rant My long list of hateful driving habits

[Josh]

Same here, Im always looking ahead to see whats coming up, I have found that if you just slow down a bit and look more you dont get in half the problems that come up.

 

Read a book on traffic police road craft (dont profess to be anything near an expert driver) and its full of very simple suggestions and techniques that normally most people just wouldnt think of.

 

Like adopting Arab law and banning women from the road? I'd like a trial of the scheme before it's dismissed..

[Charlotte]

Solution for tailgaters, slow down and piss them off. Well maybe not a solution but it sure helps ease my frustration

 

I do that too. Tailgaters in Leeds tend to be taxi drivers who are always in a hurry somewhere and far too important to be held up or even keep a safe distance between you and them.

[The-Plethora]

Really I find most drivers these days to not be too bad, I let people out and people generally let me out which is suprising in a car like that, they always get a wave and 2 flashes of the hazards as a thankyou.

 

The only one that really gets me is being in the overtaking lane doing 80 ish and some guy from miles back will come rocketing up in the middle lane to try and undertake. "I don't f*cking think so my son" the boot goes down and I watch him go backwards...after that I pull into the middle lane, slow down and am more than happy to let him overtake in the traditional fashion .

[dude]

I put it down to laziness. You have to move 1 finger about 2 inches and people cant be arsed to even do that. Its mirror, signal, manouver, not just manouver.

 

Worse than that is the 'Ive indicated so im pulling out' driver..............................I have nothing to fear my indicator is a shield of steel!!! Err no its not.

[RedM]

My list:

 

1. Everyone who isn't me.

[Multics]

I'm driving on the left lane in my little polo 1.4 on the M40. Typical day going to work. I see the bmw driving rep approaching fast, too fast, coming from the middle or right lane (or a mix of both) in my rear view mirror. All of a sudden he's next to me and overtakes me, brakes while merging into my lane, only to brake even harder and take the sliproad towards the exit of the motorway. WHY? Why did you HAVE to overtake me to take the exit???

 

I agree with all the others as well.

[Lbm]

And then there's that thing when you're overtaking (usually on a motorway or dual carriage way) and the person on the inside of you starts speeding up...Why?

 

They were perfectly happy bumbling along at 65mph then all of a sudden they want to do 70mph or a bit more, just to match you.

 

So now you can't pull back in. So you have to go a bit faster etc...but then so do they.

[RedM]

And then there's that thing when you're overtaking (usually on a motorway or dual carriage way) and the person on the inside of you starts speeding up...Why?

 

They were perfectly happy bumbling along at 65mph then all of a sudden they want to do 70mph or a bit more, just to match you.

 

So now you can't pull back in. So you have to go a bit faster etc...but then so do they.

 

There is an easy remedy for that. If you are even slightly ahead of them as the speed up just start to 'wander' into their lane. They soon back off.

[Scott]

Really I find most drivers these days to not be too bad, I let people out and people generally let me out which is suprising in a car like that, they always get a wave and 2 flashes of the hazards as a thankyou.

 

The only one that really gets me is being in the overtaking lane doing 80 ish and some guy from miles back will come rocketing up in the middle lane to try and undertake. "I don't f*cking think so my son" the boot goes down and I watch him go backwards...after that I pull into the middle lane, slow down and am more than happy to let him overtake in the traditional fashion .

 

Thoughtless driving from you if your descripton is accurate. Why would you be in any lane other than the nearside when not overtaking?

 

I find myself undertaking on a weekly basis because people have no lane discipline at all.

[davej705]

And then there's that thing when you're overtaking (usually on a motorway or dual carriage way) and the person on the inside of you starts speeding up...Why?

 

They were perfectly happy bumbling along at 65mph then all of a sudden they want to do 70mph or a bit more, just to match you.

 

So now you can't pull back in. So you have to go a bit faster etc...but then so do they.

 

This happens alot to van drivers.makes you want to perform the pit manoeuvre on them.so frustrating

[st3ven1]

Where to start.....

People who have no idea of what the three vanity mirrors are for on their car!

People who squeeze past you on a country lane then decide half way past that "oh yeah, it is a bit tight"

People who have absolutely no concept of lane discipline, especially on a three lane roundabout.

 

Also had someone overtake me in a thirty zone the other week, think is: there was a huge(couple of miles) queue of stop-start traffic and I had left maybe two car lengths in front of me. This obviously was not acceptable and he overtook in his big ass'd megane, jammed himself in front of me gaining a whole twenty yards.

