Bonnet surfing

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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Audax67
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Audax67 »

Sounds like assault with a deadly weapon to me. Aren't the weapons forfeit in such cases? That'd teach the bugger far more than any fine.

And hats off to you, Bob, you seem to be taking it very well.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
reohn2
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by reohn2 »

[XAP]Bob wrote:
Bob sounds like your not too badly hurt, thankfully.

Indeed! The cut on my finger is actually quite nasty, but alot less nasty than a work colleague who managed to slice his forearm open on a bathroom tile.


Is that the new finish on Porsche bonnets these days :mrgreen:
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Audax67 wrote:And hats off to you, Bob, you seem to be taking it very well.


Meh - no point getting wound up about it.

I had another 911 behind me on the same stretch of road today - he waited until a gap in the oncoming traffic and used the power he has to overtake me into what would, in any other car, be a relatively small gap.

No problem with that, he had the car and the confidence to deal with it...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
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Mark1978
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Mark1978 »

What have the police told you so far Bob? I believe if they are going to take action things things usually proceed reasonably quickly?
iviehoff
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by iviehoff »

Audax67 wrote:What in the name of Puff's Holy Garters is anyone doing driving a Porsche in a country with a 70 mph blanket speed limit?

It is remarkable how many people have these fast car fantasies, and actually go so far as to consummate them by buying a fast car. Not all of them are egotistical morons, many are just fantasists. I was astonished to learn that an old girlfriend of mine, who did a lot of cycling with me, later purchased a Lotus, though changed her mind about it after she nearly killed herself in it. She had shown no prior indication of any interest in that kind of thing.

Most of the Porsches seen on the roads in the UK are those unbelievably ugly P. Cayenne 4wd things, mostly in black.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Mark1978 wrote:What have the police told you so far Bob? I believe if they are going to take action things things usually proceed reasonably quickly?

I have a reference number, but no more than that at the moment.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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mjr
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by mjr »

Audax67 wrote:What in the name of Puff's Holy Garters is anyone doing driving a Porsche in a country with a 70 mph blanket speed limit?

Its acceleration is probably still quite thrilling, even if it cannot get near the top speed legally. I recently changed from a car that could do 0-60 in about 10 seconds (when new - probably much much longer when we sold it) to one that could do it in 8 (with a better driver than me at the wheel) and it's quite noticeable. Some Porsches can do it in 4, but they lose out in fuel economy, emissions and depreciation.

Of course, one still should drive cars safely and never ever use them to run people over. So I hope the driver in this story is removed from the roads!
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Mark1978
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Mark1978 »

mjr wrote:
Audax67 wrote:What in the name of Puff's Holy Garters is anyone doing driving a Porsche in a country with a 70 mph blanket speed limit?

Its acceleration is probably still quite thrilling, even if it cannot get near the top speed legally. I recently changed from a car that could do 0-60 in about 10 seconds (when new - probably much much longer when we sold it) to one that could do it in 8 (with a better driver than me at the wheel) and it's quite noticeable. Some Porsches can do it in 4, but they lose out in fuel economy, emissions and depreciation.

Of course, one still should drive cars safely and never ever use them to run people over. So I hope the driver in this story is removed from the roads!


Acceleration, and indeed handling. The Porsche will stick to the road far better than your average Ford Fiesta and hence be more fun to drive, even well within the speed limits.
mrjemm
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by mrjemm »

Handling implies going around bends surely? Is going at 60mph (and the rest of course) around bends what we want folk doing?

Human reaction and observation do not match the abilities of these cars. Let alone mobikes that can barely stay on the road either when ridden by humans, and yet can be as fast as a porsche for fiesta money.

Not that I am not occasionally guilty of crap fast driving too, just saying... (Wanna get rid of the car though, and got out of mobiking already).
Mark1978
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Mark1978 »

As long as you can stop in the distance you can see to be clear. But; of course, having a high top speed, high acceleration and excellent cornering means drivers are far more likely to make bad decisions.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Mark1978 wrote:As long as you can stop in the distance you can see to be clear. But; of course, having a high top speed, high acceleration and excellent cornering means drivers are far more likely to make bad decisions.


Or allowed the 911 that was behind me on the SAME road on Tuesday evening to overtake, using a gap that would have been insufficient for a fiesta.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
mark a.
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by mark a. »

If I see an enthusiast's car like a Porsche GT3 or Lotus Exige, then the driver is more likely to be enthusiastic in their driving. This can be a bad thing, sure, but generally I think it's good - a driver who enjoys driving is more likely to pay attention and to really understand what they're doing (especially if they've done track days in the car). Plus they really don't want to damage their pride and joy by crashing into a lamppost or a cyclist.

A good car on a good British road is a wonderful thing, even sticking to the speed limit (which I do). As long as you pay attention to conditions, limit points and whatnot, making sure you can always stop in the distance you can see, you're sorted.

Really, I get more worried by a Honda Jazz. That sort of car is popular with those who find driving uninteresting (and hence they often pay less attention) or the elderly (worse vision, slower reaction times).

As always, stereotypes aren't always helpful and there are terrible Lotus drivers and great Jazz drivers.

In any case, I hope this particular Porsche driver gets a good ticking off and his just desserts.
Postboxer
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Postboxer »

The thing I worry about is the people you see who can't see over the steering wheel, surely it wouldn't be hard to introduce a rule saying you should be able to see the ground x metres in front of your vehicle. Also, drivers with Sat Nav's and phones stuck right in the centre of their windscreens.
Ellieb
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Ellieb »

Also, drivers with Sat Nav's and phones stuck right in the centre of their windscreens.


Or indeed, Bobs
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Ellieb wrote:
Also, drivers with Sat Nav's and phones stuck right in the centre of their windscreens.


Or indeed, Bobs

That actually had me laughing :) Thank you.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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