Car park bullies

[Wongo]

Himzol,

There is something about McDonald. Kids just love them. I am actually feeling guilty about taking her there for 3 weeks in a roll. How can I say no to a 2 ½ yr old? (I want chippies, i want chippies ...............)

I have never won a fight but I have never lost one either. If words cannot solve the problem then a few punches are not going to do any good.

[Driver]

Wongo

You did exactly the right thing. The temptation to escalate a situation like that is almost overwhelming but, if you had, the effect on your daughter of seeing her dad involved in a bad-tempered dispute would have been very upsetting for her. She is more important than all the boorish, selfish drivers in the world.

Alex makes a good point about Sydney drivers being different at weekends. We moved from Perth to Sydney (and back again!) in 2000. My kids came with us. They had never driven anywhere but Perth before that and they were both surprised at the speed of the traffic and the fact that Sydney drivers will make way for you (as long as you're travelling at the right speed - flat out!). However, they both also remarked on the fact that the rules seemed to change at the weekend, when everyone in Sydney suddenly started driving like we do in Perth: never give way to anyone, run them off the road if they try to squeeze in, kill the bastards if they try to overtake! (Deep, calming intake of breath - get a grip Col, you've got to face the bloody freeway on the way home!)

But seriously - Perth's traffic - homicidally minded fellow road users aside - is a pleasure compared to Sydney's. We don't have a rush hour - we have a rush ten minutes. Although I was intrigued a couple of weeks ago by a sight you don't often see. I'd been stuck in a bit of a queue on the freeway. There was someone driving slower than the speed limit in the RH lane. We were all working our way past the offender by filtering into the middle lane - not an easy task for the reasons outlined above. When I got up close to the car in question it became apparent that its pilot was a teenage girl - a P plater - who was, no kidding - talking on a mobile phone held between her shoulder and her ear whilst using both hands to apply mascara and steering with one knee. Not bad at 90 kph on a busy freeway! That explained why no-one was blasting their horns at her - we were all too concerned not to give her a sudden surprise!

Col

[Iain]

Had a similar incident, angle parking in front of me, car reverses out and car full of deekheads (thats Mexican) shoot into the spot.
They all thought it was hilarious but not when I just rolled up behind them and took my spot in the Post Office queue about six behind the driver.
The mirth had dissapeared when I returned to my car.
Yeah, I could have got a ticket but I didn't and I was also bigger than them.
Case two.
Driving along Maroondah Hwy in my wifes turbo Honda, noticed a police radar trap on the opposite side of the road.
Did a quick pickup a couple of minutes later and returning along same route, bunch of clowns in an old Nissan 200 cut me off and abused the crap out me, cranked up the turbo and passed them.
They couldn't resist the challenge and went to pass, we're both sitting on 120 and I braked hard as we approached a rise, surprise surprise, coppers got the buggers as I cruised past at 75.
I know, I could have gone too, but I didn't, the speed limit was 80 and the road was open with no residences in the vicinity.
Apart from that, galahs don't really bother me that much and I'm not prone to road rage, if someone makes a mistake I accept it, ye gods, it can't hurt your day that much can it?
Also, as Neil, and Brudda can attest to, I'm only 4'9" and weigh 7 stone

[Bob Willson]

Also, as Neil, and Brudda can attest to, I'm only 4'9" and weigh 7 stone

And you also, apparently, have swollen girnals. Not a happy situation.

[Driver]

And you also, apparently, have swollen girnals. Not a happy situation.

Bob

Keep your hand clapped firmly over your Trossachs - he's very touchy about those swollen girnals!

[jackiew]

different places different road rules .... last time I went back to the UK it was bliss to be able to put my indicator on to change lanes and have people let me in ( flashing their headlight to let me know they'd seen me ). It was also nice to have people let me pull out of a side turning when the traffic was heavy ( which 99.9% of the time it is ). Which isn't to say that other things don't hack me off about driving in the UK!

Here in Melbourne people would rather see me run into the back of a parked car than back off the accelerator pedal to let me in. My whole driving style has changed. If I know that in heavy traffic if I want to change lanes about 3 major junctions ahead find I have to get into the right hand lane and stay there at the first opportunity .. and if it hacks off speed happy harry behind me when I stick to the limit so be it ... there is no way i'm moving into the left hand lane because I know damn well no bugger will let me in closer to the junction.

