Observations whilst driving legally

[Harold_Shand]

I've been taking my time getting to work and back, I've only been overtaking wagons, steady 60-65 on the A road I use and bang on 30mph in the town.

I now feel much more relaxed when driving.

Most importantly; Audi, BMW and Range Rover drivers are complete and utter thoughtless ego-driven wankers. Selfish, arrogant and aggresive, no fucking need for it.

I think because they have spent so much money on a wankers car that they feel they have to justify this by using power to overtake... of course a lot of overtakes are unjustifiable because 100 metres up the road there are 3 wagons and a transit nose to tail. Most people realise this and stay put, but not Audi man who must dislike the thought of an £800 Xsara (eg) doing the same job at the same speed.

It goes like this... Overtake, pull in brake hard. Overtake, pull in, brake hard. Overtake, pull in, brake hard. Now sit here because you can't go anywhere until the turn off when everyone else will be sat 5 seconds behind you.

Or perhaps like the Range Rover which was doing 90+ to the top of a dual carriage way hill which narrows to one lane at the crest... went to pull in behind me, changed his mind and overtook, just about made it back in and then slammed his brakes because the traffic infront was doing 60 ish inturn making me slam mine on. The cunt then pulled of at the junction at the bottom of the hill.

What is it then that makes people with these types of 'prestige' into utter, utter cunts?
____________________
BCF's 6th favourite poster 2009-2010

Harold_Shand's theory might be the best explanation.

[Alexio]

I think you've already hit the nail on the head as to why.

What I couldn't help but realise is the enourmous amount of petrol wasted each year by just such driving behaviour with no real progress in speed to get to the destination.
____________________
will never give up his CG. I look at my fuel gauge more as a progress bar than a fuel gauge.
G: With my GSXR I do often effectively use it as a scooter with a clutch in town.
ms51ves3: why does it need 500 miles? Are you teaching it how to be a piston?

[Harold_Shand]

It really doesn't bother me with bikes. In A road traffic, bikes are there, then they're gone, no problem. Infinetley more maneuverable, infact, I love to watch a rider who knows what they're doing seamlessly getting through traffic, but these people think the massive limitations of driving a car don't apply to them. Humph.
____________________
BCF's 6th favourite poster 2009-2010

Harold_Shand's theory might be the best explanation.

[Phoenix]

I drive a BMW but don't really do the things you suggest, however I will provide an insight into something I do sometimes do which probably gets people going.

I frequently am on a nice quick A road and there's some slow traffic infront, maybe a truck, a van and lets say a citroen xsara sat piddling along, now it's not clear enough to overtake the entire lot but the xsara is sat so close to the leading slow vehicles I cannot just overtake one at a time either. So i'll overtake and squeeze in then brake to push the Xsara back, then overtake the leading vehicles, if the Xsara driver wasn't so selfish and left a sufficient gap for people who could go past to do it then there wouldn't be a problem. Or he could overtake, but no he just assumes everyone wants to dawdle like him and if they don't then they should do.

Unfortunately it's rarely just one Xsara, it's a whole string of them nose to tail with no chance of leapfrogging down the line without 15 or so Xsara drivers all phoning the police about the prick in the BMW so you're stuck for the next 10-15miles behind the funeral parade.

Problem is when you only drive a few miles to work and back and Tesco's at the weekend you can hack it. When you're on the road all day every day you have less tolerance for people who cause hold ups.

[neil.]

[MarJay]

[Bubbs]

My mate has bought a BMW 3 series 07 plate, it has a lot of power, and that power has gone to his head... He now drives like a cock!

The funny thing is that those cars feel like their going slow when their actually shifting. That's what I blame on the cockishness.
____________________
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

[Mudskipper]

[schooleydoo]

[MarJay]

I don't get why 'enthusiastic' car drivers are suddenly fair game, when 'enthusiastic' motorcyclists are obviously acceptable and fine.

The thing is as we've said many times on this forum, some bike riders are dicks, some car drivers are dicks.

