It is forbidden to overtake on the right !?

[Ixion]

(Uh , btw, Hi Everyone )

So, this morning I'm pottering down the Southern Muddleway. Right hand lane doing about 90k. Up ahead, next lane to the left, a people mover thing doing about 80k. He seems rather erratic so I'm not really surprised when he tries to move into my lane just as I'm overtaking him .

I was watching him, no look in the mirror, no head turn, just swung over, then indicated. Uh, this place is taken mate.

No big drama, I was sort of expecting it, just move right, throw out an anchor, and blast him with my horns (**EXTREMELY** loud). He gives a startled jump and swings back.

But I was pissed that he didn't even bother to look so I flag him to pull over and stop and go back to give him a few choice words.

He opens the window after a bit of rapping- can't speak a word of English (not Asian, some sort of European). But a guy in back can speak English so he interprets.

I give him a tongue lashing, he's very apologetic ---- BUT (get this) he insists that it is forbidden to overtake on the right - so I was actually in the wrong ! None of them can seem to make the connection that drive on the left means overtake on the right! Tried explaining for a bit , but gave up because I wasn't getting anywhere, so I left him wih a few parting words about following OUR rules.

And then when I looked back in the mirror I saw him pull out straight into the traffic stream without any indication . Lucky the guy coming down on him had good brakes. When I saw that I wished I'd confiscated his keys. I just hope he doesn't kill someone before he goes home.

But seriously, what is it with us allowing people who have never driven on the correct side of the road to come here, jump in a car at the airport and just take off.

(Nah, I'd didn't smash his headlamps - he was more stupid than vicious. I reserve that for real pricks)

Btw - Hi again folks - thanks for the venting opportunity.

[sAsLEX]

welcome to the site, a great place to vent without harming your criminal record!

[Holy Roller]

But seriously, what is it with us allowing people who have never driven on the correct side of the road to come here, jump in a car at the airport and just take off.
.

Welcome aboard
I think you answered your own question. The number of tourists that have taken off on the wrong side of the road to end in tradegty. Riding up 27 one night to find a couple of headlights bearing down on me on my side of the road, flashing my lights wildly and slowing down before the campervan veered back onto their side of the road

[onearmedbandit]

If we make it too hard for tourists to drive over here, we might scare them away [please note sarcasim]. What's a few Kiwi deaths when tourists bring in millions of $$ every year. [please note more sarcasim]

[Coyote]

Wilkommen to the site

Sounds like you handled everything fairly well, you would've been in the wrong if you had smashed his headlights in or taken his keys

[Ixion]

Just tell them to hand them over, and tell them they can collect them at the nearest police station, "once you're fit to drive "

Then take them to the nearest cop shop and leave them with the watch officer. Tell him the owner will be in to collect them "once he's sobered up"

No intent to permanently deprive, so not theft. Actually no offense at all. And since I'd only do it when the "victim" was very much in the wrong, they're in no position to complain. He may have some explaining to do though when he collects the keys. So much the better

Haven't actually smashed any headlights since my Triumph days - been tempted a few times but it's not so easy now I don't carry a massive chain around my shoulders ("Oh I quite understand how you didn't see me mate. It's so easy not to see things. Oops, just like I didn't see your headlamp just now as I was idly swinging my security chain. Just didn't see it mate")

[zeRax]

omg :\
i have alot of foreign friends and yes, i have been in the car with some of them when theyve turned a corner and turned onto the right hand side of the road and continued driving till i prompty stop laughing and tell them to get on the otherside of the road :\ evidently - they did end up having a crash and writing off a car while they were here

and yea its even worse seeing someone turn into you on your lane without them even looking across, its like "o_o......"

[Skyryder]

Suddenly when things go wrong their Englsih stops. Seen this time and time again. Good enough to hire a car.

Skyryder

[T.I.E]

If we make it too hard for tourists to drive over here, we might scare them away [please note sarcasim]. What's a few Kiwi deaths when tourists bring in millions of $$ every year. [please note more sarcasim]

i was told that every road death costs the tax payer about 1 million dollars to clean up paper work cleaning etc. this from a Saint Johns Academy Driving Instructor with many years experiecnce. so is it really viable to have tourists coming over and having a field day killing people?

asian people sorry im getting more and more racsist every day. espically with their driving habits.

i avoid so many near misses and nothing happens. if i get hit then they get a slap on the hand and their relatives pay some sorry money to someone and they go home. if we killed someone over there we would probably get locked up in their prisons.

really sick of it.

what happens when i die and get hit by a stupid forgein person, oh sorry?

[T.I.E]

speed does it really kill? or is it just bad driving?

[Coyote]

asian people sorry im getting more and more racsist every day. espically with their driving habits.

They can make good cars, bikes, ships, vending machines, etc. but whenever theres a irractic driver, it always seems to be an asian. Why is that? Are they mentally unable to control a vehicle?

[Wolf]

...if i get hit then they get a slap on the hand and their relatives pay some sorry money to someone and they go home.

That's called "remorse" - we poor beople without mega-rich parents are a remorseless bunch...

At least we now know how much the life of a four-year-old is worth...

Seriously:
I hate the International Driver's Licence. I found out from a co-worker that all you have to do is have a full licence and pay money to get an international licence - no tests, not even written/oral theory - then you're free to make stupid farking assumptions on other countriies' roads.

Small wonder the tourists that come here cause so many accidents. OK, for the most part they probably do quite well - until they lose concentration or get into trouble and their own country's road rules and driving practices reassert themselves.

I would not want to drive/ride in another country until I had passed their driving test.

Oh, yeah (end rant) Hi Ixion, welcome to the madhouse.

[Waylander]

It's not that bloody hard to remember wich side of the road to drive on. Shit I was driving the day I arrived no lessons or anything and never once came close to having a wreck. I have only read the motorcycle road code and my driving is fine here, most of the rules are just common sense and if peaplethink for the slightest bit of time they can figure it out.


However I do find myself walking to the wrong side of the car to drive every now and then.

[Rainbow Wizard]

speed does it really kill? or is it just bad driving?

It's the stop at the end. I'm with the fast but safe brigade, unfortunatley there exists several other brigades, all in the unsafe mode: Foreigners, teenagers, doddery old gits, those with no awareness of the road ahead or behind, those devoid of attentiveness, and cops!

[saiko]

At least we now know how much the life of a four-year-old is worth...
Damn right, my daughters friend was killed by an assholde Asian student, just in to the country, with a flash car, speeding away from the cops. Mummy & Daddy offered some $ to make it all better...

A 7.62mm round would have given more satisfaction...