[Archived] Driving Me Mad!

[MCMC1875]

Sorry, are those your words? Who are you quoting? Was it your idea to do all this work the length and breadth of the M6 (well between Haydock and the M5) all in one go, in winter? Wouldn't it have been better to have done at least some of the work in the summer? Have you any idea regarding the pain, misery and general disruption that this is causing? Wouldn't it be better to use more than one workman? How long have you had a Speedyhire van?

Steady on Bob! He's got to justify the name Speedyhire.

[unluckymorton]

Sorry, are those your words? Who are you quoting? Was it your idea to do all this work the length and breadth of the M6 (well between Haydock and the M5) all in one go, in winter? Wouldn't it have been better to have done at least some of the work in the summer? Have you any idea regarding the pain, misery and general disruption that this is causing? Wouldn't it be better to use more than one workman? How long have you had a Speedyhire van?

If you'd have been concentrating on your driving as much as you were concentrating on your recently purchased copy of Razzle, you would have stopped in plenty of time before nearly running the Speedy Hire van off the road.

If the Highways Agency had started the work in the summer you would have been kicking off because the roads were being dug up during the holiday period when my fellow caravaning club members are travelling the length and breadth of the country therefore tripling the current load of traffic on the motorway network.

Using more than one workman in any 15mile stretch of road works multiplies the risk of accidents. It is part of the health and safety plan and risk assessments set up for the projects so as to reduce the risk of accidents throughout the improvement works.

[adopted scouser]

Been up and down the motorways for years, thankfully no longer and based in Alty.

These days it costs a king's ransome for the privilege of driving a car on the road, so why can't they do the repairs at night ?

err, yeah at night, you know - when it's quiet ??

[MCMC1875]

Been up and down the motorways for years, thankfully no longer and based in Alty.

These days it costs a king's ransome for the privilege of driving a car on the road, so why can't they do the repairs at night ?

err, yeah at night, you know - when it's quiet ??

How much can yo do in 12 hours?

[adopted scouser]

How much can yo do in 12 hours?

A lot more than they get up to during the day. I've lost count of how many times I've seen miles of cones without a workie in sight.

[MCMC1875]

A lot more than they get up to during the day. I've lost count of how many times I've seen miles of cones without a workie in sight.

.....and while we're at it, have you seen 'Lane closed to protect workforce' but there is no workforce at all!

[unluckymorton]

Been up and down the motorways for years, thankfully no longer and based in Alty.

These days it costs a king's ransome for the privilege of driving a car on the road, so why can't they do the repairs at night ?

err, yeah at night, you know - when it's quiet ??

On a serious note, most of the work is being done at night. The coned areas and speed limits have got to be in place during the day as it would take too long to take them away and set them up again before and after each shift.

Another reason for the limits and time scales could be due to the monies raised from the needless speed camera's through the motorway roadworks. I thought speed camera's were only meant to be put up in accident black spots.

I dread any roadworks starting on the M60 between Simister and Junction 6, It's bad enough morning and night as it is. I came in via Haydock & Lymme this morning, it was near 20miles further but just as quick.

[Al]

.....and while we're at it, have you seen 'Lane closed to protect workforce' but there is no workforce at all!

Ben Elton calls these 'bugger alls' because he queues for hours and there is bugger all going on.

[CrazyIvan]

First time I've read this thread... It's highly amusing and I agree with quite a few irritations. I am a 'company' car driver, a motorcyclist and have done an advanced motorcycling course with the IAM. Oh, and I got 87 on the signs thing! A few mistakes were me actually not reading the bloody writing properly...

On the use of brakes while stopped at a queue of traffic, it's actually encouraged if you are the last car because it brings to the attention of the person behind you that you are stopped. Once someone is stationary behind me at, for example, a set of lights then I will use my handbrake and take my foot off the brake pedal purely so I don't annoy them but that is personal. Once you take your foot off the brake pedal some people think the lights are going to change...

The idea of doing an advanced course, while teaching you some interesting and usefull tips, is to make you think about what you are doing while you are driving. How many of you drive to work but can't remember actually doing it? I did it on my motorcycle and the IAM biker lot are a somewhat different breed to the car lot. The car lot tend to be a lot more 'anal' shall we say...

On to my list...

1. Micra drivers. Why are you driving at 40 in a 60 in good conditions? Why do you then hit a 30 and still drive at 40 like nothing has changed?

2. Volvo drivers. Yes they still insist on putting their cars right up against the white lines so we (bikers) can't filter past which is an entirely legal thing to do as long as we are being sensible.

3. Idiot Audi, BMW and a few other drivers who think they own the motorway. I'm in traffic, in the outside lane unable to pull in and still overtaking the other lanes at a speed lower than the speed limit and unable to go faster because of the traffic in front. Why sit inches off my bumper and then flash your lights?

I've got loads more but most have been covered...

[thenodrog]

Dunno if it's been mentioned yet but there is an increasing number of stationary cars parked with their dipped beam on instead of sidelights. Taxi's and cars parked in rural lay-by's at night being the worst offenders. I seem to rem the Highway code advises (or at least used to advise) against this practice.

