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Topic: OT: No End To Human Stupidity Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Robbie Parry
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Posted: 16 March 2018 at 3:07pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Here in the UK, the Central Motorway Police Group are a unit that patrol the motorways in a certain region. Three county forces work together to deal with road accidents and pulling over dangerous drivers.

Yesterday, police pulled over a van driver. He didn't have any tax, insurance, MOT or even a driving licence. If that wasn't bad enough, his brakes were non-existent. He'd been driving along the motorway and using the handbrake to stop.


What kind of clown klutz would do that? What kind of dolt would risk the lives of others and his own life? He could have caused fatalities. 

It's bad enough that he didn't have tax, insurance, MOT or a licence. That is terrible in itself. But to drive without brakes on a motorway (our motorway speed limits are 70mph)?! Deluded.

Folks, the point of this topic is to show that when you think humanity cannot get any more stupid, some berk will always prove us wrong.
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Doug Centers
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Posted: 16 March 2018 at 4:59pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Over the years I've seen many examples of "white van man" craziness in the UK. Add that to the list.

And yes I had to look up MOT.
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Robbie Parry
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Posted: 16 March 2018 at 5:08pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

What do they call the MOT equivalent over there, Doug?

Mind you, can't trust Americans. Guys, a) it's petrol, not gas, and b) why are your steering wheels on the wrong side?!!
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Doug Centers
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Posted: 16 March 2018 at 5:23pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

Nothing here on the Federal level, Robbie.
If there are any "road worthy " or emissions tests it would be thru state or county laws.
My state (MI) used to have emissions tests but it went away many years ago.

And about the steering wheels, why do you guys have it on the right (wrong) side? When autos were in their infancy all vehicles were stick shift. And since most people are right handed wouldn't you want the agility to shift with your dominant hand ? Always wondered about that.
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Robbie Parry
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Posted: 16 March 2018 at 5:25pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

I did actually make a similar point to my driving instructor many years ago. ;-)

I don't know why we have MOT tests here, anyway. Police are pulling more and more uninsured and unlicensed drivers over. A disproportionate amount, I'd say. To some Brits, it seems car insurance and a licence are an "optional extra". 
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Doug Centers
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Posted: 16 March 2018 at 5:34pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

Yes, some over here would argue that driving is a right not a privllege.
Usually they of the survivalist, off the gridders and extreme Libertarian types.
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Peter Martin
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Posted: 16 March 2018 at 6:56pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply

The side of the car that has the steering wheel is dictated by the side of the road you drive on. You get better spacial awareness for vehicles driving in the opposing direction if the wheel is position closer to that side. So left-sided steering when driving on the right and vice versa.

Historically, it was advantageous to travel on the left (and I'm talking back all the way to mediaeval times). As you point out, most people are right handed. This meant, if you are riding your horse, chariot or carriage on the left of a road, your sword hand is on the side where you might meet a potential adversary.

So, historically, you had people riding on the left. Pedestrians, though, would walk on the right, so as to avoid riders from behind and face oncoming traffic. This created a kind of split between the mounted nobility and the trundling peasants. Switch to revolutionary France, in which peasants are the nouveau kewl and nobody wants to shout about their nobility and everyone starts travelling on the right. Napoleon subsequently ordered his forces to travel on the right and as he began to conquer more and more territories, this convention spread.

The US originally drove on the left, thanks to the British influence, but this went out the window not too long after the War of Indepence. Britain, meanwhile, exported drive-left customs to many territories around the globe, including (you may be surprised to learn) Japan, because the British helped set up the railroads there, and set them up to travel on the left. Canada was all left, apart from Quebec because of the French influence. The influence of their southern neighbours eventually held sway though. BC and the Maritimes switched to the right in the 1920s. Newfoundland kept driving on the left all the way into the 1940s.

As for cars being stick shift in their infancy... in the UK, I'd say 90% of cars are manual (off the top of my head).
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Doug Centers
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Posted: 16 March 2018 at 9:14pm | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Very interesting, Peter.

Now I have another historical correctness item I'm doomed to look for while watching movies :-)
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James Woodcock
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Posted: 16 March 2018 at 9:19pm | IP Logged | 9 post reply

I would echo what Peter wrote above. That was my understanding as well. 
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Bill Collins
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Posted: 16 March 2018 at 11:17pm | IP Logged | 10 post reply

I see vehicular stupidity on a daily basis! Indicators
as optional extras really bugs me! I have seen an idiot
recently who had red bulbs in their front fog lights!
The trouble with the insurance problem, is that the fine
for being caught is a fraction of the actual cost of
insurance for many drivers, so they take the risk.
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Doug Centers
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Posted: 17 March 2018 at 4:50am | IP Logged | 11 post reply

"Indicators
as optional extras really bugs me!"

...

You hit on a big one for me there, Bill.
Those inconsiderate drivers that ease or bolt into your lane in front of you ,sans turn signal.
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Robbie Parry
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Posted: 17 March 2018 at 5:59am | IP Logged | 12 post reply

Serious question: do they have roundabouts in the US? I have never seen a picture of one. Not in fictional shows, documentaries, photos, etc. I rarely see people signalling at roundabouts.

The lack of use of indicators pisses me off here. Driving (I passed my test many years ago) turned me into a misanthrope. ;-)
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