The Bad Driving Thread

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Ancalagon

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So, two things happened on my way to work that made my blood start boiling.

The first was, I was taking a left turn into Sandton drive, sitting behind two cars in the slipway (its a yield sign). Suddenly, the driver in front starts to enter into a transaction with a scarf vendor, taking her sweet time, causing us to miss the robot. I mean, if you want to buy something, do it when the robot is red, which it is for a LONG time. If the robot goes green, have the courtesy to finish your transaction later so that your fellow motorists, who have somewhere else to be, can be go on their way. Some are just too selfish.

The other thing made my face go red I was so mad. I'm not sure I completely understand exactly what happened, but I'll give my version of events.

So I'm driving up Sandton drive, about to turn right into Rivonia. Sandton drive at this point is a two lane road, and the right hand lane then splits into three turning lanes. I was in the right hand lane before it split, which ends up being the left hand right turning lane, ie the second lane from the left.

I see this guy in an old merc to my left - not in front of me. Hes indicating and wants to turn, but since hes practically behind me, I keep on going. If he was in front of me I would have let him in. But I keep on going. So I get the robot, it turns green, and who do I notice to my left? That same old guy in his old Merc. So at this point I think, fine, I'll let him in. Hes probably screwed up, couldnt get in, and if I dont let him in it will be a real inconvenience to him. So I slow down and let him in.

What he proceeds to do next I still dont understand. He drives so slowly that the robot turns red before hes even crossed the line, but he keeps on going. Still slightly confused, I follow him. I dont know why - I realize now I should have stopped as soon as I noticed that the robot is red. At this point, the other light has turned green, and other cars have started to move forward, but hes still driving like Miss Daisy. Hooting at both of us.

He finishes the corner, and gets onto the straight, and is STILL driving like Miss Daisy. Like 30. Honestly. I overtook him, I couldnt handle it.

What gets me is that
A) if you know you need to turn, switch lanes early. Dont expect others to let you in. Some of them just wont.
B) if you get let in, and you see the robot has turned red, or even yellow, have the decency to clear the corner as quickly as possible. You're not supposed to be there, get out of there as quickly as is safely possible to clear it for other motorists.
C) Dont drive slower than 40km/h on a 60 road, especially a busy 60 road like Rivonia (which may in fact have a speedlimit of 80). Its not courteous to your fellow motorists. If you are lost, pull over in a safe place such as a garage, and ask someone.

I've never got so angry in such a short time. Somehow the guys actions - expecting to be let in right at the front of the queue, and then driving so incredibly slowly, made my blood boil. Yes, I should not have gone through that light, I know.

Anyone else wanna share?
 
There's a lot of stupid on the roads lately. Had a little black lady almost not able to see over the dashboard with a big L in the rear window do 30-40km/h in the middle lane on the highway last night. Car's got a mighty tooter so I usually let them know to catch a wake-up.
 
Try driving in Mthatha for a day. Just one day.

That is all.
 
I've tried just driving straight through Mthatha, and even that is enough to get my blood pressure right up there...
 
Mthatha, Nairobi, DUBAI... all have some of the scariest driving habits I've ever encountered. I always get back home and thank the powers for our orderly road use. For a few weeks, until someone conveniently cuts in front without indicating, or a lorry driver overtakes another by indicating in the same instant that he starts moving across.

Last night I was in the left lane on a bridge in heavy traffic, with a bit more than a car's length in front of me. A motor-cyclist comes hauling up from from behind, in the middle of the road. Seeing cars coming from the opposite side, our friend cuts in front of me and slows down, with less than 1/2-a-meter to spare, so I had to brake. I hooted, since the shmuck couldn't even be bothered to use his indicator. Of course, the rider turns to me taps his finger on his helmet to signal that I'm nuts. All I thought was that he'd suffer far worse than me, if our vehicles made contact.

These days I keep repeating that most drivers are simply trying to get to their destination safely. Some may be more impatient and selfish, but we're still all just people trying to get there. So let's show one another some basic, common decency and a little patience please. Courtesy seems to be a foreign notion for many of our fellow road-users, but that shouldn't stop one from still trying at least. Occasionally someone thanks you, or returns the gesture in kind.
 
I remember listening to one or two family members complain that car drivers dont look out for motor cyclists, years ago. But after driving myself for a few years, I've come to the conclusion that motorcyclists have accidents because they are reckless, not because car drivers are inconsiderate. Dont get me wrong, a lot of drivers suck, but zipping in and out of traffic like they do is just asking for it.
 
Chill bro ... we all have had days like these. Lots of idiots on the road, just try to keep your calm and get to your destination. I do think they should ban these vendors at the traffic lights.
 
mak2000 said:
Chill bro ... we all have had days like these. Lots of idiots on the road, just try to keep your calm and get to your destination. I do think they should ban these vendors at the traffic lights.
Click to expand...

Vendors? I see traffic cones. They stand there, quite often stopping you from changing lanes, often in tar-camo clothing. I try to avoid them, but I see the day coming when I'm going to drive over a few toes. It won't be on purpose. The worst are the beggars who stand on their knees. Sometimes you can't see him until you're almost over him.
 
