Question for the BiBs
Discussion
Hi Folks,
flying visit back from my job junting to query the assembled brains. A close neighbour has her garage up near my front door, and having had the opportunity to watch her driving over the past few weeks I realise that to say she was dangerous might be an understatement. This old lady managed to leave tyre marks across my front lawn why trying to reverse her car onto the road, and has been spotted taking over 10 minutes to park her car in a space.
While the last thing I would want to do would be to trap her in her house, I am not sure that her and a driving licence are a particularly good mix at the moment, but have no idea who I should report such a condition to.
Any suggestions?
I think the local population would feel happier leaving their front doors if she was not on the roads, or at least I would sleep easier knowing she had been assessed, rather than having nightmares of her taking out my nearest and dearest before someone reports her.
Thanks in advance,
Chris.
flying visit back from my job junting to query the assembled brains. A close neighbour has her garage up near my front door, and having had the opportunity to watch her driving over the past few weeks I realise that to say she was dangerous might be an understatement. This old lady managed to leave tyre marks across my front lawn why trying to reverse her car onto the road, and has been spotted taking over 10 minutes to park her car in a space.
While the last thing I would want to do would be to trap her in her house, I am not sure that her and a driving licence are a particularly good mix at the moment, but have no idea who I should report such a condition to.
Any suggestions?
I think the local population would feel happier leaving their front doors if she was not on the roads, or at least I would sleep easier knowing she had been assessed, rather than having nightmares of her taking out my nearest and dearest before someone reports her.
Thanks in advance,
Chris.
Does she have any offspring who come to visit who you might have a gentle word with?
You should be able to demonstrate that it's in her and their best interests to do something.
As for reporting it to anyone - I don't think that's a good idea in principle - smacks of curtain twitching busybody if you ask me - in spite of any perceived greater good.
You should be able to demonstrate that it's in her and their best interests to do something.
As for reporting it to anyone - I don't think that's a good idea in principle - smacks of curtain twitching busybody if you ask me - in spite of any perceived greater good.
CarZee said:
As for reporting it to anyone - I don't think that's a good idea in principle - smacks of curtain twitching busybody if you ask me - in spite of any perceived greater good.
Yes and no really. To me it is more like saying 'better get this rather poor excuse for a driver off the road before she kills herself or someone else'.
Quite, but it leaves me uneasy...
I suppose if the woman's offspring aren't receptive to a friendly chat, then that is an ultimate sanction, but it's a bit heavy handed as a first move don't you think?
Besides, she's pencilled in as December's "Pensioner drives wrong way up M4" story in the Mail
Fate & Destiny, Maaaaan
>> Edited by CarZee on Thursday 21st November 19:52
I suppose if the woman's offspring aren't receptive to a friendly chat, then that is an ultimate sanction, but it's a bit heavy handed as a first move don't you think?
Besides, she's pencilled in as December's "Pensioner drives wrong way up M4" story in the Mail
Fate & Destiny, Maaaaan
>> Edited by CarZee on Thursday 21st November 19:52
I would approach it by speaking to her yourself.
"I noticed that you were having a bit of trouble parking the other day, is there a problem with your car that I could help with?"
then see what she says in return. She may well tell you that she cannot see properly or that she has bad arthritis or as in my experience of most old people, tell you all of her ailments and the fact she is now 88 years old as well.
Armed with an admission, take the evidence to your home beat officer and explain what you have seen and say that unless something is done, you will make an allegation and statement about her driving carelessly. If you can get some support from other residents who have similar concerns, all the better.
Carzees advice about family is a good one, but needs to handled tactfully. It needs to be put across that you are very worried about the safety of the old lady, not that you are concerned for your lawn or vehicle or life.
The only way to get her off the road is if she voluntarily hands in her licence, she is not considered medically fit by DVLA or she appears and is convicted of a traffic offence in front of Magistrates.
"I noticed that you were having a bit of trouble parking the other day, is there a problem with your car that I could help with?"
then see what she says in return. She may well tell you that she cannot see properly or that she has bad arthritis or as in my experience of most old people, tell you all of her ailments and the fact she is now 88 years old as well.
Armed with an admission, take the evidence to your home beat officer and explain what you have seen and say that unless something is done, you will make an allegation and statement about her driving carelessly. If you can get some support from other residents who have similar concerns, all the better.
Carzees advice about family is a good one, but needs to handled tactfully. It needs to be put across that you are very worried about the safety of the old lady, not that you are concerned for your lawn or vehicle or life.
The only way to get her off the road is if she voluntarily hands in her licence, she is not considered medically fit by DVLA or she appears and is convicted of a traffic offence in front of Magistrates.
CarZee said:[/iI suppose if the woman's offspring aren't receptive to a friendly chat, then that is an ultimate sanction, but it's a bit heavy handed as a first move don't you think?
Well yes, but to be fair, would you honestly want your mother taken off the road? Chances are that would mean offspring will have to look after her totally, shopping etc.....so I can't see them being too receptive. Also, if I was that poor a driver (bit subjective so I'll assume I am not that bad, yet) I would have the decency and common sense to not drive. There are plenty of wrinklies who have the stopping reactions of an oil tanker still out there thinking they are suitable drivers, and I am quite sure they are causing lots of accidents (usually in their wake).
