It must be nice to be oblivious...

[Mishi]

My mother-in-law is a terrible driver, everyone in the family knows that and seems to think it's an endearing quirk. *sighs* There are roadworks on my street at the moment, so she's constantly loudly complaining about everything from the amount of workers to the 'fact' that the road didn't need any work anyway.

This afternoon I was in the car with her on our way home from the school run (I don't drive for various reasons) and she impatiently waited at the start of the roadworks, and then sped as much as possible through them. Finally we're nearing the end and two of the traffic controllers are waving at her with their STOP signs and their free hands while yelling at her. They're trying to walk in front of her, but of course, she weaves around them and then asks me "What was all that about? They're crazy!"

*facepalm* I tried to explain what she'd done. She just kept trying to insist that they were only waving the 'Slow' signs at her and that they were being rude.

[Merriweather]

she impatiently waited at the start of the roadworks, and then sped as much as possible through them.

Aside from the ignoring the signs, in a lot of places speeding (or any other violation) in a work-zone is an automatic double fine. (Hubby just had to pick a long stretch with ongoing roadwork to get his only speeding ticket in decades ).

[morgana]

Quite aside from the fact that, if she ignores those stop signs and hits a worker, she's probably going to jail for a while . . .

[Pixilated]

Maybe she'll get a chance to explain her "endearing quirk" to either the cops or a judge before she seriously injures or kills somebody ... any chance you can find other transportation? I wouldn't want to be in a car with somebody who was so totally unconcerned about anything else on the road if I could help it ...

[wolfie]

Aside from the ignoring the signs, in a lot of places speeding (or any other violation) in a work-zone is an automatic double fine. (Hubby just had to pick a long stretch with ongoing roadwork to get his only speeding ticket in decades ).

And in one jurisdiction I drive through regularly, 2 work zone speeding tickets are an automatic license suspension. Another has the signs "Injure/kill a worker, $10,000/10 years".

[bhskittykatt]

I had a classmate who was a flagger. Someone speeding through a work zone hit one of the BIG barrel cones, and the rubber base on it went flying, hit said classmate, and sent her unconsciously flying off the overpass they were working on. She lost her voice when the tube the EMTs had to put down her throat damaged her vocal cords, and she was in a coma for almost a month. Now, the best she can do is a hoarse whisper. When I met her, she was going back to school to change her career plans (she originally was going to school to be a primary school teacher...not having a voice makes that problematic).

I would love to sit her and your mother down together, as she's a living example of why you don't speed through zones like that, and I'm sure she'd have some rather choice words for your mom. Sorry, but people speeding through zones like that is a big pet peeve of mine; I know and care about too many of those workers.

[EvilEmpryss]

I would love to sit her and your mother down together, as she's a living example of why you don't speed through zones like that, and I'm sure she'd have some rather choice words for your mom. Sorry, but people speeding through zones like that is a big pet peeve of mine; I know and care about too many of those workers.

That would be an epic meeting, and if something like it were to ever happen, should be recorded and posted on as many places on the web as possible.

Too bad your friend couldn't just learn sign language and be a teacher to deaf primary school kids.

[Mishi]

Oh, but the road rules don't apply to most of the family. They only apply to everyone else on the road. /sarcasm

I'm working on getting my license, the biggest problem is getting a babysitter for the girls. I won't have them in the car while I'm still such a novice because that strikes me as a terribly bad idea. Also, I'm not willing to drive with my M-i-L as an instructor because she screeches, screams and carries on like an idiot. The reason that I don't already have my license is that I wasn't allowed to do it when I still lived at home and after I left, I didn't have the confidence.

@bhskittykat: I'd love to sit them down together as well!

[Merriweather]

, the biggest problem is getting a babysitter for the girls. I won't have them in the car while I'm still such a novice because that strikes me as a terribly bad idea.

AMEN.

My mother didn't drive (never did get her license). She was going to learn, at one point, though, when I was about 7 years old. My Dad was going to teach her. Now, my Dad was a natural driver, he loved it, did it all the time (had even worked as a truck driver for a while). But he was not a calm driver (other kids learned swear words from their friends, I learned them when my Dad drove ). My Dad was not exactly a "patient" person, nor a quiet person in anything. And he was going to teach my Mother to drive. The last lesson she had was the one where he got her so flustered yelling directions at her, she didn't even make it out of the driveway - she backed into a palm tree. And yep, I was in the back seat (pre-seatbelt era, as well).

My sister and I both refused all offers of help, and took Driver Ed in school. I think that was best. In 40 years of driving I've never had an accident that was in any way my fault, and I've had 2 parking tickets & 2 minor speeding tickets. And I can drive equally well on either side of the road My sister, well, after backing the Drivre Ed car into the side of the school gym, she gave up, and still doesn't drive

[Aethian]

My Mom likes to tell of a time that Grandma was learning to drive when Grandpa was teaching her. They were driving to visit some friends and he goes "Hey, there's Phill." Grandma went "Where?" and then almost mowed down Phill when she turned the wheel to where she was looking.

Grandma NEVER drove again.