'Post Pandemic' - On the roads

[BENT_8]

Im 6'3" and drive a Mazda2 to work and the intimidation tactics I get are unreal.
When I get to work I climb into a 12-14m coach which trumps any jacked up 4x but I dont flex although it has crossed me mind once or twice...or trice

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by GT1533

I agree that there are a lot more aggressive drivers on the road these days. One of the interesting observations I have made is that it also depends on the type of car you are driving. If I am driving the wife’s CUV, I get a lot more instances of morons in Thailand specials tailgating me or pulling out in front of me, but if I am in my slightly beaten up Falcon Ute, same roads, same driving style, — it doesn’t happen.

Anyone from Melbourne might remember the exit "games" leaving Waverley Park were ridiculous and it was only in my XW Falcon 500 wagon that we always got out faster than any other car I or my friends drove...we quickly learnt my friends 635CSi was the worst option.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Im 6'3" and drive a Mazda2 to work and the intimidation tactics I get are unreal.
When I get to work I climb into a 12-14m coach which trumps any jacked up 4x but I dont flex although it has crossed me mind once or twice...or trice

Thailand Special warriors are all heroes until there's a bend in the road

[jstanovic]

You just need to watch a few dashcams video compilations to see how crappy drivers attitudes are.

Someone accidentally cuts of the dashcam driver, the dashcam driver then yells abuse, tailgates, revs the motor or speeds past. You tell me who you would rather on the road.

Watching those videos or accidents and near misses, 4 out of 5 times the incident could have been minimised or completely avoided if the dashcam drivers drove a bit more defensively and calmly.
For example, when the right lane has a line of stationary traffic, then the dashcam driver drives at the speed limit in the left lane past all the stationary cars then collides with a turning vehicle who obviously didn't see them. Yes, the car shouldn't have turned in front of them but surely it could have been avoided or damage severely reduced if the dashcam driver was driving a bit slower and more defensively.

[asagaai]

What I have noticed is Friday afternoon- Tradies in Utes are very aggressive - probably eager to get home to have a post week drink.

I now try to avoid commute cycling to work on a Friday, because of the Friday arvo ute brigade.

And afternoon school runs- some drivers are very aggressive. A lady passed me when I was cycling giving me 150 width gap at 60 kph. She got caught in traffic, and as I passed her I mentioned the 1 metre gap rule.

Her response- called me a "fu%ing cockroach".

About people responding differently in behaviour to you based on what car you are in- I have noticed if I am in my Falcon FGX XR8 in right lane on freeway caught in traffic, utes and 4wd's will come up behind and give a gap.

If I am in my Ford Fiesta ST they come right up on my bumper, almost attempting to bulldoze me out the way. If they see a small car, they have a belief it should not be in the right lane-ever, even if that car can do 235 kph....

[PooDog]

Same deal over the ditch......just worse since Covid

For those that think it's better being in a large vehicle , try driving a 22m B -train you que up in the slow lane so you don't have to swap lanes then you get the lane swappers cutting in front of you continuously because you're slow to move off .....constant near collisions

One thing I've noticed since Covid is a lot more crashed vehicles littering the highways a lot near vertical nose first down a culvert( we have large culvert and drains over here for the rain) , in paddocks upside down .....every couple of days another lot turns up ,then you watch them get slowly stripped (legally they have to be left for two weeks before being removed)

Cars burnt out has increased , I had to wait half an hour for the 30ft flames to die down from one set alight .....on the side of the road , was a bit dodgy driving past in an empty fuel tanker full of gas

The place is getting more and more like a third world country

[HIPO]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Thailand Special warriors are all heroes until there's a bend in the road

Yep, they're the new VN Commy drivers... except probs handle - brake worse!

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by jstanovic

You just need to watch a few dashcams video compilations to see how crappy drivers attitudes are.

Someone accidentally cuts of the dashcam driver, the dashcam driver then yells abuse, tailgates, revs the motor or speeds past. You tell me who you would rather on the road.

Watching those videos or accidents and near misses, 4 out of 5 times the incident could have been minimised or completely avoided if the dashcam drivers drove a bit more defensively and calmly.
For example, when the right lane has a line of stationary traffic, then the dashcam driver drives at the speed limit in the left lane past all the stationary cars then collides with a turning vehicle who obviously didn't see them. Yes, the car shouldn't have turned in front of them but surely it could have been avoided or damage severely reduced if the dashcam driver was driving a bit slower and more defensively.

I love those compilations, we sit down as a family to watch them every month and I get so worked up over it I start yelling at the TV

Half the dramas are avoidable by the person submitting the footage like you say, everyone is so determined that they're in the right that they drive confidently into accidents, yeah you technically were in the right but now you get to play the insurance game when you could have easily avoided it.

[smoo]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

I love those compilations, we sit down as a family to watch them every month and I get so worked up over it I start yelling at the TV

Half the dramas are avoidable by the person submitting the footage like you say, everyone is so determined that they're in the right that they drive confidently into accidents, yeah you technically were in the right but now you get to play the insurance game when you could have easily avoided it.

