What little things drive you completely up the wall....?

[Luci45]

When you say that you hated something like '50 Shades' or 'Twilight', and people say it's because you just don't understand TWU WUV!!!! Yuck.

Though '50 Shades' has the extra that if you didn't like it, not only do you not understand TWU WUV, you are also prudish and uptight, no matter what book you say is better. I witnessed a conversation where someone said they liked the 'Sleeping Beauty Trilogy' and hated '50 Shades' get accused of being a prude 

What is TWU WUV?

I'm really slow this morning.

True love... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbqv3MwwVd8&hl=en-GB&gl=GB

Thanks.

[RingTailedLemur]

People who dazzle me with car lights!

Either they have the lighting rig for a rock concert on the front of their car which turns my mirrors into a blaze of light, or they fail to use their handbrake appropriately at traffic lights after dark so I get dazzled with brakelights!  GRRR!

  I've never heard of this in 40+ years of driving. Must be the difference between here and there.  Handbrakes are for two things here in the US -- to keep a parked car from rolling on a slope, and as a backup to use in an emergency, in case your footbrakes give out for some reason.  The only reason that I might use a handbrake while the car was stationary but with the engine on is if I was stuck in a completely stopped traffic jam, and it looked like it might not clear any time soon.

Yes, when I visited Canada my host told me they didn't do it there either.  I learned to drive in 2009 and my instructor was very insistent that if you're stopped at lights for more than a few seconds you should pop the handbrake on.  It does make a huge difference to me in terms of dazzle - maybe our brakelights are brighter than US/Canadian ones?

What is a handbrake? I've been driving for 50 years, lots of different cars.

The little lever with a button on top that you pull when stopped.  I think some people across the pond call it a "parking brake"?

Sorry, I've never seen that. My parking brakes have  always been on the left side of the floor (driver's side) and gosh awful to apply and release. I only use it on really steep hills. Wait! I do remember having to yank something really hard for the parking brake, then twist it really hard to release it.

No way would I use it at a stoplight - maybe shift into Park if it is long train or traffic jam.

I've never noticed that other people's brakelights are blinding. Sorry you are bothered by it.

This thing: http://www.compareautomechanics.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/car_emergency_hand_brake.jpg

As I say, my driving instructor was insistent about it and I do get dazzled when people don't do it.  Also, "shifting into park" isn't generally done here because automatic transmission cars are quite unusual - I'd say about 95% of cars here are manual.

I just checked the Highway Code (UK road law) which says "In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again." from here: https://www.gov.uk/general-rules-all-drivers-riders-103-to-158/lighting-requirements-113-to-116

So it's not just my preference, it's law.

[Outdoor Girl]

North American cars, traditionally, didn't have hand brakes; they had parking brakes that were depressed with the foot and then a lever had to be pulled to release them or you had to step on it again to get it to release.  NA cars were a lot bigger, too, for the longest time and this is the kind of brake you see on pick up trucks and the like.

Now, more and more cars actually do have a hand brake.  But most of them are also automatic.  So while someone might shift into Park, they aren't likely to apply the hand brake, if they have one.

That said, I drive stick.  I rarely use the hand brake when stopped at a light.  I will shift into neutral and use the hand brake when stopped for a longer period of time in a traffic jam.  In fact, I'll quite often turn the car off if it is going to be a while, like waiting at a train crossing.

[EmmaJ.]

When I have a really good idea then start doubting myself.  DH has been wanting a tablet computer for a long time, unfortunately most of what he said went in one ear and out the other.  I've just gone and bought him one which I'm 99% sure is the right one but now I realise that the name is very similar to the phone he just bought so I may have got the wrong thing.

Turns out I got the right thing.

Yay!

[Kendo_Bunny]

Thanks.

Or, in this context, True Love with extra twee.

[AdakAK]

As I say, my driving instructor was insistent about it and I do get dazzled when people don't do it.  Also, "shifting into park" isn't generally done here because automatic transmission cars are quite unusual - I'd say about 95% of cars here are manual.

I just checked the Highway Code (UK road law) which says "In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again." from here: https://www.gov.uk/general-rules-all-drivers-riders-103-to-158/lighting-requirements-113-to-116

So it's not just my preference, it's law.

I've never heard that.  I was rear ended once doing just that, so I'll never do it again.  They weren't watching and thought my lack of break lights meant I was moving.  Even if I do put the parking break on, I keep my foot on the break enough to trigger my lights.  I have had LASIK and do have the halo effect from that, but even still break lights don't dazzle me.  Are break lights brighter in the UK? 

