[Closed] WTF is wrong with people?!?!?

Must be something rude written on the back of your car.

Imagine all those people who [i]just[/i] scraped a pass, at the 3rd attempt.
Imagine 20 years of bad habit build up.
Imagine bellends.

Combine them.

These are the people concerned a cyclist needs to have a license and insurance, for safety, and are who you encountered this morning

ust be something rude written on the back of your car.

These are the people concerned a cyclist needs to have a license and insurance, for safety, and are who you encountered this morning

Thats part of my issue.
I cant believe we only sit a 'mandatory' driving test once.
In my job I get 'refresher training' for stuff all the time. Annualy, 3 yearly, 5 yearly so I can keep up to date with working practices, new legislation etc.

Surely a mandatory retest every 10-15 years FOC would get so many of these idiots off the road, or at least get them to rethink their habits?
I also think the test should have a section on 'other/vunerable road users'

I've been tailgated through a 30 zone for the car to then vanish into my rear view mirror when we got to the national speed limit zone as I sped up and they didn't.

I'm with you on that one. Particularly annoying. It's also annoying the other way around - stuck behind someone doing 45mph on a national speed limit country road, so clearly not in a rush, they then disappear off in front of you when you reach a village, and speed through it.

[quote=crazyjenkins01 ]I cant believe we only sit a 'mandatory' driving test once.
In my job I get 'refresher training' for stuff all the time. Annualy, 3 yearly, 5 yearly so I can keep up to date with working practices, new legislation etc.

Great point - you have to get refresher tests and training for everything in the work world. I'd think something with the level of danger involved in driving you'd be doing refreshers every year.

“thenorthwind - Member
I've been tailgated through a 30 zone for the car to then vanish into my rear view mirror when we got to the national speed limit zone as I sped up and they didn't.
I'm with you on that one. Particularly annoying. It's also annoying the other way around - stuck behind someone doing 45mph on a national speed limit country road, so clearly not in a rush, they then disappear off in front of you when you reach a village, and speed through it.
”

I call these 40mph’ers. A constant 40 mph no matter what road they’re driving on

I'm with you on that one. Particularly annoying. It's also annoying the other way around - stuck behind someone doing 45mph on a national speed limit country road, so clearly not in a rush, they then disappear off in front of you when you reach a village, and speed through it.

Very much this - I get this every day on my commute to work. The village we pass through are also getting cheesed off and have started their own community speed watch which I think is a great idea.

Imagine all those people who just scraped a pass, at the 3rd attempt.
Imagine 20 years of bad habit build up.
Imagine bellends.

Two things that peeve me:

1) People not indicating to turn right at roundabouts
2) People braking to an almost standstill to turn right off a road THEN indicating at the last minute

In both cases it relies on my supernatural judgment based on road positioning and speed adjustment to work out what they might be doing.

Just be grateful that BMW and Audi don't make white vans.

Thanks RM. 😀

I'd say that about 30% of people driving at any one time are doing so in a daydream.
The other 70% are just trying to get there first.

I don't know where "there" is, but from the way some people drive, I'd guess it's amazing.

I Just Don't Get It!

Think of the stupidest person you've ever met. The most pig-headed, ignorant, impetuous and thoughless person. They probably have a driving license.

Talk to ten people a day. Then try to imagine half of them being responsible for a vehicle, it's pretty sobering. I actually take pride in driving, I'm not saying I'm good but I do try to be better. Most people don't, they just drive, it's just something they have to do. I don't see that there's any incentive for most to do better, the vast majority of accidents don't result in injury or prosecution so why bother? The airbag and protected ncb will save them anyway..

No-one high up in a car company is going to say "You know what, most accidents could be completely avoided by more rigorous driver training and stricter testing standards" No, they won't, they want anyone and everyone to drive and buy their products and for it to be as convenient and easy as possible. Offering "magic" solutions to basic operator incompetence sells more cars and makes more profit whilst covering up the real causes of crashes. As road users on the wrong side of the air bag cyclists and motorcyclists really get the shitty end of the stick here..

Watch out on your way back, at Launceston about half a mile of the A30's used as a shortcut from town to Tescos. I swear people get on the slip-road and figure that it's not worth speeding up as they're about to turn off again.. Hence a mix of 85mph twunts, 50mph lorries and 30mph twunts on their way to the shop all on two fairly narrow lanes, great fun!

