Roundabouts and driving

Doris @ Grans on Bran got me thinking about roundabouts and driving in general.
I honestly thought that roundabouts were distinctly British and having only driven in a limited number of countries had never seen one elsewhere. I have never been sure why they didn’t catch on across the world because I have always thought of them as a fantastic idea.



My kids by the way love it when I am not really sure which exit I need and so go round and round until I am, sometimes this can be 4 or 5 revolutions, all the time the whole car singing the tune to the Magic Roundabout and I love the look on peoples faces walking past as this car full of singing nutters goes round and round.


The other thing I wanted to blog about is things that drive me mad when on the road:-

I do quite a lot of miles a year and I would like to think that most of the time I am a courteous and considerate driver and am not prone to road rage but some things really try your patience:-

Middle and outside lane huggers; these people should be taken out at dawn and shot, you know the type- nothing in the inside or middle lane and there they are tootling along in the outside lane at about 50 mph with a huge line of traffic behind. Which leaves you with 2 options, either wait for them to move (its no good flashing your lights because they really take offence to that and will slow down even further) or to break the law and undertake them on the left.

People who indicate late: - Now I must declare a personal interest in this one as there are specific sets of traffic lights on my way to work, on a 2 lane road (it isn’t a dual carriage way though) Where the left lane is for straight on and turn left and the right lane is for straight on and turn right. So there you are in the right hand lane stopped at the traffic lights when amber, green and the pratt in the front of the queue takes this as a sign that he should now put his indicator on to signal that he wants to turn right across 2 lanes of traffic coming the opposite way, causing the huge line of traffic behind him murderous thoughts.

Women drivers: - Before I get strung up, I better explain, not all women because I would never suggest that men are better or worse drivers than women. I think at one time or another we have all used our mobile phones when driving (not of course since it became illegal) but to put your make-up on in the rear view mirror whilst on the phone and travelling down the motorway at 70 +mph is mind numbing, I kid you not, I have seen this taking place on more than one occasion.


Caravans: - More specifically the people who tow them down the motorway once or twice a year and have no real idea of how to drive with a huge caravan on the back. I mean we don’t let people drive a fixed body vehicle weighing that much without passing a more advanced test so why on earth should we let them. I have witnessed the results of drivers with no ability or training pulling a big box on wheels, I have seen caravans overtake the car pulling them, caravans weaving from side to side and eventually tipping over on their side and lifting the back wheels of the car off the road. Drivers changing lanes too soon because they don’t know how long their car and caravan is, and side swiping another innocent motorist.
Ready—aim-- fire

I’ve just had a thought perhaps I should apply to appear in the next series of Grumpy Old Men