Re: Incomers.....
 

I can actually see lots of positives about living in a small village - but for me it would be a non-starter principally because I don't drive and don't want to, but still want to be able to get about without my OH having to take me anywhere I want to go. I've come across quite a few cases where women (and it does mainly seem to be women) in that situation have ended up regretting a decision to live in the campo or a small village without much by way of public transport and consequently feeling isolated and wanting to move.

The area where I live is part of a very big town but, being the oldest part within the original medieval walls and almost totally traffic free apart from motos (not too many thankfully) has something of a "village within a town" atmosphere. Most of our Spanish neighbours are part of large extended families with grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins living very close, who have been here all their lives. It's not at all anonymous, everybody knows everybody and what you are doing, not that I mind that. We have quite a lot of the dreaded gypsies living around us, too. Some of them I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw them, but other families are perfectly good neighbours who go to work every day, bring up their children well and pitch in to help if they see us doing something. My OH asked the son of one such family, who is restoring a house nearby, if he could get some sacks of mortero delivered for us as part of his next delivery of building materials, and not only would he not let us contribute to the delivery costs, he wouldn't take anything for the materials either as my OH helped him and his brother unload their bricks. That's not the first time they've helped us out, so my OH is happy to lend them tools when they ask.

If we move away from here in future years it will be because we think it would be sensible to be somewhere more easily accessible in case we get too doddery to cope with lugging the shopping home every day, but I know I will miss it.

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Sounds like the best of both worlds. As long as you keep half an eye on the ones you don't trust. Even in our village I don't leave the doors open like most people do. Force of habit.

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Lynn what a good post:) I know you say you don't want to drive but have a think about it. One friend had never drove, never even dealt with the finance. Her Husband died suddenly the same day as they had a new car delivered. They owned a block of apartments that she had never dealt with. In no time at all she learnt to drive. She is allover the place now, even drives into málaga which I avoided at all costs. She now wonders why she didn't do it before.

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:amen: to that!

I'm in the screw loose club too! ;)

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I agree with all of your post as I am "townie" myself, London or Oliva.
I do understand how some do prefer the Campo and good luck to them but it's not for all.
It would be a dull world if we were all the same.
At least this thread hasn't degenerated into a them versus us thread.:fingerscrossed:

On your point about a village within a town, I think that's right. In Oliva there are still local neighbourhood fiestas and I think that this has the same effect.
I must say that whilst we only have a holiday home in Oliva we are warmly welcomed (genuinely)by our neighbours.

However is this really any different to the Uk. I believe you get back what you give out wherever you are.
Ps That's down to the wife not me.

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Thanks for that. I did have driving lessons once, many more years ago than I care to remember, but having come within a whisker of crashing into a plate glass shop window on my final lesson I decided it would be safer for everybody if I gave it up as a bad job! I'm not a nervous passenger at all, but put me behind a wheel and it's a different story.

I am a very independent person in other ways and I am the one who deals with all the finance in our household, it would be my OH who wouldn't know where to start if anything happened to me!

Public transport is fine for me, it's very good and cheap here, it may take a little longer to get there but hey, time is one thing I'm not short of now.

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I'd agree that it's worth learning to drive. I had convinced myself I didn't want to drive after taking my test once in my 30s and failing. I had to take it several more times in my 40's before I passed. At the age of 46. I had real performance anxiety and hardly could get out of the loo at each of my tests. My instructor just couldn't understand why I kept failing. Eventually I told my tester who I'd met twice before about my anxiety and it magically disappeared! I passed that time. I don't think I'm a great driver even now. But at least I can and it's not that I'm unsafe I'm just more inclined to let my husband drive so I'm not very experienced. But I'm really glad I did, especially as my husband has to have regular eye tests and laser surgery. Without me driving we'd be in trouble as there's no public transport to speak of and I've never seen a local taxi..if there is such a thing!

