What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

[pooroldcodger]

Riding, and falling off, motorcycles when I was young taught me an awful lot about reading road surfaces and trying to read the intentions of others on the road.

Being enthusiasts we are all interested in our vehicles and in trying to drive them well and sympathetically. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to assume that the person driving any of the vehicles around you has the same interest. Most do not. Of course they aren't "trying" to have an accident with you - well not many are - but they are often not engaged, not concentrating, don't have the experience and totally lacking in imagination or the ability to foresee the consequences of their actions/inattention. Give them all room. Don't "compete" with their silly games - if someone is trying to cut you up just drop back, If someone is aggressively pushing your back bumper just let them overtake when safe and they can go off and have their accident with someone else. Most of all though, whilst you may be thinking "what a rude prat" don't let it get you excited or upset. Life's too short to use some of it up being annoyed by things like this.

I completely agree with you. More often than not if I have somebody right on my back bumper when I am travelling at the speed limit (or what I think is safe and comfortable under the circumstances) I just look for a space to slow down and wave them past.
What really annoys me regularly is when you are at a junction, waiting to turn right or similar and a car with heavily blacked out windows appears. I really miss not being able to see the other driver's eyes. I would love to be a copper under those circumstances.

 

[DaveMcT]

The most annoying drivers are those that hate to follow behind a Fiat Panda but when they overtake just get in the way because they can't read the road or maintain a constant speed.

I dont get in peoples way but I dont invite them to overtake unless they are clearly going much faster that me. As Jock say's they can have their crash out of my way.

 

[portland_bill]

Heading home earlier today, shortly after coming off a roundabout, an Audi came hurtling up behind me, braked firmly, and followed very close. Ahead, adding speed slowly, was an artic truck, so nowhere to go but sit and follow patiently. Audi of course, is focussed on the back of the Panda, so probably can't see the truck.

150yds later, truck turns right into trading estate, me and Audi turn left, onto national speed limit road. I accelerate (is that an acceptable description for a Panda with aircon running?) fairly well up to 60mph, and pull away from him. About a mile later, as I slowed to pull inot the farm shop, I had enough distance that I could make the turn without risk of him hitting me.

 

[varesecrazy]

A text received in our household today.

43thousand of these sent apparently..

If this Gov't Accredited lab can get it so wrong

How good are the ones you sort and pay for yourselves for overseas travel..?

 

[DaveMcT]

"The brakes are not a thinking tool. They should be applied as a result of a decision, not to give time to make that decision."

If you need brakes first, then observation, anticipation and planning have failed.

Well said! Sadly so many drivers are so short on spatial ability they wont have a clue what we are talking about.

 

[DaveMcT]

A text received in our household today.

43thousand of these sent apparently..

If this Gov't Accredited lab can get it so wrong

How good are the ones you sort and pay for yourselves for overseas travel..?

Exactly what I thought. This was about failed tests = negatives, but the best tests have a false positive rate of 3% or 4%. That cock-up will have changed the ratios but the numbers BBC gleefully quote every day have to be mostly false positives.

Mass testing falls over when the disease is in decline. 3% of one million is 30,000.

 

[DaveMcT]

Heading home earlier today, shortly after coming off a roundabout, an Audi came hurtling up behind me, braked firmly, and followed very close. Ahead, adding speed slowly, was an artic truck, so nowhere to go but sit and follow patiently. Audi of course, is focussed on the back of the Panda, so probably can't see the truck.

150yds later, truck turns right into trading estate, me and Audi turn left, onto national speed limit road. I accelerate (is that an acceptable description for a Panda with aircon running?) fairly well up to 60mph, and pull away from him. About a mile later, as I slowed to pull inot the farm shop, I had enough distance that I could make the turn without risk of him hitting me.

I seriously upset a Golf VR6 driver. I was nipping along in the 1.2 Panda and he came flying by. OK whatever. A few moments later he was on the brakes behind a slow Micra - properly rammed up it's exhaust. I was still "Making Progress", the road was clear so I as i reached them it was easy to just pop around the pair of them. About 2 miles later Mr VR6 was up my A- flashing his lights. I flipped the mirror and carried on "making progress" He literally could not keep up with a Fiat Panda on a bendy A-Road. His skills were that bad.

