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I've just driven through the morning traffic along an Oxfordshire A road so please excuse me while I let off steam.
Oxfordshire county council have made most of their A roads 50 mph limits. Most of them probably don't need it, but that's a separate argument. I'm here to rant about the idiots using the roads.
I stick to speed limits. Whether I agree with them or not. So as far as I can see do at least 90% of the other drivers in Oxfordshire. It's the other 10% I'm here to rant about. So here we are, a steady procession of cars at 50mph. My guess is it starts at the Warwickshire border and ends at the Berkshire border at 8 o'clock in the morning, amazingly enough it stays constant and unless you're going into Oxford it moves pretty smoothly and you reach your destination at the same time every day. There's not much point in overtaking unless there's someone significantly slower, but that doesnt happen much because even a Nissan Micra granny can manage 50 mph.
Now enter the tw@ts. A BMW or an Alfa Romeo gives you different rights under the Road Traffic Act, you can drive at 70 in a 50, overtake on corners with oncoming traffic, flash at cars in front who are doing the speed limit and generally behave like an idiot. The law? Don't make me laugh. You're more likely to see Osama Bin Laden riding Shergar. How about natural selection? Sadly there's never a handy Kenworth with a trailer load of cement coming the other way when you need one, more like a Morris Minor full of nuns.
I am about to argue for something that will probably be anathema to most of you, I want more speed cameras. What! you say? Let me explain. Before they made these roads 50 limits they were in my opinion safer because the BMW tw@ts weren't sitting there letting their tiny little minds get frustrated. Now they are 50 limits they are driving like tw@ts and because there is no enforcement of the limit they aren't getting nicked for it. I would like to see councils forced to pay for enforcement of new limits they bring in, this would have a twofold andvantage, they'd only bring in limits where they were needed rather than everywhere and in those places the BMW tw@ts would be weeded out. Call it assisted natural selection.
This may not be quite the forum for such a rant but I had to get it off my chest. I hope you understand. Thanks for listenting.
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"Jeremy Clarkson, a man we motor enthusiasts need on our side like Lewis Hamilton's F1 car needs a towing ball and a Sprite Musketeer" My motor |
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...and breath. Ahhhh.... Listen to the soothing sound of the dolphins.
I feel your pain...
The one that gets me most agrovated is people who don't think they need to check their mirrors or look for oncoming traffic when they pass a bicycle or moped. The fact that they are not passing a full sized car doesn't mean that crossing the white line is any safer. In two days I've had two heart pounding near misses one this morning where a twit in a VW just pulled half way across my lane without checking his mirror and yesterday nearly going head on into a japanese something or other when he decided to sod the fact I was coming the other way he was going to just pull out to pass a bike.
Back to your rant, I am quite an enthusiast of SPECs cameras. You can't beat them by just slowing down for the camera so you have to make an orderly avaerage speed at or around the speed limit. Theres several sections of road in Notts which have had SPECs cameras on them for some time and the standard of driving is much improved and road casualties have fallen. I read in the paper recently that 300,000 speeding fines have been given from the SPECs system on the A610 and I have to say those drivers must just be idiots. Bright yellow cameras mounted on bright blue gantries over the road, "Speed control zone" signs and the "box brownie" logo every lamp post and plenty of signs for the speed limit... And the fact that theres traffic lights between most of the gantries means you really would struggle to "accidentally" average over the limit down there...
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Mr S
Posted a lot
10-4 Good buddy.
Posts: 2,654
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Speed cameras are all well and good assuming the car isn't stolen and the driver actually has a license....
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Suzuki GSXR1000 K2
BMW R1150GS
BMW K1200RS
Chevy K5 Blazer
Chevy Suburban LT
Jaguar XKR
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Thats what ANPR is for...
As most of the tossers I come across are wearing suits and driving Audis I suspect they are sales reps in company cars.
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Last Edit: Jan 8, 2007 9:32:48 GMT by akku
1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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I don't know whether I agree with more speed cameras (surely driving like a moron is the problem, not speed itself) but I feel your pain because it seems unfair that you stick to the limit while others don't.
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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Oxfordshire's well known for its love of cameras because it's run by a left-leaning council, who probably have no idea about the problems most of us have getting to and from work. They'd rather you were on a pushbike or using the inadequate public transport network.
