Driving standards

[boxbrownie]

3 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Not sure that "stupid" is fair - more a case of having such severe life issues and/or psychiatric illness that they are incapable of making reasoned decisions.  Could happen to any one of us, at any time.....

Well having been sat in the second man seat of a 125 when someone with “severe life issues and/or psychiatric illness” decided to do a King Canute, the first thing the driver shouted out was “Stupid C**T” so just taking it from life experience.

[johnofwessex]

While I do not necessarily support your view, I can understand how those who have to deal with the consequences of such actions might feel about the situation

[Nick C]

Well, a positive driving standards comment for a change - I've just driven a 100 mile round trip to see family, in very wet conditions, and almost everyone was driving sensibly, leaving more space than usual and slowing appropriately...

[jcm@gwr]

10 minutes ago, Nick C said:

Well, a positive driving standards comment for a change - I've just driven a 100 mile round trip to see family, in very wet conditions, and almost everyone was driving sensibly, leaving more space than usual and slowing appropriately...

 

But did they all have their lights on?

[Nick C]

2 minutes ago, jcm@gwr said:

 

But did they all have their lights on?

Outbound (daylight) about half. Return (darkness) all...

[royaloak]

On 20/12/2019 at 14:36, johnofwessex said:

While I do not necessarily support your view, I can understand how those who have to deal with the consequences of such actions might feel about the situation

As a currently serving train driver who has had the pleasure of the 'red mist' over the windscreen I agree, they most certainly are not stupid and to call them that is um not very nice!

[polybear]

7 hours ago, royaloak said:

As a currently serving train driver who has had the pleasure of the 'red mist' over the windscreen I agree, they most certainly are not stupid and to call them that is um not very nice!

 

I most certainly wouldn't wish this on anyone; I've also stood on Stevenage station on several occasions whilst the fast 'uns hammer thru' and have tried to imagine what it must take to deliberately jump.  I've concluded that they must be in a very, very dark place....

[Jol Wilkinson]

The Samaritans are involved at national level with Network Rail in providing support and guidance for those that become involved in dealing with the aftermath of suicides.

 

The highest proportion of those committing suicides are men between  45 and 49, while there is also a significant rise in those under 25 also taking their own lives. Most men committing suicide tend to travel away from their own locality to do so (in the belief that this will lessen the impact on friends and family) which may explain why using accessible railway location as a means to ending their life is not uncommon.

Edited December 22, 2019 by Jol Wilkinson
Spelling

[ianwales]

While we don't actually see the results of a train suicide it can be harrowing for the signalman dealing with a distressed driver while trying to gather the relevant information required by control. Having been involved with several episodes during my career it doesn't get any easier.

 

Ian

[Ian Hargrave]

Observed just now at Swan Junction,Burton Bridge A 511.Waiting for traffic lights to change,a white BMW 4X4 charges up the hill ,exhaust literally snarling,Front reg. plate reads....WEP0N.....No hope,is there ?

[ejstubbs]

WEP0N is not recognised by the DVLA tax checker (nor is W3PON) so either they're not displaying a registration number at all, or more likely they've illegally "tweaked" a valid registration number* to make it look like that's what it says (which would make them even more of an idiot if you ask me - and in this particular case even more ripe for pulling over, if any police officer ever took any interest in that offence).

 

* e.g. in breach of section 11, paragraph 3 of The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001

[SM42]

On 17/12/2019 at 16:56, Titan said:

 

Have you got your lines crossed? Sounds like you are talking about diesel.  LPG is the cleanest fossil fuel it is practical to use in a car, because there is very little carbon in it in the first place, it has the highest proportion of hydrogen in a usable hydrocarbon, which means more water in the exhaust from burning the hydrogen and much less carbon, compared to petrol or diesel.  There is a reason why forklifts that spend a lot of time in warehouses that aren't electric are LPG powered, it is so the workers don't suffer as they would any other fuel...

 

No

 

Well to wheel for emissions, LPG is the worst, diesel the best. LPG has a huge carbon footprint during production.

 

Also not sure what it is like now, but LPG power used around twice as much a diesel and about a third more than petrol per mile. Technology could have moved on though, but I still wouldn't like to be near an LPG powered car suffers a fire.

 

I used think the price (tax) at the pump  was influenced by the amount used, hence everyone pays about the same per mile.

 

 

Anyway, it's Christmas, almost, a time when traffic lights and indicators are used to make the roads look festive..

 

No other reason for them it seems.

 

Andy

 

 

[Titan]

2 hours ago, SM42 said:

 

No

 

Well to wheel for emissions, LPG is the worst, diesel the best. LPG has a huge carbon footprint during production.

 

 

 

This is simply not true. LPG is propane, a by product of petrol and diesel production.  This means that the only carbon footprint is that which is required to transport it from the refinery to the pumps. If it was not used then it would just have to be burnt off with a flare.  Seeing as it would be burnt off anyway, it would mean that there are no extra overall emissions by burning it in the car engine instead,  effectively making LPG zero emission on a net basis at least. This could make it more environmentally friendly than any electric car which gets any electricity from a power station that burns something. However this is of course dependent on there being sufficient demand for petrol and diesel to provide an adequate supply of LPG.

 

When the demand of LPG outstrips the left over supply from petrol/diesel refining, it is possible to process it from other oil fractions, and this would be much less environmentally friendly.  Perhaps this is the process you are thinking of as the worst?

