gar074
Prominent member
I took my B on a road-trip this week, from deepest Suffolk to West Wales and back, the return journey (top down, of course ) along my all-time favourite stretch of road, the A44 from Aberystwyth to Worcester. It was my first long trip since buying the B last autumn, and I took my 16-year-old daughter along with me for a break after finishing her exams, and to acquaint her with her ancestral roots. She also insisted on doing the map-reading, which proved to be a triumph of optimism over experience - but that's another story!
To cut a long story short, several times during our journey, particularly on the motorway stretches (M6, M42, M5, M50), drivers flashed their hazard-flashers after overtaking us. The first time it happened (on the A14) I pulled onto the hard shoulder & checked around the car for the sorts of things that might cause one driver to warn another - exhaust about to fall off, brake pipes or fuel line hanging down under the car, faulty brake lights/indicators, terminal blue smoke from the exhaust, etc, etc, but I could find nothing wrong. Got back in the car, and blow me down if 5 mins later someone didn't flash me again!
That evening I spent ages (in the pouring rain, by that time ) checking everything on the car that might be causing concern to other motorists. I still couldn't find anything wrong.
Finally, the penny dropped! :idea:
We worked out that the hazard-flashing was only happening when my daughter was reading the map, and that some drivers, not realising that the B is left-hand-drive, must have thought that she was driving the car with the map propped up against the steering wheel, and were registering their disapproval by flashing their hazards!
Numpties!
Aside from that, the trip was fantastic, and I can't wait to do it again. My other daughter was very jealous of her sister (particularly as she was still busy doing her A levels while we were away), so I'll have to take her along next time - map and all!!
To cut a long story short, several times during our journey, particularly on the motorway stretches (M6, M42, M5, M50), drivers flashed their hazard-flashers after overtaking us. The first time it happened (on the A14) I pulled onto the hard shoulder & checked around the car for the sorts of things that might cause one driver to warn another - exhaust about to fall off, brake pipes or fuel line hanging down under the car, faulty brake lights/indicators, terminal blue smoke from the exhaust, etc, etc, but I could find nothing wrong. Got back in the car, and blow me down if 5 mins later someone didn't flash me again!
That evening I spent ages (in the pouring rain, by that time ) checking everything on the car that might be causing concern to other motorists. I still couldn't find anything wrong.
Finally, the penny dropped! :idea:
We worked out that the hazard-flashing was only happening when my daughter was reading the map, and that some drivers, not realising that the B is left-hand-drive, must have thought that she was driving the car with the map propped up against the steering wheel, and were registering their disapproval by flashing their hazards!
Numpties!
Aside from that, the trip was fantastic, and I can't wait to do it again. My other daughter was very jealous of her sister (particularly as she was still busy doing her A levels while we were away), so I'll have to take her along next time - map and all!!