The male syndrome?

[nappadang]

I've not been back in the saddle long so I'm not drawing this conclusion as a result of a wealth of experience. Strangely though, in my short space of time on the roads I've become aware of this phenomena that seems to involve men far more frequently than women. There appears to be a new type of car being manufactured and I'm sure most of you will have came across them at least once. This car tends to look quite sporty, often black and no doubt has a carbon footprint the size of a small country. Nothing new there but this new type of car seems to be driven at least 90% of the time by young or balding, middle aged males (with an ego to match their carbon footprint). The most startling aspect of all these ultra flash, pose vehicles is the fact that they are not fitted with indicators!!!
I've lost count of the amount of times I've approached a roundabout or junction and lost all momentum because one of these new midlife-crisismobiles is approaching the same roundabout from a direction which would mean I have to give way if they were going straight ahead or turning right (not too well explained but I hope you catch my drift?). Once all momentum is lost and I'm at a complete stand still, I watch with amazement and annoyance as this new type of car turns left and carries on without a care in the world! Portly and super unfit me on the other hand is left to struggle to get my speed back up to snail pace again (no mean feat, I can assure you).
Reading the posts on here, I have noticed there is a bit of a gender discussion thing that pops up now and again. I would normally avoid any such discussions as I firmly believe that there are poor and good female drivers as well as poor and good male drivers. These new cars I refer to though do seem to be owned predominantly be males.
Maybe we could set up a petition to force the government to pass a law ensuring all new cars are fitted with indicat........ er, hmmmm, agh, ooof. Hang on,! I'm sure there already is a law regarding indicators etc..... Does this mean that these balding, micro pen*s possessing wa**ers are just not using them? Surely not?!!!!
I'd be interested to hear other, more experienced riders views on this issue.

Rant over,
Mick

 

[Frood42]

Any pics of these "vehicles"?

Roundabout advice:
http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/appendix-to-the-highway-code

 

[Spinney]

That's an excellent rant!

 

[Frood42]

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/7/made

One front and one rear indicator on each side of the vehicle if you have 3 wheels or more is obligatory, or that is how I read it.

 

[Globalti]

There is no obligation to signal when going straight across a roundabout. Not in my car anyway....

I only signal when another road user needs to know my intentions. I do not signal pointlessly when there's no other car, pedestrian or cyclist in sight. Applying this requires that you know what's going on around you, naturally.

 

[Frood42]

Yes, its annoying, and it really winds me up when I am walking as well as cycling that cretins do not know how to use or are too lazy to use indicators to show others around them what they intend to do.

However even if the indicators are on, I do not assume that is what they will be doing, as I have seen drivers leave indicators on without knowing it (expecting them to auto switch off) or indicate incorrectly.

It really isn't that hard, if I can use hand signals on my bike and balance while going round a roundabout, then using indicators sat down in a car should be a doddle

Indicators/signals are there to let others know what your intentions are.
https://www.gov.uk/general-rules-all-drivers-riders-103-to-158/signals-103-to-106

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Oh yes, I know what type of cars they are: they're called w##kermobiles, a bit like an automobile, but typically driven by w##kers. Perhaps I'm just jaded: here in Melbourne, all cars lack indicators, but instead have what we call confirmators, typically used to confirm what you've already done .

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Not indicating when leaving a roundabout is seen as a penis enhancement these days. The exponent has the double advantage of knowing someone else has been 'snubbed' (to use a journalistic term), but also a second hand does not need to go near the steering wheel. It is established that the second hand is reserved for genital related procedures and mobile phone use, while one arm performs the secondary actions of being outstretched (like Superman) to form a fist at the top of the wheel and miss lamp posts.
This scheme is also useful as the driving arm/shoulder can be raised to hide the eyes and therefore make it obvious to the people carved up as the expert driver enters the roundabout that he can't see you so you should emergency stop for his safety.

 

[Archie_tect]

There is a particular roundabout at Newcastle Airport on the A696 where people approaching from Newcastle regularly stay in the left lane when turning right without indicating at all.... so you have no idea at all where they are going until they keep going round in front of you... I would like to start pulling out into the roundabout in front of them in protest to demonstrate to them how stupid they are but common sense tells me they'd just run into me.

 

[DooDah]

You ought to move to France, you would love it here. People indicating left when they are going straight on, people never indicating when turning right, people using whichever lane has fewer cars in. And the beauty is they are taught this way by driving instructors.

 

[nappadang]

Not indicating when leaving a roundabout is seen as a penis enhancement these days. The exponent has the double advantage of knowing someone else has been 'snubbed' (to use a journalistic term), but also a second hand does not need to go near the steering wheel. It is established that the second hand is reserved for genital related procedures and mobile phone use, while one arm performs the secondary actions of being outstretched (like Superman) to form a fist at the top of the wheel and miss lamp posts.
This scheme is also useful as the driving arm/shoulder can be raised to hide the eyes and therefore make it obvious to the people carved up as the expert driver enters the roundabout that he can't see you so you should emergency stop for his safety.

Such eloquence!!!! Absolutely brilliant and it sums up what I was trying to say, perfectly!!!

 

[akb]

Two things to point out;

1. I have since learnt, from experience that certain German manufactured cars have the optional extra of indicators, which many of their clients fail to add on to the package when purchasing said cars.

2. Something that really frustrates me are drivers who leave their indicators on whilst in the middle lane of a 3 lane motorway. For miles. Are you pulling out or not you humongous bell-end?!

 

[Hip Priest]

There is a particular roundabout at Newcastle Airport on the A696 where people approaching from Newcastle regularly stay in the left lane when turning right without indicating at all.... so you have no idea at all where they are going until they keep going round in front of you... I would like to start pulling out into the roundabout in front of them in protest to demonstrate to them how stupid they are but common sense tells me they'd just run into me.

Ha! I know just where you mean. It's totally bizarre.

 

[classic33]

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/7/made

One front and one rear indicator on each side of the vehicle if you have 3 wheels or more is obligatory, or that is how I read it.

Er, thats for motor vehicles. I ride on four wheels at times. Having checked I require only the single front & rear lights. Mounted along the centreline of the pedal cycle.

 

[Frood42]

Er, thats for motor vehicles. I ride on four wheels at times. Having checked I require only the single front & rear lights. Mounted along the centreline of the pedal cycle.

It depends on the subsection under 1, there is A-E, but motor is heavily used, and B is a trailer towed by a motor vehicle.
I guess I should not make the assumption that people would click the link or know that I was talking about motor vehicles as was referred to in the opening post (as the opening post was a rant about a certain sub species that are unable to or are too ignorant to use the indicators on their cars).