Ekona Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 This morning, on the way to work. Coming from traffic lights through a 40mph that goes into a well-sighted, long stretch of NSL. Three HGVs in front in the 40mph, accelerating slowly from the lights, definitely do not want to be stuck behind them all the way through the NSL section! Pull out, drop a couple of cogs, nail it. Except your car isn't as fast as you think, and there's a guy coming the other way doing 65mph straight towards you, and no chance of pulling in-between the lorries. The other guy brakes pretty hard, down to about 30mph, to avoid a head on collision. Tuck back in front of the lead HGV at the last minute, thinking "Ooof, I cut that a bit fine!". At least, I hope that's what the guy hurtling towards me this morning thought as I slammed the anchors on to avoid him crashing into me when he was overtaking No real drama though, I could see him coming, could see he wasn't going to make it in time if I carried on at speed, so I simply braked to give him enough time to complete his overtake and got on with my life. Now if that was the other way round, I'm 99% sure the person in my position would've been flashing like crazy and leaning on the horn for about 20mins, because some people just can't read the road and make a conscious decision to do something that might help someone who has made a simple error of judgement. Pretty sure everyone on here has carried out a dodgy overtake in their lives, usually when we're younger and a bit less aware. It does bug me that it felt like my actions would not be considered the norm, and that most non-keen drivers would simply carry on and make the whole situation more dangerous than it needed to be. Bit like those who get angry and speed up when trying to merge in turn. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay84 Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Did he acknowledge you and thank you for slowing? In younger days I've made lots of silly attempted overtake manoeuvres in my underpowered mk1 golf 1.3 non gti. Had to slam my brakes on and took back behind the car i was passing one or two times. Obvs I'm older and wiser now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 I would have to agree - I have really gotten past the whole thing of shouting and getting angry at other drivers. Many times its just a simple mistake which any of us could make - there are the occasional muppet but I just let them get on their way, I wont A. let them ruin my day by getting me wound up and B. join them in their muppetdom by chasing them down the road also driving like a muppet I think most of us when we make a mistake on the road know it, we don't need 20 seconds on the horn, verbal abuse, finger waving, lights flashing etc to point out a mistake we know we have made. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aashenfox Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 (edited) Come to Greece, you'd love it here, the guy doing the overtake would have sworn at you for being in his way and not slowing down ENOUGH to make it easier for him. No word of a lie, I promise you. Great post though. Edited March 8, 2017 by Aashenfox 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 I have driven a hire car in Naples for a day...nuff said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 I think as you get older you do become much more forgiving towards other drivers. I know I just let them get on with it and happily slow down or let them out etc. Whereas the wife would happily hit the horn at them for ages etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Ive always avoided road rage by thinking how many time have I done that to someone else. Particularly in my teens Ive been getting properly pi**ed off with the opposite situation recently though - OK, people dont expect my car to go as well as it does, but Ive had at least 5 oncoming drivers flashing me for overtaking ......... except Ive already pulled back on the right side of the road with about 400 yards gap. I do make a big effort to thank people though, even if its just for not pulling out in front of me on motorway or leaving a gap to merge into, I think if everyone did that we would all be a lot happier drivers 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strudul Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Using your horn (for the reason most people use it) is, to put it bluntly, stupid. If something dangerous is happening / about to happen, the last thing you should be worried about is using your horn. If you had time to use it, there was no need to use it in the first place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nub Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Done a few overtaking manoeuvres and thought I shouldn't have done that, not that it was very very close, but close enough to worry the oncoming driver which is inconsiderate. And in my younger days I have done worse in different cars. However more often than not, I'll do an overtaking manoeuvre seeing oncoming traffic but well aware of my cars performance I know that I'll easily pull it off, but it's the other driver that panics excessively, immediately starts flashing and pulling over on the side. From their perspective, thsy don't know I can do 60-100mph in a few seconds. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilMH Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Yep done it, albeit not for some time. Overambitious overtake in a Caterham 7 - I could have been helped by the person I was overtaking but they just kept going and as the speed rose the "brick like" aerodynamics of the 7 took over. Whereupon an Aston Martin whose oncoming distance/speed I had misjudged was suddenly upon me. Fortunately, I just got past and cut in (good weather and warm R888s helped). No-one waved or shouted - it was all too quick. My mate, who was following however, said it was a lot too close for comfort and he's a very calm guy not given to overstatement. Probably did me some good to be reminded how silly things can happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brillomaster Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 life is too short to get worked up at people... same kind of thing happens at roundabouts in rush hour... no point getting worked up by someone pulling out on you on a roundabout, cos if they didn't pull out then they'd never get anywhere, and it'll only inconvenience me for at most 3 seconds while I lift slightly. however, have had someone who knew exactly what they were doing when the pulled out to do an overtake with me rapidly approaching... had to come to a dead stop for them to complete their overtake, numpty. and as mentioned, in that scenario there was no time to sound horn or flash lights, I was too preoccupied with not being involved in a head on collision. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 8, 2017 Author Share Posted March 8, 2017 Did he acknowledge you and thank you for slowing? Honestly, I've no idea, I didn't look at him as we went past. I don't even know if he realised how much I'd slowed down by. Ive always avoided road rage by thinking how many time have I done that to someone else. Particularly in my teens This is brilliant advice On your other point, I've noticed a distinct lack of courtesy from people in the last few years, just a complete absence of a wave when you let them through or let them out. It's the older generation too, the codgers of the world. Young 'uns seem willing to say thank you, but the fogeys just blank you. That's starting to grate a little bit, I must admit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay84 Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Until the tree incident, I used to get frustrated driving the Zafira, people see a people carrier and just pull out on you. That's the only road rage I get, and I think thats because momentum was hard to get in it. The rest of the time, i figure no collision no drama. And even when contact has been made Im pretty calm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 8, 2017 Author Share Posted March 8, 2017 Only time I've ever got proper mad was when that lorry drove into the front of the Bummer. Started calm, but by the end of the conversation I could've lumped the guy due to his attitude. My missus gets angry far, far more often than me. Like proper angry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strudul Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 On your other point, I've noticed a distinct lack of courtesy from people in the last few years, just a complete absence of a wave when you let them through or let them out. It's the older generation too, the codgers of the world. Young 'uns seem willing to say thank you, but the fogeys just blank you. That's starting to grate a little bit, I must admit. Gotta agree, though I think I had this rant a couple months back. I'm generalising, but women seem to be worse for it too. Can't even remember the last time one waved back I wave if someone lets me through and I wave after letting someone else through, I always thought it was an unwritten rule to not be a nob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 8, 2017 Author Share Posted March 8, 2017 The only time I may not thank someone is if it's dark and I'm in the BMW: Clearly they won't be able to see me wave, and I never flash high beam at night as it's blinding, and the HIDs don't revert to parking lights quick enough to make my standard dipped-parking-dipped acknowledgement that I normally use after dusk. I really wish people would do that more rather than flash their brightest possible lights at you at night. It's stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strudul Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 (edited) Cars should just come with special acknowledgement lights Always flash hazards for people behind me (if they let me in), but never thought to use them for people in front. Edited March 8, 2017 by Strudul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sargara Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Been there done that. Mine was over the peak district (Ashbourne to Buxton stretch), its all windy former NSL (now 50mph) roads that i travel fairly often and know well but during the summer gets snarled up with tourists, trucks etc you know the type. I get to a well sighted stretch with an opportunity to get past a row of about 4 others who either don't know the roads well enough or don't have the balls to get past the slow one at the front,so I indicate, move out and get about 3 cars along when a car appears at one of the single track side roads.... balls. Sods law, they only check their right for oncoming traffic and don't clock me on their side of the road to their left the wrong way so of course start to pull out and I have to slam on and tuck back into the queue of slow traffic feeling about 2" tall and proceed to sit in the same spot for the rest of that stretch of the journey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT350 Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 (edited) I may be risking full blown misogyny here.. Women who you let go out of a side street or out of anywhere really and you can see their mouths going ten to the dozen and the animated exp<b></b>ressions as they chat to their mate and they're usually in a fiat 500 and.... Not thank you for letting them go. Edited March 8, 2017 by TT350 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay84 Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Been there done that. Mine was over the peak district (Ashbourne to Buxton stretch), its all windy former NSL (now 50mph) roads that i travel fairly often and know well but during the summer gets snarled up with tourists, trucks etc you know the type. I get to a well sighted stretch with an opportunity to get past a row of about 4 others who either don't know the roads well enough or don't have the balls to get past the slow one at the front,so I indicate, move out and get about 3 cars along when a car appears at one of the single track side roads.... balls. Sods law, they only check their right for oncoming traffic and don't clock me on their side of the road to their left the wrong way so of course start to pull out and I have to slam on and tuck back into the queue of slow traffic feeling about 2" tall and proceed to sit in the same spot for the rest of that stretch of the journey I love that stretch of road. Its the feeling small that is the worse bit, forget nearly crashing and dying lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mammoth200 Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 I've made a similar poor judgement when driving my old Civic. In the dark, coming up to a stretch of road I know well (A1307 from Bury St Edmunds to Haverhill), nice and wide, as I come round the bend to pass a few slow cars in front, the car at the front appears to start speeding up as he sees my lights in his mirror. Then I spot a car coming the other way (but I was committed by this point and had to carry on) who made no attempt to slow down or move over, and instead slapped his lights on full beam and sat on the horn. I managed to nip in front with a gnats testicle of space between me and the oncoming car, and thanked my lucky stars it didn't turn out any different. I acknowledge I should not have made the manoeuvre, but none of this was helped by the car in front who had decided he didn't want to be overtaken (he'd been sat doing 45/50mph for the last 9 miles, regardless of speed limits through villages, he must have been doing 65/70 when I passed him) or the person in the other lane who thought blinding me would assist the situation. I'm at that age now where I mutter under my breath when someone has been a d*ckhead, but that's about it, there's just no point wasting your energy getting all pissy about it. I do however enjoy watching the dashcam stuff on youtube, just for the likes of people such as Ronnie Pickering 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricksta1980 Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 @*!# drivers, no indication, no thanks from people once given way is all not good for my rage lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponsonby Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 I was driving home last night. On an estate road with a minor leading onto it from the left. A 4x4 pulled out on me, across my path, he did not even slow down at his give way. I did an emergency stop but he was towing a massive flat bed trailer which nearly took me out. And the graphics across the traler read something like 'emergency response recovery vehicle'. Had to laugh, his response is probably superfast because he causes the accident and loads the car he has just wiped out straight onto his trailer .....! Worst bit was that he glared at me as if it was my fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aashenfox Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 people such as Ronnie Pickering Who? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aashenfox Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 (edited) I was driving home last night. On an estate road with a minor leading onto it from the left. A 4x4 pulled out on me, across my path, he did not even slow down at his give way. I did an emergency stop but he was towing a massive flat bed trailer which nearly took me out. And the graphics across the traler read something like 'emergency response recovery vehicle'. Had to laugh, his response is probably superfast because he causes the accident and loads the car he has just wiped out straight onto his trailer .....! Worst bit was that he glared at me as if it was my fault. as he glared, I'd have made sure he saw me clapping. Edited March 10, 2017 by Aashenfox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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