Nice lady,

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
Phil Fouracre
Posts: 919
Joined: 12 Jan 2013, 12:16pm
Location: Deepest Somerset

Re: Nice lady,

Post by Phil Fouracre »

That is actually quite worrying and depressing. I have always tended to put bad driving and conflict down to ignorance, stupidity and lack of consideration generally. The thought that this is being reinforced by poor tuition is just frightening.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity
User avatar
Vantage
Posts: 3050
Joined: 24 Jan 2012, 1:44pm
Location: somewhere in Bolton
Contact:

Re: Nice lady,

Post by Vantage »

According to GOV.UK you need to have held a full driving license for at least 3 years in order to apply to become an ADI (Approved Driving Instructor).
3 years in which you might have been sat on your backside playing Gran Turismo or Grand Theft Auto on the PS3. No mention of how many miles you might have driven as long as they have been conviction free.
Then if you pass the (probably very easy and not much different to the standard test) instructor test, you are free to instruct other eejits on how to manhandle 1-3 tons of steel capable of speeds of over 100mph.
Lovely.
Bill


“Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” ~ Eddy Merckx
It's a rich man whos children run to him when his pockets are empty.
MichVanNic
Posts: 10
Joined: 23 Jun 2014, 8:56pm
Location: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Contact:

Re: Nice lady,

Post by MichVanNic »

Psamathe wrote:
eileithyia wrote:Still wondering at all the references to driving schools / learner drivers.... as I did not...

Sort of crept in and stuck somehow.

But I was really surprised the other day; probably more by my own stereotyping than a drivers behaviour. Driving down a single track lane and a flashy black Audi coming the other way some distance off. I thought "road owner" so I pulled into a field entranceway and waited. Audi slowed and stopped beside me and driver did his Popeye impression (muscles covered with tattoos on display). I was expecting some verbal abuse so ignored it more intent on removing some insect intent on eating my leg. And driver said "Thank you". And with the insect getting the taste for blood and my own shock I just went "Uh" and the guy carried on. I felt a bit rude after that, and disappointed in my expectation (for want of a better word).

Ian


I have noticed that if you show cars courtesy they do tend to acknowledge it.
reohn2
Posts: 45159
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Nice lady,

Post by reohn2 »

MichVanNic wrote:I have noticed that if you show cars courtesy they do tend to acknowledge it.

Me too.
However there are a significant minority who,it seems,can't stand the mortal sight of a cyclist on 'their' road.
It's those that pose the most problems.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
CliveyT
Posts: 461
Joined: 13 Jun 2012, 2:55pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: Nice lady,

Post by CliveyT »

Psamathe wrote:
eileithyia wrote:Still wondering at all the references to driving schools / learner drivers.... as I did not...

Sort of crept in and stuck somehow.

But I was really surprised the other day; probably more by my own stereotyping than a drivers behaviour. Driving down a single track lane and a flashy black Audi coming the other way some distance off. I thought "road owner" so I pulled into a field entranceway and waited. Audi slowed and stopped beside me and driver did his Popeye impression (muscles covered with tattoos on display). I was expecting some verbal abuse so ignored it more intent on removing some insect intent on eating my leg. And driver said "Thank you". And with the insect getting the taste for blood and my own shock I just went "Uh" and the guy carried on. I felt a bit rude after that, and disappointed in my expectation (for want of a better word).

Ian

I think I can trump that. few days ago cycling down an on-road cycle lane I was approaching party heading towards probably early primary school. Father was riding shotgun on the offside, so I would have to pull out wide to go past them. Check behind, white van approaching so I start slowing. Few seconds go by and the van still hasn't gone past. I check again and this time the van flashes his lights and gestures for me to go past. I think I almost came off in shock.
Wave thanks, accelerate past, lift hand off bars as he goes past me, get a little toot in return and all was well with the world
Flinders
Posts: 3023
Joined: 10 Mar 2009, 6:47pm

Re: Nice lady,

Post by Flinders »

Guy951 wrote:One of my younger friends passed his driving test last week. The one thing he got told off about was for "showing too much consideration to a cyclist".

One-way street with cars parked down both sides. Ahead is a cyclist. 50 yards beyond the cyclist is a roundabout. Liam waited behind the cyclist (as we would all like drivers to do). Once over the roundabout the female examiner told him he should have overtaken before the roundabout, and when Liam explained there wasn't enough room, that he'd have to cut in and brake, causing the cyclist to brake hard to avoid running into him, she told him that was what he was supposed to do :shock:

I know we all complain about morons who just can't wait to get to the back of the next queue, but surely they can't all have taken their tests in Letchworth!



That needs reporting to the test centre, it is appalling.
User avatar
[XAP]Bob
Posts: 19793
Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: Nice lady,

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Flinders wrote:
Guy951 wrote:One of my younger friends passed his driving test last week. The one thing he got told off about was for "showing too much consideration to a cyclist".

One-way street with cars parked down both sides. Ahead is a cyclist. 50 yards beyond the cyclist is a roundabout. Liam waited behind the cyclist (as we would all like drivers to do). Once over the roundabout the female examiner told him he should have overtaken before the roundabout, and when Liam explained there wasn't enough room, that he'd have to cut in and brake, causing the cyclist to brake hard to avoid running into him, she told him that was what he was supposed to do :shock:

I know we all complain about morons who just can't wait to get to the back of the next queue, but surely they can't all have taken their tests in Letchworth!



That needs reporting to the test centre, it is appalling.

+1
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.
Vladimir
Posts: 767
Joined: 3 Apr 2010, 11:50pm
Location: Bolton
Contact:

Re: Nice lady,

Post by Vladimir »

661-Pete wrote:
There is the general feeling in our (quiet, residential) area, that there are far too many L-drivers anyway. Not just from us, I've heard such comments from our neighbours too. We live on a corner and have a continual stream of cars rolling up to do the 'reverse-around-a-corner' trick, noisily revving up and spewing exhaust fumes into our garden in the process. Yes it does get tedious, when it's been going on (in our case) for the past 30 years.


That must be incredibly annoying. I've heard of this happening to other people too - where people live on a road that happens to be good for students to learn some sort of basic/specific skill. Now, is there not some sort of way to talk to these pesky driving instructors and appeal to them to stop having lessons in the same place all the time, or at least try to vary the location of lessons? Or am I dreaming?
reohn2
Posts: 45159
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Nice lady,

Post by reohn2 »

Vladimir
You're dreaming.
It ain't going to happen they're doing nothing against the law,as annoying as it is for those on the receiving end.
Believe me,there are far,far worse things that people have to put up with that aren't against the law.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
User avatar
Vantage
Posts: 3050
Joined: 24 Jan 2012, 1:44pm
Location: somewhere in Bolton
Contact:

Re: Nice lady,

Post by Vantage »

My mum lives on one of those streets.
A couple times when I've visited her, I have wondered if I'm about to be squished as a result of a foot slipping off a clutch and the resulting inexperienced panic setting in. :shock:

I know about the panic as I remember how white my dad looked when he gave me my first of few driving lessons and gently scraped the bottom of the front splitter on going up a steepish hill.
Bill


“Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” ~ Eddy Merckx
It's a rich man whos children run to him when his pockets are empty.
Post Reply