Things that annoy you when driving.

[gldenwetgoose 21,498]

4 hours ago, Chris50p said:

Hate having to visit England and driving on their Autoroutes, the speed is supposed to be 70 mph but that keeps changing every few hundred meters it seems. How the brits don,t get lots of speeding tickets i,ll never know.

 

Well, your pretty much right on all scores.   Our motorways are generally 70mph although there are now 'smart' motorways which can impose lower limits when the road is crowded.

Our other roads depend on how built up the area is, and can be 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60/70 limits.  It's largely a case of remembering what speed limit sign you passed last. And yes, we do get speeding fines and penalty points added to our licences - worst case even being a driving ban.

[steve25805 126,156]

Two recent twats on the road incidents.

I was approaching a mini roundabout where I encountered some young twat on a moped pulling wheelies in front of me. So I manoeuvred to go around him to which he took offence so he sped in front of me then slowed down to a crawl just to piss me off. So getting annoyed at this prat I drove right up his ass, to which he pulled over to have a go at me. I didn't stop though. I just drove on past and left him behind.

Second incident I was following this woman in a car doing about 45mph in a 60 zone. So when we came to a long straight with nothing coming the other way I not unreasonably pulled out to overtake her. But she seemed to take offence at this and put her foot down. I was soon side by side with her doing 60 which she was doing too and still accelerating. I continued to accelerate and we were both doing 70 within moments. Then we caught up with a car in front and she had to break whilst I - outside overtaking - shot past. She beeped her horn at me in anger as I shot past. But why was she so irritated by me trying to overtake her when she was originally only doing 45 in a 60 zone? I was lucky that nothing came the other way for some distance. Deliberately putting your foot down when someone is legally overtaking you is highly dangerous. Stupid bitch.

[Alfresco 11,639]

I agree with most of what's been said before.  My pet hates are people who hog middle and outside lanes instead of pulling over and people who use their phones for calls or text whilst driving.  All three of these being illegal anyway.

The other one is people who accelerate and blast past only to slow down.   I have had many times where I've got cruise control on, so I know I'm going a consistent speed and I end up playing leapfrog with someone else.    Sometimes they pull past, slow down again, so I'm catching them up, so move out to overtake again and they accelerate away, I drop back in behind them and then slow down again!  

And yes I get a bit annoyed by people who drive much slower than the speed limit when it is a perfectly reasonable road, but not suitable for overtaking, a queue builds behind them and then as soon as you reach somewhere to overtake they accelerate.

[No Toilet 558]

Am I the only one who routinely applies their park brake when stationary in traffic or waiting at traffic lights so as not to dazzle the driver behind me with my brake lights?

Where has this art gone? In any vehicle I drive it is virtually automatic for me to apply the park brake and knock it out of gear in such situations. Saving keeping ones foot pressed on the pedals, which can wear out the brake pads and clutch.

With these dark winter nights, staring at the brake lights of the car in front (particularly if they are newer LED types) cannot be good for ones eyes.

Edited November 13, 2020 by No Toilet
Re-worded

[Bacardi 10,134]

The other day I was exiting the highway onto another highway and some jerk decided at the last second to cross over the solid white line and merge with me. Im talking he had like five feet of road he wasn't supposed to drive on and literally almost side swiped me. 

For those who might not know, exit ramps start with dotted (that's not the right word but I cant think of it right now lol!) White lines which means its safe to merge. Once you get to solid white lines you're not supposed to. This person literally had to turn at a 90 degree angle just to get to where I was and almost swiped the side of my beloved car. I was so mad.

[blankfuse 55]

People around here like to play a game where they'll tailgate, pull over one lane to the left, then pull in front of me before slowing down. There's no rhyme or reason to it. The unofficial "rule" around here is to go 5 mph above the posted speed limit, which I do. No amount of signalling, staying in the appropriate lane, or otherwise driving intelligently fixes it. I've even had a cop do it to me.

Close to my actual neighborhood, sitting at green lights and waiting until the last possible second to turn out onto the main road are common too. You develop a spidey sense for those after awhile.