EDIT; Damn you multi-gesture-touchpad.

I call these 40mph’ers. A constant 40 mph no matter what road they’re driving on

On Saturday we were heading over towards Hull on the M62. At the M1 junction just outside Leeds a car in the outside lane of the M62 and level with the dividing chevrons suddenly decides (or perhaps realises after looking up from their phone) that they need to be heading north on the M1 so cut across all four lanes of traffic.

Watch out on your way back, at Launceston about half a mile of the A30's used as a shortcut from town to Tescos.

Luckily, I don't need to go near Launceston!

I see that sort of stuff all the time whitestone.

I last week sat in a car (again) with an elderly relative who maintains that cyclists need to be removed from the roads for their own safety. Because cyclists are you know, 'hazardous'. He is an erratic and frankly scary driver, it has to be said, with many bad driving habits and seemingly little knowledge of the highway code/laws regarding bicycles.

I took the opportunity to try and leaen something from his attitudes. So asked him in what situation he thought that cyclists were, you know, 'hazardous'?

'For example'?

He responded: 'well, a lot of roads arent built for cars to be parked, so youhave a narrow street with cars parked both sides'

'And?'

'Then it's difficult to pass another car, in fact there is only room for one car and add a cyclist to this amd it makes it hazardous'

'But wait, so. The cyclist is where, in this scenario?'
'On the road'
'Yes but how is the cyclist the problem?'
'Well, can't squeeze past them safely so the flow of traffic is ruined'
'Flow of traffic? You said there were cars parked both sides making it effectively a single carriageway. At what speed would you normally travel here? '
'Well..'
'?'
'There are hazards of car doors being opened'
'Yes exactly, so a cyclist...'
'A cyclist is traffic also, are you attempting to overtake the cyclist? Would you try to overtake a car in this scenario?'
'Now you're being silly'
'No, seriously, how. Is the cyclist the problem here? Iarage 12-25mph on my bike in towns depending on road. If you're squeezingbetween parked cars on a city street how fast do you think you should be travelling?'
'(Blank stare) and what about those fixies? That kid who killed that woman'?
'What about it? Throw the book at him'
'They should ban fixies'

&c.

(Later that day he nearly killed or maimed both us and occupants of approaching vehicle by his pulling out of a minor road without waiting/looking.)

But 'cyclists.'

The conversation continued (gods help me)

Me 'so what in your mind is the answer'?
'Cycle paths, bit there isnt room on most of our roads for them, they missed the opportunity when they built the houses'
'so integrated paths, like your local shared cycle/pedestrian path?'
'No, cycling is too popular in this country now, since the Olympics, and everyone is pushing it, our walk is often ruined by cyclists now, there are too many of them'
'This is holiday town' people can share. Anyway, that's nonsense about too many bikes nationally - I shop by bike. 1000 cars parked at the superstore. When I roll up I see two other bikes locked up. Explain that?
'.... you're being silly now'

Interesting insight

The worst road I've been on is the A1M to the north of Peterborough. A couple of years ago I'd a contract near Cambridge and thought it was bad enough during daylight/commuting hours but then had the occasion to drive up it at night on the way back from France. Jeeeesus! Not much traffic but what there was on the road was a liability: cars in the left lane suddenly and without indicating turning right and cutting across you; vehicles tailgating in the left lane and waiting until you are about a car's length behind to pull out and overtake. Complete madness.

Overtook a guy this morning who had a series or TV playing on his dash-mounted phone 😯

[quote=fifeandy ]

I call these 40mph’ers. A constant 40 mph no matter what road they’re driving on

You're making the ridiculous assumption that they're trying to achieve something. There isn't actually any purpose at all to it, they're not trying to achieve anything - apart maybe from not having to think at all.

Malvern Rider - Member

I last week sat in a car (again) with an elderly relative who maintains that cyclists need to be removed from the roads for their own safety. Because cyclists are you know, 'hazardous'.

Was this your Father or Mother as alluded to in your Brexit mk9 thread Malvern Rider 🙂

Anyway....OP was driving a transit? My guess is everyone was just driving in a fashion appropriate to preempt random dodgy driving from the a transit.

There's a simple explanation for all of this:
People are c..(you know the rest)

Some people are knobs.
Some people who ordinarily are not knobs once in their car become knobs.

Stay safe people.

Overtook a guy this morning who had a series or TV playing on his dash-mounted phone

I can't help but joke about these cretins. My missus is maimed for life because of a tailgater so I do take it seriously but I still have to joke or I'd end up on going on a killing spree.

Was this your Father or Mother as alluded to in your Brexit mk9 thread Malvern Rider

Kind of stalky? The relevance of which or what relative is irrelevant to the discussion.

Just relax and play 'spot the ****' as you drive defensively. I've just been to the supermarket (I fuelled the car so bike not practical) and in the space of the 0.7 miles I drove back I had 1 bus cut me up, 3 SUV's barge their way in front of me, two red light jumpers and a boy racer gun it off the lights only to just miss slamming into the car in front. I'm pretty sure I was one of the few who actually parked properly in the car park too, although a special mention does go to the granny in her ageing Micra who reversed perfectly into the disabled bay (she had a badge).

Just be grateful that BMW and Audi don't make white vans.

BMW dont, Audi do but they rebadge them as VW's 😉

On the way to Tenby yesterday , I had quite a queue building behind me whilst driving at 50mph on a National Speed limit single carriageway (driving a T5 - T32 Kombi so that's the speed limit for me)
As it widened to dual carriageway, the twunt behind in his BMW indicated his disgust at having to endure this for a couple of miles by blasting his horn and shaking his fist as he careered past.

You're making the ridiculous assumption that they're trying to achieve something. There isn't actually any purpose at all to it, they're not trying to achieve anything - apart maybe from not having to think at all.

It's highlighted quite markedly when you indulge in online gaming (which as i've said on other threads, I think has a lot of transferable skills to real life). Currently got back into World of Tanks - its target market, and biggest demographic are 'Daddies' = most will have driving licenses. And most are TOTALLY oblivious to their surroundings.
When capture is going on, a massive banner flashes on the screen, and a siren sounds, and yet apparently 75% somehow don't notice.
Watched a bloke on Sunday sit 2m outside the circle - if he reversed 2m he'd have A) contested the capture, and B) been in cover - but instead, he sat in the open fixated on a bush he got shot from 5 mins ago and according to minimap, occupant of said bush was long gone.
Anyway - back on topic - these are the people we are sharing the roads with. It's frankly a miracle that there aren't 5 car pile ups at every junction every day.

Charge. 5% premium on car insurance five years after the driver either passes the test or had approved training (say 1 days course)

Every subsequent year the premium increases by a further 5%

Funds go to the uninsured driver fund

Imagine all those people who just scraped a pass, at the 3rd attempt.
Imagine [s]20 [/s]years of bad habits build up.
Imagine bellends.

Combine them.

when you indulge in online gaming

There's been many a time in battlefield where I've guessed where a sniper nest is, they are generally so busy looking down thier scopes they didn't hear me pull up behind them on a quad bike. It's always a bonus if there's three or four of them and casualy get off the quad, walk up and stab them in the head one after the other.

Malvern Rider - Member

Was this your Father or Mother as alluded to in your Brexit mk9 thread Malvern Rider

Kind of stalky? The relevance of which or what relative is irrelevant to the discussion.

Being able to remember things from two days ago is hardly stalky is it. Especially when the thread title was so crypticly weird.

Anyway....OP was driving a transit? My guess is everyone was just driving in a fashion appropriate to preempt random dodgy driving from the a transit

While I get the idea as I see them a lot, but I wasn't driving like a 'white van man' as national-company name is emblazoned on every spare bit of space! And staff have had b0llockings in the past as you can't miss who we work for

Charge. 5% premium on car insurance five years after the driver either passes the test or had approved training (say 1 days course)

Would only incentivise people to get training if it's a 5% reduction

Don't forget reversing. Something to be learnt for the driving test then promptly forgotten!

We visited Coll and Tiree in September. We left the car in Oban and took our bikes as the islands are so small you can ride round them in less than a day. Getting onto the ferry at Coll to head to Tiree vehicles have to reverse onto the ship.

"Now we see who's remembered how to reverse a car" I said to one of the ferry staff as the first car narrowly avoided the barrier. He just rolled his eyes: "This is nothing, we see far worse than this!"