Ahhh - the joys of open Welsh roads (well, here in west Wales anyway...)
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Its the same near my house. The A338 has always been a national limit, and in some peoples eyes always will be. There is a long straight followed by a decievingly tight chicane on which something like 15 people have died while I've lived there (not helped by the highway people putting loose chippings on it!). Its has now been reduced to a 50 limit, so you do 50mph along it, but there's always some fool in a Saab or Bmw 318 who has to overtake and then almost loses it at the chicane! They don't realise that the 50 limit may be there for a reason.
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Last Edit: Jan 8, 2007 9:57:25 GMT by Adam
1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
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I did have the classic idiot overtaking me a week or so ago. I'm in the 2CV (see? Retro!) so he HAD to get past to try and prove that the content of his trousers was not the tiny shrivelled thing it actually is. Blind bend AND against the road markings. What really annoys me is that it isn't just their own pathetic life they are putting on the line - it is some other poor, innocent curse word who just wanted to get home.
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1986 Citroen 2CV Dolly Other things. Check out my Blog for the latest! www.hubnut.org |
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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I can imagine those be-suited company drivers wouldn't like a 2CV blocking their important rush home. But if you think you've got problems, you should try it in the '32. The local 'erbert round here with a naff grey import Impreza thinks it's clever to get so close I can't even see his car's bonnet in the rearview mirror. I guess I'm lucky as I work from home now, but you guys commuting in your retros get my respect.
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I can imagine those be-suited company drivers wouldn't like a 2CV blocking their important rush home. But if you think you've got problems, you should try it in the '32. The local 'erbert round here with a naff grey import Impreza thinks it's clever to get so close I can't even see his car's bonnet in the rearview mirror. I guess I'm lucky as I work from home now, but you guys commuting in your retros get my respect. Its even worse if you actually drive an impreza sensibly, because every £25000 BMW 520d owner has to prove that they got more for their money than you! We can be doing 70mph on a B road, catch up with a beemer doing 60, overtake at the next straight and they tail us for the next 10 miles so close you can't see the grille. |
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1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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Sounds about right!
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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Mind you, this bloke really doesn't know the '30' mph sign going into the village is there for a reason....
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,542
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I did have the classic idiot overtaking me a week or so ago. I'm in the 2CV (see? Retro!) so he HAD to get past to try and prove that the content of his trousers was not the tiny shrivelled thing it actually is. # They hate old cars don't they! When they were doing the bridge work on the A40 just outside Oxford I had to take it real slow cos of minimal ground clearance (and the 30 limit through the works). I had a BM behind me one evening who obvioisly didn't want to stay there any longer than he had to. As soon as the limit was raised and we passed the Gatso he pulled out to overtake. I think we were side by side as we passed the speed limit and he might have bee a little suprised at the "slow old car" keeping with him well beyond it....  |
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable. |
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MWF
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,945
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I drove a little Fiesta van home once and was shocked just how many people would tailgate me or cut me up to get past purely because they assumed I was travelling slow
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I drove a little Fiesta van home once and was shocked just how many people would tailgate me or cut me up to get past purely because they assumed I was travelling slow I'm not even sure it's because they think you're travelling slow. I drive around in my 3-door slowly - because it doesn't do much else - and don't really get any hassle. If I'm in my Dad's 1996 Mondeo, I can drive 20MPH faster and I guarantee there'll be some c-u-next-tuesday 4" from the rear bumper. I don't understand it....  |
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My fleet:
Suzuki GSX-R600Y SRAD with bald, melted tyres
A borrowed Mondeo
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I travelled to Derby yesterday on the A523/a52 via macclesfield, and I must say it was the most painful 75miles x2 ever without traffic jams in the equation! Its littered with cameras constantly changing speed limits and other trafic lights etc. I'd set out to go easy and conserve some fuel too where poss. takes a lot of concentration, doing your thing on those windy roads while playing spot the camera and contasntly reviewing speedometer.  I turned a corner and lost my bottle of water, reached down while looking at road, and FLASH! what the hell was that, corner of my eye (i thhink and hope) a camera on opposite side went off, looked up and i'd crept slightly over 30!  oh damn! :(I really hope its a fake cos those are pretty over sensitive! but we'll see I could be in for some curse word while having a really boring sunday drive! boo to cameras! Back to the specific rant in hand, why not write to council and state the limit is too low, as its causing people to drive dangerously and make rage, and I guess there was no prob before. I'd bet cameras are due anyway. but a fix for a fix is not right IMO. cameras on the original limit would be a lot fairer! |
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 it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts  |
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The amount of hassle you get has more to do with your car than how you are actually driving it, you don't tend to get much hassle in a Capri, maybe they just don't know what it`ll have under the bonnet and they're afraid it might show them up. When I first got the 323 16V I used to get a lot of early `90s 3-dr Civics offering me on at the lights. Maybe that was some sort of obscure version of Capri vs Manta or something.
