Are people right to be angry with me?
Discussion
Disclaimer: I am not an advanced driver, far from it, but I thought this was the best section to ask in.
I like to think of myself as a courteous driver, and in general don't have any problems with others on the road. However, one aspect of my driving seems to drive people into a rage, so am I right to be doing it or am I being a bit of a knob?
At the set of traffic lights pictured, and others like it, there's often a massive queue in the left hand lane, which is for straight on, but the right hand lane, which is for straight on then immediately right at the next junction, is usually clear. If so, I look at the vehicle at the front of the queue, and if I judge that I can safely out-accelerate it and pull in front without causing them to change speed, I'll take the right hand lane and cut in after the lights.
This usually provokes flashing, horn blasting, arm waving, etc etc, despite the fact that my actions haven't affected them in any way. I haven't caused them to change speed, or cut in too close, but I guess they see it as pushing in.
The way I see it, I'm preventing the queue backing up further and not acting dangerously or (I believe) illegally. I get as annoyed as anyone else when someone does the same move but misjudges it and causes me to swerve or brake harshly, but when someone does it safely when I'm sat in a queue it doesn't bother me at all.
Junction pictured for reference.
I like to think of myself as a courteous driver, and in general don't have any problems with others on the road. However, one aspect of my driving seems to drive people into a rage, so am I right to be doing it or am I being a bit of a knob?
At the set of traffic lights pictured, and others like it, there's often a massive queue in the left hand lane, which is for straight on, but the right hand lane, which is for straight on then immediately right at the next junction, is usually clear. If so, I look at the vehicle at the front of the queue, and if I judge that I can safely out-accelerate it and pull in front without causing them to change speed, I'll take the right hand lane and cut in after the lights.
This usually provokes flashing, horn blasting, arm waving, etc etc, despite the fact that my actions haven't affected them in any way. I haven't caused them to change speed, or cut in too close, but I guess they see it as pushing in.
The way I see it, I'm preventing the queue backing up further and not acting dangerously or (I believe) illegally. I get as annoyed as anyone else when someone does the same move but misjudges it and causes me to swerve or brake harshly, but when someone does it safely when I'm sat in a queue it doesn't bother me at all.
Junction pictured for reference.
As there's a no right turn sign at the junction, surely the right hand lane can only straight on. What the lanes may do at a subsequent junction up ahead will dictate which lane you should be in at that future time.
In summary, based on your photo, I'd have no issues with going straight on from the right hand lane.
ETA: having looked again at the photo, the traffic lights have a forward only arrow, therefore it would be illegal to go anywhere but forward.
In summary, based on your photo, I'd have no issues with going straight on from the right hand lane.
ETA: having looked again at the photo, the traffic lights have a forward only arrow, therefore it would be illegal to go anywhere but forward.
Edited by Mandat on Tuesday 15th May 21:26
Rightly or wrongly, they are waiting patiently in line in the correct lane for the set up after the junction and are viewing you as queue jumping.
This is a common occurrence, what may or may not irritate you, is not the same for others.
What you have to decide is.
a) What happens if they decide to fight you for that bit of road?
b) Is the effect you are having upon others worth the few seconds you gain?
Only you can decide this.
This is a common occurrence, what may or may not irritate you, is not the same for others.
What you have to decide is.
a) What happens if they decide to fight you for that bit of road?
b) Is the effect you are having upon others worth the few seconds you gain?
Only you can decide this.
You do it fine OP, I do it too, at similar junctions, normally try to keep the car rolling up the outside lane if I know that they're about to change (not that I am an advanced driver - just seems to be common sense to me), then I am normally through the junction, and the next one before the person having a doze at the front of the queue wakes up.
Don't let it bother you
Don't let it bother you
Personally I wouldn't do it as I don't like to draw attention to myself or the car in any way.
It wouldn't bother me at all 99% of the time, the 1% of the time when i want to floor it for some reason, it's probably not going to end well.
From a safety point of view, it's not always easy to tell if you can out-accelerate a car/driver.
It wouldn't bother me at all 99% of the time, the 1% of the time when i want to floor it for some reason, it's probably not going to end well.
From a safety point of view, it's not always easy to tell if you can out-accelerate a car/driver.
If you did not know the road why would you not use the right hand lane, is marked straight on after all? The right turn markings are some way after the junction and as it widens to three lanes.
I know that junction as happens and if there were no car on the right I would be very tempted to use the rhd lane.
I know that junction as happens and if there were no car on the right I would be very tempted to use the rhd lane.
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=gravel+hill&h...
That's the junction, OP is travelling south. You can't see the markings at the junction, but if both lanes say straight ahead then it's fine IMO; I've seen loads of junctions across London that are similar.
That's the junction, OP is travelling south. You can't see the markings at the junction, but if both lanes say straight ahead then it's fine IMO; I've seen loads of junctions across London that are similar.
Geekman said:
Junction pictured for reference.
the junction has a no right turn, a left filter and 2 lanes for traffic. Therefore both lanes are for going straight across.
