Sunday driving madness

Our man in Havana

[rant]
I am really annoyed at sunday drivers. I was following one into Kilkenny today on my way to work in waterford. Have they no driving sense at all. Pottering along at 60km/h in a 100 zone driving in the middle of the road to prevent anyone overtaking them.
Was then coming up to a roundabout where it straddled both lanes and proceeded to go straight and cut up an innocent driver. It then stopped at traffic lights and covered the ped crossing bit forcing peds to walk around the car.
To take the buiscit it indicated left at a roundabout and then turned right. Why are theses amadains on the road at all?
[/rant]

mike65

I like your use of the word "it"! Sundays do seem to have a disproportionate number of bad drivers, esp in the summer.

Mike.

ando

what the hell was my dad doing in Kilkenny

rander00

Sure ders fook all traffic on sunday. Why didnt u just shoot by it?

It then stopped at traffic lights and covered the ped crossing bit forcing peds to walk around the car.

Good enuf for them.

BrianD3

Bond-007 wrote:

[rant]
I am really annoyed at sunday drivers. I was following one into Kilkenny today on my way to work in waterford. Have they no driving sense at all. Pottering along at 60km/h in a 100 zone driving in the middle of the road to prevent anyone overtaking them.
Was then coming up to a roundabout where it straddled both lanes and proceeded to go straight and cut up an innocent driver. It then stopped at traffic lights and covered the ped crossing bit forcing peds to walk around the car.
To take the buiscit it indicated left at a roundabout and then turned right. Why are theses amadains on the road at all?
[/rant]

The amadains are on the road because of crap training/testing of drivers, laughable policing and because of Irish motoring culture where driving safely and properly isn't a priority.

A theory of mine is that there are a lot of decent drivers on the road who abide by the rules, drive relatively well with consideration for other road users and make few mistakes. But then there are the eejits who can't drive 1 mile down the road without making some sort of **** up. Over the course of a journey, they will do numerous things which are annoying or downright dangerous. In other words, a lot of the bad driving on the roads is perpetuated by the same people. You came across one of those people today. Had you followed them for another few miles, you would undoubtedly have plenty more things to rant about.

BrianD3

mike65

rander00 wrote:

Good enuf for them.

Not its not good enough for them, its lousy driving...:rolleyes:

Mike.

Stark

I think you summed it all up in the phrase "Sunday driver". These are probably people who did their driving test decades ago and now only drive the car the odd Sunday. Roundabouts, lane discipline and well laid out pedestrian crossings probably didn't even exist when they did their tests. The ideal solution would be to retest drivers every 10 years, but as it stands the waiting times are long enough when we just test people once per lifetime.

djeclips

Had an interesting encounter with a driver on a roundabout last sunday.Was coming up to the roundabout nothing on it,nothing coming from the right went on and then had to slam on my brakes due to a car coming on to it from the left,she also spluttered to a halt.I got stopped about a foot from her drivers door and then their was that weird moment when we were both staring at each other then she puts her window down and starts giving it loads....wtf ???

mike65

djeclips wrote:

and then their was that weird moment when we were both staring at each other then she puts her window down and starts giving it loads....wtf ???

Best form of defence is attack. She knows she was wrong and proberly felt bad latter on...(hopefully)

Mike.

samo

djeclips wrote:

Had an interesting encounter with a driver on a roundabout last sunday.Was coming up to the roundabout nothing on it,nothing coming from the right went on and then had to slam on my brakes due to a car coming on to it from the left,she also spluttered to a halt.I got stopped about a foot from her drivers door and then their was that weird moment when we were both staring at each other then she puts her window down and starts giving it loads....wtf ???

I saw somebody do exactly the same thing to a learner in Balbriggan there a few weeks back, poor learner in her corsa enters the roundabout and this eejit in a trajet nearly slams into her coming from her left and then proceeeds to tell HER she cant drive. Poor girl looked like she was nearly in tears and drives off probably thinking she's in the wrong and the trajet driver laughs his head off as soon as she's gone....

guess what day it happened..yep Sunday!!

Renegade_Archer

Seen this before in Mullingar, theyre not bothered going around the entire roundabout, so they go on the wrong way to get to just the next exit. Generally only done on deserted rounabouts, she probably gave you grief cos she in shock. I dont do it or approve of it, just saying Ive seen it done.


