what the

[rob101]

sick of the ******** around here. so I am driving on the freeway usual 3 cars backed up behind a car in the Right hand lane (the so-called "fast" lane in australia-land) very close together as usual probably not more than one car length in between each car, me 3 car lengths behind the last car (2 second rule). some stupid f-wit decides he will suddenly slow down to 40 and pull onto the nature strip (in between the 2 directions its a divided freeway) not the shoulder but the part of the road adjacent to the fast lane, resulting in the commodore in front on me going into emergency braking and locking them up. meanwhile i breaked quiet hard and merged to the left. as i wasn't tailgating i had time to react (which was good because i am feeling like **** today as i have the flu)
this after a week of people merging in front of me whilst i am overtaking in the right lane when the left lane has no cars in front of them. hmmmm let me think what else, seeing 4 kids on bikes chatting to each other across 2 lanes of traffic doing 90+ kph, and countless people who don't keep left and can't understand that tailgating doesn't make people go faster or understand what it means when you flash your lights at them when they are doing 80 kph in a 100 zone in the RH lane.
I must ask people like wingman, do people know there are other road rules besides the speed limits?
I know it sounds harsh, but seriously some of these idiot drivers deserve to die. before they kill someone else.

[Zeuk in Oz]

do people know there are other road rules besides the speed limits?
Exactly, Rob.

They have never heard of keep left unless overtaking. I used to sit in the right lane while I was overtaking and keep my outside blinker on to indicate more subtely than flashing lights that I wanted to overtake. Most have absolutely no idea.

We should send them all to Germany to drive on the autobahns. My experience is that if you see lights flash behind you and you are in the fast lane, you get out of it quick smart before some S class creates a new ar$ehole for you.

But I must admit the problem I have had driving in Brisbane on wet nights is that you guys don't seem to use many cats eyes on the roads, so it can be hard to see lanes.

The joys of allowing anyone to drive ! :D

I mean, after all, we are all such perfect drivers ! ;)

[pundit]

In many European countries it is an offence to sit in the overtaking lane on the autobahns. You can be booked and fined. Apart from that it is a good way to get yourself or someone else killed. Minimum speed limits also often apply in certain lanes at certain times and/or depending on weather conditions.

[Yiorgos]

Australia has a fast-lane now?

No one ever uses the right lane as the fast lane I have found, you will see people sit on 80km/hr in a 100km/hr freeway speed zone, they are usually little old ladies or little old Asian ladies in Toyota Camrys.

As for the bikes, that's where you creep up behind them and just give them a little shove on their back wheel :D

Australia should really enforce the keep left unless overtaking rule. I have never seen or heard of anyone being booked or pulled over when failing to follow this rule. Here in Victoria at least, the police are more interested in fining people who creep 3km/hr over the speed limit, rather than police people who are blatantly more dangerous to themselves and others on the road.

[rob101]

But I must admit the problem I have had driving in Brisbane on wet nights is that you guys don't seem to use many cats eyes on the roads, so it can be hard to see lanes.

my father has that problem, usually i haven't encountered it myself but there is definitely a lack of cats eyes on some of the older roads.

[rob101]

Australia has a fast-lane now?


No, i said the so-called "fast" lane
fast meaning:
slow.:p
yeah i was more objecting to people having no concept of stopping distances and or pulling onto the median strip on a freeway
i mean do you pull onto traffic islands on urban roads? i don't think i've ever seen anyone do that and it'd probably be safer than that ******** i saw this morning, the prick probably had to answer his phone.
i am kind of over the whole keep left thing, i tolerate that now. now and again i get shitty but overall if i care about it i think i'd always be angry whilst driving. and i don't need that ****. i do try and obey that law myself though. but i feel alone in that sense

[bbig119]

Don't worry guys, American drivers if anything, are worse.

[rob101]

yes but at least your roads are better than ours
i will have to take some pictures of the toll road i drive on. i don't know what the toll goes to
but it certainly isn't the maintenance of the road.

[GJPinAU]

Don't worry guys, American drivers if anything, are worse.
They're easy to spot here, - they are the ones in the righthand lane :D

FYI: it is legal to travel in the right lane up to 80kph zones. Then it's a free-for-all.