If anybody should stick together then it should be motorcyclists and car enthusiasts. Car enthusiasts and motorcyclists have much much more in common than they have differences, and they also have the common enemy of our current nanny state government.

Don't condemn car drivers for doing exactly what you'd do the next day on a bike. In a way its a lot harder for car enthusiasts to have fun because its harder to overtake, its more expensive to move quickly and its more expensive to tax and insure compared to the performance you get from a bike.

Don't be a hater. Yes, this guy might have been a cock, but not all BMW drivers are cocks. It is also possible as Phoenix says that some 'normal' shopping box drivers are driving cockishley and don't even know it. At least Mr Beemer driver knows he's 'pushing the envelope' a bit...
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[schooleydoo]

I think the difference in my eyes is that if a biker makes a bad decision and gets wiped out, its likely he will go alone. Not the case with an X5, Q8 etc.

[chris-red]

[Robby]

I agree with Phoe on this one, if I'm bimbling along I always leave a massive gap between me and the car in front. If someone wants to overtake, they have space. More importantly for me, if the vehicle in front slows down or lets someone out of a junction I don't have to drastically alter my speed, I have a nice big bit of buffer.

However, lots of people don't do this. An old friend of mine was terrible for it, he'd always be right up the arse of the car in front but would never overtake. Then he'd get worked up if the car in front braked suddenly.

Leave a gap, accept that people are cunts, and you won't need to rant about it on the internet.

[chrisw]

[Harold_Shand]

I do leave a gap.

...and if it wasn't for rants this site would dissappear up it's own arse fairly quickly. So I shall continue.

Marge, I'm not jealous, honestly. I don't feel comfortable with 'flash' things, 'flash' things exist to exploit weaknesses in the human psyche and give even more power to the men at the top... It's a scam, bigger engine = more tax, more petrol = more tax, speeding = fines, New cars = V.A.T and import tax and it goes on, a great big scam.

Jealous? Yeah, I wish I could give the government thousands of pounds more a year so I could get somewhere 5 minutes quicker.
____________________
BCF's 6th favourite poster 2009-2010

Harold_Shand's theory might be the best explanation.

[MarJay]

[willis1337]

Can I ask:

If you are travelling along on a two lane road which then goes down to single lane road, at what point should you move into the single (inside) lane:

A) Where the roads merge.
B) Within 50m of where the roads merge.
C) Further up the road (specify how far).

Do you do it differently in a car / on a bike? What is your take on letting people into the inside lane (if you are in it) in front of you?

[neil.]

[chris-red]

In a car as soon as reasonably possible IMO but on one of my bikes I would leave it later.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[willis1337]

So how far ahead? a mile, two? would it then be good practice for the outside lane to stay completely empty a mile or more before the roads merge?

Personally if there is an empty outside lane with traffic on the inside lane and I could go faster (within the speed limit) I would use it. as soon as the curved arrows on the road appear I would look to move into the inside lane. Where there is usually some nob driving one inch from the guys bumper in front to "punish" me for using the road space available. I don't mind I can usually go in behind them in teh car (in front of a proper driver) on the bike I will be going in front of him (for a short time anyway).

Maybe we need to borrow some signs from the USA that say "merge like a zip" and maybe add a new one which says "use the road space available when safe to do so".

[chris-red]

Chances are you wouldn't know about a merge on the road 2 miles in advance, I would say when i can see that the road is merging and other traffic is moving.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[ZRX61]

Just be grateful you don't have to deal with fucking Mexicans driving shitbox Corollas at 50 mph in the fast lane on the freeways while everyone else is trying to maintain 80-90mph .

[Harold_Shand]

[chris-red]

[G]

Yea, I bet you've got a secret draw full of 'Car' magazine that you get out when you think no one's looking!



On my daily commute there's a lot of cases where I'll over take a load of cars, pushing in a bit some times as I do, then get stuck at a traffic light turning as the cars go past me.
However, a proportion of the time I'm lucky and save a few minutes. Add them up over a year and we're measuring it in hours.

As above, the initial rant could just as well read: