Unsecure chicken perches

[Chucky Mama]

I am teaching my ES to drive and I am staggered at how bad other drivers drive around a learner driver. ES is now a competent driver and drives at normal speeds so is not kangarooing along, stalling or driving slowly. Today and yesterday when driving at the speed limit of 50 MPH we had 2 cars overtake him on a blind bends causing him to brake to let them back in We have had no end of people pulling out in front of him and several that have shot out of junctions when has the right of way turning right into them. They also go charging past even when he is doing a speed limit of 60MPH It has shocked me at how badly people drive when the see a car with L plates on. I drive the same journeys at the same speed and have no problems at all It makes me so cross, especially when teenagers get hammered with their insurance premiums. Quotes for a teenage boy are £2,000 + - they are certainly not the only boy racers on the road.

[Egluntyne]

They forget that they were learners once. It is quite satisfying that when they have executed their dangerous showy offy manoeuvre, they have to stop at the traffic lights, having achieved nothing at all, apart from putting lives at risk. Grrr.

[chicken bark]

I found it was a similar experience when driving different cars. People treat you differently in a BMW than they do in a Ka.

 

I hope your son passes his test soon - he will be a good driver by the sounds of it - well experienced in dealing with lunatics.

[snowberry]

That's just it, you have to look out for all the other idiots on the road; Over the last few weeks I have had so many near misses in my car on the way to work. They're not even tourists who have left their brains at home. If they want to overtake me at the speed limit then so be it, I will be driving at a reasonable enough speed to stop while they have a crash...

[sadietoo]

Ah, but Chucky Mama, you live in Wiltshire.....I don't know why it should be, but when we moved down there way back when, (we lived outside Devizes for a while and then outside Marlborough) ...we witnessed some of the worst driving there that I've ever seen anywhere....in fact on our walk back from our lovely local pub we used to have to be ready to throw ourselves into the nettles at the side of the road, because small and twisty though the roads were, there never seemed to be any concession from oncoming drivers speedwise (even though we were also carrying torches). I'd forgotten about this until I recently went back down there for a visit and found the driving was just the same as ever....

[Redwing]

Its such a shame when people cat behave themselves

 

When I passed my test a few years back I chose not to have P plates on my car as people just treat you badly when you display that you are a new driver

[Chucky Mama]

@ Sadietoo. It is bizzare as we are on the main route to the Police HQ you would think people would behave themselves. We have ditched our speed cameras though

 

We do tend to put our fair in Karma. Funny thing was, 2 weeks ago a police car passed us and shortly afterwards the car in front of us decided to stop suddenly and attempted a 3 point turn on an busy B road. They gave up when someone nearly crashed in to them and carried on. About 30 seconds later the police car came up behind us with lights flashing. Yes, we thought, they are going to nab them...no such luck, they pulled us over and we spent 20 mins at the side of the road trying to prove that the car was insured

[Martin B]

They forget that they were learners once. It is quite satisfying that when they have executed their dangerous showy offy manoeuvre, they have to stop at the traffic lights, having achieved nothing at all, apart from putting lives at risk. Grrr.

 

Completely agree!!

 

My girlfriend passed her test last week and she has 'P' plates on. Some people are completly ludicrous around her and if she makes a mistake they will give rude gestures, constantly beep her. I witness it all the time when I am driving solo too. Disgusting behaviour!

 

Martin

[Charlottechicken]

So sorry, CM. At least your son is getting lessons in how many idiots there are on the roads though, and with a responsible adult with him too!

 

My route home takes me through a wide and quiet road where learners are sometimes taken to practice manouveres. I hang back until given a signal by the instructor to pass. It's so rude just to push through!

 

I had P plates for three months, and was treated appallingly by other drivers, doubly so I think as I had a little Metro. I noticed when I upgraded to a bigger car I didn't have trouble with other drivers at all

[Lavenders_Blue]

Oh it is so annoying when people behave so aggressively on the roads. How quick many of us seem to be to forget that we were all learners once too, bumping through gear changes and stalling on roundabouts

I agree that people can also be very aggressive towards drivers of small cars. I drive a Kia Picanto and am regularly tailgated aggressively, cut up when being overtaken etc. It never happens when I drive hubby's Ford Focus When I come to swap my car for something newer (won't be for some time, sadly) I will definitely be going for something a little bigger.

Most learner drivers and new drivers drive small cars, of course, which makes it doubly intimidating when you're trying to build up your confidence.

[tara]

I drive a car and a moped l have people run out in front of me teenagers name calling me at times too.It saves me loads of money to use my moped for work l have cars cutting me up on dangerous parts of the road when im in my car totally different story.

