My biggest pet peeve is …

My biggest pet peeve is anyone who drives a car, who can’t be bothered to be polite and courteous. I am ranting! This is in the hope that by ranting, I will feel a sense of calm and tranquility wash over me and relieve me of the crossness I am still feeling now even after a few days.

What is it about people and cars? Now I am not being sexist, men and women are equally to blame in this sorry little tale. I too am a driver and I openly admit that being at the wheel of a car does not always bring out the best in me either! My now 15-year-old son could often be heard telling people that the only time mummy swears is in the car. That is sadly true.

However, in my defence, I usually only swear when someone does something ridiculous or is incredibly rude. The worrying thing is that both o these things happen on an all too regular basis.

Some wise person once said that driving a car is the single most dangerous thing that people do on a daily basis. A worrying thought when you consider how many people are on the road today, even more, disconcerting is the number of those that drive badly.

It is not that I am the perfect driver. My father-in-law really struggles to be a passenger with me, but I am not a bad driver (he is a terrible passenger). I make mistakes, occasionally drive a bit too fast and above all else, I try to be polite and courteous to other drivers.

Is it symptomatic of society today that so many people are rude and lack common courtesy. When someone asks me what annoys me the most, most of the things are car or driving related:
1. People who park in mother and child parking spaces when they have no children.
2. People who don’t thank or acknowledge you when you let them out.
3. People who stop or park in the most ridiculous places, making it impossible or difficult to pass.
4. People who park in my drive or who block me in.
5. People who drive so close behind you that you can see the colour of their eyes.
6. People who don’t dip their full beam headlights.
7. People who overtake on bends.
8. People who drive ridiculously slowly.

Last Wednesday evening was definitely a good example of a lack of courtesy or empathy for other fellow drivers. My two younger sons go to Beavers, which in itself is fantastic. Usually, this involves a bit of stress after school trying to get everyone fed, homework done, changed and back in the car and dropping them off in a village hall about eight miles away.

This evening, however, I had to tackle re heady heights of “Hill Lane”. A two-mile single track lane up a moderately steep hill. Hideous. Well, hideous if you meet something coming the other way. So I leave early and meet nothing going up, which is a massive relief. Except, of course, I would have been much better off being late as I then met the whole world and his dog on the way down!

So, I tentatively edge my way down with my 22-month-old daughter wailing in the back as her brothers went somewhere without her. Firstly I meet Land Rover man. He clearly thinks he is king of the road due to the ridiculous speed he came around the corner. I stopped and waited at which point he has the audacity to continue driving until he actually touches my bumper! Evidently, no give and take there, so I reverse for about a mile around several bends nearly ending up in the ditch a few times in the process. Off goes Land Rover man, looking very smug. Daughter still wailing ear-splittingly, off I go again. Now I have someone behind me. Along comes Sports Car Man. Top down, shades on. Luckily, I am relieved to spot a drive way, so I pull in as far as I can to the side. Sports Car man just sits there, looking at me. I am puzzled after a minute or so, he has plenty of room. Then he gestures at me with his hand. No please can you move or that’s my drive, in fact, no words, just a gesture, so off I go again in reverse with my daughter now so distressed she is verging on being sick. Stressed? Just a bit.

Added to the fact that it is 28 degrees, I have three cars behind me and Sports Car Man also seems keen to come in to contact with my bumper (so to speak!). Finally, he disappears and off I go, nearly there and I meet one final car, driven by a woman, two-finger woman.

I now have a convoy of cars behind me, so I decided that this time I am not backing down. We looked at each other for what felt like several minutes and it felt like the start of a jousting tournament, any minute I expected her to drive at me and poke me in the chest with her umbrella. Well if looks could kill. I took a deep breath, smiled at her and pointed to the cars behind me, she shot me a filthy look and started to reverse. As I passed, I smiled again and mouthed “Thank you”. She stuck two fingers up at me! Can you believe it? Although, in spite of my rage, it made me laugh out loud which in turn calmed my daughter down too and we drove home in relative calm.

So my pet peeve is generally anything to do with bad-mannered, discourteous drivers. There, I feel better now. Maybe I should walk more?