Driving Pet Peeves

[Future17]

I noticed for the first time the other day that I have both a mental and physical reaction when I'm driving and see black cabs or private hires on the road.

I've witnessed so many incidents of dangerous/ridiculous driving from some of the drivers of these vehicles over the past two years that I'm extra wary around all of them now.

The most recent was sitting at a red light at crossroads and having a private hire pull out from being parked behind me on the opposite side of the road to try and get in front of me as the lights changed. He wasn't quick enough though so, when I realised and braked, we ended up side by side with him nose to nose with the car coming from the opposite direction.

He looked at me as though I was the problem and I had to drive a big arc to the left to make space for him.

I can't help but think these guys actually spend too much time on the roads so lose the perspective of what is dangerous for themselves, their passengers and other drivers.

[bringbackbenny]

QQ

[lapsedhibee]

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QQ

Regular, or proper jams?

[Hibrandenburg]

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QQ

Barney, McGrew

[stoneyburn hibs]

Ordered my first Uber in Scotland last weekend. Travelling from my brothers to my place last Sunday morning at around 1:30 am. Price was great, £12 from South Queensferry to Broxburn. I'd be reluctant to do the same again, the driver got a couple of taps from myself as he nearly nodded of twice.

[McD]

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I noticed for the first time the other day that I have both a mental and physical reaction when I'm driving and see black cabs or private hires on the road.

I've witnessed so many incidents of dangerous/ridiculous driving from some of the drivers of these vehicles over the past two years that I'm extra wary around all of them now.

The most recent was sitting at a red light at crossroads and having a private hire pull out from being parked behind me on the opposite side of the road to try and get in front of me as the lights changed. He wasn't quick enough though so, when I realised and braked, we ended up side by side with him nose to nose with the car coming from the opposite direction.

He looked at me as though I was the problem and I had to drive a big arc to the left to make space for him.

I can't help but think these guys actually spend too much time on the roads so lose the perspective of what is dangerous for themselves, their passengers and other drivers.

in my experience, a lot (but definitely not all, or even most) of “professional drivers”, such as drivers of buses, taxis, lorries, etc, are some of the rudest and worst drivers on the roads. No indicators used, lack of lane discipline, dangerous manoeuvres, and usually the first to give out the dirty looks or hand gestures or verbals.

[J-C]

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Ordered my first Uber in Scotland last weekend. Travelling from my brothers to my place last Sunday morning at around 1:30 am. Price was great, £12 from South Queensferry to Broxburn. I'd be reluctant to do the same again, the driver got a couple of taps from myself as he nearly nodded of twice.

Video of a PHC last night taken by taxi driver being done by the traffic cops, he's going down Victoria St obviously the wrong way, this is not an isolated incident. It's what happens when you allow the market to be flooded by foreign drivers who haven't a clue what they're doing. In saying that there are still a good few cabbies out there who need to get their act together, we can't complain if some in the trade are just as bad.

[patch1875]

Uber have a maximum 10hr driving time when reached you can’t log on again for another 6 hours.

[Killiehibbie]

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Uber have a maximum 10hr driving time when reached you can’t log on again for another 6 hours.

Is that a 10 hour log on or driving time?
i used to have a meter that gave a breakdown of time on, paid time, unpaid time, average earned, etc. I could be out for 30 hours and not exceed 10 hours paid driving time.

[patch1875]

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Is that a 10 hour log on or driving time?
i used to have a meter that gave a breakdown of time on, paid time, unpaid time, average earned, etc. I could be out for 30 hours and not exceed 10 hours paid driving time.

Driving time so depends on how busy it is.

[J-C]

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Driving time so depends on how busy it is.

So basically you could be out working doing a 20 hr shift and still be ok to drive even though you've only done 10 hrs driving, good luck getting into one of those cars.

[patch1875]

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So basically you could be out working doing a 20 hr shift and still be ok to drive even though you've only done 10 hrs driving, good luck getting into one of those cars.

Or a black cab or other PHC that sets no limits.

[J-C]

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Or a black cab or other PHC that sets no limits.

I see what you're saying but most black cabs are double shifted by 2 drivers, day and night, even then when I had my own cab I never worked more than around 60hrs per week, pretty normal for a self employed person. Saying that some junior doctors are doing silly hours in hospitals putting people at risk due to tiredness. There's a video online somewhere where the guy is in an Uber car and the driver keeps nodding off every time he stops at a set of lights, the passenger goes nuts when he starts weaving all over the road due to nearly sleeping at wheel.

[heretoday]

Driving from Newington to Drum Brae tonight through The Meadows, I was concerned to see how many cyclists are riding with no helmet, no bright clothing and only minimal lights on their vehicle.

The streets are so badly lit nowadays that such behaviour is tantamount to suicidal.

I'm sure if I had remonstrated with any of them I'd get the usual What's Your Problem, Pal? and yet they are the ones who'll end up worse off if there's an accident.

Cyclists on the public highway should have to wear reflective jackets and helmets. End of story.

[bingo70]

Being stuck behind a tractor for miles and they don’t pull in to let the queuing traffic behind them overtake when it is safe to do so.

I’ve been up in Fraserburgh and Peterhead a lot with work recently and it happens all the time on the road between there and Aberdeen. It would cost the boy in the tractor about 20 seconds of his day to let us passed but by not doing so it firstly, really pisses me off, probably more seriously though causes some crazy and dangerous over taking to be done.

[Jones28]

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Being stuck behind a tractor for miles and they don’t pull in to let the queuing traffic behind them overtake when it is safe to do so.

