OllyK

Just popped down the local super market to get a few odds and sods. Got out of the scoob and here this car revving its nuts off.

Across the other side of the car park is this old biddy. She has got in the car with her big thick coat on and her wolly hat and is trying to adjust her coat. Rather than put her feet on the floor, she is using the accelerator pedal to prop her self up.

I stood there and watched for a couple of reasons:
1) To see if there was going to be a big bang as the engine blew
2) Make sure she didn't just drop the clutch and head out of the car park taking half of it with her.

Finally she gets her self sorted, the revs die and she kangaroos out of the car park and down the road marginally faster than snail.

These people scare the bejesus out of me.

Adding to the story, a while back when I was a student I was looking for a cheap car and somebody said they knew this old biddy who was selling a Polo at a low price. Only had a few K on the clock so thought worth a look.

Had a look at the receipts and she had been through 2 clutches!

Apparently the car had never been out of first gear and she used to keep the throttle set in one place and adjust her speed with the clutch!

ajm

I agree.... its worrying when you hear about blue rinses mistaking the accelerator for the brake and ploughing into things/people! Instead of instinctively trying to stop the car they keep their foot planted on the gas... highly dangerous!

IWatkins

Don't get me started....

Just nipped into town to pick up some Xmas pressies. I'm driving down a perfectly straight road, quite wide (enough for two buses to pass) and some old giffer in his 106 Pug comes the other way. Crosses the central white line and is heading in my direction.

I see this happening, flash him and then give him the horn. I then slow down, pull as far over as I can and give him the full beams and just hold the horn down. He keeps coming and takes off my wing mirror. Glass everywhere and the mirror is knackered.

Does he stop and apologise ? Does he ****. He carries on driving like nothing has happened, not even a brake light.

I was going to turn around and ram the coffin dodger off the road but couldn't get turned around quick enough.

Should all be shot I say.

Ian

ChrisB

Not driving but an old scrunter story.

I was using the Smith Machine in the gym last week for bench pressing.

Some weird old bloke comes along (the fact he was wearing a proper shirt you'd wear with a tie for a gym work out gave the weird bit away).

I was lying on the bench in between sets. He then starts buggering about with the spare weights on the side of the rack. He picks various ones up and then hangs them back up. I'm watching him out of the corner of my eye and realise the last weight he just hung up was on the lifting bar, not a storage bar

So I've now got an extra 20kg on one side of the bar - cracked ribs ahoy if I hadn't had noticed. I was too gobsmacked to say owt...

Markus

And if they get caught, what happens? **** all, however if it's someone younger, OMG! public outcry, banned for life from driving no doubt!

My grandfather (god rest his soul) was a maniac begind the wheel, he's about the only person I really did not like being in a car with, he'd come to one of the busisets roundabouts near me and say "they'll wait for me" and just drive straight acros

I really think that any driver over 60 should be re-tested, and then a check up test should be done every 3 years, if they fail after the 3 year test, licence revoked forever.

Some of these people are just not used to the level of traffic or the traffic laws, and nothing is being done to educate them.

Scooby Snacks 23

Just looked at my driving licence and it expires in 2030 (i.e. when I'm 70). I think even then you only need an eye-test to continue driving but how many of the over 70's have actually renewed their licence (come to think of it, how many over 70 actually have a licence!)

Markus

My grandfather, the aforementioned nuttter, did not have a driving licence, they were not around when he started driving, and he'd never bothered to get one! very worrying!

sherlocks

My other half sold his father's car because he just wasn't safe to drive (mounting the curb, hitting things when parking). Just picked it up one day without asking and returned with a cash sum later.

Taff107

There is an old guy who is as deaf as a post, living in the same village as my mother. This guy goes through engines / cars like you wouldn't believe! As he can't hear the engine note die a little as the clutch bites, he revs the **** off the car until it is bouncing off the rev limiter and very gently, eases out the clutch.It is as funny as hell to watch but is most definately, an accident waiting to happen! If his foot slips off the clutch, he is going to pull some serious G's, going foward at warp speed!

OllyK

Scooby Snacks 23 as I understand it, they don't even need an eye test as such, just a signature from their GP to say they are safe to drive.

My Uncle suffered with heart problems and went for his licence renewal at the docs and the doc said fine. My Uncle decided for himself he wasn't safe and stopped driving. He had a heart attack a couple of months later!

Mice_Elf

Sold my first car to a student.... Little metro it was - KTG ***W.

He got in it, looked at the driver's footwell and asked why there were 3 pedals...I gave him a quizzical and not too amazed look and asked if he'd passed in an automatic or a manual. He then assured me he had passed in a manual and had driven a manual car before.


Uhhmmm....oookay....

OllyK

lol Mice_Elf

"Oh it's a FOOT brake huh? Wondered why the back end slid about so much on my old car under breaking!"

Apparition

Its not JUST older people who drive like W***ers......

OllyK

Apparition - agree with you, but the number of competent old drivers as a percentage of the number of them driving is pretty low.