T-Man Posted 30December, 2012 Report Share Posted 30December, 2012 Allow me to firstly preface this by apologising in advance to anyone who takes offence at my rant. The Mrs and I, with youngest in tow, decided we would get down to the coast to stay with friends for a couple of days. Spent some time convincing the wife that it would be great to take the Porka, and after delivering multiple stern objections she gave up and I proceeded to pack an emergency tool kit. Well thankfully it was going to be only a two night stay so the kitchen sink wasn't coming, but everything else a wog family needs for two days was coming. (Note for Canberra SMT - pack light). The trip started with about an hour and a half from the northern burbs to Torquay via the ring road and over the next two days did a couple of early morning runs down The Great Ocean Rd to Lorne and the opposite way to Queenscliff. Now I'm not the perfect driver, but I've had about enough of the following: P-plate drivers of the female persuasion in little hatches who think that using their phone and not paying attention to what is going on around them as "normal". All sorts of drivers sticking to the right when NOT over taking! Falcadore drivers who think they should stick within a car length to the tail of a white 911, but dare not stay that close behind my Hilux. People who do not overtake push bike riders on the Great Ocean Rd and slow the traffic to under 20 kph. The push bike riders who ride two abreast, on same road, making sure they take up the whole lane and do not move over when they look behind and see 10 bloody cars behind them!!! Same push bike riders (All Lycra looks the same to me) who ride two abreast and take up the bloody lane around a blind corner. If you have a death wish there are many cliffs to ride over. Why involve me??? To the pedestrians on holiday......Please keep your brain working. 1400kg of metal at 100kmh will do severe damage to you, possibly irreparable!!!!! Even when the same vehicle is doing 20 do not think that it won't hurt when it hits you!!!! Otherwise it was a great drive. Am I the only one that cops this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doish13 Posted 30December, 2012 Report Share Posted 30December, 2012 Mate I totally agree - its like everyone's brains are on holidays at the moment. I've been whinging about this all week including episodes like a driver in the far right lane on the free way to Gosford who refused to move over and held 80 km / h in a 110 zone, driver braking hard down a steep hill to reduce their speed to 50 km / h in a 70 zone, people changing into my lane without looking, the person yesterday or day before who just stopped on a single lane busy road to look at a shop or something from the road, etc etc I am working through the break this holiday and while enjoying the reduced traffic I'm also driving in not motorcycling as its easy however the drive home each afternoon has been ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GC9911 Posted 30December, 2012 Report Share Posted 30December, 2012 Nothing left to say, I think you've covered it all!! Oh, you missed the one where a guy in a black SS wagon went straight through the red light, past cars already stopped in the other 2 lanes, just as we'll I'm not a jumper at the lights. Definitely "idiots day out" everyday lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasserkuhl Posted 30December, 2012 Report Share Posted 30December, 2012 Falcadore drivers who think they should stick within a car length to the tail of a white 911, but dare not stay that close behind my Hilux. I have a great remedy for this, dab the brakes.....it soon wakes them up..... Also encites road rage though............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randall Posted 31December, 2012 Report Share Posted 31December, 2012 I hear you. The quality of drivers on Australian roads is generally appalling and as Doish suggested, this time of the year they let the little bit of brain they had go on holiday, it helps that there are double demerit points so everyone decides that they may as well "switch off" and drive 20 km/h under the limit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh Posted 31December, 2012 Report Share Posted 31December, 2012 Agree drivers are generally distracted but I also believe the large majority of people suffer from a huge disconnect to their surroundings on the road - no anticipation and large amounts of hesitation seems to be the result. For example, something as simple as 'merging' seems to baffle the common driver, indicating is always a tricky one and witnessing someone use a roundabout correctly is a rarity. I know alot of people look at the chaos of foreign roads but people anticipate other drivers, have judgement and generally read conditions with a far greater intuitive nature than the self absorbed disconnect seen here. Don't get me started on right hand lane sitters! Most unecessary and pure example of drivers unaware of what's happening around them (or behind them). In South Africa there is a minimum speed limit on the highway right hand lane, sit below it and you can be fined! Also in South Africa people let you in and move over to let you past! My rant over..............! Ps. I am a cyclist and believe it is in my best interest to stay away from cars, I don't understand why so many take the risk even though it may be considered a 'right'. I hate drivers and cyclists equally! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Posted 31December, 2012 Report Share Posted 31December, 2012 Theo it's exactly the same here on the Sunshine Coast and I am driving a bloody 1.4litre Holden Cruise, l don't understand why people can't be more considerate. Anyway Happy New Year to all, hope you have a happy and prosperous 2013 Oh and most importantly heaps of SMT's Cheers to a great bunch of down to earth guys. See you all soon Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-banger Posted 31December, 2012 Report Share Posted 31December, 2012 In the UK you are supposed to overtake on the right hand side only and you are supposed to stay in the left hand lane unless overtaking...even on multi lane roads. The overtaking on the right means a lot less right hand lane driving than in Oz. many UK drivers a very disconcerted when driving in Australia and undertaken on their left. One of my pet hates on the road, and an example of people not concentrating, is when you pull up behind someone at a red light and then just as the lights change they remember they are doing a right and then turn on the right indicator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris-p Posted 31December, 2012 Report Share Posted 31December, 2012 I agree Doug, re