[Eliminature 5,209]

Due to financial and health difficulties, I am still unable to drive. My pet peeve with driving is how difficult and sometimes prohibitively expensive it is in England (possibly Scotland and Wales too, though don't quote me on that) to acquire and retain a driver's licence. Particularly in comparison to the USA. Automatic vehicles are a rarity here. Almost everyone drives a manual here, making automatics expensive, hard to obtain and expensive to run and repair. In which case, you are pretty much forced to learn how to drive a manual - an automatic is no licence at all in the UK. 

In America, a potential driver can learn relatively cheaply as a young teenager, sometimes even whilst at school. I have heard of cases where beginning to learn how to drive and passing a test has taken all of about three weeks. In the UK (and Mainland Europe), the chances of that happening are precisely zero. It just  wouldn't happen The DVLA usually likes to fail you a couple of times, forcing you to take the test again - mainly for safety, but don't forget that they also get to pocket a fee every time you take the test, so every fail means more money for them. People ask me why I didn't learn at a younger age - the answer to that is that I genuinely couldn't afford it. 

Added to this, I also have a neurological condition which renders me incapable of driving or operating machinery when I get an attack. I need to have at least a year free of these attacks before I can start learning again. Every time I have another attack (free of them for three months now, touch wood), the clock is reset. As Steve said, when a person of mature years gets out of a motor vehicle, and their reactions and dexrerity aren't great, it really galls me that this person can be considered suitable to drive and I cannot. Anyone who looks down on you because of your lack of ability to drive well past your teenage years genuinely upsets me too. 

Not strictly speaking "whilst driving," but that is me venting my spleen about my woes around it all. I'm actually considered quite old to be a learner driver, but what can I do? I couldn't afford it when I was younger.

Edited December 8, 2020 by Eliminature
Adding more information

[Eliminature 5,209]

22 minutes ago, Eliminature said:

Due to financial and health difficulties, I am still unable to drive. My pet peeve with driving is how difficult and sometimes prohibitively expensive it is in England (possibly Scotland and Wales too, though don't quote me on that) to acquire and retain a driver's licence. Particularly in comparison to the USA. Automatic vehicles are a rarity here. Almost everyone drives a manual here, making automatics expensive, hard to obtain and expensive to run and repair. In which case, you are pretty much forced to learn how to drive a manual - an automatic is no licence at all in the UK. 

In America, a potential driver can learn relatively cheaply as a young teenager, sometimes even whilst at school. I have heard of cases where beginning to learn how to drive and passing a test has taken all of about three weeks. In the UK (and Mainland Europe), the chances of that happening are precisely zero. It just  wouldn't happen The DVLA usually likes to fail you a couple of times, forcing you to take the test again - mainly for safety, but don't forget that they also get to pocket a fee every time you take the test, so every fail means more money for them. People ask me why I didn't learn at a younger age - the answer to that is that I genuinely couldn't afford it. 

Added to this, I also have a neurological condition which renders me incapable of driving or operating machinery when I get an attack. I need to have at least a year free of these attacks before I can start learning again. Every time I have another attack (free of them for three months now, touch wood), the clock is reset. As Steve said, when a person of mature years gets out of a motor vehicle, and their reactions and dexrerity aren't great, it really galls me that this person can be considered suitable to drive and I cannot. Anyone who looks down on you because of your lack of ability to drive well past your teenage years genuinely upsets me too. 

Not strictly speaking "whilst driving," but that is me venting my spleen about my woes around it all. I'm actually considered quite old to be a learner driver, but what can I do? I couldn't afford it when I was younger.

Gosh, reading that back, I sound very spiteful and unpleasant. 

I'm normally not such a negative person, honest! 

[speedy3471 10,655]

4 minutes ago, Eliminature said:

Gosh, reading that back, I sound very spiteful and unpleasant. 

I'm normally not such a negative person, honest! 

You didn't sound very negative to me. I do generally think Europeans are better drivers than us in North America. Many people like you mentioned can't drive a manual transmission car 

[Kupar 13,341]

6 hours ago, Eliminature said:

Gosh, reading that back, I sound very spiteful and unpleasant. 

