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Original poster

Driving hates

104 replies

Percyprod · 23/06/2021 09:22

After unbelievably seeing 2 people this week driving on main roads with digs on their laps, what 3 things really annoy you about other drivers, ignoring using a phone, speeding and tailgating. Apart from the doggy one, mine are using earphones when driving, and placing phone/ sat nav in right in front of the driver, or under the rear view mirror.

OP posts:
tanstaafl · 23/06/2021 10:46

@Percyprod

Now here's a mystery perhaps someone can answer. Why do so many drivers stop a car's length from the white line at traffic lights, rather than up to the white line?
Ooh, I asked this on a thread a while back!

The consensus was its taught these days as a technique to avoid being shunted into traffic if you’re hit from behind.

BigfatJ · 23/06/2021 10:48

People who don’t change the speed they’re doing and will consistently just stick to one speed so they’ll do 35 in a 30 zone but when it gets to a 40 zone, they’ll still stay at 35 Angry

Strawberriesandcream21 · 23/06/2021 10:53

Roundabouts. Drivers who let others out onto a roundabout drive me up the wall

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Driving & parking
bloodywhitecat · 23/06/2021 10:53

@Percyprod

Now here's a mystery perhaps someone can answer. Why do so many drivers stop a car's length from the white line at traffic lights, rather than up to the white line?
Because if you get hit from behind leaving a good gap means you won't get shunted in to oncoming traffic, it is the same reason you should be able to see tyres on tarmac on the car in front when queuing in traffic.
looptheloopinahulahoop · 23/06/2021 10:56

On the roundabouts thing, yesterday I had a twit in front of me who was in the right hand lane but then cut in front of me to go left.

A minute or so later, on the next roundabout, he decided that he wanted to go right (from the left hand lane) and cut up another car. That driver was less tolerant than I was and leant on the horn.

It's easy to get into the wrong lane but in what world do you get in the left lane to go right or the right lane to go left, unless it's a odd road layout where that is the case (not here). Not sure if he was drunk or on his phone or what. Hopefully he didn't prang someone later on.

lastqueenofscotland · 23/06/2021 10:56

I grew up in a rural area with a lot of tourism… people who drive on perfectly good national speed limit A roads at 30 mph, and slam on the breaks to

lastqueenofscotland · 23/06/2021 10:57

But the same people always end up doing 40 through villages where there’s a 20/30 limit!!

Original poster
Percyprod · 23/06/2021 10:57

Ah, thanks for that.

OP posts:
newnortherner111 · 23/06/2021 10:58

My list is too long.

About 25% of people with a driving licence should not have one in my opinion. Some for health reasons, most for conduct.

LindaEllen · 23/06/2021 11:00

There's a really busy roundabout near my house, a one lane one but not a mini as there's something in the middle. It's really hard to pull onto the roundabout from the direction of my house, as MOST people using it are going to the supermarket which is to the left of where I enter.

The only chance you've really got is when someone turns just before where I am .. and they often do that but don't indicate their intention, leaving me waiting even longer due to my crystal ball not working. It's so, so annoying.

Sparklingbrook · 23/06/2021 11:02

When two lanes go into one and people are supposed to Zip merge. Except the left hand lane people bunch up because they see it as pushing in. Hmm It's there to improve traffic flow.

Touloser · 23/06/2021 11:10

People who stop on slip roads. Or who pootle along at 20mph trying to merge onto a motorway, seemingly oblivious to the danger and chaos they're causing.
I hope there's a special place in hell for them.

Original poster
Percyprod · 23/06/2021 11:13

I had to post this, such a coincidence! Near where I live there is a section of road which has been narrowed as a speed reducing measure. One direction has priority, and it is 50 to 60 yards long. This morning as. 8 approached it I saw a VW camper van coming the other way. I had right of way, and was already in the narrowed bit, and to my surprise the VW kept coming. We obviously had to stop, and the other driver smiled (grimaced)? and waved at me to reverse. I smiled, pointed at het and indicated she should reverse. The smile went, and she started to get rather agitated. Eventually I turned off the engine. She got out and came to my window, yelling that it was a new vehicle and she couldn't reverse it. I pointed out she was in the wrong, and that she shouldn't be on the road if she couldn't reverse. She sealed her fate though, using phrases like "huge car", it's a Discovery 4 for goodness sake, smaller than her van, " Cheksea tractor", " "no one needs a 4x4", and the worst one " bloody SUVs" . I hate with a passion the SUV thing, what is such a thing? Anyone? Anyway, eventually a nice young police man arrived, by now there was quite a queue, and gave her a good telling off. To cap it all, when she did reverse she caught a bollard, so she was right about not being able to reverse!