 

[pooroldcodger]

I regularly see cars right up behind a car in front, when what they should be doing is dropping back in order to see the road ahead and therefore possibly overtake.
Is any guidance on overtaking given when learning to drive nowadays?
And whilst I am on the subject of learning to drive - what about parking? Where I live we have many adult "kids" with their own cars, living with Mum and Dad, and when their mates visit they also bring cars, and their only thought seems to be to park as close as possible to their mate's house, even if that means parking opposite another car and therefore narrowing the road needlessly.
I am sure that all of this is still in the Highway Code, but is it covered in driving lessons?

 

[portland_bill]

I regularly see cars right up behind a car in front, when what they should be doing is dropping back in order to see the road ahead and therefore possibly overtake.
Is any guidance on overtaking given when learning to drive nowadays?
And whilst I am on the subject of learning to drive - what about parking? Where I live we have many adult "kids" with their own cars, living with Mum and Dad, and when their mates visit they also bring cars, and their only thought seems to be to park as close as possible to their mate's house, even if that means parking opposite another car and therefore narrowing the road needlessly.
I am sure that all of this is still in the Highway Code, but is it covered in driving lessons?

Easy answer, Yes it is taught.
Real answer, it depends on the instructor, and more so on the learner. From about the age of 6, we are subconsciously learning to drive, by absorbing the actions of parents, and any others that regularly drive us. An instructor has a difficult job to teach the right way to do things, which is likely to be overruled by instinct once the learner is out on their own. I would say that most of my students' test fails have been due to 'reacting like their parents' when faced with a difficult situation, rather than thinking about what they've been taught.

Good instructors, which I'd like to think is most, but sadly, may only be about a third, will discuss parking decisions. Not just teach how, but to think where, why, and the risks involved. 'Stony ground' for most learners. People generally are lazy, and suffer from narrow focus, or 'locking on'. They see the house they are visiting, then look only a short distance around for somewhere to park, unable to 'see' anything further away. The cars on my street park opposite my house, yet frequently, visitors will just park on this side, partly on the footpath, incapable of seeing the space opposite large enough for several cars.

Overtaking is difficult to teach. Opportunites are rare. We need a road with views, a single car going slowly enough to overtake, and gaps in oncoming traffic to permit the overtake. We also need a learner who is able and willing to give it the beans when necessary, rather than go slowly through fear. They need to trust the instructor fully, so that when told to floor it, they do exactly that. I have a few roads around here that often provide such opportunities, but it is hard work getting most learners to go when needed. Those that do get so much from it.
Then we have to counter their enthusiasm, to get their brains working before they get too excited.
What catches most drivers out, is the distance needed. A dual-carriageway nicely demonstrates the time and distance needed to complete the manoeuvre, especially if it has the 100m marker posts. We all see so many overtakes where the overtaker usees all the space, and is just lucky that no-one comes from the other direction. This is because they assess the distance as adequate, and go for it. But, we need to find a space that is twice the distance needed, as if an oncoming vehicle appears as we commit, they will use the other half. A decision to overtake needs to ask, "can I complete the manoeuvre in half the distance I can see to be clear?" And it is a long way.

 

[pooroldcodger]

A great reply. I will be honest and say I would have to be very confident in the student before I attempted to teach how to overtake!
As a 21 year old I took the IAM course. Whilst I didn't agree with everything they advocated at the time the vast majority I did, and benefited from, and still do today.
I think there should be big incentives for drivers taking advanced tuition.

 

[jimboy]

Up here in the Highlands, especially further North, there are miles of deserted little used roads. In some places miles of long straight stretches. Every year without fail another fatal single car crash. I’ve lost count over the years. Even if not fatal, it’s usually life changing. Most of these crashes are teenagers. Now my point is, you will hear from his mates and family, what an exceptional lovely young man he was, picture included, he does indeed look the picture of innocence.But! looks apart a young lad behind the wheel of a car on a deserted road, not long after passing his test, you don’t have to be a genius to work things out.

Trying to stop/calm down a young lads enthusiastic urges to speed on occasions like this when he is on his own, sometimes in a very fast sports car, is nigh on impossible. Then you have perhaps worse situations, two young lads racing each other on the deserted stretches.

