My pet hate has to be.....

[Phil1974]

Actually unless its dangerously slow you can pretty much drive at whatever speed you like upto and including the speed limit.

Quite agree, and if you want to drive slowly carry on. But that doesn't mean drive slowly in an overtaking lane when there's nothing in the inside lanes. That's just arrogant or shows a total lack of awareness.
Anyway, we could all argue all night about road safety and awareness but let's get back to the topic of pet hates

 

[neil_g]

Quite agree, and if you want to drive slowly carry on. But that doesn't mean drive slowly in an overtaking lane when there's nothing in the inside lanes. That's just arrogant or shows a total lack of awareness.
Anyway, we could all argue all night about road safety and awareness but let's get back to the topic of pet hates

I don't believe trench was suggesting that.

 

[Lynton]

God botherers get the door in thier face...end of.

oh come on, you can have a little "sport" with them first, several awkward questions make them think....

 

[mattd85]

Parents who do not use the rain cover on the buggy to stop the poor child getting drenched!!

The amount of times I see this is untrue, how hard is it to pull the rain cover down ffs!!

Rant over

 

[sunnyside_up]

oh come on, you can have a little "sport" with them first, several awkward questions make them think....

Ha! I once told them I worshipped trees. They said, and I quote, 'huh?' Priceless.

 

[viv1969]

oh come on, you can have a little "sport" with them first, several awkward questions make them think....

I have found in the past that "crossing" oneself (a la catholicism), will send them scurrying away PDQ

 

[gm43uk]

oh come on, you can have a little "sport" with them first, several awkward questions make them think....

I had a couple of mormons at the door a while back trying to convert me. I said I'd love to but the only problem is that they believed in big families and wedidn't have any kids.

They said that my wife and I would still be welcome. I said "Oh I don't have a wife, I have a boyfriend."

That got rid of them

 

[viv1969]

I had a couple of mormons at the door a while back trying to convert me. I said I'd love to but the only problem is that they believed in big families and wedidn't have any kids.

They said that my wife and I would still be welcome. I said "Oh I don't have a wife, I have a boyfriend."

That got rid of them

Oh I'm all for a bit of Moomin-baiting!

 

[Grape7]

People in supermarkets who decide to stop and chat with a friend in the middle of the aisle both with trollies thus blocking said aisle. Then giving you a stare for interrupting them when you said "excuse me please".

 

[Michaelk20]

Got another -

People that burp excessively loud, blatantly forcing it out and then saying excuse me etc.
If you wanted to be excused in the first place, let it out quiet?
I should add that everything I've added in this thread has came from 1 person.

 

[sunnyside_up]

'I'll have a Big Mac, large fries, 18 chicken nuggets, two apple pies, and supersize that. Oh... And a diet coke'.

 

[Michaelk20]

So basically fat people?

 

[DorsetDude]

People that burp excessively loud, blatantly forcing it out and then saying excuse me etc.
If you wanted to be excused in the first place, let it out quiet?
I should add that everything I've added in this thread has came from 1 person.

Not the mrs is it?

 

[onomatopoeia]

Actually unless its dangerously slow you can pretty much drive at whatever speed you like upto and including the speed limit.

Someone has been successfully prosecuted for 17 in a 30 for being too slow. There was a case in Bristol where a woman was doing 10-15mph on the M32 which was flowing freely (70mph limit on the strech in question) with one side of the car on the hard shoulder and one on the inside lane (and a sign in the back saying "I drive slowly, please overtake"). She was prosecuted as well, and I think lost her licence. A BRAKE spokeswoman condemned that prosecution and conviction, saying that driving slowly was always safer and people should not be prosecuted for it, which tells you everything you need to know about BRAKE (and journalists that turn to them for quotes, for that matter).

 

[sunnyside_up]

So basically fat people?

No. You read more into that than there was.

 

[boliston]

Cyclists who seem to think that the red light doesnt apply to them

What about a situation when you have a red pedestrian light but all the peds have finished crossing and there are no more peds about? I remember posting about this on a cycling forum and the response seemed to rank doing this as being worse than being a terrorist or paedophile, yet on motoring forums people seem to freely admit to exceeding the speed limit with no problem.

 

[onomatopoeia]

A red traffic light is an absolute "do not pass" instruction to all legitimate road users, because others may make assumptions based on the light being red, e.g. a pedestrian walking onto a crossing.

Speed limits are rather different. It is an absolute offence to exceed it by 1mph, but the danger to others in so doing, relative to doing the speed limit where conditions are appropriate for that speed, is miniscule.

For many limits, particularly in built up areas a safety case can be argued with complete justification. Others, like the 70mph limit on the motorways, the safety case cannot be made (in that, if the limit was appropriate to stop a Morris Minor on crossplies from 70 in 1965, why is it still appropriate for my car which will stop in probably less than half the distance) and it's only there because the politicians are too scared to change it. I abide by it nonetheless, because I don't want points on my licence, but I don't agree that 70mph is an appropriate figure.

