Mentioned in the Reservoir Accident thread......an article in this month's Ride Magazine authored by Matt Hull. They do strike a chord with me......
1. Hats - don't trust anyone wearing a hat -if you see a teenager wearing a "beany" in a Citroen Saxo, then watch out they're driving with their knees whilst texting. Flat caps in charge of 4x4 DO own the road, therefore have permission to tow anything without lights, or any other regard to the law, and are likely to have a shotgun sitting next to them. Renault Scenics piloted by hats that look like a church flower arrangement have the reactions of a sloth piloting an oil tanker, but at least they're less likely to do anything quickly or anything at all.
2. Vehicles - Audis are always in a rush, whereas Skoda drivers still have something to prove, especially to Audis - watch out for last minute roundabout overtakes. Lorries with foreign number plates should should be avoided with the care afforded to an UXB, white vans with no signwriting are always late for something and all old Mondeos are uninsured, so avoid. All cyclists hate you. A modern Alfa is generally going to be driven by an enthusiastic driver who is more likely to be aware of what's around them. BMWs get a bad press but the writer always find that they are aware of an approaching bike. Supermarket lorries may be slow but at least they're consistent and at 40mph they're easier to pass. Strangely buses detest every living soul but coaches seem to be bike friendly.
A precis of a short article but amusing and strangely accurate...
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What about buses driven by ex-coach drivers? :-)
I don't ride a motorbike, and nor do I want to. But I do like that article and it does ring true. After my accident, I am *very* aware of bikes and *always* do my best to let them pass, if it's clear that that's what they want to do.
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This looks like a sadly typical born again biker accident:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-13191936
Middle-aged town dweller on a ride out to a spot popular with bikers.
The road either side of Hartside summit is enough to excite any biker - or car driver - who has red blood in his veins.
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I am not a biker but I do like to watch them . My old house in Scotland bordered on to a fast rural A road favoured by bikes on sunny Sundays. We had a balcony / verandah thing at first floor level ideally placed to watch the passing vehicles as they dropped down a hill into a sweeping right hander before a long straight and a tightish left.
I don't have a problem with them generally. If you keep your eyes open and give them room when you can they seem to acknowledge that gratefully enough.
Conversely, I often find myself cursing the inner city bikers in London who will cut you up without mercy. Again though, it's mostly a case of making sure you use your mirrors and assuming they will grab any gap available whether it's really there or not...
You can let these things bother you or not according to your preferences I find.
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watch out for hyundai drivers in small i10's they are the new lada drivers of yore but have now been equipped with power steering and use every opportunity to nearly cause an accidenty
out and about in a road or supermarket carpark near you now
blue rinse or bald head optional
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>> watch out for hyundai drivers in small i10's
bald head optional
>>
Oi! >:/
I'll have you know that for a small cheap car the i10 ain't no slouch, as quite a few drivers of more potent machinery have found out to their cost. I'll admit to the baldy bit though.
Must be a regional thing, Renault Scenic is the mimse-mobile of choice in these parts.
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>> Middle-aged town dweller
He was only 43!!! While I suppose this is the technical middle of a good life (if he'd reached 86, which he clearly didn't) I like to think of middle age starting at 50ish..
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no you are definately seen as an old fogie once you pass 50
so 40+ is getting to middle age
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>> Audis are always in a rush .....
Nah! That's BMW 3 series drivers in a hurry to climb the company car ladder, and get a 5 Series.
Audi drivers are gentlemen - the modern Knights of the Road.
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>> the modern Knights of the Road.
Sheeesh! ;-)
Pull over Audi, my Skoda's faster! (fitting the article stereotype which i have to take to be fair since i agree with the other traits).
An unexpected benefit of driving a white Skoda round these parts -- taxi drivers treat you like one of their own. I've stopped counting the number of times i've been given unusually friendly treatment by taxis.
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>> Pull over Audi, my Skoda's faster!
You're right, but you have a top of the range job there.
Audi Gentlemen prefer to cruise serenely along anyway.
A Skoda vRS diesel was my second choice after the Audi. (In fact, TBH the only two manufacturers in the frame)
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>Audi Gentlemen prefer to cruise serenely along anyway.
Unless the Audi's a black one, that is.
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>> >> Audis are always in a rush .....
>> Nah! That's BMW 3 series drivers in a hurry to climb the company car ladder,
>> and get a 5 Series.
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>> Audi drivers are gentlemen - the modern Knights of the Road.
>>
Rather a 3 series with a proper 6 cylinder engine than a 5 series (or Audi) with a wheezing 4 cylinder tax-dodger....
As an ex-Audi driver myself, the Skoda drivers have a point, IIRC a glovebox light is an optional extra in an A4 and decent engines require 4wd (because fwd can't handle power and torque) and cost lots of money even before you spec that optional light in the glovebox?
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>> IIRC a glovebox light is an optional extra in an A4
:-( There's no real comparison equipment wise, you loose the badge obviously but for the same money as my octy vrs, i could only get a base spec A4 with the 160bhp petrol and the S-Line lights option.
To get the spec i chose for the Octy, an A4 costs £8k more than the Octy.
Audi interiors are much nicer, pains me to say it but they're maybe even nicer to look at than BMW interiors.
I notice WDB let rip where i held back Londoner, but he asks a question i was itching to...
Toerag black or Yobbo white? :-P
Last edited by: Skoda on Thu 28 Apr 11 at 17:39
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Phantom Black exterior, with Black leather interior.
And at the risk of winding people up even more, it's miles better than the 3 series (E91) that I traded-in.
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Well best of luck with it Londoner, i hope you bond better with this one and it serves you well.
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Thanks for your good wishes, Skoda - much appreciated.
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My son survived, but his Yamaha didn't, when he was T-boned last year by an Audi driver in a hurry as he was turning right.
Those observations have a ring of truth to them!
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RIDE's Motorcyclist's Stereotypes. - Badwolf
