Aggressive driver encounters

Aggressive driver encounters

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willmagrath

Original Poster:

1,207 posts

145 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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Had an incident on the m25 today. A car I was following was very distracted by his phone and started to veer across the lanes, causing another car to take action, which led to me taking some.

As I passed the distracted driver, I beeped him, looked over and drove off.

He then got very angry and started to chase me along the inside lane. He then veered across all 3 lanes to sit on my bumper, literally a few inches behind. I pulled to let him past, he then sat next to me trying to get my attention, I didn't react, thought that'd annoy him more tongue out he gave up and drove off.

Was a huge overreaction to me taking displeasure to his driving that could have caused a big accident!

Does this happen to many people and how did you react?

dazwalsh

6,095 posts

140 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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He is a bellend for the manouvers but what purpose did beeping and glaring achieve?

The horn is perceived as agressive and reactions are reflective of that. Its a switch that turns even the calmest of driver into an expletive filled lunatic


Edited by dazwalsh on Sunday 23 October 01:12

willmagrath

Original Poster:

1,207 posts

145 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
quotequote all
dazwalsh said:
He is a bellend for the manouvers but what purpose did beeping and glaring achieve?

The horn is perceived as agressive and reactions are reflective of that. Its a switch that turns even the calmest of driver into an expletive filled lunatic


Edited by dazwalsh on Sunday 23 October 01:12
This is true. But I really feel that if we all ignore people who use their phones when driving, then it'll just become the norm. I only beeped as I had to take action over his idiocy.

BlueHave

4,636 posts

107 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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Is it just me or do the majority of these aggressive and entitled bellends on the road all seem to drive 4X4. The biggest culprits being Range Rovers, Audi Q7, BMW X5 etc

Osinjak

5,453 posts

120 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
quotequote all
willmagrath said:
Had an incident on the m25 today. A car I was following was very distracted by his phone and started to veer across the lanes, causing another car to take action, which led to me taking some.

As I passed the distracted driver, I beeped him, looked over and drove off.

He then got very angry and started to chase me along the inside lane. He then veered across all 3 lanes to sit on my bumper, literally a few inches behind. I pulled to let him past, he then sat next to me trying to get my attention, I didn't react, thought that'd annoy him more tongue out he gave up and drove off.

Was a huge overreaction to me taking displeasure to his driving that could have caused a big accident!

Does this happen to many people and how did you react?
Never underestimate the stupidity and unpredictability of other drivers. One tit cut me up quite badly on a roundabout so I horned the utter mong as he disappeared off up the road. Looking in my rear view mirror I saw him start a 3 point turn so I thought here we bloody go. He then follows me for about ten miles out of town, stuck to my bumper, down a dual carriageway all the while waving a pair of handcuffs out of his window. He managed to get in front of me at one point and brake tested me at 70 mph, the utter tt. I was actually tempted to stop and one point and smack him into next week but thought better of it, you never know what sort of idiot you could be dealing with. I called the cops as this was all going on and eventually lost him due to his own stupidity and went home. Got a phone call 20 mins later saying they've caught him, very agitated and with a pair of cuffs in the car and no, he wasn't a copper. Would I make statement? Gladly said I. A couple of hours later, statement done and he was being charged with dangerous driving (someone in the town centre reported him as well) and they were going to see if they could stick impersonating a police officer on him as well. Never did find out the outcome.

There are hundreds of these sort of mongs out there, just not worth engaging with no matter how tempting.

Edited by Osinjak on Sunday 23 October 02:41

Cold

15,207 posts

89 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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BlueHave said:
Is it just me or do the majority of these aggressive and entitled bellends on the road all seem to drive 4X4. The biggest culprits being Range Rovers, Audi Q7, BMW X5 etc
No. It's everyone and not restricted to the drivetrain layout of the vehicle.

caelite

4,273 posts

111 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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BlueHave said:
Is it just me or do the majority of these aggressive and entitled bellends on the road all seem to drive 4X4. The biggest culprits being Range Rovers, Audi Q7, BMW X5 etc
Can confirm, own a big 4x4, drive it like a bellend. They are just so easy to aggressively tt about in, the suspension travel makes it amusing, the vantage point makes it feel so much safer as you can see over the snail you are about to barrel into the back of before braking at the last minute & the fact many of them are equiped with big torquey agricultural diesels that dont respond at all unless you give it welly makes for a car which is very rewarding to drive aggresively and not so much to drive in any other manner.

Terzo123

4,309 posts

207 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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Imagine you weren't in your car but walking in the street. Would you act the same way and if so what reaction would you expect?

Dusty964

6,919 posts

189 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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caelite said:
Can confirm, own a big 4x4, drive it like a bellend. They are just so easy to aggressively tt about in, the suspension travel makes it amusing, the vantage point makes it feel so much safer as you can see over the snail you are about to barrel into the back of before braking at the last minute & the fact many of them are equiped with big torquey agricultural diesels that dont respond at all unless you give it welly makes for a car which is very rewarding to drive aggresively and not so much to drive in any other manner.
What an utter load of crap.





