Morris Minor Owners Club

In the past I have often said to other drivers...
"I hope you don't mind me mentioning, but when you were parking I noticed your left brake light is out."
The reply was usually...
"Thanks for telling me, I will sort it out."
Now if I say...
"I hope you don't mind me mentioning, but when you were parking I noticed your left brake light is out".
The reply is...
"I know."

Outside my local newsagents shop there is a parking bay marked out. There is enough room for two vehicles to park comfortably nose to tail.
Very often a car will come along and the driver will park right in the middle of the bay; excluding anyone else from parking legally outside the shop.

Are we in a new golden age of selfishness?
I passed my driving test in 1979, and unless I am looking back with rose tinted spectacles, I remember drivers behaving themselves. I don't remember drivers deciding not to indicate at junctions, roundabouts, etc.

Having said all this, I think the first camera installed to catch drivers going through red traffic lights was put up in 1958.
I would like to hear from some of the senior members... are we in a new golden age of selfishness and stupidity; or have there always been bad drivers?

(Incidentally, I wrote to Jack Straw years ago when he was in the Transport Ministry, and suggested that the UK adopted the Australian law of making it illegal to not show an indicator within 30 metres of a junction. His reply was..."Who would police it?")

Mmm, I wonder. Maybe a touch of rose-tinted speccery. One example that comes to mind is the (fortunately) now defunct 1970's motorway 'fast lane flasher'. I'm sure there are plenty more we can think of. It's people, innit?

Myrtles Man wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2020 9:12 am Mmm, I wonder. Maybe a touch of rose-tinted speccery. One example that comes to mind is the (fortunately) now defunct 1970's motorway 'fast lane flasher'. I'm sure there are plenty more we can think of. It's people, innit?

There's still plenty of people that will do that, stereotyped as a certain car type, usually company owned.

As to the OP, I don't think the 2 attitudes are necessarily connected. The selfish using of 2 car lengths in a parking bay, is not the same as someone who knowingly drives with a defective lamp.

I must admit on commencing to read the OP, I thought the 2nd Driver reaction was going to be 'Abuse' rather than 'acknowledgement'...

Drivers that are just plain thick and do not know their vehicles is an increasing trend however. There is now a far greater disconnect between car ownership/driving and car maintenance. The ideas of checking tyres, water, oil etc periodically, whether weekly, monthly or just 'every so often' is a rare thing.

There are still plenty of 'fast lane flashers'.
The annoying thing is that there has never been any such thing as 'the fast lane'. The outside lane of the motorway is for overtaking only.

It is very annoying to see current television series, such as the recent one about the A1, talking about such things as " a broken down van stuck in the FAST LANE!!!!!".

Just as I was typing that, Jeremy Vine just mentioned "the fast lane!" AAAAAAAAAGH!

I must admit on commencing to read the OP, I thought the 2nd Driver reaction was going to be 'Abuse' rather than 'acknowledgement'...

I have come across the

"I know."

response myself before, worryingly it seems more indifference and annoyance that you've intruded into their personal space by speaking to them......

Just as I was typing that, Jeremy Vine just mentioned "the fast lane!" AAAAAAAAAGH!

The fact that you listen to or even watch Jeremy Vile is the most disturbing thing in that sentence.......

Best wishes,
Mike.

I could not agree more !!

Anyone who mentions "the fast lane" is off my Christmas card list.

That means I get to mention the fast lane as I've never received a Christmas card from you

I was recently re-reading a book titled "The Art and Technique of Driving" which was published in 1965 and written by Pat (Moss) and Erik Carlsson.

It makes me wonder when reading the section on motorways if there used to be a fastlane back then because it describes motorway driving as:

Lane 1 - Vehicles up to 50mph
Lane 2 - Vehicles from 50 to 80mph.
Lane 3 (in the book this is referred to as 'The Fast Lane') - vehicles going from 80-100+ mph.



As an aside, looking online I also discovered Pat Moss won the RAC Rally (now apparently the Welsh GB Rally) in a Morris Minor.

It is a shame that the terminology did not die out when the speed limit came in.
I am sure it is not helpful that each successive cohort of newly qualified drivers thinks that there is a "fast lane".

Personally I never go there because I drive a Morris Minor.

I found a link to a 1968 version of the Highway Code: https://normandyhistorians.co.uk/hwc/1968hwc/p13.html

This link is to the relevant page. Para 114 clearly states 'The outside lane is for overtaking only'
Para 118, over the page tells you to get back into the inside lane.

Edit to add....

Even better, this one is from 1959, the year after the first UK motorway opened. ( M6 Preston By-pass opened on the 5th December 1958)
https://normandyhistorians.co.uk/hwc/1959hwc/p10.html

The outer (right hand) lane is for overtaking only.

So there we have it... so where did this 'fast lane' rubbish come from....

[quote=Personally I never go there because I drive a Morris Minor.
[/quote]
The ‘slow’ lane then.

one of the reasons for parking and taking two spaces,is that the flash new car is a lease and any damage be it a minor scrape results in a charge for a re spray when returned .Another good reason not to join the lease rip off.See it all the time in supermarket car parks,and 90% of the time its a new higher value car. Couldn't be bothered with the stress of it all .

There have always been bad drivers but there are more cars and drivers now so you will experience more bad ones through sheer numbers! But, on the other hand, I think there are more selfish, inconsiderate, entitled types now - as witnessed in the current reports of people's behaviour....

You have to drive fast to overtake

Depends on what you are overtaking, Phil............why, only the other day I overtook two bicycles, a milk cart and a cow without thrashing the old motor..............and that was uphill as well!

Nothing like bad driving and the weather to harvest people's opinions Most people think they would pass the advanced motorists test when in actual fact we would probably fail.
Over the years I have taken the stance of rather than be quick to offer my opinion, only offer it when asked. The same goes with other people's habits, if they offend you, shrug your shoulders and carry on with your own life. As long as it does not interfere with your actions let them get on with it.
It's called managing your inner chimp.

Sound like someone has been reading Guy Martin's 'When You Dead You Dead' or delving into The Chimp Paradox by Dr Steve Peters.

I trust you have read them too?

My inner chimp keeps making me challenge everybody.
Maybe i should get it drunk.

I think it's really annoyed by all of the wasted time spent giving way at roundabouts to drivers who turn down the exit on the right without indicating.