Incompetence
 

in·com·pe·tent/inˈkämpətənt/
Noun: An incompetent person.
Adjective: Not having the necessary skills to do something successfully.

I can't think of any other term to sum it up.
I'll attempt to paint the scenario; A slightly curved, 2-car-wide road into a car park, about 20 metres long. The curve was slight enough to have been done in a straight line if aimed correctly. No decreasing radius, no objects, no people, but a pair of 50-60 year aged women in a car trying to reverse back into the main road having supposedly realised they didn't want to enter the car park.

In summary, the woman spent five minutes (no exaggeration) attempting this reverse. Many curb-mounts were involved, driving forwards and backwards remaining in full-lock and mimicking previous movements, bolting forwards angrily to start again, and backwards again in full-lock and hitting a curb five metres later. I became genuinely confused as to whether she was trying to mount the curb to park on the pavement by a wall or if she was really that incompetent. I genuinely can't emphasise, I was there, watching, for FIVE MINUTES.

It scares me to think that I'm riding a bike vulnerably on the same road as people whom are this incompetent, and it reminded me of an idea I'd had previously, involving brief driving re-tests a certain amount of years after a license is acquired to confirm competence statuses within drivers. Those whom exercise frequently what they originally learnt when earning a license should have absolutely no problem, let alone those whom are actually concerned with safety (in theory; it depends how the government would go about it).

I just can't believe I pay for advanced lessons and attend road safety lessons to improve safety when there are people whom can't reverse a car, allowed on the road. I considered that if I asked her to have a couple of driving lessons she'd tell me she'd been driving for 30 years and she knew what she was doing. She'd complete the reverse, and with the whole fiasco blown over would go about her daily business, forget about it and consider her skills more than adequate until someone gets hurt.



No questions here, I don't expect any replies either. I would say "rant over" but it's not a "rant":

–verb (used without object)
1.
to speak or declaim extravagantly or violently; talk in a wild or vehement way; rave:

Re: Incompetence
 

Well I have had the pleasure of speaking to people like this, usual response was I have been driving for 25, 30 years I'm a good driver. To which I would say something like driving for 30 years Sir, you must be very tried after that and your driving hasn't improved has it?

Oh on a different note try having a bank account with Natwest there are about as skilled in banking as this persons driving, but they do beg well when they call you back.

Re: Incompetence
 

I concur, i got stopped for speeding by a bike copper and as he was giving me my ticket/dressing down, there was an elderly lady in the street alongside us revving the nuts off her car travelling about .5mph and making no progress whatsoever at what I can only assume was a parking manoeuvre.

I gave him my best 'give her a bloody ticket not me officer!' look but alas it was no good. All I got was a little grin and a 'I know mate, I know'.

Re: Incompetence
 

so you sat there for 5mins watching some poor old biddy trying to reverse her car and getting frustrated. what was wrong with getting out your car and asking if you could do it for her?

yes she may be incompetent but we all get old.

Re: Incompetence
 

There are some people who simply do not seem to have the right connections in the grey matter to enable them to reverse.I dont think it is an age related thing either.

Re: Incompetence
 

He wont have been insured Bib :D!

Re: Incompetence
 

shouldve videoed it and sent it in to those tv funny programmes. Dont supposed she was called tania shaw and drove a 4x4 ?

Re: Incompetence
 

Not a gender related thing either. With all the single track roads around here, it's an essential skill that is sadly lacking in some who live up the narrower tracks - whether they have lived there all their lives or are recent 'incomers'.

Re: Incompetence
 

Yesterday, I turned into a one way street (the right way) on my job bike to find a middle aged lady driving towards me!

Stop traffic, tell her to reverse into a side street, then watch with amazement as she mounted the kerb three times.

Her reasoning for the wrong way shenanigans?

TomTom told me to!

You do not have to say anything but it may... etc etc.

Pete ;)

I absolutely totally agree with a re-test at a certain age and I would happily do that if I got to that age. It's what the free bus pass is for.

I was out with a mate a year or so ago filming him getting his knee down on a roundabout and taking pics etc. Just as he disappeared up the road to the next roundabout to turn around, I heard a loud revving of an engine coming from my left... I looked left and saw a Nissan micra come hurtling down the hill in what sounded like 2nd gear flat out, shoot straight out on to the round about, smash in to the curb, taking off and landing in the middle of the roundabout! A push off and a wheel change by myself later she was off on her way..

The only thing I can think is she mistook the accelerator for the brake... Her and her friend were very luck!

Just a shame I wasn't filming at the time!