Bad driving Habbits. Whats yours?

[UmBongo]

People who beep their horn when they are not supposed to.

 

I like to blast the horn when someone cuts me up, mind you.

 

It's very cathartic.

[drum]

Firstly, I have a bad internet habit of getting overly annoyed at bad spelling.

 

My worst driving habit is the apparent narcolepsy that used to befall me on my drive home from work. Fortunately I now work within walking distance of home but when I had a mere 20 mile commute, I would be woken by the sound of car horns at junctions and would regularly have to pull over for a cat nap because I couldn't keep awake. Conversely, I have driven for 18+ hours solid to the south of France.

[chaseracer]

Conversely, I have driven for 18+ hours solid to the south of France.

But can you remember any of it...?

 

[drum]

But can you remember any of it...?

 

Good question! Another bad habit of mine is to drive on autopilot.

[Partridge]

People who beep their horn when they are not supposed to.

 

I like to blast the horn when someone cuts me up, mind you.

 

It's very cathartic.

I've been told off by passengers for beeping and shouting when maybe it wasn't needed. But it's a better way to let of steam than wrapping your hands around your passenger's neck.

[PhilA]

Bad habit here is the "California Stop". I'm slowly getting out of doing it.

 

UK:  Crossroads. One road straight through has priority, two side roads join with a give way.

USA:  STOP STOP STOP STOP. A small square of no-man's land where 4 streets butt up against each other. you are forced to stop. That and it's meant to be treated a bit like a mini-roundabout, but as nobody knows how to do that, it turns into a FIFO stack, the first person to arrive goes. then the next, etc.

 

Apparently also traveling at the speed limit is a bad habit, judging by the cruise control set at 55, and the number of people who pass me up.

 

--Phil

[Caffiend]

I don't let people out. Or in. Because I'm a bitch.

 

I also slow down for tailgaters and accelerate hard when people to the left of me speed up to avoid the risk of their penises falling off* if a blonde woman in an old Citroen overtakes them.

 

*presumably. I can't think of any other good reason to be such a dick about someone who is driving faster than you being in front.

[Spiny Norman]

Apparently also traveling at the speed limit is a bad habit, judging by the cruise control set at 55, and the number of people who pass me up.

 

The double nickel speed limit in the US bamboozles me totally.

Here in the UK we drive (by US standards) tiny little cars with tiny little engines on roads a mere two or three lanes wide at 80-90mph quite regularly, and a lot of us would go a lot faster if it wasn't for the threat of losing your licence, yet in the Land of the Freeâ„¢ you're stuck with a dismal 55 limit on huge wide roads, for journeys of hundreds of miles in cars the size of an S class Benz.

I know I wouldn't be able to cope.

[Junkman]

The double nickel speed limit in the US bamboozles me totally.

Here in the UK we drive (by US standards) tiny little cars with tiny little engines on roads a mere two or three lanes wide at 80-90mph quite regularly, and a lot of us would go a lot faster if it wasn't for the threat of losing your licence, yet in the Land of the Freeâ„¢ you're stuck with a dismal 55 limit on huge wide roads, for journeys of hundreds of miles in cars the size of an S class Benz.

I know I wouldn't be able to cope.

The 55 limit in the USA is long sice history.

[Partridge]

I don't let people out. Or in. Because I'm a bitch.

 

I also slow down for tailgaters and accelerate hard when people to the left of me speed up to avoid the risk of their penises falling off* if a blonde woman in an old Citroen overtakes them.

 

*presumably. I can't think of any other good reason to be such a dick about someone who is driving faster than you being in front.

But do you do the full on Tosseer Special and do a full on break test (well make the brake lights go on). Watching the pushy driver vanish into a spec in my mirror always makes me grin

[ProgRocker]

I tend to use the engine to naturally slow down, only using the brake when necessary. It becomes a bad habit as it probably annoys innocent motorists behind me who haven't annoyed me.

 

The idiots who insist of following me too close deserve it though.

[Spiny Norman]

The one bad habit I've developed since owning a Merc is being an annoying twat at lights and keeping my foot on the brake because it's such a bloody faff to set & release the parking brake smoothly. Fans of karma may rejoice in the fact that it's cost me 5 brake light bulbs in the 2 years I've had it.

No idea why people in cars with handbrakes keep doing it though......

[bub2006]

I'll agree with you Norman. You have to lift your leg to an unholy angle to depress the pedal. I slide selector to neutral and hold the footbrake. My wife said my other bad habit is leaving car in third instead of drive. I do it so the car doesn't hunt through gears

[bub2006]

Around town

[pompei]

If the person following me is hacking me off and we're waiting at a junction/traffic lights etc, I engage reverse so that my reversing lights go on.  The driver behind then panics because he thinks I've chosen first gear.  A bit of harmless fun.

[RichardMoss]

Bad Driving Hobbitt?

 

 

 

Gollom in an Audi?

[chaseracer]

Gollom in an Audi?

Aren't they all...?

