MisterMMM.com: Mark's blog

March 19 2011

We were driving out from Stenson Fields on the Stenson Road, and stopped for the red light at the railway bridge. We were at the front of the queue and a few feet back from the line, when the first car came over the bridge towards us, and nearly took the front right corner of the car off.

I am always very aware of any other driver getting close to my car, and thought that he only missed by a couple of inches at nearly 30mph.

My driver was just as surprised too, and had been a bit frightened by it. Maybe not frightened as such but quite worried. I think this was because we were stationary and we could not have moved out of the way in time.

My wife in a situation like this always talks about those "drivers in their big cars, thinking they own the road". I always point out that they might have big cars but simply don't drive well. They need a driving lesson or 2 to improve!

This car that had nearly clipped us was very wide, and could not really have got through the gap any better in terms of position, but should certainly have been going a lot slower throught the narrow gap.

This got me thinking again about my wife's idea and taking it a bit further. Are there people who believe that because they have a bigger or better car than they had before, that they are better drivers?

The learner driving test, is the most basic driving test there is! There is nothing beneath it, and it is only the first rung on a tall ladder of progression of driving skills. This means that people who have only passed the learner driving test, are at the very lowest level of proven driving skill.

What worries me is that there are some drivers who pass their driving test and then can afford a large or fast car, and apparently they know what they are doing. If this was so, how comes so many people die or are injured each year while out driving.

Anyway, back to the incident at the bridge. The car that got so close to us was a Bugatti Veyron, the world's most expensive and fastest car. This one had a registration of BUG 1. A local lad apparently. I would give him a free driving lesson. I would, in his car, please, pretty please!