P.B. Close-shave record...

[Max Preload]

Fuck you. Some of us don't have a choice.

I agree with Xerxesdaphat. That's not on old bean. Grow up and be an adult.

When you two ladies have nearly been wiped out as many times as I have by a bus indicating left and pulling right into your lane, you'll feel the same way. And until that day, bite me.

[Swoop]

The time of anyone taking a bus is clearly next to worthless or they'd be driving to their destination.

Some people wonder why Auckland has traffic problems...

Is there actually a driving test in this country?

It dosen't matter if the haven't decyphered the "rode code"... Most of them would require the use of an Enigma Cypher machine for that.

...a BUS in the 'fast' lane appeared to deliberately move over to stop me coming through. I could devine no other cause for this move.

Perhaps the spherical operator, of said bus, was reaching for another bucket of KFC to nibble on as a snack?

[jrandom]

My worst heavy-traffic experience in Auckland so far has been what happened two weeks ago, when a greasy State Highway 16 rose up and smacked me in the thumb. There was a car less than a kilometer away at the time.

I blame the Asians.

[Max Preload]

Some people wonder why Auckland has traffic problems...

Not me. I understand cause and effect. The Auckland public transport is not shit because people take their cars - people take their cars because Auckland's public transport is shit.

For decades the government has taken money from the motoring public under the guise of being used to improve our roads and spent it on shit like paying the most useless members of society to breed equally useless members of society or just to stay home getting drunk on DB, and frequently both. It's called "user pays" or more correctly "user pays and gets fuck all in return". Also, if the money collected in Auckland was spent in Auckland not provincial shitholes with 1 person per km of road, there would be no traffic problems in Auckland and the rest of the country would have the dirt tracks their contributions paid for. Don't get me started on the reduction of tourism such dirt tracks would have either - tourism is a whimsical bullshit industry - what we need to do is say "Fuck off" to all the eurpoean backpackers seeing the country on a dollar a day and get a better class of visitor and some proper industry.

But I digress.

[Steam]

I understand cause and effect.

No, no, I don't think you do.

1. A bus driver nearly hits someone
   
2. You intentionally drive/ride in order to piss off bus drivers because of (1)
   
3. Bus drivers become angry and drive worse because of (2)
   
4. Repeat cycle from (1) into infinity

[Max Preload]

No, no, I don't think you do.

1. A bus driver nearly hits someone
   
2. You intentionally drive/ride in order to piss off bus drivers because of (1)
   
3. Bus drivers become angry and drive worse because of (2)
   
4. Repeat cycle from (1) into infinity

Except that's not what happens in reality, but in your vacant head.

1) Bus driver drives like a prick, making manouvres that are hazardous to other road users. Example: switching on your indicators does not mean all other road users must yield.
2) I show them the same lack of courtesy they display but obey the rules of the road at the same time.
3) They get fucked off like the people they do it to. Some of them might think of their actions - most won't.

When they lift their game, I'll begin to show them the same consideration they show me. Until then, fuck 'em.

[more_fasterer]

My worst heavy-traffic experience in Auckland so far has been what happened two weeks ago, when a greasy State Highway 16 rose up and smacked me in the thumb. There was a car less than a kilometer away at the time.

I blame the Asians.

1) Bus driver drives like a prick, making manouvres that are hazardous to other road users. Example: switching on your indicators does not mean all other road users must yield.
2) I show them the same lack of courtesy they display but obey the rules of the road at the same time.
3) They get fucked off like the people they do it to. Some of them might think of their actions - most won't.

When they lift their game, I'll begin to show them the same consideration they show me. Until then, fuck 'em.

Having been blindly driven into by a bus jockey on multiple occasions both in cage & on bike, I'm right with you on this one. Even when I was sitting right beside the driver's window, with my cage's horn blaring through his open window, he still "failed" to see me and kept moving.