 

[Caffiend]

But do you do the full on Tosseer Special and do a full on break test (well make the brake lights go on). 

 

Nope, cos this:

 

I tend to use the engine to naturally slow down, only using the brake when necessary. It becomes a bad habit as it probably annoys innocent motorists behind me who haven't annoyed me.

 

The idiots who insist of following me too close deserve it though.

 

I don't see this as a bad habit though - it makes for better fuel economy and lower blood pressure. For me at least. If someone is sat so close behind that they have to slam their brakes on every time I take my foot off the gas then that's their problem, not mine. The main thing that winds me up about tailgaters is when I'm on a non-streetlighted/cats-eyed/white-lined road and can see fuck all because of the glare of their lights in my side mirrors. If I can see fuck all, then I slow down ...

[hauserplenty]

Downshifting an automatic transmition [sic]. I've taken a lot of heat for that. I only use overdrive on the freeway, since that's what it's for. Rest of the time I stay in 3rd, to prevent gear-hunting. Gotta cater to the underpowered lump I guess.

That bit about the handbrake must be unique to Britian, as most of our emergency, er parking brakes are foot pedals now anyroad. If you're annoyed by my brake lights you will get no sympathy from me.

I drive 55. It's a bad habit to want good mileage, as I often have to deal with bumper-stickers. Even though I stay to the right. There's no pleasing some people...

[oman5]

Looking down at women's tits from my lorry cab, the way on particularly well blessed ladies that the seatbelt cleaves between them is a sight to behold.

 

In the car, it's driving it like its a truck, slowing down well in advance of junctions so I can keep it moving if the road's clear. works for me but probably pisses other people off. I just can't be doing 70 up a slip road only to leap on the brakes at the last minute like so many others seem to. 

[fordperv]

But do you do the full on Tosseer Special and do a full on break test (well make the brake lights go on).

I'm quite chuffed with myself because I stopped doing this, I used to get really wound up by tailgating idiots and used to brake check, I realised it only makes me as bad as them and I look the bigger twat

[oman5]

I'm quite chuffed with myself because I stopped doing this, I used to get really wound up by tailgating idiots and used to brake check, I realised it only makes me as bad as them and I look the bigger twat

Me too. as well as that the insurance companies are so savvy to this these days that you'd likely get done for braking for no reason in the event of a collision

[purplebargeken]

I guess my bad driving habit is wanting to cheerfully kill 97.4% of the fuckwit drivers in the N9 postcode with a high velocity weapon (i10 doesn't count on that score). 

 

If only I could fabricate a pop up sign (illuminated if required) that say's 'You! Yes, you! Get the fuck away from me or I will kill you'.

 

I am not an angry person.

[makum101]

Every morning when I set off at 8:30am my wife gives me my packed lunch consisting of sarnies of some description. By 8:45am I find myself traversing the A1 whilst eating said lunch at 70MPH. Double bad :/

[MrDuke]

Attempting all manner of activities while driving, most of which are a lot more involved than using a mobile, which bizarrely is the one thing I won't do. I'll eat 3-course dinners, complicated by the fact that I'm slightly OCD about getting grease on the wheel/gearstick, so have to clean my fingers in between shoving food in my mouth and regaining control of the car. If said food happens to be stored on the back seat, or buried in the glovebox, then things get even worse. If I have to change a CD half-way through a meal, there's a good chance that a massive pile-up will ensue.

[Micrashed]

I dont use 4th gear. Ever.

 

1st (if its cold or on a steep hill) 2nd, 3rd, 5th 

 

I have no idea why or where I picked this up from.

[MrDuke]

I dont use 4th gear. Ever.

 

1st (if its cold or on a steep hill) 2nd, 3rd, 5th 

 

I have no idea why or where I picked this up from.

 

Have you ever driven a 4-speed?

[overrun]

Making it my mission to get back in front of some bellend that has either pushed me out of the way or carved me up - and then inconveniencing them. Usually trapping them behind slow moving traffic.

 

I just laugh at this though. It's not really road rage, as I am not mad - unlike them.

 

I don't always do it and I could knock it on the head, but it amuses me.

[bub2006]

I am not sure if this is classed as a bad habit but when there is a line of cars parked up and its my right of way I always tend to get about halway past and some muppet usually either a halfords special corsa/Saxon etc or sales rep in Audi/BMW floors it and trys to force me to stop and let them past even when there is obviously no room but yet he could have waited 10 seconds for me. I usually just stop the car and put it neutral. I have found since owning the e class I don't get it as much. Maybe something to do with the merc has a few scratches and dings and im not afraid to get more.

[PhilA]

Have you ever driven a 4-speed?

 

Going from a car with 5 gears to one with 4 can be a surprise, especially when the car you're driving (4 speed) has quite a tall set of ratios (1970 Beetle).

 

Not concentrating and driving First, second, third, fourth, thIIIIRRRRRRDDDDDDD--- fourth...

 

 

Gearbag and cement mixer up back don't appreciate that much.

 

--Phil