Have a Rant

[buster prop]

Yesterday I saw Xmas trees and decorations on sale in a garden centre! It's still August for heaven's sake! I don't want to even think about Xmas yet, I suppose the tv ads will start soon. I'm still in summer mode. Tell me about Xmas towards the end of November.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Posted by buster prop on 27/08/2014 20:15:03:

Tell me about Xmas towards the end of November.

As early as that!

BEB

[Lima Hotel Foxtrot]

Posted by Phil Green on 26/08/2014 21:58:45:

inventors who consistently fail to come up with an inexhaustible battery

I hate the way the oil and automotive industries suppress this technology!

[Erfolg]

My complaint is all relating to H&S.

Last week, I sat in a traffic Jam, that was 5 miles long at Keswick. Stopped at the road work, My wife observed that the road, that was at that point, very wide being a junction,was narrowed to a single lane, with temporary traffic lights. The undertaking (work would be stretching the concept) was not actually on the road, at the junction, but some distance from the actual road, due to the junction and footpath layout. It was a lamp post, being replaced. Two men were operating the temp lights. Five men stood talking, two men were looking at the lamp post, presumably to see if it would move. The workers cars and machinery were parked conveniently on the road. My wife observed, given the position of the lamp, why close the road. My reaction was there will be a very unconvincing reason to me, a absolutely sound H&S reason to the Authorities.

We then continued towards the south on the M6, at Lancaster we started to crawl and queue until the Preston M55 junction, a distance of about 30 miles. Again my wife observed that there were about 5 miles of coned of traffic lanes. There were average speed cameras along this length, although we were stationary most of the time. Not one person was seen, Nothing was in these areas, they were clear motorway lanes, At the M55 interchange, one digger was seen some 20 yards of the motorway, with the operator sat in the cab, feet up at three o'clock in the afternoon.

A two hours journey took just over 6 hours, because of coned of lanes, where no work was taking place.

I have just returned from Belgium via France. In contrast, road works were seen. People actually worked. No more than was necessary was coned of, about 100 yards per active area. Such a massive contrast with the UK. It seems UK motorways function far better from perspective of the Road Agency and their contractors, when traffic is preferably stopped.

At this moment the M60 in some areas (of over 5 miles) has a 50 mph speed limit, absolutely nothing is happening, and has not happened for weeks.

Why does the UK have miles of coned of motorway lanes, with nothing happening, wherever you go. Other countries do not seem as incompetent as we Brits.

Edited By Erfolg on 27/08/2014 21:37:17

[Dave Hopkin]

Posted by Erfolg on 27/08/2014 21:35:30:

Why does the UK have miles of coned of motorway lanes, with nothing happening, wherever you go. Other countries do not seem as incompetent as we Brits.

Edited By Erfolg on 27/08/2014 21:37:17

If they didn't store the cones on the Motorway they would have to rent a warehouse.......

[Prop Nut]

I don't know where you were in Belgium and France, Erfolg, but I drove through both countries last month and couldn't believe the number of miles I had to drive through a French contraflow that had clearly had no work going on for weeks, perhaps even months. My wife remarked that it even made the M6 look good! I've had similar problems in Germany, California and Australia, so it seems to me that all highway authorities are equally incompetent.

[Eamonn Fahey]

Posted by buster prop on 27/08/2014 20:15:03:

Yesterday I saw Xmas trees and decorations on sale in a garden centre! It's still August for heaven's sake! I don't want to even think about Xmas yet, I suppose the tv ads will start soon. I'm still in summer mode. Tell me about Xmas towards the end of November.

My rant is people who use Xmas instead of Christmas.

[Shaunie]

People who think that because I drive a Land rover I should give up my right of way and if I don't I am a bully. If I have right of way I will take it, if I give up my right of way its my choice, if I don't I'm not being rude I'm just adhering to the highway code.

People who fail to make reasonable progress, by this I mean driving 20mph below the posted limit with no good reason. I am not tailgating them, they are front bumpering me by going too slowly. If I should have the nerve to overtake they then flash their headlights at me, like I care what they think. I try to drive courteously but so many drivers seem to think their driving style is the only true path to righteousness anyone else is either a slowcoach or lunatic, delete as appropriate.

I also have an MG ZR160 which has great overtaking performance, why do motorists in fast cars who are going slowly wait until you are right next to them to show how fast it goes? A Focus ST driver nearly killed me last week, he was doing a steady 40 until I started my overtake and then ran neck-and-neck with me to almost 80 at which point I had to give it big brakes as a blind corner was coming up.

People who flair for a landing when what they should do is flare for a landing. A good pilot should of course flare with flair. I've seen this several times in the magazine recently.

Shaunie.

[Plummet]

Having typed in a page or two of original and hilarious rants, and then having pressed the wrong button and lost the lot.

You don't believe me?

OK - forget the hilarious!

Oh, and I hate drivers of German cars too!

Plummet

... And VWs are better than Audis, BMWs, and Mercs.

... ... with exceptions.

[Martin McIntosh]

I hate to see school run mums crawling along in Zafiras, in fact anyone driving a Zafira. These should all be taken off the road and crushed.

Just to upset some of you, I drive a 3.0L Audi Quattro with attitude.

