Annual Winge

[Wezzel]

Blimey it don't seem five minutes ago I was thinking to myself "I'll soon be getting up and going to work in the light". Now I'm plunged back into darkness again (albeit until the clocks change in a few weeks).

Now I can cope with jumping into the car, bleary eyed, in the half light and driving to work (just). I can even cope with the T*****s who get in the wrong lane at the traffic lights and then cut in to avoid queing.

But what winds me up more than anything is the morons who are already driving around with their front fog lamps blazing. It's not cool. It's not legal and, it can be very distracting. If these people want driving lamps, why don't they go and buy driving lamps and fit them at a decent height so that they shine downwards.

Phew, whinge over until next year.

Incidentally, who here will be brave enough to admit to doing it?

 

[fuzzer]

Blimey it don't seem five minutes ago I was thinking to myself "I'll soon be getting up and going to work in the light". Now I'm plunged back into darkness again (albeit until the clocks change in a few weeks).

Now I can cope with jumping into the car, bleary eyed, in the half light and driving to work (just). I can even cope with the T*****s who get in the wrong lane at the traffic lights and then cut in to avoid queing.

But what winds me up more than anything is the morons who are already driving around with their front fog lamps blazing. It's not cool. It's not legal and, it can be very distracting. If these people want driving lamps, why don't they go and buy driving lamps and fit them at a decent height so that they shine downwards.

Phew, whinge over until next year.

Incidentally, who here will be brave enough to admit to doing it?

Im sure you couldnt see my foglamps over my xenons anyway

 

[SimonsMerc]

I was recently told that driving with sidelights and fogged lights (i.e. dipped headlights off) is actually legal. It's only when you have foglights along with dipped beam or main beam together that it becomes illegal. Can anyone confirm this?

Cheers,

-simon

 

[Shude]

I was recently told that driving with sidelights and fogged lights (i.e. dipped headlights off) is actually legal. It's only when you have foglights along with dipped beam or main beam together that it becomes illegal. Can anyone confirm this?

It is 100% legal... during fog or falling snow conditions. Otherwise it's illegal.

 

[SportsCoupeRich]

what about heavy rain...so many people do this.
oh - and its legal if you are wearing a baseball cap and playing drum and bass.

 

[DRICCI]

It is 100% legal... during fog or falling snow conditions. Otherwise it's illegal.

I have that "cornering light" function thing on my SLK. Below 30 mph it gradually illuminates one fog light or the other when you turn the steering wheel past the 2 o'clock or 10 o'clock postion (or operate the indicators), then it gradually dims and goes off after about 5 seconds.

How come it isn't illegal?

Anyway, it's a total waste of time on roads with street lamps (driven on 99% of the time) and I can't disable the function so I drive around looking like a Max Power muppet: mini roundabout, swing left then right, both fogs on... lovely!!

Any idea how to disable it?

 

[DITTRICH]

Fog Lights - one of my pet hates too. This and people who play with the spacings and charcaters on their number plates. I have often thought that if the Government would license members of the public (in unmarked cars) to go around photographing these people (in exchange for a %) and sending them fines through the post then people would be more careful and respectful about these things.
Les

 

[saorbust]

Oh boy its like all my pet hates in one thread.

Side Lights btw aren't recognised under UK law.

Fog lights - grrrrrr - whats worse is the REAR light - absolutely blinding.

And regarding the Number plates - why can't we have a few high profile prosecutions ? I find it stunning that people get away with it.

 

[prprandall51]

Haven't got a Highway Code to hand (it is online on the 'net somewhere) but I think you can use front / rear fogs when visibility is less than 100 metres - so that would include heavy rain.

Pet Hate no. 2754: Motorbikes with midget number plates. This represents a total finger-in-the-air to the police. Sadly, I read in a bike mag that some police forces are taking a generous view on them, along with loud pipes, in order to "reach out" to motorcyclists so they can "communicate" with them to advise them on how to ride more safely.

I suppose it makes sense, but these bikers wouldn't pose any sort of hazard if we just stuck their bike in a crusher and took their driving licence away.

Please make me president of Britain, I have soooo many harsh punishments up my sleeve.
Philip

 

[Plodd]

Just got home from work and this topic has cheered me up no end.

I was thinking after 20 odd years doing my job that I was getting twisted and these things didn't bother the general public. How it pleases me to see that isn't the fact. Well I may be bitter and twisted but not necessarily on these points. Number plates, fog lights and now tinted windows are some of my pet hates.
We now (finally) have the equipment to check tinted windows and it's like shelling peas. As i'm sure you are all aware front side windows MUST allow through 70% of the available light. Less than 30% and you are looking at an immediate prohibition preventing you driving the vehice until the problem is rectified. Well I have checked numerous windows with less than 20% and a fair number at less that 10%. My lowest so far being 4.8%. A colleague working with the boys from VOSA last week checked one at 1.1%
I believe this person admitted to having to wind his windows down to reverse. It really beggars belief.

 

[GRAV888]

Instant remedy for illegal tints.
Smash the window
Only joking

 

[Lazarus]

While we are on the subject of pet hates...

I have the *pleasure* of driving from Junction 9 of the M40 all the way to Gypsy's Corner on the A40 on a daily basis and can honestly say that *I* have to take corrective action to prevent a collision either from a biker or someone cutting in and out of traffic most days. The way I see it, I shouldn't have to think for the other person too.

Makes me want to buy an indestructible old nail like a Volvo 740 and let the idiots crash into me!

*calm blue ocean*

Laz.
--

 

[prprandall51]

We now (finally) have the equipment to check tinted windows and it's like shelling peas.

Hurrah! for Plodd - both our own one (above) and his colleagues in general. Tinted windows were in on my pet hate list at postion 1325. A biker was killed in Scotland last year because a git had blacked his windows out and couldn't see a thing.

Pet Hates, see also: Bean-can exhausts, loud bass bins, speeding, blue lights on the bonnet / wiper blades, no lights in poor weather, main beam on motorbikes at all times, bikers making a third lane on dual carriageways, pedestrian-threatening bonnet emblems (especially horses on old Jaguars - what is that all about?), driving through a mini roundabout at full pelt just because you are on the "main" road, crashing red lights.... the list goes on and on. Lucky I'm perfect.

Hey, Plodd, am I too old at 41 to join up? There is some serious work to do out there!

 

[Howard]

Instant remedy for illegal tints.
Smash the window
Only joking

Like in Porkys...

'You gotta ticket for that broken tail light boy.....'
'What broken tail light ?'

SMASH !!

'You gotta ticket for that broken headlight boy......'
'Its not broken ! '

SMASH !!

If only the real world were like that ...... the chavs would be so much easier to deal with...

Slightly OT but at work the other day there were a load of scrotey little youts at the top of the lock cut, bored with swimming in the lock cut, chucking conkers at passing boats . The boats by and large were just motoring off, except this one boat did a sharp u turn and moored up. Obviously the kids ran off but left their clothes and bicycles on the bank. The boat owner , cool as you like, gathered up the clothes and wheeled the bikes onto his boat and disappeared upriver never to be seen again .....

Oh how we laughed .....

 

[GRAV888]

Like in Porkys...

What a good film that was.
Remember the bit in the shower (might have been toilets) where they put their bits through the hole in the wall? :bannana:

 

[Howard]

What a good film that was.
Remember the bit in the shower (might have been toilets) where they put their bits through the hole in the wall? :bannana:

Quality ...... Very funny indeed !!

 

[SimonsMerc]

What a good film that was.
Remember the bit in the shower (might have been toilets) where they put their bits through the hole in the wall? :bannana:

Heh, yeh. The bit I'll always remember was "lassie" - cause I had a girlfriend at one point who was very simillar, if not quite as uncontrollable. Luckily at the time the room I was living in was soundproofed (our band used to practise and record in there at odd hours ;-)

-simon

 

[GRAV888]

Heh, yeh. The bit I'll always remember was "lassie" - cause I had a girlfriend at one point who was very simillar, if not quite as uncontrollable. Luckily at the time the room I was living in was soundproofed (our band used to practise and record in there at odd hours ;-)

-simon

Toooooooooooo much detail Simon

 

[syfaphonetic]

lol.....

ummmmm - im hoping the lower lights on me sl are classed as driving lights not fog.........

ummmm besides i live in the country and it is to deter foxes from running out in front of me !!!

Honest?

 

[portzy]

Definition of mist? = When the visibility is between 1000 and 2000 metres.
Definition of fog? = When the visibility is between 0 and 1000 metres.

We dont have mist lights we have fog lights so is it reasonable, and a suitable defence in law if you quote the above, to have your foggies on between 0 and 1000 metres?. The "street" phrase, I am told, is Go Figure?.

I do agree with the fog light thread within this thread though, even so.

I like my cornering lights btw, theres lots of nasties round by me in the way of junk on the road and inconsiderate trailer A frames protruding from folks' driveways.


Portzy.

PS, no takers for my "World of Leather" advice then , come on, I dont want to slap any old tutty on them after all this.