Why we snub posh-car drivers; roundabout roulette; NCT 'rip-off'

Eddie,

I notice that the top three car brands (in last week's survey on attitudes to posh cars) are all German. I drive a sports Mercedes with a panoramic sunroof but people do tend to let me out of side roads. Maybe because I don't 'push out', but probably more likely because my car registration is 02.

I do think the survey might have missed one key point: the reg. I sometimes find myself thinking: "God, look at yer man there in his 2015 car" as I drive along in my 02 Merc. I mean, who can afford to buy a new car? Not me.

Maybe, in years to come, my old Merc will become a classic car and people will stop letting me out of side roads for other reasons of jealousy. Niall.

Eddie,

May I comment just on one section of your article about not letting drivers of luxury cars out of a side road.

Over the years I have found that if one of these same drivers of luxury cars come up behind me and that if I pull into the hard shoulder to let them pass, I never get a recognition of a wave or a flash of indicator lights to say 'Thank You'. Check it out for yourself. Paul

Eddie,

The reason people may be less inclined to let BMWs etc in is because these are the drivers who consistently skip queues and do not wait their turn like the rest of us plebs.

Every morning I turn right at Donnybrook Garage onto Anglesea Road and nine times out of 10 those that choose not to queue, and skip in ahead of others, are BMW and SUV drivers.

I witnessed another example of ignorant BMW driver behaviour in IKEA last weekend. We bought quite a few large items and rather than wheel our trolley all the way to the car we decided I would wait at the loading bay while my husband went and brought the car around.

While I waited, a BMW pulled up and parked in one of the loading bay spaces, and sure enough a moment later the couple got out. And off they toddled to do their shopping. I couldn't believe it! And there I was standing seven months pregnant like a complete mug while they used the loading bay space to park for an indefinite period.

I challenge you to take note of BMW drivers' behaviour on the road, you'll soon see what I mean. (Name with Eddie)

Eddie,

May I add my voice to the many readers' comments about how we negotiate roundabouts. Non-existent lane discipline, failure to indicate and operating a mobile phone while driving are some of the hazards which the joining driver has to contend with.

I might also add that Kildare County Council have taken it on themselves to change the general convention on which lane to occupy when entering a roundabout. The general practice is to take the inside lane if intending to exit at 9 o'clock/12 o'clock and the outer lane if exiting at 3 o'clock or 6 o'clock.

At many Kildare roundabouts where there are only three exits, the outer lane is now marked for all exits except 9 o'clock. No signage, only road markings at the entrance to the roundabout. Even for locals, it can be confusing. Kieran.

Eddie,

You do a good job on writing about all aspects of motoring. But you never write about the 'elephant in the room'.

I am referring to the practice of backdating the NCT test to the anniversary of first registration. The only reason for this is to maximise the revenue from every car in the country over four years old. Buying second-hand cars creates long periods of off-road time and it is not right to ask a motorist to pay back time for the periods they did not own the car. John