'Fraid scoob drivers aren't all blameless. Especially the 5 door that considers the hill in the street where I live to be a bhp challenge and the fact it's a 30mph limit with a primary school at the top doesn't apply to him.

But you're right about lane discipline. Oh and shouldn't fog lights be turned off when there's no fog. grrr...

Has various experiences with other road users, probably more since buying a Scoob. Main problems are'lane discipline' particularly centre lane hoggers http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/mad.gif

I have found that I have developed a 6th sense when driving. The wife sometimes asks why I have backed off when going round a roundabout. I just say wait and find that the car to my immediate right also wants the next exit regardless of the fact they are in the wrong lane and have not indicated their intention of doing so. This is even more infuriating on a roundabout with dual carriageway entrances and exits when the t**t in the right hand lane also wants to move to the left hand lane whilst exiting the roundabout http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/eek.gif

Perhaps I have become more tolerable since owning a Scoob as I do not want it damaged in anyway.

Yex

PS: idiots who do this in the dark get full PIAA treatment for quite a while after if I'm in a bad mood http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif love those lights.

My biggest criticism of other drivers is lack of lane discipline.

For years I have been a motorway driver, and have cursed those drivers who sit in the middle or outside lanes when there is nothing to their left.

Now that I mainly use B roads, I curse those drivers who can't stay on their side of the road, even when doing 30mph in a 60mph limit.

I also hate people who sit in the right hand lane when approaching a roundabout. Ok they may be turning right at that roundabout but do they have to hog the right lane when they're still half a mile away from it?

These days my main disagreement with other drivers is use of lanes on roundabouts, and one in particular on my way to work.

Having sat behind a slow driver in the right lane during the half mile approach to the roundabout, of course I find that we're both turning right. It's a big roundabout with two lanes all the way around. You can see this because sometime in the past some considerate workmen painted a white line to differentiate the two lanes!

Now here's the difference. When I get half-way to my exit, I move from the right lane to the left lane. This seems both logical and considerate to me, since if I'm going to leave the roundabout soon, I should allow other drivers to use the right lane to proceed further round the roundabout.

But the slow driver doesn't. He or she stays in the right lane.

Now, maybe because I'm driving a scoob, or maybe because I want to get to work quickly, or maybe because it's still legally a 60mph road, I tend to be going faster than the slow driver. Nevertheless I do NOT undertake as I have this suspicion that to do so would be a BAD idea.

I course I am right. The slow driver suddenly crosses from the right lane to the same exit that I am taking. In doing so the gap between the front of my car and the rear of theirs is very small.

In my opinion I have done nothing wrong. But 9 times out of 10 the slow driver looks in his/her rear view mirror and shakes his/her head. I take this to mean that they think that I have done something wrong.

So, accepting that maybe I am wrong, I thought I'd let the jury decide...

Of course you are - your the "other" driver http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/rolleyes.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif

MMMMmmm I have to agree ..

Lane discipline has to be my biggest gripe on motorways and d/c's .... I use the M42/M6 through to B'ham most days of the week and the quality of driving has seriously declined of late, I don't for one moment pretend to be the best driver in the world by any standards but ....

1. Drivers who stay in lane 2 and 3 when there is no traffic in lane 1. I refuse to flash or blow horn etc as I don't believe in it but I do move from lane 1 to lane 2 to lane 3 then back to lane 2 ...pause for a few seconds then move to back to lane 1 to exagerate the fact ... but it rarly works as they are usually on a different planet.

2. I find I'm having to think more for other drivers .... drivers approaching slow traffic in their lane just keep getting closer & closer, then at the last minute they swing out ... (as if the car/truck they were approaching has just braked http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/confused.gif ) I find I have to think for 'em and leave a space for them as you know damn well they will pull out. Why don't some drivers think ahead http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/confused.gif

I don't easily get "concerned" as a passenger but I car share and he's driving is typical of what I mean, only stares at the cars lights in front ( I just prey his brake lights work as we are only usually about a cars length away http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/eek.gif ) and he's always stammping on his brakes in lane 3 of the M6 when the car in front touches his .. and he "fiddles" with tapes/mobile/air freshners .. you name it and it really annoys me ... but eh it saves my petrol so I don't say nowt http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif

gggrrrrrrrrr that's off my chest now so I can get on with some work ..

K

[This message has been edited by Kev (edited 25 August 2000).]

Do you think everyone should be made to retake their test every 5 years or so?
Cars are MOT'd every year to see if they are roadworthy - many drivers are not! What do you guys think (opening can of worms).
PS I have never seen a Scoob driven badly - just fast.