Regards


Ewan

ubu

Stark wrote:

These are probably people who did their driving test decades ago

Some of them probably never even did their tests, allowed to drive because of the great licence giveaway :rolleyes:

unkel

Bond-007 wrote:

indicated left at a roundabout and then turned right

That is the thing I hate most :mad:

Scenario: you approach roundabout intending to go straight. Nothing comes from the right, but a car is approaching the roundabout from the opposite direction and is closer to the roundabout than you. This car is indicating left, so you drive on to the roundabout as there is nothing you have to yield right of way to. Then suddenly the other car swings right into the path you planned taking. And finally to add a bit of insult, when the other car has about left the roundabout, it indicates right :rolleyes:

sceptre

djeclips wrote:

and then their was that weird moment when we were both staring at each other then she puts her window down and starts giving it loads....wtf ???

Simple solution to this. Works better if you have some sense of superiority syndrome but anyone can do it. While she's flipping you the bird AND only if she was undoubtedly in the wrong, shake your head gently in that way that only adults do with their children. Then place your thumb on your nose, extend your fingers and waggle them.

If you have space to drive off, extra points if you have two pre-made signs, a large one and a small one. The large one reads "I'm reporting you to TrafficWatch you stupid ****er". The small one just has the word "cow" on it. Hold up the large sign, them place the small one over the word "****er".

I tend to limit myself to the slow head shake but whatever floats yer boat with them that shouldn't be driving.

Our man in Havana

I was figuring on a dot matrix sign in the back window with the same message, or a series of prepared messages. I think the humour would be lost on most old bags/cows!

Fabritzo

God forsakin' rounabouts, Des Bishop is right, they're a scourge on this country

$lash

Fabritzo wrote:

God forsakin' rounabouts, Des Bishop is right, they're a scourge on this country

Get me some water plus a RWD equipped with a limited slip diff and a roundabout becomes a whole new experience !

unkel

sceptre wrote:

The small one just has the word "cow" on it

ROFL

sceptre

BrianD3 wrote:

A theory of mine is that there are a lot of decent drivers on the road who abide by the rules, drive relatively well with consideration for other road users and make few mistakes. But then there are the eejits who can't drive 1 mile down the road without making some sort of **** up. Over the course of a journey, they will do numerous things which are annoying or downright dangerous. In other words, a lot of the bad driving on the roads is perpetuated by the same people. You came across one of those people today. Had you followed them for another few miles, you would undoubtedly have plenty more things to rant about.

That's a pretty good theory.

AMurphy

Bond-007 wrote:

[rant]
.....
Why are theses amadains on the road at all?
[/rant]

Because officialdom is convinced speed, speed and only speed causes accidents. So there.!

ambro25

sceptre wrote:

I tend to limit myself to the slow head shake but whatever floats yer boat

Three thumbs up, way up

Favourite of mine is to blow a kiss - the look on the other guy/gal's face is priceless.

Another is to open the door and get out of the car - 3 times out of 4 the other guy/gal floors it away.

seamus

Renegade_Archer wrote:

Seen this before in Mullingar, theyre not bothered going around the entire roundabout, so they go on the wrong way to get to just the next exit.

There are people who *deliberately* drive the wrong way around roundabouts? Jesus wept. Remind me to stay out of Mullingar!

Imposter

seamus wrote:

There are people who *deliberately* drive the wrong way around roundabouts? Jesus wept. Remind me to stay out of Mullingar!

When I was growing up there used to be only one roundabout in Mullingar. It was deadly. It would usually be blocked because people haven't a clue how they should operate. Forget any sort of indication too. Now they've got a few more paint spills to contend with too and it's enough to force a person to leave the country never mind the county.

therecklessone

seamus wrote:

There are people who *deliberately* drive the wrong way around roundabouts? Jesus wept. Remind me to stay out of Mullingar!

Stay away from Shannon as well, I've seen it happen...

At least he had the decency to flash his lights and beep the horn at everyone else, just in case they didn't see/believe how stupid he was.

I have also witnessed a man try to hitch a lift off a hearse on the edge of the town. :eek:

daggeredge

I know the feeling! You should drive relatively close to the limit unless "you can't stop in the distance you see to be clear" From previous board entries I'm told in Florida they have a minimum speed limit (retirement state) on the freeways (guessing when you get a ticket they're called "dawdling tickets" as opposed to speeding tickets LOL!)

In my opinion people are really impatient whatever speed your driving ,I drive on the limit unless conditions dictate otherwise no matter what kind of a rush I'm in!(do NOT want points on my licence) And people fly pass you 20/30kph over the limit - one word -insane

ambro25

daggeredge wrote:

And people fly pass you 20/30kph over the limit - one word -insane

One of the better life philosophies I have been following for ages, is that if you're going to do something, do it and do it right, else don't do it at all. The illustrious sage Yoda phrased it better as 'Do or do not. There is no try'.

Therefore, when I used to speed (which I don't anymore - one of those maturing things, 20-somethings growing out of fate-tempting as they slowly but inexorbaly approach middle age and responsibilities increase), I'd either speed (provided the conditions, of road AND car, were appropriate)
or not speed at all.

