There is a miniscule amount of truth in this article. This something that got a mention on the forum a few days ago. Greynomads towing caravans do not look behind to check the traffic. And those who do, do not take steps to get the traffic past them. You do not own the road, share it with others and make the passing of traffic behind you easier. Obviously this Nicole Flint, whoever she may be, has an axe to grind. Larry
PS: Just googled Nicole Flint. She is an ex Miss Africa 2009. No wonders, obviously a bimbo.
-- Edited by deverall11 on Monday 6th of April 2015 12:52:22 PM
I agree with everything she has written, except the last paragraph.
Have come across the same situations myself.
I can't see where this makes her a Bimbo, it's actually a very well written story.
When travelling in rural areas new to us, we frequently drive 10-15 K below the maximum allowed. This gives us a better opportunity to react to animals or water on the road or to safely turn into a side road to check out something of interest.
Accordingly we spend a lot of time monitoring rear view mirrors and camera.
When a vehicle catches us, at he first safe time, we move to the left, slow down and indicate to the driver that he should pass us . Truckies all do just that but on our recent trip we often found that conventional vehicles just slowed down and stayed behind us. Sometimes we would pull off the road and stop and I was surprised that some of these drivers didnt pull up behind us.
What would then happen is that a second vehicle would catch up and because car No. 1 was closely following us, car No. 2 had fewer chances to pass. I suspect that when they did finally overtake, we got the blame for delaying them
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BJC
"A year from now you'll wish you had started today."
The other end of the spectrum is the HOPELESS car drivers who DO NOT have a clue about distance judgement and instead of Overtaking when there is plenty of clear road ahead will sit behind for up to 30 minutes or more on perfectly straight roads then carry out a totally unsafe overtaking move on a hill, curve, passing lane at the last minute endangering other road users. Then instead of putting the BOOT in they dawdle past trying NOT to accelerate too much to safe fuel.!.?.
Only every now and again do I see a car pass instead of HANGING behind who puts the BOOT down to get past quicker and safer. Great too see.!!.
When as far as the Truckers go I have never had a problem even on back country roads which can be narrower divided roads with their Semi's, "B" Doubles who can Overtake in NO time at all and not even hit the dirt verge and then I will give them a HIGH BEAM to let them know they are past enough too pull back over, then they reply with a left/right indicator for thanks. WOW that's great response. I also use CH40 to let them know I am aware they are coming and I am ready for them.
I usually sit on 80-90 kmh and in some situations when cars do not have a clue about safe passing or clear roads ahead for such I will push it up to 100 kmh to get away from the Bedraggle behind and I have even gone to 110 kmh at other times when there was 3 to 4 "B" Doubles approaching on the Newell Hwy then find a safe pull off to let them continue on their journey.
I use my mirrors all the time but in chatting to some about mirrors I was quite disappointed when in reply they have said they don't give a damn about mirrors or who is behind them and if they want to overtake that's their problem. Definitely some DO NOT have any DUTY of CARE for other ROAD users.
I for one DEFINITELY will always be checking my MIRRORS and thinking of the other TRAVELLING PUBLIC who still have BUSY WORKING LIVES as I Once used to have.
Maybe they just weren't concentrating on the road. Perhaps they may have recently posted on a forum and were now wondering if their spelling and grammar were correct and that they had indeed put it in the correct section. With all this going on in their collective heads they didn't notice the long queue behind them.
............ Then instead of putting the BOOT in they dawdle past trying NOT to accelerate too much to safe fuel.!.?.
This is because they have been brainwashed into believing that if they speed they will get booked. So in their pea brain way of reasoning, its safer to be out there for longer then needed as opposed to speeding and getting booked. Sometime back, there was a campaign in WA whereby coppers were parked on the opposite side of the road and booking cars for speeding when overtaking when an overtaking lane was available.
There is speeding and there is speeding. I do not believe you should get booked for speeding when you are overtaking an other vehicle and then slow back down to the posted limit.
Marj - of course Nicole is a "bimbo" - shes female, attractive, articulate and probably intelligent - for many men then, she has to be put down as a bimbo.
