Driving styles and annoying drivers.

[tractorman]

The Audi thing is relatively new (I gather many are ex-BMW owners) and, being a member of a VW and Audi forum, I noticed that there were comments about how the people asking questions in the Audi section were becoming beligerant - asking questions and then, when someone has given the answer (and the questioner doesn't like it) gets abuse rather than thanks. If I ask a question and an expert answers it, I'm only too happy to take their advice - even if I don't like the answer! Mind you, even experts can be wrong (or misunderstand the question)!

On the other hand, our neighbour has two Audis and has had four over the last eight years or so. He is NOT a bad driver and hates bad manners as much as you or I do! So, not all Audi drivers are the same! I fear the problem is that, like most things, generalisation tars all owners of a make to be the same - the Micra at the front of the queue springs to mind! Yes, many of the ones I see are driven slowly by elderly people yet I know of one or two that are driven quickly by young ones - though that's probably just as dangerous !

My biggest gripe is the driver who sits at a junction and, as I come along the main road, waits until I am almost on the junction before pulling out in front of me! I was doing 60 one day and the front wheels were just about level with the junction (I do miss my air horns at times!). The other one is the driver who travels at 40 on a nice piece of unrestricted road and then continues at that speed through a 30 limit! I'm happy to stick to the 30 and 40 limits - and get overtaken in them - but I hate doing 30 - 40 when there is a nice wide road with nothing other than empty fields on either side (and can't overtake because of oncoming traffic!).

I must admit, I once did stop at a roundabout because I heard a siren. There were one or two cars and vans behind me and the siren sounded as if the ambulance was coming along from the right and I didn't want to pull out in front of it. It wasn't until I saw the lights in the door mirror that I realised the sound was echoing off two walls!

As an aside: I was thinking about Martin's comments about the lack of 51 plates yesterday - then saw four within three miles of setting off from home (I didn't bother to look when in town!). As mine is a 52, I tend to notice cars of a similar age more than ones with 09/59/10/61 - actually, I can't say I've noticed a 61 at all!

[joeminimad1]

I Drove an 05 plate mondeo ST (ahem diesel) no one ever got aggro with me but when i sold it to fund a few projects I bought an 02 plate skoda Fabia EVERY day someone made a crazy overtake or tailgated me or gave me some 'unfriendly' signs when i may have pulled out a little close in front of them!

HOWEVER i now have an l200 pickup truck (ever need a car towed in thr bristol are holla 07834697366) and now i never get any of this I assume they think im a double hard farmer/builder/groundworker??? something that has taught me never get raged with anyone micra or no micra they may be a psycho who borrowed it from his nan coz his harley is broken!

[Maaarrghk]

Must admit to a real hatred of those who try to block overtaking cars.

The latest "jape" from these self-righteous numpties is dabbing the brakes just as the overtaker is starting to pass in an attempt (I assume) to spook them into slamming on and pulling back in behind.

I have a neighbor currently in hospital with a broken back due to some clown he was overtaking swerving to the right. Of course his own instinct was to swerve right also, straight into a line of parked cars.

Those who think that ALL limits must be rigindly obeyed at ALL times might be having a little titter here and calling it "rough justice" or something like that. I call it ATTEMPTED MURDER.

[Martin Evans]

I have a neighbor currently in hospital with a broken back due to some clown he was overtaking swerving to the right. Of course his own instinct was to swerve right also, straight into a line of parked cars.

Overtaking near a line of parked cars sounds a bit dodgey; if one of them had pulled out, it could have been a head on.

[alfaSleep]

ok..ok.. owning up here. I am WhiteVanMan [white DOBLO Man, actually].

The other day I was lining up this car for a swift, clean pass on an A road in Northumberland.... bit dippy & swoopy [the road..lol] and an oncoming car caused me to hold back for 30secs.

Mr 'I own the roads round here, I pay my taxes', in front, decides time to SLAM ON DA ANKKAS, Man!... std behaviour, I feel likely to be told... ever vigilant, I decelerated in unison, and proceeded to clean him nonethless....

BOOTRIDERS don't you just want to collide with them!!

alfaSleep * not, actually

[Maaarrghk]

Martin.

Normally you would be quite correct as I am familiar with the stretch of road in question.

However, as the attempted murder took place at 6am just a couple of weeks ago, your suggestion is a long shot and any cars likely to pull out should have their lights on. Had this been the case, I'm certain my neighbor would have held on for another 100 yards until the houses (and parked cars) ended and the road widened out a bit.

Perhaps he should, I know that I would have.

One thing I should make clear is that so far as I am aware, neither car was breaking the 30mph speed limit.

This seems to be a case of what the ABD refer to as "aggressive slows" - there is a recent press release on their site concerning this menace should anyone care to have a look.

[TerryG]

[rant]The most annoying thing that i see at least once a week is a recovery lorry driving along with it's work lights on.
By far the worst drivers are mini cab drivers, speeding, tailgating, cutting in without indicating, stopping suddenly, cutting across lanes of traffic and stopping in the inside. i have been tempted on several occasions to test my bull bars on their cabs! [/rant]

[rich.]

im an ex audi driver/white van/tractor/hgv/taxi driver ive seen all makes of cars driven by thoughtless i own the road types...

[karlsgazelle]

Drivers, usually in small hatchbacks, who before turning left into a side road, feel the need to slow down to 3 mph and move right out to the middle of the road. YOU ARE NOT DRIVING A FECKIN ARTIC'!! Annoys the hell out of me.

Feels better now that I've got that off my chest.

[Martin Evans]

Perhaps that's annoying (I suppose this is one reason not to follow any car too close) but I don't think that's as bad as what I call the "Dickhead divers", who because they can't drive very well (I don't think they know how to change down), will dive into a right turn and really cut the corner blind, often just to beat an oncoming car . I had an uncle who would do that but in his case it was to "Save fuel" . He would cut the engine, on the crest of a very slight incline, near his home. He knew that if all went well, he could freewheel to his house, say 3/4 mile away. The only thing was, he had to "Dickhead dive" into the estate where he lived, otherwise he lost too much momentum and I often wondered how he would have fealt, having saved a floatchamber full of petrol but smashed the car up in doing so . It really was Russian roulette with a car but he was very much in the penny wise and pound foolish mold.