Bad driving habits you've picked up here?

Bad driving habits you've picked up here?

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dxbtiger

Original Poster:

4,428 posts

179 months

Monday 30th April 2012
quotequote all
What do you do on the roads here that you have picked up as a result of living in the ME?

- I don't wear a seatbelt all the time, usually when I am driving to work (Media City) from home (Greens).
- I undertake all the time. I still don't know if this is illegal?
- Use mobile whilst driving
- love getting tail out on u-turns. Its the only car I've owned that is capable!

Hitch78

6,117 posts

200 months

Monday 30th April 2012
quotequote all
dxbtiger said:
What do you do on the roads here that you have picked up as a result of living in the ME?

- I don't wear a seatbelt all the time, usually when I am driving to work (Media City) from home (Greens).
- I undertake all the time. I still don't know if this is illegal?
- Use mobile whilst driving
- love getting tail out on u-turns. Its the only car I've owned that is capable!
I:

-Started doing the seatbelt thing for a while but then realised it was a bit silly - don't get further than the security gate without it now.

-Undertake, and yes, it is illegal. I don't swerve around slow moving traffic but I'll overtake move either way if a Nissan Sunny is doing down SZR

- Try not to drive whilst on the phone without bluetooth

- Also love getting the tail out, but prefer T junctions and roundabouts

- Cut people up, but expect to be cut up

- Flash slow moving traffic out of the way, but this is proving difficult in the MX5!

dxbtiger

Original Poster:

4,428 posts

179 months

Monday 30th April 2012
quotequote all
I never picked up the flashing thing, don't think I will either after 5 years driving.

Definitely use the horn more than in the UK but nowhere near as much as the general population.

Harris_I

3,237 posts

265 months

Monday 30th April 2012
quotequote all
When I go back to the UK, I have to greatly resist the urge to undertake all the sheeple in lane 2. Frankly I don't think it's a bad habit - just common sense instead of pulling across 2 lanes then back across 2 lanes.


Hitch78

6,117 posts

200 months

Monday 30th April 2012
quotequote all
Flashing is only on SZR between Ibn Battuta and AD. Never in town. I never use the horn either.

shirt

23,230 posts

207 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
i don't use the mobile or flash/beep. i realised early on that this has no effect whatsoever on the actions of the other party. i do admit that when a taxi driver does something particularly retarded i will show him all my spotlights work. i am considering an air horn biggrin


i don't usually ear my belt on short trips or around JAFZA. to be fair i did this at home as well and am trying to stop as it is stupid.

i take shortcuts across dirt/desert and will pull a u-turn over the central reservation if there is nothing coming the other way.

i think nothing of driving straight past a queue of traffic and muscling in at the last moment. i do love that this is standard practice and noone cares.

likewise - overtake, undertake, they're the same, right?



i do think that you develop much better road awareness here - whats around you, up ahead and what retarded move that truck/taxi is about to pull. the flipside is you drive in dubai mode back home and wonder why everyone is shaking the beans at you!


Chilli

17,320 posts

242 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
I have forgotten how to use indicators, and fail to leave the usual gap to the car in front. I wouldnt call it road rage, but if someone is right up my arris flashing etc when I have nowhere to go, I tend to make things as difficult as possible for them.

I remember when I furst got here...some expat was all over me beeping and flashing and I was in traffic, with traffic in the inside lane too. He wasnt mad or angry, just institutionalised. I went mental. Slamming on brakes, calling him a wnaker, the finger, suggesting he pull over for a chat. I really lost it. Lucky it wasnt a local really!

shirt

23,230 posts

207 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
it's impatience that does it.

i don't mind becoming a typical dubai driver. it's the way some residents [expats and locals] treat other people i have issues with.

