Originally Posted by Kamie26

I hate driving in Brisbane, its like wacky races. People refuse to let you in, even speeding up nearly going bumper to bumper with the car in front to make sure you have absolutely no chance of getting in to a space. They drive like morons in the rain and god forbid you actually get away from the lights first, if it's a bloke in the car next to you, you can almost guarantee that they will go in to warp speed just to get past you and make them feel like a big man again.

I have been almost ran off the road trying to merge onto the Bruce Highway, by some stupid woman speeding up so that I couldn't get in front of her(you really do take your life in your hands when you go on that road), flipped the bird by some old dude because he almost crashed into me (trying to over take and didn't see me in the lane next to him, over taking him), almost been crashed into when someone didn't look as they were pulling out of a parking space and missed my turning by 10 streets as not one person would let me in (had to wait for traffic to thin out naturally). I've only been in Brisbane three and a half weeks.

I think half the problem with Brisbane and the surrounding area traffic is that there are a lot of people that come in from the country and are just not used to dealing with high volume traffic, also there are a lot of people that have passed there tests out in the country, where they haven't been made to show that they have the capability to drive. When my husband and SIL told me what they had to do for their tests, I was horrified. My FIL is also proof of this as it's a terrifying experience to get in a car with him, it's honestly like being in a car with a drunk Monkey.

When I was here on a working holiday visa years ago, I tried to get my provisional changed over so I could take my test as its pretty essential to drive here. Instead they gave me a full open licence. I've taken and passed my test since but still, they might as well just give them away in packets of cereal if they are going to do that.

Originally Posted by chris955

OK so the overwhelming general consensus seems to be that drivers here are rubbish at best and dangerous at worst which is certainly what I have found. Given this how can a couple think that drivers here are just as good as in the UK, it makes no sense ? When I went back late last year I was absolutely amazed at the difference in the standard between the 2 countries, I never in all the miles I did while there feel threatened or in danger because drivers appeared to know what they were doing.

Originally Posted by Wendy

For me it's because I learnt here so am used to it. Plus the majority of the drivers I experienced when back in the UK were Asian - who ARE definitely worse drivers than any Aussies I have ever met!

Originally Posted by DeadVim

More Asian drivers in the UK than Aus? Hmmm ... Not the case around here certainly ... Drive through Sunnybank at your peril. AGGGHHHH Hyundai! It's an Accent!!! <stops car and waits for danger to pass>.

OK, I'm generalising, obviously ... Asian-born are more cautious and unpredictable, Aussie-born are aggressive and arrogant.

Glad we got that sorted.

The English are, naturally, perfect

Originally Posted by Wendy

In Bradford there are more Asian drivers than there are in Adelaide yes they definitely aren't cautious!

English are perfect...of course

Originally Posted by sheene

There seems to be some confusion (well I am confused) about what constitutes Asian? In NZ, they use 'Asian' to define anyone who looks 'Chinese'. In the UK, 'Asian' was used to define anyone who looks 'Indian'. What does 'Asian' mean here?

Originally Posted by sheene

There seems to be some confusion (well I am confused) about what constitutes Asian? In NZ, they use 'Asian' to define anyone who looks 'Chinese'. In the UK, 'Asian' was used to define anyone who looks 'Indian'. What does 'Asian' mean here?

Originally Posted by DeadVim

I would think referring to someone as Asian meant Chinese (or the surrounds) around here, Indian would be ... Indian.

Originally Posted by DeadVim

Hyundai! It's an Accent!!!

Originally Posted by sheene

But India and China are both in Asia, so using your logic, Chinese should be.......Chinese.

Originally Posted by In Exile

is it gold coloured by any chance?

Originally Posted by DeadVim

Yeh, but my thoughts weren't based on logic, just by how the term 'Asian' is perceived by the majority of natives

It's probably cricket-related too in that Indians would be see as coming from the 'sub-continent' but not Asia ... maybe ...



Automatic too

Originally Posted by Gibbo

I think that you are being very cheeky, Vim, when you say that your thoughts weren't based on logic etc !
However, you are right. Indians are called Indians and from the sub-continent, whilst almost all the rest are Asian except for the Chinese who are usually referred to as Chinese.

Originally Posted by DeadVim

That would be because the driver in the following car should be maintaining a safe stopping distance and paying attention ... little details like that ...