Wongo was right not to get into a row over the parking episode .... people like the driver in question just aren't worth worrying about. Not that I always practise what I preach I had a problem with people using the day nursery over the road parking across my driveway every morning. It used to infuriate me as there were plenty of car parking spaces further down the road, they just were too lazy to walk an extra 10 metres. I several times politely suggested to people when they returned to their cars that they not do this and they always said indignantly "it was only a few minutes". One day I totally lost it with this guy in a flashy car who parked up while I was actually opening the driveway gates to go out and just disappeared into the day nursery with his offspring. I managed to get my motorbike out by dropping off the kerb and then I let one of his tyres down. I then had to hang around for 10 minutes until he came out ... just in case he tried to drive off without noticing and damaged his wheel rims and I got the bill. In retrospect I count myself as very fortunate that he didn't thump me but In full motorcycle gear I look bigger than I am and I suspect he was worried about my steel toe caps on his paintwork. As his car wasn't there when i got home I assume he borrowed a foot pump from somewhere and they must have put a notice up in the nursery because for some reason people didn't park across my drive anymore

Iain its good isn't it when someone has been driving like a w****r and the forces of law and order catch up with them. A friend was cycling (legally) in a bus lane and was being harassed by a car which was trying to sneak past the rush hour traffic (illegally). The driver was so busy trying to force her out of the lane that he didn't spot the cop car caught in the traffic in the next lane until my friend stopped along side it, rapped on the window and pointed to the offending vehicle

McDonalds probably doesn't do much harm once in a blue moon. Though I figure it does harm kids if they work out that if they nag mum or dad long enough they will get what they want. My gran would say "you're making a rod for your own back". Eventually my son worked out that no means no but sometimes it would have been MUCH easier to give in.

[Sturdee]

Wongo, the way you handled the situation, whilst frustrating, set a good example to your kid.

Many years ago a young woman driver in a brand new car did that to me and I was driving an old beat up landrover (the original ex army type). As she would not move and I lost my patience talking I got in again, started the engine, flashed the lights and sounded my horn to get her attention. Then I slowly moved toward the parking spot ready to push her car out of the way. Immediately she ran back to her car and moved it. Now I am wiser and agree that your method is better.


Peter.

[gatiep]

Quote

"On the matter of Sydney drivrers not letting people in...I used to drive to work through several places where merging was necessary. During the week, there was never a problem, but at weekends, no one would let anyone in. Don't know what the significance of this is."


Alexs
Its easy. During the week everyone is on the way to work and don't mind being late. On the weekend everyone is on the way to have fun and are 'dying' to get there.

SilentC
It seems like you'll have to put signs on your car when in Sydney:
" Outback Driver, Please be kind "

In Perth we don't have problems like that. The State is abbreviated, W.A. which actually means "Wait Awhile" so we all do and no one moves.

Have a great night.
Regards
Joe

[AlexS]

Jackie, When I rode a motorcycle I used to get really P'd off when I was parked in or it was moved so some 4 wheeled idiot could park, & often felt like letting down a tyre or two. However, I figured a suitable revenge was to leave a note under the windscreen (with appropriate greasy fingerprints) saying "I've loosened the nuts on one of your wheels - you work out which one'.

[bsrlee]

In a situation like Jackiew's I recommend Loctite or Zap-a-Gap - very superior fast glues - applied to valve stems, wheel nuts and wiper blades. If the dweeb is going to park like that in one place, he is going to do it everywhere, so he won't be able to guess who is responsible if he doesn't see you. Also the guys at the tyre shop will quickly figure out whats going on and likely give him a 'special' bill.

'Revenge is a dish best served cold'

[MrFixIt]

Hi Iain

Driving along Maroondah Hwy in my wifes turbo Honda, noticed a police radar trap on the opposite side of the road.
Did a quick pickup a couple of minutes later and returning along same route, bunch of clowns in an old Nissan 200 cut me off and abused the crap out me, cranked up the turbo and passed them.
They couldn't resist the challenge and went to pass, we're both sitting on 120 and I braked hard as we approached a rise, surprise surprise, coppers got the buggers as I cruised past at 75.

Love that, my kind of justice.

[MrFixIt]

Hi

In Perth we don't have problems like that. The State is abbreviated, W.A. which actually means "Wait Awhile" so we all do and no one moves.

Sorry, you are mistaken , it DOES mean WAY AHEAD

[derekcohen]

I know that I'll feel better once I've said this (Gad, free therapy!).

It's always a rush to work and usually it takes me about 45 minutes through the early morning Perth freeway crawl. I will curse anyone and anything that slows me down even more. The bane of my life are:

(1) Cops or a breakdown on the side of the freeway. Everyone slows down to look, and this concertinas back for miles.

(2) The idiot in front of me who insists on driving 10 car lengths behind the car in front of him, just so he does not have to change gear as the traffic slows. And pays no heed to the traffic jam building behind him.

(3) The fact that I'm always in the slower lane!

Regards from Perth

Derek

[ptc]

Where i live you can drive to town at any time of day
and be lucky if you see more than six cars.

[PAH1]

While living in Tucson Arizona I did something without thinking and it could easily have resulted in serious harm to myself and my wife. After waiting for a car to leave a carpark at a very busy cinema it backed towards me so that I had to wait till it cleared the bay before I could go in. While it was doing that another car came and started to go in, I beeped the horn. The other driver promptly stopped working out what had happened but the female pasenger went absolutely beserk gave me the finger and started screaming (not bad as we were in a car with the airconditioner running). I charged the spot and got in.

To give perspective Arizona does not require handguns to be licensed as long as they are visible. After two years seeing people with loaded handguns getting groceries was still a bit of a shock.

My wife is Dutch and you say and do nothing about any idiot there now as there have been many major incidents where people doing no wrong have been killed.

Better to let someone else be involved in the court case.