DRIVING LESSONS

my first was the little red book 40od years ago.jp

Hi John (Sutton),

I read the details of your driving licence 'scam' with much interest. The International Driver's Licence you drove on for almost a year was, in truth, only valid for three months from the date of issue, but then you knew that didn't you?...you old fraud ;) Actually, John, I applaud your ingenuity, although, in this computerised age, I think such a 'fiddle' might not have gone unnoticed quite so easily. You realise, of course, that by your own admission you have declared yourself an international criminal and, as such, will be placed on the Interpol 'Top Twenty' ( I jest :D). John, I also enjoyed your dissertation on the perils of driving whilst in Spain (love your humour, mate).

.....................Roger

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT NORWAY IS THE WAY THEY HAMMER DRUNK DRIVERS OR USED TO.

IN THE US THEY GET A SLAP ON THE WRIST AND DO IT AGAIN AFTER HAPPY HOUR. IT IS QUITE COMMON IN TEXAS TO SEE LITTLE OLD LADIES DRIVING HUGE PICKUPS. MOST OF THEM SEEM TO BE SOBER. THE TRUCK (LORRY) DRIVERS ARE THE BEST. SCHOOL BUSES ARE A PEST NO WONDER THE KIDS ARE OBESE, THEY NEVER WALK TO SCHOOL AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT IS ALMOST NON EXISTENT IN HOUSTON.

NEVER TAKE A NEW OR FANCY CAR TO MEXICO. IT IS SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST OR FASTEST THERE. IN THEIR ROUNDABOUTS CALLED GLORIETAS YOU MAY HAVE TO GO ROUND SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE YOU CAN GET OUT. DO NOT BE COURTEOUS. BE BRAVE. AND WATCHOUT FOR CARS PULLING OUT IN FRONT OF YOU. SIGNALS ARE ONLY GIVEN BY THE TIMID.

Latest inovation here in Oz currently in NSW and Queensland, so sptly named, and maybe soon in Victoria. Registration labels no more. The roads authority claim that they can save us money oif they do not issue them, no postage cost, no printing costs and less staff required to issue them. Police will be able to see who has paid by using the number plate recogntion system they have. However how do you know when it is due for repayment?? Maybe Roger, Vern or someone else in NSW can answer this one?

Robert Asia has without doubt the scariest drivers from our experience. The indicator stork is not put in their cars as they do not know what to do with it! Roundabouts & the locals behaviour thereon beyond belief the light transit busses speed is past scary yet they have HUGE speedos up on the top of windscreen so punters can see the speed so can you driving behind them & report the driver ofr their crazy driving but no ever does hence so many deaths. Richard

Here is a photo of my friend Barbara, from Stockport, Manchester, who we took with us to Australia last year, She was driving our hire car between Albany and Esperence when she was stopped by the Police for doing over 50 KPH in the desert, He is shown putting hand cuffs on her. That was Police Brutallity. frightening an old widow woman.
...
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. Then he said he was from Stockport Manchester, and laughed.. it could have been a 120$ fine and two points on her UK Licence.
But I think if he was a true Australian Policeman she would have been booked.
Cheers Brian,

Driving in the out back in 1958 with a second hand Standard Vanguard was quite adventurous.

To get across the washboard roads you had to go at the right speed to glide over the bumps. Most of the properties in SW Queensland had their own graders but the roads did not stay graded for long. There were few cars and u could see them coming miles away with the dust plumes. You always stopped for a chat, a smoke and asked about the road ahead. You never ever went past a vehicle stopped by the road.

At Mount Isa the locals told me my old Vanguard would make it to Mary Kathleen with spare tyres, water and petrol. They said "Watch out for the Roos." This was a very rough road with rocky out crops. At Tenant Creek, a dusty old worked out gold mining town on the road between Darwin and Alice Springs, I met up with an old crock shooter who came along with his gun and his swag.

We decided to drive at night and this was our downfall, about 80 miles from Darwin with me at the wheel we hit a Wallaby that bust our radiator. My companion said, "Now's the time to boil the billy." and we did that til we got a tow to Darwin. A stone came up and broke our windscreen so we arrived in Darwin looking like two black fellas.

A guy i was talking to here in the uk, told of the time he was driving in the outback, and passed a broken down driver without stopping, some way down the road he felt guilty and turned round to rectify his mistake, only to find the vehicle empty, he continued back to the town he had previously left, and sure enough the driver had been picked up by someone else. It was at that point that the error of his ways were pointed out to him, and he was told if he had continued on and not gone back, every where he went he would have been blacked, no fuel no water etc, as the guy had taken his number plate. To this day he feels guilty, KT

Good stories there Robert and Keith.
The Outback is a tough place to be if you breakdown.
I was up in the North West and in that area in one week we were up there two German s died after breaking down , No water, and two English women died due to same.
Then up near Marble Bar, two local Australians died, their vehicle broke down and, they should have known better, decided to walk, The first body was found one kilometer down the track and the other one got two kilometers before dying.
Another time I was up there an Australian man and his young boy broke down and they waited several days before anyone found them, they stayed with the vehicle, they ran out of water and then he opened the radiator and they drank the water out of there, not very pleasant, but they survived.
That heat just sucks out the moisture in you. A litre of water a kilometer is cutting it fine.
Still love doing it. The last big adventures on earth.
Brian.

Ever been to Noumea, no traffic lights, no roundabouts and one way streets that come out of nowhere. Not a good spot for a pedestrian.