It's the awful truth (Ha! See what I did there? Did ya??) that most of these predominantly empty buses are driven without respect for other road users. So I'm quite happy to return the favour - as the saying goes, treat others as you'd have them treat you.

[90s]

Have to say that although I feel bus drivers often are fairly irresponsible that I treat them courteously - and not only because they are usually fuck-times bigger than me.

A bad driving culture only will perpetuate itself unless people try to make a difference. I can't see the awful-truth agreeing with this, but maybe if he had (and maybe he has) driven in countries with good driving cultures as I have he' realise he could have it so much better - if only we all tried a bit.

(note - yes I understand cause and effect, in fact I can model game-theory applications any way you want. You can play the zero-sum game and argue this is reality, but I do not agree. And I don't want to live that way either.)

[Max Preload]

A bad driving culture only will perpetuate itself unless people try to make a difference. I can't see the awful-truth agreeing with this, but maybe if he had (and maybe he has) driven in countries with good driving cultures as I have he' realise he could have it so much better - if only we all tried a bit.

That's where you're wrong - I used to be a naive idealist like you but I've largely been cured of that particular affliction. To hell with "do unto others" - that doesn't work. Now I'm trying to give the cunts a taste of their own medicine.

I used to be one of the most courteous drivers/riders on the road. I'd stop short of driveways and slow to create adequate gaps, flash my lights and in other ways indicate to people to go in front of me and join the flow of traffic and for the most part they weren't even concentrating on the fucking task at hand, off in their own dreamworld, staring pointlessly in the wrong direction (that is, the direction with no vehicles instead of looking for the gap from the other direction). And I'd often get stuck behind these muppets unneccessarily as I'm sure you do to. And it pisses me off because if they're so unalert, why are they even allowed on the road? Even when they do make take the opportunity I provide them, they rarely acknowledge my effort.

So I'm sure you can understand why I'm now leaning to the conclusion "why fucking bother?". Why not just join the minion drongos and say fuck everyone else and just pretend they don't even exist? The only thing that has stopped me from completely collapsing to their level is guilt. I feel guilty if I'm overtaking in the right lane on the motorway and someone behind me wants to go faster but I can't move over fast enough because the clown who just entered the motorway left the onramp at barely 80km/h and shot straight into the right lane forcing me to slow.

The fact is most drivers in NZ are completely oblivious to all other road users - police cars and ambulances with screaming sirens and flashing lights can sit on their ass for what seems like an eternity and they don't even fucking realise while I've seen them coming for literally hundreds of metres (no exageration) and moved over to let them through.

So you'll excuse me if I think it's largely no longer worth the effort to be overly courteous and instead I just follow the regulations. Experience has lead me to outgrow my former youthful idealism and I've grown into a realist. Most other drivers don't give a flying fuck about anyone else, so why would I. And in any case, karma is the philosophy of losers.

[90s]

That's where you're wrong - I used to be a naive idealist like you ... Now I'm trying to give the cunts a taste of their own medicine... And I'd often get stuck behind these muppets unneccessarily as I'm sure you do to... So I'm sure you can understand why I'm now leaning to the conclusion "why fucking bother?". Why not just join the minion drongos and say fuck everyone else and just pretend they don't even exist? ... The fact is most drivers in NZ are completely oblivious to all other road users ...
So you'll excuse me if I think it's largely no longer worth the effort to be overly courteous and instead I just follow the regulations. Experience has lead me to outgrow my former youthful idealism and I've grown into a realist. Most other drivers don't give a flying fuck about anyone else, so why would I. And in any case, karma is the philosophy of losers.

Sure, I agree with your experiences and reaction. And just for the record I wouldn't put myself up as a "young idealist". I am off to see the Cure tonight and I first saw them live in '88 (notsalgia trip I know) - incidently the year I got my first full. I am quite far from being a hippy too, although I admit I am a (proud) Latte Westie now.
20 yrs on the road has made me feel as you do much of the time. Part of the problem or part of the solution is my philosophy - nothing to do with Karma.
Sure many other people - some days it feels like most - are pricks, but I'm not. (or at least not whilst driving/riding).
Maybe I'll give in. I hope not. I can see where you are coming from, but I'm not going there. At least not yet.

