OT - Drivers

No

In article snipped-for-privacy@davenoise.co.uk>, "Dave Plowman (News)" snipped-for-privacy@davenoise.co.uk> writes

Modern vans are very nice to drive.

They appear to be taller. Not sure if they're wider door-handle to door-handle.

When was the last time you drove a modern van?

Your Rover might match this but I doubt it is as refined or will get the mpg of this pretty standard van. You will be high up and can anticipate what the car in front, or the car in front of that, will do.

I fully agree with you on the matter of a taller vehicle being easier to get into and out of - and know exactly what you mean.

It's one of the reasons why I question the common sense (and empathy) of the anti-SUV baying mob.

I don't think so either.

But some have clearly persuaded themselves to have a frenzied daily hate because of them.

Taller is good. Especially at my age.

My XF is longer and wider than my Freelander. Too wide to fit in the garage

They are rather impracticality large. Enjoyed mine but also enjoyed downsizing afterwards.

I was following a very clean 1988 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit yesterday and from the back, it really didn?t look any bigger than a Mondeo. Back in 88 I?m sure it was huge but it?s now only ?medium-big?.

Tim

Not only appear to be, they actually are much taller.

They are than the smallest cars most manufacturers have.

I can sleep on the back seat sideways across the car with normal cars but not with the smallest models most have like the Getz and Jazz.

Buy one. Nice little one in the Netherlands for sale:

Far less safe for any person outside the vehicle that they might hit

You keep using the "wagons on a train" thing. Ever thought of selling the car and going by train?

It's quite a surprise to see a Mk1 Ford Cortina on the road and notice how small it is in comparision to todays 'small' cars. Ditto 1968 Mk1 Ford Escort. School friends father was a bank manager and in the 1960's they drove to the South of France towing a caravan behind their Hillman minx and with a dinghy on the roof rack too.

I'm amazed at how *narrow* old cars were, and yet I wasn't aware of constantly rubbing shoulders with the person next to me, or my shoulder forever hitting the door pillars.

Probably due to less side-impact protection in the doors.

I can't work out how they managed to fit the handbrake on the driver's right, between the seat and the door, in cars such as the Hillman Hunter. In a modern car the seat edge almost touches the inside of the door (including door pockets etc).

"Quite simply - in a queue of traffic the cars should be like wagons on a train. They close up when stationery and spread out when moving

-"

And they do of course.

"But above all stay in the same order unless exceptional circumstances."

Perfectly valid observation.

I don't think that analogy is particularly vivid, especially to a right brainer *with* a typical imagination. ;-)

To a left brainer / troll / bot it isn't what they are able to see so (of course) they will be unwilling to 'go along with', let alone accept / understand.

Maybe a better description than left brainer (someone who is LBDominant) is 'Cold and prickly', as opposed to someone who is a right brainer (RBDominant) who could be described as 'warm and fuzzy'.

Glass half empty over half full etc.

Be as cold and prickly as some here in a pub to a stranger (round here anyway) and you would likely wake up in an ambulance. ;-)

The problem ITRW is that people feel enclosed / isolated in their vehicles in a way they might not be unless in a large group in any other public place and so can (and do) act differently than they might otherwise.

Innocent mistakes are seen (especially by the left brainers) as a direct act against them and so the red mist starts to rise and then anyone can get caught up in how they react next.

Round here there is a bit of road where the parked cars, always along one side are parking illegally (because they reduce the road to less than two car widths) but because paring it tight round there, no one says / does anything about it (It really should have double yellows both sides but it actually adds a form of chicane, slowing / deterring the rat runners so not a bad thing).

Now, legally, anyone approaching on the same side of the road as the parked cars should give way (the obstruction on their side) but it's easier for cars coming from the other direction to give way, even though they have right of way.

Now, anyone who knows the area knows how this works but if they don't, it can (and sometimes does) end in all sorts of stand offs.

It works best, most efficiently when people do what works the easiest for *all parties*, even though it might mean giving your right of way away, being proactive, kind and considerate.

Cheers, T i m

Order of preference for driving my vehicles (not including tractor)

1. Transit LWB high top 3.5
2. Merc 709D
3. Volvo car

Bill

When I have a passenger in the van they always say how great it is to be high up. And when I show off the acceleration they say, "Bloody 'ell it goes like s*it off a shovel!"

Bill

There'd be more deaths.

Bill