Me-me motorists a sign of times
against any legal obligations as a planning authority. Cllr Clive English Chairman of Maidstone Borough Council Planning Committee I echo Mrs CA Russell’s feelings concerning those irresponsible motorists who fail to indicate when turning as both my wife and I have had similar experiences to hers, particularly at roundabouts.
Sadly, this would appear to be indicative of the selfish attitude of many people nowadays – those to whom my wife refers as the “me mes”.
Yet I guarantee that those people would be the first to complain should an accident occur because of their failure to signal.
I learned my initial road craft on motorcycles and was always careful to signal to others my intentions but, on one particular occasion whilst still a learner, I did not do so when turning right as no one was behind me and the only other road user being a slow-moving police cyclist.
Suddenly, before I turned the policeman very politely stopped me and said that it was always wise to signal in case another road user should suddenly appear.
I took his advice to heart and always signal when turning or overtaking parked cars regardless of whether or not the road is otherwise empty. Perhaps the physical effort of flicking the indicator lever is too much for the modern unfit generation.
Yet, on one occasion, when pulling up outside our house with another driver behind me I firstly gave a slowing down sign with my hand and the ushered the driver to pass, only for him to draw up alongside, open his window and say “you’re are a bit over-enthusiastic with your hand signals, aren’t you?”. Perhaps he would have preferred me to have stopped dead and risked him going into the back of my car. I rest my case. Michael Stark Bearsted