'BAD DRIVE'...... why is it so acceptable???

[snowbird]

(thread dedicated to anyone who have ever lost a loved one to the actions of a 'Bad Drive').........


Ask anyone outside of T&T to define 'bad drive' and you may end up with a thousand and one meanings; ask any Trinidadian, and the meaning will always be the same ....... "a driver having absolutely no respect for the law, or road courtesy, will think nothing of endangering his or her life, or the lives of others in the pursuit of achieving the desired result"...... that result, to get ahead, or past other drivers who are all willing to wait their turn, or observe the rules, laws and courtesys the road or traffic conditions dictate.

Ask any Trinidadian if they have ever experienced a 'bad drive' by another driver, the answer will always be the same ....... YES

[serenity]

The fact that we can still recognise a 'bad drive' when we experience one means that it hasnt exactly become the accepted thing on the roads. The fact of the many complaints means that it hasnt been accepted as the normal way to drive.

Why it occurs so frequently is another issue altogether.

[snowbird]

For the number of years this practice has been going on, and the fact that so many people experience it on a daily basis yet the 'lack of will' by the powers that be to address it seems to say that perhaps..... it is part and parcel of the way some Trinidadians will drive, so let's leave it at that? What has the authorities really done to try to curb this practice?

[serenity]

If the issue is crime prevention and management rather than the culture of trini drivers then this thread should be in the crime and law Board. But ah sounding like Falcon and dem now. :|

SB, I think its difficult to monitor this particular type of offence bec of the manpower that would be required. At least twice in every weekday, depending on what time I'm on the road, there would be police officers on the road dealing with shoulder drivers (of which I am not one :) ).

Ppl would go back onto the shoulder as soon as they are out of reach (though not nec out of sight) of the officers. So, unless we going to have officers on the roads 24 hours a day at every few feet, there are going to be bad drivers and bad drives on the road.

Besides, not every bad drive is intentional. Plenty I have experience were from women who cant seem to guage distance (or speed, if thats possible) and so end up doing some crap on the road.

The 'arrive alive' ppl and the 'yuh think!' campaign doing their part. I guess, as with most other things, it boils down to the individuals. Perhaps road rage has something to do with it as well? I have been tempted to ram my car into many an idiot out of sheer frustration.

[Falcon]

do you think this is culture or folklore? :?

[snowbird]

I'll have the thread moved, thanks.

From what you say Serinity, it seems like you have enough people engage in this bad practice that if stiff fines were imposed on the offenders you'd have more than enough money to pay for the administration of a program against bad driving. It is sad to say, but it could be one of those programs that will be 'self sufficient' :roll:

I’ll give you a for instance of how some Government’s address menacing issues. Right here in Ontario some (mostly young) people have taken to engage in Street Racing, while most of the time it is done on back roads in isolated areas, every once in a while these races will take place in an urban setting; as a result we have had fatalities and sometimes by innocent people who just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
In order to address this menace, we have now passed a law that any caught in ‘engaging’, either in racing or by having their auto altered (to accept higher octane so that they can race), will not only face HUGE FINES, but will also have the automobile confiscated (not impounded, taken away), plus be subject to jail time.

So far this has been a huge deterrent; there was even one case where the young punk was driving a car registerred in 'his grandmother's name', let me tell you, they were both in one heap of trouble.

[snowbird]

do you think this is culture or folklore? :?

:lol: stop it, ah jus happen tuh be in the wrong thread wen ah started it :x jus move it, and dis fer meh, please an tank yuh :lol:


Your humble servant :lol:

[serenity]

Good ideas SB. But u have to find them to fine them. Who is going to report a 'bad drive'? Ppl simply see it as one of those 'lesser' ills. Its not taken seriously. Thats where the arrive alive campaigns come in. The idea is to change how ppl view driving and to start taking the responsibilities that go with it, seriously.

[snowbird]

Good ideas SB. But u have to find them to fine them. Who is going to report a 'bad drive'? Ppl simply see it as one of those 'lesser' ills. Its not taken seriously. Thats where the arrive alive campaigns come in. The idea is to change how ppl view driving and to start taking the responsibilities that go with it, seriously.

While we would like to think that some people will 'on their own' change their bad habits, most people I think have to be 'forced to change' those habits and by whatever means are necessary or available. This is where I think the general public can help; with the availability of those new 'video' phones, equipment ect , hopefully John Q. Public will begin to used them to assist the police and other authorities in the fight against crime.

[deathwinger]

How about cameras at certain sections of the major roads and a hot line for individuals to call to give information on when they got a bad drive, where they got it and with the license plate of the offender?

The camera in that area is cross referenced for the supposed time and then the registered owner of the vehicle is sent a fine via the mail. :D

Furthermore, if the person does not pay his fine within a week, his plates are listed in the Sunday newspapers as 'individuals who have to come in to pay for their offenses' so all his friends and family can embarrass him. :D

And finally, have a computerized police database on every police vehicle so if the police want to check the plates, they can see the offenses and book the guy. :)

Thats my 2c. I'm sure it will stop shoulder driving.

[dancerboy]

Police do not have to see every 'BAD DRIVE', or every infraction thatntakes place on thr road. It comes back to same ole thing : aprehension and strict enforcement of the law. Here in OCALA the laws are very strict and are strictly enforce. Example; parking in a handicap spot without a sticker and get you a fine of up to $250,000.00, yes that is correct, dumping carbage gets you a $5000,00 fine and (NOT OR) five years in jail. ENFORCEMENT, ENFORCEMENT, ENFORCEMENT. If there is a 99% chance you will not be caught if you stole a milion dollars, you are more likely to steal it, than if there was a 90% chance you would be caught.

DANCERBOY

[Huma]

(thread dedicated to anyone who have ever lost a loved one to the actions of a 'Bad Drive').........


Ask anyone outside of T&T to define 'bad drive' and you may end up with a thousand and one meanings; ask any Trinidadian, and the meaning will always be the same

What exactly is your differentiation based on?

In fact, what exactly is the point of the differentiation?

You're contradicting yourself. There are dozens of different ways to bad drive someone, but there's one general definition of what a bad drive is.

What are you insinuating...that there are drivers in other countries who have never experienced a bad drive?

What exactly is the point of the comparison?

What's the point of the generalization? Couldn't you just express your disgust with bad drivers on T&T's roads without some feeble, illogical and unfounded comparison to other countries?

[citizen]

The simple definition of a bad drive:

Engaged in a manoeuvre that is designed so that you to get ahead of another driver without due consideration of his/her being ahead of you, or a maneouvre that forces another driver to take immediate evasive action which he/she otherwise would not have to take.

Having said this, we all know what a bad drive is and the variety of bad drives that are commonplace occurrences in T&T.

[Scorpio]

do you think this is culture or folklore? :?


lol....How yuh bad driving SB so, Falcs ? :D

[snowbird]

^^^ tank yuh

Note to self..... if you ever go to Dominica on vacation, stay on the resort; whatever you do, never be tempted to rent a car and go driving around :lol: :lol: :lol:

[batman]

As drivers, we all have days when we do stupidness on the road.