I would say that Statistically older drivers are now causing lots more crashes but I don't believe stats...
the old dear across the road from where we use to live had a real problem getting in her garage.She had a 309 petrol and because she was deaf she just had it on full throttle,it would have been on the limiter had it got one!
She then slipped the clutch all the way into the garage.Oh boy if she'd had her foot slip off the clutch she would have done the fastest 0-60 a 309 has ever done.
I did offer to help but because she had been an RAF officer in the second world war she kindly declined.I did watch several times to make sure the engine did'nt let go(out of sheer curiosity)
Sadly she passed away and the loose 309 ended up in the hands of a max power yoof
She then slipped the clutch all the way into the garage.Oh boy if she'd had her foot slip off the clutch she would have done the fastest 0-60 a 309 has ever done.
I did offer to help but because she had been an RAF officer in the second world war she kindly declined.I did watch several times to make sure the engine did'nt let go(out of sheer curiosity)
Sadly she passed away and the loose 309 ended up in the hands of a max power yoof
I've got a similar issue with a doddery old lady near me, (little grey nova).
She slips the clutch up through the gears as she drives by my house then lets it bite in fourth. Most bizzare behaviour!
That said, aside from a distinct lack of mechanical sympathy, a disinterest in speed bumps/speed limits/her surroundings/other road users etc I can't say there's much wrong.
(i.e. she's no worse that anyone else round here!!!)
She slips the clutch up through the gears as she drives by my house then lets it bite in fourth. Most bizzare behaviour!
That said, aside from a distinct lack of mechanical sympathy, a disinterest in speed bumps/speed limits/her surroundings/other road users etc I can't say there's much wrong.
(i.e. she's no worse that anyone else round here!!!)
There may be significant benifit in getting her off the road, if the next time she's pottering down the road she mows down one of your/our family members.
The lady across from me is a pain in the arse. Her driveway is opposite the pavement in front of our house. If we have a delivery/trade vehicle on our pavement (barely on the road) she asks us to have it moved because she cant reverse out Since when did you need two lanes of road to reverse out! Reverse in your fking driveway then b!tch...really gets on my tits.
The lady across from me is a pain in the arse. Her driveway is opposite the pavement in front of our house. If we have a delivery/trade vehicle on our pavement (barely on the road) she asks us to have it moved because she cant reverse out
Since when did you need two lanes of road to reverse out! Reverse in your fking driveway then b!tch...really gets on my tits.Why not, as a first move, plant some shrubs around the edge of your lawn that she manages to reverse into. Have a nice chat with her about how much you love your new shrubs.
If she reverses over the top of them after that she will feel so mortified about ruining your prize petunias that she'll hand her licence in herself.
Or...a small decorative brick wall at exhaust height? Just takes it out nicely if reversed into...
More seriously: Is she really so bad? Most elderly drivers I've seen might be slow...but they're slow because they're compensating for poorer reaction times...and are probably safer than you and me because of it....
If she reverses over the top of them after that she will feel so mortified about ruining your prize petunias that she'll hand her licence in herself.
Or...a small decorative brick wall at exhaust height? Just takes it out nicely if reversed into...
More seriously: Is she really so bad? Most elderly drivers I've seen might be slow...but they're slow because they're compensating for poorer reaction times...and are probably safer than you and me because of it....
A few years back, my gran picked me up from the station in her Micra... following a drive of hair-raising proportions;
Podie: "Gran, that light was on red!"
Gran: "It's alright dear, it'll be green in a minute"
Podie:
I politely said that maybe she should pack it all in. To her credit, she admitted she was a liability on the road and did just that - even though she loved driving.
Managed to forge a deal with the local taxi firm, so now she gets chauffered around for virtually peanuts (pays on an annual basis!!!)
Podie: "Gran, that light was on red!"
Gran: "It's alright dear, it'll be green in a minute"
Podie:
I politely said that maybe she should pack it all in. To her credit, she admitted she was a liability on the road and did just that - even though she loved driving.
Managed to forge a deal with the local taxi firm, so now she gets chauffered around for virtually peanuts (pays on an annual basis!!!)
Thanks for the advice, folks. Since her house is not visible to me, I am not sure on the visiting rellies, but I think the "I notice you were having probs, can I help" tact might help me understand the position a little better, and perhaps help her understand my concerns.
When I next see her driving I will pop round afterwards and have a chat.
Thanks again all.
When I next see her driving I will pop round afterwards and have a chat.
Thanks again all.
Don said: ...More seriously: Is she really so bad? Most elderly drivers I've seen might be slow...but they're slow because they're compensating for poorer reaction times...and are probably safer than you and me because of it....
WHAT? "I know I'm pished Osifer but I'm being slow to compensate for my poorer reaction time" Would you accept that? No. If it takes some poor old dear a second to get her arthritic foot off the gas and on the brakes then she shouldn't be driving. If it takes her half a second to realise that the blur is a kid in the road the she shouldn't be driving. How would she feel if she wiped someone out? She would rather be told now then risk that, I'm sure.
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