'Professional' drivers.

[ChrisP100]

People who drive for a living are some of the least courteous, quite often downright dangerous drivers on the road in my experience. Maybe it's complacency or sense of entitlement, I don't know.

Only last night I nearly got wiped out by a professional driver (Taxi). I'm lit up like a Christmas tree - Rear red reflector, reflective rucksack (front and back), 2 rear lights (one fixed, one flashing), reflective detailing on my leggings, reflective detailing on my overshoes, bright yellow jacket with reflective detailing, wheel reflectors, front headlight in fixed/strobe mode, all on a fairly well lit street. No way I couldn't be seen... or so I though.

2 lane carriageway (separated, raised paving in the middle, with gaps to allow traffic in and out of the side streets) with cars parked in the left lane ahead (if anyone knows Lincoln High Street heading Northeast then you'll know where I mean) I'm in the left hand lane having to slow down and and pick my moment to pull out to pass the parked cars. Looking over shoulder seeing a taxi a fair distance back. Signal to pull out and the taxi just ignored me and boxed me in. Fair enough, no major drama. Just slow down and plod on until it's clear.

I'm now in the right hand lane, and just ahead the left hand lane then opens out into a bus/cycle lane. The taxi that's just gone past me pulls across into the bus lane without signalling and stops abruptly, blocking me from pulling across. I'm thinking taxi is either dropping off or picking up, so I don't get too exited. A quick look behind to make sure I'm clear to stay out and pass the taxi, road clear, no problem.

Taxi driver has other ideas and decides to pull out and DO A U-TURN without even looking or signalling right next to an illuminated NO U-TURN sign.

Jammed on the brakes and managed not to get hit, or hit the car as it stopped across the carriageway blocking both lanes , luckily getting my feet unclipped and managing to stay upright despite the wet and slippy road surface. If I'd have been a second quicker or the taxi had been a second later I would have been under the front wheels or over the bonnet, no doubt. Driver was completely oblivious until I hammered the back of her car with with my fist. She just gave me a glance and then sped off with no apology, causing the oncoming car to jam their brakes on.

Roads are bad enough without 'professional' drivers behaving like idiots.

[[XAP]Bob]

Professional just means you get paid...

Professionals built the titanic, an amateur built the ark.

[ChrisP100]

Professional just means you get paid...

Professionals built the titanic, an amateur built the ark.

Hence the inverted comma's.

[thirdcrank]

Professional just means you get paid...

Professionals built the titanic, an amateur built the ark.

More than once when I've objected to cyclists being excluded from streets where deliveries and the like were permitted, the then cycling officer used the "professional drivers" explanation, although with less conviction after the first time.

[mattsccm]

I tend to agree although I would say that a better phrase might be "driving for a living". Delivery drivers are almost without exception a menace. Bus drivers are much the same. HGV drivers tend to have terrible anti social driving habits. Not saying that every one is awful but it is a high enough percentage to happily tar them all with the same brush.

[Cyril Haearn]

At the same time, they have great skills, not sure if I could back up to the unloading dock at EasyNosh without several tries

[foxyrider]

Lewis Hamilton is a professioinal driver, 'Bob' delivering parcels for Amazon isn't, he's just someone with a drivers licence. The same goes for your taxi driver, okay maybe a few hoops to get the licence if they are legit but certainly no special driver training.

HGV & PSV drivers do have to have specific training but at the end of the day that does nothing to guarantee their driving is better than 'Molly' in shipping. The standard does seem to have improved some for these classes but urban bus drivers and tipper drivers are notoriously poor drivers.

I ride a lot and currently the worst of the lot are delivery drivers, rushing to deliver ever more parcels, parking inconsiderately - more drops, more money. They may be driving all day but they are certainly not driving professionals.

[fastpedaller]

I've a very low opinion of bad drivers - especially those of heavy, large objects that can cause great damage. My opinion may have been shaped by having to take to the verge of the A1 in Northumberland when a maniac (or clueless that it wasn't dual carriageway?) HGV driver overtook a long queue of cars and lorries approaching us and just kept going - without my avoidance action all three of us in the car would have undoubtedly been killed, likewise the car following us! On another occasion, an approaching lorry on the A140 was being piloted by a character reading a newspaper! Frightening

[Pebble]

I tend to agree although I would say that a better phrase might be "driving for a living". Delivery drivers are almost without exception a menace. Bus drivers are much the same. HGV drivers tend to have terrible anti social driving habits. Not saying that every one is awful but it is a high enough percentage to happily tar them all with the same brush.

Seen one picking his nose last week !

[TrevA]

Taxi drivers are some of the worst drivers on the road. I wonder if they have special training to drive so badly. My son had a similar incident to the OP, in London. Taxi does a U turn without looking, my lad is almost alongside on his bike, has no choice but to turn with the taxi until the turning angle gets too great and he falls off. Taxi driver very apologetic and my son relieves him of his morning’s rankings to pay for ripped trousers and minor damage to the bike.

[Mick F]

After I left the RN, I took a part-time job locally driving a delivery van for a car parts company. Body-shop stuff ......... bonnets, wings, door skins, sills, wheel arches, finishing products.

Worked three days a week, 9am until perhaps 3pm. Finish time varied depending on numbers of drops.
Drove perhaps 120miles a day with a 20 or 30 drops to garages and workshops as far apart as Camelford, Bodmin, Liskeard, Launceston, Looe, Plymouth, Ivybridge and Tavistock.

I've always enjoyed driving, but those six years I was working with them became a drudge. I wasn't paying attention to my driving skills and became lax and over familiar with the roads.

Since packing that malarky up, my driving is exemplary again, but it gave me an appreciation of what delivery drivers go through mentally. They have a schedule to work with, and a feeling of superiority on the roads and over the years it increases. Not all are like that, but most.

[Steve]

Don't generalise! There are plenty of courteous professional drivers on the roads, and plenty of dangerous non-professionals.

[ChrisP100]

Don't generalise! There are plenty of courteous professional drivers on the roads, and plenty of dangerous non-professionals.

I agree, and I didn't say 'all'. I also understand the circumstances that might lead to certain drivers being a bit fast and lose with the rules of the road, but it shouldn't excuse downright dangerous driving from what should be experienced drivers.

The OP was just my experience of late and a bit of a vent after a particularly bad experience.

[pwa]

People who drive for a living are some of the least courteous, quite often downright dangerous drivers on the road in my experience. Maybe it's complacency or sense of entitlement, I don't know.

I stopped reading at that point, knowing as I do people who drive for a living and who don't deserve that insult.

[ChrisP100]

People who drive for a living are some of the least courteous, quite often downright dangerous drivers on the road in my experience. Maybe it's complacency or sense of entitlement, I don't know.

I stopped reading at that point, knowing as I do people who drive for a living and who don't deserve that insult.

Fair enough.

Maybe if you'd read on you might understand why I was a bit miffed to say the least.

(and it wasn't intended as an insult - just an observation)