Motoring gripes!

[mick2me 3,033]

Lorries on the motorway that hog the middle lane, usually running alongside another on the inside lane,

barely capable of overtaking at more than 50mph. For miles! Limiting the motorway to one lane!

[Beefsteak 305]

Old (Mostly) women on the motorway that drive at 53 miles an hour in the left hand lane causing lorries caravans et al to over take (Thus again reducing the motorway to one lane)

It must have happened a dozen times on the way home yesterday

[mick2me 3,033]

Does it matter if its another lorry or a wrinkly in a mini,

If they aint got the power to overtake and pull back in within a reasonable distance,

they should stay in the nearside lane!

[Beefsteak 305]

Does it matter if its another lorry or a wrinkly in a mini,

If they aint got the power to overtake and pull back in within a reasonable distance,

they should stay in the nearside lane!

I still feel there should be a mandatory minimum speed limit for cars of 70 mph and if you don't feel safe driving at that speed ,bo99er off and drive on the 'A' roads and leave the motorways for those of us who have things to do!!!!!!!!!

I don't want to start an argument Mick but it's obvious you have never had to drive a lorry to earn a crust . As you know I have spent a lot of my working life driving for my living and there is nothing more irritating than as you approach a lorry doing it's maximum of 54 mph (Governed by law) I on the other hand am doing 70 (Which I am allowed to do in a 7 1/2 tonner)I put on the indicator to pull out and all the peck heads (Doing 80+ ) wont let you out ( either by pulling into the right hand lane or just easing off a tad) causing you to brake, thus losing all your speed, and you then have to go past the lorry at 56 mph causing the likes of your good self to moan about us.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Trucks have the same speed limits as cars over here Ian, except where posted! On the whole, interstate truckers are good courteous drivers. If they get into a smash they are losing money as most get paid by the milage or independents are self employed so no move, no money.

Took me a while to get used to joining a freeway from the on ramp, nearly everyone moves over a lane to allow you to join the freeway without having to slow or stop.

[Beefsteak 305]

99.99% of our lorry drivers are exceedingly courteous ,"The knights of the road" as they are known, It's just we have that many different speed restrictions for different class of vehicle ie Duel carriageway with central reservation 70 for cars,60 for transit type vans (3 tonnes) 50 for 7 1/2 tonners and 40 for anything bigger

This can cause all sorts of problems when you drive two different classes on regular occasions

This then changes when there is a duel carriage way without a central reservation and again when there are street lights (You have to work out how far apart they are to determine what the speed restrictions should be.

I could go on but I'll save some for later

[Bip 88]

I have a gripe! those drivers who insist on driving at twenty-five mph in a thirty zone.

Why do you have a gripe with them I hear you say?

Because my diesel don’t like doing twenty-five mph in fourth, I have to use third which means I’m using more precious fuel.

Bip.

[mickety 1]

Road humps, thats my gripe, whats the point in these? any modern motor car can easily get upto 60mph between them, I dont even bother slowing down anymore I just keep the offside wheels on the roadside of the hump.

Weve all got enough common sense when there is a need to drop our speed, Im sick to death of the political pr@ts dictating to us and treating us all like children.

THIS WEEKS COMPETITION IS:

HOW MANY ROAD HUMPS ARE IN CLIFTON??

THE WINNER WILL GET A FREE UNDER VEHICLE DAMAGE CHECK.

[Bip 88]

Luckily enough out here in the out back there are only two roads that have them and that’s part of Tamworth road the stretch from just over the canal bridge to the roundabout at Long Eaton Station and Station Street in Long Eaton.

Where I use to live Chilwell/Beeston they are everywhere.

Bip.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

When I lived in Oz and was on regular night shifts, I'd occasionally do an overtime shift called "preshift". That was on a Sunday evening. I'd leave home about 6-00pm and the main highway was just two lanes, summer was impossible to pass anyone as there were coaches and Sunday drivers coming the other way.

I'd end up behind this old couple driving at 50Kph when the road was listed as 80kph. Every bend in the road the driver would brake! God! It drove me crazy, I'd end up with a splitting headache by the time I arrived at work.

Next preshift I had the same old couple in the same old car at the same old speed!

So I decided next time I did a preshift, I'd leave half an hour earlier to miss this couple!

YOU GOT IT, they must have been mind readers!

I ended up giving the overtime away, it was better for my sanity!

My missus had a laughing fit when I told her about it when we were there.

I was also run off the road a few times by big rigs doing stupid things, once by a driver who had fell asleep at the wheel!

[Limey 242]

...my diesel don’t like doing twenty-five mph in fourth, I have to use third which means I’m using more precious fuel.

Bip.

Not exactly true. The amount of fuel you use is proportional to the amount of power you are using, not the engine RPM. Although there are some friction losses from running at higher RPM, they are very small compared to the power used. However, most auto engines (gasoline and diesel), are tuned to run most efficiently in certain rev ranges - if you shift to third at 25mph, it is very likely you will use less fuel than staying in 4th at 25mph!

[Beefsteak 305]

Not exactly true. The amount of fuel you use is proportional to the amount of power you are using, not the engine RPM. Although there are some friction losses from running at higher RPM, they are very small compared to the power used. However, most auto engines (gasoline and diesel), are tuned to run most efficiently in certain rev ranges - if you shift to third at 25mph, it is very likely you will use less fuel than staying in 4th at 25mph!

Surely if your revs are higher you use more fuel??

[Limey 242]

Surely if your revs are higher you use more fuel??

Yes, but it is so small it is hardly measurable. You are converting the potential energy in the fuel to energy to move your car. If the car is going 30mph, the energy it needs to keep it moving is always the same - no matter which gear you are in. So, at a given speed, the ONLY change is in overcoming engine friction, which these days is very small.

As I said, modern engines are tuned to run most efficiently within specific rev ranges - typically around 2,500 to 3,500 rpm (the range the engine runs most often). Diesels may be a slightly lower range due to their torque characteristics. What this means is that if you are running at 2,000rpm in 4th gear, it is very likely you will be using more fuel than running at 3,000rpm in third gear!

Also remember that the accelerator is not an engine speed control, it is a power control. When you go up a hill, you press the pedal down further. The engine speed does not change - but the power level increases, and fuel consumption increases too. Fuel consumption is related to throttle position (power), not engine speed.

[Beefsteak 305]

Thank you for that.

[Frank 13]

Road humps, thats my gripe, whats the point in these? any modern motor car can easily get upto 60mph between them, I dont even bother slowing down anymore I just keep the offside wheels on the roadside of the hump.

Weve all got enough common sense when there is a need to drop our speed, Im sick to death of the political pr@ts dictating to us and treating us all like children.

THIS WEEKS COMPETITION IS:

HOW MANY ROAD HUMPS ARE IN CLIFTON??

THE WINNER WILL GET A FREE UNDER VEHICLE DAMAGE CHECK.

Are you counting the one's in the NTU Campus as well?? Bloody things upset all the gear in the back of me van

[mickety 1]

Are you counting the one's in the NTU Campus as well?? Bloody things upset all the gear in the back of me van

Its the same for me Frank, my van is a complete mess when I arrive to my customers because of these bloody carbuncles, not good when I have a mix of chemicals and machinery. not been on that Campus frank, they cant be as bad as the ones in Sneinton i.e. Kentwood Road, they must a be a foot high.

[mick2me 3,033]

Now, If they replaced them all with speed Cameras,

all yer tools would remain in the right place?

[pemberton 15]

Road humps, thats my gripe, whats the point in these? any modern motor car can easily get upto 60mph between them, I dont even bother slowing down anymore I just keep the offside wheels on the roadside of the hump.

Weve all got enough common sense when there is a need to drop our speed, Im sick to death of the political pr@ts dictating to us and treating us all like children.

THIS WEEKS COMPETITION IS:

HOW MANY ROAD HUMPS ARE IN CLIFTON??

THE WINNER WILL GET A FREE UNDER VEHICLE DAMAGE CHECK.

I thought that there was a campaign a year or so ago to get the road humps from Clifton removed! What ever happened to that? Maybe we should send the City Council repair bills for broken suspension, new tracking etc!

[Beefsteak 305]

I came over to Nott'm for my stag do (9 years ago) There were major hold ups on the A453 (A smash on Clifton bridge apparently)so I took a short cut through the back of Clifton and turned right towards Ruddington and Wilford etc (I used to work in that area a year or so earlier).Boy did I get a shock all those new speed bumps.There were four of us in SWMBO old Fiesta and as we hit the first speed bump I felt the sump grind out. Thinking I was going too fast I slowed down to less than walking pace ,and it still hit the sump . It was like this all the way ,when I got to my mums we inspected the damage , result, needed one new sump, cost £80 , At no time was I exceeding the speed limits and when going over them I was going very slow indeed .

Any body want to try to justify this??

[Bip 88]

Not exactly true. The amount of fuel you use is proportional to the amount of power you are using, not the engine RPM. Although there are some friction losses from running at higher RPM, they are very small compared to the power used. However, most auto engines (gasoline and diesel), are tuned to run most efficiently in certain rev ranges - if you shift to third at 25mph, it is very likely you will use less fuel than staying in 4th at 25mph!

Blimey Eric if I had known I was going to get such a technical reply I wouldn’t have bothered opening me big gob.

Anyway thanks for helping to put my troubled mind at rest and the next time I’m behind one of those tortoises’ I won’t be using my middle finger to show my displeasure at their progress, I shall be thinking I might actually be using less diesel even though the engine is screaming it’s nuts off.cheers!

Bip.

[Limey 242]

Blimey Eric if I had known I was going to get such a technical reply I wouldn’t have bothered opening me big gob.

Anyway thanks for helping to put my troubled mind at rest and the next time I’m behind one of those tortoises’ I won’t be using my middle finger to show my displeasure at their progress, I shall be thinking I might actually be using less diesel even though the engine is screaming it’s nuts off.cheers!

Bip.

Nah - I'd still give 'em the finger, and blow past 'em as soon as you can!

With gas hitting $4/gallon here, we have developed a new breed of SUV drivers that seem to be scared of pressing the gas pedal! It is driving me nuts!

[Bip 88]

Nah - I'd still give 'em the finger, and blow past 'em as soon as you can!

With gas hitting $4/gallon here, we have developed a new breed of SUV drivers that seem to be scared of pressing the gas pedal! It is driving me nuts!

regarding putting me foot down...I have to be careful Eric I don't want three points on me licence? or another seminar to attend either.

Bip.

[Beefsteak 305]

Just took Charlotte to a ballet rehearsal in Nantwich (A venue I had never been to ) put the post code in my sat nav and it tells me I would be there at 12.55pm (We had to be there for 1.00pm so I am happy. After being stuck behind all the to55er5 doing 30mph on a 60 mph road I finally arrived at 1.05pm. 10 mins extra on a journey of 25mins bloody ridiculous.

On the way home I get behind one bloke doing 35mph in the 60 zone and he kept taking both hands off of the wheel to 'talk' to his passenger using what looked like the deaf sign language ,he was totally oblivious to the fact that I (or any one else for that matter) was behind him and every time I could get past his foot went down just enough to stop me ,then he'd ease off again,when I finally got the opportunity to pass he gave some hand signals that aren't in their vocabulary, why?? he is doing 25mph less than the limit and if I want to go at the said limit what the F*** has it got to do with him, as long as I do it safely!!!!!

[ube 38]

Just took Charlotte to a ballet rehearsal in Nantwich (A venue I had never been to ) put the post code in my sat nav and it tells me I would be there at 12.55pm (We had to be there for 1.00pm so I am happy. After being stuck behind all the to55er5 doing 30mph on a 60 mph road I finally arrived at 1.05pm. 10 mins extra on a journey of 25mins bloody ridiculous.

On the way home I get behind one bloke doing 35mph in the 60 zone and he kept taking both hands off of the wheel to 'talk' to his passenger using what looked like the deaf sign language ,he was totally oblivious to the fact that I (or any one else for that matter) was behind him and every time I could get past his foot went down just enough to stop me ,then he'd ease off again,when I finally got the opportunity to pass he gave some hand signals that aren't in their vocabulary, why?? he is doing 25mph less than the limit and if I want to go at the said limit what the F*** has it got to do with him, as long as I do it safely!!!!!

Yeh their the ones that frig me off so much......45mph in the 60...swerving to stop you over taking...but still doing 45mph through the 30mph villages....or if you get past them they flash their lights at ya.....must admit it takes all me will power not to stop and shove them lights where the sun dont shine

[pemberton 15]

Nah - I'd still give 'em the finger, and blow past 'em as soon as you can!

With gas hitting $4/gallon here, we have developed a new breed of SUV drivers that seem to be scared of pressing the gas pedal! It is driving me nuts!

$4 a gallon, wow!, thats about £2 isn't it, I know that the US gallon is smaller than the UK gallon but it's still cheap when compared to UK prices - I'm waiting for the revolution!