I'm normally not such a negative person, honest! 

We know you're not 🙂, and it didn't come across like that to me!

[Eliminature 5,209]

Thank you.

Had another driving lesson today. I'm getting better. ☺

[steve25805 126,156]

Another thing that annoys me when driving is those arses who pull out in front of you then drive slow as fuck. And when you drive up their arses in irritation to try and make them speed up a bit, they slow down.

If you are going to drive slow as fuck why pull out in front of people?

[Sophie 24,412]

I have a few so I will probably post more later but... 

People who put on their seatbelt while driving. Spend 10-15 minutes in a busy car park and you will see it so many times. Just put it on before you move off, it's not going to cost you much time! 

[Eliminature 5,209]

People who glare at you when you are going too slowly for their liking. 

I cannot drive at 50MPH when the speed limit is 30! And yes, those are L plates; there's no need to give me a dirty look. Did you manage to get behind the wheel and drive perfectly the first ever time you attempted it? 

Not strictly complaining, but does anyone know how to change gear properly when driving uphill? Every time I take my foot off the accelerator and press the clutch, I start rolling backwards and have to brake - which of course takes me back to first gear. The only other option is to drive uphill in first gear all the way with the gearbox and engine squealing in protest.

[Eliminature 5,209]

36 minutes ago, Sophie said:

I have a few so I will probably post more later but... 

People who put on their seatbelt while driving. Spend 10-15 minutes in a busy car park and you will see it so many times. Just put it on before you move off, it's not going to cost you much time! 

Yes. And could save your own or someone else's life. 

[Sophie 24,412]

3 minutes ago, Eliminature said:

does anyone know how to change gear properly when driving uphill? Every time I take my foot off the accelerator and press the clutch, I start rolling backwards and have to brake - which of course takes me back to first gear. The only other option is to drive uphill in first gear all the way with the gearbox and engine squealing in protest

I don't think I have ever rolled backwards while changing gear so I'm a little confused (or I'm having a blonde moment, who knows) are you moving off from a hill start and then shifting into second? Maybe you are shifting too early so you don't have enough speed to keep you going or possibly you are taking too long with the gear change and losing all your momentum. On some steep hills it is fine and or necessary to stay in first for a while. Feel free to PM me if you would like, or ignore me if I am completely wrong 🙃

[steve25805 126,156]

2 hours ago, Eliminature said:

People who glare at you when you are going too slowly for their liking. 

I cannot drive at 50MPH when the speed limit is 30! And yes, those are L plates; there's no need to give me a dirty look. Did you manage to get behind the wheel and drive perfectly the first ever time you attempted it? 

Not strictly complaining, but does anyone know how to change gear properly when driving uphill? Every time I take my foot off the accelerator and press the clutch, I start rolling backwards and have to brake - which of course takes me back to first gear. The only other option is to drive uphill in first gear all the way with the gearbox and engine squealing in protest.

I know I have little patience for incompetent drivers or those driving excessively slowly for the road, ie well below the speed limit.

But I was a learner driver once as were we all. I respect L plates and never overtake with impatience unless it is safe to do so in a way that will not spook the driver, eg on a long straight where the markings permit overtaking and nothing is coming the other way, or on a duel carriageway. And when behind a learner driver I never get too close but keep some good distance. For all I know they might be in the middle of a driving test and I don't want to spook them into failing. 

Some of the parking disasters I see in my workplace car park though do lead me into wondering how some people ever passed a driving test.

[steve25805 126,156]

3 hours ago, Eliminature said:

 

Not strictly complaining, but does anyone know how to change gear properly when driving uphill? Every time I take my foot off the accelerator and press the clutch, I start rolling backwards and have to brake - which of course takes me back to first gear. The only other option is to drive uphill in first gear all the way with the gearbox and engine squealing in protest.

If you are pulling away up a steep hill you need to pull away with quite a lot of throttle so that your foot is close to the floor, then when you have reached a fairly high rev, depress the clutch and change to second gear as fast as you reasonably can, releasing the clutch again with a lot of throttle. And so on.

