Posh drivers are better - why ?

[swee'pea99]

If one lives in a place where it is necessary to be seen as hard and tough, where showing courtesy is a sign of weakness, then I think that directly reflects in their driving style.

Hmm, hoom.

+1. I wouldn't necessarily associate 'F**k you' driving with any particular kind of car - cheap or posh - but I definitely notice a big difference riding through 'nice/not nice' bits of London.

Highgate, no problems - and yes, the streets can be quite narrow, twisty and busy, so the lack of problems testifies to a level of patience and courtesy extended by the drivers around you; head for Hackney or Dalston, and things can get quite hairy - genuinely more dangerous, anything from left hooks to fast, close undertaking.

And at the risk of being even more contentious and raising even more hackles, I think only part of it is to do with the 'hard and tough' syndrome identified above. Some of it is just plain stupidity. A lack of awareness, a lack of foresight, a lack of the ability to handle the constant barrage of information and decision-making that something like driving on busy city streets demands. I'm not saying posh people are smart and common people aren't. I've met some staggeringly stupid posh people. But I do think you'll find a higher moron quotient in Hackney than in Highgate.

 

[jemah]

i have a theory that as an area gets less built up, the pace of life slows and people are more relaxed, and happier with their lives. plus there is the sense of community in small towns and villages, and people look out for others more, as well as not having that feeling of needing to rush everywhere.

i have noticed this massively, in both myself and other people having moved out of london last year.

just a theory though....

 

[jemah]

[quote name='swee'pea99']+1.

And at the risk of being even more contentious and raising even more hackles, I think only part of it is to do with the 'hard and tough' syndrome identified above. Some of it is just plain stupidity. A lack of awareness, a lack of foresight, a lack of the ability to handle the constant barrage of information and decision-making that something like driving on busy city streets demands. I'm not saying posh people are smart and common people aren't. I've met some staggeringly stupid posh people. But I do think you'll find a higher moron quotient in Hackney than in Highgate.[/quote]


and to be even more contentious, it seems that intelligent couples now focus on careers and have less kids (if any), whereas the possibly less intelligent people often breed like rabbits, therefore the population in generally getting less intelligent.... the smart genes will eventually be diluted out...

 

[Jim_Noir]

That seems to have happned a few generations back in Glasgow... it's got to be the reason for some of the in bread simpletons that wonder around.

 

[mm101]

Going off track a little..

Having driven all over the south-east including London - North London, in my experience, has the most poorly skilled, unobservant and careless drivers. Just ghastly to navigate that area.

I really do believe some people just don't have the aptitude for driving. Make the driving test harder and a re-test every 5 or six years for all drivers. The attitude being you have to earn the right to keep your licence. Not sure how the logistics of that would be reasonably practical though. A win-win for all. Would help congestion and the environment with less cars on the road. Safer roads. Government gets their tax. More people (having to) take up cycling!

 

[mm101]

But then thinking about a re-test for all..

Wouldn't work as there would be too many people to test, so maybe a solution would be to make people take a re-test when they caught driving dangerously. Would be a deterrent i think

 

[Origamist]

But then thinking about a re-test for all..

Wouldn't work as there would be too many people to test, so maybe a solution would be to make people take a re-test when they caught driving dangerously. Would be a deterrent i think

This happens already! The problem is finding people guilty of dangerous driving in the first place...

 

[GrahamG]

Stourbridge = bad traffic and you don't see any cyclists there, ever, except for early on Sundays and the odd family pootling on the pavement to get onto the canals.

Solihull areas you mentioned = countryside, less traffic (i.e. jams) and it's an area that you regularly see cyclists in.

I honestly think it's that simple.

 

[jimboalee]

There are three weekly free rags in Solihull.
The Solihull Observer, the Solihull News and the Solihull Times.

There is usually a feature in one of them about Solihull Cycling Club.
The piccies are colour.

There is regularly a feature about some bloke or gal from the borough who is riding their bike for charity.

There is an annual supplement detailing the Cycling routes around the borough.
There are adverts for CycleSolihull, our 'Novice' gathering.

There are dual-use paths right into the centre of the village.

Tommy Godwin is the President of Solihull Cycling Club - RESPECT


What is in the Stourbridge local rags? I don't know.