Near Miss of the Day 261: Burning rubber as oncoming driver forced to slam brakes on

ktache wrote:

Loving the new avatar Don!

Cheers, Don Simon is don simon and that is Don Simon. 

Rick_Rude wrote:

Well you learn something every day. Didn't know that the Selfish Bill was introduced by Thatcher. Must go find a Hansard to verify that. Odd that Tony Blair didn't revoke it when he was in power though?

People have been literally killing each for thousands of years over literally barely anything and yet somehow we get Thatcherism as a root cause of selfish behaviour on the roads.  As the great wordsmiths Slipknot wrote - people = shit.

If you really believe that society post-Thatcher does not differ from society pre-Thatcher in terms of that diffuse phenomenon of 'caring', then I can only assume that you were born either post-1979, or sufficiently late before 1979 that you didn't really know what Britain was like then. 

If you were born early enough that you remember the pre-Thatcher years and still think that there's little difference, then you're not fit to participate in the political process.   In fact, you're not fit to be allowed to care for yourself.

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

Rick_Rude wrote:

Well you learn something every day. Didn't know that the Selfish Bill was introduced by Thatcher. Must go find a Hansard to verify that. Odd that Tony Blair didn't revoke it when he was in power though?

People have been literally killing each for thousands of years over literally barely anything and yet somehow we get Thatcherism as a root cause of selfish behaviour on the roads.  As the great wordsmiths Slipknot wrote - people = shit.

If you really believe that society post-Thatcher does not differ from society pre-Thatcher in terms of that diffuse phenomenon of 'caring', then I can only assume that you were born either post-1979, or sufficiently late before 1979 that you didn't really know what Britain was like then. 

If you were born early enough that you remember the pre-Thatcher years and still think that there's little difference, then you're not fit to participate in the political process.   In fact, you're not fit to be allowed to care for yourself.

 

Seem to remember you letting slip you weren't that old, so YOU have no idea about life pre-Thatcher either.

Oddly enough life was probably like it's always been......Have money = life is easy. Don't have money = life is harder.

Go and look at the stats though for the 1970s, Britain's real productivity feel and workers wanted more money for doing less work, would you pay your workers more for doing less?

Funny how no Thatcher government ever made a Utopia and no government of any persuasion ever will.

Rick_Rude wrote:

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

Rick_Rude wrote:

Well you learn something every day. Didn't know that the Selfish Bill was introduced by Thatcher. Must go find a Hansard to verify that. Odd that Tony Blair didn't revoke it when he was in power though?

People have been literally killing each for thousands of years over literally barely anything and yet somehow we get Thatcherism as a root cause of selfish behaviour on the roads.  As the great wordsmiths Slipknot wrote - people = shit.

If you really believe that society post-Thatcher does not differ from society pre-Thatcher in terms of that diffuse phenomenon of 'caring', then I can only assume that you were born either post-1979, or sufficiently late before 1979 that you didn't really know what Britain was like then. 

If you were born early enough that you remember the pre-Thatcher years and still think that there's little difference, then you're not fit to participate in the political process.   In fact, you're not fit to be allowed to care for yourself.

 

Seem to remember you letting slip you weren't that old, so YOU have no idea about life pre-Thatcher either.

Not really sure what you mean by 'let slip', since I don't have some sort of phony 'persona' that I cultivate here, and inadvertently 'let slip' about the truth.  I was born in 1961, so I remember pre-Thatcher years quite well.   And I remember the Thatcher years all too well, too.  The damage she inflicted on Britain is still being felt today, to the extent that if a time machine could be invented, I'd give serious consideration to going back to 1925 and slitting its throat as it lay in its cot.  

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

Rick_Rude wrote:

Well you learn something every day. Didn't know that the Selfish Bill was introduced by Thatcher. Must go find a Hansard to verify that. Odd that Tony Blair didn't revoke it when he was in power though?

People have been literally killing each for thousands of years over literally barely anything and yet somehow we get Thatcherism as a root cause of selfish behaviour on the roads.  As the great wordsmiths Slipknot wrote - people = shit.

If you really believe that society post-Thatcher does not differ from society pre-Thatcher in terms of that diffuse phenomenon of 'caring', then I can only assume that you were born either post-1979, or sufficiently late before 1979 that you didn't really know what Britain was like then. 

If you were born early enough that you remember the pre-Thatcher years and still think that there's little difference, then you're not fit to participate in the political process.   In fact, you're not fit to be allowed to care for yourself.

Thanks for saving me the trouble of writing that. 

I was born in 1951 and remember the Thatcher years only too well.  Mind you, the present "government" are doing just as much damage with their incompetence as she did with her intent.

burtthebike wrote:

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

Rick_Rude wrote:

Well you learn something every day. Didn't know that the Selfish Bill was introduced by Thatcher. Must go find a Hansard to verify that. Odd that Tony Blair didn't revoke it when he was in power though?

People have been literally killing each for thousands of years over literally barely anything and yet somehow we get Thatcherism as a root cause of selfish behaviour on the roads.  As the great wordsmiths Slipknot wrote - people = shit.

If you really believe that society post-Thatcher does not differ from society pre-Thatcher in terms of that diffuse phenomenon of 'caring', then I can only assume that you were born either post-1979, or sufficiently late before 1979 that you didn't really know what Britain was like then. 

If you were born early enough that you remember the pre-Thatcher years and still think that there's little difference, then you're not fit to participate in the political process.   In fact, you're not fit to be allowed to care for yourself.

Thanks for saving me the trouble of writing that. 

I was born in 1951 and remember the Thatcher years only too well.  Mind you, the present "government" are doing just as much damage with their incompetence as she did with her intent.

'Evil' is a word that's used a bit too easily, but there is no doubt that Thatcher was as close to pure evil as I've ever seen.   

peted76 wrote:

New pants for the red car driver! Blimey!

...and yet another self-entitled selfish tnuc in an unnecessarily giant vehicle who can't just drive sensibly. Does not deserve to own a license.

 

Yes your honor, I did swing a baseball bat at that person's head, but I've committed no crime because it did not connect.

Nobody 'owns' a license. It is a privilege which can be revoked at any time.

CXR94Di2 wrote:

Ride further out into the road, it stops sneak passes. I dont ride anything to the left of this red line

Agreed, don't ride in the gutter. 

The rider in the video is positioned well, but can't mitigate against every d-head driver.

Also, Spain has just changed their laws: https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2019/03/01/tougher-driving-penalties-appr...

I'm not sure how this compares with the UK?

CXR94Di2 wrote:

Ride further out into the road, it stops sneak passes. I dont ride anything to the left of this red line

yes, that is the sure thing to do but I'm a bit scared sometimes as I hear them aproaching FAST without even leting the accelerator go. the orks on four wheels always win in that case...

burtthebike wrote:

"What's wrong with these people?"

Fifty years of being told that they are kings of the road and that cyclists are of no account, reinforced by a legal system which values your life at zero.  Coupled with the culture of selfishness ushered in by Maggie T.

I'd have taken five paragraphs to write that.

Respect. 

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

"What's wrong with these people?"

Fifty years of being told that they are kings of the road and that cyclists are of no account, reinforced by a legal system which values your life at zero.  Coupled with the culture of selfishness ushered in by Maggie T.

I'd have taken five paragraphs to write that.

Respect. 

Thanks.  Being concise is a valuable asset; cultivate it.

burtthebike wrote:

the culture of selfishness ushered in by Maggie T

I'm a child of the eighties and find today's world far more selfish than anything that existed back then.

srchar wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

the culture of selfishness ushered in by Maggie T

I'm a child of the eighties and find today's world far more selfish than anything that existed back then.

I think it just took a while for the culture she initiated to properly bed in, is all...

brooksby wrote:

I'm a child of the eighties and find today's world far more selfish than anything that existed back then.

I think it just took a while for the culture she initiated to properly bed in, is all...

[/quote]

Maggie made greed fashionable, and we are only now seeing the full effects.

srchar wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

the culture of selfishness ushered in by Maggie T

I'm a child of the eighties and find today's world far more selfish than anything that existed back then.

I'm a child of the early sixties, and society today is appalling. 

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

srchar wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

the culture of selfishness ushered in by Maggie T

I'm a child of the eighties and find today's world far more selfish than anything that existed back then.

I'm a child of the early sixties, and society today is appalling. 

I'm a child of the 70s, there are aspects of today's society that are truly shocking and stomach churning, however we are now far more aware of what happens, in every minute detail. Much of the wrong/bad stuff happening in days gone by would be hidden away, no-one knew, children lived in fear of being beaten by parents if they said anything even if they thought they had someone to actually speak to.

