To think drivers are some of the most self-centred people around?

[ForBreezySloth]

I say this as someone who drives but seriously, the lack of awareness, the entitlement, the impatience… it’s mad. Whether it’s parking, refusing to slow down near schools or acting like cyclists/pedestrians are an inconvenience, it’s like the moment people get behind a wheel, empathy shuts off.

AIBU to think cars bring out the worst in people?

I don't think it is drivers specifically, it is people in general these days that go around with a massive entitlement to be thoughtless, as though even basic cognitive functioning is too much effort. I am a driver and a cyclist and when on the bike, the majority of drivers are decent, the problem ones are those who don't look properly at roundabouts and just charge onto it forcing me to take evasive action. We have an issue with poor situational awareness in this country, examples include people who drive at 40 mph down slip roads to join free flowing motorways, people who walk five abreast on the pavement at half the standard walking pace, people who won't zip-merge and cause traffic congestion to be way worse than it should near busy merge points, people who walk dogs and take up the entire width of the path preventing anyone from passing, people who fawn over someone elses dog whilst squatting in the middle of the road, the gobshites who walk and shriek through residential areas at midnight, people who fanny about in supermarket aisles trying to select one of six things whilst blocking access to the one item I want, people who fanny about at checkouts because getting their method of payment ready whilst standing in the queue rather than when the cashier asks for it then going fumble fumble I-had-it-here-somewhere requires too much forward planning, people buried in their phones who can't now walk in a straight line, people with their phones blaring out on trains as though everyone else wants to listen to their shit music. I could go on. A consequence of living in a very safe and civilised society is that people get away with being thoughtless/gormless/careless and the externalised consequences impact everyone else in their vicinity.

With drivers, there is the fact that in a car, you are segregated from the outside world which suppresses empathy for those outside and engenders a feeling of being seperated from any potential direct actions of others, therefore anything goes, rather like those who bully and abuse others through social media (because they can and no-one is going to stop them). The programming of entitlement through the media protraying driving as the idealised version of being free and alone, cruising on the open road and the dreadfully misunderstood notion of what road tax actually is (hint, it is not a road tax and it isn't ringfenced for road expenditure) contributes to entitlement.

Well actually earlier I and some other cars were at the crossing. Lights on red. Two pedestrians having a chat then decided to cross once the lights turned green so we all had to sit and wait.

@jaws33 dont forget the ones who sail through red lights like they don’t exist and the ones who go ‘straight’ around an island so they nearly take your front end off

Some (many) people are selfish and self centred. It’s not surprising that when in cars, they become selfish drivers and that, when on bikes, they become selfish cyclists.

People are allowed to cycle on all roads except M-Ways, its not your job to police other people and how they chose to spend their time, plenty of keen cyclists will be riding expensive bikes to and fro work, you have no idea what their motivation is.

Having a car driving licence means you have to deal with traffic in a calm manner, if you find yourself unable to deal with cyclists or any other traffic on the roads, without getting angry then thats on you.

Maybe you should take the bus as you seem keen to tell others to use a tow path?

I drove 35k miles per year, over 32 years, the main reason for delays was car accidents and road works, the number of times delayed by cyclists was tiny and then it would be just a few moments.

Or do you get mad because your totally un-necessary trip to the garden centre etc on a sunday morning is delayed by others using the roads for their interests??

SOME drivers are, yes, but a lot aren't. The worst offenders round us are large SUVs driven by flippy-pony-tailed young women in very dark glasses who look neither left nor right, anticipate nothing and drive from A-B as though nobody else exists. I reckon they're shit scared driving such a monster and should be in Fiestas.

Cyclists aren’t injuring and killing several people every single day in the UK. I can’t imagine why you think they could ever be worse than motorists. And I say that as a motorist.

Well cyclists and pedestrians ARE an inconvenience, the vast majority of cyclists are literally just playing their hobby on a public road. They aren't commuting, just playing. That should be banned. We don't allow any other hobbies to be played on public roads. Pedestrians are less of an inconvenience because you can overtake them safely and they generally don't cause delays.