I’ve been up in Fraserburgh and Peterhead a lot with work recently and it happens all the time on the road between there and Aberdeen. It would cost the boy in the tractor about 20 seconds of his day to let us passed but by not doing so it firstly, really pisses me off, probably more seriously though causes some crazy and dangerous over taking to be done.

I drive tractors on the roads frequently and do pull over to let people pass. However if it's a busy evening rush or something I can say be stuck in a lay-by for over five minutes, that is no exaggeration.

Chances are the tractor will be pulling into a field or farm within a few miles, just chill or overtake when safe. It's not the tractor drivers fault someone overtakes them dangerously.

[Gatecrasher]

I saw a report in the news that bus journeys are in decline and people favouring cars and trains. Can you really blame us though? Buses are clunky, expensive, slow and generally unpleasant. I had the pleasure of following one from the start of Ferry Road to the end this morning and the only way I could describe it as torture. I don't think we ever saw the speed limit.

[Hermit Crab]

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I saw a report in the news that bus journeys are in decline and people favouring cars and trains. Can you really blame us though? Buses are clunky, expensive, slow and generally unpleasant. I had the pleasure of following one from the start of Ferry Road to the end this morning and the only way I could describe it as torture. I don't think we ever saw the speed limit.

It's murder getting stuck behind buses in a 20mph zone.

[speedy_gonzales]

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It's murder getting stuck behind buses in a 20mph zone.

Is that because the other vehicles behind them also have to drive @ 20?
I'm sure I've mentioned it before here, but I have the fortune/misfortune to drive a commercial vehicle with tracker/speed limiter. If I do 10% over the limit I get a warning/disciplined. I sometimes feel sorry for those stuck behind me, at night they just overtake, not always possible in 20 zones when it's busy/during the day.

[danhibees1875]

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I saw a report in the news that bus journeys are in decline and people favouring cars and trains. Can you really blame us though? Buses are clunky, expensive, slow and generally unpleasant. I had the pleasure of following one from the start of Ferry Road to the end this morning and the only way I could describe it as torture. I don't think we ever saw the speed limit.

I semi-regularly get the bus back to Glenrothes and every time I do I last about 5 minutes before I swear to take the train next time.

It's usually a coach (52 seats?) with about a dozen at most on board too - so I can't see it lasting much longer.

The intra-city Lothian buses tend to be good for what they are though. I try to favour walking ragrdless unless the weather is bad.

[Hermit Crab]

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Is that because the other vehicles behind them also have to drive @ 20?
I'm sure I've mentioned it before here, but I have the fortune/misfortune to drive a commercial vehicle with tracker/speed limiter. If I do 10% over the limit I get a warning/disciplined. I sometimes feel sorry for those stuck behind me, at night they just overtake, not always possible in 20 zones when it's busy/during the day.

Surely they'd have to prove that the speedo/tracker etc is all working correctly, calibration tests etc?

[Hermit Crab]

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I semi-regularly get the bus back to Glenrothes and every time I do I last about 5 minutes before I swear to take the train next time.

It's usually a coach (52 seats?) with about a dozen at most on board too - so I can't see it lasting much longer.

The intra-city Lothian buses tend to be good for what they are though. I try to favour walking ragrdless unless the weather is bad.

Train to Glenrothes or Markinch would be much quicker as well.

[speedy_gonzales]

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Surely they'd have to prove that the speedo/tracker etc is all working correctly, calibration tests etc?

They do and they have. Kit is calibrated and backed up with GPS tech.
There were loads of complaints on roll-out and our union (RMT) raised very legitimate concerns over abuse from managers.
We've had colleagues sacked over repeated speeding offences where there was no Police involvement, also had a colleague disciplined for being in a head on accident whereby he was speeding prior but not the cause of the accident.

[Hermit Crab]

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They do and they have. Kit is calibrated and backed up with GPS tech.
There were loads of complaints on roll-out and our union (RMT) raised very legitimate concerns over abuse from managers.
We've had colleagues sacked over repeated speeding offences where there was no Police involvement, also had a colleague disciplined for being in a head on accident whereby he was speeding prior but not the cause of the accident.

Were any of these men reinstated after appeal? Big brother stuff that, much like CCTV on trains being used for discipline.

[Gatecrasher]

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It's murder getting stuck behind buses in a 20mph zone.

Well most of Ferry Road is 30 so yeah.

[speedy_gonzales]

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Were any of these men reinstated after appeal? Big brother stuff that, much like CCTV on trains being used for discipline.

The one guy I know sacked in Wales appealed and was reinstated but I think he has since been dismissed again.
We might live in Big Brother times but there's no excuse for an individual to repeatedly get caught speeding whilst being warned numerous times (if what I hear is true).

[Hermit Crab]

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The one guy I know sacked in Wales appealed and was reinstated but I think he has since been dismissed again.
We might live in Big Brother times but there's no excuse for an individual to repeatedly get caught speeding whilst being warned numerous times (if what I hear is true).

I've never seen anyone in you company move quickly anyway.

[speedy_gonzales]

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I've never seen anyone in you company move quickly anyway.

You want to start hanging about the bothy at knocking off time!

[Hermit Crab]

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You want to start hanging about the bothy at knocking off time!

Sorry, apart from Hammy when he's going to the HWH for a pint.

[danhibees1875]

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Train to Glenrothes or Markinch would be much quicker as well.

Not if I include the time to walk to the station. But a more pleasant journey - and I don't think there is much price difference.