If you want to see seriously bad lane discipline try towing a trailer, when you are not allowed into lane 3 you really begin to appreciate how many people sit in lane 2 doing 60 mph, (yes I know I shouldn't be going any faster than that, but hey http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif)

And when 2 trucks decide they want to overtake each other..argggggh, might as well get out the paper and settle down fo a bit of a read http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif

The reason why most scooby's are driven well is because their owners enjoy driving and THINK about what they're doing, most people on the roads are thinking about anything but driving.

We've all done it some point, you're driving along and all of a sudden realise that you're 5 miles down the road from the last time you looked in your mirror or checked your speed - well most people drive like that all the time!

I know this is probably not a very popular organisation, but, the advanced driving test you can take with the IAM concentrates very heavily on what's happening around you and makes you consider what other people might do! Depending on where you do the course and test you may also be fortunate enough to be taught and examined by a police driving instructor, after all the IAM preach 'The Driving System' developed for police drivers.

Andrew...

I can't understand why people in the left hand lane of a 'deul' carriageway 'apex' a roundabout when going straight over, then return to the left lane.
Now I always give them that space, even if it unsettles my car http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/frown.gif

Justin

You have a point there Yex, before my Scoob I had a company car. And I wouldn't have given a **** about backing off for the ****s with no lane discipline.

But I also know that I was wrong to have that attitude: When it came to insuring the Scoob I was VERY glad that I had no accident record, especially as my license is not exactly clean (the need for speed).

On the subject of safety, another beef of mine is about exactly when people speed. People who never speed are in a minority -
just try doing 70mph on the motorway to prove it.

I admit to speeding, but I believe that I do so in a less dangerous way than other drivers:-

Often I am doing 60mph + (Ok +++) on an open B-road, only to come up to someone doing 40-50mph. I can't always overtake, so often I'm still behind when we reach a 30mph limit.

I ALWAYS slow down to 30mph or less.

The driver in front nearly always continues at the same speed.

Now I'm not saying that speeding in a 60mph limit is not dangerous, but it certainly is a LOT less dangerous than doing 40-50mph in a 30mph zone!

Dippy,

You've found a member of the 40/40 Club.

40 in the 60 limit in the country,
40 in the 30 limit in the village.

A re-test every five years would be a good idea.

Number of muppets who drive without thinking is scarey - just drive where they need to go, no mirrors or consideration for anyone else.

Chris.

For me the deal here is to manage the traffic better. To know where the others are is what it is about. You have to manage the traffic so it suits you and at the same time doesn't unsettle them.
For my money it doesn't matter what you do so long as you don't get yourself mixed up in other people's driving cos it's not worth the agro.
I always take the empty lane and drive past the traffic if at all possible.
I always use the whole of the road if it is safer to do so even if that means I'm on the other side of the road. The key word here is SAFER.
Don't compromise your safety anywhere - even if you push people around to make sure they know you're there! That might mean you get into their space for a short time so they become aware of you.
Good driving is one thing, SUCCESSFUL driving means that you manage the car, the environment and most importantly yourself. - your internal state.
In my view Successful drivers enjoy their driving. Whatever happens they are in the right place at the right time, doing more or less what they want to do when circumstances permit.

I agree with Yexx here ..

It's as if I've developed a "6th sense" you just know what they are going to do with the cars body language ... I tend to see the hazards before they do, typical example this lunchtime, had to pop out in the car doing about 45mph behind another car and as big as you like a truck has it's hazard lights on in lane 1 of a d/c and as we approach I pull into lane 2 and sit there back a tad as I just know that they will just pull round at the last minute .... sure enough about 40ft to go and they pull around whilst braking, if I'd decided to shoot past they would have hit me ...... the question has to be what are they looking at when they drive ?? it ain't the road ahead for sure ..

K

You need about 100 senses when driving in the UK:
White/blue/red van.
Certian small hatchback Vauxhalls with 1.0 litre engines that really believe they can out accelorate/handle Scoobies.
Hearing aid beige retireed types who do not know they have rear view mirrors.
Private hire cabs.
Fog light drivers - does having your fog lights on over the coming bank holiday weekend make you go faster????
No indication etc etc etc etc etc.

PS Only joking, most people really like the Scoob and I have not in 8 months of ownership had any trouble, except folks asking does it go as well as it looks - aye respect.
PPS I don't have much work to do this afternoon.
PPPS hee hee hee hee

Hardly bother flashing lane hoggers now, just a swift undertake.