Rob, what I like is the freeway between Brissy and the Gold Coast. 5 lanes (in each direction) and no one knows how to behave in them.

cheers,
Greg

[Zeuk in Oz]

my father has that problem, usually i haven't encountered it myself but there is definitely a lack of cats eyes on some of the older roads.
In my case it is obviously old fart's eyes ! ;)

Amazing how we have them everywhere and you guys don't seem to have embraced them yet.

Probably because it is hard to get them to stay in place on dirt roads ! :D

[Yiorgos]

No, i said the so-called "fast" lane
fast meaning:
slow.:p


I meant what I said in the same sense as you -- Australia has a fast lane now? ;) ie. the fast lane is anything but.

I knew I should've explained myself, but I was too lazy...

[The Bigfella]

If you flash your lights in the right hand lane in NSW you can get done for "road rage".

I used to ride a bike with air horns - and I'm pretty sure I caused a few old farts to **** themselves when I came up behind them in the right hand lane and hit the horn - they thought they were getting run over by a truck.

Ian

[wingman]

yes but at least your roads are better than ours.

Now THAT is a statement! You must have some pretty bad roads up there brother. As for everything else that has been discussed you are all absolutely right. Most people do not know how to behave on the road. You really know it when you get in a fully marked police car with the roof bar flashing and the siren wailing and try and get through traffic to save some poor bloke's life. It really rams home how 99.9% of drivers drive around with their heads firmly up where the sun doesn't shine.

My only tip is to always drive like every other road user is an idiot and you are expecting them to do something stupid or dangerous at any minute. This makes you drive defensively and saves the frustration when they do do something stupid.

[rob101]

Now THAT is a statement! You must have some pretty bad roads up there brother. As for everything else that has been discussed you are all absolutely right. Most people do not know how to behave on the road. You really know it when you get in a fully marked police car with the roof bar flashing and the siren wailing and try and get through traffic to save some poor bloke's life. It really rams home how 99.9% of drivers drive around with their heads firmly up where the sun doesn't shine.

My only tip is to always drive like every other road user is an idiot and you are expecting them to do something stupid or dangerous at any minute. This makes you drive defensively and saves the frustration when they do do something stupid.
i meant american roads but yes i'd say most of the freeways we were on during the sydney meet where miles ahead of the ones i frequent up here.
but i must say the e34 pulled up like a champ but i was worried about someone driving into the backseat as i think it must have caused the 4 cars involved to slow down to about 50, hence the change to the left lane. but in hind sight people would have probably been thinking "get out of the left lane don't you know its the fast lane? oh theres my phone i think i'll pull the handbrake and just pull up in the right hand lane, studies of the bogan public has show its much safer than talking on a mobile and whilst driving."

[wingman]

I like the idea of people stopping to talk on the phone but I totally hate when people hear the phone and cut accross 3 lanes to stop and answer it. And from the right line to the nature strip????WTF?!?!

[rob101]

I like the idea of people stopping to talk on the phone but I totally hate when people hear the phone and cut accross 3 lanes to stop and answer it. And from the right line to the nature strip????WTF?!?!
well i once saw an ambulance stopped in the right hand lane, no signage, that was scary
he was stopped to attend to someone who had a minor stack into a bush on the median strip somehow a woman had stacked almost perpendicular to the direction of the road.
that was close the place where on another occasion, i saw the aftermarth of a car carrier overturn on an onramp to the freeway. i think a couple of 4wds had shook loose of their fittings as well......
they should make me the minister for transport, i'd fix those bastards up!

people who have serious accidents like that for no apparent reason should have their licences revoked, and learn how to drive again. then we'll see how non-chalantly everyone drives

[filip00]

Rob, I must say I completely understand you. Here in Croatia, I'd say only 50% of the driving population is polite and understands road unwritten rules. It can really piss me off when I'm in the fastest lane (left here), and then some idiot in front of me drives doing 80kph where it's 130 zone. After blinking a few times, if he doesn't move, i usually put on my long lights on, and the fog lights. Everybody moves after seeing that in their rearview mirror.

I suggest not to get nervous about it, too many people are fools behind the wheel. Sometimes when I'm not in a rush, and let's say i drive a regular two lane road...If someone insists on driving in the left lane, below the speed limit, and won't let me pass, i slam on the gas, pass them from the right lane, and then pull in front of them and then slow down. to at least 20kph slower than they were driving.

"Ignorance is bliss."

