Can someone help me explain this one (tailgating)
Discussion
I havent started this thread so anyone can agree or sympathise with cretins on the road - I have started it because I am genuinely confused with the actions of 2 totally seperate drives doing the same thing at different points of my journey home between 9pm and midnight on the M4 from Reading, and down the M5 to Exeter (en route home to Plymouth)
Situation is thus - M4 at around 10.30pm, nothing around really, I am doing 75 in the inside lane on cruise control. There is a car slowly approaching from the rear on the inside lane and there is a bunch of slower cars / lorries coming up in front of me. So I pull out to the middle lane to overtake, mateyboy who was coming up behind me pulls out to overtake and then sits on my arse - i mean i couldnt even see his headlights :yikes: in lane 2 while I am overtaking these other vehicles at 75. I pass the convoy, pull back in and he then drives off.
Same thing happens again, this time on the M5 with a different car. He sits right on my arse even though there is an enitre 3rd lane to overtake on!!
I am genuinely confused - I am overtaking traffioc in the second lane of the motorway, going just above the speed limit and there is an eniter 3rd lane for these pricks to overtake me on, yet they decide to tailgate me.
I have got to say that this has bothered me a bit as I never get tailgated normally since I make an effort to either use correct lane discipline or get out of the way very quickly as I do not want to impede other peoples ability to make progress - but why why why why cant / dont these people want to use the 3rd lane? They obviously want to make progress I guess.
Just pricks or is there something I am missing here!!
Gh0st
Situation is thus - M4 at around 10.30pm, nothing around really, I am doing 75 in the inside lane on cruise control. There is a car slowly approaching from the rear on the inside lane and there is a bunch of slower cars / lorries coming up in front of me. So I pull out to the middle lane to overtake, mateyboy who was coming up behind me pulls out to overtake and then sits on my arse - i mean i couldnt even see his headlights :yikes: in lane 2 while I am overtaking these other vehicles at 75. I pass the convoy, pull back in and he then drives off.
Same thing happens again, this time on the M5 with a different car. He sits right on my arse even though there is an enitre 3rd lane to overtake on!!
I am genuinely confused - I am overtaking traffioc in the second lane of the motorway, going just above the speed limit and there is an eniter 3rd lane for these pricks to overtake me on, yet they decide to tailgate me.
I have got to say that this has bothered me a bit as I never get tailgated normally since I make an effort to either use correct lane discipline or get out of the way very quickly as I do not want to impede other peoples ability to make progress - but why why why why cant / dont these people want to use the 3rd lane? They obviously want to make progress I guess.
Just pricks or is there something I am missing here!!
Gh0st
Maybe they are just terminally nearsighted?
I frequently see this sort close in on a slow-moving truck, and dart into the next lane at about the last minute. (generally without the benefit of a signal) Here in the West it's not uncommon that I'm looking 2 or 3 miles down the road, the air is clear and no trees to speak of, so I can see a long way anyway.
We see this kind of nutter here in the States, as well.
I frequently see this sort close in on a slow-moving truck, and dart into the next lane at about the last minute. (generally without the benefit of a signal) Here in the West it's not uncommon that I'm looking 2 or 3 miles down the road, the air is clear and no trees to speak of, so I can see a long way anyway.
We see this kind of nutter here in the States, as well.
I have to admit to tailgating a woman on the A34 last weekend coming back from Goodwood. In mitigation though it was on a two lane section and she had (as described above) closed on a lorry without realising the speed differential and had then pulled out in front of me in her people carrier again not realising the speed differential. I could see that she was going to do it so wasn't in danger of collecting her but rather than brake I just came off the power and cruised up behind her (fairly close behind her 
) and as she crawled past the lorry I could see her looking at me and she then decided to brake halfway through the manouever presumably to get her point across!!
Because, of course, we all know that despite her inability to read road conditions and the traffic around her it's speed that kills so she's alright
) and as she crawled past the lorry I could see her looking at me and she then decided to brake halfway through the manouever presumably to get her point across!! Because, of course, we all know that despite her inability to read road conditions and the traffic around her it's speed that kills so she's alright
dern said:
The vast majority of people you see or meet are stupid.
