Latest Moan From You and Me 2024

I passed my driving test fifty one years ago. When I started learning to drive one of the first things my instructor said to me was "I will teach you how to manoeuvre a car and you will learn how to drive when you've passed your driving test." Words I've never forgotten because the rules of the road, like many things, have to be interpreted to suit the situations we find ourselves in.

There are many stories I could tell you about my daughter's experiences good, bad and funny, about all vehicles and their drivers on the roads, but her pet hate is those that can't or won't park properly. Every time I see a vehicle parked badly I think of her and often say to myself or a passenger. "Daughter, just look at the way that vehicle's been abandoned." Even though she's not with me. She is a fully qualified driving instructor and examiner in Canada for most types of vehicle.

 

Had some new tyres for the car fitted about 3 months ago they now have started to leak air around the rim's, the old tyre's started to go down slowly but i thought that was dew because some had a few cracks in them, any way the bought some rim sealer and had a go at sealing them up, the front one's done and i hope they stay up but funny thing is the rear tyre's have been ok may be the front one's got more weight and the driving around corners which moves the tyre on the rim

 

I'm having a similar problem, I had a new tyre fitted last January because the old on was losing air, the new one leaked as well, so I took it back a few weeks ago and they put tyre seal around it, but said my wheel is corroded and needs to be refurbed.

Its still going down but slower.

 

I doubt many of us who have been driving for a number of years would not have some tales of "bad behaviour" - whether it be serious or simply annoying/frstrating - caused by other road users or also, as seems the case from many of the above postings, pavement users too ( legit or not ).
What does surprise me is Vehicle tax rate. Considering the state of many of our roads countrywide I would have thought this would have been increased by now. Over £100 20 years ago for a small car and now £35 ? Of course any govt. would have to ensure the tax went towards the cost and maintenance of the roads rather than on something entirely unrelated.
Wishful thinking maybe as there's always too many "sticky fingers" within any govt.

 

What happened to those days when you had nobody in front of you and nobody behind.
Its just nose to tail all the time now, no wonder there is so much bad driving, I think everyone is just so up tight, there is no pleasure in driving anymore.

Its like being on a conveyer belt.

 

I'm teaching my granddaughter to drive. Or at least doing my best. She drives us to her school every morning and weekends we go other places. And using different routes. We started off using only little side streets and have moved up to faster paced roads/traffic. She's driven through rain, in bright sunlight, dark, around construction. We have yet to face snow and ice but that will come.

I hope I'm right in assuming that by paying for a driving lesson about every 6 weeks from now until her test, it will give her a chance to be critiqued and learn new things. I worry that I might not be teaching her correctly or not be recognizing any bad habits I may have passed on.

A full driver's ed course is wickedly expensive so we're hoping this will work.

 

Regarding the GE petition

Parliament will debate this petition
Parliament will debate this petition on 6 January 2025.

i think it might reach the 3 million by then.

 

When you see people driving in fog with no lights on, or when it's really heavy rain, or the visibility/light is generally poor, I often wonder how they ever passed a test @Sheal. All the gadgets they have on cars now, but they still can't seem to manage it.
Don't get me started on the parking either. I spent a lot of time with my daughter getting her to reverse park, and parallel park, and she's really good at it. During the lockdown, I collected my other daughter from work as there were no buses. I'd sometimes be sitting waiting for ten minutes or so, and it beggared belief how bad so many drivers were, even in a half empty car park. Mind you, it hasn't improved since then...
As for the ones who park in disabled spaces when they don't have the badge

 

The GE petition goes on till May 25 so maybe by then the whole country will have signed!

 

I just signed and it needs less than 100 000 now to reach a 3 million black hole.

 

GE petition @simone_in_wiltshire ? Is that the petition for a new General Election ? If so, 3 million signatures out of the number of people eleigible to vote isn't really overwhelming.
It's a costly business and what party/politician hovering in the wings is worth voting into power ? No one party exists at the moment who can make a difference on all the issues which concern us. I used to think a Coalition govt was a good idea but having experienced the last attempt at that, I've changed my mind.
We've had our chance to vote - mistake or not, it's done and dusted. Petitions are best started on a single issue rather than "don't like this lot - let's have another go ".

 

Just think of it as a protest vote, it should at least let them know that they have serious opposition to their plans, that is if there really is a plan.

 

@Philippa You sound like someone who doesn’t start walking because your are not sure if you will make the entire way. Doing nothing is a dead end. Starting to walk is the turning point, arriving would only end what was started.
No one forces you to sign.

I find it amazing that people have a chance to open such petition and to sign it. It’s not important how many sign it or if those who sign don’t get their will.
You have the freedom to express your political opinion. This petition is nothing less than 3 million say, I disagree.
Not less amazing is that there will be a debate in parliament. This is not a debate that was on the agenda, but it is a result of someone started the petition, he found 3 million supporters, and the parliament decided that this can’t be ignored.
We shouldn’t belittle our freedom.

Re:
We've had our chance to vote - mistake or not, it's done and dusted. Petitions are best started on a single issue rather than "don't like this lot - let's have another go ".

It’s our responsibility as voters to make politicians accountable for being elected.

 

I think 3 million is a huge number, maybe the most ever for a petition? I wonder who those signing voted for in the last GE. We have signed and did a few others at the same time. Most people probably don't even know about these petitions.