h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For some of the best examples of driving politness you should visit Nottingham. Most of the drivers ignore stop and give way signs, the use of indicators is a myth and it is a mystery which side of the road they are meant to be driving on.

Alternatively, just look at motorcyclists and bicyclists for outstanding rudeness. Motorcyclists insist on undertaking you three inches from your car just where you cant see them and cyclists whinge about not being given proper respect on the roads despite the fact that they continuously jump zebra crossings and drive on the pavement at red lights. Also, motorcyclists have got a great habit of cutting through the middle of jams until they can't get any further, so then they get in the queue a millimetre in front of you. Grr.

"Also, motorcyclists have got a great habit of cutting through the middle of jams until they can't get any further, so then they get in the queue a millimetre in front of you. Grr."

It's called filtering, and it's a requirement for passing the UK motorcycle driving test.

*blink*

Is it?

I seemed to get through OK without any filtering (although if you take your test in London, I don't suppose you have much choice )

i dunno what all this 'filtering' malarkey is i dont recall it in my test.As far as i can see 'biking' is a good excuse to dress up in pretend leather racing suits and scare the hell out of old lady drivers or anyone else who cant be bothered to look in their mirrors.More power to them i say!!! eh what?

Perhaps you could elaborate to BMW and Range Rover drivers as to what an indicator is. The lights are there, but I'm not sure if there's an instrument in the car that switches them on.

Also, if filtering involves undertaking and squeezing infront of a car that ultimately has to throw the anchors on, can I ask if you have to do your instructor a really good favour? Filtering you say? Whatever.

I believe the lights are connected to a special diagnostic connector, which is only used during the MOT.

Some versions have a hazard warning light switch to make all four flash, but no indicator switch. This is so that the driver can abandon the car in the middle of the road, during rush-hour, while (invariably it's a 30-something woman) she walks her children the remaining 25 feet to the school.

These women who invariably stop 25 feet from their childrens schools have (almost every time) only traveled a further 25 feet from their own homes. DO THEY MISS THEIR CARS that MUCH?? Some one to watch out for in the UK are lorry drivers from Ireland they "see" the car that you are in but still pull into your rear near side causing considerable damage to thier lorry but not much to the car (isn't life fun?)

And these women who get in their cars to drive their children to school all of 25 yards down the road... have you noticed they all drive 4WD's but are scared to park them on the pavement like the rest of the parents dropping their kids off?

If you insist on buy an off-road vehicle to drive the kids to school and do the shopping... take the bloody thing off-road!!!!!

grrrrrr... can you tell I live near a school and it takes me half an hour to get out of the street on a morning?

People are not bad drivers till you yourself the good drivers think them to be a bad driver, but you yorself are a bad driver if the bad drivers think you to be one. Therfore we are nither bad nor good drivers but all individuals.
Reagards The Twig

What's this? Some kind of philososososososophy?

Twig, what on earth do you mean?

I believe it is indeed legal for a motorbike to 'filter' between two lanes of traffic, but only if all the cars are stationary, i.e. if there is a traffic jam. When the traffic is moving, by law motorcyclists, and all their stupid clothes, must stay in lane and obey the same laws as everyone else (no undertaking for starters)