Weapon of choice up here is indeed the SUV, some big marks along with the usual Sportage or Nissan. Trend for the young female bottle blonde, yep a cliche but true & the SUV must be white. Dare you enter their wee world/bubble & you're practically risking your life.
What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?
- Thread starter dave
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What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?
It is here as well, scary in winter where they seem to think setting their traction control to "snow" is an exemption from physics.
[ame]https://youtu.be/atayHQYqA3g[/ame]
Believe it or not we don't get much snow up here, but ice is the one that seems to catch people out. It's very obvious when you take off from home that the elements will be far from ideal, but a combination of summer tyres & just plain stupid driving for the conditions catches some out when it really should not. 
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South Wales during 2010 we had a lot of snow. I an idiot in a Volvo XC whatever 4x4 come flinging out of the school side street and slammed sideways into the kerb on the opposite side of the road. The offside side wheels lifted momentarily. I hope his wheels bearings and suspension got damaged because the result was entirely predictatable from the driver behaviour.
With daughter-in-law confined to hospital for at least the next 3 weeks and most probably longer, Mrs Jock and I have been spending a lot of time visiting and supporting generally. Initial assessment took the best part of three days and was conducted at the ERI (Edinburgh Royal Infirmary) It was then decided that a specialist unit at St John's out in Livingston would be most appropriate.
I mention this because I have been battling valiantly with the car parking provision at both establishments. The ERI is just awful. The parks are just stuffed all the time and cost a small fortune if you are there long term - my boy's car was there for just under the whole 3 days! (luckily he ran into an old work colleague, who now works as a male nurse, who told him how to apply for long term permits. Had it not been for that the piggy bank would have been empty! St, Johns is rather better, and it's free. However I'm not mentioning this to complain about the parking but to comment on the "parkers".
Because spaces are so sparse you spend a lot of time "lurking hopefully" and then dashing for it when someone leaves. Whilst lurking there is ample opportunity to observe the multiple examples of inept and utterly incompetent vehicle handling. The most obvious of which is people who fail to park properly centred on the space marked. SUV's, Range Rovers and the occasional white van (Transit size) being the worst offenders. This of course makes it then very difficult for the person in the vehicle on the "tight" side - the side away from the drivers door on the offending vehicle, whose driver had no problem exiting their vehicle due to having "pinched" all the room from the next door car. Various other events were witnessed including a very healthy looking young man in an almost new VW SUV who parked in a disabled bay and tripped off very nimbly into the building. Most entertaining of all was at St Johns 2 days ago. We arrived mid morning and there was not a space to be had. "You go on and I'll lurk around 'till I get a space" I told Mrs J. To save wear and tear and cut my pollution I stopped at the end of one of the avenues and let the engine die on the stop start (first time I've actually found it really useful) whilst I watched for someone leaving. Indeed someone did get into their car and start to reverse out. I crept up slowly ready to occupy the place but I was blocked by the car reversing towards me and I had to reverse my car to give them room. As they then drew away a large white Range Rover stormed past me and nearly cut off the front of my car as they screamed into the parking place - an extremely rude and dangerous piece of driving. I say they "screamed into the parking place" but that's not entirely true because the car was too big to make it in in one sweep. The sensible thing to have done would be to have swung in on a left lock, pointing the bonnet at the rear end of the next parked car and then reverse on a right lock until stopped by the vehicles parked behind, then apply left lock again and the job would have been a "good un". But no! because they were trying to pinch "my space" they (I'll resist identifying the gender or age and appearance of the "intrepid pilot" - That's pronounced Peelot, as in the french by the way) tried to get in on the one sweep of lock. The result was their O/S front bumper end was going to contact the vehicle parked to their right whilst the N/S body panel was going to be wiped out by the vehicle parked on the left. The entertainment was in watching the "spacially challenged" Peelot's efforts to reposition the vehicle so as to align it with the marked space. There was much tooing and froing with frantic twiddling of the steering wheel - bet they were glad for power assistance! sometimes improving the vehicle's position and sometimes worsening it! In the end - probably about 5 minutes, but seemed much longer - they gave up and drove off allowing me to take the place! Whilst at first feeling very annoyed, by the time they'd driven off I was so entertained by the utter incompetence of this driver that my mood was much improved and I strode into the building with a big grin on my face. (which is just as well because our contribution to the healing process is largely to provide reassurance and support to the patient so a positive attitude is needed)
Every badly parked car is a bonus - another NOT out on the road.
I always enjoy your stories & take on life Jock, I'm guessing like my self you are a people watcher, highly entertaining at times right enough. Could I just give you a friendly suggestion by using more paragraphs
Bit of a long read for an old git like myself without spaces. Please don't take offence, & keep the stories coming Jock
Point taken Jim. I just get a bit carried away sometimes! (probably someone really needs to come along and carry me away for good!)
The pathway between my house and my neighbour seems to be a little wind tunnel at times, so is always covered in debris, needing sweeping. Usually dead leaves, small twigs, etc., and of course some rubbish.
Today wandering from front to back of the house, something bright pink caught my eye. Peering more closely, it is a bright pink condom. Lovely. But not the sort of thing expected to be carried by the wind, and it has not been that windy the last week or so. I also doubt it was used here.
Not mine, and I doubt the two ladies next door lost it on the way to the bins.
I suppose it has been dropped by the birds (starlings I think at the back of the house, sparrows at the front) nesting in the roof. Presumably a disappointment to them, having carried it back from wherever they found it. I assume, not good nesting material, or food.
Bins emptied tomorrow, so away with it.
