What Have You Being Doing With Your Non-triumph Today?

Totally agree, we are obviously on the same page on this.

'A road' slip roads are a classic " I can match your speed, but as I've got my indicator on, I can pull onto the main carriageway and it's then your problem!"

Err nope.

Some idiots on the main carriageway give way, others even coming to a standstill on a live lane to simply allow vehicles to join the main carriageway; this is just plain madness!
Where exactly are the painted Give Way road markings?

 

@Mrs Visor and @Eldon have to agree with all your points regarding bad driving. I had a spell as a driving instructor back in the 1970’s and yes you would fail your test if you did not make reasonable progress on the road. And joining a dual carriageway or motorway via a slip road is the drivers responsibility to match the flowing traffic before joining. Just sticking on an indicator does not mean you can just join, forcing others to take avoiding actions.
As ever the standard of driving today is dreadful.

 

I guess I'm slowing down with age, and sometimes fall into that "it's a maximum speed not a target speed" category!!

 

Completely agree with @Eldon, @Mrs Visor & @Wessa it is incredibly frustrating to get stuck behind slow drivers who seem oblivious to the que behind them and the Highway Code requirement to pull over and let the faster traffic past. Another classic self-justification to slow driving causing a que "I don't understand their hurry." & "they should have given themselves more time."

That being said some people just aren't confident at speed and should they be denied the ability to get around in a country that has such feeble and expensive public? (its at this point that city dwellers and commuters will say "there's nothing wrong with public transport.")

And while we're on the subject; (and this is from 46 years driving/riding between 12K to 18K miles per year) will motorway drivers please drive on the left!!!!!!!! The traffic would flow so much better if we all try and keep left as much as possible.

Its why I love driving in France; they are a little bonkers at times, but lane discipline and making progress is so much better.

Driving standards in the UK have fallen especially post Covid, and on my BikeSafe course the police instructors were making the same observation.

I remember in the early eighties the BBC ran a motorcycling series and in one episode interviewed teh then chief of Manchester Police, he observed that if car drivers drove with a six inch knife blade sticking out of the centre of the steering wheel driving standards would improve and then advocated that all car drivers should first spend two years on motorcycles or scooters.

Amen brother. Rants over.

Drive / ride safe all

 

Yes I get that some may fit that slot, however, I feel it IS, OR SHOULD BE, A TARGET SPEED (not a maximum speed) as intended by the highways department IF you consider other peoples needs on the road i.e. tradesmen, parcel deliveries etc.
This is exactly the same, in my mind, as the opposite argument of a vehicle should be doing 30 in a 30, not 40, and not 50.
How can anyone contemplate that 30 in a 60 is evenly remotely acceptable unless other circumstances dictate?

 

I should have said, I would always let anyone clearly in a hurry pass if I am driving a bit below the limit! And I'd never defend anything near 30mph in a 60mph limit, I'm not that slow!!

Driving standards do seem to be dropping a bit, but a lot of that is related to this very subject - everyone trying to get somewhere as quickly as possible -

Some of my bugbears -

Drivers approaching roundabouts assuming a clear road ahead, then having to slam on the brakes when a car comes round... no anticipation at all!

Tailgating, or at least driving too close for a given speed, often at the actual speed limit - I know I'll get slammed for this, but it is often blondes in big SUV's! And I know a few parents who insist their daughters drive too close to the car in front, so its not just me.....

Drivers coming towards me, and glancing down - I know they are on their phones!

Drivers coming towards me on or over the white line at a corner because they are cornering beyond their, or their gigantic SUV's abilities.

Merging with or without indicators, just assuming I'll give way.....

Cars in front gradually slowing down and then speeding up again.... I know they are on their phones!

Jumping red lights - I see this more and more often, not slipping through on the yellow, but actually on the red.

Cyclists. Cycle lanes. Cyclists not in cycle lanes.

I remember reading somewhere that the best thing you can do to make a journey less frustrating is to allow a little more time than you think it will take.

Have a look at Road Morons on YouTube - countless examples of poor driving (are Uber drivers in London really as bad as he says?) and some funny commentary.

 

Had a wee tour around the Scottish Borders, pic taken just North of Moffat, near the devil's Beeftub. Lots of bikes out today....

 

Today I visited my DR650 in bike hospital. It’s in for a long list of jobs to basically recommission it. It has been started on yet but is next but one for the work commencing. The mechanic did say it’ll be towards the end of the year as he is very busy.

 

A little, quite local, ride around through the country lanes.
Found a tranquil spot, that I didn't even know existed.









Sometimes you don't need to go very far to find something new.

 

Driving in the West Country it is a universal truth that everybody eventually catches up to and gets stuck behind the person doing 40mph in a national.

 

Before my first night shift on Thursday, I rode about 50 ish miles to meet my friend on her 125 to go for a ride and then came home again . I took the beautiful Blade and had a lovely trip over, she managed to go much further than last time, so progress is being made . 127 miles done for me in total .