Monday, May 09, 2011

Name and shame

Not an entry on the twitter feed supposedly breaking superinjunctions, but a topic I haven't visited for a  while - poor driving. The gap is not due to everyone driving well, but because if I noted every infringement of the rules I'd be writing about nothing else and hey we all make the odd mistake. However it's back due to the sustained poor driving skills I witnessed on Saturday.


Travelling from Kidderminster to Stourport up to the dual carriageway (now a 40mph remember) on the wet road in the mizzle the lights changed ahead of me and I followed a car in overtaking the queue that had formed without speeding I might add.

We both pulled back into the left-hand lane when safe and I continued on at about 60mph along the 70mph. When I reached the slip for the tip I was overtaken by a white Ford Fiesta with a blue racing stripe bisecting it vertically. There was a large gap between myself and the car in front, but I slowed slightly so as to maintain a decent gap when he would inevitably pull in as we approached the 30mph zone.

He duly did without indicating I note. Then as we headed up to the zone the car that was in front of me started to slow down; the Ford took exception to this, pulled out (without indicating) and overtook them, pulling in (without indicating).

However the reason the car was slowing down in the first place was not just due to entering a 30mph limit but because a queue had formed backing up to St John's Road just into the zone Something that could be seen quite clearly on the approach. Cue sudden braking as the Ford cut up the other car.

Continuing through to the lights amusingly the cut-up car was turning right and thus getting into that lane, whereas the Ford was continuing straight. I was now behind him. He stopped across the No Stopping markings despite a car wanting to pull out; although he did then manage to pull forward enough to only have his rear wheels on them which allowed enough room for the car to cross.

Through the lights into Gilgal and he switched to the right-hand lane (without indicating); rushed down and then cut straight across into the left-hand lane of Mitton Street (without indicating). Good job the car coming out of Worcester Road was treating it incorrectly as a priority junction or he'd have had his bonnet taken off.

The Ford was now stuck behind a white van. So he pulled back into the right-hand lane (without indicating) and then found that due to the narrow width and the van's breadth couldn't overtake. So back into the left-hand lane (without indicating). Into Lion Hill  and he correctly stayed in the left-hand lane as another car joined from the High Street side; I pulled in behind this new car.

The Ford went to pull ahead in the left-lane, but found himself facing another queue so he pulled in front of me (indicating for once). Into York Street up to the island where every car indicated to turn left except the Ford who just did it.

Through town and over the bridge and approaching The Rough the white van indicated to turn into it. It's not a wide road and there were already two cars in it wanting to exit right. As the van couldn't make the turn with the cars in the way he had to stop to let them out. This elicited a horn blow from the Ford. Note this wasn't some sudden stop we all came to a gradual halt with plenty of time and warning.

The white van out of the way the Ford proceeded to tailgate the car in front up the rest of the Dunley Road; the left turn into Areley Common (without indicating) and the left turn into Hermitage Way (without indicating). At which point I lost them.

So congratulation BD06 USN you're so bad that you've broken the eight month streak.

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