I agree a yearly re-test isn't really practical, but I think a yearly online Highway Code and hazard perception test should be perfectly feasible.

You get a couple of goes (maybe three?), but if those are all failed you have to do a proper practical test before you can drive again.

Just enough to keep people on their toes, and keep them up to date with changes to the rules.

Percentage of drivers paying any attention to their driving: 5% (at tops i'd say)

The simple fact is that despite driving a car being the most dangerous thing you do in modern life, most people do not treat it as a separate and important task.

They say "i'm just going shopping to the supermarket after i've finished this bit of work" rather than "I'm finishing work, DRIVING TO THE SUPERMARKET, and then going shopping" ie. making the driving bit a specific and important task / activity in it's own right.

Because of this, boredom and inattention creep in, especially when on their normal commute. I see the same cars, every morning, making the same blindingly obvious mistakes, errors and lapses in judgement. People just sheeping along, and when the S**T hits the fan, they crash. No time to react, but in fact, they haven't even spotted the vital stimulus to what they need to react too.

For example, yesterday, on my commute, the road was closed (gridlocked) for 2 hours due to a crash. That crash occurred on a dead straight wide bit of road. A car drove into the back of another car, which had slowed for a cyclist. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt (modern cars are safe, but if they had hit the cyclist it would be a different story), but how do you explain failing to see another car slowing down, in perfect visibility? The answer of course is the driver simply wasn't paying any attention to what they were doing. Sheeping along, 2" behind the car in front. Not looking (at all probably) but certainly, no more than beyond his front bumper.

IMO, we should start banning drivers for crashing. ie, if it's your fault and you cause an accident, you get a 6month ban. If it's your fault, and you cause a crash where someone gets hurt, you get a 5 year ban.

We don't accept people walking in public spaces waving a gun around, and yet seem to be more than happy for people to do exactly the same with an car had contains far more energy than the bullet in that gun.........

People are ass holes.

Also, the people who pass their driving test, then don't drive for 15 years (as they don't like it) then start again (as per a colleague).

"Now we see who's remembered how to reverse a car" I said to one of the ferry staff as the first car narrowly avoided the barrier.

Did he damage his car or the barrier by avoiding it then? I narrowly avoid lots of things when reversing, can't remember actually bumping anything though. 😉

Roundabouts...people who stop like there's a STOP sign when there's nothing approaching for the next 3 weeks!

[quote=whitestone ]Don't forget reversing. Something to be learnt for the driving test then promptly forgotten!
We visited Coll and Tiree in September.
...

Not the punchline I was expecting - a book in the glovebox is handy when driving around the Scottish Islands IME. I did once get out of my car and walk up to the car coming the other way to offer to reverse the 10m to the passing place for her.

maxtorque - Member

Percentage of drivers paying any attention to their driving: 5% (at tops i'd say)

The simple fact is that despite driving a car being the most dangerous thing you do in modern life, most people do not treat it as a separate and important task.

They say "i'm just going shopping to the supermarket after i've finished this bit of work" rather than "I'm finishing work, DRIVING TO THE SUPERMARKET, and then going shopping" ie. making the driving bit a specific and important task / activity in it's own right.

Because of this, boredom and inattention creep in, especially when on their normal commute. I see the same cars, every morning, making the same blindingly obvious mistakes, errors and lapses in judgement. People just sheeping along, and when the S**T hits the fan, they crash. No time to react, but in fact, they haven't even spotted the vital stimulus to what they need to react too.

For example, yesterday, on my commute, the road was closed (gridlocked) for 2 hours due to a crash. That crash occurred on a dead straight wide bit of road. A car drove into the back of another car, which had slowed for a cyclist. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt (modern cars are safe, but if they had hit the cyclist it would be a different story), but how do you explain failing to see another car slowing down, in perfect visibility? The answer of course is the driver simply wasn't paying any attention to what they were doing. Sheeping along, 2" behind the car in front. Not looking (at all probably) but certainly, no more than beyond his front bumper.

I was with you up until

IMO, we should start banning drivers for crashing. ie, if it's your fault and you cause an accident, you get a 6month ban. If it's your fault, and you cause a crash where someone gets hurt, you get a 5 year ban.

