Traffic woes

[Ant]

Brian do you dare drive on those Cypriot roads? They scare the life out of me over there. The mini bus driver taking us back from Polis to Paphos airport last year decided he wasn't going to be held up by a slow moving lorry as we descended down a mountainside. He suddenly shot off the road and down what I would call a very small goat track (never slowed down any) through a mass of bushes which cleared long enough for me to see how close we were to a very steep drop. He suddenly shot back out onto the road a few inches in front of the lorry. He was so pleased he'd saved us a few minutes

[Tempest]

Reminds me of when I was to Morocco... We were also driving down some pretty narrow mountain roads. The bus driver had a sense of humor, he spoke to the tour guide and the guide then announced: "Our driver here says you're lucky that their bus company only has good drivers. To see where the bad ones went, take a look to the right". Well, we looked right and there was this HUGE chasm with an AWFUL lot of burned bus carcases down there

[Brian Ellis]

It's great fun driving here When in Rome, do as the Romans.

Actually, although there are some hotheads, the average Cypriot driver is just simply a bad driver, but predictably bad, so you usually have a good idea of his next folly and can take evasive steps. On the plus side, they can be surprisingly helpful at times, letting drivers out of side roads (especially when they have to cross a line in the opposite direction to the way they're going) or slowing down to let pedestrians, temerarious enough to try and cross a road, finish their dash.

Of the places I've visited, the ones I would most hesitate to drive in are Greece, Turkey, Egypt and India. The Cypriots are angels compared with the drivers of all these countries.

The only countries where I've encountered road rage are the UK and Germany. In fact, one case in Germany had an amusing epilogue. I was motoring along the Autobahn, with a colleague, in a knot of fast moving traffic. I was in the fast lane, trundling along at ~140 km/h, with several cars in front. The slow lane had a lot of heavy stuff and the middle lane had a constant stream at ~120 km/h. Suddenly, an Audi came up behind, flashing and honking and tailgating me. There was absolutely nothing I could do except keep on, with this moron behind. The cars in front started to brake and, naturally, I did the same and the idiot all but tail-ended me with a screech of brakes. Eventually, we got past the knot with the imbecile behind me flashing, and I was able to pull into the middle lane, where I continued at the same speed. The lunatic drew abreast of me and ran paparllel with me for 2 or 3 km, making rude gestures and shouting (presumably) obscenities, which I couldn't hear, anyway. It allowed me to get a good look at him, though. Then, he fishtailed me, while slowing down hard to about 60 km/h before accelerating off again as fast as his chariot would go. About half-an-hour later, we arrived at our destination, where we were going to look at a DM 500,000 CNC machine tool we were interested in purchasing. We asked for our interlocutor at Reception and he came along. My colleague and I exchanged glances: it was our friend from the Autobahn! He didn't seem to recognise us, though and started on his spiel, suggesting we look at the tool in their demo room. I told him that it was not worth wasting his and our time as we would never be able to trust a company whose owner was not able to drive politely, at which point he rushed to the front door, saw our car outside, stammered and stuttered and tried to apologise, as we made our way out. But that was not all. We made our way to a local hotel. That evening, we went along to a Greek restaurant and were half way through our meal when guess who came through the door with a blonde tartish-looking female 30 years his younger? There was only one table free and he was placed facing the sides of both of use. He tried to leave but his girl (?) insisted on staying as she wanted to eat Greek. I hope the looks we gave him made his moussaka sit heavily on his stomachs. Anyway, he gollopped it down and urged his companion to do likewise. We were enjoying our metrio at the end of a delicious meal when he stood up, shouted to the waiter for his bill. The waiter asked him whether everything was all right and he proclaimed loudly, so everyone could hear, "Nein, he didn't like the clientèle the restaurant served and he had no intention of coming back.". The waiter replied suavely that he was very sorry, but he wouldn't be welcome, anyway. We were just about doubled up, laughing, and the waiter asked us whether anything was wrong. We explained that we had just refused to order a 1/2 million machine from the guy because of the way he cut us up on the Autobahn. He told us that he was famous as being bad-mannered and the worst driver in Baden-Württemburg and had had his licence rescinded more times than most people have coffee for breakfast. We were given a second metrio and a Metaxas brandy on the house for our pains!

[The PIT]

All German drivers are nuts. . 150 mph right up the jacks end of the car infront. Heavy lorry with about 20 cars beside it wants to change lane striaght across and watch the other drivers scatter.