Have to laugh at some dash cam owners. Am sure many see themselves as some self appointed cop or authority figure.
To avoid the frustrations Bent_8 mentions. When I’m in the car on a dual carriage way and have no time constraints, I’ll throw the cruise on 10 under the limit so I don’t have to deal with other motorists inconsistent speeds, they usually pass and gradually gain distance so I don’t have to be on and off the gas or cruise to compensate like what often happens at 110 - 120k.
But have noted many dash cam owners are guilty of bad and dangerous driving habits, most common tail gaiting/following too close and failing to keep left when not passing. Submitted footage DCOA shows many of them not driving in a defensive manner to avoid crashes even when they’re not at fault.

[Franco Cozzo]

I love the ones who yell out people's number plates, like what do you think is going to happen, Victoria Police is watching?

Maybe I shouldn't be giving them ideas, if you were Highway Patrol would be easy to get your numbers up send out fines in the mail to everyone on DCOA compilations

I noticed that in the truck with my mate, one of the freeways bans trucks from being in the right lane, but if you have cruise control set to 97 you end up catching everyone on the freeway every 2 seconds and you can't legally get in the right lane to get around them. Then they get upset if you get on the air horn or flash lights for them to move left out of the middle lane.

Better off setting it to 85 and go slower that way you aren't constantly on and off cruise control as you don't catch them in front of you constantly.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

I love the ones who yell out people's number plates, like what do you think is going to happen, Victoria Police is watching?

Maybe I shouldn't be giving them ideas, if you were Highway Patrol would be easy to get your numbers up send out fines in the mail to everyone on DCOA compilations

I noticed that in the truck with my mate, one of the freeways bans trucks from being in the right lane, but if you have cruise control set to 97 you end up catching everyone on the freeway every 2 seconds and you can't legally get in the right lane to get around them. Then they get upset if you get on the air horn or flash lights for them to move left out of the middle lane.

Better off setting it to 85 and go slower that way you aren't constantly on and off cruise control as you don't catch them in front of you constantly.

This from the guy who openly admits to speeding most of time

Remember a while ago in one of the threads I said to you that, as you get older, you'll learn to just go with the flow a bit more? You said you'd never, as it's not your personality type. Maybe this is the first sign your personality type is changing?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

[/B]

This from the guy who openly admits to speeding most of time

Remember a while ago in one of the threads I said to you that, as you get older, you'll learn to just go with the flow a bit more? You said you'd never, as it's not your personality type. Maybe this is the first sign your personality type is changing?

I do remember indeed, but wrong context, because I'm talking about this:



Ideally you wouldn't need to be doing 85 on a freeway with a 100 limit, its a mitigation strategy rather than me changing my ways

If anything the faster you get point to point in the truck the better because if you save 10 minutes on each job then you can take on an extra job or two per day.

We did an experiment where we did a 463km trip at 80-90km/h and it only saved 3.5L/100km but lost us 40 minutes on the trip moving at a slower pace than if we were doing 100km/h, or the 102-103 that it'll do before the limiter kicks in.

So to save $40 in fuel it cost $770 in turning down another job because in that 40 minutes you can easily do another local shift.

Which there is a lot of sentiment about 'who cares if it takes 30 minutes longer to get somewhere', it matters hugely when you're driving to make money and you get paid per job rather than per hour or you need to be at certain points before certain times to keep in with fatigue management crapola.

[GT1533]

Originally Posted by smoo

Have to laugh at some dash cam owners. Am sure many see themselves as some self appointed cop or authority figure.

Dash Karens Australia




.

[Rallye Sport]

Mandatory truck licenses anyone? Even if it changed half the attitudes out there the roads would be a better place.

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by PooDog

(legally they have to be left for two weeks before being removed)

Is that to give people time to strip them?

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Mandatory truck licenses anyone? Even if it changed half the attitudes out there the roads would be a better place.

Does an Indian truck licence count?

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Does an Indian truck licence count?

Nope

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Does an Indian truck licence count?

Officially, yes



https://www.education.gov.au/interna...ustralia-india

[PooDog]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Is that to give people time to strip them?

Sure is ,and to shoot at them ,smash all the windows, and torch them

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

[/B]

This from the guy who openly admits to speeding most of time

Remember a while ago in one of the threads I said to you that, as you get older, you'll learn to just go with the flow a bit more? You said you'd never, as it's not your personality type. Maybe this is the first sign your personality type is changing?

I have a feeling Franco's driving habit won't change, even behind the wheel of a mighty ACCO.
He already looking for an Allison auto to launch him off the line quicker.

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Officially, yes

image

https://www.education.gov.au/interna...ustralia-india

Imagine the adventure tourism opportunity: fly to Mumbai and get a package of truck experience in some of the world's most changing and thrilling traffic, and an Australian recognised truck qualification when you come home from your holiday. You'll never hit a cow again!

[Sprintey]

Uncle Franco's Best Exotic Marigold Truck Licence Holidays.

[T3rminator]

Experienced some 2024 post pandemic courtesy this morning. Took the 3v up the black spur. Had not one, not two, but 3 cars pull into the slow turnout to let me through on separate occasions. That NEVER happens. Wasn't speeding nor tailgating neither.

Also saw some bloke's audi being towed out of a ditch just before the spur. Missus was looking none too impressed. Take it easy out there.