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Congratulations on conquering your fears. It's not just nerves with me, though, I am just unbelievably bad at operating machinery (even a sewing machine is beyond me, and I can't kill anyone with one of those unless I hit them over the head with it!). I can't do puzzles either or understand those diagrams that show you how to assemble things. Whether you call it spatial skills, motor skills or what, I don't have them.

Plus not having a car means we are spared at least some of the hassle and bureaucracy of life, don't have to bother about all the corrupt Guardia Civil lurking behind every lamp post to extort money from us or greedy Spanish garage owners ripping us off!:sneaky:

We did say when we got rid of our car before moving that if we needed one for something specific we could just hire one, but we've never needed to yet.

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I'm not sure it would be so difficult to get up to the Spanish driving standards from what I have seen:p

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Good points. It's probably cheaper to get taxis if and when you need them if you have access.

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I find taxis expensive here, a 4 Euro bus ride, the same journey and the taxi wanted 85 Euros, or maybe it was because we were foreign?:confused:

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I don't think the Spanish are bad drivers.

Ok they haven't quite got the concept of stopping at pedestrian crossings unless they are likely to hit someone but on the motorways they have far more lane discipline than most UK drivers and stick to the inside lane unless overtaking.

I just cannot understand middle lane hoggers on motorways. You know who you and perhaps can explain to me why you do it.

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Whilst I agree with you about middle lane hoggers, I see nothing wrong with the practice where such drivers are either keeping to the max speed limit or retaining position close to traffic in front of them on such occasions as when the inside lane is virtually chock a block anyway and attempting to weave in and out of it is a nightmare.

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It's the ones that do it on an empty motorway that I meant even if they are at the max speed limit.

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They do it here in Spain too......it's very annoying!

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http://bestsmileys.com/signs1/17.gif !!

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If I'm doing around the speed limit I usually just stay out in the fast lane. After all the medium lane is for those doing around 80-100kph and the slow lane for all the rest.

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There aren't any three lane motorways around here.:)

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I wondered why all those slow b.....s were in my way. Mind you I use the same techniques all over the EU! As mine's a RHD then I can see where I'm going better.

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Sorry to be a pedant, (and I'd be obliged if them'as knows will put me straight about the Spanish rules of the road) but the inside lane (UK) is in fact the 'driving lane' and any 'outside' that are overtaking lanes unless they have markings to the contrary. So - and clearly in a typical urban stretch where there are multiple joining junctions it may be more sensible to stay in one of the two overtaking lanes - you/I/we really shouldn't regard them as 'I'll stay here because it suits me' lanes.:thumbdown:
Grump over!
As you were....

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I'm a grump too and I agree. However we will stay in the middle lane if it's sensible, and there are slower people in the slow lane but we always pop back in as soon as we see someone coming up faster in the mirror, as long as it's safe. Bloody annoys me when it isn't safe to get back in and some ar** still insists on tailgating you though.

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CLODS = center lane only drivers.

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Example of instructions for using UK motorway.

Driving on the motorway
259
Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should give priority to traffic already on the motorway
check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane
not cross solid white lines that separate lanes or use the hard shoulder
stay on the slip road if it continues as an extra lane on the motorway
remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before considering overtaking

On the motorway
260
When you can see well ahead and the road conditions are good, you should
drive at a steady cruising speed which you and your vehicle can handle safely and is within the speed limit (see Rule 124)
keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front and increase the gap on wet or icy roads, or in fog (see Rules 126 and 235)

Notice use of words like "Should", not "must". There is a lot more if you bother to read it.

Jim

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All you've quoted seems eminently as you might expect. Doesn't tell of slow,fast, inside middle outside, or overtaking 'titles' for lanes, though. I could have sworn that was somewhere in all the info....

Anyone know where to find the equivalent rules & regs for spanish driving? I'd hate to set myself up as a pedant only to find I'm talking out of the wrong orifice:lol:

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That is completely wrong!
The middle and outer lanes are for overtaking ONLY, did you never read the highway code? :eek:

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I don't think many people ever read it ... and if they did.... they ignored it.