 

[portland_bill]

Up here in the Highlands, especially further North, there are miles of deserted little used roads. In some places miles of long straight stretches. Every year without fail another fatal single car crash. I’ve lost count over the years. Even if not fatal, it’s usually life changing. Most of these crashes are teenagers. Now my point is, you will hear from his mates and family, what an exceptional lovely young man he was, picture included, he does indeed look the picture of innocence.But! looks apart a young lad behind the wheel of a car on a deserted road, not long after passing his test, you don’t have to be a genius to work things out.

Trying to stop/calm down a young lads enthusiastic urges to speed on occasions like this when he is on his own, sometimes in a very fast sports car, is nigh on impossible. Then you have perhaps worse situations, two young lads racing each other on the deserted stretches.

There is psychology to this.
Men do not develop their sense of risk/danger until around 24, whereas the women develop this around 19. This is why young males are more likely to take big risks, and get it wrong, because of the feeling of invincibility.
This is deep in our basic instincts, and comes from social history when we were hunters. Going out to hunt for food, with little more than a pointed stick, means we will go hungry if we are afraid of the woolly mammoth. Meanwhile, the womenfolk would be back at camp/cave, sewing together skins from previous kills, to make clothing, bedding, etc., whilst at the same time keeping an eye on the children, and watching the camp fire. This is why the female brain is generally better at multi-tasking, and men are focussed on one task at a time. From this also comes the social interaction and chattiness, whilst the men can carry out a task together, without speaking, each understanding their role, and carrying it out without communication. If we speak, dinner runs away.
As we have developed, we have changed roles a lot, but the basics are still hardwired inside us, and influence our actions. Trying to fix the problem of young men taking risks and crashing is therefore very difficult. Discussing this with them when learning to drive helps, but peer presure can undo all of that in a moment.

 

[jimboy]

There is psychology to this.
Men do not develop their sense of risk/danger until around 24, whereas the women develop this around 19. This is why young males are more likely to take big risks, and get it wrong, because of the feeling of invincibility.
This is deep in our basic instincts, and comes from social history when we were hunters. Going out to hunt for food, with little more than a pointed stick, means we will go hungry if we are afraid of the woolly mammoth. Meanwhile, the womenfolk would be back at camp/cave, sewing together skins from previous kills, to make clothing, bedding, etc., whilst at the same time keeping an eye on the children, and watching the camp fire. This is why the female brain is generally better at multi-tasking, and men are focussed on one task at a time. From this also comes the social interaction and chattiness, whilst the men can carry out a task together, without speaking, each understanding their role, and carrying it out without communication. If we speak, dinner runs away.
As we have developed, we have changed roles a lot, but the basics are still hardwired inside us, and influence our actions. Trying to fix the problem of young men taking risks and crashing is therefore very difficult. Discussing this with them when learning to drive helps, but peer presure can undo all of that in a moment.

This is exactly my point. In my youth like other male teenagers you can do anything, you can take on the world, well, you think you can. Take for instance young lads joining the Army, cannon fodder. Back in the 70s I witnessed male 18/19 year olds heading to Belfast to “sort” things out, basically they looked at this as a game, all be it a dangerous one, excitement in their eyes. You’ll never suppress these feelings. Total different slant, look at the young lads in London gangs knifing each other, this is excitement adrenaline fuelled feelings that spurs these lads on. OK a bit over the top as a for instance, but this is reality, unfortunately.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

If this Gov't Accredited lab can get it so wrong

How good are the ones you sort and pay for yourselves for overseas travel..?

They have to be gov accredited also. Can’t just use any old company unfortunately, hence the ease of them ripping travellers off :bang:

 

[pooroldcodger]

I saw a superb example of a young woman multi-tasking the other day.
Driving across a big traffic light and red light camera-controlled cross roads on a 40mph dual carriageway major A road whilst applying lipstick using the rear view mirror. Outstanding skills!
I know because I was in the inside lane and she was parallel with me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

 

[mowermender70]

mrs m and i went up to the village hall and had flu jabs but booster covid jabs 2 weeks time . just a round 37 miles to get them now thats what i call progress

 

[varesecrazy]

Like so many.. our 'budget' energy provider went under..

After about a month the newly appointed outfit sent us a mailing..asking for meter readings

Ive taken a pic monthly..about 48 times

As I was 'forwarding' this one I opened it up and had a better look

Spot what I 'saw'..?

