I had to smile this morning.....in the 'outside' lane reaching the merge in turn section of road. A convoy of white vans...Sprinter, Transit & Connect nose to tail resolutely refused to let me merge, all 3 drivers looking ahead not wanting to make any eye contact.
Must be because I was in the Beemer with my roof down enjoying the early morning sun. It didn't bother me in the slightest but in a perverse sort of way made me smile to myself at the vagaries of homo sapiens.
|
White van man = homo insipiens (in fairness, not all drivers of white vans).
BMW drivers get accused, sometimes unfairly, of never giving way to anyone - I've noticed that they look after their own and will let me in if I'm in the Z3 rather than the Octavia.
|
In my experience BMW drivers are no more rude or stupid than drivers of any other sort of jalopy. I only notice them when (as they do shockingly often) they mimse or swerve about at random or both.
White van men, with a few notably offensive exceptions, are better than average in my book and get in the way less often than most.
|
I try, when in a van, to make progress without causing any other road user to have to accommodate me in any way - to slip through the traffic without affecting it. To be fair, the van i usually drive is liberally signwritten with a clear phone no and website, so I don't particularly want to antagonise anybody.
BMW drivers, certainly those in a car yet to reach its first MoT, tend to be thinking about anything at all except driving. BMWs are marketed as the "best" car and usually driven by people who've chosen the (perceived) "best" clothes, "best" phone etc, not a group renowned for its enthusiasm for driving as a skill.
However the same traits can be found in most small executive company car drivers, 'twas ever thus.
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Mon 20 Jun 11 at 23:51
|
As a previous long time van driver, I went out of my way to be courtesy personified. For the last 10 years of my retail business I ran a HiRoof Transporter, sign written boldly, lime green on maroon!It stood out like a sore thumb, which was the intention, and I like to think that it drew some attention to itself, hence my style of driving.
Off tangent, my current gripe is with liveried vans & wagons whose drivers think it acceptable to drive with their phone glued to their ear.Surely their employers could provide a hands free...and if a personal call these so called professionals should know better!
|
...liveried vans & wagons whose drivers think it acceptable to drive with their phone glued to their ear...
Boredom is the problem, and little fear of detection.
Pat - who knows about these things - has posted before that once a big wagon is up and running on the motorway, there is very little for the driver to do.
|
>> Listen to R4?
>>
Treat onesself to an earpiece for use when making or receiving phone calls.
|
...Listen to R4?...
Radio 4 is a bit too dumbed-down for most lorry drivers.
(I might get away with that, as Pat's away and has computer problems).
|
Legacylad
Were you indicating? ;)
|
Indicating?
I rarely listen to any radio. especially R4, prefering my own company, but on a long journey, just out of interest, I try these various radio channel things and find that R4 passes away the hours better than R1, 2, 5Live or local radio.
|
>>White van men, with a few notably offensive exceptions, are better than average in my book and get in the way less often than most<<
Blimming WVM knocked part of my Cornish hedge down last week, knew he'd done it, did he stop?
Did he f.
|
I had a BMW as a loan car and noticed the stares of incredulity when I used indicators or let people out rather than barging through rudely. Reverse gear is near impossible to engage on a 6 speed so it's not surprising BMW drivers are rarely seen to reverse down single track roads. They can't :)
|
White van man forced me off the road a few months back. It was either the ditch (I got a lot of twigs and leaves in the undercarriage of the car) or a head on collision. I'm afraid I chose the chicken's option and swerved for the ditch. I wasn't even late for work, which I would have been for a head-on smash. He shot off before I could get the reg :-( Unmarked van too.
I have phoned companies up if their van drivers misbehave. There's one company I have made 3 complaints to (it's got to be the same driver) for his complete failure to signal, cutting people up and using a mobile.
|
R4 is what keeps me sane on my commute. Despite the constant ribbing from Mrs DP (who calls it 'Radio Old'.) ;-)
|
White van men....doh - Avant
