[Closed] Drivers - a favour please

hmm, think you'll find any risk mitigation is on you.. but good luck getting the message out!

I’ll pass it on, I might be some time.

I've forgotten how to drive.

There does seem to be a high percentage of nobbers on the road at the moment.

Less general traffic is nice but more tossers isn't...

Agreed, it seems to be delivery drivers and nobs who won't be told anything, ( normally about 4 of them in one car), so good luck with that.

There does seem to be a high percentage of nobbers on the road at the moment

I thought that, but they're always there, just hidden amongst all the other knobbers.

I’ll pass it on, I might be some time.

It'll be faster if you drive, and simply shout out of your window.

It’ll be faster if you drive

Certainly will. They've turned off the speed limits too

I tried, but they were going a bit fast - I don't think they heard me.

Not just drivers, I was cycling to work this morning on a nice wide path 3 cyclists coming other way(one behind each other) moved across path, 7-8 feet gap, and bawbag cyclist at back decides to overtake other 2 as we pass. Some people are just too stupid for everyones own good

I know its infectious but the chance of getting infected by a driver's window being open are slim in the extreme. What if they have air-con running instead which exhausts to the outside air. I think we need to get a sense of perspective here.
Meanwhile...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-52221688

Offer them one of mr Molotov's specials through the window? They can be done for drinking and driving then.

I know some of you think I’m being too cautious. Well yes I am.

if this was true you'd stay at home.

Yes trail rat. the cycling is part of the once a day exercise that we can choose from.
I am at home the other 22.5 -23 hours. Working to help our nhs on my sewing machine. Being cooped up in a small workroom for several hours a day, I need to get out.

Recent research shows that all cyclists are actually symptom-free highly infectious carriers of the disease. Car drivers are being advised to keep a *minimum* of 2m from them to remain safe.

Please be sure to warn any of your car driver friends of the risks they are running.

if this was true you’d stay at home

Like most of us bunnyhop's balancing the mental and physical benefits of getting out for exercise with the increased risk of exposure going out brings, and it's not unreasonable to expect others to respect your space.

Personally I'm less worried about the fleeting exposure from a passing car with its windows open than I am from the family of four ambling slowly past me on a footway but we all have our own peculiar anxieties in these odd times.

Recent research shows that all cyclists are actually symptom-free highly infectious carriers of the disease. Car drivers are being advised to keep a *minimum* of 2m from them to remain safe.

Please be sure to warn any of your car driver friends of the risks they are running.

*likes*

There does seem to be a high percentage of nobbers on the road at the moment.

Less general traffic is nice but more tossers isn’t…

Yeah it didn't take long did it...

The local band of chavs / Roadmen / whatevers are driving around like it's a racetrack at the moment, oh and taking as many residential roads as possible it seems to avoid the Police, who sadly are mostly patrolling the A470 and M4 to stop tourists arriving.

This site certainly attracts some special people 🤪

What was going through your head when you decided to post this? Was it, I know if I post up on a cycling forum used by literally a tiny fraction of the population asking people to tell other people to close their car windows by tomorrow everybody will be driving around with closed windows and I'll be ok again 😂

There are a lot of anxious and frightened people out there swimming in a sea of misleading and poor quality information. There are still many unanswered questions about risks of transmission.

With that in mind be kind, at least one of you sh/could have shown a bit more restraint in how you addressed the OP's worries. This is not a time for ripping on other people's anxieties.

Personally I can understand why the OP is concerned, it's probably not my no.1 worry in this, but ultimately a sneeze out of the window + a close pass at just the wrong time could just be the thing that infects you. Show some sympathy and empathy.

This site certainly attracts some special people

I think you can probably add yourself to the number. Bunnyhop probably has underlying health conditions and will as a result be somewhat stressed.

You may well be ok but not everyone is and maybe a bit of empathy wouldn't go amiss.

MarkBrewer - No thanks for your wonderful insights.

Yes I am anxious atm. I am much older than the average STWer. With low immune system, so yes very anxious. Also I haven't been reading any fake news, only the reality of what's going on, with my best friend putting herself as a nhs worker in danger, to look after people.

I've been on here for many, many years. Prehaps it was foolish to politely ask something, however if by arriving next to someone like me in your car as close as a few centimetres, it could be the difference between it being spread.

This site certainly attracts some special people

You’re complete lack of self-awareness, of all people, when you wrote that shows just how true your statement was.

I did notice while driving home (from my key worker job OK) there were a few cars with their windows open and the driver wearing a mask?
Yes it was a warm day but the said cars were all less than 5 years old.
Did it not occur to them to close the window and use the aircon that probably has a HEPA filter?

@bunnyhop

Plenty of more sympathetic and thoughtful people on here don't let the odd other one grind you down.

We have one of our family in ICU at the minute and we are acutely aware of what a dangerous position many are in.

I wish you safety and good health.

GD

You have a valid point Bunnyhop especialy as some fools might commit a deliberate act to aid spread.

This site certainly attracts some special people

You’re complete lack of self-awareness, of all people, when you wrote that shows just how true your statement was.

This kind of comment is just as bad DD

I wonder how cyclists/joggers are getting on now they can't blow snot out of one nostril?

You can’t? Wished I’d known sooner, can you out of both asking for a friend.

Wear a face mask and it wont be a problem, then rinse it out when you get home.