Edited by Dusty964 on Sunday 23 October 05:48

Evolved

3,553 posts

186 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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Terzo123 said:
Imagine you weren't in your car but walking in the street. Would you act the same way and if so what reaction would you expect?
Using the phone while walking isn't illegal and unsafe?

Riley Blue

20,915 posts

225 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
quotequote all
willmagrath said:
dazwalsh said:
He is a bellend for the manouvers but what purpose did beeping and glaring achieve?

The horn is perceived as agressive and reactions are reflective of that. Its a switch that turns even the calmest of driver into an expletive filled lunatic


Edited by dazwalsh on Sunday 23 October 01:12
This is true. But I really feel that if we all ignore people who use their phones when driving, then it'll just become the norm. I only beeped as I had to take action over his idiocy.
You didn't have to take action, nor (in my view) should you have done. You don't turn into a law enforcer when you're at the wheel, you're still joe public, irrespective of what you see around you.

Lgfst

391 posts

108 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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It's been a while since anyone has been aggressive with me. Maybe because I drive a Focus ST and they stereotype me as a chav boy racer or something, or maybe because I pootle around and try and blend in.

I once saw an audi and a lorry have some serious road rage on the M56 to M60 link road. Lorry was swerving at the audi then the driver of the Lorry stopped in front of the audi and got out, on a live motorway.

And I agree with the above with the horn, it is seen by most as an aggressive thing, horn warnings when I did my IAM was a common thing but when I've used it in the past (car parks, junctions etc) I'd say 99% of the time you'd get dirty looks or hand gestures at the least.

jonwm

2,504 posts

113 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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I indicated to take a turn last week onto a trading estate, realised I needed the next one so cancelled indication and drove on, had a beep from behind so put my hand up to say sorry as I did leave it late.

Pulled into said trading estate on next road to a huge long beep and the car stop in the middle of the main road a bit further up. (This the point I should have continued on my way)

I drove to the car it's a an old focus covered in stickers, pull up along side very non aggressive to find a women holding a iphone recording me, I asked what on earth the problem was, no answer kept window up, I drove off normal speed to find her following me filming, mouthing my reg number into her phone, she filmed me into trading estate, parking at my appointment and walking in.

To be honest I wasn't threatened but left a very uncomfortable feeling for most of the day, not sure what I did to bring this on apart from a late change of mind which I apologised for

Some strange folk around

willmagrath

Original Poster:

1,207 posts

145 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
quotequote all
Interesting responses. This guy was not in a big tractor but in a CLA 220d with blacked out windows. No comment...

I was in my Fiesta ST so it does have a bit of the McDonald's car park about it but then again he probably just thought it was a 1.25.

It does however cone across like I'm trying to be some jumped up vigilante so maybe I look like a tt. But I really get annoyed by the hundreds of people veering over the roads as they're texting! Someone has to do something!

jamei303

2,996 posts

155 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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willmagrath said:
Someone has to do something!
Perhaps you should swap your Fiesta for a Humvee and punt them all onto the verge.

K-Cee

238 posts

187 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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Evolved said:
Using the phone while walking isn't illegal and unsafe?
Agree, it isn't, however if you were walking down the street using your mobile and accidentally bumped into someone, you would automatically apologise and be on your way, with no hard feelings. Just something about society in general these days that is unjustifiably aggressive particularly behind the wheel. There seem's to be a distinct escalation of this on the roads since the loss of police patrol cars, not the local panda one's the motorway one's, probably down to cut backs etc.
The original poster said the driver took umbrage at being honked at, this is a great example of not liking being told off, and how dare you complain about my driving basically I'm a spoilt child and don't like being told off. Total and absolute moron's who deserve to hit a tree !!

AndyDubbya

939 posts

283 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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From the st driving caught on dashcam thread: https://youtu.be/SeB4hEZ-2K0

Careful who you wind up!

Riley Blue

20,915 posts

225 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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willmagrath said:
Interesting responses. This guy was not in a big tractor but in a CLA 220d with blacked out windows. No comment...

I was in my Fiesta ST so it does have a bit of the McDonald's car park about it but then again he probably just thought it was a 1.25.

It does however cone across like I'm trying to be some jumped up vigilante so maybe I look like a tt. But I really get annoyed by the hundreds of people veering over the roads as they're texting! Someone has to do something!
Perhaps, but not you. Putting on your Fiesta ST (or any other vehicle) doesn't turn you into some sort of law enforcement agent no matter how irritated you may become. Provided there's no accident, chalk it up to 'experience' and move on. Life's far to short to get really annoyed by such incidents.

Bennet

2,119 posts

130 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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willmagrath said:
Someone has to do something!
Quoting something I read on these forums one time:

You cannot educate 45 million idiots, so don't try.

In my opinion you are making a mistake any time you engage with another motorist for any reason other than to try to help them in some way. Driving is not a social activity. Leave them to it, or call the police. (Or join the police.)

Pothole

34,367 posts

281 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
quotequote all
Evolved said:
Terzo123 said:
Imagine you weren't in your car but walking in the street. Would you act the same way and if so what reaction would you expect?
Using the phone while walking isn't illegal and unsafe?
Can be very unsafe.