How's Your Wife's Driving? (In or Outside LOS)

[klubex99]

My wife has been driving for over 10 years and I view her driving skills as the same as a (just passed my test) standard of driver.

She panics in situations that should not panic her. She seems very nervous overtaking a truck or bus (I actually do here). But she will make as much distance between us and the truck. Even if it means almost hitting the central reservation.

But the best of all, is when we were over in the UK last year, we were at a late party and she agreed to drive home so I could have a good drink and a knees up (she doesn't drink). We left the party at about 1.30am and the drive was typical rural English country roads, lots of bends and hills albeit totally deserted at that time. It was only about 6 miles to where we were staying. Man.... I had to throw her out of the car at a junction just a mile into the drive and turn into the really back roads where no police ever go to get us home.

She said that it was the most difficult driving she had ever done. But to me, I find English country driving the best fun ever.

To me, driving in Thailand is so simple and boring only kept a little exciting by the other terrible Thai drivers which are like loose canons.

Please... No self righteous comments about drink driving, or 'you should have taken a taxi' This was in the heart of the Cotswolds and the nearest taxi is like 20 miles away and won't come out that far for a 6 mile trip, unless you pay them like £30, so everyone around there drink drives out of necessity, even the off duty police and the local vicar.

So come on.... be honest, how do you truthfully rate your wife/GF's driving?

Edited August 22, 2013 by klubex99

[ABCer]

She is over cautious, too slow and I cannot sit next when she is driving. Most likely it is my fault, because I drive as a racer, break every rule in the book (thank God it is Thailand!) and cannot stand a car in front of me.

Just two different characters.

She: - darling, be careful, don't drive too fast, I'm always scared, don't overtake other drivers, there are so many drive-by shootings in Thailand...

I : - darling, why are you so slow, so hesitant, I'm feeling always annoyed, why going stuck behind the truck? we will be driving very long before we get there...

And this is on and on for years. It is as it is.

[hanno]

She is over cautious, too slow and I cannot sit next when she is driving. Most likely it is my fault, because I drive as a racer, break every rule in the book (thank God it is Thailand!) and cannot stand a car in front of me.

Just two different characters.

She: - darling, be careful, don't drive too fast, I'm always scared, don't overtake other drivers, there are so many drive-by shootings in Thailand...

I : - darling, why are you so slow, so hesitant, I'm feeling always annoyed, why going stuck behind the truck? we will be driving very long before we get there...

And this is on and on for years. It is as it is.

Which explains why women in the west generally pay lower insurance premiums and why insurance companies consider (young) men to be high risk.

[wolf5370]

My Mrs did a year of driving lessons in the UK and passed her test (second attempt) there. She drove professionally for a number of years (vans delivering care-in-the-community hot food) while training to be a nurse - and now drives a lot every day. She had a few bumps in her first year of driving (like catching a gate post due to miscalculating a tight turn through a small driveway) like most people I guess. When we are out together, she mostly drives (she doesn't drink which is a bonus too) - she is not a good passenger (front seat driver and back seat puker), so best to let her drive. She is a good driver IMHO (better than me) and has a lot better road memory than I do (remembers the way to places on a single pass - I could get lost in my back garden!). She's been driving for over 16 years now (much of it in and around London). I tell her she drives like a man, she can be quite aggressive whilst driving (all 4'11" of her!) and I have to tame her in while she's over here in Thailand.

Edited August 22, 2013 by wolf5370

[transam]

OK , I refined stuff.

[patongphil]

Wife's driving 55555 is all I can say.

[Soutpeel]

Mrs Soutpeel....driving in Thailand....a f*kcing lunatic.....driving oversea's...a very good driver/obeys all the rules of the road, drives nicely, parks properly...etc etc

When I asked why the difference...she basically said something along the lines..."when in Rome...."

[Swiss1960]

I only let her drive once... never again, now it's me driving when i am with her...

[cornishcarlos]

You should have taken a taxi...

You drunk behind the wheel or a Thai lady, an accident waiting to happen either way

[Pormax]

My wife has been learning to drive now for over 6 months, First 5 days with a 'properly' trained Thai instructor!! Then after, because she was so bad, she continued with me teaching her. Still not ready for her test, but only because I just cannot get her to be able to reverse into a parking space which is a requirement of the test. She is always turning the steering wheel the wrong way when reversing. Otherwise she is good, though she has a tendency to go too fast at times. Now understands more the frustrations I have shown when driving here. I do feel though that once she passes her test and can drive alone she will revert to the many bad habits of the many (not all) Thai drivers. She is always saying to me that Thai drivers do that or this all the time so why is it wrong?

[wolf5370]

You should have taken a taxi...

You drunk behind the wheel or a Thai lady, an accident waiting to happen either way

Why is it an accident waiting to happen being drunk behind a Thai lady? (do they step back suddenly?)

[ToddWeston]

My experience is in a quiet neighbourhhod street where it's clearly marked 50km the need to go 80 then we enter the highway which is posted at 100km but generally flows at 120km and we're doing 90.

I was a called a liar - there is no such thing as black ice - two winters later why don't they report black ice on every newscast

[andrewrooney]

My girlfriend can drive a scooter but not a car. She drives the family's Honda Wave a bit, and her Aunt's Fino etc. She doesn't have a license, she mainly just drives around town and her dad is a cop so she's never seen the need to get one. She actually surprised me by successfully driving a beat up Kawasaki KR150 I bought a while back. I wouldn't have guessed she could drive a bike with a clutch, but she did just fine.

In a car on the other hand... not so much.

[Songhua]

My wife's had her licence in Australia for nineteen years and has driven all manner of vehicles (old, new, sedans, station wagons, V8, 4wd) and is actually a very good driver. I still remember how proud she was the day she obtained her licence, having memorised the rule book and passing the written test without a translator (which she would have been entitled to at the time). In more recent years she has taught both our kids to drive as well.

The only accidents she's ever had were when she drove into the garage with a back door open after the kids had hopped out, and an minor bump where she and another car reversed out of opposing bays at the same time in a carpark.

She now absolutely refuses to drive in Thailand, despite previously having ridden motorbikes since she was ten years old.

[chickenslegs]

Mrs Soutpeel....driving in Thailand....a f*kcing lunatic.....driving oversea's...a very good driver/obeys all the rules of the road, drives nicely, parks properly...etc etc

When I asked why the difference...she basically said something along the lines..."when in Rome...."

That is not an accurate description of driving in Rome.

[i claudius]

She is a great driver ,mind you she nearly failed her test ,but when she realized she couldnt find the steering wheel because she was in the back seat ,it all worked out ok.