So next time I cut you up to get 3m ahead in traffic that's going nowhere without indicating you can be happy - you were right, and I was wrong.

[90s]

Oh, naive idealist - not young. Guess I was thinking about my old age.
Idealist - sure. Naive, no. No one that drives like an idiot gets there faster than I. Reacting any other way would not satisfy me or get me ahead. My petty victories would not register on the idiots - so why bother with that?

[Max Preload]

So next time I cut you up to get 3m ahead in traffic that's going nowhere without indicating you can be happy - you were right, and I was wrong.

That's the difference. I would never not indicate. I pretty much follow ALL regulations religiously, bar speed.

[discotex]

Have to say that although I feel bus drivers often are fairly irresponsible that I treat them courteously - and not only because they are usually fuck-times bigger than me.

A bad driving culture only will perpetuate itself unless people try to make a difference. I can't see the awful-truth agreeing with this, but maybe if he had (and maybe he has) driven in countries with good driving cultures as I have he' realise he could have it so much better - if only we all tried a bit.

It's not just driving 90s. It's everything. When I was in San Francisco in Feb I was blown away at how polite the average person was compared to Auckland.

People automatically walk on the right on the footpath so they don't walk into each other - try that on queen st!!

If you're anywhere near a queue for something but aren't clearly lined up people will ask "are you in line?" before they assume you're not waiting and cut in.

It's fucking surreal and it puts us to shame. On the other hand literally no-one will give you the time of day walking down the street - guess the risk of mugging is too high.. That and homeless people everywhere begging for spare change.

That's where you're wrong - I used to be a naive idealist like you but I've largely been cured of that particular affliction. To hell with "do unto others" - that doesn't work. Now I'm trying to give the cunts a taste of their own medicine.

On the bike I'm pretty much in the fuck them mode too. You pretty much have to own the road in Auckland. If you make the mistake of assuming people will obey the road rules or treat you like you're another living human you're dead.


Unfortunately we seem to be past the point that you can make a difference with your own behaviour. Too many people drive/act like total fuckers now. I do my best to not make it worse but I no longer feel guilty when I happen to be a less than model citizen - on or off the road.

[90s]

It's fucking surreal and it puts us to shame. On the other hand literally no-one will give you the time of day walking down the street - guess the risk of mugging is too high.. That and homeless people everywhere begging for spare change.

Yo got that right. Last time I was there work put me up in a cheap hotel (read backpackers hostel) next to Union Square - homeless central. TV were filling a report on homeless killings in the hotel lobby, and I had a guy screaming in my face "youre a fucking phony buddy" following me down the street when I didn't give him money.

Still, got to love SanFran and I'd love to ride a bike over the bridge and tour the 'other side'.

[discotex]

Yo got that right. Last time I was there work put me up in a cheap hotel (read backpackers hostel) next to Union Square - homeless central. TV were filling a report on homeless killings in the hotel lobby, and I had a guy screaming in my face "youre a fucking phony buddy" following me down the street when I didn't give him money.

Still, got to love SanFran and I'd love to ride a bike over the bridge and tour the 'other side'.

Hehe I didn't get any of that but I think their anti-panhandling bylaws make begging almost illegal. They were all pretty sweet and it was a handy way to dump all those 1c coins before I jumped in the cab to the airport

Real contrast of a place eh. I wasn't keen on going to the US on principal but as work was flying me business class I couldn't exactly say no. Now I'm kinda keen to head back but Canada and Europe trumps the US still.

And as expected, when I got asked for my ID when ordering a beer a the diner under the hotel the guy sitting next to me sees it and goes "are you a kiwi too?"