[Technoid]

when I was in third to 6th grade (9-12 years old) I was going to a school 10 miles away and was transported by taxi....
140kmh on narrow forest roads in the winter
Much faster during the summer
Summer leave was a reliefe, knowing that you would not be at the hands of a mad taxi driver

[Sethos]

Yeah there are a ton of just stupid sh*ts out there on the road...

Two maybe three weeks ago I was going up to my university to take some math placement tests which were as hard as all, well you know...anyway after about ten hours of testing, tours, and lectures you're already on a short temper and a bit tired to boot so we're driving on the way back, a good two hundred miles most of which is on a one lane each way highway (if you can even call it a highway) so we're out side Jefferson City and this guy comes up behind us and like totaly rides our tale...now because of the lane situation and the fact that we had cars in front of us it's not like we can go anywhere or anything like that, but this guy none the less is just practicaly on out rear bumper...then for no apparent reason he decides to swerve into the on comming land and pass all of us slow pokes (since I mean we're only going 70 MPH ya know... He has to pass considder about five cars ours included...as he is in the midst of doing so a pickup truck starts comming down the line and this guy just didn't back off... in the end he forced that truck off the road and then side swipped the first car in the line all to get to the city a little faster which proved to be worthless as we saw him at the first stoplight we came too in the city....Stupidity run amuck!!!

~Sethos

[Nowhere]

You talking to me?!



You talking to me!!

...F**k!!!!



edit: this post @Technoid ofcoz (net is dying here today...just look at the time i posted this and the edit time - and I clicked "edit" instantly after posting; not to mention that I wanted to reply ~14:00)...and I must find two emoticons somewhere

EDIT 2: finally this classic sentence looks completed

[agallag]

Originally posted by Strahd
That gets me more than anything else in traffic. Some ****ole, no offense agallag, high beaming me from behind. Your case is different because he was doing 80 in the left line.

But when the limit is 100, I'm doing 120, and someone comes up behind me and flashes to get me out of the way, there's not much chance I'll move for at least 2 or 3 KMs. And I might slow down too.

I think that's part of the problem though Strahd. Who are you to say that 120 is "fast enough"? The only reason you should EVER be in the left lane (or right lane in countries where appropriate), is if you're PASSING someone. If you're not passing (and if it's not a huge traffic jam), get out of the passing lane. Somewhere along the line, someone started calling it the "fast lane". That's not what it's called, because it's not there for "going fast". It's there for passing slower traffic, and then you have to get out.

[The PIT]

Can remember getting fed up Middle lane hoggers on the motorway. After driving all way round the buggers I decided the next one or group I met I was overtaking on the left. If a copper saw me I would get done. By doing that the dumbass's decided then it would be a good idea to leave the middle lane and crawl along correctly on the left. No other way would make them move unless I had a blue light on top.
A work collegue of mine told me in no incertain terms that you should never overtake on the left. So I was driving round the M25 and in parts thats five lanes. Guess which two lanes were empty. I drove past miles of slow moving traffic that way. My work collegue surrended and decided I was right.

[agallag]

PIT, that's all too common here (although a mirror image of course). Any freeway with more than two lanes almost always has the right lane wide open. I can't count how many times I've seen people enter from an on-ramp, and immediately change lanes all the way across to the left even though all the lanes they crossed are empty. I just don't get it...

[The PIT]

Even better in this country people can't tell the time. The bus lane is not in operation but do the dumbass's use it No. They get mad with anyone that passes them on the left. Even better if they want to turn left they slap the indicator on and turn left from the right hand lane.
Pity video evidence filmed by civilans isn't legal I'd get loads of drivers licenses full of points in no time at all.

[THE_Editor]

I drove past miles of slow moving traffic that way. My work collegue surrended and decided I was right.

He he.. Us truckers do that all the time !! also....Next time your on the M25, look for the joeys who steam down the sliproad (OFFRAMP) and then blast up the other side.

BTW..... RE: Speed... think yourselves lucky YOU don't have speed restrictors. Brings about a whole different way of thinking....

ie.. Will I have enough time/speed to overtake this line of slower trucks before the hill evens out and trux return to 85kmh (56mph) (Maximum limited speed).??

Another BTW... D.O.T boffins are actually trialling Zoned limiters on CARS!!

What this means is that when you pass a roadside beacon it will activate YOUR Electronic management systems and restrict you to whatever the area speed limit is !!

NO.. It WONT matter if your've "Chipped" your EMS. Remember... It only takes the guy in front to drive slow and you ALL end up driving slow !! (And if YOU aint... it stands out like a sore thumb).

This system will most probably BE introduced !!


( Now watch the car drivers howl)