So my rant for this evening is about driving. Not necessarily my driving, although I know I can also cause other drivers to rant in a similar vein. But this is my blog so bear with me while I share with you the top five ways I can be literally driven to distraction by other road users.
- Roundabouts
I live in Swindon, you know the place... the one with the Magic Roundabout. Not the old children's TV programme, the five mini-roundabouts contraption! You would think having this construction would imply that at minimum local residents would know how to navigate a roundabout. It's not hard. Priority right (for the UK anyway)!
For a town that supposedly has the most roundabouts than anywhere else in the UK, I would have expected better. Of course I accept there will always be a slight confusion when all cars arrive at pretty much the same time. It's almost laughable as in our British politeness you see one car make a move, but then immediately slam on the brakes as another also makes a move. Just go for it. If you hesitate, you might just as well sit there until you get a written invitation to move!
My advice, adjust your speed to avoid arriving at the same time. And if you witness any hesitation, take full advantage and make your move stick!
- Middle / outside lane drivers
On occasion I have been undertaken on a motorway when I've been in the outside lane. To explain, I'm usually in this lane to overtake someone in the middle lane, but there is no-one ahead in the left hand lane. As a speeding car from behind approaches in the left hand lane, it's not long before both outside lanes are being undertaken. I hate this almost as much as any unnecessary middle lane driving!!!!!
If only that middle lane driver was driving correctly, my rants would be saved!
- Parking
Here I want to name three parking frustrations. Firstly I will pick on the people who would rather park a distance away than try to reverse park into a space. With a friend recently, we parked at the far end of a car park, purely because she preferred to drive into a space. Now you still have to reverse out of the space, but sometimes there's no arguing these little points!(?)
Secondly the lovely people who park over two spaces. Why? OK I get you then avoid anyone accidentally knocking your car with their doors, but seriously on a Saturday morning supermarket shop, this is just mean!
And thirdly, tight fit parking - on one side that is. Some cars have parked so close to me that I have been known to get back into the car from the passenger side. I only assume they had either a stick insect for a passenger or none at all. A little thoughtful consideration wouldn't go amiss here!!
- Wide births
Whether overtaking a bicycle or a parked car, some people seem to need to have the rest of the whole road width free for them to safely complete this manoeuvre. This is especially frustrating as it seems to happen more often with owners of smaller cars. Not logical I know, but not a lot of the driving referred to here is!
- Indicating
Oh the piece de resistance. I can't quite decide which is more annoying. Sitting at a roundabout waiting for the person in the non-indicating car to go straight ahead, but they turn left. Or, my biggest bug bear of all, the right hand indicator being used (again on a roundabout) when the driver is actually going straight across. Why???
I only drive four miles to work but in those few minutes I encounter eight roundabouts. With visits home at lunchtime, that makes 32 opportunities for a roundabout calamity! Touch wood, no accidents to date, but plenty of near misses!
As I said at the beginning, I'm no saint when driving. I could add at least another 3 frustrations that other drivers would nominate: tailgating, not paying attention and impatience.
So there you have it, first rant over and done with. I'm looking forward to the rave. Actually though I have to say this has been quite therapeutic. Let's see how calm the journey to work is in the morning!
Thanks for reading!
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