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Thread ID: 53359	2005-01-15 05:49:00	Kiwi Drivers...	manicminer (4219)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
314365	2005-01-23 03:12:00	I completely can't understand how people can say Asians are bad drivers. With the road being so empty (compared to overseas) I don't see why Kiwis drive so madly. Most of them probably won't be able to handle the traffic and roads oversea. Forget all the prejudice against Asian drivers. Since starting this thread I must have tempted fate, because all the demons have come out on the road to have a go at me. On no less that FOUR occasions over the past week, I've come across lunatics on the road (not giving way at junctions, pulling out in front without warning, stupid overtaking). Fortunately, due to my astute driving (always expecting an idiot to just be round the corner) I managed to avoid any mishap. And every single one of them has been of Maori/Polynesian origin. Did I miss something when I got my kiwi licence? Do they have some special rights of way on the roads here?	manicminer (4219)
314366	2005-01-23 04:12:00	And every single one of them has been of Maori/Polynesian origin.I remember reading in the Herald on Sunday last week that in an interview (can't remember what or who said it) some guy -well known off course, said that the New Zealand society would be so much better without Maoris. People are just afraid to say it. Although I don't see how we could be any better or worse with or without Maoris, I think the comment would be reflecting the minds of a great NZ population.	~sy~ (95)
314367	2005-01-23 05:42:00	I remember reading in the Herald on Sunday last week that in an interview (can't remember what or who said it) some guy -well known off course, said that the New Zealand society would be so much better without Maoris. People are just afraid to say it. Although I don't see how we could be any better or worse with or without Maoris, I think the comment would be reflecting the minds of a great NZ population. Well you could start a whole new thread on this topic, Sy. The problem I can't understand is how exactly do you define a Maori? (if someone could explain I'd be grateful). I was of the understanding that all the full-blooded Maori had died out long ago. Yet I've met quite a few people who, despite looking European in almost every way, consider themselves to be Maori. Now I don't know why that would be, it's almost as if it's some exclusive club they choose to belong to. Anyway, that's another topic altogether I suppose. What I don't understand is why they choose not to look over their shoulder before pulling out from a side road or junction. Either it's a 'whoever it is they can stop for me' attitude or the size of their necks prevents them from being able to look over their shoulder.	manicminer (4219)
314368	2005-01-23 07:29:00	Well you could start a whole new thread on this topic, Sy. The problem I can't understand is how exactly do you define a Maori? (if someone could explain I'd be grateful). I was of the understanding that all the full-blooded Maori had died out long ago. Yet I've met quite a few people who, despite looking European in almost every way, consider themselves to be Maori. Now I don't know why that would be, it's almost as if it's some exclusive club they choose to belong to. Anyway, that's another topic altogether I suppose. What I don't understand is why they choose not to look over their shoulder before pulling out from a side road or junction. Either it's a 'whoever it is they can stop for me' attitude or the size of their necks prevents them from being able to look over their shoulder.Indeed, I could -but I'm not :p The way I think Maori is defined (in such cases such as Maori/Pacific Island only prestigious schlorships, etc.) is that as long as you have proof that you carry Maori blood from your ancestors, then you are eligable. But as we can all expect, in the next few decades/century, this should change as almost anybody then will be able to define themselves as Maori. Personally I see special allowance for Maoris and any other race, as a racial discrimination against the others that aren't eligable to take part in the benefit. As for why they don't look at junctions, go ask Winston Peters. He'll tell you that New Zealand is the land of Maoris and hence they should be first prority for anything -probably include beating the traffic. Ironically, he tells us that he has Asian blood when it comes to speaking to Asians at election time.	~sy~ (95)
