Greetings all,
Seems like people have forgotten how to drive after a long weekend here in Canberra!! After dropping my eldest at high school this morning, i pulled back out into peak hour traffic to deliver my younger children to primary school. This is often fraught with negotiating gaps with confidence & hoping a kind commuter lets you in. So imagine my surprise today when a Jeep flew across in front of me at an intersection - not even looking my way - head down, pedal to the metal. Add to this the fact i drive a large people mover, so he couldn't see if there was a car flying up my inside!! It could have been ugly if i wasn't watching him & going slowly. We own a Jeep, they do not take off quickly - they're not meant to.
After that risky-behaviour-experience, i was concentration-cap-on. Dropped the primary school children off & headed home via the main highway out of Canberra. Again, leaving a gap between the car in front of me . . . i watched a Target delivery truck pull out across my lane - which i almost misjudged even though i was braking & realised it was happening, the truck was slow, because you know - it's a truck, it's not meant to take off quickly, shame the truck driver forgot!! As i swerved around him then back into my lane, i looked in my rear view mirror to find the 4WD behind me, RIGHT behind me. Honestly people!!
I came home & told my husband "i almost had 2 car accidents" & he asked "were they both your fault??" Argh. FYI i've never hit anything & with all the beeping lights & cameras on this new car, it would be a challenge!! He's just jealous as he had 4 minor accidents in his teens - i fear for my daughters with future boyfriends on their P plates, they are such maniacs!!
I'm not a fussy driver. I love NOT having to drive. My husband is away so much, i look longing at the passenger seat, wondering when i can relax in the car again. When we went to Brisbane 2 weekends ago, i happily sat in the 3rd row between children, it was great. I can read, stitch, navigate, sleep, sit in any seat, tell jokes . . . i'm a great passenger.
My mother always said "driving brings out people's true personalities." I must be very laid back as i drive slow & always allow enough time to get where i am going. I would never EVER sit outside someone's house & honk, how hard is it to get out & knock on the door?? I've been a shocked passenger in sweet-mummy-friends' cars to find they drive like maniacs, yell abuse out the windows, slam on the breaks & park across the lines so no one can park next to them - even pointing it out to me, to reduce car doors/ trolleys/ prams hitting them. Lordy, selfish much?? Always the quiet ones isn't it?? Unleashing hell when you don't expect it.
Do you notice there are so many more maniacs on the road?? I just let them go on by me, you can't reason with an angry driver, they are in their metal bullet & on a mission. This afternoon in the school car park, i watched mothers fly into the car park?? It's ridiculous. I bet they'd be the first to complain if anything happened to their precious child in the car park. One mum honked me as i stopped at the pedestrian crossing the other day, HONKED. I eyeballed her in my rear view mirror & threw my hands up in the air "what do you want me to do??" It was hard to miss the family of children crossing the road, was she going to run them over if she was in front of me?? Calm down people, love Posie
15 comments:
My driving has definitely mellowed as I've gotten older.
Or is it since I've had such precious cargo behind me - or waiting for me on the other end?
Yes - calm down people!!!
:-) xx
Yes, Canberra is full of mad drivers: they all think the space between you and the car in front is for them to move into, just in time to floor it through the amber light (because you don't need to stop unless it's red!). As a mum, you just drive your precious cargo around that bit more carefully and pray that you see all the idiots before they don't see you.
Well done on being a great taxi mum Posie!
Strangely (since we now live in the very mellow, slow-paced American South) we found that all these lovely polite people blow through red lights at a jaw-dropping rate. My mother's pet peeve is other cars with the windows down and loud, thumping, profanity-laced music. Her solution is to roll her own windows down and crank up some opera at top volume. As kids we were so embarrased, hiding on the car floor. As an adult, I think it was brilliant :).
I was in the Dickson shops car park the other day, and I had three near misses in the space of 50m and a minute, none of them my fault, all because of other drivers going places quickly without looking. It's crazy out there!
Drive safely
xx
You've just reminded me why I hate driving...! We live in a city that refuses to get with the times and install traffic lights - it's one roundabout after another which people barely even slow down for. I long for the good old days when you had to walk everywhere - but then everything would be within walking distance of course ;-)
Sydney driving is no better. It is a 50km zone all around where we live and I try to set an example to soon to be learning 16year olds but people just do not like to do 50!
Oh Posie, what a stressful experience. I find driving is becoming more and more that way actually... and in crazy Sydney town, well, you see it all!
I am always shocked by the selfishness of people on the roads AND with parking too. I must say, I try very hard to always think about how my next action may impact others and especially with parking... I can't believe that story about people deliberately taking up two car spaces! I have had a couple of nasty road rage experiences in my time and both of which were not my fault. People need to chill out and calm the heck down on the road... cars ARE real weapons after all.
You sound like a great passenger Posie, I'd let you ride in my car any day xo
hello there gary if you are still in need of them i think this is there link
filling address ,ring them if you need them in a hurry ,tell them michael said you would sort him out
Only in the summer we have only one lane roads....smile!
I hate driving - and I do a lot of it. I find the patience of people gets less and less. Halifax NS (Canada) used to be a pleasant, slow and easy drive. But last week I was making a right turn (like yours on the left) and waited until the traffic cleared. The guy behind me kept honking trying to make me slip in when there was a very short break. It was foggy and I was not going to move. After a couple of times - he landed on the horn and kept it going. I didn't move until it was safe. I can't help that he didn't get up early enough for work! Take your time people.
Poor you, I do feel for you. School drop off/pick up hour is absolute purgatory around our way (outer Melbourne suburb) As we are retired we make sure all our driving is done after 9.30am and 4.00pm. Nonetheless,maniacs still abound. I don't get this honking thing when you are unable to move. Maybe I'm supposed to suddenly sprout wings or drive a helicopter perhaps???
oh no! i hope youre mum isnt completely right, otherwise im a maniac(sometimes)!! its defo something im trying to kerb, especially as the kids are getting older & understanding what my madness means :(
I had a bit of a road rage insident a couple of weeks ago, came round a corner at the lights and didn't pick up speed fast enough for some barbie in an suv, she road up the back of my car then went on the wrong of the road to pass me by which time I was well and truly going the speed limit, I admit I flipped her the bird no kids in the car, she then pulled in front of me and put the brakes on i just mouthed you idiot at that point and she took off again in front of a school crossing. I took much pleasure in seeing her banked up at the next set of lights and I turnd off a side street.
If they saw the consequence of a vehicle crash (the damaged people - not the damaged vehicles) they would pay more attention I think. Keep safe.
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