It's the proliferation of touch screens, which have easential functions, buried deep in the software, that are a big problem.

Ah, here you go again. Got a source on your claim that the vast majority of cyclists are hobbyists? Horses are also allowed on public roads. Doesn’t that qualify as a hobby?

So are the vast majority of people driving around on a Sunday morning, most are taking part in their "hobby" be that a garden centre, going to see events etc certainly not commuting.

So we do allow people to take part in hobbies on public roads....

Your post shows the entitlement of car drivers that the OP is highlighting.

Anyone who dares slow you down should be banned.

Touch Screens are also not the problem... the problem is drivers thinking its ok to be looking at these instead of the road, if you cannot find the function you want, wait until you can stop... simple really

This is spot on and clear common sense. There are many different threads on Mumsnet demonising either drivers or cyclists or pedestrians using mobiles. The fact is that there are inconsiderate or entitled people in the world who also happen to drive or cycle or walk. Assigning negative traits to an entire group, simply because you’ve recently experienced inconsiderate behaviour from someone in a car or on a bike or on foot, is illogical, and often leads to confirmation bias and poor or dangerous behaviour on the part of the aggrieved person. I’m a driver and a cyclist and a pedestrian and I’ve had dangerous experiences in all these areas. But I also have to hold up my hands and admit I’ve also made mistakes or responded in unhelpful ways when my anger has got the better of me. And who hasn’t. So rather than pour fuel on the fire, let’s try to take a breath sometimes and let things go, and accept that, unless an accident has occurred, most of us have been culpable of bad behaviour at some point.

If you re an entitled and arrogant driver, who takes up cycling or running or snooker... or flower arrangement, you'll be arrogant and entitled in this new pursuit too.

Some people are self centered

Strangely, some of those people drive cars, and some will do a million other things.

You've got your Venn diagram round the wrong way....

Yes, definitely. There was a Mont Python sketch years ago which had pedestrians on a busy street behaving like drivers. It was funny but made the point that most people (most, but not all…) wouldn’t dream of being so pushy, arrogant and selfish if they weren’t in a shiny metal box.

Well, any group has the capacity to behave in considerately, but the consequences of people in charge of massive metal hulks travelling at speed doing so are obviously much greater.

Some, absolutely, and same with some (ok, many) smokers.

Also pretty narrow minded to think that keeping fit is a hobby! Keeping fit benefits all of society in the long run.

If they are wearing lycia and riding a racing bike, they are playing their hobby.

We don't allow anyone else to keep fit using a public road.

You don't set up a running machine on the outside lane of a dual carriageway.

You don't do squats in the middle of the road.

You don't set up a weight machine in the middle of a junction.

Cycling is the only hobby that is played on public roads.

To be fair I drive through our town every day and pedestrians or cyclists decide they’re just going to go now. Or people in scooters fly out in front of me. Or people glare at me if they cross in front of me as I’m stopped in traffic (and not at a Crossing!) It works both ways!

No we don't. Those people aren't gardening on the road, they are travelling to do their hobby, which is what roads were made for, to travel.

Cyclists use them to play their hobby.

As for your suggestion that motorists should wait until they are stopped to use a touch screen. You do realise that quite a lot of cars have A/C settings within the touchscreen.

If the windscreen begins to fog up, are you suggesting the driver should just wait until the next junction to pull over and use their touchscreen . . .

Are horse riders allowed, or are people allowed to drive to their hobbies? Daytrip to the seaside?

Most cyclists I see have neither. What about those going for a leisurely Sunday drive, or driving their dog to a forest, or towing a caravan? Surely they’re clogging up the roads in pursuit of playing at their hobby?

Except they are unlikely to kill or maim

Roads were indeed made for travel. First for horses, then bicycles and, more recently motor vehicles. Even ‘hobby’ cyclists are often travelling somewhere, such as scenic viewpoints, coffee shops, pubs etc. So, they’re using roads exactly as they’re intended to be used.