Too many scenarios and variables where you could put a car in a ditch by just reacting to other road users or obstacles. The obvious response is - if you crash you were driving too fast for the conditions, but the reality we live in means we drive so we can go faster than 12mph.

Anecdote - I have a 4 mile drive along a country road to get home. It's a national speed limit road until it crosses the border where it become 80kph. This time of year it's strewn with wet leaves and muck dragged out of fields by farmers (which I've reported to the road service). Because of the road conditions I limit myself to 35ish mph on this road (much to the annoyance of anyone behind me) but at about 5 o'clock a few days ago a red squirrel jumped into the path of the car then proceeded to dart left, then right then left, then under the wheels!! silly bugger. I braked, then harder, but didn't swerve. I dont want to kill a red squirrell but if I'd swerved to save the kamikaze little bastard I would have been in a field. I would swerve for a deer though so I would be looking at a 6 month ban?

used as a shortcut from town to Tescos

Tesco. There is no s on the end of Tesco.

but surely [re tests] every 10-15years wouldn't be a problem. The cost would surely be .......

..... a lost election for whichever government proposed it.

nealglover - Member

but surely [re tests] every 10-15years wouldn't be a problem. The cost would surely be .......

..... a lost election for whichever government proposed it.

Autonomous cars will be commonplace before mandatory retests and when they are commonplace it'll be easy to pass a law that insists on higher standards of driving for those dangerous self driving Luddites.

@aracer - I've done that in Wales with a driver failing to reverse with a caravan in tow. After about ten minutes watching him tie the vehicle in knots I'd had enough, got out and wandered over and told him I'd do it! Took about 30 seconds.

Does help having grown up on a farm where reversing tractor and trailer is a common occurrence.

To much tech in cars people are paying the tech more attention than the driving.

There is no s on the end of Tesco.

...unless there is more than one Tesco.

but surely [re tests] every 10-15years wouldn't be a problem. The cost would surely be .......

..... a lost election for whichever government proposed it.

depends on the spin you put on it maybe?

Since [i]everyone [/i]thinks they're a good driver already (so won't have any trouble re-passing 😉 ),if you framed it as a hardline improving road safety for drivers* and children to stop the many road deaths each year, with a hard hitting campaign and highlighting of the number or people KSI'd on the roads you might just get some traction. get people worked up- enough about the deaths and injuries, and frame it as going after the 'bad ones' and it might work, as nobody thinks they're one of the bad ones.

Then again that might jsut be wishful thinking...

*important to get the buy in 😉

"Now we see who's remembered how to reverse a car" I said to one of the ferry staff as the first car narrowly avoided the barrier.

I only got around to taking my test in my early 30's, it then took me a year before I needed to parallel park again. Thankfully i was fine doing it, but i will admit reversing is not my strongest driving ability

Assuming the OP question is rhetorical, but the bottom line IMO is that (increasingly) people are becoming less aware of each other as fellow 'souls', and likewise less aware of own behaviour and its effect on others/the environment. The only real increase in our awareness is that awareness of our 'selfies'. Our 'image' in the modern sense, entirely unrelated to our 'image (ie our behaviour) inthe archaic sense.

This in part is due not only to population explosion and city-living, but increasingly to the social media explosion where people are increasingly big-mouthed, intolerant, and bigoted, and ironically ('social' media!) are now both less empathic and less realistically 'connected' with each other . We are living in bubbles, yet increasingly 'connected' to imagined 'groups' via little more than shared pursuits or identity-politics, the latter having exploded online in the last decade.

This is a major social/community paradigm-shift for humanity. The 'hostile-bubble' way in which we relate and interact is carried from the smartphone/tablet bubble into the car-bubble?

*edit - ^This, and 'the car' has become fused with 'self'. Car everything.

just some thoughts.

It's half term isn't it? The roads are always worse when the kids are off school. More traffic, drivers who aren't used to making long journeys, etc.

(And the services clogged with pensioners who have never seen a Cotton Traders shop before.)

Malvern Rider - Member

Assuming the OP question is rhetorical, but the bottom line IMO is that (increasingly) people are becoming less aware of each other as fellow 'souls', and likewise less aware of own behaviour and its effect on others/the environment. The only real increase in our awareness in that awareness of our 'selfies'. Our 'image'.