I then, calm as you like, took my belt off, half open my door and look forward to see a look of sheer terror and much scrambling to make sure all his doors are locked. I then close the door and smile at him.

[Attero]

Where to start.....

People who have no idea of what the three vanity mirrors are for on their car!

People who squeeze past you on a country lane then decide half way past that "oh yeah, it is a bit tight"

People who have absolutely no concept of lane discipline, especially on a three lane roundabout.

 

Also had someone overtake me in a thirty zone the other week, think is: there was a huge(couple of miles) queue of stop-start traffic and I had left maybe two car lengths in front of me. This obviously was not acceptable and he overtook in his big ass'd megane, jammed himself in front of me gaining a whole twenty yards.

I then, calm as you like, took my belt off, half open my door and look forward to see a look of sheer terror and much scrambling to make sure all his doors are locked. I then close the door and smile at him.

 

What a bellend. I hate people like that. They've obviously gone back to their pansy mates, bragging about "how much they whipped your arse"!

[Digsy]

FWIW my pet hate is someone who sees a traffic light change about a mile up the road and slows down to a crawl so as not to have to be forced to stop, despite the fact that between him and the traffic light there is a left turn that I am now being prevented from taking as I have to drive at his speed until he decides to speed up.

 

 

Having said that I have now totally given up on expecting people to behave in any consistent way on the roads. I find its much simpler to expect everyone to be a potential hazard and drive so as to mitigate as much risk as possible.

 

Classic example: Every day I have to pull out of a particular junction T. The traffic coming from my right has also just exited a roundabout. The ones that are indicating correctly off the roundabout look like they are going to turn left into my road, so technically I could pull out in front of them. I never do because about half are going straight on and simply hav not cancelled their indicators. The ones that don't indicate off the rounddbout look like they are going straight on so I wait for them only to find that about half are in fact turning left and just don't indicate at all.

 

To cut a long story short I wait for the road to be clear before pulling out. I'd rather hold up the traffic behind for a few minutes than get T-boned by someone who can't operate a switch.

[stinboy]

My biggest gripe at the moment is people who simply cannot drive at a suitable speed to the conditions/hazards.

 

On my route to work there is a country road, little bit twisty but nothing severe, 40 mph limit. I cannot recount how many times I've been sat behind dozy bastards doing 20-25 mph. This is not my main problem however - speed limits are not a target I know.

 

My major issue is that after a couple of miles the road widens and straightens considerably through a built up area, 30mph limit. At this point afforementioned plum decides now is the time to put the hammer down and drives 40mph+ over a pedestrian crossing and past a school!!!

 

Arrghhh! That really winds me up!

 

Feel better now - carry on everybody

[Konrad]

Except of driving whistl chatting on the phone and no indicating, my personal pet hate is when someone is going through crossroad, lights change to red in halfway through their maneuvre and bloody tools stopping in front of red light which still belong to same crossing!!! And you think they will move? Nah, altough they know how to stick their finger at you argh...

[stevie_b]

1) Not indicating: my number 1 driving hate

2) Not moving to the innermost lane when not overtaking anything

3) Using the phone whilst driving

 

Everyone should be made to re-sit the driving test once every 10 years. It might remind a few people what that funny stalk with the arrows on it is for.

[GreaseMonkey]

Just to add, to some of the common irritations which have been mentioned.

 

1. Driving with Front Fog Lights and Side Lights on only (when slightly wet/ overcast weather), when it's not even the slightest bit foggy let alone mist!, something wrong with using Dipped Beam? or just Side Lights?.

 

2. The "1 Flash" of the indicator when changing lane on the motorway. I might see it, if I don't blink!.

[Purity14]

2. The "1 Flash" of the indicator when changing lane on the motorway. I might see it, if I don't blink!.

Sorry, thats me - and you did indeed miss it, try chatting less on your phone

 

I do lots of motorway miles and as Scott said, I find myself undertaking people. there will be NOTHING in lane one for miles at like 4 or 5am.

I will just sit in lane one and slowly just pass them doing 70mph whilst they are doing 65 in lane two.

Then suddenly, Im the bastard! They look at me with rage and shout and swear at me. Very odd.

[Purity14]

Infact, not so much a driving habbit but a short tale;

 

I was on my brum-brum bike t'other day and guy infront of me is on the phone chit-chatting.. so I cant overtake him, because he wont know im there or even see me, so I play it safe and just stick behind him.