[ABBEY]

having trackers fitted grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

only funny thing about it is my sis in law honestly thought i was being tagged lol.

[Hughesy]

Whats wrong with Trackers? Good if you want to know where your stolen car is...........

Snow in this country and driving just dont go either do they! In Austria they have massive snow fall yet no problems, here they get 2 inch and nobody can drive normally!

[ABBEY]

what is wrong with them ? they are intrusive and dangerous when people keep ringing when your driving to ask why youve gone that way?

[mellison24]

Just got back from being stuck on Pickup Bank. My brakes decided to freeze just past the Mission (Chapel) up there and I suddenly stopped (didn't skid) when moving at 30mph. Left me shaking as it felt like a crash but the car just stopped dead from 30mph. I assume due to the cold. Has anybody else experienced this?

[ABBEY]

cold? yes its freezing

[mellison24]

cold? yes its freezing

Oh HAR-HAR

[cletus]

A woman driving towards me today on a snow-covered side road (parked cars at side of road but plenty of room for both vehicles to pass each other) What does she do? She sees my car, panicks, slams her brakes on & slides all over the road & into two of the parked cars, damaging all 3 cars!

[thenodrog]

A woman driving towards me today on a snow-covered side road (parked cars at side of road but plenty of room for both vehicles to pass each other) What does she do? She sees my car, panicks, slams her brakes on & slides all over the road & into two of the parked cars, damaging all 3 cars!

In general people do not 'see' far enough ahead when these conditions are in place. I include myself in this too. We see such little cold weather now that it takes a mile or two to re-adjust.

[Rovermatt]

I was attending counsel in Belfast Magistrates court on Thursday. Our client was up on a driving charge. He was alleged to have hit the side of another car waiting in the left lane at a roundabout and then driven off. The other driver followed him for about a mile and caught up in a traffic, jumped out and confronted him. I was wholly unconvinced by the other guy's version of events which included our client admitting to the incident outright. He even changed his story from not having seen the other car hit him - 'it must have come up the right hand side' - to 'I saw the other car in my wing mirror', something our (very young) barrister failed to press him on. Unfortunately our guy, an older gentleman from Birmingham, was terribly unclear in the box and very sketchy in his evidence. He also admitted to having no knowledge of the area in which he was driving and having to use his sat-nav to guide him. The DJ hit him with a fine and 5 points.

[Stuart]

Just to add one of pet peevs - although most of them have been covered:

People who are parked at the side of the road in a line of vehicles with their hazard warning lights on - without any real need. When only one orange flashing light is visible, it looks as though they are indicating to pull out. Then you get up closer and most of the time the car is empty!

[BiggusLaddus]

Just to add one of pet peevs - although most of them have been covered:

People who are parked at the side of the road in a line of vehicles with their hazard warning lights on - without any real need. When only one orange flashing light is visible, it looks as though they are indicating to pull out. Then you get up closer and most of the time the car is empty!

Yep, annoys the crap out of me and makes me feel like a fool for waiting to let them out - double whammy.

[Seggie]

On the M65 between junctions 4 and 3 going towards Preston and you always get some to$$er who decides to try and outrun you when its changing from 3 to 2 lanes, despite of course your doing about 70 overtaking the traffic on the inside lane.

[thenodrog]

I was attending counsel in Belfast Magistrates court on Thursday. Our client was up on a driving charge. He was alleged to have hit the side of another car waiting in the left lane at a roundabout and then driven off. The other driver followed him for about a mile and caught up in a traffic, jumped out and confronted him. I was wholly unconvinced by the other guy's version of events which included our client admitting to the incident outright. He even changed his story from not having seen the other car hit him - 'it must have come up the right hand side' - to 'I saw the other car in my wing mirror', something our (very young) barrister failed to press him on. Unfortunately our guy, an older gentleman from Birmingham, was terribly unclear in the box and very sketchy in his evidence. He also admitted to having no knowledge of the area in which he was driving and having to use his sat-nav to guide him. The DJ hit him with a fine and 5 points.

memo to self..... do not employ Rovermatt's firm when in need.

[cletus]

Has anybody mentioned Burkhas? (cletus ducks for cover! )

I`m NOT being racist here. I think it`s bloody dangerous & the wearing of them whilst driving should be banned.

They hinder vision & body language also plays a big part in driving....ie when turning, pulling out, manouvering etc, you cannot tell if you`ve been seen/aknowledged by a burkha wearing driver.

I`m pretty sure if i drove around wearing a full-face balaclava, i`d eventually get pulled by the plod & warned against doing so.

[thenodrog]

I`m pretty sure if i drove around wearing a full-face balaclava, i`d eventually get pulled by the plod & warned against doing so.

I'm sure even then that you would enjoy better sideways vision. Personally I find it odd that muslim women in Blackburn are happy to spend their life in subjugation by wearing clothes that do not reflect the customs of their original homeland and are better suited to hot arid desert regions when there is absolutely nothing to stop them dressing any way they might choose.

I`m NOT being racist here.

Don't worry cletus. It's impossible for that to be racist. The followers of Islam are world wide and therefore do not constitute a race.