Chilli

17,320 posts

242 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
shirt said:
it's impatience that does it.

i don't mind becoming a typical dubai driver. it's the way some residents [expats and locals] treat other people i have issues with.
Quite. I was speaking to a (Muslim) mate the other day, after some info on the religion. Then I got thinking and asked him, that why is it that the traditional greeting is something like "Hello, peace be with you" when 2 seconds later they drive off trying to intimidate and kill every other motorist??!!

IanUAE

2,939 posts

170 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
Gawd I must sound like on old man when I:

Always wear the seatbelt
Use hands free kit when on the phone
Try not to undertake (but on SZR, Emirates Road, By-pass Road impossible at times not to!)
Only flash the lights when dippy in front is doing less than the legal speed limit

U-turns are fair game for wheel spinning and drifting though.

But then tend not to wear a seatbelt when sitting in the back of taxi. This is something I must change.

Dusty964

6,962 posts

196 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
I dont use my mobile at all when driving, never use the horn or flash the lights, never undertake, never speed- 'tail out' antics are for the race track, not the road- always wear a seat belt, i dont smoke whilst driving, i never cut in to traffic at the last minute, i always indicate my intentions in plenty of time for my fellow motorist to notice, i never steer with my knees whilst writing notes whilst on the phone, i always drive carefully up ramps in carparks,i never accelerate hard away from traffic lights, and most of all i have never been down to the jebel ali resort to use the entrance road as an improvised drag strip.

Honest



omohat

361 posts

236 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
- Drive too close to the car in front (to avoid leaving space for someone to cut me up)
- Flash people to get out of the way (but only if they're doing significantly less than the limit)
- Undertaking
- Turning left from the lane to go straight if the line for the left turn is too long (not proud of this one and I try to limit it to one particular junction in the mornings if I'm running late)
- Way more trigger happy with the horn then when I got here
- Generally far more impatient than I should be


shirt

23,230 posts

207 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
two more - i take the racing line across all 6 lanes when it isn't busy. more for self amusement than anything else given the roadholding capability of the jeep.

i also undertake on the hard shoulder of bridges/sliproads if the person in front is going slooooooooooow.


yorky500

1,715 posts

197 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
- flash people out of the way irrespective of the speed they are doing (cos I am doing more than they are). However, if they cannot move over due to traffic, I will sit waiting for a suitable moment to flash when there is space
- generally sit too close to the car in front irrespective of speed
- always wear a seat belt
- hit the horn and flash the lights "impatiently" if some tosser does not get out of my way
- I hate twunts that cut into queue's (Shirt - watch it! hahahahahaha)
- Sometimes undertake as I cannot be arsed to sit on the car in fronts' tail flashing
- 50/50 on indicator usuage
- always get into the exit lane that I am taking early (refer 5th point)
- can't use handsfree in BMW so do not bother to answer calls
- discard fag-ends out of the window
- consistently exceed the speed limit

Harris_I

3,237 posts

265 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
shirt said:
two more - i take the racing line across all 6 lanes when it isn't busy.
Taking the racing line is a good habit, not a bad one!

Gaffer

7,156 posts

283 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
Depends on a few things:

What car I am in, if it's a customers on a test drive then the up most care is taken and all precautions are taken.

If it's mine or the bosses then it's all systems go and I drive like a local with British courtesy ie indicators etc

If I am in a bad mood in my car then its local with local courtesy ie. fk all

laugh

Claire

Psychobert

6,316 posts

262 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
Gaffer said:
If I am in a bad mood in my car then its local with local courtesy ie. fk all

laugh

Claire
Remind me, have I ever been in your car when you've not been in a bad mood? :ducksandrunsforcover:

Gaffer

7,156 posts

283 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
Screw you..!

biggrin

Psychobert

6,316 posts

262 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
Gaffer said:
Screw you..!

biggrin
eek

BTW, you should have a visitor about noon on Thursday wink

Gaffer

7,156 posts

283 months

Tuesday 1st May 2012
quotequote all
Ooooo is it Fit Elevator Guy..?
Please say yes.

wink