I know its wrong legally, I know it winds folk up however my safety comes first and going thru on red 30 seconds before the green makes me safer

And by doing this TJ you’re giving us all a bad name. So it’s okay for you to tell others not to speed but if you want to run a red light when it suits you then that’s okay?

In which case why the OP’s strong desire on this occasion to use the parent and child space anyway?

He didn’t. He parked in another part of the car park. He did say all the P+C’s were taken but didn’t say he wanted one. He was being extremely public spirited in trying to ensure they stayed free for people who did need them.

No the OP’s post was fairly clear in the way that it was written that when he arrived all the P+T spaces were taken so he parked elsewhere.

The likelyhood is that if a P+T space was free then he’d have parked in it, despite because of sleeping child and wife remaining in car then not really needing to use the space as intended i.e. to unload single or multiple children from a car.

Sounds like his own worse hypocrite!

Not if you drive properly there isn’t. Leaving proper distance between vehicles and remaining observant.

Not always the option though is there – leave a safe gap infront and some muppet instantly fills it, so drop back and same again happens.

If I’m driving at 100+ and there’s traffic ahead then it’s really easy to maintain an good safety margin by slowing down to pass this then speed up once road is clear again.

Far more risk and less time to react to stuff driving nose to tail at 50mph round one of those busy average speed motorway sections than there ever is driving at 100mph on a quiet section of motorway in good visibility. With the inverse logic being shown on this thread perhaps some of you should suggest avoiding all congested 50mph areas.

What I just don’t get is that tho OP said that his daughter with him at the time was 3 years old, she was also asleep – presumably left in the car with his wife as sleeping 3 year olds are a little heavy to carry and tend to wake up once removed from a vehicle?

In which case why the OP’s strong desire on this occasion to use the parent and child space anyway?

Dark Side, can you not understand that some people just don’t like being told what to do by someone who A – doesn’t have the authority to do so, or B – presents themselves as a self righteous sort? Can you understand why your attitude might have antagonized the bloke who may have been having a bad day perhaps?

I’m sure we all do things each day that others don’t like (e.g. briefly cycling on the pavement or letting our kids behave a bit too boisterously in a restaurant) but they’re hardly crime of the century are they? Let it go man!

Okay so sounds like in this instance the guy wasn’t the nicest chap but you need to be careful out there. I know quite a couple of people who would have punched your lights out without hesitation the moment you called them a prick!

That’s cos it’s bad driving mate.
Trying to justify speeding = spouting nonsense.

Really, can you please explain how doing 100mph on a very quiet motorway in good dry, clear conditions, in a well maintained modern car (with in my case a maximum speed of 180mph) is bad driving?

Equally are you able to grasp the concept that even driving at 20mph (below the 30mph limit) might not be a good idea outside a school at closing time or down a road with busy bars on late at night?

virtually every time I pointed out the parent and child spaces were for parents with small children someone would blurt out some bullshit excuse – instantly.

Do they have to give you a real excuse? Are you the police?

Yes, by all means concoct 50 possible excuses a selfish tosser might have on the tip of their tongue in case they get pulled up.

Wow, never before have I met someone who can 100% know what’s going on in a strangers life, what sort of day that stranger is having having only just glimpsed them for a few seconds. Amazing, that’s a rare talent you have there. Perhaps you should consider becoming a Psychic?

JimJam, shall I list perhaps 50 other possible reasons why he might have parked there and as you were clearly there and witnessed the whole thing, perhaps you could disprove those too?

You don’t know why he parked there, neither do I but my point is jumping in and calling him a prick is simply assuming the worst. Perhaps the OP should have first asked the bloke what demons he may have been fighting that day before he passed judgement?

What you playing at agent007, a month ago you were complaining that wheelie bins made it difficult for people with pushchairs, now you seem to have less concern for them?

This has zero to do with this and everything to do with the fact that the OP had no idea why the stranger in the Porsche had parked in that space.

Maybe he was a prick, equally though maybe he had just dropped his hard of walking gran off at the store, maybe he hadn’t realised what the space was (in a low slung car it’s more difficult to see the symbol on the ground painted directly infront of the car), maybe his mobility isn’t great and he needs extra space to open this doors and climb out of his car etc, etc.

So there’s a multitude of reasons why the guy might have parked there and only one of these is that he’s a prick. Yet the OP felt it more appropriate to wade in anyway, assume the worst and verbally abuse the guy! Nice work OP!

They are but you’d have to have had kids to understand that (along with just how hard it is).

Just how hard, really? When my two were young most supermarkets didn’t even have these parent and child spaces. Yet we seemed to manage perfectly fine despite having a 3 door Peugeot. Don’t remember it ever being that much of a hasstle!

but my moral compass points towards more consideration for others.

What like not calling a random stranger you don’t even know ‘a prick’?

He carried a small carrier back to his Porsche 911

Aha, perhaps it was simply the 911 that made the OP see red. Guys a prick clearly :roll:

Because he’s inconsiderate/selfish?