This in part is due not only to population explosion and city-living, but increasingly to the social media explosion where people are increasingly big-mouthed, intolerant, and bigoted, and ironically ('social' media!) are now both less empathic and less 'connected' with each other . We are living in a bubble.

This is a major social/community paradigm-shift for humanity. The 'hostile-bubble' way in which we relate and interact is carried from the smartphone/tablet bubble into the car-bubble?

I agree, however road rage has been a thing, long before social media. I've often mused to myself (especially while cycling on the road) that some people adopt an alternative persona behind the wheel of the car. In the car they are big and strong and they are above people on the hierarchy of road users (pedestrians at the bottom, then cyclists and so on). The social media bubble of self absorbtion and distraction compounds it.

I don't want to go full Godwins law, but you give people a little bit of power and a rule structure and ordinairy people can become horrible.

In the car they are big and strong and they are above people on the hierarchy of road users (pedestrians at the bottom, then cyclists and so on)

This, although many (in the UK, US, Aus etc) increasingly see cyclists at the 'bottom', as pedestrians are still car-drivers 99.9% of local journeys, schools included.

Malvern Rider - Member

In the car they are big and strong and they are above people on the hierarchy of road users (pedestrians at the bottom, then cyclists and so on)

This, although many (in the UK, US, Aus etc) increasingly see cyclists at the 'bottom', as pedestrians are still car-drivers 99.9% of local journeys, schools included.

I was actually going to write "cyclists at the bottom" because that's the impression I get - you rarely hear drivers complaining about those bloody pedestrians.

I guess it's because pedestrians and animals are completely different. They aren't vehicles so they aren't part of that hierarchy - a bike on the other hand is a vehicle, like a car or a lorry, only much cheaper, much slower, much weaker etc

There is no s on the end of Tesco.

...unless there is more than one Tesco.

But is there more than one Tesco in Knaresborough?

These are the people concerned a cyclist needs to have a license and insurance, for safety, and are who you encountered this morning

Initially I laughed out loud at this, but it's a bloody good point.

It's like when I see someone buying The Express, Sun or Mail. I think 'you're allowed to vote!' which scares me no end.

An interesting factor I've noticed is that the more 'entitled' the car-user seems to feel, and the more 'aggressive/unaware of road-rules/taxes/rights they are - then the more often they will maintain the view that the 'average cyclist' is 'aggressive/lawless/inconsiderate/feel that 'they' own the road and that 'rules don't apply to cyclists'. Bla bla rant rage'

I find this (projection?) frustrating (and dangerous) to the nth degree. This type of person also seems unaware of the fact that most cyclists (at least in the UK) are also car-drivers.

I have no real idea what it's like to make regulat cycle journeys in a city in recent years, but even in local towns and the open road I'm finding it increasingly perilous, to the point when the worst of my nature (when forced off the road) is heard to say 'they (the dicks) are winning'! .. and take my bike and me to the backroads. Never wanted to be that 'one less cyclist' on the roads in any way, bu it seems it's catching me up.

[quote=whitestone ]@aracer - I've done that in Wales with a driver failing to reverse with a caravan in tow. After about ten minutes watching him tie the vehicle in knots I'd had enough, got out and wandered over and told him I'd do it! Took about 30 seconds.

Have just remembered the recent anecdote I have about this. Driving to a climbing crag in South Wales down a really, really narrow road, with a hillside on the left and a sheer drop on the right - the tarmac was barely wider than the car, and I was glad somebody else was driving their little car rather than me driving my Mondeo. Passing places few and far between. Met a car coming the other way - I was going to suggest we should probably reverse, but both front doors open on the other car, the driver and passenger swap places before the person who had been the passenger reversed back to the passing place!

But is there more than one Tesco in Knaresborough?

If there is I wonder if it has a petrol station?

The most annoying thing about all of this is, going from the musings above, we can all see the problems and reasons.
My OP didn't mention cyclists, so all these ideas have come from the motorists amongst us. If that is the case, why can't [i]other[/i] motorists see this?!

And @ neal, no it wouldn't be popular for and election campaign but why not just do it after getting into power. I always thought part of the governments job was to safe guard the population in cases like this.

But is there more than one Tesco in Knaresborough?

*drives around Knaresborough to check, avoiding 'main' roads.*

I can only find an express one but there's a Sainsburys next to the bus station. HTH. 😀

[quote=crazyjenkins01 ]The most annoying thing about all of this is, going from the musings above, we can all see the problems and reasons.
My OP didn't mention cyclists, so all these ideas have come from the motorists amongst us. If that is the case, why can't other motorists see this?!

Because they're knobs. Though more fundamentally you're missing the other subsetting going on - the people commenting on here aren't just drivers, they're drivers who think about their driving.

If that is the case, why can't other motorists see this?!

Because many people are dicks*. Most people drive, this means that most dicks also drive. Outside of social media and online gaming, the roads are where most of the action is. Dick-activity (dicktivity!) on the roads is therefore guaranteed, not to mention highly visible.

*First rule of being a dick = 'F*** awareness, it's always the other guy, and I never, ever back down'.

Have we done foglights yet? Foglights.

Malvern Rider - Member

An interesting factor I've noticed is that the more 'entitled' the car-user seems to feel, and the more 'aggressive/unaware of road-rules/taxes/rights they are - then the more often they will maintain the view that the 'average cyclist' is 'aggressive/lawless/inconsiderate/feel that 'they' own the road and that 'rules don't apply to cyclists'. Bla bla rant rage'

We're really into amateur psychology here (at least I know I am) but I think the rules: tax/insurance/red lights etc, all of the moans that aggro drivers trot out is merely a justification for the subconscious feeling that they shouldn't be held up by inferior road users.

Overtook a guy this morning who had a series or TV playing on his dash-mounted phone

Sitting behind another car in Glasgow, I wondered why there was someone sitting backwards in-between the front seats. then I realised the driver was Facetiming someone on a full-sized iPad stuck to the middle of his windscreen.

I think most of this can be explained by the statistic that 90% of drivers think they're better than average.

(that might be made up, and probably only applies to male drivers)

I always get tailgated in 30 mph areas but just ignore them.

They find out when I’ve hit my 4 pot brembos lol.

Have we done foglights yet? Foglights.

many (in the UK, US, Aus etc) increasingly see cyclists at the 'bottom', as pedestrians are still car-drivers 99.9% of local journeys, schools included.

*drives around Knaresborough to check, avoiding 'main' roads.*

In a VW T5 with personal plate and bike stickers on it I hope?

A couple of years ago I was driving behind one car in a 40 limit and noticed the car behind me was a bit close. We went round a bend and the car in front had to do an emergency stop as a large branch had fallen from a tree. I stopped behind him and the car behind duly ran into the back of me. On getting out I informed the driver I'd noticed some distance back that they were a bit close. Their response was to deny it, whilst stood next to their car embedded in the back of mine.

I realised the driver was Facetiming someone on a full-sized iPad stuck to the middle of his windscreen

Hands free, what's your issue? 😉

If we're talking foglights I would also like to raise the trend amongst youngsters to "smoke" their lights... THEIR ***ING LIGHTS. The things that allow them to see and others to see them have been made deliberately darker with spray paint or something. FFS we're all doomed.

And people who tint their front side windows. Eejits the lot of them.

Both are illegal iirc.

Certainly not defending poor driving or the selfish twunts who are around these days but I'm sure a big factor is the cost of running a car for young people.
Getting a course of lessons and taking the driving test for a 17th or 18th birthday seems to be quite popular, especially from grandparents or parents intent on releasing the shackles of unpaid taxi service. Subsequently it can be several years before a car and insurance can be afforded and by this time they've forgotten all they've been taught or tested on. When I passed my test, my father then told me to then go out and learn how to drive. These premium reducing boxes that some use only serve to reduce the level of practice that new drivers get.

pistonbroke - Member

Certainly not defending poor driving or the selfish twunts who are around these days but I'm sure a big factor is the cost of running a car for young people.
........by this time they've forgotten all they've been taught or tested on.

Nah, I'm pretty sure you don't forget that it's illegal to look at your phone while driving regardless of the length of time from test. And when I say "looking at your phone" I mean, phone in front of the wheel while driving, as so many (mainly) young women seem to like to do when they slow down from 60 to drive through villages.

*First rule of being a dick = 'F*** awareness, it's always the other guy, and I never, ever back down'.

That's three rules.

HTH

😉