Morons in 4x4s

[pdv6]

Firstly, aplologies for the sweeping generalisation that is the title of this topic, 'cos I know it doesn't apply to PH'ers who happen to own off-road capable vehicles, but...

Why do certain members of the public feel its their duty to terrorise & intimidate other road users just because they have a hulking great jeep-type thing?

It see it happen quite a lot, but had a classic one yesterday:

There's this traffic light controlled roundabout with 3 lanes running around it. All 3 lanes are marked all the way around. The 3 approach lanes are marked with arrows and road names. Left lane for left turn & stright on, middle lane for straight on only (road name marked also indicates that this lane is for straight on into the right hand lane of the dual carriageway) and 3rd lane for turn right only.

Anyway, I'm in lane 2, several cars back from the front of the queue. Whilst waiting for the lights to change, a Freelander piles past in lane 3 and I make the guess that he's trying to jump the queue and go straight on. Fair enough, I have no problem with progressive driving. However, he mis-timed it and had to start from a standstill and then fluffed his start as well.

By the time he'd got going I was alongside him but keeping within my marked lane and then took the straight-on exit, staying within my marked lane which leads into the right hand lane of the dual carriageway. I look in my mirror and the Freelander is still alongside, attempting to get in the same lane as me. I gave him a blast on the horn, in case he genuinely hadn't seen me.

But no. He gets on the horn himself and tries to force me across into the left lane in order to make room for his manoever. I can't pull over as the lane is already occupied, and by this time the red mist is starting to descend anyway, so I was in the mood to not pull over even if there had been room, so he had to virtually emergency stop to avoid colliding with the central reservation.

Red mist clears & think no more of it (other than remarking to MrsV6 what a wnaker he was).

Then (and you've probably guessed this bit already), he reappears in the rear view mirror about 2 inches of my rear bumper, driving really aggresively & giving me at least 20sec of coffee beans. This continues past the next set of lights and up to the next side road, where he nearly rammed by up the chuff when I turned off and then he had the cheek to clap & wave!!

FFS What are some people like? I'd obviously spoilt his day just by existing, as I'd done absolutlely nothing wrong!!! (and he had the wife & kiddies with him - god knows what he was telling them)

Why do drivers get it into their heads that they own the fcuking road?

[anonymous-user]

driving up to milton keynes yesterday, i noticed the astonishing number of nutters driving MPVs at speeds MPVs really shouldnt be doing. these things have cr@p brakes, dont handle yet can easily reach a ton in a straight line. so the owners drive the balls off them with all fifteen children!?!?.......

edited to say that he was probably jealous of your nice alfa and the fact that he had opted down the children and tank route.....

>> Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 18th November 13:29

[Big_M]

Don't know if anyone saw the scary article in the Sunday Times a couple of weekends ago about stopping distances in 4x4s - they are absolutely shite. Not the sort of thing you want 2" from your bumper.

[pdv6]

Cheers Paul, must get around to posting a pic on my profile sometime (rather than lurking in the background of other people's pics of more exotic stuff)

[sparkey]

Not wishing to justify the antics of your freelander friend, but a lot of the time people in sports cars cut up 4x4 owners assuming that they'll be very slow and that they can easily speed past them in the wrong lane and then pull in front of them.

This works most of the time, but in winter with slimey road surfaces the sports car driver (well actually more often the max power hot hatch driver)often overdoes thier standing start, gets loads of wheelspin and the 4x4 pulls away, leaving the max power cretin more ground to make up before cutting across. Of course they then couldn't loose face by being beaten by a 4x4 so make an even more dangerous manouvre than originally intended.

I realise this is not what happened in your case, but all 4x4 people aren't bad

Sparkey
(4x4 driver and sportscar driver)

[Marcos Maniac]

pdv6 said:

Firstly, aplologies for the sweeping generalisation that is the title of this topic, 'cos I know it doesn't apply to PH'ers who happen to own off-road capable vehicles, but...

freelander 4X4!! - nah its only a half-pint, pretend one innit!

[spnracing]

Indeed.

These people ARE moron's but I think the fact this guy happened to be in a Freelander was irrelevant.

Sounds very annoying indeed, I think I would have used my tow bar to maximum affect and brake tested the tosser. Not that I condone that kind of behaviour.

[apache]

and there was me thinking you were a nice calm sensible person Peter Aggressive driving is on the rise don't rise to it if you can help it, remember that kid who got knifed by a pycho in a Range Rover

>> Edited by apache on Monday 18th November 13:47

[Marcos Maniac]

I find that people tend to cut me up or pull out when I'm driving a standard car, numerous times when something along similar lines to what pdv6 posted has happened to me i tend to curse that I wish I was in one of my 4X4's because I would ram, hit or brake test the WKANKER.

[egomeister]

& giving me at least 20sec of coffee beans.

Quality! LMAO

[Terminator]

pablo said: ....number of nutters driving MPVs at speeds MPVs really shouldnt be doing. these things have cr@p brakes, dont handle yet can easily reach a ton in a straight line.

When was the last time you drove a modern MPV, Pablo?

[incorrigible]

You're mistaken

I've got a Range Rover and actually I do own the road

[mel]

Marcos Maniac said:
freelander 4X4!! - nah its only a half-pint, pretend one innit!

I think, (and I've run one for 3 years now, genuine off road at least once a week and un made roads daily) that the Freelander is actually more capable off road than both the Discovery and Range Rover, they seem to slide about on top of the mud and pull through it happily when both the other LR's bog down
amd wollow. However I will say that they couldn't be anymore fragile if they were made by Wedgewood, they break and bits fall off with more regularity than anything out of Blackpool! but I guess my one lives a harder life than most.

Also some complete twat in an Alfa deliberatly blocked me coming off a roundabout the other day, the good thing about a 4x4 is that you never need to give way

PS if anyone sees a blue 2000 spec Freelander with leather air con etc come up for auction next month (won't give reg just incase) don't bid on. I've nearly killed it and it goes back next week

[Dan]

Only old people drive MPV's innit... eh Pablo

[spoonman]

Hmm, looks like yesterday was national Twat In A 4x4 Day. Had possibly the ugliest on-road off-roader ever (gross Lexus thing) trying to get through my back bumper last night – until I went round a few corners without braking. He then drove through four sets of traffic lights on red in a vein attempt to catch up.

All because he thought his overgrown Matchbox toy should be in front of a girl's car (me bird's MX-5).

Still, he 'won' in the end: he came past me doing a ton in a 50 zone (while I was doing 50 'cos I know where the speed cameras are). Bet that made his penis grow quite considerably.

[pdv6]

spoonman said:Still, he 'won' in the end: he came past me doing a ton in a 50 zone (while I was doing 50 'cos I know where the speed cameras are). Bet that made his penis grow quite considerably.

Shrink more like, as he throws out the anchors 10m before the camera!

[marki]

spoonman saidStill, he 'won' in the end: he came past me doing a ton in a 50 zone (while I was doing 50 'cos I know where the speed cameras are). Bet that made his penis grow quite considerably.

---

He probably still has a stiffy you should charge him next time