[David Holland 2]

Oh! I've just thought of another one, apart from Bruce Forsyth and dogs in coats. People (some who write for this magazine!!) who call the thing, in front of the driver of an aeroplane with all the knobs,switches and dials, a "dashboard". No, no, no. It's an INSTRUMENT PANEL. And don' t pick me up on "driver", I'm being ironic.

How's that for a rant?

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

What gives me the hump? More and more as the years go by!

[Masher]

I am devastated to find that loads of people I have never met hate me because I drive an old Audi with 90k on the clock!

I haven't had a single accident in 40 years of driving but perhaps I caused plenty?

[Martian]

I don,t hate you Masher I quite like Audi cars

[Olly P]

Posted by Masher on 28/08/2014 07:12:54:

I am devastated to find that loads of people I have never met hate me because I drive an old Audi with 90k on the clock!

I haven't had a single accident in 40 years of driving but perhaps I caused plenty?

It's not the car it is the nut behind the wheel.

When I first started to drive I was involved in an RTC - the other party had been driving for "65 years" and never had an accident. He also didn't check the speedo (had been doing 60 in a 30 zone) and didn't have his glasses on (didn't see me).

Had he been doing a reasonable speed (i.e. less than about 50) I would have been clear of the junction by the time he came through, as it was I turned right with a road clear as far as I could see, and had another car try and join me inside mine. The assumption was it was my fault, as I was the new driver, until the insurance assessor looked at the damage to my car and started to ask awkward questions.

[avtur]

The over use of acronyms. I was always taught that the first time an acronym was used in any piece of writing that the full meaning should be written along side the acronym so as to establish what it means.

Back to motoring ... people who don't know how to use roundabouts, that's lane selection, positioning and signalling.

[Bob Cotsford]

an emerging habit that I must assume has come from American tv - driving along with a cardboard cup of coffee clutched in one hand. Surely it is at least as distracting to have hot coffee slopping around as it is to use a mobile phone whilst driving?

Come to that, what is wrong with these people that they can't make a cuppa and drink it before leaving home?

[Olly P]

Bob - having done lots of long distance drivingI have been found with a coffee cup in hand - normally picked up at a motorway services. TBH I only have it in my hand when actually drinking though - I have cup holders for a reason...

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Posted by Masher on 28/08/2014 07:12:54:

I am devastated to find that loads of people I have never met hate me because I drive an old Audi with 90k on the clock!

I haven't had a single accident in 40 years of driving but perhaps I caused plenty?

I don't hate you either Masher, you just give me the hump

John

[Bob Cotsford]

the woman I was alongside this morning was commuting across town through traffic, not on a motorway Olly, and she never relaxed her grip on the cup while in my sight. She was definitely struggling on the turns. Surely an Espace has cupholders and she didn't really need to hold the cup in the hand she was steering with?

Edited By Bob Cotsford on 28/08/2014 10:06:59

[KingKade]

I have a good one for you..

I work in a office in a basement, and there is a driving test centre on the first floor of the same building, we share the same entrance door. over the few years that the test centre has been there larger and larger text has been added, yellow arrows pointing the test centre buzzer.

The amount of people (5-10 a day) who still manage to use our door bell is scary, it says our company name next to our door buzzer, the test centre has yellow stickers and arrows pointing to it!

We even have people who walk down the staircase and half way into our office, and expect to sit down at a desk for a test.......they don't get it when we say 'you've failed! go home'

Last night a lady walked through our office to the back fire escape, about 20metres, and then asked how do i get out of the building? She just walked past the front door!

These people are potentially getting driving licences to drive on our roads for G's sake, if they can't manage to get to the right office while walking at 2-3mph or selecting a button while standing still, what does that say about the levels of competence on our roads?

Seriously be careful out there! Yes, you're competent, but others are morons!

K

[John Privett]

Posted by Eamonn Fahey on 27/08/2014 22:30:52:

My rant is people who use Xmas instead of Christmas.

Or Americans who refer to "The Holidays" rather than Christmas...

[John Privett]

Posted by Bob Cotsford on 28/08/2014 09:42:22:

an emerging habit that I must assume has come from American tv - driving along with a cardboard cup of coffee clutched in one hand. Surely it is at least as distracting to have hot coffee slopping around as it is to use a mobile phone whilst driving?

I'm fairly sure that could/would be "dealt" with as driving without due care and attention - or whatever the modern equivalent is. There have been cases of people being prosecuted for, for example, eating an apple whilst stationary at traffic lights.

[Masher]

Posted by john stones 1 on 28/08/2014 10:05:27:

Posted by Masher on 28/08/2014 07:12:54:

I am devastated to find that loads of people I have never met hate me because I drive an old Audi with 90k on the clock!

I haven't had a single accident in 40 years of driving but perhaps I caused plenty?

I don't hate you either Masher, you just give me the hump

John

Well my everyday flying wagon is a Moggy Van so does that make you like me

[Astrahog 45]

Petty sure its against the law to drink --- and even eat (hand to mouth ) as this takes either hand away from the steering wheel and then " you are deemed not to be in control of the vehicle" -- thus committing an offence .

Mobile phone users do it all the time Hands off -- the worst kind .