If you are going up a steep hill, if you try to change up a gear at too low a rev and too low a speed for the gear change, you risk coming to a halt and rolling backwards, and quite probably stalling. Basically, the steeper the hill you are going up, the  more throttle you need and the higher your revs need to be before you change up. And the gear change needs to take place fairly quickly to maintain forward momentum.

[oliver2 4,421]

4 hours ago, Eliminature said:

Did you manage to get behind the wheel and drive perfectly the first ever time you attempted it? 

I’ll have you know I was born with perfect driving ability and also perfect ability to aim pee without spilling a drop #blatantlies

[gldenwetgoose 21,498]

On 12/8/2020 at 6:10 PM, Eliminature said:

Thank you.

Had another driving lesson today. I'm getting better. ☺

 

4 hours ago, Eliminature said:

Not strictly complaining, but does anyone know how to change gear properly when driving uphill? Every time I take my foot off the accelerator and press the clutch, I start rolling backwards and have to brake - which of course takes me back to first gear. The only other option is to drive uphill in first gear all the way with the gearbox and engine squealing in protest.

I promise you it slowly gets more natural, things that seem to take all your concentration become more natural to the point of being automatic.

But until then, don't lose heart - stick with it.  If it's a steep hill then perhaps just driving up that part of it at a moderate speed is an ok thing to do, until you get higher up and can change gear more easily. 

If you think about driving on the flat, when you put your clutch in to change gear then the car continues to roll forwards without you really noticing it slowing down. The difference on the hill is that gravity is pulling against the car's forward motion making it slow down more quickly.  So the possible solutions are:

- Don't change gear until on flatter ground (don't keep accelerating so the engine screams so much, just a steady mid accelerator position)

- With experience your process of 'foot off gas - clutch in - change gear - foot gently off clutch - accelerate' will get more natural and so a little quicker, so the car won't slow down so much - but in time.

- If you're already driving before you reach the hill then changing gear (to a gear which will let you climb the hill easily) is a good option too.

- If we're talking about your hubby taking you out for practice, perhaps it's just that he needs to let you practice on some less challenging roads and cover those issues with your instructor.

It will get easier with time... promise.

[Paulypeeps 5,290]

My main hate is taxi drivers. They all fall in to the 38mph everywhere category outside London, never ever drive on the left even though they are always the slowest vehicle on the road by a long way, and always make illegal turns.

I am sure that all taxi firms have a driving test, and will only employ those that fail it.

I just dread seeing a Toyota Prius on the road because they are all taxis now!

[Eliminature 5,209]

Thank you everyone. Both for the advice and the encouragement. It seems that I need to build up more speed, then clutch down, into second and back on the accelerator all in one quick movement. 

Changing gear on a level road, I have no problem with at all. 

[gldenwetgoose 21,498]

8 minutes ago, Eliminature said:

Thank you everyone. Both for the advice and the encouragement. It seems that I need to build up more speed, then clutch down, into second and back on the accelerator all in one quick movement. 

Changing gear on a level road, I have no problem with at all. 

It is very much the same process - one smooth fluid process, the only difference being that the car will slow down more when rolling uphill.

A similar but slightly different process will apply when you're driving on a flat road in say 4th or 5th gear and you come to a steep hill, and experience will tell you that you need to change down one or two gears to be able to smoothly climb the hill.

[Kupar 13,341]

3 hours ago, p1ssputz said:

The only thing that really gets me sometimes is when someone is in front of you, and they're constantly tapping on their brakes

I'm with you there. It happens here too and we have mostly manual transmission cars. Often it will be nervous drivers who brake every time they see a vehicle approaching them, even on a wide road where there is almost no risk. Quite what they think touching the brake pedal achieves is hard to understand. 

[1badboy 581]

I have been a truck driver for about twenty-seven years.  To be honest I don't honestly get all that upset by little stuff on the road, I am just too used to it.  But if somebody does something REALLY crazy like driving at a stupid speed -- and getting into an accident in front of me -- it makes me angry.  And on a more personal level I wish my wife would drive a little less aggressively, and more cautiously.  It makes me uncomfortable when riding with her.