Car driver stereotypes and the driving test
I'm of an age where I remember a standing joke about 'Mini Metro drivers wearing hats', meaning that such people were the bane of the sensible drivers' lives, driving at 30mph in the centre lane of the motorway, taking several minutes to park in a supermarket space and stopping suddenly on busy roads in the lead up to Christmas, for no other reason than to let somone out at a junction.
Recent events have set me thinking that this and other stereotypes haven't gone away.
Either I am imagining things or Renault Modus and Nissan Micra owners have difficulty attaining more than 30 mph on any road. White van man continues his callous disregard and destruction unabated. BMW owners continue to look down at others and feel generally superior. Artic lorry drivers have a lemming-like desire to pull into the middle lane and try to overtake a slower lorry for several miles. Mercedes drivers indicate to overtake in front of you but then take twenty minutes to complete the task. 4WD drivers don't seem to realise that they can't brake any better than the rest of us. And there's loads of other car driver stereotypes... of that I am sure!
To all of you folk out there driving these vehicles, have you ever considered redeeming your reputation and amending your behaviour and driving with consideration for others?
Then there's the driving test iself. First of all, you hear stories in the papers and TV about so and so who passed their driving test on the twentieth attempt etc. Why is that person allowed to drive at all? They have still not proved that they are a competent driver. All they have shown is that they can drive competently one time in twenty and in my view they cannot be allowed to drive until they have passed the test more times than they have failed it!
Secondly, this business of stopping distances. It's all very well if you can repeat, parrot fashion, the number of feet it takes to stop at whatever miles per hour. What good is that if that person has no conception of how far 100ft or whatever is? They don't ask that do they?
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My gripe is how can you pass a British driving test whilst wearing one?
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I agree, I would never consider driving one of those awful little boxes. The Micra was bad enough even for a short time. Perhaps some on here are content to accept such vehicles, but Congo is not one of them.
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grumpyoldwoman - 2-Dec-10 16:57
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Having said that,and to provide balance to the debate, Congo was once forced to drive a ghastly Micra for one day and has singularly failed to live down the humiliation ever since.
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Volvo drivers attract some of the best rates for car insurance in the market. They are low accident risk and good safe drivers, usually respectable pillars of the community, and work as professional middle management and administrators. They are often victims of envy and jealousy by the lower social orders.
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The continental expert - 25-Nov-10 20:05
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yes, you've seen him, he pulls out on you without a thought, he cuts you up and ignores you, he drives very slow over road bumps, I could never understand that one ? he blokes roads to get out from someplace, I have proved many times that the man in question has got to be SANTA ! he is everywhere, I've convinced my wife, my kids, my friends, and it's true, so for all you 4x4 fat people that wear glasses, if ever I come across you people again, cut me up, block the road thinking because your higher than me, your better, YOUR WRONG,
you will be followed, I will find where you live, and we will have a talk, if you dont want to be this way anymore, seek medical help, get yourself a cortina or escort, because I bet deep down, your a really nice bloke, but its the 4x4 mate, get rid of it, it's making you think your somebody your not.
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Like I said previously, when they learn to drive properly, I'll stop highlighting and criticising them. Volvo drivers cause more congestion and inconvenience than Audi drivers. They are slow, thoughtless and selfish. Save the of good community standing rubbish. It doesn't wash.
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