 

[StevenRB45]

Reminding myself that I'm terrible at not messing with cars.

So I'm into nearly week 2 of not having my own car...

So far this week I've contemplated getting the C3 walnut blasted (it has a flatspot/misfire that appears on a certain hill at flat out in 4th...but could be safely ignored on the basis it only really occurs on this particular hill if you're driving like a plank). It will need one at some point such is the joy of direct injection but actually it's driving lovely in general and hitting 50mpg...but now I've noticed it's there.

Second debated getting upgraded headlamp bulbs for it...

Third debated getting the dent in the back door pulled.

None of this needs doing...but I like my cars to be spot on

 

[jimboy]

Reconnected with a dear old friend at the weekend, video link or what you call it. We had our meal and refreshments while he had his. Dropped a bombshell, he has prostrate cancer, oh f***k. That’s bad, but he’s going down the route of going under the knife, well actually it’s going to be a robot. I had a scare two years ago, but eventually got the all clear. Not a pleasant procedure, biopsy via the rear. We laughed and cried, we talked about the good old times.

Our friend has been in touch with lads from the past, school days any ex work mates, asking them to get tested, turns out a few have prostrate cancer as well. I have just booked a PSA test, tomorrow. Face time up here with a doctor is pretty instant.

Now, I’m asking all you 50 plus guys on here, please get tested. You just never know it could save your life. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Reconnected with a dear old friend at the weekend, video link or what you call it. We had our meal and refreshments while he had his. Dropped a bombshell, he has prostrate cancer, oh f***k. That’s bad, but he’s going down the route of going under the knife, well actually it’s going to be a robot. I had a scare two years ago, but eventually got the all clear. Not a pleasant procedure, biopsy via the rear. We laughed and cried, we talked about the good old times.

Our friend has been in touch with lads from the past, school days any ex work mates, asking them to get tested, turns out a few have prostrate cancer as well. I have just booked a PSA test, tomorrow. Face time up here with a doctor is pretty instant.

Now, I’m asking all you 50 plus guys on here, please get tested. You just never know it could save your life. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

Jim, so sorry to hear of your friend's predicament and I wish him well with his coming op. I know quite a bit about this ailment as all the male members of the family back through my father's generation have either died with it or are living with it.

If you go for the surgery then the robotic route seems to be best with better outcomes than a human surgeon, so I think he's getting the best chance of a good outcome by taking this option. Just for people's info though, there are other, non surgical, options. Depends on the individual cancer and person.

For myself, I'm diagnosed, after a number of fingers up the bum and two biopsy sessions - double OUCH - with "pre-cancerous cell changes" and am on a watching brief. I have regular PSA blood tests and "manual" examinations and nothing seems to be changing very fast. My PSA count is very gently rising, starting out in my mid 40s at 1.0 to 1.5 and now, at 75, fluctuating around 3.0 to 3.5. I've been told that unless my GP notices something has changed when examining me or the PSA gets up nearer to 5.0 or I myself notice a change, I'm just to carry on as I am. I've been prescribed pills to reduce my need to wee so often and they work well. My doc cheerfully told me, some time ago, that he confidently expects "something else" to "get me" rather than the prostate cancer! Cheerful sod!

Incidentally, my middle brother also noticed symptoms but did nothing about it, didn't even mention it to me. He's now got big problems and is having invasive procedures which are messing up his life considerably. His PSA count, when eventually taken, was in the hundreds!

So now, with father and youngest brother no longer here, middle brother leading a far from normal life and self, being the "lucky one" on medication and a watching brief with every hope it's not going to restrict me greatly for the rest of my time here on earth, I can't find capitol letters big enough to say: IF YOU'RE OVER 40 (my consultant recommended that as the age you should be thinking about this) SEE YOUR G.P. AND GET YOUR PROSTATE CHECKED. If you can get a PSA done too then do it because our PSA fluctuates up and down naturally so having regular PSA done will establish a base figure which is your "norm" so then the health professionals know when you give a reading which is of concern and can jump on it quickly.

Prostate cancer is a big concern for us chaps, especially if you develop it when you are younger as it seems often to develop much more aggressively in younger men. So please chaps, give some very serious thought to getting checked out. I've just convinced my older boy, who's now in his 40s, and he's being seen soon by his GP. Result!