Ribble Countdown Clearance – Off-Road Deals Edition

@pete_247 Personal bugbear, "IF YOU CAN'T SEE MY MIRRORS I CAN'T SEE YOU!" Should have an addendum, "SO REST ASSURED I WILL BE DRIVING WITH ULTRA-EXTREME CARE AND ATTENTION AND WHEN I GET BACK TO THE DEPOT WILL REFUSE TO TAKE THIS VEHICLE OUT AGAIN UNTIL MY EMPLOYER HAS FITTED IT WITH ALL SUITABLE SENSORS AND OTHER AVAILABLE SAFETY MEASURES."

Daniel Smith has now said: "... and there was a cyclist in front, and they’re going really slowly." and "... the psychological thing during a test, that you want to keep getting on with it. Then when something slow moving is in front of you, you’re going to feel that pressure." So I will revert to my original comment: " 1) If the student (edit to add: ANY DRIVER) is frustrated at a cyclist, what is their response when stuck in queues of slow moving/stationary drivers/motor traffic? 2) If this is the instructor’s attitude, they need to lose their teaching qualification and attend re-training to prevent instilling such a negative attitude in learners. “Painfully slow that is”… If THAT speed is painfull, what about going even slower (or being stationary) behind a queue of drivers? “Do you think he has any idea he has a trail of cars behind him?” A trail of cars that is MOVING. What about when a trail of cars is stuck moving even slower or stationary in rush hour traffic?? "

Presumably, given the username, you're more familiar with the former?

@the little onion On my, driving test, my very good instructor actually said 'hazards' are a time to show you understand the Highway Code (206, 205, 125 & 126) - ": He advised to slow down significantly below the speed limit when passing children, particularly in residential areas, near schools, or close to stationary buses and ice cream vans etc. The suggestion to drop your speed to 15–20 mph in a 30 mph zone when hazards (like children) are present is a core defensive driving technique taught by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). https://www.rospa.com/siteassets/images/road-safety/road-safety-information/driver-safety/speeding/top-10-tips-for-staying-in-limit-factsheet.pdf This instructor's 'nightmare, nightmare on test' remarks, and, remarks on only doing 15mph + 'does he know of the cars behind ' - seems to put him at odds with the RoSPA and the Highway Code.

Surreyrider incoming…

@mctrials23 Indeed. But a significant influence could be the signs on the back of trucks and buses that put the responsibility for their safety on cyclists. The same image could have legend beware of this vehicle passing you on the outside (since you will be in the same relative position). A bit long but accurate.

ROOTminus1 It wasn't the outfit, it was his unusual stance in that photo

@mdavidford Mea culpa. Potato / starchy tuber of the Solanum genus, Tomato / edible fruit of a different species in the Solanum genus.

Just thinking about this but, if fans are camping out for days all the way up, those backwoods are going to stink. Ewww.

@jackcycles and the best way to convey the correct attitude and behaviour toward slow moving road users is to call the situation a nightmare. There are plenty of clips of good driving instructors out there who explain that cyclists aren't an issue. Aren't a nuisance and aren't a nightmare and just another thing you have to handle on the roads. If he was trying to convey what he says he was, hes shit at his job. He didn't reassure her, he made a big deal out of it.