Judging by the sort of behaviour HF and I witness daily outside our local school the future of driving is looking bleak. Where have all the manners gone? Where is the consideration for others? Nowhere to be seen if our area is representative. Parents today don't seem to bother teaching their young ones these things and in many cases don't practice them either. The result will be that when their children grow up, the sort of standards which used to be taken for granted will be totally alien concepts. Ask youself how many times:
- You've seen cars parked on and fully
blocking pavements,
- Someone's parked too close and blocked you in,
- You've seen your own or someone else's drive blocked,
- You've left a safe gap in front and someone's nicked it,
- You've been dangerously tailgated or undertaken,
- You've waited and waited at a junction and nobody will let you out,
- You've seen someone double park or park dangerously rather than walk jsut a few yards.
The list really is endless and it's often just this sort of stupid behaviour which causes the accidents, delays and general chaos on the roads we all complain about. I just can't help thinking that unless we start teaching basic manners and driving etiquette again, many of our roads are going to grind to a halt and we will all suffer the consequences.
The current craze around here seems to be idiots on motor scooters riding on the pavements ! One day these idiots are going to be car drivers so God help us !
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Yea verily Vman we have seen all these things. However one bright spot is that the incidence of this type of behaviour decreases as you move away from the Metropolitan Home Counties. Go west to Zummerset where politeness still reigns supreme.
Happy Motoring Phil I
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....or even down to Cornwall, where I cannot remember the last time someone didn't let me out on a particularly tricky junction near my house.
H
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Unfortunately politeness has deteriorated in every aspect of life. My daughter will be three in November but appears to be the only child at nursery who asks if she can use things and says thankyou when she is allowed. We went to the park yesterday and a small child thought it was funny to push the other children about whilst his parents laughed about how boisterous he is, whilst saying \"you shoe lace is ####### undone you little ####\". What chance has the child got, and what will his attitude be like to other motorists when he starts driving.
Society as a whole is begining to fall apart and unless it is tackled from an early age it will continue to get worse.
Just to let you know I think the situation is getting so bad that I am considering moving to another country.
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....so a future gangster then, but at least his shoe laces will always be tied!
H
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All we need now is a couple of "I don't believe it" statements and I'll know that Volvoman has become Victor Meldrew.
Life's hard, then you die.
Tolerance.
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Nice slogan Sean - but life would be a bit easier if we all tried to assist others a bit more. Thankfully I don\'t have to drive much these days - I spend much more time on my two feet and the sort of behaviour about which I speak is routine now in London. I\'m sure pressure is a big factor in some of it but really can\'t understand why some many people are so inconsiderate so much of the time.
Toleration is indeed a wonderful concept until it\'s abused. I\'m happy to tolerate my neighbours and their noisy parties once in a while but I don\'t think I\'d be so generous were they a weekly event. In fact I think if we, as a society, tolerated the sort of loutish, inconsiderate, dangerous and antisocial behaviour which is now endemic in some areas, a little less we\'d all be a lot happier and a great deal less stressed.
HF and I often stare in amazement at some of the antics we see daily and the really worrying thing is that people can be so oblivious of those around them.
ps Victor Meldrew was based on me Sean not the other way round! ;-)
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Well, volvoman, you do have sense of humour.
I just think back 20 years ago to Mrs Whitehouse. Shock, horror there's a bit of nudity on tv.
Now there's channel 4 and 5 with the likes of "Queer as folk" I wish we could go back to a bit of heterosexuality. We can't though. Things have moved on.
You can stand on the beach and order the tide back. Been tried. No success.
Glad I live oop Norf where we're a bit behind.
Ford are just about to launch a Cortina up here, whatever that is. Bit bigger than the Anglia, apparently.
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You'd have to ask my friends about my SOH Sean but I like to think I laugh more than most.
Not sure I take your point about not being able to go back to some of the better standards of years ago. Of course there was plenty wrong then too but I think common courtesy has disappeared in many places and the ironical think is that it makes everyone's life worse. Whilst it may be Canute like to try and stop the tide I think it's worth trying.
BTW where is Oop Norf - is it somewhere near Scunthorpe ? Oh and I wouldn't buy a Cortina 'cos in the future Ford are going to launch a car called the Mondeo and it's much, much, better so I suggest you save up your LSD.
