Richard ,can anything be done to stop baiting on the website (Admin discussions)

Fri 2 Jan 2009, 08:43

Having recently lost my temper yet again on this forum in response to being accused of besmirching Charlbury's reputation and engineering (somehow) the rise in car insurance rates here, I'd like to know if anyone can explain to me why the driverd in Charlbury are so fanatically defensive about the subject of safe driving?

I've never before in my life encountered this strongly passionate chorus of responses from people over driving. And I'm from California where driving is considered a birth right, but even there road safety is a prime focus in education and a singificant number of bus riders do so because they've had their driving licences revoked.

California sued to have a high traffic fatality rate due to drunk drivers in the 70's which was eliminated virtually overnight by holding the servers of alcohol as accountable for the actions of the drinking driver as the drinker themselves.

Also the vehicle of status in California today is a Prius hybrid www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid
which is an affordable, fuel efficient safe car. The days of the Hummer and urban 4 x 4s are well over and people are considered somewhat vulgar for owning them.

So how is it that 12 miles from one of the leading centres of education in the world, could such an archaic, demode attitude towards driving and cars persist? I mean, I understand that (the somewhat oafish) Jeremy Clarkson lives up the road and sets some kind of celebrity role model example for that kind of self-centred, everyone else be damned attitude to driving big fast cars, but surely people see through his act.

He's just a TV personality making money from cultivating noteriety for his supposedly controversial viewpoints. But he's just an entertainer, I'm sure he doesn't want people taking a leaf out of programmes and driving like Toad down the Charlbury Road.

Surely driving with greater caution, not speeding, and yielding to pedestrians, cyclists or anyone driving a smaller less powerful vehicle is not just good manners but common sense?

I just don't get the attitude around here.