What am I doing wrong?

cormie

On the way to work every morning I pick up a guy approaching the m50 roundabout from the rathfarnam direction. there are two lanes. The left for going to sandyford and the right for going on the m50. I pick him up about 50 metres from the stopping section before the roundabout. I put on my hazard lights, slow down and stop in the middle of the road (don't pull over because there is no room and I Would be blocking the left hand turners)he runs over gets in and I proceed to roundabout. The whole process takes about 7 seconds in which all the cars behind me start beeping. They can clearly see what's going on and know it will only take a few seconds.

Should I not be doing this?

Blitzkrieger

It's illegal to stop on a motorway.

vasch_ro

its called rush hour road rage

Gurgle

Maybe you should look for a spot to meet him where you can pull in properly. Nobody is in the best of humour at that time of the morning, most people are running late. The last thing they want to see is someone stopping in the middle of the road.

cormie wrote:

Should I not be doing this?

No, you're never supposed to cause an obstruction to traffic.

Your friend is also liable to be run over some morning as someone in a *real* hurry could swing into the left lane to get past you.

Jip

You sound like a taxi man, once you put on your hazzards you think it's ok to stop anywhere ! Hazzards are for hazzards, not to indicate that you're going to stop or park illegally which seems to be for what people use them for :mad:

Turner

Wht dont you meet him at the entrance to all the construction work next to the roundabout. You can turn in left and park as theres loads of room.

Seth Brundle

It could be regarded as dangerous driving (stopping without good reason, parking illegally, allowing someone to allowing someone to cross traffic or whatever). Like the others said, pick them up well before the current point at a safe place.

Blitzkrieger wrote:

It's illegal to stop on a motorway.

it isn't a motorway (he is approaching the M50 roundabout!)

John R

Screeching to a halt in the right lane for no apparent reason, nice. :rolleyes: You are going to get rear-ended or cause someone else to be rear-ended.

I HATE driving in this country.

full forward

Cormie, its a bad idea to stop there. You say its only seven seconds but it will cause a ripple effect and traffic could be slowing and stopping for miles along the road behind you. You should find a safer place to stop or else dont stop.

Victor

Which junction?

Captain Trips

cormie wrote:

On the way to work every morning I pick up a guy approaching the m50 roundabout from the rathfarnam direction. there are two lanes. The left for going to sandyford and the right for going on the m50. I pick him up about 50 metres from the stopping section before the roundabout. I put on my hazard lights, slow down and stop in the middle of the road (don't pull over because there is no room and I Would be blocking the left hand turners)he runs over gets in and I proceed to roundabout. The whole process takes about 7 seconds in which all the cars behind me start beeping. They can clearly see what's going on and know it will only take a few seconds.

Should I not be doing this?

That road is always backed up in the morning. Even one slow driver who is too timid to break onto the roundabout can hold up traffics ages. 7 seconds for = minutes for those behind you, as every car can take at least 3-4 seconds to get going from being stopped, (you can see the accordion effect) then even twenty cars behind or so could delay everyone by two minutes, not much but twenty cars is damn all, there's always like 100 in a row from Dundrum all the way up to the roundabout most mornings.

It's not cool, but it's not your fault, traffic works that way.

ando

cormie wrote:

Should I not be doing this?

Oh dear, who gave you a license

bop1977

ando wrote:

Oh dear, who gave you a license

he/she? should have been given a copy of the rules of the road

cormie

Hey Chief! Where is the construction site you talk of?

I come through stepaside, keep going straight, take a left at the Gala shop, go past Lamb Doyles, go over the M50 and keep going until I have to take a right at traffic lights.. then there is another set of traffic lights just after, then it is a straight road (the one with the bus stop on the left that busses usually park at) until the roundabout which to my left is sandyford, I'm not sure where the 2nd left leads to, the third left leads to the M50 roundabout and the 4th is an exit for cars from the M50, 5th is back up the road I came from. There has never been more than 10 cars in the queue at the roundabout and I'm certain my antics doesn't cause a knock on effect of more than 10 cars, it could be allot less if I didn't keep to the speed limit. Which I'm not going to substitute.

