Road rage

[ladyofastolat]

What is it with today? Why does every living thing on this island feel the need to blunder in front of my car? Has my car been hit with an invisibility ray? Has some joker pinned a notice to my car reading, "Free cakes!" or "Bet you can't tag ME!" I was only driving to a small school about ten minutes into the country, and then back through town. As my route took me past a supermarket, I made a very quick trip into it to buy weekend cider. (See Appendix A for cider-related rant.) In that time, the following things blundered in front of me:
- Four bunnies
- Three old ladies meandering with shopping trolleys
- Two pheasants
- One red squirrel
- One baby in a buggy, pushed out by unheeding mother
- One taxi that decided to change lane on a roundabout into the exact place where I was, but he indicated after he'd forced me to do an emergency stop, so that's okay, then.

Luckily, I missed all of them, but the repeated emergency stops now mean that all the Morris sticks and storytelling books in the car are now gathered, snowdrift-like, at the front of the car, and I'm very glad the cider isn't due to be opened until tomorrow, or we'd be looking at a redecorated kitchen. The red squirrel was particularly alarming, since anyone who squashes a red squirrel has to report it to the authorities, and risk being vilified, and hounded off the island.

Appendix A: Said supermarket trip being necessary because our home-made wine has run out, and the local shops don't do any decent cider. I think CAMRA needs to adopt cider, too. Most small shops seem to have a selection of real ales, but their cider is dire.

Comments

[sigisgrim.livejournal.com]

I had some similar fun on Tuesday.

On the way to work I was in the left hand lane queuing towards a roundabout. The left lane splits into two just before it both to turn left, the right hand lane does the same but one straight on and other turn right. I wanted to get into the right most of the turn left lanes so I could get into the right hand lane of the dual carriageway I was going to be turning left onto. The problem is that a large number of car drivers in the right hand lane also want to turn left and push into that right most turn left lane to do so. That was what happened, becuase I was slightly in front of the car in the right lane (who wasn't indicating) and had space to move before he did I ended up in front of him. He wasn't happy. *horn* *horn* *oscilating motion of lose fist* I ignore him and carry on. A moment later he is racing towards me at high speed in the lane I'm in, just as the traffic starts to slow up, so have to I brake, he has to do an emergency stop, the guy who had changed lanes just after he went past had to take advoiding action. He then goes past me on the inside, the left lane having speeded up compared to the right. More gesticulation. I ignored him. Just after a set of traffic lights there is a large layby. He pulled into it and gestered me to pull over too. I ignored him again.

Then when we were going to the cinema in the evening on the same roundabout an artic tries pulling out in front of us when we're going round the roundabout. I have no time to stop or space to pull over. Luckily there is just enough space for me to squeeze between his front bumper and the car to my right; if there hadn't been I would have hit one or the other. Me: *horn* Lorry: lots of lights. Then after he does pull out there are lots more lights. We then have to stop at the traffic lights further up. The lorry stops just inches off my rear bumper.

When we come off the motorway, I get in the correct lane to go round the two roundabouts, various vans and stuff try to push in, change lane at the last moment, cut me (and other people up). It's just far worse than usual.

*is bemused* It just seems to go like that some times.

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

Maybe all the susequent drivers were friends and allies of the first one, and he'd got on his mobile and arranged for them all to lie in wait for you in order to be annoying. ;-)

I don't think I can assume the same about the bunnies, squirrels, pheasants, etc., unless woodland animals have a secret double life that we know nothing about.

[sigisgrim.livejournal.com]

It happened again this morning when I was driving up the motorway to work. There was a car in the middle lane which was only just faster than the lorries with a clio close behind it. I passed the lorry behind them, pulled in to let a car that wanted to break the spead limit pass me and then pulled back out to pass the two cars.

As I was going past the clio it started to pull out into my lane and then suddenly corrected. My instinctinve reaction was to hit the horn. I passed the cars, pulled in and continued to my junction. As I queued at the traffic lights to go onto the junction the clio pulled up behind me and I got a very embarised wave from the driver.

Luckily no harm done, but it could have been nasty.