Stupid drivers.

[mickyron]

Have to have a rant about what happened today. On the way into town I was in a line of traffic and an ambulance was trying to get past, but the moron dehind me in a pickup was totaly oblivious to th ambulance behind him trying to get past him, even though it had siren going and lights flashing. When I started to pull over for it to pass the moron decided to pass me until I made a few hand jestures at him. Then after that the two in front of me did exactly the same thing. Is the whole population of trnc stupid when it comes to driving?
I have seen some stupid things on the roads but this took some beating.

[sophie]

Yes.

[karmels]

mickyron.
In the North now if you do not give way for Police or Ambulance there is a fine, the ambulance has dash cam recorders as have the police.
There is no reason for anybody to block the services doing there duty.

[Hilltop]

I am amazed at the number of times I see a Police vehicle with its full warning lights illuminated toodling along at 50kph while the driver tries to look cool smoking a fag. Their police driver training must last at least a morning, with 4 hours for coffee.

[karmels]

Hilltop.

It is SOP for the police to have the blue lights on, all it tells you is they are on duty.

[cjtill]

you must realise that anyone behind you is history, and should be discounted.
The only important issue is the vehicle in front, which is the next target for overtaking\cutting-up.
As there are no exceptions to this rule-of-the-road then he was well within his rights to keep ahead of the ambulance.

[eyebob94]

Oh dear, If this isn`t tongue in cheek, you are one prize moron

[frontalman]

Are you American Eyebob? Don't you get irony?

[CatalkoyChris]

So the guy behind behaved like a d*ck! Get over it, keep out of their way and let them get on with it, A to B is not a competition you know.

[flowerfairy]

I pulled away from traffic lights on the bypass the other day, in the middle lane. A young girl in a suped up whatever was so close
to my rear end, I could virtually see that she had a blackhead on the tip of her nose!!
I accelerated to enable myself to pull in, but the car along side me, (an older driver) also accelerated and tried to stop me overtaking him.
I was totally boxed in. Soooo dangerous, if only they realised that I had my family in the car with me, my daughter and my grandchildren!!!!
So it isn't only the young and the ''locals'' that drive like plonkers.

[Art]

And how about the young girl infront of me this morning -she decided to almost stop without any notice.

As I passed her she was busy on the phone texting and paying absolutely no attention to her driving.

These drivers are not only idiots -they are dangerouse!

[waddo]

Well, at least you are all looking out for them and driving defenceivly, well done for that. The next step is to keep your cool at all times!

[Art]

Thanks-Sometimes I feel I'm constantly "driving through the gauntlet" over here and as you say you have to drive very defensively .
Sadly I don't see any improvement until the police a/ set an example and b/ start to execute the laws which are at there disposal but for some reason they turn a blind eye.In the meantime loss of life will continue to devastate the families and friends of those who may not be returning home tonight-it's so needles!

[thornaby]

In general, the standard of driving by the locals is crap!
Hardly ever will I return home without seeing another example of stupid, inconsiderate, crazy or downright dangerous driving.
Walking through Lamar (Karakum) car park the other day, saw a young woman driving, phone in her hand and two small children "floating" around one in the back one in the front!
Are these people just stupid?

[Mollie the cat]

yes!

[sophie]

I'm sure I will be shot down in flames in my views that I've had for 10 years of living here but I'm convinced the attitude to death is different from ours. I'm not suggesting for one single second that a loss of a child or a parent or whoever is not deeply felt by individual familes, its more the case that "when its your time, then its your time". However, the huge downside to this attitude is, if and when you take someone with you and "its not their time" I do know some "intelligent" European University educated locals, who are as horrified as we are by the standard of driving and despair as to how it can be changed.

[meldy]

Maybe it could be changed if the driving test was a bit more realistic. A friend's daughter sat her test here recently and I was horrified at how little she had to do to pass. Examiners obviously get easy money.

[flowerfairy]

why do you think the bad driving is all down to the ''locals''??? it wasn't a ''local'' that prevented me from pulling in??????
I, have always kept to the speed limit, in Uk and here. I must admit that sometimes the slowness of some drivers could
contribute to accidents.

[thornaby]

Flower fairy,
We may see examples of bad driving by some ex pats but it pales in to insignificance when compared to the general standard of local drivers. I don't think a single one of them would have passed a U.K. driving test.

[Groucho]

Flowerfairy you don't have to overtake to pull in... you can slow down and pull behind the car next to you if that's safer than speeding... If somebody is up to your rear bumper don't feel the need to put your foot down - just ease off and pull in let them rush off up the road and have their pyrrhic victory... i.e. an accident further into their journey.

[flowerfairy]

If it were only that simple Groucho, the girl with the blackhead on the end of her nose was so close, I put my hazards on to let the inside driver know that I either wanted to pull in behind, or in front. I could do neither, as the car on the inside kept level with me.You had to be in the car to realize the situation.
If they found it amusing, I didn't. If I wanted to use more speed, I could have, as I have 3 Ltrs under my bonnet.

[mickyron]

All I will say is I hope the stupid morons never need to get to hospital in a hurry in an ambulance.

