General Chat

That's true, dee.
"There have been 1,100 complaints about their use, 210 people have suffered injuries, and 2 have died from incidents involving e-scooters,

The problem is, without tax, insurance, a license, and lights, they can't be driven on roads, and because they're powered, can't be driven on pavements or in pedestrianised areas - though that doesn't appear to stop them :-| :-|

Something that doesn't appear to have been mentioned in the new Highway Code are electric scooters, and they seem to have been having a lot of bad press recently.

:-D :-D :-D :-D

The Jurassic coast in Dorset is a good place for dinosaurs.

Good grief, ZZzzz! Unfortunately, there are still male dinosaurs about.

Years ago I had a Skyline, was doing 30 in a 30 limit, a car behind me challenged me to go faster I stopped and asked him if 30 in a 30 limit was to slow he then said you are woman (100% for observation ) and I shouldn't be driving a skyline, it's a mans car, I told him it is mine, paid for (no credit involved ) insured and taxed.
Also years ago my Husband was a motor cycle instructor and the moto was " if he can't miss you he won't hit you"

I was amazed, a few years ago, when two men, who should have known better, were cycling on the pavement, which had been made smaller by scaffolding, so it was two person width at a squeeze, but not a bike and person width - and a woman stopped to let them by!
I'm afraid I just carried on walking. The cyclists stopped, they tried to 'stare ,me out', I just said very loudly 'You are breaking the law, and are big enough and ugly enough to know that, aren't you? There's a bl**dy road there,try being grown ups and using that'
The fact that the road was one-way and going the opposite way was beside the point :-D
They mumbled apologies and backed their bikes up.

As a former cyclist and pedestrian, I get really angry at the attitude of some cyclists.
I was walking up a hill once, on the same one- way road as above, at a junction, when a bike came off the road, the wrong way, and just ploughed through the pedestrians, expecting them to move, as he cycled to his office door..
He was on a racing bike, with all the gear, lycra, camera on helmet etc.
My comment was, 'You may have all the gear, it's a shame you can't ride a bike,isn't it?"
When I rode a bike I would never cycle on pavements. When I pushed my bike, I'd always have the bike on the road, and I'd walk on the edge of the pavement - having your shins whacked by a pedal is painful.

I’m not sure that any versions of the Highway Code say it is OK to cycle on the wrong side of the road ( our village this morning). But as I have seen a car do the same thing some years ago it might be acceptable now. :-P

Dermot, did he mean you didn't have to keep pulling over to let faster traffic overtake you :-D :-D

Mr Owl and I were in our RX8 called Rexi at around 21.10pm on Thursday night. We were on the city bypass and Rexi was doing a comfortable 72mph. Apparently that wasn’t fast enough for some drivers though as two of them overtook us at speed and 10 minutes later we passed them at the side of the road having a little chat with a couple of police officers.

Cyclists in the city have always been a law unto themselves. Riding over pavements to avoid getting stopped at traffic lights and then yelling at pedestrians who get in their way, diving across multiple lanes of traffic and not signaling and it sounds like it’s about to get worse.

During my first driving lesson in London many years ago, the Instructor enquired if I had ever driven a tractor.

Of course, I replied having been born & reared on a farm.

'Tut, tut' was his reply & nothing more was said on that subject. But I got the message. ;-)

:-D :-D

Should someone who had to go on a speed course be lecturing others on keeping their speed down?
*asking for friend*

I tend to look at a variety of newpapers online, so presume I'm open to a certain person calling me all sorts! :-D :-D

Nameslessone 'authorised' paper :-D :-D :-D :-D
Sounds like we have to comply to the ideals of some sort of despot!

Yesterday, looking at the on line papers I found that the’authorised’ paper mentioned the changes but didn’t go in to details. The Daily Mail had acquired a copy of the changes and published the pages.

Score 1 to the Daily Mail. Guardian 0

I'm a non-driver, never even had a lesson, but it scars me silly to know that someone from the UK emigrating to Canada can waltz down to the loal Driver's Licensing Bureau and simply exchange his British driving license for the one issued by the province s/he is in .................. no b****y test, not even an eye test or a written test.

We drive on the other side of the road, we have different rules, and someone from Britain is let loose like that. Drivers with a US state license also don't have a test which is fine as both countries have very similar rules .............. such as knowing when you can turn right on a red light and when you can not. But no other nationality except the British are treated that way.

I have no idea when such a rule came into effect, perhaps when we were still under Britain's rule.

It does go a long way to explaining why we have some very bad drivers, and why insurance rates for new arrivals are very high. Past history in the UK counts for nothing to the companies here, even for drivers with 20 years of an excellent safety record in the UK


Edited July 31/21 ca 5:45 pm ......... to change a disliked word.

This was a special course, Maggie, one offered to us because of where I worked. It was almost 40 years ago.

If there any such around now, it would be worthwhile doing one.

Shouldn't safe driving be part of the test?

One place I worked offered everyone the chance to do a safe driving course. I took advantage and it was worthwhile.

I think everyone ought to do a safe driving course as the tips are extremely useful.

A lot of things stuck in my mind and I still see drivers doing the most stupid things such as pulling over toward the middle of the road to turn left - if they got themselves into the correct position there would be no need to do that - fgs, they’re not driving artics.

I have lost count of the number of times I have seen drivers waiting to turn right with their front wheels already slightly turned - and there were numerous other things we learned that I see people doing wrongly when I’m out and about.

I have been involved in two (what could have been) serious accidents. The first was when a truck turned right exactly as I was coming round the bend facing him. I managed to skirt round and avoid him but ran the car up a mound at the opposite side of the road and turned it over. I was OK, the car was a write-off and the truck driver scarpered quickly.

The second was why I now change into shoes kept in the car for driving. It was pouring down, I never used to change shoes when I got into the car and my foot slipped off the brake onto the accelerator. No other car involved, just a lamp post. How many people drive in shoes that are wet with rain? Most people never think about changing shoes but it is the type of mishap that is so easy to avoid.

When I see the state of some driving I am of the opinion that some avoid accidents by pure luck and the quick thinking of other drivers.

Here, I agree with Rollo about a 20 mph limit on urban roads. A lot of towns have already introduced that as I’ve noticed while out and about yet still I have seen ignorant people ignore the signs that are there for a reason and for the good of drivers and pedestrians.

I include drivers because of the devastation to a driver’s mental health if he knocked down a child. I’ve seen it.

It would help if you were confident that most road users had an idea of what they should be doing.

Ever been offered a speed course? I haven’t as I don’t speed, never caused an accident but have been rear ended whilst stationary in traffic with my brakes on.

Interesting to lo learn that a choice of newspaper tells others of your driving habits.

Never had an accident love.

You?