Adversarial attitude to road use

[paddy]

People get behind the protection of the keyboard and go wild...

[SPman]

What amazed us in Beijing, was how relaxed the traffic was, despite the apparent chaos being displayed all around us. Drivers/riders just got on with it and, as long as there was no physical contact, just seemed to drive around everyone else. Drivers carrying out antics that would result in multiple pile ups, heart attacks, fits of driver and police apoplexy in Aus/NZ, seemed to be ignored, even by the police. (eg, minivan across 2 lanes of 3 lane expressway, whilst turning into an on ramp against the traffic flow, police car drives past and cop barely glances at vehicle. We're having kittens in the back of our minibus and our driver just smoothly drives around the back of him.....)
Amazing.
Paris seemed pretty laid back as well.
Perhaps it's a case of having to get on with everyone else and keep moving, just to get anywhere in these large cities.......people spend all their energy just navigating through the traffic and there's nothing left for ranting at everyone else.

[NDORFN]

What amazed us in Beijing, was how relaxed the traffic was, despite the apparent chaos being displayed all around us. Drivers/riders just got on with it and, as long as there was no physical contact, just seemed to drive around everyone else. Drivers carrying out antics that would result in multiple pile ups, heart attacks, fits of driver and police apoplexy in Aus/NZ, seemed to be ignored, even by the police. (eg, minivan across 2 lanes of 3 lane expressway, whilst turning into an on ramp against the traffic flow, police car drives past and cop barely glances at vehicle. We're having kittens in the back of our minibus and our driver just smoothly drives around the back of him.....)
Amazing.
Paris seemed pretty laid back as well.
Perhaps it's a case of having to get on with everyone else and keep moving, just to get anywhere in these large cities.......people spend all their energy just navigating through the traffic and there's nothing left for ranting at everyone else.

Maybe it's the over-enforcement here in NZ that is causing it. You say in Beijing the police would ignore alot of it, unlike here in NZ where everytime someone sees someone do something illegal or inconsiderate they get angry because they remember the time they did the same and got nicked for it to the tune of several hundred dollars.

[Voltaire]

I've often wondered what it would be like say for example walking down Queen St or any busy pedestrian area and we all carried on like we do in cars....
" Get out of my way you %^&$%# "
" Cut in front of me you $%^^&&"
or gave them the finger if they slowed you down for a few seconds....
Or stopped and abused someone because they passed you on the inside and cut in front.

I also wondered if how people push trolleys around supermarkets is a reflection on how they drive/park.

[NDORFN]

I've often wondered what it would be like say for example walking down Queen St or any busy pedestrian area and we all carried on like we do in cars....
" Get out of my way you %^&$%# "
" Cut in front of me you $%^^&&"
or gave them the finger if they slowed you down for a few seconds....
Or stopped and abused someone because they passed you on the inside and cut in front.

I also wondered if how people push trolleys around supermarkets is a reflection on how they drive/park.

I think the major difference is that when two pedestrians bump into each other it's alot less cost and hassle than when two cars bump into each other.

[Hitcher]

New Zealanders drive like there are only two vehicles on the road: them and that other fucker.

[MSTRS:Me]

New Zealanders drive like there are only two vehicles on the road: them and that other fucker.

Actually, I don't mind the prats on the road. They do have a right, you know. What fucks me off is them being on the same bit, at the same time, as me...

[The Stranger:Me]

Hanlon's razor.

It's worth remembering.

[AllanB]

Drivings in the blood .............

[vifferman]

We suffer from small penis syndrome

Speak for yourself, Sir! Mine is so huge it's sometimes terrifying.

i noticed when riding down south that there was a lot less aggression.

Yeah, I notice that too. It's a delight to fly into Christchurch and drive anywhere: the people generally are not in such a hurry, and it's so much more relaxing. Oh - and they don't seem to break as many rules.

Paris seemed pretty laid back as well.

Paris was pretty crazy - well, at least the Champs Ellyses was; I was fliming as we went around it, and shot a classic piece of footage where there's cars going in all directions, motorcycles fill in the gaps, tilll the whole thing's full up and everyone stops.
No collisions or anger though...

Perhaps it's a case of having to get on with everyone else and keep moving, just to get anywhere in these large cities.......people spend all their energy just navigating through the traffic and there's nothing left for ranting at everyone else.

Perhaps - sort of all being in the same boat or summat.
That happens a little bit here, with people letting others into the traffic flow, but in some ways this is counter-productive, as you've got some people using a whole new set of made-up rules of there own, like not giving way to the right, "the small road gives way to the big road", it's OK to ignore traffic lights and signs (expediency is EVERYTHING!)

Maybe it's the over-enforcement here in NZ that is causing it.

I don't think so - I think it's something in our psyche.
However, I know there is a fairly big groundswell of public opinion (as evidenced by the huge number of tickets handed out) that the focus on speed and speeding is bollocks, and I think people would generally be more receptive to a less punitive and more intelligent safety-based campaign (even though your average NZ driver is an idiot).

[dpex]

Yes.


You also forgot to mention that when we're driving, if someone's going too slow, they're a fuckwit, but if they pass us, they're a dangerous maniac (and we resent them, because it impugns our manhood/womanliness).
I reckon as a nation, we have a bad attitude problem, and it's the root cause of our crap driving.
I've always said it's based on our "pioneering spirit", but that's just something I plucked out of my head (or arse, it's the same thing).
It must be true, and if you don't agree with me, you're a dick.

Jesus H Leprechaun! You entirely missed the point of the original post.

It is clear, as slowfox says, there is actually so little aggressive driving on our roads.

Like slowfox, I've been driving/riding for 40+ years. I can think of perhaps two occasions in say the last 12 months where I saw aggressive driving...aggressive meaning, a driver who purposely set out to interfere with another driver....And both of those were on suburban roads where the assaulting driver got pissed at a lane-splitting biker.

[NDORFN]

Jesus H Leprechaun! You entirely missed the point of the original post.

It is clear, as slowfox says, there is actually so little aggressive driving on our roads.

Like slowfox, I've been driving/riding for 40+ years. I can think of perhaps two occasions in say the last 12 months where I saw aggressive driving...aggressive meaning, a driver who purposely set out to interfere with another driver....And both of those were on suburban roads where the assaulting driver got pissed at a lane-splitting biker.

You sure you're thinking about the right country there old timer?

[dpex]

New Zealanders drive like there are only two vehicles on the road: them and that other fucker.

Here's yet another example of absolute generalised crap.

I do a lot of miles on the road and for the most part I remain utterly amazed that my fellow drivers seem perfectly happy to pootle along, generally adhering to the various laws, and then giving way when they don't have to, and generally acting like civilised persons.

I see most infractions being undertaken by the inane folk who either don't know thr rules, don't care about their lives, and frequently tapping on a cell-phone, reading a bible during rush-hour traffic, or driving a 4X4 beamer, up the motorway, blonde hair and make telling it all, while breast-feeding a baby.

But they're pretty rare experiences, and believe me, to save my skin, I'm watching out for all of them.

But I often ride/drive from Aucks to Rotorua (to fish, of course) and find that 99.99% of drivers/riders are out there, doing their basic things, adhering to the laws, and not causing anyone any grief, and there's never a cop in sight.

Go figure.

[dpex]

You sure you're thinking about the right country there old timer?

Here is an example of the lack of wisdom of youth.

But don't feel too bad. You either develop wisdom or you die during the chase.

And for the record, dying is not necessarily the final parting. Being dead from the neck-down can be pretty bad, or in your case, from the neck up. But it is still a death.

[sil3nt]

In China, so I am told by those who visit there, if you want to cross the road as a pedestrian, you fix your eyes on where you want to get to and just start walking. If you just make steady progress, everyone avoids you. Try that here and see how long you last…Again, there is allowance being made for inconvenience caused and for human imperfection. We don’t seem to be able to do that here. We have a national “anger on the roads” mindset. A very dangerous attitude in my book.

I stopped when i got to here (so havent read any other posts) but this was my absolute favourite part about China Crossing the road was an awesome adventure everytime