The Driver

brue
brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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edited March 2017 in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

Talking about trips to Scotland on another thread, driving through beautiful scenery. But can the driver ever enjoy the scenery? OH thinks not and I have to agree if it's my turn!

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  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,389 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #2

    I tend to agree, the driver obviously cannot focus on the scenery quite so much as the passenger. My tip drive slower to give yourself time to look around you and stop if you can in the more scenic areas. I sometimes review what my dash cam has captured and save bits now and again.

    peedee

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,196 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #3

    Would have to agree. Don't think you can enjoy the scenery driving solo let alone driving a motorhome or towing. Concentration on the road ahead should always be foremost, as well as what's happening around you. Can't do it on known roads let alone unknown ones. Occasionally you can glimpse sceney but not enjoy in the way a non driver can.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited March 2017 #4
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  • Vicmallows
    Vicmallows Forum Participant Posts: 580
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    edited March 2017 #5

    Agree with David.  The road directly ahead has to be first priority, but you should also be spatially aware of everything going on around you. When the road is clear this will include the scenery to a greater or lesser degree.  I am certainly aware of which parts of a journey I would would wish to repeat .... and which parts I would do anything to avoid in future.

  • katieb
    katieb Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2017 #6

    We found that in Scotland there were lots of places to pull over and enjoy the views; certainly in Dorset, where we live, many of the best viewpoints have lay-bys so you can do just that.

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #7

    I have a couple of 4 hour sd cards I use in the dash camera ,and then play back any outstanding scenery back that I have missed on the laptop , you can't be a driver and a viewer at the same time surprised

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,310 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #8

    You don't say if this is with a caravan or Motorhome. In our experience when you are 12 metres long you are very lucky if you can find enough room in a lay-by.

    As to the OP, perhaps solo you can to an extent, however towing a definite no.

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #9

    Obviously not as much as the passenger, but I don't drive with eyes fixated on the road especially at a fixed distance. It pays to vary focus and distance so I take in everything around me within reason. If there's something of special interest and there's a pull in, then we stop.

  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,564 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2017 #10

    Actually, in our case it was rather the opposite. My wife loved to read a book or a newspaper while we were on the move and she would tell me to let her know if there is something worth seeing outside.

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,670 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #11

    Even when the lay-by is big enough, there is invariably a lone car or other vehicle right in the middle of it, preventing a long vehicle from being able to use it!

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #12

    OH bought a cheap dashcam, will use it to look at scenic journeys after they've been done. Even with a motorhome you can bet that two big lorries will have filled the layby you wanted!

  • JayEss
    JayEss Forum Participant Posts: 1,663
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    edited March 2017 #13

    I'm one that reads as a passenger and concentrates on the road if I'm driving. I'm not a scenery person really although if we're driving through a town or village the book goes down wink

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,867 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #14

    I suppose it just illustrates how people, in the main, only think of themselves. To me a simple solution would be to have a polite sign requesting people move forward to allow others to use the layby?

    David

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited March 2017 #15

    David, it may have been when they arrived they were behind a vehicle but that one and the one behind have now moved off leaving it in the middle. 

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #16

    When driving I seem to take in more scenery/wildlife than OH sat in passenger seat

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited March 2017 #17

    I never have time for sightseeing or enjoying the scnery when driving, its enough to concentrate on taking pictures on my mobile and texting my mates without having to look at the scenery as well, that would be too much and very dangerous if you ask me. smile

  • Unknown
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    edited March 2017 #18
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  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited March 2017 #19

    surprised

  • Unknown
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    edited March 2017 #20
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  • lesbunny
    lesbunny Forum Participant Posts: 133
    edited March 2017 #21

    There's always one isn't there wink

    The beauty about Scotland is the roads are quieter & mostly single carriageway & thereby slower, so you do get time to watch the scenery as you go along - including watching out for suicidal red deer surprised 

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,582 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #22

    I do try to watch the road first but have time to see the scenery most of the time. I agree there are some pretty inspiring routes up here and traffic can be slow enough to enjoy them.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited March 2017 #23

    Is the traffic slow because you have after the M25 you have the next two slowest roads in the UK?wink

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,867 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #24

    That is of course possible. However some laybys can only take a couple of vehicles and the way some people park it is most unlikely that there was someone parked in front of them when they arrived?

    David 

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