to start which is the ultimate in bad 'road karma'.

Just keep going and they'll get out in the normal flow of traffic.

This is predicated on the road design being optimised for traffic flow, which in most cases it isn't (especially a single lane road with multiple turn-offs), and allowing one person to take their turn unblocks a giant queue of traffic instead.

CFlat

talking_walnut wrote: »

The reason it's an instant fail in the driving test is because you're changing the right-of-way of the whole road when you so this. It's a disruption to the flow of traffic, causing tailbacks to start which is the ultimate in bad 'road karma'.

Just keep going and they'll get out in the normal flow of traffic.

Ah come on t_w, I'm not talking about letting 10 cars out and backing up a load of traffic, I'm talking about one lowly driver trying to squeeze out of a parking space/side road and you let them out because you've been that person yourself many times.

Anyway my original irritation was people parked up with hazard lights still switched on.

talking_walnut

astrofool wrote: »

This is predicated on the road design being optimised for traffic flow, which in most cases it isn't (especially a single lane road with multiple turn-offs), and allowing one person to take their turn unblocks a giant queue of traffic instead.

Kind of, but it doesn't have to be optimised. Roads have priorities. Roads of lower priority are supposed to have to wait until there's space on the higher priority road. That's the whole point. Traffic lights are used to control the access from lower priority roads in situations that the flow is too one-sided.

Moving cars around is about keeping the flow going. Anything that interrupts that flow is feeding into traffic jams.

talking_walnut

CFlat wrote: »

Ah come on t_w, I'm not talking about letting 10 cars out and backing up a load of traffic , I'm talking about one lowly driver trying to squeeze out of a parking space/side road and you let them out because you've been that person yourself many times.

Anyway my original irritation was people parked up with hazard lights still switched on.

Neither am I. That's the point. Of course it doesn't really matter if there's nobody behind you on the main road. But just keep the flow of traffic you're in in mind.

MeatTwoVeg

talking_walnut wrote:

The reason it's an instant fail in the driving test is because you're changing the right-of-way of the whole road when you so this. It's a disruption to the flow of traffic, causing tailbacks to start which is the ultimate in bad 'road karma'.

Absolutely, there's nothing worse than driving behind someone who's constantly stopping on the main road to beckon people out of driveways and side roads.
They probably think they're great too as opposed to annoying and borderline dangerous.

I once witnessed a potentially very dangerous situation involving one of these 'good Samaritans'.

Was a dual carriageway in an urban zone. He was in the inside lane. There was a signaled controlled pedestrian crossing at which a number of small children were waiting for the green man. I was on the other side. This guy decides to stop and beckon the kids to go ahead and cross. The kids are a bit confused but he beckons them again enthusiastically. They start to walk across.

I wasn't really paying attention until I notice a couple of these kids confusedly wandering across the road. There's another guy approaching the junction in the outside lane at speed and just seeing a greenlight. Good Samaritan is blocking the view of the kids about to walk out in front of this guy.

Luckily I wake up to what's happening just in time and shout out to the kids to stop and go back.
Good Samaritan shrugs his shoulders and drives off.

Fcuking moron nearly killed those kids.

OldNotWIse

There is a road I take in the mornings that is busy in both directions. Occasionally there will be someone coming the other direction waiting to turn into an estate and they can't get through because the traffic on my side just keeps whizzing by. As a result, the traffic is building behind that person all the time. It takes no more than 3 seconds for me to slow enough for them to execute their turn and then keep driving, and it prevents a backlog of traffic on that side. I fail to see how that would contribute to congestion issues.

OldNotWIse

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

Absolutely, there's nothing worse than driving behind someone who's constantly stopping on the main road to beckon people out of driveways and side roads.
They probably think they're great too as opposed to annoying and borderline dangerous.

I once witnessed a potentially very dangerous situation involving one of these 'good Samaritans'.

Was a dual carriageway in an urban zone. He was in the inside lane. There was a signaled controlled pedestrian crossing at which a number of small children were waiting for the green man. I was on the other side. This guy decides to stop and beckon the kids to go ahead and cross. The kids are a bit confused but he beckons them again enthusiastically. They start to walk across.

I wasn't really paying attention until I notice a couple of these kids confusedly wandering across the road. There's another guy approaching the junction in the outside lane at speed and just seeing a greenlight. Good Samaritan is blocking the view of the kids about to walk out in front of this guy.