I think it's a product of the mentality that says itt's dangerous to change lanes In a similar vein I regularly see convoys of 2 or 3 cars tailgating each other in the inside lane, all travelling the same speed but bunched together like sheep. I get them all the time.
I call them 'parasites' in the true sense of the word.
For instance, you're driving along in lane 1, and overtake traffic in lane 2. Lane 2 guy appears right up your jaxy, slowing down by about 10-15mph. He doesn't move from your jaxy, until you go back to Lane 1 at which point he accelerates away. Meanwhile lane 3 is empty.
Then, 2 miles down the road, you overtake him.
Its very strange, I don't know why people do it.
I call them 'parasites' in the true sense of the word.
For instance, you're driving along in lane 1, and overtake traffic in lane 2. Lane 2 guy appears right up your jaxy, slowing down by about 10-15mph. He doesn't move from your jaxy, until you go back to Lane 1 at which point he accelerates away. Meanwhile lane 3 is empty.
Then, 2 miles down the road, you overtake him.
Its very strange, I don't know why people do it.
mechsympathy said:I think most people honestly can't cope with what to do in 3 lanes. Having driven in france a few times in the past I believed that lane discipline there was much better than ours however we went recently and for the first time I drove on some 3-lane roads rather than dual-carraigeways and their lane discipline is as bad as ours. I honestly believe that people can work out what to do with 2 lanes but not with 3. The problem is then made worse with higher traffic volumes and natural competative tendencies of most drivers.
Solution: replace all motorways with two dual-carraigeways running in parallel. Solves all the problem imho and provides back up should one dual-c get blocked by an accident (you would have to make it impossible to see one dual-c from the other to stop rubber-necking and road switching at junctions). Actually, junctions might be a bit tricky. Still a great idea though
Mark
Piglet said:Yes, and taigating, regardless of mitigation, is perfectly safe and acceptable.
Because, of course, we all know that despite her inability to read road conditions and the traffic around her it's speed that kills so she's alright
You should be a poster boy for the scamera campaign...
(comments in jest)
Piglet said:Yes, and taigating, regardless of mitigation, is perfectly safe and acceptable.
Because, of course, we all know that despite her inability to read road conditions and the traffic around her it's speed that kills so she's alright
You should be a poster boy for the scamera campaign...
(comments in jest)
I work with someone who does that, he uses the cruise control and can't be arsed to turn it off, so sits on people's arse until they pull over.
Pure laziness!
THe same kind of person that sits in the middle lane in the middle of the night, when they are the only person on the road. You pull out of lane 1, they pull over into lane 1, you go past, they pull back out to lane 2.
Or as more often happens, you pull from lane 1 to lane 3, go past and then from lane 3 to lane 1. Sometimes the arsehole notices that a car has gone around them and pulls over in embarrasement, or as is usual just continues in complete ignorance of anything happening around them.
As said, above, I am convinced that most people are just stupid.
S
Pure laziness!
THe same kind of person that sits in the middle lane in the middle of the night, when they are the only person on the road. You pull out of lane 1, they pull over into lane 1, you go past, they pull back out to lane 2.
Or as more often happens, you pull from lane 1 to lane 3, go past and then from lane 3 to lane 1. Sometimes the arsehole notices that a car has gone around them and pulls over in embarrasement, or as is usual just continues in complete ignorance of anything happening around them.
As said, above, I am convinced that most people are just stupid.
S
Once you'd pulled over and he'd gone past, did he return to the LH Lane? If not, he's just a MLM, if he did, then there's nowt as queer as folk.
I had a Rover ZR in front of me this morning and I tailgated him for a while. I just couldn't believe that someone would sit in the outside lane of a DCarriageway at 4 in the morning with no other traffic around. Had to undertake in the end.
I had a Rover ZR in front of me this morning and I tailgated him for a while. I just couldn't believe that someone would sit in the outside lane of a DCarriageway at 4 in the morning with no other traffic around. Had to undertake in the end.
Byff said:Judging by the cretins around here he'll be there in anticipation of wanting to turn right at a roundabout in about 2 miles.
I had a Rover ZR in front of me this morning and I tailgated him for a while. I just couldn't believe that someone would sit in the outside lane of a DCarriageway at 4 in the morning with no other traffic around. Had to undertake in the end.
Mark
s can't see through your car: work's a treat here! 
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