 

[neil_g]

Someone has been successfully prosecuted for 17 in a 30 for being too slow. There was a case in Bristol where a woman was doing 10-15mph on the M32 which was flowing freely (70mph limit on the strech in question) with one side of the car on the hard shoulder and one on the inside lane (and a sign in the back saying "I drive slowly, please overtake"). She was prosecuted as well, and I think lost her licence. A BRAKE spokeswoman condemned that prosecution and conviction, saying that driving slowly was always safer and people should not be prosecuted for it, which tells you everything you need to know about BRAKE (and journalists that turn to them for quotes, for that matter).

Like I said unless its dangerously slow.

As far as I know, unlike speeding, there is no specific offence of going too slow. However you can be done for dangerous driving if I remember rightly.

 

[viv1969]

A red traffic light is an absolute "do not pass" instruction to all legitimate road users, because others may make assumptions based on the light being red, e.g. a pedestrian walking onto a crossing.

Speed limits are rather different. It is an absolute offence to exceed it by 1mph, but the danger to others in so doing, relative to doing the speed limit where conditions are appropriate for that speed, is miniscule.

For many limits, particularly in built up areas a safety case can be argued with complete justification. Others, like the 70mph limit on the motorways, the safety case cannot be made (in that, if the limit was appropriate to stop a Morris Minor on crossplies from 70 in 1965, why is it still appropriate for my car which will stop in probably less than half the distance) and it's only there because the politicians are too scared to change it. I abide by it nonetheless, because I don't want points on my licence, but I don't agree that 70mph is an appropriate figure.

I have to disagree just a little bit here. The technology of cars may have changed, but I personally suspect that at the sme time, drivers judgement has not....Quite the oposite in fact. People rely on the modern "can do's" of thier vehicles, but thier own skill / knowledge is still mired in those of a few decades ago. That's just my opinion.

 

[Bluekwack]

What about a situation when you have a red pedestrian light but all the peds have finished crossing and there are no more peds about? I remember posting about this on a cycling forum and the response seemed to rank doing this as being worse than being a terrorist or paedophile, yet on motoring forums people seem to freely admit to exceeding the speed limit with no problem.

A Red light is a red light you must stop, even if no one is crossing, just in case some one comes through or some one runs across the crossing when they are allowed to, quite a few times ive had close shaves with cyclists because they have thought the red light doesnt apply to them.

BTW im not a car driver i only ride motorbikes so that could open another can of worms

 

[LCPete]

I have to disagree just a little bit here. The technology of cars may have changed, but I personally suspect that at the sme time, drivers judgement has not....Quite the oposite in fact. People rely on the modern "can do's" of thier vehicles, but thier own skill / knowledge is still mired in those of a few decades ago. That's just my opinion.

You have a point there often see a line of cars doing 80 on the motorway nose to tail
Madness no wonder pile ups happen

 

[Michaelk20]

Not the mrs is it?

Haha no, it's a guy I have the pleasure of sharing a department with.

Thankfully I can't name one thing my girlfriend does that i find annoying!

 

[Nod]

Can anyone remember what car the official stopping distance in the Highway Code is based on? I have a vague recollection that it's an ancient Austin 7 - so how the whatever did they get the stopping distance from 70?!

The thinking distance is still the same (but again, based on an average reaction time taken many moons ago) but modern cars' actual braking distances on modern tyres and modern road surfaces are surely much reduced (ABS, disk brakes, hydraulic brakes etc)?

 

[Michaelk20]

Yeah they will be much different now a days, tyres alone make a big difference on braking.

 

[cowasaki]

It is nominal based on cars similar to the Austin 7....

thinking distance = amount in feet of mph eg 70ft and 70mph

braking distance = amount in feet of (mphxmph/20) eg at 60mph it is 60x3=180 or at 40mph it is 40x2=80 {basically it is the speed in mph times by the first digit in the mph halved so at 80mph it is 8/2 =4 then x80 = 240ft}

total stopping distance = thinking + braking distance.


Most modern cars will more than half the braking distance with thinking distance that should be the same so at 70mph

70 + 215 becomes 70 + about 105 maybe so 175ft


All calculations above are in feet because it is easier to calculate.

 

[TriggerHappy]

As a cyclist, nothing grinds my gears more than seeing other cyclists jump red lights and I assure you the majority of cyclists feel the same. It's pretty common to see cyclists having a word with someone they've seen jump a red light because we're aware how much it tarnishes the image of cyclists.