Luckily I wake up to what's happening just in time and shout out to the kids to stop and go back.
Good Samaritan shrugs his shoulders and drives off.

Fcuking moron nearly killed those kids.

Ridiculous thing to do but in fairness beckoning kids across a dangerous road is not quite the same as slowing to allow someone coming from the other direction to execute a turn.

CFlat

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

Absolutely, there's nothing worse than driving behind someone who's constantly stopping on the main road to beckon people out of driveways and side roads.
They probably think they're great too as opposed to annoying and borderline dangerous.

I once witnessed a potentially very dangerous situation involving one of these 'good Samaritans'.

Was a dual carriageway in an urban zone. He was in the inside lane. There was a signaled controlled pedestrian crossing at which a number of small children were waiting for the green man. I was on the other side. This guy decides to stop and beckon the kids to go ahead and cross. The kids are a bit confused but he beckons them again enthusiastically. They start to walk across.

I wasn't really paying attention until I notice a couple of these kids confusedly wandering across the road. There's another guy approaching the junction in the outside lane at speed and just seeing a greenlight. Good Samaritan is blocking the view of the kids about to walk out in front of this guy.

Luckily I wake up to what's happening just in time and shout out to the kids to stop and go back.
Good Samaritan shrugs his shoulders and drives off.

Fcuking moron nearly killed those kids.

Hardly comparable to a driver letting someone out of a parking space or a side road.

MeatTwoVeg

CFlat wrote:

Hardly comparable to a driver letting someone out of a parking space or a side road.

It's obviously not remotely the same as regards the potential danger, but it's the same kind of mind frame at play.

I've absolutely no problem with letting someone out of a side road if traffic is stopped or moving slowly, but you should not be stopping on a lightly trafficked main road to let people out of minor roads. It leads to confusion.

OldNotWIse

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

It's obviously not remotely the same as regards the potential danger, but it's the same kind of mind frame at play.

I've absolutely no problem with letting someone out of a side road if traffic is stopped or moving slowly, but you should not be stopping on a lightly trafficked main road to let people out of minor roads. It leads to confusion.

I disagree that it's the same kind of mindset. I would never beckon a child (or any pedestrian for that matter) across a road as I don't want to be liable for what happens to them if there is a car coming the other way however I do stop to let drivers out occasionally. In the example I provided the driver was not attempting to turn from a minor to main road, nor was the main road "lightly" trafficked.

RainyDay

MadDog76 wrote: »

Here we go again ........... don't worry, we won't take cyclists headphones away from them ............. they're oblivious to what's going on around them anyway!

Funnily enough, a cyclist with earphones in, listening to music STILL hears more about what's going on around them than a motorist with the windows up and no audio playing, according to some Australian research. But hey, keep up the vendetta if it makes you feel superior to other people simply based on their choice of mode of transport.

zerks wrote: »

Its dangerous, you tend to concentrate on the music rather than your surroundings. By all means stick one in for the phone, I saw a guy driving one of Nolan's transport artics the other day while wearing a pair of over ear Beats.

No more dangerous than listening to music on the radio or CD or MP3 player. If music is the problem, you need to take out all audio systems, not take away earphones.

The King of Moo

Style of music is just as important, if not moreso, as volume. Fast, heavy music will make you cycle/drive aggressively, whereas with Lyric FM you'll take it much easier.

But I do find the ire directed towards cyclists with earphones strange when one considers that a driver listening to music at the same volume will hear much less. I suppose the earphones are a more visible indicator that someone's hearing is impeded.

talking_walnut

RainyDay wrote: »

Funnily enough, a cyclist with earphones in, listening to music STILL hears more about what's going on around them than a motorist with the windows up and no audio playing, according to some Australian research. But hey, keep up the vendetta if it makes you feel superior to other people simply based on their choice of mode of transport.



No more dangerous than listening to music on the radio or CD or MP3 player. If music is the problem, you need to take out all audio systems, not take away earphones.

Your awareness is more impaired when you use headphone than when you use speakers. There's no doubt about that (unless your headphones are pure sh1te). Granted a modern car might be sound-proofed enough to make this point moot, but at the end of the day, you're the one out there on the bike, with nothing between you and the multi-tonne cars/trucks/buses except for your lycra. Being in the right isn't going to help you when you're under a truck.

At least leave one ear out if you're going to wear headphones. For your own sake.