The UK Strikes Back at Highway A-Holes.

Well I'll be damned! The UK might finally be taking the issues of Highway A-holes serious after all. 10 MPH on the M32? If you can't handle a stretch of road where everyone else regularly drives upwards of 60 MPH, stay the Hell away from it! And no, it doesn't matter if she had a medical condition. If the condition hinders her ability to drive SHE SHOULDN'T DRIVE! Enough rant, here's the Reuters story;

LONDON (Reuters) - A woman banned from driving for seven days after traveling at speeds of less than 10mph on the motorway told Reuters on Friday: "that road's my nemesis." Stephanie Cole, 58, of Fishponds, Bristol, straddled the hard shoulder and inside lane as she dawdled along a stretch of the M32 near her home last August.

In the back window of the car was a sign which said: "I don't do fast, please overtake".

Cole admitted driving without reasonable consideration at North Avon Magistrates' Court on Friday and was told she would have to take another test at the end of the ban.

"I didn't intend getting onto the motorway, but all of a sudden I found myself on it and I could not get off," she told Reuters after the hearing.

"I just panicked. I hate that particular stretch of road and I avoid it normally. It is my nemesis."

Cole had been traveling from her home to a stationer's when she was arrested in her Perodua Kenari mini people-carrier.

"I thought "thank God" when I saw the blue flashing lights," she said. "I thought they could help and I asked them if they could drive me home."

Cole, who has multiple sclerosis, said she depends on her car for getting around.

"I will try and retake the test," she said. "I will have to do my best when driving, and hope it is better than it was."

JANUARY 3, 2008 @ 11:31AM - NB 405 at Mulholland Drive

Happy New Year, let's hope 2008 is a year with fewer Highway A-holes affecting our lives.

I know, it's been a while. But today's sighting was an obvious one - and one I had not seen in a few months.

Asian lady in another beige Honda Accord. Interstate 405 NB just before Mulholland Drive. She was driving in the fast lane at a blistering 40 MPH. A reasonable speed if the road is packed with traffic. But when everyone else is cooking along at a 65 MPH clip. the Honda is a hazzard, and the Asian woman driver a Highway A-hole.

JULY 27, 2007 @ 3:54 pm – WB Ventura Blvd at Topanga Blvd

I have this theory. If an older driver owns a new luxury car, let’s say something like a new Benz, they seem to always refuse to look other drivers in the eye, refusing to acknowledge others are around them. I think they believe they are better than the rest of us. Boy oh boy, are they Highway A-holes.

I was running an errand in Woodland Hills this afternoon. I was driving west on Ventura Blvd in the right turn lane. I was planning to make the turn onto NB Topanga Blvd. At this particular intersection, there is a traffic right turn signal. You have to wait for the arrow to turn green before you can make a right turn. I was the first car in line for the turn waiting for the green arrow light. As the arrow turned greed signaling the OK to make the turn, I slowly started to make the turn into the congested NB traffic. Suddenly I heard two or three horns honks behind me. I glanced to the left to make sure no one was coming (although I did have the light and right-of-way). Sonofabitch, here comes a big-ass black Benz coupe forcing its way into sharing my lane.

I stopped after completing the turn onto Topanga. Inches from my driver door was the Benz. Sitting in the driver’s seat was an elderly silver haired biddy with oversized plastic black framed sunglasses on, as is the fashion now-a-days. She was staring straight ahead. She must have come from Topanga Blvd from the S, through the intersection (and a red light) and ended up next to me trying to clear the intersection for the rest of the traffic that was crossing E to W by that point.

I glanced over hoping to give her the old “mal' occhio”, or evil eye. Nothing doin’, she just kept looking straight ahead. Even when traffic started to move, rather that let me continue on (I mean after all, I was there first) she kept on getting closer to my door as she moved up. Being the fucking pacifist that I am, I stopped and let her stringy old ass go ahead. As I did so, she never looked at me to give a thanking nod or anything; she just kept looking straight ahead as if I wasn’t there.

Only old people driving new luxury cars would be that fucking arrogant.

JULY 11, 2007 @ 12:18pm - SB 405 Fwy betwen 605 Fwy and Seal Beach Blvd Off-ramp

I usually have the highest respect for livery drivers here in Southern California. They have one of the most demanding driving jobs of anyone else out there. That's why I'm suprised to have witnessed a limo driver acting like a Highway A-hole.

This particular limo was a brand new stretch black Lincoln. It was still sporting "Sterling Limosines" paper plates on it. The last few digits of the PTC license stenciled on the L rear bumper were 1144-P, I couldn't remember the rest. Couldn't tell if there was anyone in back through the heavily tinted windows.

The limo was driving rather erratically, speeding up and then slowing down. For the most part it travelled in the number, occasionally passing a slower car on the right number 2 lane. The limo's speed was inconsistent and surged between 75 mph down to 50 mph and then back up again. The limo's speed wasn;t being gauged by the traffic around it, it just kept speeding and slowing dow. This was causing drivers that were behind it to brake and re-accellerate every 1/8th mile or so. This went on for many miles until I was able to pass it on the right.

As I passed, I saw the limo driver. A very attractive blonde with a pixy style hairdoo was driving. She was in her mid to late 20's and wearing a tuxedo shirt, jacket and tie. Rather large dangling diamond-like earrings swung from her lobes. She was holding her cell phone in front of her and YELLING at it, as if she was using it in speaker phone mode. She was cherry red in the face, which contrasted her striking blonde hair. She must have been trying to "convey" some kind of disappointment to the party on the other end of the call. Judging by her apparent furstration, I don't think she was having much luck getting her point across.

Dear limo drivers, don't use your cell phone for arguing with others while driving. It makes you look like a Highway A-hole... and it pisses the rest of us off.