Anyway single carriageway road, he indicates to turn right and stops whilst the oncoming traffic is passing.

At this point, I decide to go around his left. There IS a junction there but no-one is coming out of it. So I slowly attempt to pass him on the left.. him still chatting on the phone.

As soon as i get along side him I was going to tap on his window and wag my finger.. He then slams his indicator stalk downwards just as I stop.. and instead of tapping the window at this point I just banged on it continually to let him know im there!!.. wait for it... "IM ON THE PHONE MATE!?!??!?!" he shouts.

 

Wow I thought, he must be an important man.

[SimonB]

FWIW my pet hate is someone who sees a traffic light change about a mile up the road and slows down to a crawl so as not to have to be forced to stop, despite the fact that between him and the traffic light there is a left turn that I am now being prevented from taking as I have to drive at his speed until he decides to speed up.

 

Glad it's not just me who suffers from this, drives me mad! Also people who do the same in the queue for a roadabout leaving a huge gap in front until they can be arsed to move, completely failing to think that someone else may not in fact be going the same way as them and may be waiting to go up the slip road to the left, argh!

 

My commute is a mix of an A road and motorway, so my pet hates are:

 

• People who leave their rear fog lights on because it was a bit misty 6 weeks ago and they haven't spotted the big yellow warning light on the dash.
  
• People who potter along an A road in a huge queue behind a slow lorry because they don't know how to overtake and leave no gap in front for anyone else who wants to overtake to slot into.
  
• People who deliberately use the wrong lane on busy roundabouts to save some queuing then push in.
  
• Erratic speed. People who speed up when you move out to overtake, then slow down again when you pull back in behind.
  
• Incorrect lane use. Basically people sat in the middle or outside lane while not overtaking anything. If someone can undertake you YOU'RE IN THE WRONG LANE!
  

 

Ahh, feel better now...

[Crouch]

Think its basicaly been mentioned but people who do not know what a slip road is for! You know they will go down the slip road at 30-40mph then while your stuck behind and running out of merge section they just pootle on the motorway and then try accelarate in there 1.0ltr puddle jumpers! (about 3 miles). You should use the slip roads to help match the speed of the traffic so they don't have to panic coming up on a car doing 35mph when there doing 70mph and then there's less chance of being rear ended at great force!..simple!

[tkddav3]

chavs in nova's! n white van man....enough said!

[SupraP-Z]

My number one hate is people not saying thankyou, especially when a road is packed full of parked cars and you (I) decide to be sensible and wait for the pillock at the other end of the frikkin road, as he has already started driving towards you. He drives right past, no nod, no flash, no wave of the hand, bastard. Actually ive noticed thats its mainly the young women drivers that are chatting away to their mate on the passengers seat.

 

The second one is when you are waiting to turn right on a mini roundabout, and the pillock you are meant to be giving way to doesnt indicate, and suddenly turns left...what a waste of time.

 

Third - the wanker that decides to pull out of a side road just as you are a couple of meters away, instead of pulling out when he had ample time.

 

Fourth - when you let someone out of a turning, you flash your lights, its clear both sides, and the lemon just sits there...dozing. What an idiot. It takes a good 5 - 6 flashes sometimes even a beep of a horn for them to move! I just drive off in the end, stupid people.

 

There are loads, but these are some i encounter every day, there really are some right bellends on the road!

[BazzaAlpine]

Just this morning I noticed an idiot in a BMW flooring it behind me. Duel carriage way and in a little bit of traffic so I pull over to let him past as I'm in no rush. He then proceeds to straddle both lanes and tailgate the guy in front. By this point I've pulled back out again so I flash my lights at him and give him a nice wanker motion. He pulls over and slows down so I carry on the speed I was doing look out my window shaking my head at him while my passenger has got his camera up as if taking a picture Unfortunately his common sense only lasted about 5 minutes as the next thing I know is he's undertaking people all over the place. God I wish I had a decent camera setup on the dash. Didn't even get the prat anywhere as I wound up overtaking him again because he kept weaving in and out of the traffic and got stuck in the wrong lane. That was definitely one I would have been sending the video off to the police.

[Rob]

Fourth - when you let someone out of a turning, you flash your lights, its clear both sides, and the lemon just sits there...dozing. What an idiot. It takes a good 5 - 6 flashes sometimes even a beep of a horn for them to move! I just drive off in the end, stupid people.

 

Maybe thats because flashing your headlights is a warning, not a "I give way" sign. If someone was repeatedly flashing at me, I would not pull out in front of them,