Once the pick up is made 80% of the time I just proceed 10 metres or so and end up behind somebody waiting to get onto the roundabout.

There is nowhere really suitable to pick him up without him having to go a good bit out of his way or without the same problem being caused.


Once I take the 3rd left there is left hand turn before the m50 turnoff. Is this the constuction site?


I don't screech to a halt. I wont be travelling more than 30mph I will gradually slow to a hault and quickly proceed. If somebody did it in front of me, even if I was in a hurry, I wouldn't care at all.

I found a license in my friends attic so I invested in a car for €500! very handy:)

Bri

Don't you see that the majority of Irish drivers feel:
a) They're in a hurry and have priority - any minimal delay by anyone else - not on.
b) Other drivers are crap and any noticable behavior at all is intollerable, they want you to fade into the ongoing snake of cars infront and behind them.
c) Taxi-drivers or those copying them are not to be entertained. Ever.

i.e. Drivers don't care if your logical - they only care if you 'get in their way'. Welcome to the wonderful world of motoring.

cormie

They obviously just all have issues with stress and such things at work. Maybe they should re-consider their priorities. Money or a stress free frame of mind.

Bri

If you can live like that then don't get bothered by their beeping. But I'd say rules of the road do count for something so if you don't wanna facilitate them, watch out for you and your friend getting involved in an accident.

cormie

Surely somebody wouldn't go as far as that? Unless the same person happened to be behind me consecutively. 97% of the cars. It will be a once off experience.

Stephen

I can see you getting pulled by the gardai someday. You'll probably just get away with a telling off though

cormie

That was my next question, if a garda car was behind me, do you reckon they would do anything?

Bri

Doubt it.

Gurgle

cormie wrote:

That was my next question, if a garda car was behind me, do you reckon they would do anything?

Nah, I doubt if they would bother.

I would be concerned about your mate getting squished though.

sceptre

cormie wrote:

That was my next question, if a garda car was behind me, do you reckon they would do anything?

For stopping in the middle of the road? Do you really think they should?

It's a dodgy thing to do (OK I reckon it's a really dumb thing to do but that's by the by). Someone's going to sweep past you in the left lane some day and make a pizza out of your mate.

Esel

First, you post this:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=176964

Now, you wonder what's the problem with stopping in the middle of the road?

I despair.

RicardoSmith

A Garda can stop if you are doing something in his opinion is dangerous. If lots of people are beeping then, he's likely to have a chat. Happened to me on an empty road, with two lanes, about 150m past a junction in the middle of the day. Pulled in to let a passenger out. Guard pulls up and gives me an earful about parking in a dangerous spot. I've had other similar experiences too. Basically if you get a guard on a bad day, he could do you for anything.

RicardoSmith

esel wrote:

First, you post this:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=176964

Now, you wonder what's the problem with stopping in the middle of the road?

I despair.

ah...someone really need to learn the rules of the road! They exist so you don't kill someone, including yourself.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

John R

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Yes, it is not the initial ignorance that is so bad it is that after being blasted out every time he does it and everyone here explaining why it is incorrect and dangerous he still insists on rationalising the stupid behaviour.

I have no doubt this manoeuvere will still be performed daily.

And just in case any more justification is proferred let me point out that less than a minute after this act of poor driving is carried out the same individual drives illegally and uninsured for 20 miles right around Dublin. But of course with this attitude whad do you expect.

cormie wrote:

I've been driving since March and I honestly think I'm probably better than allot of fully licensed drivers out there. That's not me boasting, just me putting them down.

Turner

He is insured while driving on the m50.

RicardoSmith

Chief--- wrote:

He is insured while driving on the m50.

If you are driving illegally (On a provisional on a motorway is illegal) how can your insurance be valid?

John R

Chief--- wrote:

He is insured while driving on the m50.

You sure about that? My insurance company quite explicitly told me a provisional named driver was not insured outside of licence restrictions when I went to add one to my policy some time ago.