I'm also one of those who think a speed limit is just that, a limit. Not a guidance, not a recommendation, not a limit with + 10% tolerance. Just a LIMIT. You break that speed limit then you deserve the points on your licence. Do it repeatedly and you deserve to have your licence removed.

I just can't get my head around why people feel the need to do 40 in a 30 or whatever. It makes such a minuscule difference to your travel time and has a demonstrably greater risk of serious injury in an accident. If you feel that strongly that speed limits are wrong then campaign to have the law changed rather than just showing blatant disregard for it.

 

[cowasaki]

As a cyclist, nothing grinds my gears more than seeing other cyclists jump red lights and I assure you the majority of cyclists feel the same. It's pretty common to see cyclists having a word with someone they've seen jump a red light because we're aware how much it tarnishes the image of cyclists.

I'm also one of those who think a speed limit is just that, a limit. Not a guidance, not a recommendation, not a limit with + 10% tolerance. Just a LIMIT. You break that speed limit then you deserve the points on your licence. Do it repeatedly and you deserve to have your licence removed.

I just can't get my head around why people feel the need to do 40 in a 30 or whatever. It makes such a minuscule difference to your travel time and has a demonstrably greater risk of serious injury in an accident. If you feel that strongly that speed limits are wrong then campaign to have the law changed rather than just showing blatant disregard for it.

TBH I think it is more like 80-90% of cyclists ignore red lights. They certainly do round here. It is a surprise when they actually stop.

 

[Willid1]

It is nominal based on cars similar to the Austin 7....

thinking distance = amount in feet of mph eg 70ft and 70mph

"Austin 7 type car" and "70mph" in the same sentence??

D

 

[gm43uk]

Haha no, it's a guy I have the pleasure of sharing a department with.

Thankfully I can't name one thing my girlfriend does that i find annoying!

Or to put it another way, she reads this forum

 

[TriggerHappy]

TBH I think it is more like 80-90% of cyclists ignore red lights. They certainly do round here. It is a surprise when they actually stop.

I wouldn't go that far but I agree it's a lot. What shocks me most is the demographic of those who do it. From my observation it's the casual middle aged male commuter and younger males that ignore them most. Generally women and those who are more enthusiastic cyclists (you can tell because their gear costs ££££s!) are much better at not jumping red lights and get very frustrated by all those who do.

 

[DorsetDude]

Or to put it another way, she reads this forum

Or they've only been going out for a week or two

 

[Michaelk20]

Haha!

She doesn't and we haven't!

 

[boliston]

As a cyclist, nothing grinds my gears more than seeing other cyclists jump red lights and I assure you the majority of cyclists feel the same. It's pretty common to see cyclists having a word with someone they've seen jump a red light because we're aware how much it tarnishes the image of cyclists......

I would probably get annoyed with another cyclist if they jumped a red light and in the process almost ran into me, but I can't see why I would be worried about every cyclist I see jump a red light when it's themselves that they are essentially putting at risk.

When I'm in my car I'm not going to start "having words" with other motorists that I see (for example) breaking the speed limit (or any other motoring offence) because it tarnishes the image of motorists, or have a word with a dangerous jaywalker as it tarnishes the image of pedestrians.

 

[TriggerHappy]

You clearly aren't aware of the level of vitriol all cyclists are subject to by motorists because of the way some of us behave on the roads. Having words with other cyclists isn't something I do, but I completely understand why others would do it.

 

[OutLore]

Able people that fill a lift up or wont get out to let me in with my daughter in pram! I end up shouting "cant any of you climb stairs?!" which usually gets a couple out

Honestly - if it were me in the lift, I'd shout back "Why? Can't you wait?" :razz:

 

[Jayst84]

Honestly - if it were me in the lift, I'd shout back "Why? Can't you wait?"

Yep. Mine recently is people with prams or wheelchairs who think everyone else exists to serve them. I've seen people run down in the city by idiots in those electric powered wheelchair/buggy things, only for the person who ran them down to have a go at them for "getting in their way" (ie walking down the street). :bonk:

Besides that, these stupid yellow sections of road that are all the rage down here lately. Painted near junctions, to warn pedestrians in touristy areas that it's a road, and to warn drivers that there are day-dreaming pedestrians about. Which is fine, if pedestrians didn't treat it as though it was a zebra crossing, and just step out in-front of traffic.

 

[OutLore]

I guess my biggest pet hate is people who continue to talk when I am interrupting them.

 

[viv1969]

I have another. People let thier kids run riot in the supermarket. Put a leash on the little animals why don't you?

 

[sunnyside_up]

I have another. People let thier kids run riot in the supermarket. Put a leash on the little animals why don't you?

I'll see that and raise you 'let their kids run riot in your own house, break your own kids toys and throw green slime on your freshly painted ceilings '!

 

[Nod]

Simple! Have a railing outside for parents to tie ALL kids to!