But how do we or the OP know? Perhaps his kids were in the store with their mum. Perhaps he has mobility issues or chronic pain but is not yet in receipt of a disability badge. Did the OP ask this before shouting ‘prick’ at him?

I make a point of glowering at people on their own parking in parent and child spots. They’re just the same selfish entitled pricks that make life a bit rubbish for the other 95% of decent people.

oooooh get you !!!

Well, if nobody ever tells a prick that they’re a prick they’ll just keep at it won’t they

And why is he a prick, for all you know he or a family member in the store could have had an injury and have been in a lot of pain walking or similar so that’s why he parked near the store. There’s a multitude of other reasons why he might be parked there.

I’ve parked in these spaces plenty of times when I’ve had to load something heavy and bulky (that’s not a child) into the side doors meaning that they need to be fully opened. If the OP had seen me getting out of the car in this situation to go into the store would he have called me a prick too?

so many people happy to exceed an often already too high speed limit

Speed limits haven’t increased since cars had zero safety features, drum brakes and crossply tyres all round. Speed limits on motorways should be increased if anything.

GPS controlled speed limiters in cars, a bit big brother but probably the only way to cure selfish driving

And there we go again, someone who’s been brainwashed into thinking that only speeding = bad driving.

but I had a bit of a go about him parking in a family space

Why would you do that? It’s not like its a Disabled space or something.

Supermarket parent/child spaces are discretionary not mandatory. Just park somewhere else and forget it – did you not enjoy the extra few metres walk, or do you see it as a two tier society where people with kids are somehow more important than folk without?

Not surprised the guy got the hump to be honest after you called him a prick for doing nothing more than going about his daily shopping.

Personally I find the journey much less pleasant sitting behind other people in a plodding queue of traffic, normally driving at least 10mph under the speed limit with many of those drivers seemingly half asleep at the wheel.

Much rather overtake and set my own pace without other traffic infront – far less stressful. People seem to have an increasing reluctance to overtaking these days. In a powerful car overtaking is quick, safe and often enjoyable.

Your reactions are only part of the story – the other part is other people’s reactions to you.

Which is why you should be consistently monitoring other peoples reactions to what you’re doing and what other road users are doing whilst you’re driving.

It also means that you’re not consistent – and consistency is important for OTHER people to judge your behaviour, which improves safety.

OK I’ll bite! Not sure if you’re trying to be difficult but the whole premise behind driving is that you have to assume it’s totally unpredictable the whole time and make allowances for this. If you can’t deal with this or foresee ‘unexpected stuff’ happening (e.g. surprises always seem to happen to you) then you might perhaps benefit from some more training?

I would argue I am very nearly 100% consistent – in that I consistently select a speed that allows me to travel as quickly as possible with a good margin of safety for whatever the given conditions are at the time. Sometimes as stated before that means traveling at well below the legal limit.

Every driver should be capable of doing the same, but those with a lower skill level, a less able car, or perhaps those who are feeling slightly under the weather today might have to adjust their speed downwards accordingly in any given conditions to maintain the same margin of safety.

I think it’s because most people seem to have had it drummed into them by the vocal, misguided and sometimes hysterical anti-speed campaign that rather than ‘good courteous driving, observation and improved driver training makes you a safer driver’ it’s instead ‘not speeding makes you a safer driver’. No surprise then that some councils under pressure from the self righteous local campaigners have reduced limits accordingly.

Regardless to the above I’ll generally drive to whatever speed feels appropriate for the conditions and still allows for a good margin of safety be that 100+ on a deserted motorway (over the limit), or perhaps 10-15 past the local school (well under the limit).

Appreciate that this may leave me liable for the odd fine now and again but with good observation this can be mitigated. Just 2 x speeding fines in 20 years of driving isn’t too bad.

Yes they can do everything and arrange for their own plumber, gas man, electrician etc to turn us as and when needed. Tiling might be an extra which won’t be in the quote from IKEA but you can probably get them to do this too, perhaps for a little bit of extra cash at the end of the job.

Turbulence does get to me, I have been known to be reduced to a quivering, sweating wreck

I’m ok with the mechanics and the noises, its the turbulence and out of control bit that gets me.

Turbulence is nothing more than the air around the plane moving around and the plane moving with it. Aircraft are fully designed to fly safely in severe or extreme turbulence, way beyond the limits that you’ll ever be subjected to on a commercial flight.

For a real experience of turbulence and what it does, spend some time in a microlight or light aircraft, then despite the sometimes violent buffeting, you’ll learn that it really isn’t anything to be feared, and any turbulence you’ll subsequently experience on a modern commercial jet will pale into insignificance by comparison.

Define ‘worst’? Totally subjective, depends what sort of music you like.

Localism taken to the extreme!

you can find complete solitude on the north coast of cornwall in the height of summer. just not within 500yds of a car park

Same car park mid week in October though when the waves are much better . . .

surfing is nothing to admire from afar any longer, its a burned out cliche that whored its soul to the mass market way back.

