Do you “still” enjoy driving?

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

Peter, your driving philosophy and length of experience pretty much mirrors mine. I remember my early days of motoring when I used to go for a drive just because I wanted to. My youngest son does the same thing, something my wife just does not get.

I am from Birmingham originally, lived in Somerset for the last 25 years where I can drive 10 or 12 miles across the levels in no time at all, trips back to Brum are not enjoyable, wonder how I used to manage to drive in these conditions day in day out to work. With a good run I can get up to outskirts of Brum not that much different in time to the last leg down the A45 sometimes.

We do have the M5 down here of course which I try to stay well clear of in the summer, a weekend car park, however I have many memories of trips to the west country in the 60s and it could be pretty awful then down the A38.

When I see the narrow high street through Highbridge I can't believe that all that traffic went through there every summer.

So in answer to you original question Peter, I do not enjoy driving like a used to but is that entirely due to traffic conditions or, as many things, the way we see life in our teens compared to older age.

I very often wish I had the outlook of my teen years, without all the things that annoy and irritate me know.

However at 80 years and a couple of weeks old driving a couple of hundred miles does not phase me although I hate driving on these dark winter nights especially if it is wet.

Bill D.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

An unfortunately frequent reason for our club members to 'retire' is because they no longer want to drive to the meetings at night. We have also moved some committee meetings to afternoons instead of evenings to avoid driving in the dark. However of course some people can get to both these venues entirely in LED and Sodium 'daylight'. They even put up signs to apologise to townies when parts of the M25 is not lit up like a sports stadium.

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

My son gave me a trophy and hat for taxi driver of the year, I live near Oxford and he asked me to pick him and his fiancé up from Gatwick and bring them to stay with us for the night and drop them at the station in the morning to get the train to Bristol. The flight landed around 10pm and I decided to take them to Bristol and drop them and then drive back to Oxford, about a 300mile round trip, I got to bed about 3am. As my wife won’t fly but loves holidaying in Italy we will be driving to Italy when this plague subsides. I believe tractors are obliged to pull over and let a long queue pass them, it would be nice if cyclists were subject to the same rule, we seem to have plenty of roads that do not have a long enough straight to pass a peloton safely and even when a straight appears it will be peppered with oncoming traffic which negates a pass. A peloton of 20 cyclists spread out can be a mighty difficult road block to clear. But I do enjoy driving despite its frustrating moments.

Mike

[Grizzly bearParticipant @grizzlybear]

I enjoy driving, Attempting to retain the skills that have developed over the years. As per Peter (Thread starter).

Usually local driving, shopping, hospitals.

This Christmas, did the motorway experience, Stafford to Guildford and return, not the same day.

Southbound: M6, M42 , M40 & M4 ~ 170mls.

I don't like "Smart Motorways".

I must say, the Highways dept. have done a great job, in connecting the above mentioned motorways.

80 in February, and that's not the speed.

Bear…

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Too infrequently, I travel from Peterborough to volunteer at The WaterWorks Museum in Hereford.

The journey takes about 2hr 45 to 3 hours. Worcester to Hereford takes an hour, on single track undulating road, compared with the earlier nearly all dual carriageway / Motorway

The outward journey starting at 0700 is better than the return starting at about 1645, because of the volume of traffic on M42. OK, as long as you pay attention, and don't think it safe to travel 20 feet behind the vehicle in front at 70 mph!

That tends to lengthen journey times by waiting for the ambulances and recovery vehicles.

Taking the skill out of driving makes it less enjoyable.

A previous car model that we owned had a design fault which caused the clutch cable to break. I am proud to say that our daughter returned home, sans clutch, from The Hague when it happened to her..

Now that is skill to admire!.

Anyone who has driven a Scammell Pioneer will know that the clutch is only used when pulling away. HEAVY clutch, and no synchromesh!

