Survival Skilz from the 3rd world (or where do those sport car types hang out?)

[AlpinePossum]

So I had a colossally shitty day... so I headed up to the Summit Road here in Christchurch and lay in the grass contemplating the Alps.

Finally I cool down enough and and start heading back along the summit road.

BUGGER ME! A sport car comes whizzing around a blind bend _way_ over the white line! With a bit of a wobble... I survive.

Then another and another and another _all_ WAY OVER THE FUCKING WHITE LINE ON A BLIND BEND!

Whew! Heart racing I continue, more sports cars passing OK on the straight, and then next blind bend. BUGGER ME THEY DOING IT AGAIN! Way over the white line on a blind bend! By this time I'm expecting it and am crawling along hugging the left edge of the road.

But I'm pissed off. Mad as hell.

So I revert to 3rd world tactics. I put my headlights on high and as I approach every blind bend I'm crawling along the left edge tooting my hooter.

It's Impolite, uncivilised, gets me strange looks from the stream of sports cars.... but I live to write this rant.

No, don't tell me to "relax", last time I "relaxed" when somebody came over the white line I was driving an old school landrover.

Three people in the opposing vehicle died and the drivers face was so mashed he couldn't tell me why he came across the white line. SO i'M NOT FUCKEN RELAXED OK?

So anybody know where the sports car club that arranges evening drives along the summit road hangs out? I want to do a little bit of swearing the air blue.

[Thaeos]

this? (http://www.canterburycarclub.co.nz/common/event_detail.php?slno=416)

Pretty much the first thing that turned up in google, no idea if it's what you're talking about. Anyway, that's pretty retarded/reckless.

[R-Soul]

No, don't tell me to "relax", last time I "relaxed" when somebody came over the white line I was driving an old school landrover.

Three people in the opposing vehicle died and the drivers face was so mashed he couldn't tell me why he came across the white line. SO i'M NOT FUCKEN RELAXED OK?



Good 'ol old school Landies -FTW!!- and they say they are dangerous to drive - maybe for others...:first:

[SPman]

Incompetents, who can't stay on their own side of the PUBLIC road, whilst having a fang, four wheels or two, are dickheads who shouldn't be tolerated!

[centaurus]

I agree with you SPman. We have some narrow roads here in Wgn and I've had quite a lot of near misses on both two and four wheels due to idiots that can't keep to their side of the road. They are as dangerous as drink drivers and should be treated in the same way. :2guns:

About a year ago I totalled my car going 25-30kph due to an idiot in an SUV that came around a really tight and blind corner hugging the centre line. I had to choose between smashing into him and smashing into the rock wall on my left side.

[Pete.Viking]

Different but similar topic.. same road and round that area I've seen plenty a cyclist virtually on the wrong side of the road or right in the middle of the lane, so I have been the car driving over the centre line but not by choice. Its one hell of a rock and a hard place when you come into a blind corner to be greeted by a cyclist dead in your sights, you have moments to toss up should I kill the stupid cunt in case it costs the life of my family trying to take a blind corner on the wrong side. I don't think I'll be driving a car up there again but it still concerns me even going up on a motorbike.

[Thaeos]

Different but similar topic.. same road and round that area I've seen plenty a cyclist virtually on the wrong side of the road or right in the middle of the lane, so I have been the car driving over the centre line but not by choice. Its one hell of a rock and a hard place when you come into a blind corner to be greeted by a cyclist dead in your sights, you have moments to toss up should I kill the stupid cunt in case it costs the life of my family trying to take a blind corner on the wrong side. I don't think I'll be driving a car up there again but it still concerns me even going up on a motorbike.

You could always just slow down and drive behind them until you are able to pass safely.

[Shadows]

So anybody know where the sports car club that arranges evening drives along the summit road hangs out? I want to do a little bit of swearing the air blue.

For more details please contact: Allan Coker Phone: 355 4089 / Mobile: 027 255 2669 / e-mail: allan.coker@telecom.co.nz (allan.coker@telecom.co.nz)

[Laxi]

You could always just slow down and drive behind them until you are able to pass safely.

agree with that 1 100%! had a head on with a logging truck a few years back cause the prick decided to cross the centre line to pass a couple of cyclists rather than brake, 1 inch further over and he would have killed 5 people:angry2:

[Pete.Viking]

agree with that 1 100%! had a head on with a logging truck a few years back cause the prick decided to cross the centre line to pass a couple of cyclists rather than brake, 1 inch further over and he would have killed 5 people:angry2:

When you can't see said tosser until you're into the corner peeling off 30ish km in 5m to wait behind them isn't entirely possible. Yes braking would be preferable tho

[Laxi]

When you can't see said tosser until you're into the corner peeling off 30ish km in 5m to wait behind them isn't entirely possible. Yes braking would be preferable tho

if you cant stop within the distance you can see, whos the tosser?

[carver]

oh, so that was you?i was in the white RX7

[Pete.Viking]

if you cant stop within the distance you can see, whos the tosser?

Ok so obviously I didn't make the actual situation clear, visibility is fine most of the time theres a few straights but lots of almost hairpin corners which means for a handful of corners between the side of a hill and bushes you can't see whats actually in the corner until you hit it. I'm talking about going round a 35k corner (just over 90degree so relatively long corner) at on about the recommended speed, travelling uphill, encountering barely moving road user in the middle of my lane. I see what you're getting at but I don't think going any slower is really at all practical in terms of maintaining necessary momentum to mount the uphill/cause accidents by infuriating other road users, so my solution is to avoid the stretch of road for safety's sake. Summit Rd is fine since its not so tight and narrow.

[george formby]

Tight, windy roads & wild driving or large vehicles (campervans!) will always make you pucker. Going over the Mangamukas & meeting a twin trailer logging truck running wide to avoid the sheer banking on the hairpins always makes me skip a beat, regardless of what speed I'm riding at. I would get a shock sat on the verge eating a sandwich.

[JMemonic]

Ok so obviously I didn't make the actual situation clear, visibility is fine most of the time theres a few straights <snip for the sake of it>

You wont win this one mate the guys you are attempting to give a little insight into the road and its conditions will most likely never ride the road and has no idea how bad it can be to come around a corner on a 100kph listed road at a moderate 50-70kph and find cyclists 4 across taking up the entire road. I actually suspect the individual is a Lycra lout hence the defence of their position on the road but should they ever take the time to have a look at this road and the situation there they might agree it is high time the police did an exercise there and on the Lyttelton Sumner road and start laying prosecutions for some of the inappropriate and seriously dangerous behaviour and disregard for the laws/conditions.

[Shadows]

I actually suspect the individual is a Lycra lout hence the defence of their position on the road but should they ever take the time to have a look at this road and the situation there they might agree it is high time the police did an exercise there and on the Lyttelton Sumner road and start laying prosecutions for some of the inappropriate and seriously dangerous behaviour and disregard for the laws/conditions.

Tui, anyone?

[JMemonic]

Tui, anyone?

Unfortunately this is probably the case.

[slofox]

Ahhhhh...Summit Road. I cut by biker teeth up there, many years ago now. Riding that road was how I learned to corner, to relax and let the bike do the work, to trail brake as well...them were the days.

Not too many sports cars cutting the corners when I was up there. The worst I had happen was riding it at night once. The headlight went out half way round a looong corner, with a million foot drop on my left and a million foot cliff face on my right. That one required very careful braking (fairly quickly as I recall) without allowing the bike to alter its route through the corner - in the pitch black of a moonless, overcast night...

That smartened up the old knees a little...