Bullocks, surfing (the actual surfing part) is the same and just as much fun as its ever been. Okay so it’s a bit busier our there now but it’s still just a board, a person and the ocean. Yet there’s still new breaks being discovered all over the world and you can often find complete solitude and exploration if that’s your thing.

What’s changed is the industry off the water, the marketing and sponsorship behind it. The industries built around selling branded clothing to people who’ve never ridden a surf board in their life. But no need to get sucked into this if all you want to do is ride and not get paid for it.

It’s the same with pretty much every outdoor sport these days, biking included, particularly since the advent of the GoPro, and Red Bull viral stuff has made these things more accessible. I mean just look around any high street – there’s more hi-tech mountaineering clothing being worn on an average shopping Saturday than on a winters day up Ben Nevis!

If this thread starts to get nasty I’m out

Sorry not tying to make the thread nasty, just saying that often the biggest danger in surfing comes not from waves, water conditions or wildlife but from other water users, SUP’s, Kayaks and yes all too often often other surfers, as a mate can testify (all too well thankfully) after by being knocked unconscious in the water by a runaway longboard that another surfer was riding unleashed. Surfing by itself in an uncrowded lineup is a pretty safe sport really provided you know what you’re doing.

SUPs etc have all contributed to increase crowding and reduce the fun out there

Would agree, everyone has a right to be on the water but the big increase in SUP usage in the line out is becoming a real headache for those of us who like to surf more traditionally.

SUP’s can paddle out much quicker, see the waves much sooner and can catch them much further out which means that on my last session they were getting on all the best waves first. See a nice set coming, great get ready, paddle for position, but wait oh bollocks, SUP’s already up on it and heading in my direction!

Even worse, SUP’s paddling for almost every good wave but then not catching them, often ruining the chance for the surfers getting into position in front of them in the process. They’re big heavy things too, don’t turn too well, so you don’t really want to argue with a SUP in the water, only choice is to GTF out of the way!

Oh and don’t talk about Kayaks. A Kayak in the line out can be bloody dangerous (unless they’re super competent) and is normally about as welcome as a hedgehog in a condom factory!

was about to kick him in the head

I don’t think anyone has a problem with you defending yourself, it’s more the ‘kick him in the head whilst on the floor’ part that is the issue.

Wouldn’t bother at the moment – no headphone jack for me is a dealbreaker. Sure you can use Bluetooth but it massively decreases battery life.

Be interesting to see how many people actually have enough deposits and access to finance then, plenty of people are renting as they have no hope of buying so the private landlord could just be replaced by the corporate.

Yes could be, and I think that’s the governments plan, to weed out small time BTL investors and let the big boys survive. Although if house prices do drop (no guarantees here) then they would be much more affordable for the said FTB’s.

Estate agent friend saying he’s starting to have loads of inquiry’s from landlords looking to sell up come spring time when tax situation etc changes. Possibly an awful lot more property on the market by then which could suppress prices so I’d say you’re best selling now if you’ve made up your mind to do it.

Personally I’d give the tenant their two months notice, and also put it on the market at the same time, perhaps offer the tenants some financial incentive to help them with the move and offer to be flexible by a couple of weeks either way to help them complete the process. Remember Xmas is not the ideal time to be handing someone their notice.

Alpin is this you?

You can’t just send them an invoice expecting them to take you seriously.

Like how it works with private parking, to make your invoice valid you’ll have to pre-warn the company that as a condition of continuing to contact you, that by doing so, they agree to pay you an amount of £100 per hour for your time in dealing with their correspondence plus any other expenses incurred. In that way you can keep a track of time spent and then send them a valid invoice which they have already agreed to by continuing the said correspondence.

If you like driving and want a car that handles then just get an estate, Volvo V70/90, A4/A6, Mondeo or BMW 3/5 Series etc perfect. Been time proven to work for families for generations.

If you don’t enjoy driving, want to fit in with latest trends and don’t mind soggy handling and a higher centre of gravity then probably some form of SUV or Soft roader. Sorry I can’t recommend one, they all look the same. Buying a people carrier just admits to everyone that you’ve given up and become de-sexualised (yes even in the eyes of your wife)!

It’s not just cyclists either, pedestrians too. Walking down a narrow lane in the Peaks yesterday and saw an approaching Landrover. The road was fairly straight but with big high verges so I stood to the edge as much as I could. Landrover driver didn’t even lift (or wave thanks) and instead just carried on past with very little room at 30-40mph. One tiny slip and I’d have been under his wheels. Visibility was good, I was wearing red and there was no reason he’d not have seen me in good time.

Would have been nice if he’d have just lifted off the throttle a little, might have been a lot less intimidating being passed closely at 10mph or so. Complete ignorant w*nker of the highest order!

Was it a 4×4 or SUV by any chance?