Until quite recently I used to actually enjoy driving, but now its just a necessary evil I have to endure to get me to and from my place of work. Public transport is not an option. and even if it were I would be loathe to use it for a number of reasons. How do you rate the driving experience ? Here is a list of my pet hates:

1/ Traffic 'calming' projects : These devices have spread like a plague and seem totally random in nature. Speed bumps, chicanes and width restrictors are appearing all over the borough. Whats the point of them when at peak times the average speed is less than 20mph anyway ?

2/ Traffic lights : On my 15 mile journey to work, depending on the route I take there are between 15-25 sets of lights, not including the pedestrian crossing ones. I often sit at a junction on a red light when there is almost no other traffic around. meanwhile the engine is running and fuel is being consumed.

3/ Lane hoggers : Apparently this is something the authorities are going to crack down on, and not before time in my opinion.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ating.html

My journey to and from work often involves using the Hayes by-pass, where the speed limit is 50mph for most of it. When conditions allow I like to travel at that speed, but for some reason other drivers think it acceptable to hog the outside ( overtaking ) lane whilst poodling along at 30mph. Why ??

4/ Lane blockers : Similar to the above. The M25 is 4 lanes wide in many places, but for some reason many drivers think its ok to travel well below the speed limit in the overtaking lanes, and stay there. I have lost count of the number of times Iv'e driven along that motorway with 2 inside lanes practically empty, while traffic wishing to move faster is bunched up in the overtaking lanes.

5/ Faulty/ wrong use of lighting : In the last week I seem to have encountered every example of this. Rear fog lights on for no apparent reason. They are blinding in clear weather, turn them off, its not that difficult. As for faulty lighting I was behind a car this week whch resembled a disco, the rear lights were flashing that much. I didnt have a clue if they were turning right, left, braking or reversing.

6/ Pulling out of a junction at the last second : This has happened to me so many times. The road behind me is clear, but for some reason a.n. other has pulled out of a side turning and forced me to brake. Why not just wait that few extra seconds ?

7/ Cyclists and motorbikes : Apparently the Highway Code does not apply to them. They do what they want, then blame the motorist when bad things happen.

I'll leave it at that for now, my rant is over !!

I agree, driving used to be a pleasure, it's all out war now.

That's why I do my own 'flexitime' and hit the Hayes By Pass circa 05:45. It's fairly quiet then but you still get the 70mph+ mob and a load of brake lights at the camera. Don't see the point as I often catch them up by Bulls Bridge lights anyway.

You then sometimes get the idiot who sits in the centre lane at the Bulls Bridge roundabout but is actually turning right into North Hyde Lane, often without indicating. Seen a few near misses there.

I do 20 miles each way each day and I have my route off pat now with certain areas where I can have a 'play' with the idiots.

I've got 2 areas that I've succeeded in causing some joviality at a few times now:

1) M25, junction 11, anti-clockwise. There is a long feeder lane to exit at this junction so the norm is to carefully undertake the convoy of lorries who are on the main carriageway inside lane. The convoy is normally doing about 55-60 and I undertake them carefully at about 60-65. There has been 2 occasions where Mr Tailgater wasn't happy at 55-60 so he pulls out between 2 lorries to try and speed up and pull in in front of me by cutting in between 2 other lorries further ahead. When I spot this I speed up so when he pulls in between the lorries I'm there so he pulls out again to try further on.
On 2 occasions I've seen the car pull out to get ahead but has now missed the junction

2) M4, junction 3, eastbound. Again, the feeder lane to exit onto the Hayes By Pass. I tend to leave a reasonable but not too large a gap between me and the car in front for safety. This scenario involves Mr Speeder spotting the gap and deciding he will race into it. I've now had 3 occasions where the car in front has had to brake and Mr Speeder has been going too fast to slow down enough and piles into the car in front.
Mr Speeder seems to get slightly upset when I pull slowly past on the hard shoulder and give them the 'thumbs up'

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Lets be careful out there !

I love it!

I will happily drive anywhere at any time. I was off the road for 3 months and the minute I was told I could drive again I was behind the wheel

Lane hoggers annoy me as do people who get in the wrong lane and expect me to let them go in front of me (I don't let it happen)

There also seems to be a lot of cars without indicators on the road lately - I'm not a mind reader ..........

we all like to complain about other drivers don't we

That's where I had an accident a couple of weeks ago. I was in the third lane going straight ahead. Taxi in the lane for turning right into North Hyde Road, but decides he doesn't want to wait behind the traffic at the red light so pulls into my lane and hits the side of my car!!! And he had the cheek to try to say it was my fault!!!

I have fun with traffic that comes along the right hand side and wanting to turn left, I dont go flat out just enough to keep them along side and carry them straight on motorways even better.

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Its not always the biggest and the bestest, its them that make the least mistakes.

Taxi drivers are the worst, and Audi drivers. Nearly everytime someone cuts me up or does something stupid it's either a taxi driver or an audi driver. I don't get why people need to drive so fast.

I would like to know what Addison Lee's recruitment policy is, because it certainly isn't based on driving skills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB_gqmY5NPM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4x5huUInw0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyNJ5OqU ... re=related

Speed cameras: These devices are probably the cause of more accidents than they prevent. It seems whatever the speed limit is on a given road, some drivers will see the camera and slam the brakes on even though they are driving at the correct speed.

Learner Drivers : Yes we were all there once, but why do they have to drive so slowly ? In a 30mph zone do 30mph, not 15-20mph. Look in the rear view mirror now and then, you will see a cavalcade of frustrated drivers crawling along behind you.

Wow, they are bad!

I am always patient with learner drivers. They aren't just learning about speed but how to handle a vehical aswell.

I'm patient with Learner drivers too (I taught three of my children to drive) but I wish the instructors would keep them off the busy roads during rush hour until they're a bit more confident at controlling the car.

I went to a family party yesterday afternoon / evening and although I was 20+ miles from home people kept pestering me to drink alcohol. I was happy enough to drink soft drinks and was made to feel I was a party pooper. So strange ...... They knew I was driving too

why do people do that? I have not sipped or sampled any alcohol since I came out of the army in 1950, yet I am looked upon some sort of challenge at Christmas do's, works parties, or whatever it seems everybody wants to get me tipsy, by fair means or foul,so far so good.

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Its not always the biggest and the bestest, its them that make the least mistakes.