Dangerous Driving in Ireland
Having spent a goodly amount of the morning driving about thither and yon on work related issues, I have come to the conclusion that a lot of people are ill mannered oiks who should never be allowed out of the house let alone behind the wheel of a car.
I realise this is not news to many of you, but I am so hacked off with this morning I feel I've got to put something down.
Simply put, if you have no patience, no manners, no consideration, no concern for the well being of others then you ought to walk everywhere, use public transport or stay at home.
No really.
Twice this morning I had to stand on my breaks as cars pulled out in front of me- fumes BILLOWING from the exhaust as the drivers ground up through the gears- even though there was NOTHING coming behind me. In Rathmines I stopped for the lollipop lady, only for two, TWO on-coming cars keep going, pretending she wasn't there or that they couldn't see her or as she stood there in her NEON yellow jacket. At the bottom of Leinster Road the lights were red, so I stopped, as you do. I waited and when they turned green again there was a woman and two small children half way across the road. I thought, 'I know, maybe I'll wait the two seconds it will take for her to cross and then I'll go.'
The car behind blasted me, her and the kids out of it.
At Portobello I watched cars turn left onto the canal despite there being a clear red to allow pedestrians to cross, the last car almost mowing down a cyclist who was continuing straight. (Honest to god, I don't know how anyone has the balls to cycle in this city, I really don't)
At Kilmainham a courier on a motorbike crossed two lanes of traffic, causing a man-on his mobile- to jam on his breaks, they then yelled abuse at each other and I believe there was some finger gesturing.
At Sundrive, cars were tearing through red lights seconds after they've gone, illegal turns a go-go.
More pulling out on the way to Rathgar, plus an almost crash between a jeep and a cyclist (again) when the driver of the jeep pulled, slapping on her hazards as though they magically turned her jeep into a cycle lane.
Seriously, it's no wonder so many people are killed on our roads every years. We're a nation of self-centered boorish wallies.
I've often said it before, it doesn't take but a few seconds to make everyone's traffic day a little better. Let someone pull out if you can see them waiting patiently, respond with a wave or a nod if someone allows you the same, use rearview and wing mirrors, allow old folk and women bearing children a little leeway, mouth the words, 'I"m sorry' instead of 'fuck you' if you've made a genuine mistake and someone toots at you. ( I did this last week turning into the gates of the Phoenix park at Ashburn, a tricky gate as there are no lights and the gate is not wide enough for two cars, I took a break in traffic and pulled across just as someone was pulling out, he beeped, and I said, I'm so sorry and guess what, he shook his head-quite rightly- but reversed back a little to let me squeeze through. See? Good manners on his part, apology on mine equals a non aggressive solution to a traffic problem).
Oh and slow the fuck down. I know you're very important and where you're going is very important and life's a fast lane and blah-di-chee-de-rah, whatever. Just slow down. Don't tail gate folk on the motor-way, don't drive up their arses and vroom past thinking you're at NASCAR. Don't hog lanes. Don't over overtake and immediately cut back across to take an exit. Don't think you're indestructible just because you have 'NO FEAR' across the back windscreen and your car has a cheap assed body kit onboard. Don't apply make up as you drive, don't text! Don't fucking text!! Don't be a dickhead to learner drivers, everyone starts somewhere. Learner drivers should learn AND obey the rules of the road. Don't read a newspaper, don't yabber on your phone, don't have loose animals or children rolling about, don't drink and drive, don't take drugs and drive, don't not wear your glasses ( this one is aimed at me actually) don't reach for things on the floor, don't not have your belt on and then try to put it on when your doing forty, don't fall asleep.
Slow down. I know I've already said it, but slow down.
Be aware that you're driving a hunk of metal on wheels and that this hunk of metal on wheels is a lethal weapon in the wrong hands. And if you're a selfish thoughtless idiot with no regard for others, then the wrong hands are yours.
I realise this is not news to many of you, but I am so hacked off with this morning I feel I've got to put something down.
Simply put, if you have no patience, no manners, no consideration, no concern for the well being of others then you ought to walk everywhere, use public transport or stay at home.
No really.
Twice this morning I had to stand on my breaks as cars pulled out in front of me- fumes BILLOWING from the exhaust as the drivers ground up through the gears- even though there was NOTHING coming behind me. In Rathmines I stopped for the lollipop lady, only for two, TWO on-coming cars keep going, pretending she wasn't there or that they couldn't see her or as she stood there in her NEON yellow jacket. At the bottom of Leinster Road the lights were red, so I stopped, as you do. I waited and when they turned green again there was a woman and two small children half way across the road. I thought, 'I know, maybe I'll wait the two seconds it will take for her to cross and then I'll go.'
The car behind blasted me, her and the kids out of it.
At Portobello I watched cars turn left onto the canal despite there being a clear red to allow pedestrians to cross, the last car almost mowing down a cyclist who was continuing straight. (Honest to god, I don't know how anyone has the balls to cycle in this city, I really don't)
At Kilmainham a courier on a motorbike crossed two lanes of traffic, causing a man-on his mobile- to jam on his breaks, they then yelled abuse at each other and I believe there was some finger gesturing.
At Sundrive, cars were tearing through red lights seconds after they've gone, illegal turns a go-go.
More pulling out on the way to Rathgar, plus an almost crash between a jeep and a cyclist (again) when the driver of the jeep pulled, slapping on her hazards as though they magically turned her jeep into a cycle lane.
Seriously, it's no wonder so many people are killed on our roads every years. We're a nation of self-centered boorish wallies.
I've often said it before, it doesn't take but a few seconds to make everyone's traffic day a little better. Let someone pull out if you can see them waiting patiently, respond with a wave or a nod if someone allows you the same, use rearview and wing mirrors, allow old folk and women bearing children a little leeway, mouth the words, 'I"m sorry' instead of 'fuck you' if you've made a genuine mistake and someone toots at you. ( I did this last week turning into the gates of the Phoenix park at Ashburn, a tricky gate as there are no lights and the gate is not wide enough for two cars, I took a break in traffic and pulled across just as someone was pulling out, he beeped, and I said, I'm so sorry and guess what, he shook his head-quite rightly- but reversed back a little to let me squeeze through. See? Good manners on his part, apology on mine equals a non aggressive solution to a traffic problem).
Oh and slow the fuck down. I know you're very important and where you're going is very important and life's a fast lane and blah-di-chee-de-rah, whatever. Just slow down. Don't tail gate folk on the motor-way, don't drive up their arses and vroom past thinking you're at NASCAR. Don't hog lanes. Don't over overtake and immediately cut back across to take an exit. Don't think you're indestructible just because you have 'NO FEAR' across the back windscreen and your car has a cheap assed body kit onboard. Don't apply make up as you drive, don't text! Don't fucking text!! Don't be a dickhead to learner drivers, everyone starts somewhere. Learner drivers should learn AND obey the rules of the road. Don't read a newspaper, don't yabber on your phone, don't have loose animals or children rolling about, don't drink and drive, don't take drugs and drive, don't not wear your glasses ( this one is aimed at me actually) don't reach for things on the floor, don't not have your belt on and then try to put it on when your doing forty, don't fall asleep.
Slow down. I know I've already said it, but slow down.
Be aware that you're driving a hunk of metal on wheels and that this hunk of metal on wheels is a lethal weapon in the wrong hands. And if you're a selfish thoughtless idiot with no regard for others, then the wrong hands are yours.
Labels: assholes of traffic.
posted by fatmammycat at 10:44 am
43 comments