I left Rustenburg at 7:30 yesterday morning, heading for Pretoria on the N4....the first 60 odd k's are theoretically a 2 lane road, but obviously that doesn't mean a thing to anyone with an NW on the end of his numberplate. I was running at 125 on my GPS and had people trying to pass me on the inside if I didn't pull into the yellow...that is with heavy trucks and thousands of other cars coming out of the sun at us from the west. I honestly don't know i8f it's a sign of your manliness to scare the hell out of yourself and your passengers first thing in the morning, but they seem hell benty on doing it.

After that I was actually looking forward to the Pretoria Alberton Hell run, but no such luck, the NW idiots were replaced with GP Cretins all with a death wish...roadworks? who cares? 3 lanes down to 2? Who cares? 60 km speed limit? Who cares when your Fortuner can do 140 in the same space?

And then...just near the cement factory, a heavy duty truck HAS to move from far left to crazy nut anyspeed lane on the right...all fine until the twit in the blue M5 behind me decides that he belongs on the same piece of road as well...along with a white CA Hyundai, a silver C series Merc and a Renault!! These guys obviously think that if your car has a 5 start NCAP rating you can do anything you like, and you will get away with it, who cares if a couple of others die as a result! :mad:
 
Buy an old VW Beetle (or any other rear engine car but I suspect the Beetle is the cheapest). Outfit with bull bars, maybe even a roll cage. Drive around 'crashing' into stupid drivers who are driving illegally. My retirement dream...
 
Dude, on Friday I went through to Hermanus and when I got off the N2 I got caught behind a string of cars - about 5 or 6 I'd guess. This nonsense lasted until after the Kleinmond turn off when there was a clear stretch and no one seemed to want to make a move - so I did. The guy in the CY Corolla just after the leader of the slow-pack was not happy :p I could tell by the why he tried to blind me with his brights until I disappear over the hill. See, thats the difference between driving fast and driving like an *******. You never catch the *******s by just going fast. PS - I hope he saw the zap I pulled when I turned off at Gateway.
 
Rouxenator said:
Dude, on Friday I went through to Hermanus and when I got off the N2 I got caught behind a string of cars - about 5 or 6 I'd guess. This nonsense lasted until after the Kleinmond turn off when there was a clear stretch and no one seemed to want to make a move - so I did. The guy in the CY Corolla just after the leader of the slow-pack was not happy :p I could tell by the why he tried to blind me with his brights until I disappear over the hill. See, thats the difference between driving fast and driving like an *******. You never catch the *******s by just going fast. PS - I hope he saw the zap I pulled when I turned off at Gateway.
Click to expand...

Rouxenator this thread is meant to highlight the fact that there are 'other" idiots on the road, not yourself....:p

Passing 5 or 6 cars is not a clever move, even if the guy in front is a tosser....
 
Well now I'm a bigger tosser than he is :p
But the car, it begged me to! When it nears 180km/h with the 1.4 kicking out all 74 of its "killerwatts" at close to 5600rpm everything just feels like it falls into place.

Damn, I really am a tosser aren't I ?
 
Saw some fearsome feats of stupidity the other day too. Hazy View -> Pta. I'm cruising 140kmh and get overtaken: Blind corner, uphill, solid line, 4x4 w/ trailer, small kids in the back and going maybe 160.

I was somewhat speechless. :wtf:
 
Fazda said:
Rouxenator this thread is meant to highlight the fact that there are 'other" idiots on the road, not yourself....:p

Passing 5 or 6 cars is not a clever move, even if the guy in front is a tosser....
Click to expand...

In CT it is, especially if it's one of those 'cape trains' of 4+ cars in the fast lane going 2 km/h faster than the rest in the slow lane.
 
Rouxenator said:
Well now I'm a bigger tosser than he is :p
But the car, it begged me to! When it nears 180km/h with the 1.4 kicking out all 74 of its "killerwatts" at close to 5600rpm everything just feels like it falls into place.

Damn, I really am a tosser aren't I ?
Click to expand...

Well done for finally admitting it!! :D

@havoc - you have just highlighted something that I am now coming across daily in my travels, and that is the total idiocy of so many 4x4 /DC drivers who for some reason or other think that they are both beyond the law as well as totally invincible! :eek:

Whether they think that their size will prevent them from getting hurt, or whether one goes through a retardation opf intelligence when buying one, is totally beyond me...
 
UnUnOctium said:
In CT it is, especially if it's one of those 'cape trains' of 4+ cars in the fast lane going 2 km/h faster than the rest in the slow lane.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but it is NOT clever to pass a string of cars...apart from the extra time that you are now forcing yourself to be in the path of oncoming traffic, what if one of the Cretins in the middle forgets that he has a blind spot over his right shoulder and needs to pass as well...just as you are coming out of the middle distance?

CRAZY move, end of story!
 
In my experience everyone (well most people) believes they own the road, and whatever it is they are doing is the right thing to do. Always with a handy excuse at hand for their actions, trying to justify why they simply ignored all forms of common decency, courtesy, and the rules of the road. Very little thought is given to "is this safe to do" and too much "I am defending my right" takes place. In the end there is very little we can do individually to remedy the ever increasing threat on our roads, other than treating others out there with respect and decency, courtesy and sticking to rules of the road.

No-one has the right to endanger other people's lives for the sake of their own gratification, there simply is no justification for it on any level. Maybe one day we'll get some form of proper law enforcement back into the country, where this type of behaviour won't be tolerated by the officials, and punishment befitting the crime dealt out to the guilty.
 
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