Howard

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

In the last 20 years of working I managed 35,000 to 40,000 miles a year as a Service Engineer all over the country and sometimes in Europe, I loved driving and still do, but I was always in a hurry to get somewhere and get home, today I'm no longer in a hurry as long as I get there and as its my fuel I drive for economy.

In the last two years I didn't go near motorways until last October and my first drive on the M1 had me nervous as I got used to the driving technique I was used to when working, I couldn't believe how fast I was having to drive to be safe, I felt better on the way home and have since done the journey again recently.

Martin P

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

The Motorway technique seems to be fast enough to overtake the HGVs, but not so fast as to get involved in the the Formula 1 practice in Lane 3!

Howard

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Don't have the energy to drive far and do stuff like I used to but can still do a few hours each way and enjoy it

Night driving is a skill in itself and actually easier than the daytime, although you've got to watch it in the rain, a lot of people really do struggle with vision issues when its wet

Modern cars really do make things a lot easier

Edited By Ady1 on 29/12/2021 23:14:54

[Diane CarneyModerator @dianecarney30678]

My daughter and I were driving our Sentinel steam waggon from Bolton to Southport last night. We find that it's the best way to enjoy the open road (in front of us)

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

[Steve GarryParticipant @stevegarry36500]

Yes, I still like driving, 53 years after passing my test, though I prefer now being able to decide when and where I go, having spent years having to drive for work. Getting a Citroen Grand Picasso in 2018, my first automatic, has made longer distances a lot more relaxing, things like Sat Nav and cruise control are a big help in taking the stress out.

I try to avoid having to use motorways at peak periods, especially around Dublin and Birmingham, they're no fun any more, between HGV's fighting to pass each other with no real speed difference, and too many people who should have left home 20 minutes earlier to get where they need to be on time, peak periods are stress I can and do avoid.

That said, I'd much prefer to be driving something steam powered on a road or railway, much more fun, and there's not a committee of computers that have to be persuaded to do what I want to do before they'll agree to let me drive.

[John BaguleyParticipant @johnbaguley78655]

I've never enjoyed driving a car although I enjoyed riding motorbikes for many years. If it wasn't for the fact that my ME club is 25 miles away and I go to various 2½" Gauge rallies during the year I wouldn't bother with a car anymore. I hate driving in the dark and avoid it wherever possible.

John

[Jyorge MeribParticipant @jyorgemerib45079]

I like biking riding more than a car, In the evening time riding a bike is more enoyable. Car riding is preferable on rainy days, yes some vision issues occur but still it's awesom!

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

I went to take the Austin 7 out for a run the other day. It normally starts on the first press of the button, not this time. After the third press, I realised that I hadn't turned the fuel tap on – IDIOT !

I drove the 7km to the bakers, bought some bread and croissants, had a chat to a guy who was admiring the car, started and pulled away only for the engine to die in the middle of the high street! What now, the car has always been so reliable. Bonnet up to find the choke lever had gone over centre and was jammed on full choke – that was a simple 'fix'.

The joys of motoring where you can fix things yourself instead of floundering and calling out the garage services.

[Peter Ellis 5Participant @peterellis5]

I found when I moved here, that I was enjoying driving again. Stop-start driving in the SE of England for 25 years was no fun at all. Driving to the office could take 20 mins or an hour and a half, with the return journey the same, depending on traffic. Constantly driving on my nerves in heavy crawling traffic was very tiring.

Here, there are never traffic jams, provided I stay off the coast road in summer. I don´t enjoy driving on motorways for more then 50 miles, on my own, as I worry about boredom, losing concentration and drifting off.

Still glad I did the police advanced driving course, 50 years ago.

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Told a mate a loooong time ago driving was a dying art. As it's a God given right for a seventeen year old to be let loose with in many cases, an overpowered steel box, driving enjoyment became questionable many years ago. The backward facing baseball cap brigade made defensive motorcycling a necessity as a bike was a gauntlet to be challenged by the hatchback boy racers. Electronic gizmoes have converted the dashboard into a space invader control panel which requires a degree in electronics to change the time or decipher which illuminated symbol means what.

Sadly now made worse as the monthly "Hire a three pointed star or four rings" mob seem to have read page 86 of the duplicated owners manual "How to drive like a total p***k and annoy the minions" is the norm, the problem has to get worse, for even pedestrians, with the introduction of the "Stealth" mobiles.

Remember one guy telling me that he was an excellent driver, problem was, other people got in his way.

Regards Ian.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Diane Carney on 29/12/2021 23:28:13:

My daughter and I were driving our Sentinel steam waggon from Bolton to Southport last night. We find that it's the best way to enjoy the open road (in front of us)

I don't mind getting stuck behind interesting slow movers, it's convoys of boring caravans that get my goat. As do cyclists 'commanding the road': Lycra-clad bottoms waving in my face, yuk!

Must be getting old, I vaguely remember a time when Lycra was interesting…

Dave

[martin haysomParticipant @martinhaysom48469]

still enjoying driving. road of chose a motorway with little traffic. car of chose my 70' s American pick up. as for smart motorways how can an inanimate object be smart although probley smarter than the people that dreamed up the idea

[peak4Participant @peak4]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 29/12/2021 20:21:55:

On our local roads … Most definitely !!

That’s the A5004, in red.

Plenty more to choose from.

MichaelG.

You've just got our house on the South East corner of that map; drop in for refreshments if you're ever in need.
.
Yes I do enjoy driving, sometimes, it depends on the reason.
Motorbike(s) certainly, as since they are no longer my only means of transport, I only set out in good weather.

The Marlin always brings a smile, barring an occasion visiting my Dad one Feb.
Very cold, but sunny, so set off from Sheffield, with the hood down and a warm jumper.
I then hit a bank of freezing fog at the foot of the Winnats pass, first the outside of the windscreen froze, then the inside; heater of course was no good with the roof down and the washer froze.
No problem, it's not far to the summit, peer over the top of the windscreen; first the outside of my glasses froze- etc.

Bill

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

I still enjoy driving but my annual mileage is only a fraction of what it used to be, I changed to an automatic a number of years ago and that brought a new vision of stress reduction in driving. Unfortunately roads maintenance here in East Sussex is very hit and miss, the roads resemble medieval cart tracks and we are a county with no motorways and very little dual carriageways. I enjoy driving on proper motorways, especially the toll road in the Midlands, but Smart Motorways scare me, they are positively dangerous with no hard shoulders, the toll of those killed in breakdowns on them is steadily rising, when will common sense prevail. Dave W

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

Just bought myself a Lotus Exige Sport 420 Final Edition, so yes, very much still enjoy driving!

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

My drive this morning (back with drills from Lidl) made me realise that some people need a little education about driving on the narrow roads shown in an earlier picture. Don't bunch up behind other cars. Leave 200-300 yards so that if there is traffic in the opposite direction you can all find passing places. Field gate an other passing places are usually only one car space,

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Posted by Bazyle on 30/12/2021 13:19:05:

some people need a little education about driving on the narrow roads

Under statement of the year

[Brian MorehenParticipant @brianmorehen85290]

I spent 45 yrs years driving sometimes 1000 plus miles a week as a service engineer repairing Commercial Laundry & Dry Cleaners . Now prefer to drive only to where I want to go. Many pass me and I then finish up behind them at the next set of traffic lights. I am left puzzled at the rush ???

Regards Bee >M

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Brian Morehen on 30/12/2021 15:20:46:

Many pass me and I then finish up behind them at the next set of traffic lights. I am left puzzled at the rush ???

It's because you've grown up and they haven't!

Watch out for cars bigger than 1300cc, boy racers, men having a mid-life crisis, go-faster paint jobs, fat tyres, wide bore exhausts, personalised number plates, tinted windows, stickers of any kind, big loudspeakers, and chaps who wear a hat behind the wheel! Or fighter pilot sunglasses…

Dave

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