There was a shit load of stuff that was happening back then that we find absolutely abhorrent now and that went on far much more than it does now.

And pertaining to road safety, despite mulitple times fewer motor vehicles and multiple times fewer miles driven, the adults of your and my childhood were killing and maiming on the roads at a rate multiple times MORE than they are nowadays. A lot of these people were cyclists and yet they killed a fuck ton of people on bikes. 

There were a damn sight more people who couldn't/wouldn't drive to the conditions, their and their machines ability than there is now, it only felt like it was better because there were vastly fewer motors and going slower and still they managed to wipe out people in horrendous numbers. Go back to the 1950s and there were 8000 road deaths one year, whilst 1800 is still massively unacceptable, let's not look with rose tinted spectacles at the actions of those in the past, all eras have their problems.

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

There were a damn sight more people who couldn't/wouldn't drive to the conditions, their and their machines ability than there is now, it only felt like it was better because there were vastly fewer motors and going slower and still they managed to wipe out people in horrendous numbers. Go back to the 1950s and there were 8000 road deaths one year, whilst 1800 is still massively unacceptable, let's not look with rose tinted spectacles at the actions of those in the past, all eras have their problems.

There were more road deaths in the 50s, but that doesn't mean that the roads are safer now, and there are a multitude of explanations as to why the death rate has fallen, most of which do not involve reduced risk, only risk avoidance by the victims, or better safety systems.

Pedestrians have learnt that they must give way if a driver doesn't and there are many fewer walking trips.  Kids don't play in the streets any more.  Cyclists don't ride as much either.  Better emergency services, saving the lives of people who would otherwise have died.  In car safety systems for the passengers.  Better lighting.  Better enforcement of speed limits.  Fewer motorcyclists.

I went to a meeting where the head of transport police for the area said that there weren't fewer collisions, but there were fewer deaths.  We still haven't addressed the cause of the deaths, only brought in systems which ameliorate the effects of crashes while deterring vulnerable users.

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

srchar wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

the culture of selfishness ushered in by Maggie T

I'm a child of the eighties and find today's world far more selfish than anything that existed back then.

I'm a child of the early sixties, and society today is appalling. 

I'm a child of the 70s, there are aspects of today's society that are truly shocking and stomach churning, however we are now far more aware of what happens, in every minute detail. Much of the wrong/bad stuff happening in days gone by would be hidden away, no-one knew, children lived in fear of being beaten by parents if they said anything even if they thought they had someone to actually speak to.

There was a shit load of stuff that was happening back then that we find absolutely abhorrent now and that went on far much more than it does now.

And pertaining to road safety, despite mulitple times fewer motor vehicles and multiple times fewer miles driven, the adults of your and my childhood were killing and maiming on the roads at a rate multiple times MORE than they are nowadays. A lot of these people were cyclists and yet they killed a fuck ton of people on bikes. 

There were a damn sight more people who couldn't/wouldn't drive to the conditions, their and their machines ability than there is now, it only felt like it was better because there were vastly fewer motors and going slower and still they managed to wipe out people in horrendous numbers. Go back to the 1950s and there were 8000 road deaths one year, whilst 1800 is still massively unacceptable, let's not look with rose tinted spectacles at the actions of those in the past, all eras have their problems.

 

In my humble opinion, the main reasons we have the egocentric society today is down to social media and selfish, sloppy parenting, not Margaret Thatcher. Kids are brought up by selfish parents, the sort who drive their kids 500 yards to school in their Chelsea tractors, and park on the zig zag lines, the sort who tell their kids they can be anything they want to be, the sort who let their kids be little shits and they can do no wrong. People on social media can spew shit and can hide behind the keyboard. I am a child of the sixties and weep for the current generation, these little fuckwits will be looking after us in our old age. Our modern society is appalling, embarrassing, and disgraceful. Modern people think the world owes them a living. Driving standards are shit, just look at the dickheads on near miss of the day, every day. The lack of traffic police is in my opinion the biggest reason for the shit standards of driving these days. When I passed my test in the early eighties, you feared the traffic police, the motorcycle cops were hated. Yet the standard of driving was way better, if you went through a red light, or drove erratically, or didn't use your indicators, you were stopped, given a bollocking and then given a ticket. When do you see a traffic officer now? This is why we have an epidemic of shit driving, me me me culture, driving with eyes on the phone in the lap, blatently going through red lights, close passes, etc etc etc. God give me strength! Aaarghhh! We are totally fucked.