[Elfmama]

As I say, my driving instructor was insistent about it and I do get dazzled when people don't do it.  Also, "shifting into park" isn't generally done here because automatic transmission cars are quite unusual - I'd say about 95% of cars here are manual.

I just checked the Highway Code (UK road law) which says "In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again." from here: https://www.gov.uk/general-rules-all-drivers-riders-103-to-158/lighting-requirements-113-to-116

So it's not just my preference, it's law.

I've never heard that.  I was rear ended once doing just that, so I'll never do it again.  They weren't watching and thought my lack of break lights meant I was moving.  Even if I do put the parking break on, I keep my foot on the break enough to trigger my lights.  I have had LASIK and do have the halo effect from that, but even still break lights don't dazzle me.  Are break lights brighter in the UK?

I never noticed it to be so.  And in the 3 years that I lived in the UK, I never once got told that I should do this.  I'm with AdakAK here -- it strikes me as dangerous.  How do people know that you are about to resume driving if they can't see your brake lights go off?

[RingTailedLemur]

I'm not going to argue and defend the law of my country.  I'm very surprised that anyone has a problem with it, or can't tell if a vehicle in front is moving or not.

[Dazi]

I'm sure every crafter has run into this. 

Someone sees a gift or paid item you made for someone else and just has to have one.  Then offers (or not) to furnish the supplies.  Totally balking at what you tell them item will cost them because you expect to be paid for something that takes XXX amount of time.  So yes, supplies might only be $10, $20, $50 or whatever, but item might take 10 minutes or 20+ hours to complete.  So no, you can't tack on $20 extra for me and expect me to say yes for a 20+ hour project.

If you purchase supplies, I will happily teach you how to do craft.


Surprisingly, no one has EVER taken me up on this offer.

Are you in Virginia? Because I would totally take you up on that.

Florida   sorry

[perpetua]

I'm not going to argue and defend the law of my country.  I'm very surprised that anyone has a problem with it, or can't tell if a vehicle in front is moving or not.

Agreed - if you (you general) can't tell whether the vehicle in front of you is moving or not you shouldn't be on the road in the first place.

[Betelnut]

I'm not going to argue and defend the law of my country.  I'm very surprised that anyone has a problem with it, or can't tell if a vehicle in front is moving or not.

The link you provided was sort of unclear though since it was called, "General rules, techniques and advice for all drivers and riders (103 to 158)".  A technique or a bit of advice doesn't sound like a law to me.  It is confusing.

[RingTailedLemur]

I'm not going to argue and defend the law of my country.  I'm very surprised that anyone has a problem with it, or can't tell if a vehicle in front is moving or not.

The link you provided was sort of unclear though since it was called, "General rules, techniques and advice for all drivers and riders (103 to 158)".  A technique or a bit of advice doesn't sound like a law to me.  It is confusing.

It's from the Highway Code, which is law.

https://www.gov.uk/highway-code/introduction

Lets change the subject, please - I don't want a legal discussion to get this thread locked.  I'm happy to talk about it via PM.

[Elfmama]

People on TV who make sweeping statements like "Everybody knows that Roderick Smyth-Englebert is the world's sexiest actor."  or  "The whole world was watching The Big Game last night between the Poohawks and the Pontoons!"

[nuit93]

That said, I drive stick.  I rarely use the hand brake when stopped at a light.  I will shift into neutral and use the hand brake when stopped for a longer period of time in a traffic jam.  In fact, I'll quite often turn the car off if it is going to be a while, like waiting at a train crossing.

I do this too, so I thought maybe that was what the other person was referring to since standards are far more common overseas.

[Kaymyth]

People who dazzle me with car lights!

Either they have the lighting rig for a rock concert on the front of their car which turns my mirrors into a blaze of light, or they fail to use their handbrake appropriately at traffic lights after dark so I get dazzled with brakelights!  GRRR!

  I've never heard of this in 40+ years of driving. Must be the difference between here and there.  Handbrakes are for two things here in the US -- to keep a parked car from rolling on a slope, and as a backup to use in an emergency, in case your footbrakes give out for some reason.  The only reason that I might use a handbrake while the car was stationary but with the engine on is if I was stuck in a completely stopped traffic jam, and it looked like it might not clear any time soon.

Yes, when I visited Canada my host told me they didn't do it there either.  I learned to drive in 2009 and my instructor was very insistent that if you're stopped at lights for more than a few seconds you should pop the handbrake on.  It does make a huge difference to me in terms of dazzle - maybe our brakelights are brighter than US/Canadian ones?

Quite possibly.  I've never been dazzled by anyone's brake lights.

And putting on the parking brake while stopped at a light would be a very bad idea in my car.  Engaging it turns my headlights off.