On the subject of driving, we're halfway through travelling SA - went to Pt Augusta, up to Coober Peedy, stayed at Stalag 13 in Woomera and Wilmington and now at Burra with a female camp commandant (why are so many female managers so bitchy and rude - Ive only struck a male version at Woomera?) The roads are bloody terrible - falling to pieces, causes you and your 'van to bounce round (if I had dentures, reckon I'd have broken them by now) and more patches than a patchwork quilt. The drivers here aren't much better - rude as!! I often pull over on their windy and lumpy roads to let any vehicles behind me past. Not once have I been thanked by a wave or horn toot.
Many other interstate RVers we've met with agree, especially with the roads and I haven't met anyone who lives in SA who defends the poor quality of their roads. I shall avoid as much of SA as possible in future when travelling and take the shortest and fastest route to go East
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
There's no question that many caravanners are cavalier to say the least when it comes to their attitude to other road users.
The posted speed limits are what they are so that even the most remedial drivers should be able to stick to them in safety.
Far too many who insist on driving well below the limits in normal conditions, do so to save a few dollars of fuel.
Have a bit of consideration for others and keep it moving and if you don't feel safe to overtake a slow moving vehicle, leave a decent gap so that others can do so without endangering themselves.
For starters if the speed limit is 110 kph how many drive at that speed. Even truck are limited to 100 kph for safety reasons. I am sure I wouldn't want to stop real quick with 2 and a half ton behind doing that speed. (The Colorado add is a good example of irresponsible vanners) How many here have a van under 1500 kilos. Over the last five years I have been more aware of caravans and I don't believe I have ever seen a conga line of vans. Unfortunately the culprits that travel up each others bum seem to be the once or twice a year holiday groups who always go on holidays together. In my experience most grey nomads travel alone and do their own thing. Brings us to the often argued subject What is a grey nomad? Someone who travels full or almost full time or anyone over 60 that tows a caravan.
I do watch out behind me and I do pull over when possible and it is safe to do so, however, usually I have nowhere to go and all the time to get there so why should I travel at break neck speed.
I don't think the lady who wrote the story is a bimbo, just a very clever journalist who wrote an article that got lots of comment thus putting her name out there.
~~~SNIP PS: Just googled Nicole Flint. She is an ex Miss Africa 2009. No wonders, obviously a bimbo.
Gday...
The above mentioned so-called "bimbo" is NICOLE Flint - and is a previous Miss Africa.
However, Nicolle Flint, columnist with The Advertiser and other Australian newspapers, was a PhD student at Flinders University, South Australia, who has also worked in strategic roles for the Liberal Party, the South Australian Farmers Federation and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Her honours thesis focused on agriculture, lobbyists and commerce. Her opinions are conservative and hard-hitting.
It appears each article she has written on a wide variety of topics, that I have been able to quickly research, is written in the same 'opinionated/hard-hitting' vein.
And to get back on topic ... in all the last six years that as a full-time grey nomad travelling traversing this wide brown land - in all states - I have not once met the 'convoy' of caravans as described in the article.
Occasionally, there may be two or three thoughtless, uninformed vanners in a long 'convoy' but even that is a rare occurrence.
Articles such as these are written in an inflammatory way so that the provoke comment. I think such articles were used by the English teacher as examples to critique for their 'clear thinking' and 'persuasive argument'.
I certainly didn't say the author was a bimbo, the reason I posted the link was I thought it was of interest and would draw a response, guess I was right.
As a matter of interest, I have no problem with vans traveling below the legal speed limit, the two things that annoy me are people towing vans under the speed limit hogging the centre line and being oblivious to traffic behind them and vans traveling below the speed limit in convoy, makes it difficult and dangerous trying to pass em, in QLD the law states,
"Caravans
If you are a member of a 'caravanning convoy', don't travel too close together. Other road users will become frustrated if they are unable to overtake safely. The law requires caravans and other large vehicles, outside a built-up area, leave at least 60 m between each other. The distance is 200 m in a road train area."
Interesting topic. Some correct points. Suspect the author has never driven a road train, let alone towed a caravan. I was a slim, very blond female when I started driving trucks in my twenty's but quickly got a reputation as a female who looked after her truck and earned the truck the most money for the boss with no accidents.