Bunnyhop, apologies for calling you special. I'll happily admit looking back I was being a bit of a dick towards you there!

But I still stand by what I said about coming on here requesting people keeping their windows shut being pointless. And surely its obvious that going out on what have been the hottest few days of the year so far people are going to have their car windows open? You need to take some personal responsibility for yourself if you're high risk, it's not always upto everybody else to accommodate you. I'm talking about people going about their normal business with windows open there and not the idiots hanging out of them etc

I'm sure I'll get some more abuse now for saying that but nevermind, I've always thought its better to tell somebody the truth rather than trying to be nice and spare their feelings.

Maybe many of the the people doing this simply don’t think about it. This thread could start that thinking process albeit slowly at this time.

A hundred people see it here and stop to think, then tell a family member/ friend who does the same and so on. A recipient of the information writes it on a ‘not spreading the virus blog/ news article’ etc.

Isn’t this how ideas spread.

I wonder how cyclists/joggers are getting on now they can’t blow snot out of one nostril?

I carry a hanky now but I had wondered the same question.  BunnyHop also isn't the first to ask this, there was an earlier thread I think so there is a common concern

When you are in a car you are in a bubble of your own world. At this time you would give a person you walked past a wide berth and you wouldn’t stop beside them. It is easy to drive past someone most of the time with a large gap presently and if you have to stop by them eg at a junction it is not hard to wind your window up.

garage-dweller - all the best to you and your family member. What an awful position to find yourself in.

Also the car driver needs to protect themselves (as oldnpastit so wonderfully put, which really made me laugh).

Yes Mark Brewer - I am taking responsibility for myself and hubby (we ride on a tandem). But I am also thinking about others. As mentioned above it only takes seconds to pull a car window up, but it seems to take days to change a mindset, which in the current situation we all find ourselves is something we all need to do. We all need to help each other out.

If drivers pulling up alongside you at juctions is a concern, just take up the primary position when you come to a stop. It won't solve all your concerns but will help with some.

To try and put your mind at easse, rather than criticise or argue:

Current thinking says that transmission doesn't happen just by walking past someone - you need to be actually interacting, like talking to someone within 1m for 5 minutes to ingest enough virus to catch the disease. (It's a little different in shops because of the number of people - so although you don't interact with people a long time there are a lot of them and the air is still.). So the risk of catching it from passing someone in a car with the window open is vanishingly small.

As mentioned above it only takes seconds to pull a car window up, but it seems to take days to change a mindset

It'll take more than days in this case, it'll never happen. On warm days there will always be people driving around with their windows open whatever happens.

I don't know if you've seen it but there was a good picture posted in a couple of the other similar topics about letting go of the things you can't influence and only worry about the things you can.

Might be worth looking at before you drive yourself mad worrying about things you can't do anything about 😉

What if my windows don't go up ?

What if I'm on a motorbike with an open face helmet?

What if I'm standing by the side of the road waiting to cross at the lights ?

Jesus Trail Rat, were you born that awkward or do you have to work at it?

Mark Brewer - I don't need a lecture thanks. As someone who suffers from anxiety I do know the phrase you have just written. You're coming across as very condescending.

Anyway I am doing something that will help the situation. Something constructive and helpful by sewing for the nhs.

What if my windows don’t go up ?

What if I’m on a motorbike with an open face helmet?

What if I’m standing by the side of the road waiting to cross at the lights ?

Assuming they are electric that's an MOT failure - You've got six months though, better hope it doesn't rain in the mean time

Look the other way

Stand 2 m back from the road - thats a safe thing to do anyway isnt it, with the way some nobbers opperate their vehicles

If by aukward you mean realistic. Then no I wasn't born that way I just through living came to realise that it's not possible to control everyone else I may encounter in my day to day life.

The original post might as well say *part the red sea*

As for the assumption of the cars windows you assume alot. There's a number of car that don't have windows.fwiw my windows go forward and backwards.

You do how ever Highlight a highly self controled solution the op can employ where by they could look away from the open window and achieve the same thing as the motorcyclist.

Is your keyboard broken? 🙂

you assume alot

... and you know what they say about asumption 🙂

they could look away from the open window

If both windows arn't open you would get a ricochet

I don’t need a lecture thanks. As someone who suffers from anxiety I do know the phrase you have just written. You’re coming across as very condescending.

Wasn't lecturing you, and if you know the phrase maybe take some notice of it as at the moment it seems like you're expecting everybody else to make changes to accommodate you 😉

I reckon you need one of these 😂

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

And thanks for all the positive, lovely relies. You've put many folks (cyclists and pedestrians). minds at rest.

If by aukward you mean realistic

No, I meant behaving like a bit of a dick. But I was being diplomatic. Not a concept you are familiar with.

Learn to read a room and try to think a little before you march into threads setting everyone straight.

Water bomb through the open window. Job done.

How has it taken this long? 🙂

Article in The Times says that in London the *average* speed through 20mph zones is now 37mph. The Met say that they’re powerless to enforce it and have basically begged drivers to slow down.

Well, why are they powerless?

The whole Covid thing has highlighted a couple of things to me- hand shaking and driving with your windows down. They're weird things to do.

Why drive with your windows down if your car has aircon? Which it probably will if it's less than ten years old, like most cars on the road. Maybe if you smoke, but you should stop smoking anyway.

As for handshaking, why do I need to touch you if I've just met you? Just say "Hi, nice to meet you".