the right turns at red lights. I hate that..... C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choppergrino Posted 1January, 2013 Report Share Posted 1January, 2013 Theo I couldn't agree more! I was down that way a month ago and while crusing to Lorne I had a female pull out from a side road while I was sitting on 100. She then sat on 80 till we hit the overtaking lane then she thought her 92 model Toyota seca would have enough gusto to push my buttons. My wife could not believe her eyes the faster I went the more the girl went! I told her this happens alllllllll the time. The joys of a pcar I must add Theo, and I'm not sure if you went past Lorne but the road gets even better:) Anyway Happy new year everybody and I hope to be part of many more SMTs in 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doish13 Posted 1January, 2013 Report Share Posted 1January, 2013 My last rant....people who are about 20 feet behind you in the adjacent however speed up to close the gap and over take as soon as you indicate you are switching into their lane. Then don't fully over take you and drive beside at a slightly faster speed ... Really, isvallowing one more car in front of you going to ruin your day? My wife is from Belgium and remarked on my last visit the respect they have for the fast lane. We really need to get that info back out in the public again I genuinely believe people don't realize this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvs11 Posted 1January, 2013 Report Share Posted 1January, 2013 I have a great remedy for this, dab the brakes.....it soon wakes them up..... not recommended when the following driver is too close to even see the lights down low on an older 911. You might find you've turned your porker into a take off ramp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
withers Posted 2January, 2013 Report Share Posted 2January, 2013 If the P plater females aren't on the phone, they are applying make-up! PET HATE - get ready at home! All those things you mentioned above Theo would drive me mad too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonk Posted 9January, 2013 Report Share Posted 9January, 2013 Theo I couldn't agree more! I was down that way a month ago and while crusing to Lorne I had a female pull out from a side road while I was sitting on 100. She then sat on 80 till we hit the overtaking lane then she thought her 92 model Toyota seca would have enough gusto to push my buttons. My wife could not believe her eyes the faster I went the more the girl went! I told her this happens alllllllll the time. The joys of a pcar I must add Theo, and I'm not sure if you went past Lorne but the road gets even better:) Anyway Happy new year everybody and I hope to be part of many more SMTs in 2013 This behaviour actually has an official name and is acknowledged by Vic Roads. As the road widens for the overtaking lane, the brain subconscioulsy perceives the road to be safer and the driver speeds up without conscioulsy noticing. Once the overtaking lane finishes the driver subconsciously slows back down. Never have I seen this more than on the road from Melbourne to Mt Buller. Overtaking opportunities are few and far between other than the overtaking lanes. Traffic will sit on 80kmh until the overtaking lane where the whole line of cars gets up to 120kmh without anyone overtaking. Once the overtaking lane finishes, it's back to 80kmh. I'm a cyclist and a driver. I get pissed off at cyclists more than drivers. Thoughtless and arrogant bunch of people that cause unneccessary agitation to motorists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxer Posted 9January, 2013 Report Share Posted 9January, 2013 I'm a cyclist and a driver. I get pissed off at cyclists more than drivers. Thoughtless and arrogant bunch of people that cause unneccessary agitation to motorists. +1 another cyclist here and we generally travel in small groups in single file unless its a quiet back street with visibility - no early death wish here. That said Aust infrastructure for bikes is appalling also (matches our roads I guess) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonk Posted 9January, 2013 Report Share Posted 9January, 2013 +1 another cyclist here and we generally travel in small groups in single file unless its a quiet back street with visibility - no early death wish here. That said Aust infrastructure for bikes is appalling also (matches our roads I guess) I only ride 2 abreast on the weekend Beach Rd ride. Never undertake cars that have already overtaken me, don't use roads that are too narrow, only hook turn for right turns. Generally try to stay out of the way of motorists and put myself in their shoes. It's a shame we'll never have this sort of etiquet amongst all cyclists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydr Posted 10January, 2013 Report Share Posted 10January, 2013 This behaviour actually has an official name and is acknowledged by Vic Roads. As the road widens for the overtaking lane, the brain subconscioulsy perceives the road to be safer and the driver speeds up without conscioulsy noticing. Once the overtaking lane finishes the driver subconsciously slows back down. Never have I seen this more than on the road from Melbourne to Mt Buller. Overtaking opportunities are few and far between other than the overtaking lanes. Traffic will sit on 80kmh until the overtaking lane where the whole line of cars gets up to 120kmh without anyone overtaking. Once the overtaking lane finishes, it's back to 80kmh. I'm a cyclist and a driver. I get pissed off at cyclists more than drivers. Thoughtless and arrogant bunch of people that cause unneccessary agitation to motorists. . I've experienced this many times - except that I disagree that it is a subconscious thing. Quite the contrary. Especially noticeable when towing. Or driving a vintage motorcar. The fact that you've come up behind someone is indicative that your comfortable speed is faster than the person you wish to pass, but no, even if you have sat behind them for miles and miles the moment that you hit the uphill overtaking zone, it is foot to the floor. Sh1t for brains attitude. I came up behind someone in one my vintage cars, it was a little Jap box with a callow P plate youth at the wheel, - the moment he saw me pull out he accelerated as hard as he could - I thought that P platers were limited to 80 or 90kmh, my gps reflected my highest speed - when I finally passed him - as having exceeded the national speed limit by an amount that I can't put into print. Once the p1ssing contest was over he went back to his sensible, slow pace. Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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