i'm a terrible car passenger

Baldbloke said:
My lass got a new (to her) car yesterday. Normally I do all the driving. Every time. But seeing as how she got her new toy we went for a run. I was in the passenger seat.

She drove perfectly fine. Getting used to a different vehicle. All was good.

But me in the passenger seat? Every bend, every junction, every set of lights, I'm pressing this imaginary brake and clutch. Also thinking "I'd have changed from 3d to 2nd for that bend". Etc, etc.

I kept my mouth shut. I knew I was being overly critical. Like I say, she was perfectly fine but I couldn't stop wanting to be in control of the car.
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This is why I drive when I’m sober and Herself drives after I’ve been drinking.

After 3-4 drinks, her coasting into roundabouts with the clutch pedal buried in the carpet is almost bearable.
 
Werewolf said:
Yarp.

He tried the second time to argue that it was no big issue, as we were not going that fast. We were doing ~15mph in heavy traffic with a lot of pedestrians around, not that the speed really makes any difference given he was interfering with the control of the vehicle (and as I say, he doesn't drive, and has never taken a lesson).
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He needs sorting out. He shouldn't be touching any buttons or anything in the car let alone the horn! Is he all there? I don't like people honking the horn to say hello. Why do you need to say hello to someone when you're in a car and they're going about their business.
 
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An ex of mine who never learned to drive, whilst in the passenger seat once tried to point out an interesting bit of scenery. "Look at that", she said as she held her right hand out, pointing, with her hand in front of my eyes. Effectively blinding me at 50mph.
 
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Only thing my partner does that do my head in is when she complains that I brake too late or I am too close to the car in front and she does exactly the same when shes driving. Worse in my opinion quite often. Doesn't seem to understand that the reason she thinks its too late or too close is entirely because she isn't the one driving.

Then she whinges when I remind her that she needs to change gear when she is doing 75 in 4th gear and the car is screaming at her and has been for the last 30 seconds.

She went through a nice phase where she would scream bloody murder occasionally because she had seen something happening that could result in a crash. When you have already seen what she is screaming about and think you have a good picture of everything around you it unsurprisingly scares the crap out of you because you assume that something crazy has happened that you were unaware of. Extra points when she does it in a stressful situation like driving around the peripherique in Paris at rush hour with all the crazy French drivers.
 
I'm a terrible passenger, minutes into the drive and i'm ready to throw up. That's why i do all the driving and the Mrs prefers not to drive - so it suits us both.

It would be nice on occasion that if we're going out locally, she would offer to drive back so i can have a couple of beers - never offered. And on the rare occasion i have asked, or i'm tired from a long drive, she tells me she's not comfortable driving a 'big vehicle' or that she doesn't know how to.

It's an auto Kodiaq, hardly huge!!! Nah, it's BS, she's just happy been chauffeured around.
 
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On a side note , funny how driving can show what kind of person you are.

Without being too judgemental, there’s a lot of angry, impatient and frustrated people out there :(
 
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Baldbloke said:
My lass got a new (to her) car yesterday. Normally I do all the driving. Every time. But seeing as how she got her new toy we went for a run. I was in the passenger seat.

She drove perfectly fine. Getting used to a different vehicle. All was good.

But me in the passenger seat? Every bend, every junction, every set of lights, I'm pressing this imaginary brake and clutch. Also thinking "I'd have changed from 3d to 2nd for that bend". Etc, etc.

I kept my mouth shut. I knew I was being overly critical. Like I say, she was perfectly fine but I couldn't stop wanting to be in control of the car.
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Oh thats normal every parent does that. Apparently. I've been drving since 1984 and my mother still does it to me "slow down! Don't get so close! Mind that something or other" its a non stop commentary. Drives me nuts.
 
Uhtred said:
As a result I've really changed how I drive by being defensive, smoother and just generally zen. I enjoy driving again, almost nothing will stress me out (except if I'm lost) .
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This is fantastic, my partner doesn't drive and won't learn as she's been first to arrive/call emergency services at a fatal collision (she was passenger). She's a nervous jumpy person so basically likes to look at her phone and ignore the road. A few times something on her side of the car has made her shriek if too close, or if I swerve etc. I'm a pretty impatient, grumpy driver (though not usually letting it affect my driving - I'm just aggro verbally which can't be nice for her).

I'd like to rediscover driving calmly, I hated driving in London and she likes being driven everywhere while I'll happily take buses etc if easier. Since buying a nicer car and driving out of London more things are starting to chill out :)

When I'm a passenger, even in the back of cabs, I'm constantly looking around and peering left and right at junctions etc. Probably annoys the driver :D
 
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LuckyBenski said:
I'd like to rediscover driving calmly
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Weirdly I find in my pickup I'm most calm - in smaller cars especially I find I get quite irate with other drivers. Though I think that is somewhat because as a generalisation people are a little more likely to think twice before being a dick around a semi-murdered out truck than other vehicles.
 
Rroff said:
Weirdly I find in my pickup I'm most calm - in smaller cars especially I find I get quite irate with other drivers. Though I think that is somewhat because as a generalisation people are a little more likely to think twice before being a dick around a semi-murdered out truck than other vehicles.
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100% - I went from a novelty coloured Smart to a boring grandad Yaris Verso. Amazing how aggressive people were when I drove the Smart. I hated it (for 9 years)
 
LuckyBenski said:
100% - I went from a novelty coloured Smart to a boring grandad Yaris Verso. Amazing how aggressive people were when I drove the Smart. I hated it (for 9 years)
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I noticed for some reason people are a lot more likely to pull out in front of you from junctions or fuel stations, etc. when driving a mini/supermini/subcompact type vehicle. Even the Qashqai tends to get that more than some of the other stuff I drive or have driven.
 
I'm the only driver in our family, so don't get to be a passenger much.

Recently I was in the passenger seat of a massive police van full of kit en route to a scene and they wanted it blue-lighted there quick. Never been so scared and exhilarated at the same time!
 
I am the best passenger I know when someone else is driving. I trust the capabilities of the driver, and when I can't, I trust the capabilities of seatbelts :p

The mrs in my car is full panic mode if I even breathe on the throttle though, she said "I don't know when I became such a wimp". Apparently the speed limit is too fast :p

She will learn to trust my driving abilities one day.
 
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from the other thread , unless there are multiple lasses, if she has just cooked her first curry, she can't be an experienced driver, must be just out of nappies/Lplates, sounds traumatic, I'm out


[candy from a baby
mrk said:
If someone gets all up in my chuff, then the first moment the road opens up they're being overtaken in a ruckus of power and noise.
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]

Out again
 
Yes, people that hog the middle lane or can't maintain a steady speed or just overtake you only to fall back in and then drive slower so you are forced to slow down or overtake them (repeating the cycle) - Those people deserve to be left behind, in a well controlled manner and safely of course.
 
mrk said:
Yes, people that hog the middle lane or can't maintain a steady speed or just overtake you only to fall back in and then drive slower so you are forced to slow down or overtake them (repeating the cycle) - Those people deserve to be left behind, in a well controlled manner and safely of course.
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Especially annoying when you’re on the cruise control.
 
I often lose my rag when my Mrs is driving. She can pull away in her car, then she waits until she gets onto a main road to fanny about with something, whether it's taking off her jacket or getting a drink or getting something out of her bag.
 
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