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Deja vu, Megmet.... post #140!!!!

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Maybe this will help clear up any confusion.
Apparently it is slightly different in Spain.

http://www.eyeonspain.com/forums/posts-long-8646.aspx


It is important that all vehicles drive on the right hand side of the road. However we recognize there will be times when this is not practical or even possible hence on such occasions it is permissible to drive on the Left – drivers should use their own discretion and good judgment in such cases.

The road immediately in front of your vehicle is your space and must be defended at all times and at any cost. Any other vehicle attempting to enter your space must be discouraged and if this happens speed up and try to ensure the interloper does not encroach. There are some bad people out there who simply have no sense of precedence.

When turning to the left or right it is important to signal your intention at some point in the process. Because people often change their minds about which way to turn the process of signaling is often best left until after the turn has been made just to ensure that you do not signal in error and confuse other road users.

When approaching a hazard in front of you it is best to attempt to steer around it rather than to incur costly wear and tear on the braking system. It may even be beneficial to increase your speed in such circumstances since the increased velocity of your vehicle may make the hazard go away.

It is important to position your vehicle on the road correctly and the white lines can be useful in this respect. When ever possible ensure that your vehicle straddles the white line and your hood ornament can be useful in helping you to position your vehicle correctly. On multi lane roads it is usually best to occupy the far left or so called fast lane since this will ensure that motorists behind you don’t break the law by speeding.

Black and white striped paths have been painted across many roads in city and town centre’s. These highly decorative road markings are for the entertainment of foreign tourists who seem to enjoy walking on them – they require no special action on the part of the motorist.

Traffic lights are designed for your safety and have been installed to ensure a constant flow of traffic in all directions, at the same time. For the avoidance of doubt the green light means it is safe to proceed, the amber light means the red light is coming but it is still safe to proceed. The red light means that the green light will come next and it can surely only be a few seconds away so it must be safe to proceed.

When changing lanes it is advisable to execute the maneuver quickly so as not to inconvenience other road users. Newer cars are fitted with rear facing mirrors both inside and outside the vehicle and these are useful for checking makeup, hair you’re your general appearance – if you do not recall ever seeing these mirrors you may wish to go and examine your vehicle now. We do not consider it safe for drivers to use those mirrors whilst executing a dangerous maneuver such as lane change.

Motorists should exercise due care and attention at all times and avoid unnecessary distractions, particularly from other occupants of the vehicle. We recognize that there will be times however such as when your answer your mobile, have to speak with the wife/girlfriend next to you, play with the kids to keep them occupied, drink a beer, eat, have a brief nap, change the DVD etc when this will not be fully possible. At such times we ask you to be extra vigilant.

It is not possible to document all aspects of safe driving in this note because there are so many laws. Your local police have however been specially trained to understand all of the laws and they will advise you if they observe you breaking any of them.

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Just love this :lol:

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I like the bit about the black and white paths. :rofl:

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:rofl::rofl:

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its olive time, on the way home at about 7pm got behind a tractor with fully laden trailor travelling at 25kph, round all the lanes, through all the villages, when he eventually pulled over there were at least 12 cars, a coach and a lorry behind us.

what happened to the luxury of a 3 lane motorway ??

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As he eventually pulled over he was obviously a migrant worker and not a true local. :rofl::rofl:

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'Incomers' are apparently called 'transplants' in America.

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Grockles or Emmits

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Nah, they're tourists!

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Have they changed it from ALIENS on the cards then ? :)

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You know, white non-threatening people moving from New York to Florida - or (in this context) Brits to Spain. People with a bone through their nose coming from Fuzzywuzzyland are 'inmigrantes' (poor things). They will be here to get a better life and a reasonably proper job, but like the Brits, they will be escaping an ugly, dangerous and miserable existence. The difference is that their house will be a shed or a bleak apartment rather than a nice home in the country which, through the vagaries of local politics, will be (after the last cheque cleared) found to be totally illegal and threatened with demolition.