I shall look forward to the next 'gift' from my feathered tenants.
Today wandering from front to back of the house, something bright pink caught my eye. Peering more closely, it is a bright pink condom. Lovely. But not the sort of thing expected to be carried by the wind, and it has not been that windy the last week or so. I also doubt it was used here.
Not mine, and I doubt the two ladies next door lost it on the way to the bins.
I suppose it has been dropped by the birds (starlings I think at the back of the house, sparrows at the front) nesting in the roof. Presumably a disappointment to them, having carried it back from wherever they found it. I assume, not good nesting material, or food.
Bins emptied tomorrow, so away with it.
I shall look forward to the next 'gift' from my feathered tenants.
Our house is the middle of 3 houses on a gentle bend in the road. All our front gardens are open plan - no fences, hedges etc allowed. The aerodynamics must be such that our front garden, right in front of our living room window forms a "swirl pot" so debris collects there if it's windy. So, whereas bin day for you is, I would hope, a day on which rubbish "disappears", bin day for us is the day on which all the rubbish which got dropped by the bin men "appears" - in our front garden. There have been some very interesting items found over the years which might reflect that some of our neighbours are not leading the staid, quiet urban life you might assume!
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We have a very well looking urban fox who trots down our street as if he owns it. Rarely seen in the morning, often from about 3pm onwards and often late at night if I look out the window when on a "toilet break". He will stop and look at you if you're coming out your front door as he is going by but he doesn't speed up or appear to be spooked by your presence.Rabbits in the front garden. Amazing.
How much longer will my Italian car thing go on..?
The GM crossovers were ok..
But FRENCH..?? My experiences have not been too positive
The GM crossovers were ok..
But FRENCH..?? My experiences have not been too positive
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Err..
I now own 4 Grande's
They are fine.. something of a known quantity.. and fill a requirement quite well.
Older mj is going to be replaced by newer purchase.. better spec and half the miles
That must be approaching FIAT No.50 for me..
Saw an ad for an early @2006 grande Eleganza 107,000 miles
EIGHT GRAND...!! Jeez it wasnt worth that by 2008
I now own 4 Grande's
They are fine.. something of a known quantity.. and fill a requirement quite well.
Older mj is going to be replaced by newer purchase.. better spec and half the miles
That must be approaching FIAT No.50 for me..
Saw an ad for an early @2006 grande Eleganza 107,000 miles
EIGHT GRAND...!! Jeez it wasnt worth that by 2008
So, I see the new Golf looks exactly like a 2013 Toyota Auris at the front. But was it the pre facelift or post facelift that has the little bumper left and right grill inserts / fog light area pattern ..
Regards the new golf interesting to see for the 4th generation in a row journalists are complaining that the interior quality is worse. As well as other obvious cost cutting elsewhere.
But to compensate it's got a phablet rather than a dashboard...all touch sensitive, oh how they cried when PSA went that route 5 years ago.
Also the idea that all cars will have certain features but they only work if you pay to unlock them is a new level of the VW business model. Does mean a second owner can pay for options..but I doubt they'll refund the second owner for options they don't want..(that may be facetious). That kinda means everyone already paid but only those who pay again get access to certain things, Lovely.
Anyway my thing for the day, just driving home from work usual route. Came to a roundabout in a national where I turn left nothing odd, go round.
Something catches my eye in the mirror, bloke following in an E39 5 series has matched my speed into the roundabout which to be fair to him the weather was terrible, I wasn't kicking on. His car has attempted to kill him, and he's fully sideways over the road.
Normally you'd think well "he's been doing something stupid" but no wasn't tailgating me at all just following at a reasonable distance, used my speed as a guide for the roundabout and his car has said "nah mate".
Oddly enough he dropped back significantly after that think the change underpants light illuminated.
But to compensate it's got a phablet rather than a dashboard...all touch sensitive, oh how they cried when PSA went that route 5 years ago.
Also the idea that all cars will have certain features but they only work if you pay to unlock them is a new level of the VW business model. Does mean a second owner can pay for options..but I doubt they'll refund the second owner for options they don't want..(that may be facetious). That kinda means everyone already paid but only those who pay again get access to certain things, Lovely.
Anyway my thing for the day, just driving home from work usual route. Came to a roundabout in a national where I turn left nothing odd, go round.
Something catches my eye in the mirror, bloke following in an E39 5 series has matched my speed into the roundabout which to be fair to him the weather was terrible, I wasn't kicking on. His car has attempted to kill him, and he's fully sideways over the road.
Normally you'd think well "he's been doing something stupid" but no wasn't tailgating me at all just following at a reasonable distance, used my speed as a guide for the roundabout and his car has said "nah mate".
Oddly enough he dropped back significantly after that think the change underpants light illuminated.
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The Golf looks like a shrunken Passat or Arteon, they all have the same design language at the front.
I like the fact that you know a Golf is a Golf without even looking at the badge. The current design can be traced all the way back to the MkII (the Mk1 is the car that doesn't fit the development these days).
I'm looking forward to seeing the GTE Estate, as I'm considering a downsizing to something that will both carry my racing bike whilst saving me a load of tax without sacrificing quality and comfort for long distance work.
I like the fact that you know a Golf is a Golf without even looking at the badge. The current design can be traced all the way back to the MkII (the Mk1 is the car that doesn't fit the development these days).
I'm looking forward to seeing the GTE Estate, as I'm considering a downsizing to something that will both carry my racing bike whilst saving me a load of tax without sacrificing quality and comfort for long distance work.
