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| JWL Member Since: 26 Oct 2011 Location: Hereford Posts: 3443   
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When I was in farming I used to drive a fair amount of oversize kit, I've widened a fair few lanes over the years, some intentionally, some because there was no choice. I've lost count of the times I've shut the machine down and sat watching some pretty pathetic attempts at driving. Some of the older drivers have just got no hope and one poor old dear we used to meet regularly would just stop, get out of the car, walk round and sit in the passenger seat as it was quicker for us to jump in and reverse it back to a safe place. She sometimes phoned the boss to see if it was "safe" to come out but didn't do it every time as, bless, she didn't want to disturb him when he was busy
The most memorable time was just getting a combine harvester onto the bridge at Stratford on Avon, 2 lorries can just squeeze past but mine measured close on 4.5m wide due to the Terra Tyres we'd fitted to try and get on the fields after a summer like last(just ended up that the ruts I left were wider!). My escort vehicle had stopped the traffic as it approached the bridge from town, radiod me to start and as I got on the bridge some stupid old bat drove her car round his 90 complete with Wide Load signs, flashing beacons and all the lights on. She stopped in front of me and sat blowing her horn! God knows how much traffic was behind me, it had been at least a mile since anyone could have overtaken and not only that I had a 24' header on a trailer behind. It took simply ages for her to reverse and the last I saw of her was her in deep conversation with the 2 constables that had walked across the bridge to recomend a reverse strategy  |
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28th Mar 2013 11:14pm |
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| bm52 Member Since: 04 Apr 2010 Location: Kent Posts: 2189  
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my son and I have this little challenge between us, a sort of dare. "can you reverse down a very narrow lane [door mirrors almost brush the hedges on either side] without stopping or having to re-align the vehicle" the lane is about 130 yds with a nasty kink part way down.
think i will put a sign up offering BM drivers a challenge. [edit - present company excluded]....  BM52 |
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28th Mar 2013 11:14pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20661
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Leeds (Brendan) - Yes, It's similar down here and outside the house especially only not drystone walling but solid stone walls. Very narrow too as well. And on a bend hence this muppet flying around it me seeing him early (Defender height advantage) so I was basically stopped and he came haring around and slammed the anchors on.
Everyone else - I think in general we're all good at reversing and parking the lot. As I've previously mentioned where is the insurance discount! We're obviously not high risk (Except theft) It's well proven that on the whole a good quality of driving standards is up-held throughout Defender owners young and older.
Can't imagine speeding being much of an issue either. Okay, so Defenders are always super fast anyway (Not many anyway) but even a 200tdi could break 30mph.  TheThunder Rollsπ¬π§πΊπΈ
β½οΈπ’οΈβοΈπ§°πͺ |
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28th Mar 2013 11:26pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731  
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18 years in Germany and I still do this - it's a reflex bred into us by decent, polite parents at an early age. It's a sign of a civilised, evolved and non-confrontational English society... that is sadly dying out  I've visited England every year for 18 years and I see the changes like time-lapse photography 
When I was a young man, I used to wind myself up for days after such an incident until someone told me the saying "I always know the right thing to do, after the right time to do it has passed". The important thing is knowing the right thing to do. Then I could let it drop. That's what makes us better than "them" 
p.s. I now imagine such people as untrained dogs - if they $hit on my driveway, it's annoying but I don't take it personally. Tell someone you love them today because life is short. But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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29th Mar 2013 7:48am |
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| ARC99 Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1831 
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I was talking to a young lad the other day who is just about to take his driving test and questioned him about three point turns,left hand reverse and hill starts he looked at me as if I was daft and said "We don't do them" so I asked how he would turn a car round, "shunt it backwards and forwards as many time as it takes or drive up on the footpath to do a U turn" I gave up and and walked off shaking my head thinking about all the practice I had to put in before my test some 42 years ago which I passed first time. |
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29th Mar 2013 4:21pm |
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| GUM97 Member Since: 05 Feb 2012 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3555 
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Halfrauds. The robbing
  Went in before to buy some alloy wheel cleaner, and wanted a 5 litre bottle, as it would work out cheaper per litre. 5 litre bottle was £27. Hmmh, bit expensive I thought. So I went to Costco and picked up the exact same product for £5 
So now I've got 25 litres of the stuff sat in my garage, as I may aswell have more of it than I need! Just shows the profit margin that Halfords have got An engine to TDi for!
"Land Rover- Proudly turning drivers into mechanics since 1948"  |
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29th Mar 2013 4:49pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20661
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Oh yes you see what I mean now. The wording is no longer a 3 point turn but is termed as a TIR maneuver as the DSA call it... (Why change it anyway!)
TIR meaning - turn in the road.   TheThunder Rollsπ¬π§πΊπΈ
β½οΈπ’οΈβοΈπ§°πͺ |
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29th Mar 2013 4:50pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20661
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They like to wack on an extra £50 when you look at prices for some Amps too. Variable of course but I saved £50 put it that way. (Bought from elsewhere and arrived quicker than theirs would have anyway) TheThunder Rollsπ¬π§πΊπΈ
β½οΈπ’οΈβοΈπ§°πͺ |
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29th Mar 2013 4:52pm |
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| Laurie Member Since: 22 Feb 2008 Location: Sussex, England Posts: 2897 
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I think when I took my test an eon ago it was...
Cause the car to face in the opposite direction by means of forward and reverse gears. I don't think it's ever been a 'three point turn' (Which only has two points anyway) |
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29th Mar 2013 4:56pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731
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Not if you want to finish by reversing in the same direction you were originally traveling in  Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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29th Mar 2013 5:21pm |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8582
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I assume this lad has not past the theory test yet From the Highway Code
I seem to recall that when I took my driving test, touching the kerb whilst coin a three point turn was a failure. There again in this area red lights are optional to stop at and not mandatory. Traffic lights at RED. Car 1 stops, car 2 stops. Car 3 pulls out and proceeds through red lights. NO car 3 did NOT have blues and twos on I am just glad I drive Defenders! Brendan |
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29th Mar 2013 5:35pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20661
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Touch a kerb and it's a fail that's still a certainty.
I drive one single Bridleway partly on a regular basis to walk our dogs. But ONLY becuas eI explicitly asked the landowners permission to do so of which he said was no problem. When he blocks off the entrance sometimes in the winter due to mud (to vehicles) needless to say I then do not go there. It's mad how many people have no clue what legal rights they have be it on a bike or 4x4. Many seem to have the impression that any non tarred surface can be driven so long as it's wide enough. it just isn't the case. A lane is just a lane to them. Un-less they can't read.  TheThunder Rollsπ¬π§πΊπΈ
β½οΈπ’οΈβοΈπ§°πͺ |
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29th Mar 2013 5:59pm |
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| ARC99 Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1831
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Yes he has passed his theroy,
I can only type here what he told me, when I took me test I was told touch the kerb and you will fail that is why I gave up talking to him and walked away. |
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30th Mar 2013 11:27am |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8582
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Don't try to get an appointment with your GP in West Yorkshire!
Called into surgery on Tuesday but could not get an appointment as there were none available until Friday. Appointments released on Wednesday after 9.30am. At 9.50 on Wednesday NO appointments until next Wednesday! Tried phoning again today. Currently on hold for 20 minutes! NO wonder A & E are busy with non urgent cases as the GP's surgeries will not allow patients to make an appointment with their doctors Oddly enough in Germany managed to get an appointment with a doctor the same afternoon. Brendan PS 26 minutes to speak to a receptionist! |
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4th Apr 2013 8:26am |
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