[yaofeng]

sick of the ******** around here. so I am driving on the freeway usual 3 cars backed up behind a car in the Right hand lane (the so-called "fast" lane in australia-land) very close together as usual probably not more than one car length in between each car, me 3 car lengths behind the last car (2 second rule). some stupid f-wit decides he will suddenly slow down to 40 and pull onto the nature strip (in between the 2 directions its a divided freeway) not the shoulder but the part of the road adjacent to the fast lane, resulting in the commodore in front on me going into emergency braking and locking them up. meanwhile i breaked quiet hard and merged to the left. as i wasn't tailgating i had time to react (which was good because i am feeling like **** today as i have the flu)
this after a week of people merging in front of me whilst i am overtaking in the right lane when the left lane has no cars in front of them. hmmmm let me think what else, seeing 4 kids on bikes chatting to each other across 2 lanes of traffic doing 90+ kph, and countless people who don't keep left and can't understand that tailgating doesn't make people go faster or understand what it means when you flash your lights at them when they are doing 80 kph in a 100 zone in the RH lane.
I must ask people like wingman, do people know there are other road rules besides the speed limits?
I know it sounds harsh, but seriously some of these idiot drivers deserve to die. before they kill someone else.

Is there such a lane on a divided highway called overtaking lane, or the passing lane where people drive on the right side of the road? maybe there is but here in New Jersey it is ignored all the time. I think you better stay in the land down under because if you drive in New Jersey, the number of people doing 50 but hog the left lane (the so called passing lane) will make you go crazy. Flashing you headlight has no effect. About the only thing you can do is swirl to the right lane when you find open space and swirl back to the left lane. Most slow pokes will act as if you do not exist. The less kinder ones will give you the middle finger.

[Yiorgos]

After blinking a few times, if he doesn't move, i usually put on my long lights on, and the fog lights. Everybody moves after seeing that in their rearview mirror.

And if that doesn't work, chuck on the hazard lights and then lean on your horn :D


i slam on the gas, pass them from the right lane, and then pull in front of them and then slow down. to at least 20kph slower than they were driving.

Not sure about in Croatia, but in Australia that is reckless driving, which is heavily punished -- demerit points, fines and maybe even loss of licence.

My opinion, try to be as far away as possible from idiots -- they can't crash or damage your car if they're more than 100 metres away from you. Granted, this is hard to do in heavy traffic.

[rob101]

Is there such a lane on a divided highway called overtaking lane, or the passing lane where people drive on the right side of the road? maybe there is but here in New Jersey it is ignored all the time. I think you better stay in the land down under because if you drive in New Jersey, the number of people doing 50 but hog the left lane (the so called passing lane) will make you go crazy. Flashing you headlight has no effect. About the only thing you can do is swirl to the right lane when you find open space and swirl back to the left lane. Most slow pokes will act as if you do not exist. The less kinder ones will give you the middle finger.
well thats not a problem, as i said doesn't really affect me lately.
however people pulling onto the middle of a divided highway driving like its a residental street where they can do whatever they want. and my OH SHOOT I WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN A FATAL HIGHWAY ACCIDENT thoughts (this morning i really thought someone was going to have a quite a serious stack) make me wanna get people like that back riding tricycles where they belong or at least give them motorbikes so that they can make a small accident and be a piece of roadkill instead of hurting innocent people.

when you drive everyday like i do basically my thought process is this, idiot driver -> increased risk of me being dying from accident -> get them the hell off the road. so in a sense this kind of anger is out of self-preservation. perhaps that thought process is too linear, but it makes sense to me.

[GJPinAU]

Hey Rob let's face it, if there was a 4WD (SUV) anywhere near you this morning YOU would have been at/or in a fatal accident. (vent, vent, vent).

[wingman]

And if that doesn't work, chuck on the hazard lights and then lean on your horn :D



Not sure about in Croatia, but in Australia that is reckless driving, which is heavily punished -- demerit points, fines and maybe even loss of licence.
.

More likely menacing driving and you don't have to prove that the driver was menaced or not!

[rob101]

Hey Rob let's face it, if there was a 4WD (SUV) anywhere near you this morning YOU would have been at/or in a fatal accident. (vent, vent, vent).
well i have been thinking about getting an ML safety Bo style. incoming 2 tonne merc!
it s either that or a kenworth. with a kenworth i can drive like that dude out of terminator 2 take some short cuts off overpasses. so in situations like this morning, i will be the killer rather than the killee.

[Airborne001]

...all easily solvable by the legalization of vehicle mounted weapons.

[filip00]

Not sure about in Croatia, but in Australia that is reckless driving, which is heavily punished -- demerit points, fines and maybe even loss of licence.


oh, here you can drive whatever the way you want to. everyday at least a few people die by road accidents. here it's not very unusual to see people driving 220kmh in a 130kmh zone. and i'm not exaggerating. the picture you see everyday is people driving 120-130 in an 80kmh zone. and sometimes they get punished, sometimes they don't. there's not that much police on the road, so you don't have to worry about.

and about the driving in the left lane, you just have to drive over let's say 40kph, and nobody will punish you for dragging your ass in the left (the fast) lane.


...all easily solvable by the legalization of vehicle mounted weapons
i wished them so many times mounted on my car....

[Paul in NZ]

i think we all know what youre talking about Rob.I just try to ignore em.
Its not illegall to pass on the left over here,although it is illegall (supposedly) to travel in the rh lane unless you are overtaking(i am obviously talking about double laned roads here.If its only al two lane road i find third gear in the 535 is more than sufficient,i will choose a short uphill or similar where they wont expect me to overtake so they wont try to block me....
Even tho i have a lot more patience than i used to i still get "educated" every day

[filip00]

i will choose a short uphill or similar where they wont expect me to overtake so they wont try to block me....


we are fortunate to drive bmw's and have no problems with overtaking. just hit the lower gear and slam on the gas. there should be no problem ;)

[Zeuk in Oz]

if there was a 4WD (SUV) anywhere near you this morning YOU would have been at/or in a fatal accident. (vent, vent, vent).

Interesting thought Greg !

However the new SUVs made by the better manufacturers now feature ESP, brake assist, EBD (not to mention countless airbags) etc etc so that despite a higher centre of gravity and greater mass, they might have avoided the potential accident as well as Rob did.

The other thing in their favour is a higher driving position so they might have seen the lead up earlier and reacted earlier.

Obviously I am talking about MLs, X5s and their ilk.

Just for your own education, Greg, if you haven't already done so you should take an X5 for a spin. Quite a car, despite being an SUV !

This dilemma is faced by me regularly when sons (number 1 or 2) are planning a medium distance country drive (say 500km and back).

I must admit I tend to put them in the ML 270 CDI as I feel it is probably safer (active and passive) than the bimmer with only its handling and ABS to keep it out of trouble.

Thankfully so far they have avoided any major incidents.

[Zeuk in Oz]

well i have been thinking about getting an ML safety Bo style. incoming 2 tonne merc!
it s either that or a kenworth....... i will be the killer rather than the killee.
Funny that !

I notice that people stay clear of my 3.2 tonne F250 ! :D

[GJPinAU]

Just for your own education, Greg, if you haven't already done so you should take an X5 for a spin. Quite a car, despite being an SUV !
Bo, I had a Toyota Fourskinner back in the eighties and loved it, did the deserts etc in it, plus it was great for towing.
... then in the late 90s came the Bitsashitty Wanker ... 3 accidents convinced me what a piece of crap it was.
Sorry I judge ALL suvs the same as this.

As an aside, I saw an episode of 5th Gear were Tiff put the X5, ML500 and Land Rover through their paces and the X5 handled surprisingly well.

Cheers,

[Zeuk in Oz]

Bitsashitty Wanker
Got me on this one Greg - what are we talking about ? Mitsubishi Pajero ?

Go and test drive an X5 - diesel would be my recommendation - it will open your eyes !

[GJPinAU]

Got me on this one Greg - what are we talking about ? Mitsubishi Pajero ?

Go and test drive an X5 - diesel would be my recommendation - it will open your eyes !
Apparently "pajero" means wanker in spanish or something, probably folk lore. LOL
I have no need to test drive an X5, I don't live in the country or need to tow anything.

[rob101]

Apparently "pajero" means wanker in spanish or something, probably folk lore. LOL
I have no need to test drive an X5, I don't live in the country or need to tow anything.
it does indeed
pajaso means wank in spanish i think pajero is a contraction (slang) i suppose the full word would be pajasero? i am just guessing i don't make a habit of calling people wanker in spanish.
i prefer other castellian swear words.