[chickenNutter]

I have had exactly the same experience with my ES who passed his test in January. Driving at 30 mph, you would think he was crawling at 15, the amount of impatient and agressive hassling we had - no wonder so many people speeds in this country when as a new driver you experience so many 'bullying' tactics trying to force you to go faster.

[Cinnamon]

I too had the same with my daughter - in fact I think I posted about it here.

 

She has now been driving for 6 months & has had some real problems with aggression because of the 'P' plates her little car is sporting - they seem to inflame some people rather than warn them that the driver may not be as experienced as some out there.

She is going to remove them this week to see if things improve.

Its a shame,as they are there to help,but seem to be hindering instead

[Chucky Mama]

My son has already said there is no way he is going to use P plates when he passes. He thinks people are worse around those with L and P plates and sadly I think he is right.

[The Dogmother]

It's terrible isn't it? An L plate seems to ignite some sort of rage in some folk I have been helping a friends daughter to practice her driving and am gob-smacked at the way she gets treated, and like CM's son, she' not a bad driver at all... all they need to do is to hang back and give them some space

[Cinnamon]

My girl is a good driver too - very competent,but not overly confident yet.

I guess that comes with experience,& it isn't helped when people (bloke in big Range Rover) sit & blast their horn at her 4 times when she is trying to get out of a parallel parking space,because he wants to go in there,& she isn't being quick enough for him.

 

I tell you,I wish I had been there...................

[The Dogmother]

Berlingos seem to attract road rage too, I wouldn't mind but I'm a good driver Have been known to stop my car, get out and go to ask them what the problem is.

[chickencam]

My ED had a bad experience while in her driving school car, she was waiting to turn right on the main road by our house. She was turning into our lane and there is a dedicated right turn lane in the middle of the road. She had been sitting there for a while because it was rush hour and when a gap came that wasn't big enough for her to turn a large Mercedes 4x4 blew his horn and overtook her on the inside to make the turn himself. It really shook her up and her driving instructor was livid, but said unfortunately that was just one example of many that she would see of bad driving as she went through her driving life.

[beach chick]

and the thing is, when people do stuff like this, it's so SCARY for the learner/just passed driver - especially if they are driving alone and it makes them question their judgement and therefore start to lose confidence.

 

when I had just passed (many years ago now) we were in London - narrow residential streets, lots of pulling in to let others past, etc etc. on one occasion a man actually drove his car DOWN THE SIDE of mine because I was being too slow to reverse to let him come through. he then drove off!!! his car must have been damaged because mine was - s"Ooops, word censored!"ed all along. didnt matter to me because the car was on its last legs anyway (why I was allowed to drive it ) but his was much newer. can only assume he had a reason not to stop!!

[Lewis]

Know what you mean, generally people are ok but you do get some people that are right eejits.

The worst thing when you're learning is when they put you off, you stall, get all panicky, rush and then stall again

 

Don't think I'm a bad driver but know I can be overconfident sometimes so have to slow back down.

Always try + make sure I let people (esp learners) out 'cos that was me only last year!

[PapaJuliet]

I used to hate it when I was on my motor bike overtaking on a dual carraigeway... and holding up the people who wanted to go faster than 70mph. They frequently used to flash me as I was checking my mirror to pull in ("get out of the blinking way!!!").

 

So I used to act as though they had half blinded me (particularly at night) then start the whole process of checking mirror, over shoulder and mirror before FINALLY pulling in. Oh, and you then had to be a bit wary in case they got a bit impatient and looked as though they might undertake you.

 

PJ

[sadietoo]

a bit off topic and a sombre note I know, but my DS has recently lost a close friend who was a new driver ( just 18 by one and a half weeks). He was driving a twisty back country road, and was clearly going too fast .... we really need to ask what message we are giving our learner drivers when we are impatient (well, clearly we aren't impatient because we are lovely omlet people...but as we have already noted on this thread there are some truly awful drivers out there).... My OH is a transport manager, and his drivers ( HGV artics) say that today's young people give them no space and are just soooo impatient: and surprisingly they say that the newly qualified GIRLS are the worst.Is this a knock on from the Internet age, where we expect everything in seconds? ... I truly hope not...the cost is far too high...

[The Dogmother]

I think it is sadietoo, I find folk in far too much of a hurry these days, they are use to everything in an instant. My OH is an illustrator by trade but when work is slack, he drives a lot, delivering top of the range cars to celebs and motor industry reviewers; he has a great many tales to tell about road rage and bad driving. I think he has to be the safest and most competent driver that I know.