driving – Page 2 – Something Odd!

Ghostrider.. gulp

Holy crap, this guy is a lunatic! Driving at up to 290kmh and a little above sometimes, Ghostrider drove the 68km between Stockholm and Uppsala in less than 16 minutes.
In another video he chased a BMW Z3 and both drivers drove like maniacs on public roads. Did you see how the motorcyclist cut in on the inside of a car on a roundabout?

In related news, a new EU report due this week is critical of Ireland’s road safety record. 5 people were killed in one accident alone last weekend. It’s carnage on the roads.

I'm glad I work from home

Every time I go out on the roads I play Russian Roulette. Why is it that huge container trucks keep pace with me on the national routes at 100km/h? Aren’t they supposed to be speed limited to 80km/h? Why is it that on the 50km/h stretch of road into Blackpool I’m routinely overtaken by motorists and lorries doing 60km/h and more? Why was I overtaken on a dangerous bend yesterday by someone who crossed an unbroken white line into the “fast” line and swerved into my lane right in front of me again when he was blocked by a slower driver? Where’s the social stigma of speeding?
Fear of penalty points has worn away. Maybe motorists should be locked up overnight for bad driving.
RaimÃ©is comments on the death tole on Irish roads so far this year. 50 dead and it’s only the start of February. That’s an awful carnage.
United Irelander also has several links to other bloggers talking about this terrible waste of life, and links to statistics from the Gardai going back to the year 2000.
Who can you complain to? Try Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen TD at minister@transport.ie

Dealing with Mobiles

It’s in the humour category, but this thread is actually quite serious. Motorists talking on their phone are a serious threat to everyone around them.

If I find a driver using his phone at the head of the queue waiting at the lights, I position my bike in front of their car and wait for the lights to go green. When the inevitable blasts on the horn start up after the lights phase, I get off my bike, lay it on the ground and walk over to ask the driver to hang up his call. Can also be combined with method one, above.

If the driver ignores me (as is often the case) then I simply lift up the wiper blades on his windscreen, forcing him to pull over and get out to put them down again. It’s simple, not dangerous and doesn’t damage property in any way. For some reason, though – it really annoys them!

(Thanks Liam for the link!)
Liam posted these two links too.. guestbook entry and georgewbush.com for everyone outside the US!

Dangerous Driving.. in Cork

I had to leave the office at lunchtime, and on the way back to the office I saw what was almost a very serious crash. Note, I said “crash”, it would have been no “accident”.
Two lorries were in front of me, a heavy earth moving one and a container lorry. The container lorry driver must have been in an awful hurry – on a junction just outside Ballincollig he tried to overtake the earth-mover. Unfortunately for him, a woman driving a Toyota Corolla was turning into a residential park at the junction.
The lorry driver slammed on the brakes, turned left to avoid the car, almost hit the lorry in front of him, and came to a complete halt! The earth-mover moved off, the container lorry pulled in and then carried on down the road, and a very shook woman indicated and waited at the junction for a break in traffic..
That was bad enough, but then, in a 30mph zone the lorry proceeded down the hill at a speed of 40mph or more. He pulled away ahead of me and I saw him swerve from side to side as he followed the other truck.
Eventually he went off in the direction of Iniscarra, I went into work and moments after I pulled up in front of the office I saw the same lorry go past. I don’t know many people who could have gone down the road he went, turned around, and come back up again in such a quick time, even in a small car! The road is narrow, there aren’t many places to turn, and it’s busy!
Only one thing for it.. I called the Gardai and they’re on the look out for him. He’s going to kill someone driving like that!

Wow! Congestion charging schem …

Wow! Congestion charging scheme gets Livingstone go-ahead – Motorists will be charged £5 to drive to Central London on weekdays! It’s going to be introduced on Feb 17th, 2003. I can see trouble ahead..

In related news, the penality points system due to be introduced here is in doubt because there isn’t money for the EUR11m computer system needed by the Gardai! Hear the RTE report on it.

Now that I’m over the shock of going to the dentist, I feel a rant coming on. I pay my taxes like everyone else and a part of those taxes go to PRSI, Pay Related Social Insurance. PRSI will pay for some of your medical bills, including visits to the dentist, but not always.
I’m 26 and out of college four years and working. Because I went to college and got an education, and now contribute to the economy’s tech industry, I can’t claim benefits due me. If you’re 26 or over you have to be working for at least five years to claim PRSI entitlements. Now that I need to get work done I can’t claim money back from a fund I’ve paid into for four years. It hardly seems fair. grrr

The Irish language is taught in Irish schools and is compulsory for everyone (with some exceptions). A book just published calls into question the cost to students of learning Irish. Science is only now becoming a part of the primary school curiculam. Hear the RTE interview with Dr Aidrian Kelly.