Crazy drivers in TRNC

Herbert


Joined: 12/08/2009
Posts: 49

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 12:53

Not to start another boisterous topic, but this morning I was very close to book myself into hospital for a couple of months. An idiot driving a van tried to overtake the car in front of him while I was coming downhill in the opposite direction!!! I was fast enough to steer away but such things have happened quite often and the common sense of drivers here seems limited to the thinking ability of a 14 year old for the first time in a car.

Dangerous driving (like driving fast) is not as bad as incompetent driving! Cars oftentimes drive so close to the lane divider that side mirrors could touch each other any time.

I am getting tired of this, idiot behaviour on the roads as it seems that 1) Either they give licenses too easily or

2) There is no proper approach to driving in the first place. Speed cameras everywhere are useless if there are individuals cutting your by roundabouts.



Anyway, I survived the worst, and Im glad I am a bloody good driver.

ozkent


Joined: 08/05/2010
Posts: 111

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 13:45

Captain of the Titanic was a good driver . you are only as good as you think you are.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 13:49

I think the pertinent phrase is "you are not as good as you think you are"

YFred


Joined: 06/05/2009
Posts: 1471

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 13:53

Hang on a minute, how was the Captain of the titanic to know that the bloody Mr Iceberg had got his Pilot licence?

Thats very unfair comment, if I may say so.



Although I do concur with Herbert, some drivers in the TRNC need their licence taken away and locked up in the local "Tumarhane", for everybody's sake.

Geoff


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 1370

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 14:08

No more crazy than in most European cities, e.g. Paris, London, Barcelona, Et Al

Geoff

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 14:12

Last I heard the TRNC was not a European City.............?

bigbadbob


Joined: 04/08/2010
Posts: 368

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 14:17

Hi I rented a car the last time we came over in October and I was expecting a load of Kamikaze drivers but it was no worse than in the UK.

Herbert


Joined: 12/08/2009
Posts: 49

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 14:17

The Titanic is a completely different matter, thanks Yfred, in a completely different era, and I am not sailing around, Im just driving, safely, for my own sake and everyone else's. However, if someone comes against you from the front, there is very little you can do, is there ozkent??

Geoff


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 1370

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 14:59

Rde Msg 8: I did not say TRNC was a European City - I was merely comparing it with them in regard to driving standards (or lack of them!).

Geoff

ozkent


Joined: 08/05/2010
Posts: 111

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 15:48

I only mentioned the titanic as a joke but you are right the standard of driving is bad, but is no use taking their licences away because some don't have one and some don't care. Or they have a freind to

sort any problems for them I like to read these post were they want a reliable taxi driver or a bus driver,

i would'nt put my worst enemy in a local taxi worst drivers of the lot. Just go over the mountain road to ercan you'l see what i mean no such thing as ablind bend ,but this is Cyprus so it's ok.

AlsancakJack



Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 5762

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 15:56

If you want an interesting driving environment then forget the TRNC, try Egypt especially Cairo or Baku in Azerbaijan.

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 16:08

Defensive, defensive, defensive - stay alive.

mamachina


Joined: 22/11/2008
Posts: 730

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 16:15

AJ - try Beijing - no, try any city/major town in China!! 4 abreast on ordinary road and overtaking on the pavement (if there is one) - walkers using the middle of the road for conversations or sauntering across as though it was completely devoid of traffic. Its the Chinese republic and the roads belong to them, be it a car or a person. Lots of accidents incidentally!

I decided it was time to leave when i found myself standing in the middle of a road having a conversation, with traffic going round me! (to my recollection I was debating on which way to turn!) Think its called going native???

YFred


Joined: 06/05/2009
Posts: 1471

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 16:24

I gather Istanbul is the most worstest badest driving wise equal to Rome and the Italians.

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 17:55

OMG driving in Istanbul is dreadful! Overtaking, undertaking it was terrifying. The worst thing I witnessed was cars undertaking a bus while the passengers were trying to get off. Thankfully we had only hired a car for a couple of hours whilst waiting for a connecting flight at Sabiha Gokcen airport.

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 18:07

If driving standards here are poor then the facility for making things worse rather than better is certainly being provided. High road tax charges and income from a breeding stock of speed cameras is not accompanied by any action to improve the roadworthiness of vehicles nor the blatant disregard of all basic road safety rules by drivers such as the rights of pedestrians at pedestrian crossings. I am struggling to understand how the newish Girne bypass was ever opened to the public and what benefits the current changes are to bring. What use are slip roads if they join at the wrong angle and are so short that a glimpse in rear view mirrors of traffic on the carriageway is all that can be achieved. Better to join at 90% and have a stop sign ! A cambered surface to restrict abseiling in wet weather and some cats eyes would be nice. Beware the approaches to the roundabouts where two lanes lead to one around them which many drivers seem to think is reserved for them regardless.

AlsancakJack



Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 5762

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 18:46

deputydog

I think you have been spoilt. As far as pedestrian crossings go, pedestrians have no right of way. All they are there for is to provide a suggested place to cross. Traffic will always stop to let women and/or children cross regardless of where they try to cross. As for the bypass I am sure that you are aware that it is still work in progress and when they get around to ordering some more paint then the markings at roundabouts/junctions will be resolved. And there again you do not have to use the bypass. I know of expats that were using it before it was officially open and were moaning about opposing flows of traffic on either side of the bypass. It just makes life exciting.

LooseBoots



Joined: 08/02/2009
Posts: 1258

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 20:02

The driving here never ceases to amaze me. Why they are bothering to put lights on the new by pass I will never know as they are crazy in the daytime.



We were driving back from Lapta way about 3.15 during the week. The lights turned red and we slowed to a stop. A few cars had as usual jumped the red.



Then when the traffic to our left at the lights had started to move an idiot in our fast lane speed past us and crossed the junction and carried on past.



The poor women who had slammed her brakes on looked white.......as did we.



if I hadn`t seen it with my own eyes i would not have believed it.

Schoie



Joined: 26/12/2008
Posts: 299

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 20:08

What a pointless argument boys from a top girl driver x

Krin52


Joined: 25/08/2008
Posts: 419

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 20:12

Then this will make your heart stop - several times!



http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=-qvXbIenivk

laptarunner



Joined: 02/11/2009
Posts: 217

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 21:43

Driving through the centre of Naples, is an experience not to be forgotten.

laptarunner



Joined: 02/11/2009
Posts: 217

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 21:51

Driving through the centre of Naples, is an experience not to be forgotten.

IbrahimAbi


Joined: 24/10/2010
Posts: 245

Message Posted:
25/02/2011 22:34

One should really try Damascus. TRNC is easy and predictable

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
26/02/2011 15:32

Alsancakjack. I will continue to use the bypass which I pay dearly for and pedestrian crossings but with a large degree of trepidation and all the vigilance I can muster as I do not wear rose tinted glasses for all things TRNC. You seem to think that that there is great duty of care forthcoming from motorists and those responsible for road safety and I think otherwise.