Bottom line is some people cant stand to have a £500 car in front of them when theirs stands them at £25k. Sometimes to the point where they are quite happy to not arrive home that night.
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,962
Club RR Member Number: 71
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Excuse me while I rantbstardchild
@bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member 71
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Bottom line is some people cant stand to have a £500 car in front of them when theirs stands them at £25k. Sometimes to the point where they are quite happy to not arrive home that night. I don't think value has that much to do with it We have a road locally which in 11 miles averages a death every 2 months It's single carriageway and has lots of hidden dips (that you can hide a lorry in!!!) and has a 60 mph limit for nearly all of it's length I don't use it very often but I am always amazed at how many people overtake along that stretch of road when I am driving along it. I just flow along with the traffic (normally 50-55 mph) when I'm driving along it and sure enough I am always just behind them when I get to the roundabout where the dual carriageway starts..... What a completely pointless waste of time and risk of life in many cases. Some people are in a rush to meet their maker I think!! |
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I did touch a nerve, didn't I  In my case, tw@tty has nothing to prove, I'm in a 6 year old Polo diesel doing 50mph in a queue of similar cars doing 50mph. This has reminded me of a rather irresponsible game I used tp play a few years ago when I had my Golf Mk 1(RIP). My commute was the A338 down to Wantage, another 50 but with more merit as it's twisty and narrow. I used to play at BMW baiting. What? you say? BMW baiting. Picture this, I have another car doing 50 in front of me. BMW storms up behind me. I slow down to about 45. He overtakes me. I now have a BMW sandwich and the trap is set. I then play like I'm about to overtake him, moving towards the middle of the road like I'm impatient and looking past him. This is too much for his tiny mind to take, a Golf Mk1 simply can not be allowed to overtake a BMW so he has to prove his manhood. Cue BMW driver attempting suicidal manoeuvre to mirth of baiter. I then continue bimbling along the road at 50 like I was before. I was younger then, and probably less mindful of the potential consequences of my actions. I once had some idiot on that road do something like what precipitated my original rant, he was driving a Clio. "Bet you think it's a Williams" I muttered angrily to myself, only to see said idiot turning into the Williams HQ at Grove. Serves me right. |
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"Jeremy Clarkson, a man we motor enthusiasts need on our side like Lewis Hamilton's F1 car needs a towing ball and a Sprite Musketeer" My motor |
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I've been staying in leicester these past 2 weeks and comuting between Corby and leicester on the A6 has been shocking the amount of drivers, usualy polish registered cars that overtake on bends. I had some guy in a Rover 400 sitting on my bumper on the Corby to Mkt harborough road with his full beams on  , when he did eventualy overtake (on a blind bend) he had a least 7 people in that car all wearing hi vis jackets, so atleast it would make their bodies easy to find in the dark should/when they crash. |
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I turned a corner and lost my bottle of water, reached down while looking at road, and FLASH! what the hell was that, corner of my eye (i thhink and hope) a camera on opposite side went off, looked up and i'd crept slightly over 30! 
oh damn! :(I really hope its a fake cos those are pretty over sensitive! but we'll see I could be in for some curse word while having a really boring sunday drive! boo to cameras! 
, when he did eventualy overtake (on a blind bend) he had a least 7 people in that car all wearing hi vis jackets, so atleast it would make their bodies easy to find in the dark should/when they crash.