Is there a greater social sin in New Zealand than passing someone when driving?
It really is pathetic. Someone’s crawling along at 60Kph; you pass them and they chase after you and sit close behind, horn beeping and seething with outrage. Or it’s the fingers and so goes.
18 Comments
That’s if they ever let you pass them, most of the time they will die in a ditch but let you past, even if they were cruising 40kmh!
The basic problem, as I see it, is that New Zealanders in general are incapable of driving to the conditions and worse have to always be in front. So, even if sticking to the speed limit there is a train of impatient drivers who will pass regardless of weather or road conditions.
Stems back to the time when you could only buy a car if you had overseas funds. Accordingly, a couple of generations later, the car is still a status symbol and one has to be in front just to show how important and successful one is. Compare this to California where, apart from the odd errant golfer, people drive to the conditions and are generally polite.
I’ve never had this happen ever. Certainly had the one of people driving slowly and then speeding up when we get to some straight road, but I suspect that is more an unconscious thing on the driver part, old people especially… Have had plenty of the prats who speed up to block me when I indicate an intention to change lane.
Not letting people change lanes is as common as it is pathetic. A form of passive agression that never happens on foot, or when properly face-to-face.
First they crawl on the corners and gallop on any stretch presenting the opportunity to pass them, often in a pious or Forrester or rav4.
Can’t wait for police to start pulling over drivers for not keeping to the speed limited; 100k/h and especially on the Hutt Motorway.
Having lived outside of NZ for the entirety of Helen Clark’s reign, and on my return encountered exactly what
Sir Bob describes, accurately, above, I at first wondered wether Helen had decreed overtaking to be illegal.
This is the Kiwi way. Even Billy Connolly made fun of us when he was out here. You go to pass someone and they speed up! When I visited South Africa, I noticed the drivers moved to one side to allow you to pass and the driver passing put their hazard warning lights on briefly to say thank you. What a difference between the two cultures.
Well said Sir Bob. Perhaps it is NZers talk poppy syndrome, ie, one does not want another to get ahead of them, despite one’s failing at driving (life).
After living overseas for 30 years I have come to the conclusion that Kiwis are the worst drivers on the planet, and all should have to resit their drivers licence at least annually.
Have to agree roger. I’ve driven in a number of countries and have to say driving in NZ is taking your life in your hands. Can’t blame the roads..yet…another few years of labour/greens and the roads will be stuffed. Part of the problem is that the modern cars are too light, too responsive, too easy to drive, and do what the idiots behind the steering wheel tell them.
STOP signs, 90km when towing something,giving way, staying to the left…all seem a thing of the past!
Mostly I find them disappearing into the distance in my rear vision mirror – especially after a bend or two. Which is why I passed them. The odd one gives chase but pretty rare up here.
Another problem is that all the policing and the messaging creates the impression that “slow is safe”, and forcing others to drive below the speed limit by obstructing them, is a virtuous activity that makes things “even safer” (actually the data proves something else).
Kiwis are by far the worst driver in the western world bar none! They deliberately hold you up then roar off when an opportunity to pass them safely arrives. My commute to work is on rural roads they’re doing 70-80 while you cannot overtake then it’s up to 120 when you can. Wankers
Having just spent 8 weeks on the road unable to drive faster than 110 kmph it was unbelievable to see the large number of totally inept drivers. Even when doing 80kmph pulled way over to the left the number of people in modern cars incapable of passing was horrifying.
When you run indoctrinating ad after ad telling people to slow down as speed kills they totally lose confidence in the car and their own ability.
We have to have the worst drivers in the world driving on the worst roads in the world. The death figures show this is a dangerous combination.
PS South Island roads are unbelievable. Govt clearly hates the NI especially Auckland where all their money comes from.
Well said Sir Bob. There small minded (socialists) types.
They drive small half whit cars and sour on people with normal size proper cars (xj Jaguars, S class Mercedes ect).
Bob, It’s a function of our roads built to poor standards. Even the new ones begin falling apart 2 weeks after opening. Rather than 2-lane minimum the whole damn thing end-end we spend an enormous amount of time and resources planning ‘passing lanes’, only to have to repeat the process for the next ‘passing lane’.
Of course you can’t pass anyway because even the deadshits speed up for them
Overseas where you have 4+ lanes each way nobody very much cares what you do as far as passing goes. And you don’t have the Police hiding in bushes fining people for being 1kph over either.
Maybe thats why the last commissioner was a Bush.
There is a private sign, northbound between Browns Bay and Silverdale (on Aucklands North Shore)
“If you cant do 100Km/h, catch a bus”
It makes me smile, as we crawl along at almost 80, OK it is sometimes 85. Unfortunately it is too close to a bend to allow me to safely pull over and take a photo. 🙂