There is no signage there to say that the right lane is for straight ahead and then next right ......
eta -naturally i am a powerfully build company director with a goatee
I blame the highways people and the way so many road markings are !!! they seem to be done to cause this sort of thing !!!ie two lanes going into one after trafic lights and these cause confusion in strangers and road rage in locals who think someone is jumping the queue, I guess it's just another thing councils like do to make driving less enjoyable...
Edited by powerstroke on Wednesday 16th May 08:10
This is one of the advantages of having a quick car - I would definitely use the right-hand lane, in the safe knowledge that I will comfortably be able to pull ahead of anything in the nearside lane. In the unlikely even that there IS something in the nearside lane that will stay with you, simply drop in behind it - nothing else from the nearside lane will have kept up, so there's almost certainly going to be a sizeable gap.
In summary, if the nearside lane is full of exotica, bale out, otherwise go for it!
In summary, if the nearside lane is full of exotica, bale out, otherwise go for it!
To an extent, it depends on where the right turn is after the jcn and what signage there is. You have two things to contend with. The actual signage and the "habitual" use of the jcn.
Tempting though it is, I personally would probably not do what you do, but I'm not sure it's that clear-cut.
On my daily commute, I use the JCN of the A3 Southbound to the M25. 3 lanes. RH two for going right and LH lane clearly signed for left only. Two lanes with traffic, one clear. So quite a few enterprising drivers turn right from the LH lane. If I were not an Advanced Driver, it'd make my blood boil!
Bert
Tempting though it is, I personally would probably not do what you do, but I'm not sure it's that clear-cut.
On my daily commute, I use the JCN of the A3 Southbound to the M25. 3 lanes. RH two for going right and LH lane clearly signed for left only. Two lanes with traffic, one clear. So quite a few enterprising drivers turn right from the LH lane. If I were not an Advanced Driver, it'd make my blood boil!
Bert
I don't see any particular problem with this, it would be different if you were using a right turn only lane to pass/cut in but at the lights it's clear for all.
I do tend to leave traffic lights fairly smartly though, and would be annoyed if I was in the correct (left) lane and had my progress impeded by someone cutting the lane...
In short- Boot it!
I do tend to leave traffic lights fairly smartly though, and would be annoyed if I was in the correct (left) lane and had my progress impeded by someone cutting the lane...
In short- Boot it!
Seems that opinion is divided 
In response to some comments, I don't ever indicate or give any sign of my intentions, so I never get people trying to race me. If anyone did, like others suggested, I'd simply stick to the lane I had chosen and merge back in after them, as we'd have left everyone else behind. To be honest, if it gained me a few seconds I wouldn't bother, but it actually can gain an enormous amount of time, especially if the queue is particularly long or the lights are on a quick sequence.
As far as judging it goes, it actually helps that I drive a relatively slow car, so, if the person at the front is in anything even average, I don't bother. More often than not though, the vehicle at the front is a van/people carrier/micra, perhaps due to the time of day I travel.
In response to some comments, I don't ever indicate or give any sign of my intentions, so I never get people trying to race me. If anyone did, like others suggested, I'd simply stick to the lane I had chosen and merge back in after them, as we'd have left everyone else behind. To be honest, if it gained me a few seconds I wouldn't bother, but it actually can gain an enormous amount of time, especially if the queue is particularly long or the lights are on a quick sequence.
As far as judging it goes, it actually helps that I drive a relatively slow car, so, if the person at the front is in anything even average, I don't bother. More often than not though, the vehicle at the front is a van/people carrier/micra, perhaps due to the time of day I travel.
i love this situation!
i love watching the driver in the left lane in my peripheral vision, seeing them slowly put it in gear and hold the car on the handbrake ready to 'not let me get away with it' makes me laugh every time!
usually they get beaten, sometimes they beat me to the gap, but its always fun and they always get angry, which never fails to make me laugh
i love watching the driver in the left lane in my peripheral vision, seeing them slowly put it in gear and hold the car on the handbrake ready to 'not let me get away with it' makes me laugh every time!
usually they get beaten, sometimes they beat me to the gap, but its always fun and they always get angry, which never fails to make me laugh
blindswelledrat said:
I think this is quite a common dilemma.
OUt of interest Geekman, why do all the cars queue in the left hand lane?
There's usually a reason that this happens and that junction shows nothing
The reason, as far as I can see it, is that the only way to proceed straight on after the next set of lights (which is very soon after the junction) is to either do what I do or use the other lane, there is no system for traffic in the right hand lane to join the left hand lane at the next junction, poor design really. Was talking about it to my dad (who does the same thing, albeit in a considerably faster car) and apparently he rarely gets the reactions I get.OUt of interest Geekman, why do all the cars queue in the left hand lane?
There's usually a reason that this happens and that junction shows nothing
I suspect the real reason for their annoyance is that I look very young and my car looks decent (even though it's not
), so they expect me to drive like a knob, and see that move as proof they're right. My dad ( a 55 year old man in a stock-looking forester) isn't someone they'd expect to do anything like that, so they probably don't even notice him doing it.Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff