Petrolhead getting fed up with driving

[Richard Moakes]

Yesterday was a bittersweet day, headed out for what we expected to be a nice Sunday lunch at a venue hidden away in South Devon, one of those country houses converted into a wedding, lunch, walking venue etc.

Things went wrong pretty much straight away, encountered numerous diversions due to gas and water mains works, sat nav (TomTom, full paid up with live data) wanted me to drive down closed roads, which I will not do on principle, and then due to confusing diversion signs, we ended up on one of those lanes with grass down the middle, that’s when you know you are in trouble. After going round in circles for over half an hour, we gave up and went home.

The state of the roads is getting beyond a joke, there are so many potholes it’s getting dangerous, constantly avoiding holes that will break suspension, crack alloys, ruin tyres etc. All of this on 18” wheels with 55 section tyres and ADS air suspension, and even with all of that my fillings were being rattled out of my head. Add onto this the numerous speed cameras, both obvious and hidden, and don’t get me wrong, I am not going to say speeding is acceptable, and then needing a degree to understand parking terms and conditions, never mind downloading an app where there is no 4G or 5G coverage and you have what can only be described as total warfare on drivers.

If I lived in London, or any other major city, I wouldn’t own a car, there would be no need, but in rural Devon, there is no alternative, trains are crazy expensive, taxis haven’t been the same since covid, and buses are pretty much non-existent, so what are we all supposed to do? I know what the official line is, we should all walk or cycle, but that doesn’t include people with any physical disabilities and isn’t practical for long distances.

I still love working on cars, but I am rapidly falling out of love with driving them, it’s certainly not a pleasure any more, and at the end of every journey you are relieved to be at your destination without damage to your car, a fine of some kind, or stress levels which are bad for your health.

This isn’t about electric vs. Petrol vs. Diesel, the VED we pay isn‘t being used to maintain our roads, drivers are being seen as a way of raising revenue by fines for infringement of Byzantine rules, it‘s getting beyond a joke and making me want to keep my driving to an absolute minimum, now the conspiracy theorist me in wonders if that was the intention of the authorities all along?

 

[Snake Charmer]

I have felt similarly since the first lockdown was lifted, driving standards seem to have declined since then and the road conditions plus roadworks as you say seem to be everywhere. My daily commute is now down to one route from four due to roadworks over the past 18 months.

 

[s5tuart]

I no longer have a car, although I am fortunate enough to have one available if I need one.
The cost and lack of stress benefits are immense.

 

[EmilysDad]

..... the VED we pay isn‘t being used to maintain our roads, ....

it hasn't since 1937

 

[ajlsl600]

Driving is rarely a pleasure today. I got had by variable speed camera on m27 whilst in UK. Didn't see it was raining hard, I was busy looking at all the traffic. No contest. However now they are asking me to prove I am out of UK. Work contact 4 example. I don't hav one I am renovating my own place. I sent a copy of my arrival and departing ferry booking and my carte sejour. What a performance....

 

[SL63 Mark]

Yes, but on the positive side, we had a lovely drive down to Winchester today, very little traffic about, you bring your own fun with you, I find.

 

[DSK]

I’m the same. The enjoyment of driving has been truly stripped from this country for many years. There were many times I’d drive upto Yorkshire just for fish and chips so I could drive even if it had to be a steady motorway jaunt, but it’s in was nice in M5’s and XKRs. Sometimes just going for a drive at 2am knowing the roads would be quite.

This current age of self righteous morons, totally unskilled and seriously stupid drivers with zero roadcraft, mobile speed traps, deadly road surfaces everywhere, uninsured and illegal drivers, cloned cars etc is more about survival than enjoyment.

Bring. in a great position to buy my dream cars, I just know I wouldn’t take them out and therefore I’ve sadly left them, should I change my mind I’ll get one or two but, I don’t take out what I have now and get a local taxi most places.

The roads and people will NOT get better. The world and society has been going down hill for years and and past the point of no return years ago.


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[davemercedes]

The boss and I are in late 70s and I'm now 80. After being nagged by our (adult) kids, we agreed we should move near one of them to have help available in emergences. We had to pick Shropshire or Gloucester and the mighty £ came into play... for years we could have afforded anything we liked in Shrewsbury but prices there have gone gold plated so Gloucester won and we bought a nice but smaller new build house down here.

But oh... the difference... In the midlands we had good fast roads with tons of dual carriageways and links to motorways etc but we moved to Lydney in the Forest of Dean. Nearly everywhere we need to go is 10 miles or more and that usually involves driving on narrow country roads which are remarkably busy. For years I used to enjoy visiting our daughter on odd days but living here permanently has, just as you guys have said. really put me off driving. And that's despite the fact that generally everybody on the roads here is polite etc.

They say the grass is always greener...

 

[fabes]

Mid sized SUV with 50 plus profile tyres are they way forward (sadly) round here.

Our Xtrail is good at dealing with most of what it has to put up with
My E coupe on 19s, less so....

 

[JBell]

The roads down here are degrading so fast, there is virtually no maintenance on them. I was going to swap the X1 wheels to 19" but will keep the 18" because of this.

It is constant pot hole avoidance

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

IMO we’ll all be driving SUVs eventually anything above a 17in wheel won't give a comfortable journey and runflats have only made things worse. Round here a lot of village roads have become commuter rat runs so they are breaking up badly, within a 3 mile radius of where I live we’re lucky to see one short stretch of road ‘resurfaced’ (tar and chippings) a year and that’s done so badly it breaks up within the next two years.

I don’t think the Westminster bubble realise how annoyed the general public are over the state of UK infrastructure, NHS, high taxation and unbridled immigration but they’ll find out later this year - not that the other lot are any better

 

[DSK]

See you have it all wrong….

Pot hole/craters - no problem.
Self righteous idiots - bring it on.
Idiots who risk head on collisions - no sweat.
Cheaper than your typical leased modern junk.
RWD if you like to have fun on occasions.

I am struggling to see why this is not the ultimate daily driver for the modern age….


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[Richard Moakes]

I think this is the answer

 

[Rob.T]

Totally agree, the potholes from Launceston to Bradworthy are diabolical. Have to cross to the wrong side of the road and slow down to about 10 mph at times, still can’t avoid them all.

 

[bc100]

I recently drove from Salcombe to Totnes (18 miles) without a single vehicle in front of me the whole way and not a traffic light in sight! I even put the car in sport+ for a while. This is rare however but it reminded me of days long gone by. I also note that standards of driving are falling and it seems in Devon one doesn't need to use indicators.
The big issue is the state of the roads, including lane and give way markings fading plus the potholes that keep you on your toes.
I’m lucky as I’m retired. I feel sorry for people who have to commute every day.
In my youthful motorbike days in London I used to take a long route to work just for fun Not anymore I suspect.

 

[Snake Charmer]

The most (almost) enjoyable drive for me recently was collecting a friend from Chertsey hospital around 00:30 hrs midweek. I planned on using the M25 for ease and found the J13 sliproad blocked so ended up taking my normal A30 commute towards work.
Due to roadworks, l had to drive straight past my work, the lanes of Virginia Water in the dark were a joy without the morons of my daily commute.

 

[rifiki]

I think this is the answer

View attachment 89869

Had one of these in Saudi Arabia, could eyeball with truck drivers and kamikaze car drivers kept their distance.
I had a red painted front mounted winch with 100ft of 1/2 wire rope. AC on roof, happy days.