[iancrumpy]

I too see more instances of poor driving by locals than by non-locals.

However, that's proportionally what one would expect - even in the Lapta/Alsancak area there are probably more than 5 times(?) more cars owned by locals. It's not just a factor of population, but of car-ownership within the family - generally if two people work (or go to university) in a TC household then there are two cars, if three people work then three. Many(some?) of the Brits not permanently resident here cope without a car ... and those that are permanently resident here normally have just the one.

[Groucho]

If it were only that simple Groucho, the girl with the blackhead on the end of her nose was so close, I put my hazards on to let the inside driver know that I either wanted to pull in behind, or in front. I could do neither, as the car on the inside kept level with me.You had to be in the car to realize the situation.
If they found it amusing, I didn't. If I wanted to use more speed, I could have, as I have 3 Ltrs under my bonnet.

Slow right down then - the car behind will have to stop eventually.... it lets them know you think they are too close.
I know you've got a Jag... if you want to go slow why not drive in the left-hand lane? Then the idiots can do whatever they want without involving you in their mentality...

[Groucho]

I too see more instances of poor driving by locals than by non-locals.

However, that's proportionally what one expect - even in the Lapta/Alsancak area there are probably more than 5 times(?) more cars owned by locals. It's not just a factor of population, but of car-ownership within the family - generally if two people work (or go to university) in a TC household then there are two cars, if three people work then three. Many(some?) of the Brits not permanently resident here cope without a car ... and those that are permanently resident here normally have just the one.

That does not account for virtually every second car driven by a local on the phone with kids on the loose and a fag on the go whilst one arm dangles out of the window Ian.... The number of local drivers flouting what are regarded as good driving practices is disproportionately high and there is no excusing it...
I'm not anti-local I'm just anti rubbish driving

[Groucho]

If it were only that simple Groucho, the girl with the blackhead on the end of her nose was so close, I put my hazards on to let the inside driver know that I either wanted to pull in behind, or in front. I could do neither, as the car on the inside kept level with me.You had to be in the car to realize the situation.
If they found it amusing, I didn't. If I wanted to use more speed, I could have, as I have 3 Ltrs under my bonnet.

Slow right down then - the car behind will have to stop eventually.... it lets them know you think they are too close.
I know you've got a Jag... if you want to go slow why not drive in the left-hand lane? Then the idiots can do whatever they want without involving you in their mentality...

Sorry folks forgot to add the quip in answer to " I could have, as I have 3 Ltrs under my bonnet" by not asking, Red or White?

[flowerfairy]

I don't quite see the relevance of telling all the type of car that I drive. The reason I mentioned the 3 Ltrs was to prove the point that
I didn't want to speed to get out of the situation that I was in.

[Groucho]

I don't quite see the relevance of telling all the type of car that I drive. The reason I mentioned the 3 Ltrs was to prove the point that
I didn't want to speed to get out of the situation that I was in.

so you don't want to go faster and you don't want to go slower but you are in the right-hand lane.... and somebody is blocking you from moving over - Nope - I can't see anywhere for you to go then.

[jofra]

As a holiday visitor/driver (two weeks for each of the last three years), I haven't been too worried - a (TC) friend explained what driving was like - "you can't be timid..." - and I've had no problems. I've concentrated on watching out for "unusual" behaviour and avoiding other road users, and left the "avoiding of me" to others - it seems to have worked!
Of course, perhaps the fact that I'm in a car with red (Hire car) plates might frighten the residents off....?

[muffin]

Saw the very worst piece of dangerous driving yesterday afternoon. Was waiting in a stationery queue of traffic in the area by the shops etc opposite Lemar Karakum. A black pickup truck was too impatient to wait for the traffic to move and drove straight up the middle of the road overtaking about 20 cars. It could have caused a major accident as there is a dedicated right turn lane into Lemar but he just drove straight through this - good job no one was stationery waiting to turn right. This area is always a bottleneck with traffic coming from the lights and stopping to visit the various shops and the bank plus exiting from Lemar. He deserves to end up in wooden overcoat whoever he is!!!!!!!!!!!

[rfs52a]

What is even more worrying on the Karakum road outside Lemar is the total disregard for the pedestrian crossing! You really do take your life in your hands when using that one. So many times we have witnessed drivers and riders overtaking at the crossing whilst people are actually on it.

[frontalman]

I think a govt minister recently said that ex-pats don't understand the Cypriot way of driving. I'd agree with that, wouldn't you?

[Groucho]

I think a govt minister recently said that ex-pats don't understand the Cypriot way of driving. I'd agree with that, wouldn't you?

He's right but for all the wrong reasons...
Donkey manoeuvres at breakneck speeds

Again some idiot, in the this case a govt minister, thinks poor driving practices should be regarded as somehow quaintly Cypriot.... what a donkey.

Witnessed what could have been a very nasty accident at the Lemar speed camera at Catalkoy today... girl 'only three months in the saddle' decided it would be a good idea to pull out from Lemar turning right in front of an enormous lorry (not speeding) in her nearly new Mini... oops big dent!

No one hurt this time but who taught her to drive...

Oh how we do not understand Cypriot driving - well they don't - so why should we....?