Driving nightmare today

[NorthernRaider]

Been helping some prepper / hiking / camping fanatical friends move house today from Felling nr Newcastle to some place over the other side towards Prudhoe, what a traffic nightmare !!!! even away from rush hours its a bloody nightmare trying to move east - west in Tyneside, its put me of crimbo shopping in the Metro centre that's for sure.

[iaaems]

I have been driving for a good number of years. You should not assume that my record is squeaky clean in this department. The present vehicle that I run was purchased about 3 and a bit years ago and fits the bill for our requirements.
However, since I have had said car I have come up against some peculiar driving with regard to my fellow motorists - nearly being forced off the road, had a fellow motorist hammering on my drivers door in a traffic queue, horn abuse, rude gestures...I could go on. None of this is in the Highway Code, or at least it was not the last time I looked.
I get the impression that learner drivers are taught to pass the 'driving test' but they do not know how to drive!!
One such 'confrontation' prompted me to purchase and install cameras, front and rear, to record everything that goes on. Since then not much to report apart from one individual who gave me the works a few days ago, he then spied one of the cameras and suddenly turned off the main road to get away from further recording of his activities. Most drivers notice the camera in the rear and keep a respectable distance. Peace and tranquility has mostly returned. The big bonus is that the driving standard of those around me has improved a lot too.
Since the camera installation I have been informed by one of my neighbours that he has had to do exactly the same - but did it a few months earlier than me.
As for 'crimbo' I think that this will be a non event vehicle wise again this year and we will keep far from the maddening crowds.

[NorthernRaider]

Agreed, I don't think people actually learn to drive until AFTER they have past their tests and can gain experience on their own. I'm thinking about these dash mounted cameras for our car they do appear to be handy. The main reason for my post yesterday was I was surprised just how much traffic has changed in recent years I used to work in Felling years ago and I was rather caught out by the shear volume increase in traffic that has occurred in Tyneside (and everywhere else). The folks I was helping move house tell me the traffic never ceases even late at night now.

[Midnitemo]

Drove my daughter back to her dig's in Loughborough on sunday evening from the Wirral and there was constant traffic everywhere right up until I arrived home at 23.30 where are they going and what are they doing on a sunday evening, I understand the motorways being busy with weekend break people heading home but this was madness , glad I don't drive for a living anymore.

[bigpaul]

my only problem driving HERE is getting stuck behind a Tractor for miles on end!!

[NorthernRaider]

I used to understand places like London, Leeds Edinburgh being called "24" hour cities but these days it appears that every town over 100,000 people is that way now. I'm starting to see future problems for social infrastructure growing EG I see many essential rail lines can only be closed for about 3 to 4 hours a night for essential repairs and maintenance, that's not even long enough for poured concrete to set. My wife says they used to take one or two hospital wards and all the equipment out of service each month of a mega deep clean and servicing, but now that never happens. At I simply do not recognise what passes for supposed CAR SERVICING as car servicing any more, they rarely do more than a quarter of the checks and cleaning, lubing and adjustments they used to do, and tht is allowing for sealed bearings and longer service intervals.

I think we are heading for a cascadaing fall one of these days.

[iaaems]

The world has really changed over the years, work standards/quality have slipped, there seems to be little in the way of self discipline anymore, being polite doesn't work,... I am beginning to sound a little like my parents did many years ago.
In a few minutes time I will have to brave the roads once again and take my otherhalf shopping in Norwich. Midweek - should not be too bad (in theory) - but you never can tell. I am not looking forward to it one bit, but needs must.

[MaryN]

You should try being a single female in a car in some places!! Driving standards have sometimes to be seen to be believed. I drive a Landrover Defender (complete with bull bar), so there is very little point in hassling me. Also, my bumpers are made of steel and can do a heck of a lot of damage to some prat with a fibreglass runaround! Just saying.

[NorthernRaider]

Its getting dafter by the month, we are having to PLAN more and more journeys, not venturing forth until we have checked traffic news, have alternative routes and carry around the national wealth of Belgium just to pay parking charges.

[bigpaul]

purse kept in car permanently with car parking money in it.
long distance journeys(anything other than local) we are on the road by 06.30, stay off motorways and major roads(not that there are many in our locale) arrive at destination before most of the sheeple are out of bed!