314369	2005-02-01 01:16:00	I wonder how much light will be shed by this thread, but however, some thoughts. When I was in China, I talked to our Chinese guide about perceptions of Asian drivers in NZ. He said to us - "Look at the way people cycle here - remember that this is the way all people start out on the road in China, and realise that the way they cycle is the way they will drive their cars." Now that was a bit scary, after watching the way the crowds of cyclists were riding! However, I also think that in this country an Asian driver stereotype exists, and it is reinforced whenever we see 'an Asian driver' doing something we disapprove of. We all see 'non Asian drivers' doing things we disapprove of every day but it doesn't get marked down as "oh, there goes another (...) driver", because they are 'ordinary Kiwis'. In my youth, the stereotype was "Pommy drivers", but they were harder to identify! Asians are much more convenient for stereotyping. In my opinion as a motorcyclist, the worst people have usually been people driving the company car. I also had a bad run with the twats that drove newish turbo boosted cars (rather than the stereotype "hoon in a clapped out Holden" who never gave me grief). In Oz, the bad driver stereotype amongst motorcyclists is Volvo drivers, and I have to admit to sometimes thinking that might be a truth rather than a simple stereotype... Secondly, in case Terry is implying (or I am inferring from his posts) that in his opinion, English drivers are superior to Kiwi drivers, I would have to strongly disagree. On the basis of a recent month's driving in Britain, I would have to say that they have far more aggressive and poorly behaved drivers than I have ever seen here. The only exception I found were professional truck drivers (well, except for Tesco drivers who seem to think they are King of the Road on A roads). I found that truckies were truly, deeply, madly, scary for a start by the way they ride your back bumper, but I learned that they were absolutely trustworthy and courteous, and always signalled what they were going to do, and signalled to let you know it was safe to join their queue or to pull out. And as for English roundabouts - they are insanity on wheels (no pun intended). We met an American couple who were so terrified of these perversions of road engineering they had given up their rental car. I soldiered on, but I think I may have brought back an ulcer. Shudder. As for English drivers signalling - what a joke. I prefer the system here that Terry abhors - at least you have a fair chance of knowing what Kiwi drivers are going to do when they signal like that at a roundabout. Not in England! I personally don't think that drivers in NZ are any better or worse than those in any country in the world I have driven in. In fact, I used to think that Wgtn drivers were wonderful and clearly the best in the country in terms of courtesy, but Wgtn taxi drivers dispute that now, and I defer to their professional opinion. Sydney is one of the best places to drive in IMHO, provided you are on the ball and prepared to drive fast, indicate properly, and immediately act on your indication. A Sydney taxi driver once told me "In Sydney, if you indicate you intend to pull into a lane, drivers will pull back to let you in, provided you do it within 20 seconds of signalling. In Melbourne, as soon as you indicate, drivers will close up the space to stop you merging into their lane. In Adelaide, drivers will say 'what's a lane?'." ;) I don't think anything I have said proves anything, but I just thought I would hang my ill informed prejudices out with everyone else. :p I am a Wellingtonian who has been driving for the last five years in London. At first, I found the driving style here very aggressive & fast (now I'm a local, ha ha :) ) , but at least they are highly competent in general (you have to be to cope with roundabouts like Hyde Park Corner or the Hanger Lane Gyratory.... :) ). It was not until I returned to NZ for the first time & got out on the open roads again that I realised what SUICIDAL LUNATICS Kiwi drivers are! The highly aggressive tailgating, OVERTAKING ON BLIND CORNERS & general incompetence with regards to the Road Code seems to have got much worse in the eight years I have been overseas (or maybe my absence has made me a better driver?). Apart from London, I have driven in other large cities (New York, Paris, Rome, Milan, Washington DC, Sydney etc - cities not well known for their considerate/sane driving styles), & found it a breeze compared to NZ open road driving. Roads that stick in my mind are SH1 from Wellsford to Auckland, or "The Highway Of Death" from Katikati to Tauranga in the Bay Of Plenty. The incompetence of drivers overtaking dangerously, often only to turn off down a side-road ten seconds later, was apparent all around. I don't understand this obsession with saving one millisecond of the journey, when the open roads are generally so uncrowded. Paradoxically, drivers in the city centres/on the motorways tootle along at a very slow speed in international terms, yet if they hit 112km/hr or so (IMO perfectly permissible on a free flowing, well surfaced straight stretch of motorway in good weather), they get pulled over by the mufti police cars & given a stonking great fine. In the UK, the cops seemingly have bigger fish to fry..... Where's the sense in the oft-repeated NZ Police mantra "Speed Kills"? Surely, judging by NZ driving styles, police should be encouraging the public to drive according to the conditions? It's madness to have a set open road limit of 100km/h for ALL open roads, when they are generally winding single carriageways with frequent blind corners. I would advocate a lessening of the speed limit for those roads, & a more sensible 120-130km/hr limit on motorways/100-110km/hr on Expressways (in line with many international standards). P.S. Brisbane drivers are even worse than Melburnians. They attempt to sweep across three lanes to grab a space you have just indicated you are turning into.....and I thought the pace of life in QLD was s-l-o-www.... :)	LondonKiwi (6877)
314370	2005-02-01 05:54:00	I know im coming late into this discussion. But all of you who "critise" other drivers, have you taken a look at your own driving...bet you think you're a perfect driver, but no matter what someone else out there will think you are a bad driver.	MrBeef (342)
314371	2005-02-01 06:00:00	Strange you should say that, My wife thinks I'm a terrible driver......I think she just scares easily.	Metla (12)
314372	2005-02-01 07:05:00	Strange you should say that, My wife thinks I'm a terrible driver......I think she just scares easily. Dang me,you are a DAG :D :D	Cicero (40)
314373	2005-02-01 08:34:00	Well, try this for idiocy . . . (wasn't sure if I should post it and it's a bit long, but here goes!) Last Friday afternoon I drove over the Auckland harbour bridge in heavy traffic, first a woman in a new Audi Allroad was determined to cut in on me as the on ramp traffic was merging . . . get over the bridge and stopped at traffic lights behind her with another car in left lane beside me, as the light changed she took off fast and I indicated to move into the left lane (which I had to be in for the next turn off) and proceeded straight ahead in left lane however ahead of her in the right lane a car had stopped to turn right so she decided to move left and cut me off without indicating . When I honked my horn and slammed my brakes on- instead of slowing she 'put her foot down', narrowly missed me and the other car and sped ahead doing at least 80ks past a school in a 50k zone . This was all to get about another kilometre 2 minutes faster than if she was driving safely . Lets just say that I got the impression she was 'driving with arrogance', but the funny thing was she had a personalised plate spelling out a computer related business something like 'toiling with apples' (you work it out!) and funnier still she had a personalised number plate surround with the business e-mail address on it :-) I am used to this behaviour on the roads, but if you had a personalised plate linked to your business AND your e-mail address on it would it make you think twice about driving recklessly? (can't say it's a great incentive to do business with them . . . wonder what they'd do to/with my G4 if I could ever be bothered to buy one of those overpriced boxes)	Shortcircuit (1666)
314374	2005-02-01 08:53:00	Well I have a habit of having run-ins with drivers of white vans. Why white vans? Well they are generally business vehicles driven by people who are probably not driving their own vehicle. Apart from that I've no idea why. But most of these vans have the business name and contact clearly marked on them. I've phoned a couple of them up to complain after being the victim of particularly aggressive driving. One belonged to a company in Auckland, whose boss took the complaint very seriously and, I believe, would have have had given the driver a stern warning. The other was a local locksmith - who just gave me a load of verbal abuse despite me politely pointing out my concern at his apparent death wish and lack of consideration for my safety. I know you can fill in the "roadwatch" forms on the police website and/or phone *555 but I rarely get any feedback from those and often wonder whether the police really take them seriously. Apparently they keep the forms on record, then if there are 3 or more independent complaints from people within a couple of years they will impound the offender's car. All very well but I doubt many people bother filling in the forms or even know about them.	manicminer (4219)
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