OP posts:
WeAreTheHeroes · 23/06/2021 11:16

People who brake on two-lane country roads when another vehicle passes them on the other side of the road. Your lack of spacial awareness terrifies me

God yes. The other is people constantly braking going downhill on country lanes. Drop down a gear and try slowing down. If your foot is constantly on the brake then you are doing something wrong!

BrilliantBetty · 23/06/2021 11:23

Lack of indicators. Especially on roundabouts.

Tailgating.

Drivers who purposely aren't considerate of learner drivers. Yes they're annoying but we all had to start somewhere, why be a dick and immediate/ make life hard for someone who's just learning.

wheeltrims · 23/06/2021 11:35

Near to me there is a dip in the road where a railway bridge goes over it and it's quite narrow. Narrow but full size well marked lanes and perfectly possible to drive under it with two cars remaining on their own side of the road. However the number of times I go under it and the oncoming car swerves out into the middle of the road into my way or just stops dead in the road to ensure they don't hit the bridge wall is amazing. If they could drive properly they wouldn't need to do that at all! One day I know I'll end up in an accident there due to someone else's stupidly.

Eviethyme · 23/06/2021 11:38

Yes got to be the people parking next to you or opposite you in an empty car park...

Sparklingbrook · 23/06/2021 11:50

I went to a tea rooms in the middle of nowhere the other week. Got there for breakfast at 9am. Car park was empty with about 30 spaces, was a bit early so parked up to wait for friends, I parked right in the middle of the row.
Within 5 minutes a huge blue transit arrived and parked right next to me. I could barely open my door but squeezed out. Bloke in van just smiled at me. Confused

Seeline · 23/06/2021 12:01

Actually a relatively new one - I think lock down has made it worse - bloody electric scooters! No attempt to follow the rules of the road (which they are on illegally), weaving in and out of traffic, overtaking/undertaking, ignoring traffic lights etc. There is a women local to me who I have twice encountered - she seems to ride down the wrong side of the road in the middle of the carriageway! Last time I came across her she wasn't even looking where she was going but having a good nose in all the front gardens!! Nearly rode into me.

Triffid1 · 23/06/2021 12:14

@Sparklingbrook

I went to a tea rooms in the middle of nowhere the other week. Got there for breakfast at 9am. Car park was empty with about 30 spaces, was a bit early so parked up to wait for friends, I parked right in the middle of the row. Within 5 minutes a huge blue transit arrived and parked right next to me. I could barely open my door but squeezed out. Bloke in van just smiled at me. Confused
I think some people do this because they need the other car to help them gauge how to park inside the lines.
HowToBringABlushToTheSnow · 23/06/2021 12:32

@newnortherner111

My list is too long.

About 25% of people with a driving licence should not have one in my opinion. Some for health reasons, most for conduct.

I think that's generous.
SpaceOp · 23/06/2021 13:15

@Sparklingbrook

When two lanes go into one and people are supposed to Zip merge. Except the left hand lane people bunch up because they see it as pushing in. Hmm It's there to improve traffic flow.
Oh yes, this. Also, all the people ONLY drive into the left lane, making the bottleneck go on for longer.

Me and DS had a really good laugh a few months ago where road works caused this exact scenario. What should have been two lanes, had to become one, about 30m from a traffic light. People were too scared to do the zip thing so were causing the intersection to be blocked because they weren't using the right hand lane at all. One or two cars were attempting to use the right lane up to where the merger was supposed to happen, including us.

Driver in car next to us was clearly incandescent. Was so busy trying to make sure no one got in that he almost bumped the car in front, causing that driver to gesticulate wildly at him in irritation, while me and at least two other cars sailed past while they argued. Hilarious.

EversoDelighted · 23/06/2021 13:24

The parking right next to you in an empty car park thing might be to try and avoid catalytic converter theft, which is getting more and more common. Makes it harder for thieves to jack up the car and reach under with cutting tools. Advice now is to park next to something else not in a wide open space.

midsomermurderess · 23/06/2021 13:29

People sitting in the middle lane of the motorway. Recently, I had to keep going in to the fast lane to overtake middle-lane squatters and then right back across to the inner lane. It ludicrous. I think the police are doing more about these drivers when they see them but there needs to a more concerted effort to get them to stop this. And it is also an enormous waste of road capacity, blocking a passing lane.

DahliaMacNamara · 23/06/2021 13:44

Definitely the ones who force you to brake by emerging from a junction as you approach it, then fail to speed up appropriately once they're on the main road. But people who don't indicate their intention to exit a busy roundabout when there's a queue of cars waiting to get on, well, they can fuck off too.