Advanced Driving Hub

It's easy to forget the unfamiliar circumstances of our existence and assume that, although people go about their lives, it doesn't affect us more deeply, perhaps in ways that aren't obvious.

To my mind, for example, the recent large public demonstrations could have been triggered by almost anything; enough people were ready for an excuse to rebel against the strictures on daily life, whether or not that has any bearing on their cause. To put it another way, our society had started to feel like a tinderbox waiting for a spark.

Would it be unreasonable to think that some of the same built up pressure is finding release in other ways?

A couple of days ago a motorcyclist rode at sauntering speed out of a garage forecourt into my path at 50 mph. I'd seen the rider and, given the slow approach to the exit, had honestly expected them to stop. Cue quite firm braking, holding main beam and horn, moving to very firm braking as the rider still didn't get on with it. After I'd managed not to hit the back wheel, (just), there was a casual wave as it started to pick up speed a bit, but it still didn't get up to the limit over the next mile.

Perhaps the rider was distracted by very bad news, or just had a death wish.

He was probably preoccupied with changing riding mode on a new bike or something like that. He probably got the message. I hate petrol stations or should I say diesel spillage stations, he was probably distracted by the relief of getting in and out without incident, apart from yours that is. As for people giving a wave, that's happened twice recently to me, so I've got the bike banked right over going around a nice big roundabout with lots of visibility and some a***ole can't be bothered to give way so they crawl out into your path giving you a casual wave as you go through the decision process of heart attack or try to go around back of them or somehow get around the front assuming they are not turning right and into your path or run into their door while standing the bike up and emergency braking. I hope you meant that you were doing 50 and not him.
Ps I liked your comments on trail braking.

I think that a lot more people are venturing forth in cars rather than use public transport. And I am constantly surprised how many of The Young seem to be nervous drivers. But then again, it is The Young who are contually playing with their Devices rather than concentrating on the job in hand. I am also alarmed as to how many people on receiving a call on their Devices immediately slam on the anchors to answer it. I have seen people do this twice on roundabouts.

When I'm on my bike about 70% of cars slam their brakes on when you come up behind them even slowly, I just sort of expect it now. In my view all cars should have a little pocket your phone gets locked into when you get in your car so you can't use it.

There's a lot going on at the moment with Covid, Brexit, living standards etc etc etc; these things are bound to be having an effect as peoples minds are occupied with so many things.
Very few people treat their vehicle as a professional space, an office perhaps, or the stage of a theatre for an actor, when you cannot just be yourself.

janetwise-griggs wrote:When I'm on my bike about 70% of cars slam their brakes on when you come up behind them even slowly, I just sort of expect it now. In my view all cars should have a little pocket your phone gets locked into when you get in your car so you can't use it.

In many ways it is regrettable that these Devices now are so multi-functional. As an Old Person I like to think of a mobile as being something for making voice calls and at a pinch text messages. Now they are cameras, satnavs, computer terminals and God knows what else. In some ways it is a shame that the built-in satnav seems to have been a dead-end of technology (driven I suspect by the silly prices for updates).

Triquet wrote:

janetwise-griggs wrote:When I'm on my bike about 70% of cars slam their brakes on when you come up behind them even slowly, I just sort of expect it now. In my view all cars should have a little pocket your phone gets locked into when you get in your car so you can't use it.

In many ways it is regrettable that these Devices now are so multi-functional. As an Old Person I like to think of a mobile as being something for making voice calls and at a pinch text messages. Now they are cameras, satnavs, computer terminals and God knows what else. In some ways it is a shame that the built-in satnav seems to have been a dead-end of technology (driven I suspect by the silly prices for updates).

Perhaps in-built satnav has had its day. The use of Apple and Android technology has made it redundant. I am happy with the clarity of the pictures and sound, and in particular, the accuracy.
I would love to shake someone at Citroen and ask them to put in a simple volume adjustment though. I really don't like dodgy radio stations trying to kick in on a slippery road in the Pyrenees. It's a minor thing though infuriating when it happens.
Ps I live in Spain but we are not all on the 'Costas' and some of us live in alpine places you could easily mistake for Austria. The general standard of driving is however very good, possibly because of the weather.

sussex2 wrote:

Triquet wrote:. In some ways it is a shame that the built-in satnav seems to have been a dead-end of technology (driven I suspect by the silly prices for updates).

Perhaps in-built satnav has had its day. The use of Apple and Android technology has made it redundant.

As things like cars being a wifi hotspot and implementation of e-Call become more common, is it so far off from your car satnav actually being Google Maps, with live traffic info etc?

I upgraded the M5 18 months ago to a new head unit, which I use with Apple Car Play - I can run TomTom apps / Google Maps / Waze (based on Google Maps) / Apple Maps - all of which will give me a sat nav function - and that is on a 17 year old car... It can also stream from Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / Audible / etc. read me WhatsApp messages as they arrive and let me dictate replies - very clever system and as the engine is on the phone, the head unit shouldn't need to be updated...

Car manufacturers have seen ICE as a profitable income stream for many years now - however, I can see that dwindling - though BMW will charge you a subscription to have Apple Car Play work on their cars now - a good reason to never buy another one of their cars!