At the moment with petrol/diesel demand as it is, this only accounts for a small proportion of LPG supply, and unlikely to have a significant effect on its environmental credentials, let alone making it the worst.

Edited December 23, 2019 by Titan
Bad Grammar

[duncan]

43 minutes ago, Titan said:

When the demand of LPG outstrips the left over supply from petrol/diesel refining,

 

then the whole thing turns upside down & petrol & diesel take the place of lpg as zero carbon  

[45156]

May I just add a fresh )hopefully) topic here - I have missed a lot, so might be repeating a topic raised previously - that of the cyclops.  Taking my missus to work yesterday, I passed about eight vehicles with only one headlight working, and that was in a five mile drive.  If I lose a headlight, I get it seen to immediately, or at least at the first opportunity - now I know that some cars need a partial dismantle or in the case of an LED unit it's expensive, but that's a price that you pay - or am I missing something?

[Welly]

^^^

Last month I realised my car became a Cyclop so I had a go at replacing the bulb (I always keep spare bulbs in stock) at first opportunity which was when I was home after work.

 

I was lucky that the bulb is accessible without dismantling half the effin' car but all that fiddly sharp edged pressed metal sheets to remove and line up was really unpleasant in the cold and dark! First time I got the bulb back in, I later realised that it was misaligned and dazzing others!

 

So the next Saturday, I found I hadn't twisted the fitting round fully!

 

Ugh! Why do car makers make a routine maintenance job more difficult than it should be???

 

Mind you, my father has a Volvo C30 and it is possible to unplug the headlight, pop the whole assembly out and take it inside the car to change the bulb in comfort!

[Jol Wilkinson]

2 hours ago, Welly said:

 

Ugh! Why do car makers make a routine maintenance job more difficult than it should be???

 

Because cars are increasingly designed to be less expensive to assemble despite their increasing complexity, to comply with today's safety and collision regulations, to provide fuel economy and reduce pollution, to have distinctive brand recognition features and trendy styling. The plight of the DIY repairer doesn't come into it, as we are no longer in the days of 1000m service intervals nor probably do the majority of today's motorists know where to find the bonnet release  but then why would they bother when the on board dash warning systems tell them if anything needs attention.

 

I know how to maintain my 1973 MGB (although judging by some of the posts on the MGOC members forum, there are a lot that don't) but wouldn't even try to do more than the very basic checks on our 19 plate daily driver. 

 

Edited to add.

 

On reflection how many drivers are bothered about having a headlamp, sidelight or rear light out. They think it isn't a problem, possibly because they don't even think about the possible consequences.

Edited December 24, 2019 by Jol Wilkinson
Additional text

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, Welly said:

 

 

Ugh! Why do car makers make a routine maintenance job more difficult than it should be???

 

 

Also it gives their franchised dealers a chance to make a bigger profit.

[polybear]

50 minutes ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

.....and reduce pollution, to have distinctive brand recognition features and trendy styling.

 

Unfortunately they are now getting so complex and expensive to repair that on cars just a few years old it's quite possible to see them scrapped off "before their time" due to crazy expensive repair quotes.  As for distinctive brand recognition, don't they all look the same nowadays.  When I were a lad, spotting an Allegro from a Cortina was a no-brainer....

[Jol Wilkinson]

7 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Also it gives their franchised dealers a chance to make a bigger profit.

Phil,

 

having spent nearly all my career in the automobile manufacturer/dealer "interface", I know dealer service charges are higher than the local garage or the franchise "specialist" (or were when I retired). In part that's been down to the requirements to provide trained staff, specialist diagnostic equipment, etc. but also to have the brand corporate facilities, free loan cars, courtesy transport, etc. that the customer expects nowadays. The "customer is king" culture has a lot to answer for.

 

I imagine that new car sales unit profit has also suffered from the increase in car sales brokers such as Carwow who take a slice of the dealer margin but don't offer any after sales support.

 

Jol

[Reorte]

12 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

Because cars are increasingly designed to be less expensive to assemble despite their increasing complexity, to comply with today's safety and collision regulations, to provide fuel economy and reduce pollution, to have distinctive brand recognition features and trendy styling. The plight of the DIY repairer doesn't come into it, as we are no longer in the days of 1000m service intervals nor probably do the majority of today's motorists know where to find the bonnet release  but then why would they bother when the on board dash warning systems tell them if anything needs attention.

 

Gets even worse though when some countries (France is one I believe) require you to carry spare bulbs by law. Got to carry a bulb you haven't got a hope in hell of replacing at the side of the road, and may be rather hard to do so at home.

[APOLLO]

As my dad used to say - Cars are like ar*eholes - everybody has one !!

 

Merry Christmas and safe driving 

 

Brit15

Edited December 24, 2019 by APOLLO

[kevinlms]

Vic Roads in Melbourne Australia, have had to reduce the freeway speed limit to 40 kmh. Due to congestion caused by large Boxing Day sales, people (presumably pedestrians!) are abandoning their vehicles and walking along/across the freeway to get to the sales!

[Coldgunner]

My car warns me if a lamp is out. But I've found with the headlights, getting out and giving said light a short, sharp whack will bring it back to life. Sometimes the bulbs has worked loose and its enough to see me through till next daylight.

[jbqfc]

been watching tomany episodes of the Dukes of  Hazzard

 

John