In this context, I view 20/30 kph extra as absolutely stupid, as
_you get maximum points/penalty (from The Law if caught)
_for not benefit (you don't 'get there' faster unless you can/are going to sustain the speeding over a long enough time/mileage to lever your average travelling speed)
_nor enjoyment (20/30 isn't quite exhilarating, now, is it... I mean 150 kph instead of 120 - big F*** deal! Talk about 170+, now you're getting somewhere )

Johnny Storm

sceptre wrote:

.......... While she's flipping you the bird AND only if she was undoubtedly in the wrong, shake your head gently in that way that only adults do with their children. .............

I can vouch for the effectiveness of the condescending headshake. I was on the receiving end of this over 10 years ago and it still burns me up.

dudara

My neighbour, a farmer, was driving his tractor through Cork City one night about 20 years ago when confronted with the Wilton Road Roundabout near the Regional. Having none of it, he drove straight onto, and over the grassy part and off the other side.

Paul (MN)

I was driving up the M1 last week, at about 6pm so it was dark enough.
Then I noticed headlights in front of me and I thought they were in the wrong place but there was a sweeping bend so it didn't really register.

Suddenly I could see the car pull left across the lanes into the hard shoulder. the car in front of my lit it up. The car in front of me obviously panicked and pulled into the hard shoulder. I kep going and caught up but kept my distance as the mad driver had pulled out and was heading north. I eventually overtook and there was some young girl driving.

She had been driving the wrong way down the m1!

The only way I can figure it out is that she merged down onto the motorway, not having a clue where she was. Figured she was lost and going the wrong direction and did a u-turn to "head back" and then realised that she was actually on a motorway. Panicked. Did another u-turn in front of 120kph traffic and kept going.

impr0v

Paul (MN) wrote:

I was driving up the M1 last week, at about 6pm so it was dark enough.
Then I noticed headlights in front of me and I thought they were in the wrong place but there was a sweeping bend so it didn't really register.

Suddenly I could see the car pull left across the lanes into the hard shoulder. the car in front of my lit it up. The car in front of me obviously panicked and pulled into the hard shoulder. I kep going and caught up but kept my distance as the mad driver had pulled out and was heading north. I eventually overtook and there was some young girl driving.

She had been driving the wrong way down the m1!

The only way I can figure it out is that she merged down onto the motorway, not having a clue where she was. Figured she was lost and going the wrong direction and did a u-turn to "head back" and then realised that she was actually on a motorway. Panicked. Did another u-turn in front of 120kph traffic and kept going.

Imagine someone you loved got hit head-on and killed when they were doing 120kph in the overtaking lane of the motorway by the young girl in the post above who CLEARLY shouldn't be on the road, imagine the frustration you would feel with the system that's in place for driver testing and licencing in this country. Could that person conceivably have a full licence and still be capable of doing something like that? Even given the desperate state of our testing system I don't think it's possible that they could.

If anyone ever doubted it, it should be apparant from the above story that to take to the roads in Ireland is to take one's life in one's hands.

Continuing the anti-Mullingar theme of this thread (it is part of the axis of ignorance along with Tullamore and Portlaoise) I encountered a driver about three years ago doing 100kph or so going the wrong direction on the eastbound carriageway of the Mullingar bypass. It was 11pm and to make things worse they didn't even dim their headlights. I rang the guards straight away but was so shocked by what i'd seen that i didn't give them great directions to which part of the road i was on, or which direction I was heading, and I'd doubt they caught the suicidal maniac.

therecklessone

Paul (MN) wrote:

She had been driving the wrong way down the m1!

The only way I can figure it out is that she merged down onto the motorway, not having a clue where she was. Figured she was lost and going the wrong direction and did a u-turn to "head back" and then realised that she was actually on a motorway. Panicked. Did another u-turn in front of 120kph traffic and kept going.

A mate told me a similar story recently, only he encountered the plank reversing down the m50... :rolleyes:

sceptre

dudara wrote:

My neighbour, a farmer, was driving his tractor through Cork City one night about 20 years ago when confronted with the Wilton Road Roundabout near the Regional. Having none of it, he drove straight onto, and over the grassy part and off the other side.

Ha!

Driving over the Mallow (it's in Co Cork for you up the country types)roundabout, er, the main one, there are now two, was once pretty popular until they put this stone carving of a few horses nuzzling each other's bums. They built up the roundabout to form a slanted wall too. Now you can't see over it (which is rather a hindrance) but at least people don't drive over it at 100kph, which is probably good. There's one local character who liked to drive around the other one the wrong way while on the way to get his paper. Happily I haven't lived in Cork's Loonville in over a decade now.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.