Driving the Coon this morning I waited an INORDINATE amount of time trying to turn right out of Hobson St onto Tinakori Road.
An endless queue of cars coming up Tinakori Rd from the Hutt Rd was the main obstacle.
Any gap in that appeared in that row of cars, was immediately filled by another endless queue of cars waiting to turn right across the main flow INTO Hobson St to drop their daughters off at the flash private school nearby.
It was all starting to look a bit hopeless, when along came a real guy in a real car (Orange VF Holden ute) who instead of taking his opportunity to make his right turn into Hobson St, flashed his lights for me, and the 5-6 cars behind me, to get out of there first.
You don't see that much any more.
buyit59,
Sep 23, 5:32pm
I see it on a daily basis in Christchurch !. believe it or not !
gunhand,
Sep 23, 5:37pm
We do that in our main street all the time, someone waiting to get out of a park or the likes,we let them go. Only loose one whole car length.
stevo2,
Sep 23, 5:51pm
I see it regularly here in Tauranga as well. Have even been known to return the favour.
tamarillo,
Sep 23, 5:54pm
Nice to get report of good driving. Is there a make, or type of cars that is the most arrogant. Down here in Nelson it's modern double cab Utes.
socram,
Sep 23, 6:08pm
Sadly, it is the biggest difference between kiwi drivers and the UK drivers. Over here, we get so used to just waiting for a gap, that when we go to the UK, we tend to look so far back at the queue of traffic on the main road, that we often miss seeing the flashed lights to let us in!
If everyone let just one person a day, into the traffic stream or showed an act of courtesy, it would totally transform driving in NZ for the better.
dublo,
Sep 23, 6:33pm
Don't often see it happen where I live, they won't even let you in to the adjacent lane, but there was a case of misplaced courtesy here a while ago: Several vehicles (mostly SUVs) waiting to turn right . I was passing them on the left and slowing for the traffic lights not far ahead. Noticed a gap between vehicles 2 and 3 in that queue. I eased off a little, wondering why that gap was there - just in time to slam on the brakes as a little old lady in a small car came from between those SUVs and across my bow, heading across to the driveway to her home unit. Moral of the story: show courtesy, but make sure you don't endanger anyone in the process!
sw20,
Sep 23, 6:39pm
I stopped letting people in because they would muck about 90% of the time. I would leave a gap, then flash my lights and slow down, they wouldn't even be paying attention and then it hits them, the line of traffic has slowed down markedly for them, just as I've given up and start accelerating again, and they cut in front of me, slowing me and everyone else down twice, instead of just the once.
2sheddies,
Sep 23, 6:47pm
Haha. courtesy! Don't be silly man. people these days are far too busy to bother with that rubbish! If they slowed to create a gap to let one or two cars in they would lose five whole seconds, which would wreak absolute havoc with their entire daily schedule!
cagivachick1,
Sep 23, 7:21pm
i drive a modern double cab 4x4 and let people in all the time
msigg,
Sep 23, 7:24pm
yes to sw20, mate they are not concentrating, not alive/texting/daydreaming and so on, you hit the nail on the head, other thing is newer drivers don't understand the flashing of lights, why would they, it's an older generation thing.
peacebird15,
Sep 23, 7:39pm
I find wellington drivers better than most. Im frequently having to back truck and trailer across traffic and find drivers are really good.
socram,
Sep 23, 7:52pm
You may well be right on both counts! UK drivers are not as courteous as they used to be either, but given the number or recent immigrants, maybe it is also a cultural thing?
I still think that we could improve things here quite quickly, but far more important to have (expensive) TV ads showing that driving at 105kph is a heinous crime than doing something positive to improve driving standards.
2sheddies,
Sep 23, 7:57pm
Probably forced courtesy in that case lol. if you can strike one good sort who allows you to get started, then once you've got out there with both lanes blocked, not much the others can do about it. they have to wait hehe!
richardmayes,
Sep 23, 8:35pm
When I lived in CHCH as a student I was amazed at how courteous the drivers there are. Slowing down to let you into the lane (or out of the driveway), stopping to assist if you broke down.
I moved to Auckland after that and you certainly have to learn to assert yourself and push into the lane you want to be in up there, no bugger wants to help you out. And if you ever find yourself on the side of the road with steam coming out everywhere, they just laugh at you as they pass!
Wellington where I am now is a bit slower and less cut-throat than Auckland, but drivers just seem generally less skilled here too. can't quite keep up to a full 100 in the 100 zones, can't quite bring themselves to slow down to 80 in the 80 zones, wander aimlessly between lanes, slow down to a stop on motorway on-ramps because it's scary how fast all those cars are racing past, etc! It's a bit like the worst of both worlds.
whqqsh,
Sep 24, 6:27am
you find that, older guys in 'blokes cars' driving with old fashioned courtesy unlike the younger 'it's all about me' attitude or the imports 'don't notice anything outside my narrow field of forward vision'
fordcrzy,
Sep 24, 6:37am
i let cars/trucks go on a daily basis here in Tauranga. i see trucks often sitting on Totara st or hull rd trying to get in/out/turn with no luck. it doesnt take any time out of your day to just back out of the throttle and give a flash of your lights to give them the gap they need. after all your only gonna end up right behind the previous car anyway at the next set of lights.
elect70,
Sep 24, 11:48am
I do it often if there is a que of cars behind . BUt women dont seem to twig what it means & just sit there until you wave them to turn .
peja,
Sep 24, 2:04pm
I've had this too, but I still let people in. I would say the ones that arent paying attention and /or are on their phones or tablets are the same one I have seen sitting in the right hand lane on the motorway. That level of inattentiveness is dangerous
henderson_guy,
Sep 24, 2:07pm
Around here it's those in Euro SUVs that all seem to drive like twats
tamarillo,
Sep 24, 2:36pm
Whoops! No offence taken I hope, I was hugely generalising as most arrogant. It doesn't seem like that to me in cities when I visit even during working hours, so I reckon might be a rural bloke thing. or rather urbanites who want to be rural butch blokes! Most mornings I need to turn onto our main drag in/out of Nelson during rush hour to head south, and need to cross very slow moving north bound traffic line. It won't cause any delay to North bound driver to just ease off throttle and let me cross into my empty south bound lane. And I've noticed the modern Utes hugely least likely to pause and let me. It's nearly always women drivers who let me.
reb53,
May 9, 5:11am
In the UK this is the latest scam, they call it "flash for cash". Flash their lights to let you in, and as you move in front of them, boot it and hit you. It's your fault of course, you "just drove out in front of us". They, usually Eastern Europeans taking a day off from pick pocketing, now all have whiplash and various assorted injuries.
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