I know by the end of this post I am going to sound like an old man talking about the good old days, but you know what I don’t care!
Now my scooter keeps up with the traffic (top speed over 120Km/h most limits in Australia peak at 100Km/h), the only people I “slow down†are the ones that want to travel well over the speed limit and then I will always be in the slower lane. However I tend to leave a good three second gap in front of me as stopping distance.
Today on the way to work on my scooter I experienced the most stupid dangerous piece of driving I have seen in a long time. I was undertaken (passed on the left hand side, remember we drive on the left here) while trying to negotiate a left hand sweeping turn onto a on-ramp. The road was wet from last nights rain and I was taking the corner a little easier than normal and was off to the right to give myself room as I turn into the apex on the left. Just as I start to turn in a large family sedan appears on my left hand side. Now this is a single lane on-ramp, the car had two wheels on the verge (actually a bicycle lane) and the other two in the lane. Luckily I had given myself enough room that I did not run into the side of the car (turn in) or end up across a traffic island (not enough turn) so I did survive to swear loudly at the person. It was also lucky that she did not slide out on the corner due to the wet greasy conditions and take me and my scooter out because I had nowhere to go to avoid that.
Now do you know what advantage this person got from this extremely risking driving maneuver? Well it was five car spots… behind me! Just after passing me the person pushed into the right lane (nearly collecting a small compact car, obviously did not mater car or bike), I stayed in the left and in the stop-go traffic I was taken ahead of them quite a way.
So this person risked MY life and limb (I was traveling about 65Km/h) on there drive to work to hopefully save themselves what 20 seconds at most. Even then due to the traffic that time was lost. Now this was not some 19 year old “lead footâ€, this was a “lady†in her 40’s driving to work for the day.
This is not a comment on old/young, male/female drivers but more a comment in general.
When did we as individuals stop thinking about the effects our actions have on other people?
This in most graphically shown on our roads, behind the anonymity of our vehicles we are impatient, aggressive and dangerous.
- People a buying cars that protect themselves to the detriment of the environment and other road users (yes SUV owners).
- People fit devices on the front of the car to reduce repair costs after small accidents, these same devices are shown to kill pedestrians much more effectively and at lower speeds than a car without a “Bull-Bar†or “Nudge-Barâ€.
- Drivers will double park, use disabled parks or parent parks just to save 20 meters extra walk to the shop.
- Parents the stop next to and sometimes across a school crossing because they don’t have the time to find a park and walk in with the kids.
What happened to the days when people would:
- smile and wait for the old lady to cross the road
- give the learner driver just a little more room
- let the lady with the kids in the back have the park that you “spotted firstâ€
OK so call me the old man pining for the good old days. To be honest I think the world is full of individuals now and because of that I am unsure how a society can survive.