I tow my caravan the same way. If I'm dawdling along admiring the scenery and see a truck approaching, I'll contact him on UHF, I will also stop dawdling to cut him some slack if he can't pass, but won't go so fast that he can't over take.
As for Victorians being the worst culprits? I know many folk that register their caravan in VIC because, for example, NSW costs $495 van rego for a van my weight, and only $54 in VIC. Each to their own, I prefer to do the right thing.
how many closely packed together vans have you seen this Easter weekend. Driving down the Stuart H/W from NT to SA - there were heaps. I agree with others, that its not the on-going nomads that create this problem, but more the mum, dad and kids away for holidays - they also drive too bloody fast. Today on my way from Pt Agusta to Burra (about 5 hours because the raod is so terrible), I was overtaken in idiot places and at idiot speeds by young families in their pop-tops and camper trailers or those loaded up with everything in the back and on the roof rack including the kitchen sink
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Well, I bit the bullet and responded to that article, told this lady that she ought to be sure they were all Grey Nomads, a lot of novices out there at this time of the year.
I also took exception to her snide remark about "our future health care" told her such self righteous comments are uncalled for, many of us are self funded, and told her that through clubs, forums, magazines etc most of us are aware of the road rules, and do the right thing.
She obviously wrote this to get a bite, so I gave her one, and told her it was a good article but aim her vented spleen at the actual culprits, not the general public, and don't play the Blame Game.
As for our wonderful Victorian kindred spirits, I told her someone always leaves the bloody gate open, so be kind to them.
(Luv ya Viccies, give 'em hell)
Bevan
(I was one once for a few years and have family and many friends down in that beautiful state.)
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Bevan
Friendship is not a relationship with someone whom you've known for a long time, but with someone you trust, under any circumstances.
Maybe they just weren't concentrating on the road. Perhaps they may have recently posted on a forum and were now wondering if their spelling and grammar were correct and that they had indeed put it in the correct section. With all this going on in their collective heads they didn't notice the long queue behind them.
We have just spent the last 5 days on the road in Central NSW, Newell, Mitchell Hwys and other roads. We noticed that majority of caravaners where running 10 to 20 klms below speed limits, which is fine as I don't want to tow my van at 110klms at anytime. The problem we found was groups travelling together, yes we know they where groups as they where talking to each other on chnl 18, most of them ran about 30 to 50 metres apart some even closer so you actually had to overtake 2 at once. I said as much on the UHF and got no reply, funny that. Then we got the oldies in their cars who where only doing 80klms in 110 and 70 in a 100, so it not just the grey nomads who are slowing people up. If all people in caravan clubs and who are travelling together left at least 200 metres between each other it would make life a lot easier and safer for the other road users, it would also make it safer for the caravanners as they would have more reaction time in case something did happen.
Then you get the people who sit right up your arse, even if you are doing 120klms naughty but I was trying to see if the dickhead would drop off my rear, turns out he was a she and no, I did the touch the brakes trick, no still up my arse, in the end I slowed down to about 90klms and she overtook me and proceeded to sit right up the arse of the next car, she was a accident waiting to happen.
David. Your experience with the driver on your tail (or arse lol) is familiar to most of us........that's why we have so many fatal accidents. How many are caused by RV users ?????
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Hi, no, but I don't think they will reply, if they deem it controversial enough they'll publish it in whatever that cheap rag is, suitably edited to slant it their way, if you flip down through that article in posting #1 there's a spot to reply, and below it they assure us if they publish it they reserve the right to "edit" it, so we know what that means.
I did tick a box to say I wanted to know if they publish it.
If there's any follow up I will post it here.
Articles like that stir up public animosity against us, I felt the need to have a say, one can only hope she reads it.
Bevan
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Bevan
Friendship is not a relationship with someone whom you've known for a long time, but with someone you trust, under any circumstances.
Someone in power at The Advertiser must have had a really bad Easter. Another article, the following day, I think only on-line, but a different journalist.
Both my wife & I have sent "Letters to the Editor", for the print version of The Advertiser about these, but too late for publishing today. Maybe tomorrow
Very much evidence of the current "me" attitude of some of our population. Time to get a life - like we have.
The above mentioned so-called "bimbo" is 
