Modern Vespa

perhaps somebody can explain to me why certain car drivers feel that they need to initiate a turn by swinging wide in the direction opposite to the direction of their intended turn. i mean, i can understand it if you're trying to get into a particularly tight parking space, but to turn off one road into another? ferfuxsake

i was riding along happily today, saw a car in the oncoming lane indicating a left turn (i.e. a turn off the main route, but not across the oncoming traffic). i was just approaching this muppet when he suddenly pulled out straight in front of me in order to initiate his turn. i laid on the horn and swerved around him and managed to flash him a 'v' all in the space of about two seconds.

where do these people learn to drive?

They read about counter steering?

Seriously I've seen it too....fake left go right drivers suk!

It gives them a better angle of attack for oncoming scooters..

They have no confidence in their own driving ability to actually get around the corner in the available space, so they artificially create more space in order to make the turn successfully.

that sounds about right. twats

Actually, it is so the cars/trucks can finish turning early and be a straight as possible early in the turn rather than clip a parked car or sidewalk to the inside of the curved road (of parking space).

Was it a Hummer or a big Ram or a semi???

They read Proficient Motorcycling but confused "car line" with "motorcycle line".

it was a subcompact.

Ulan Batur where the fiestiest thing on the road is a goat on wheels.

Inform him he's a rubbish driver with the skills of a blind hedgehog on a rollerskate. Or tell him he's a ****munch if there isn't the time.

*is fed up being raced by pathetically endowed minicab drivers in their HP Benz*

OMFG! This drives me as insane as the people who drive in the wrong lane to make a left hand turn. We used to call them "farmer's turns." I never pass these people. I have no clue what they're going to do. If you swerve, you get honked at.

@ Wonder Machine - What's a ****munch? I am intrigued....

I have cars that do that every morning on me. I am in the right lane going straight ahead at the lights, whereas the left lane is all turning left. If the lights are green as I approach, quite a few cars will swing to the right before making the left turn. They all get the horn and the middle finger. I have been known to skid beside them, but this freaks them out, and usually freaks me out too!

"Farmers Turns" is correct.

My late grandfather (born 1899) also referred to them as "horse and buggy turns," which was the way those contraptions managed corners.

Many old-timers adopted the same techniques in their automobile driving and passed it on when teaching their kids. It used to be a lot more common.

You still see it from time to time, but I don't believe that the people who do it now even know why they do it or even think much about it...it's just something they picked up from their parents...and so on.

And some people are just stupid.

Yup. They annoy me too. Also in the annoying stakes, people in cars, especially SUVs, swerving all over the road to avoid manhole covers. If I can ride over it without incident, car drivers surely can drive over it safely.

Andrea

Maybe they think they are driving a large diesel truck with a 53' trailer. It happens a lot here in Alabama too. Hell I thought it was just a southerner thing.

I also like how cell phones make people better drivers.

It's an instinctive move to make the radius of the turn greater - or at least that's what our high school driver training instructor told us back in the 50's. He said he considered it a sign of a lack of confidence. We would be given a "fail" on the final road test if we did it. Was one of the teacher's hot buttons.

My Mom always did it. When I would point it out to her, and the hazard she created, she would tell me to mind my own business.

Al

a/ Lorry drivers heading home from the depot
b/ Wannabe lorry drivers
c/ retired lorry drivers
d/ white van man who used to be a lorry driver
e/ all of the above vis-a-vis bus drivers

backseat driver!!!

Is that the American equivalent of flipping the bird at someone? I'm not up on all the latest trends.

maybe he was checking you out

They are known as 'lazy drivers'. Can't be arsed to move their hands around the wheel. Had one today myself. I love that STEBEL HORN!!!!

Often these same folks will slow waaaayyyyyyy down to make the turn. Little Toyota Carollas inching through turns as if they were giant truck-trailer rigs...slow and wide.

I always feel like shouting: "Careful! You could flip a vehicle like that!"

Yes flicking a 'V' is the Brit equivalent-uses the same as the peace sign but with the forehand forward. Died out a bit in favour of your lazy one fingered 'flipping the bird' but in these increasingly health conscious days us Brits are taking the chance to get a doubly strenuous workout when someone pisses us off by raising two digits again.

One of the great things about MV is the chance for us Americans to learn the Queen's English

It is my particular favourite when they then don't indicate until they are halfway through the turn. Oh! They're going to turn left without indicating! Whoops! No! Right!

Grrrrr.

And British hand signals -- read mr2tastypieces's response to my question.

Same here I hate it.
I hate it even more if I want to go straight but they pulled way over blocking me and I have to wait until the traffic clears.

IF YOU WANT TO GO LEFT PULL OVER TO THE FING LEFT!!!

Pet peeve number two is related.
The idiot driver stops to make a turn and then turns their wheels to begin the turn while stopped.
If they get hit from behind they go across lanes and get themselves or others killed. Don't turn the damn wheel until you are moving.

I find myself doing it to make more of a sharp turn without cutting the corner (going into the other lane). I probably do it often. You guys probably do it too when driving your cars.

Is this worth getting your panties in a twist over, or did your unicorn run away and you're in a bad mood? If you have a safe following distance, it shouldn't be a problem.

If your can't make a turn without being properly positioned both for your safety and for other's then you are probably going too fast.

Do not cut corners, do not swing out to make a turn if there are other vehicles within sight.

Sheesh.

Inevitably people who drive like this end up with their car in someones swimming pool and say, "I thought it was the brake!"

I think i found their unicorn...



But it just might be a horse with a sword...