Annoying Drivers Vent!

Brie

And the car with the Belgium plates going the wrong way around the roundabout?

zagfles

facade said:

Ganga said:

zagfles said:

prowla said:

ontheroad1970 said:

zagfles said:

unforeseen said:

Car drivers on an NSL signed dual carriageway who think the speed cameras on it are set to 60 so hit the brakes as they approach them. 

Or more generally those who brake at every speed camera because they haven't got a clue what the speed limit is or what speed they're doing. Or who think speed limits only apply at speed cameras

Or those that break for each one on a stretch of average speed camera covered road.

That's a good one - I blame the schools for not explaining what "average" means.

Most people don't understand averages. If you drive 10 miles at 70mph and the next 10 miles at 30mph, what is your average speed? If you think it's 50mph, as most people seem to, you don't understand averages.

Ok what is the answer then.

That is what the the Douglas Adams references meant, 42 mph.

The total distance travelled is 20 miles, the total time taken is 10/70 hours + 10/30hours  = 100/210hours, so the mean average is 20 miles divided by (100/210) which is 42.

There is probably a better way to do it but I can't remember.

As good as any. Could simplify a bit 1/7 + 1/3 as the denominator which is (3+7)/21 so 20/(10/21) = 20*21/10 = 2*21 =42. No million years of Earth computer needed, do it in your head driving along!

The thing that confuses people is that time is the denominator for speed, not distance, so it's the amount of time you spend driving at particular speeds which is relevant, not the distance you drive them over. You're spending more time driving at 30 than 70, so clearly the average speed is going to be much closer to 30 than 70.

Roland_Sausage

"The hoverers"

Most of the motorways in Scotland are 2 lane and I drive a van limited to 70 (on the Speedo).

I'm driving in lane 1, there's an HGV ahead of me, but it's fine it's half a mile away and this guy hovering just over my right shoulder in lane 2 will be ahead of me by then, allowing me to change lane.

Half a mile on and he's still there, still attempting to overtake me with his cruise control set to 70.00001 mph. Surely he can see that I'm closing in rapidly on the HGV and will stick his foot down and give it a burst of speed? 

Nope, eventually I admit defeat and cancel my own cruise control and have to hang back, whilst he finally passes completely oblivious, followed by the big queue of traffic that has built up behind him, which traps me behind the HGV for a while.

Steve182

Brie said:

And the car with the Belgium plates going the wrong way around the roundabout?

In my neck of the woods (Oxfordshire) it's unfortunately US diplomats wives on the wrong side of the road. RIP Harry Dunn. Then the US state dept or whoever advises her to flee the country to evade prosecution.

Shame there is such disparity between extradition treaties on opposite sides of the pond.

zagfles

Steve182 said:

Brie said:

And the car with the Belgium plates going the wrong way around the roundabout?

In my neck of the woods (Oxfordshire) it's unfortunately US diplomats wives on the wrong side of the road. RIP Harry Dunn. Then the US state dept or whoever advises her to flee the country to evade prosecution.

Shame there is such disparity between extradition treaties on opposite sides of the pond.

Indeed and something to bear in mind when whinging about drivers that might cost you 10 seconds of time. Some bad driving could cost you your life, maybe better to whinge about them.

Biggus_Dickus

Brie said:

And the car with the Belgium plates going the wrong way around the roundabout?

That takes me back,...indeed, Belgians and roundabouts are not a good mix.

Many moons ago whilst attending a training course in Hounslow myself and two other colleagues were invited out for the evening by an extremely pleasant and affable Belgian called Erick who was also on the course.

He’d brought his car over from Belgium and insisted on driving us to our evening destination which was a rather splendid Indian restaurant in Ruislip as I recall,...oh dear....getting into a car with Erick the Belgian at the wheel was a big mistake.

Every aspect of driving in England seemed to confuse him and roundabouts proved particularly challenging;...we trusted that Erick knew what he was doing but Erick hadn’t a clue what he was doing. Speed limits meant nothing to the mad Belgian.

We were on a busy dual carriageway in the left hand lane approaching a large and busy roundabout that had in the region of 5 exits;...we wanted the 4th exit and told Erick to indicate ‘right’ and take the required 4th exit.

Erick duly complied and indicated ‘right’;...unfortunately the Belgian nutter stayed in the left-hand lane as we approached and then proceeded to drive at breakneck speed the entire way round  the roundabout using just the outside lane! ;...how we got through without hitting any exiting traffic is still a mystery to me. The rest of the journey was equally adventurous.

I can laugh about it now, but at the time myself and the two other colleagues were ashen faced and terrified. Erick was totally oblivious. 😁

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ibrahim5

That's normal driving in Belgium.

Username03725

Roland_Sausage said:

"The hoverers"

Most of the motorways in Scotland are 2 lane and I drive a van limited to 70 (on the Speedo).

I'm driving in lane 1, there's an HGV ahead of me, but it's fine it's half a mile away and this guy hovering just over my right shoulder in lane 2 will be ahead of me by then, allowing me to change lane.

Half a mile on and he's still there, still attempting to overtake me with his cruise control set to 70.00001 mph. Surely he can see that I'm closing in rapidly on the HGV and will stick his foot down and give it a burst of speed? 

Nope, eventually I admit defeat and cancel my own cruise control and have to hang back, whilst he finally passes completely oblivious, followed by the big queue of traffic that has built up behind him, which traps me behind the HGV for a while.

Sometimes it's better to get ahead even if it means going over 70 for a short while.

In similar situations e.g. in lane 2 approaching slower traffic so ready to move to L3 but the traffic in 3 that was being held back by a slower driver now isn't as he's moved back to 2 and is now approaching over my shoulder at a rate that will box me in; in that case I'd happily accelerate out of the situation than be caught up in it. A short squirt of power to get out of that situation then drop back in in front of the traffic you were approaching = job done. The approaching L3 traffic can carry on unhindered and you're not trapped while the backlog of traffic eases past you. 

Ganga

Brie said:

Has anyone mentioned the old dears who toddle along at 29mph and slow to almost a full stop indicating to turn left and then realise that it's not the right road so proceed straight ahead verrrrry verrrrrrrrrry slowly regaining their stop speed of 29mph?  Repeatedly?  When I'm trying to get to work on time??  

If it is 29 mph in a 30 mph zone then whats the problem ? if 1 mph makes the difference between being on time or late for work you are leaving home too late .

BOWFER

marlot said:

Stubod said:

1/ ..driving at the speed limit and getting overtaken.....then when the speed limit ends being stuck behind the overtaker??

2/ ..most hgv drivers as they are very inconsiderate to other drivers..

I find that most HGV drivers are great.  Especially when I'm on the bike.

I doubt you'll find a group of people who flout the mobile phone law as regularly as lorry drivers do though.
I'm in the transport business, I tend to notice.
Mind you, our new £70K MAN truck doesn't come with bluetooth as standard, which doesn't help.