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Yes, very near Scunthorpe, in a little village called Leeds.
I think the Mondeo will come about 20 years after the Cortina, so the tea-leaves say.
There's a Sierra or something too.
I'll look next time I'm in another little village nearby. Sheffield.
They always seem to get the new cars first!!!
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Hmmm.. Leeds, Sheffield don't they manufacture a traditional delicacy up there somewhere too ? Curry isn't it ?
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Ha ha ha.
No mate, that's Bradford.
There's a story there too. Probably completely off topic.
We have what is now becoming a chain of curry restaurants here,the Aagrah, who pioneered using no artificial colours in their meals. They were expected to whup the competition in this year's "Curry Capital of the North" comp.
Half of the marks came from the host city rubber stamping the application and the judges awarded the other half.
Bradford Council bungled it and forgot to stamp the application, so this year, the Curry Capital of the North is Glasgow.
Couldn't make it up, could you?
The Aagrah lot were a tad miffed!!!
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Hmmm... curry with no artificial colours. That sounds interesting. They say your average curry has more E's in it than the local nightclub but that's only a rumour I heard.
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Gawd help me, V! What have I got meself into? Am I really going to be piloting buses around the area of which you speak? I think that it's going to be something of a culture shock. Nice to meet you before, by the way!
Cheers
Rob
"Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast."
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Nice to meet you too RTB. Ever thought of trying the trains - better money (I believe) and conditions and a lot less stress I reckon.
BTW don't know what your movements are in the near future but you're welcome to come for dinner one evening if you'd like. Feel free to bring your new partner if you'd like ;-)
Oh, I should just say that we don't eat much offal down here you know - strictly traditional fare such as Indian, Chinese etc !
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Thanks, V. I did once apply to Virgin Trains and passed all the stringent concentration and aptitude tests, but made a complete dogs breakfast of the interview.
And many thanks for the dinner invite, it would be lovely to take you up on it when I am based down here permanently. I *will* bring my new partner, so you only need to prepare a lettuce leaf and half a tomato for her ;-).
Anyway, I feel that this is best carried on by e-mail - I can sense M and DD getting 'edit-finger'. Please mail me at HF's address until I can get one set up of my own.
Cheers
Rob
"Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast."
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"...passed all the stringent concentration and aptitude tests, but made a complete dogs breakfast of the interview."
What went wrong, did you turn up on time and surprise them?
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>>What went wrong, did you turn up on time and surprise them?
Actually no. The truth is far worse than that. I actually referred to Sir Richard Branson as 'that bloke with the beard'. No, really! It was one of those moments you get when your ears truly cannot believe what they are hearing from you mouth!
Still, at least bus driving's a good job. In the same way that asking a skinhead if he drinks Lambrini and has a poodle is a good move.
Cheers
Rob
"Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast."
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Sean,
Billy Connoly once said of Mrs Whitehouse
"How can you take a woman seriously whose name rhymes with toilet?"
Matt35
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Actually I think things have become significantly worse in London over the last few years, and I blame the bus lanes.
Yes, before you flame me, I really do believe that, as a result of the reduced road space available, drivers are becoming increasingly desperate to create or hold on to the smallest "advantage". There are far more cases of drivers overtaking stationary queues and then pushing in, and far fewer cases of other road users being allowed in from a side street, or pedestrians offered the courtesy of crossing streets where and when they like.
About four years ago, on the stretch from the Greenwich one-way system to Tower Bridge Road, via Evelyn Street, there were 14 traffic lights (inc pelicans) and 2 roundabouts (this is a stretch of just over 3 miles). The route allowed two lanes of traffic in both directions over most of its length (that is to say, in rush hour there would mostly be two effective lanes in the heavy direction and one in the light direction - this has little to do with road markings!).
Today, there are 35 traffic lights and 1 roundabout, and bus lanes constricting traffic to a single lane throughout.
The result is (a) merciless competition for every inch of road and (b) no allowances for pedestrians - they have so many places they can cross anyway, right? - or for buses trying to pass inconsiderately parked vehicles - why don't they just stay in their lane?
I can't believe this is good for anybody, I really can't.
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It's probably good for the people on buses...
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