**** driving

[Accy cyclist]

I had a twonk in a BMW "super car" pass me by inches yesterday. Not only that but he blasted his naff music out as he passed me,obviously the actions of a cyclist hating w..ker! I put it down to the fact that he was stuck in his heat attracting black box while i was sunning myself!Anyway, i passed him in the cycle lane as he queued in the slow moving traffic,i couldn't resist so i gave him a quick squirt out of my water bottle while his window was down, to cool him down of course!

 

[MarkF]

It's the heat, my troubles always happen in the evening rush hour when impatient drivers just want to get home. I'm cycling from Leeds centre to Saltaire (A647 onto the Aire Valley A657) this week and I've had to moderate my responses to compensate, the heat has made the drivers more aggressive than normal.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

It's the heat, my troubles always happen in the evening rush hour when impatient drivers just want to get home. I'm cycling from Leeds centre to Saltaire (A647 onto the Aire Valley A657) this week and I've had to moderate my responses to compensate, the heat has made the drivers more aggressive than normal.

+1

It's the same behaviour as when it's raining.
We are becoming a nation of shoot road users because no-one is stopping people doing as they please.

License to Kill on BBC3 last night was an eye opener, and a tragic program to watch. But it's a truth no-one is being confronted with, and a truth being swept under the rug in the name of saving money.

 

[PaulB]

I had a twonk in a BMW "super car" pass me by inches yesterday. Not only that but he blasted his naff music out as he passed me,obviously the actions of a cyclist hating w..ker! I put it down to the fact that he was stuck in his heat attracting black box while i was sunning myself!Anyway, i passed him in the cycle lane as he queued in the slow moving traffic,i couldn't resist so i gave him a quick squirt out of my water bottle while his window was down, to cool him down of course!

I know, right in the back of my Gregory that got me! Your number's marked pal and woe will come to betide you! And it was Kylie, not 'naff' music you palestine!

 

[Pieface]

Regular re-testing would struggle to work. Currently there can be an up to 3-4 month wait for a test. Imagine if everyone who did currently drive also needed retesting?

 

[ColinJ]

I reckon that any driver who has their windows/roof open and feels happy inflicting their crappy musical taste on everyone in a 1 mile radius ...

• Isn't really giving driving their full attention
• Probably isn't getting themself in the right mental state for calm, considered decision-making
• Is too selfish to be trusted to safely share the road space with other road users

And there seem to be a lot of these people about at the moment!

 

[ColinJ]

Regular re-testing would struggle to work. Currently there can be an up to 3-4 month wait for a test. Imagine if everyone who did currently drive also needed retesting?

There are plenty of unemployed drivers who could retrain as driving testers!

We need to start seeing driving as a privilege, not a right. Privileges can be revoked ...

 

[Frood42]

There are plenty of unemployed drivers who could retrain as driving testers!
We need to start seeing driving as a privilege, not a right. Privileges can be revoked ...

Yes, it is as a privilege, and I have always seen it as a privilege.

Where I grew up the public transport was very poor, and the bike was only really good for short journeys (drivers going far too fast on the country roads), and while my parents helped as much as they could, they were not well off. While my first car was not the best, it at least could get me where I wanted to go, and losing that independence would have been quite devestating for me.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Perhaps if they were taught to drive properly in the first place it would help. Instead of employing people who can't drive properly either to teach them.

 

[Frood42]

Regular re-testing would struggle to work. Currently there can be an up to 3-4 month wait for a test. Imagine if everyone who did currently drive also needed retesting?

You could have an online theory re-test every 5 years and a practial re-test every 10 years, and you have 3-6 months in which to get these complete before you can no longer drive.

I think the government and the various bodies could make this a reality quite easily, if they had the backbone to do so, unfortunately they don't...

.

 

[ColinJ]

Perhaps if they were taught to drive properly in the first place it would help. Instead of employing people who can't drive properly either to teach them.

Start off by getting the best instructors to train the first batch of testers, and then those well-trained testers can train the next batch and so on ...

 

[swee'pea99]

The practical issues with a more thorough and ongoing testing policy are non-issues. It won't happen because it's electorally suicidal (every politician knows you Don't Mess with Motorists), and there are powerful lobby groups out there making big money by keeping as many people on the road as possible (the downside - the expense of caring for all those maimed people - being borne by the taxpayer). It's pretty much identical to the government's recent abandonment of plain cigarette packaging, on the flimsiest of excuses ("We need to find out if it works." Um...everyone knows it works.) in the face of the tobacco industry's hired hacks.

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

Seems strange reading this thread that luxury German car drivers seem to crop up quite a bit. Just I had a close pass on Tuesday night by a bellend in a silver BMW. Maybe all just coincidence

 

[cd365]

I would say it is a coincidence but then again I do drive a 3 liter BMW. But then again it is a 10 year old estate!

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Having spent way too long waiting in a BMW dealership I can conclude that among the nice people there are a lot of absolute cocks.