i'm a terrible car passenger

Generally I'm a poor passenger with 90% of the people I get in a car with as they're what I would consider to be "poor" at one of more of the following -

  • Low observation i.e. don't notice something happening in the distance until it's 6ft from the bumper and they're "suddenly" forced to react to something that happend 10 seconds ago
  • Zero idea how wide their vehicle is so it's either clipping a kerb or hanging 2ft over the lane dividing lines into oncoming traffic when cornering but rarely staying somewhere in the middle of a lane
  • Having a "digital" method of using controls like brake/accelerator/steering/clutch etc so everything is short, sharp movements making for a jerky ride with no smoothness from gradual inputs
The best passenger ride I ever had was when Ch4's old "top gear" rip-off car show "Driven" used our airfield (RAF Wittering) in '98 IIRC with a Carrera 4, XK8 and the new R34-GTR brought along to test Harrier Pilots driving skill and ex-Rally driver Penny Mallory took a few of us engineers around during lunch break. I got to go in the R34 and she was an absolutely epic driver, hammering it around the wooded/forest area we used for training at the end of the runway. An absolute master class in car control for me, showing me how she could feel the limit of grip and showing me what it felt like to go juuuuuust a tadge over and then back into safety again, such a vivid "til my dying day" memory for me.

hv7qStx.jpg

nYg1mJk.jpg
 
KiwiTaff said:
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.
Click to expand...
My stepdad does this - excellent car control, been driving since about 1960, driven around the world... But he only does his seatbelt after about a mile when the engine's warmed up. It's as if every single other thing is more important and once he's settled into his journey it's time for the belt.

I just say BELT repeatedly once the engine's started now, it's crap though.
 
I am terrible. Unless I was on a bus with a professional driver I could never relax. When we go on the continent I normally give the keys to the missus to drive the autobahn and I sit in the back and try and get some rest but I will constantly have one eye open all the time!
 
In Turkey we went for a day trip on safari in a jeep. Us passengers were crammed in shoulder to shoulder. As is the norm for a day trip on these outings. Driver wore no seatbelt and was frequently fiddling with his phone to find youtube videos.
 
This thread is great and doesn't make me feel so bad that I struggle to be a passenger if the Mrs is driving..

Mainly that my brain cannot recalibrate to her lack of forward planning/awareness.. every single mini roundabout we have to stop, then she looks, realises its clear, then she sets off..

I can do the same journey, not break any speed limits yet arrive 50% quicker using 30% less fuel.
 
ianh said:
Generally I'm a poor passenger with 90% of the people I get in a car with as they're what I would consider to be "poor" at one of more of the following -

  • Low observation i.e. don't notice something happening in the distance until it's 6ft from the bumper and they're "suddenly" forced to react to something that happend 10 seconds ago
  • Zero idea how wide their vehicle is so it's either clipping a kerb or hanging 2ft over the lane dividing lines into oncoming traffic when cornering but rarely staying somewhere in the middle of a lane
  • Having a "digital" method of using controls like brake/accelerator/steering/clutch etc so everything is short, sharp movements making for a jerky ride with no smoothness from gradual inputs
Click to expand...

It is far easier as a passenger to have forward observation, etc. though. I do find a lot of people have very poor ability to find the middle of a lane though - obviously there are times when you want to move to one side or the other for visibility or increasing safety, etc. etc.

It always amuses me when I give colleagues a lift in my pickup and they comment how "smooth" it is and how they didn't expect it from the vehicle, albeit some of that comes from it having a large engine which is effortless without a load - but took me awhile to realise it is not so much the vehicle but that I tend to have a flowing driving style in comparison to their very binary style i.e. I rarely use the brakes when adjusting into a new speed limit and taper them in if I do while they tend to go into the change of speed limit then hammer the brakes to get down to it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom