'Legal' inter-car remonstration?
Discussion
Driving home tonight, there was a lad in car about 3 foot off my bumper, with full beams. I gradually slowed down to a stop, hazards on, got out. Went over to his window where I received a mouthful of abuse until I rather forcefully pointed out his error. His missus didn't seem to say anything, she looked like a bulldog chewing a piss-soaked nettle anyway.
What I'm getting at, short of getting out and giving him a shout, how do you communicate stuff like this to other cars, without falling foul of the law. As I understand it, if you get out the car first, and there is a scuffle, you are liable. I tried waving in front of the rear-view mirror, flipping it up and down etc.
Apart from the obvious, move over and let him past routine, as he won't realise his error, will carry on doing it, and will kill millions upon millions of children. Ahem.
What I'm getting at, short of getting out and giving him a shout, how do you communicate stuff like this to other cars, without falling foul of the law. As I understand it, if you get out the car first, and there is a scuffle, you are liable. I tried waving in front of the rear-view mirror, flipping it up and down etc.
Apart from the obvious, move over and let him past routine, as he won't realise his error, will carry on doing it, and will kill millions upon millions of children. Ahem.
minimac said:
Apart from the obvious, move over and let him past routine, as he won't realise his error, will carry on doing it, and will kill millions upon millions of children. Ahem.
So there it is staring you in the face all obvious, and yet you don't like it.It's the right answer. one day he'll do it to either:
i) a loony with a gun
ii) a loony with a warrant card.
That day is not today. Today he's picked you and you'll do what you can to get him past you. I got a wave of thanks when I did this for some nutter on Monday. Must be some sort of nutters code of honour...
This has also happened to me, and i have tried slowing and turning my rear foglight on and off, but to no effect.
I really think that they did not even know what the rear foglight was anyway...
This was proved to me recently why I asked one of my employees why she drove around with her foglights on permenantly when she only needed normal lights and it was distracting to other drivers...
She told me that she didnt think they were foglights as she didnt think her car had them and that she was sure they were 'full beam' headlights... as if using full beam headlights all the time was perfectly good driving...!
I s*** you not!!!
I really think that they did not even know what the rear foglight was anyway...
This was proved to me recently why I asked one of my employees why she drove around with her foglights on permenantly when she only needed normal lights and it was distracting to other drivers...
She told me that she didnt think they were foglights as she didnt think her car had them and that she was sure they were 'full beam' headlights... as if using full beam headlights all the time was perfectly good driving...!
I s*** you not!!!
minimac said:
Driving home tonight, there was a lad in car about 3 foot off my bumper, with full beams. I gradually slowed down to a stop, hazards on, got out. Went over to his window where I received a mouthful of abuse until I rather forcefully pointed out his error. His missus didn't seem to say anything, she looked like a bulldog chewing a piss-soaked nettle anyway.
What I'm getting at, short of getting out and giving him a shout, how do you communicate stuff like this to other cars, without falling foul of the law. As I understand it, if you get out the car first, and there is a scuffle, you are liable. I tried waving in front of the rear-view mirror, flipping it up and down etc.
Apart from the obvious, move over and let him past routine, as he won't realise his error, will carry on doing it, and will kill millions upon millions of children. Ahem.
Just boot it. He can't tailgate you if you are two miles ahead of him. What I'm getting at, short of getting out and giving him a shout, how do you communicate stuff like this to other cars, without falling foul of the law. As I understand it, if you get out the car first, and there is a scuffle, you are liable. I tried waving in front of the rear-view mirror, flipping it up and down etc.
Apart from the obvious, move over and let him past routine, as he won't realise his error, will carry on doing it, and will kill millions upon millions of children. Ahem.
If you get stopped, just say you are Damian Duff....
7db said:
...I got a wave of thanks when I did this for some nutter on Monday. Must be some sort of nutters code of honour...
I while back driving around a roundabout I noticed a 4X4 look like it was going to go straight onto the roundabout - I checked where he was looking, and was deep in conversation and hadn't even looked right!Luckily I had time to come to an abrupt halt on the roundabout where I must now had been visible enough for the 4X4 to now see me and stop - directly in my path, proving that if nothing else, if I wasnt alert, his drivers side door would have been rather closer to his right arm.
I didn't wave, remonstrate, or even tut, just calmly drove around him and proceeded on my way.
After exiting the roundabout, a second later he honked his horn at me... I was puzzled for a second thinking that was a strange way of thanking me for the inconvenience of slamming my brakes on and NOT wrecking the side of his car... then I realised he beeped me as I was so inconsiderate to not 'let him out'!
I slowed in the road to a stop for a few seconds and though about getting out of the car, but thought better of it as 7db has pointed out. Though I did poke my head out of the drivers window to look back to see that he was perposefully trying not to make eye contact, and looked rather sheepish.
I realised that even if I did get out of my car, that the guy was still going to be a t*** for the rest of his life, and there is nothing I could do to stop it, so I think in these situations it is better to just avoid the aggro...
Edited by JustinP1 on Tuesday 11th September 23:52
Edited by JustinP1 on Tuesday 11th September 23:53
shuvitupya said:
The tailgater could have a gun. 
Remember the M40 biker shot dead.
Just get out of their way as quick as possible, as no point in winding people up even more than they already are!
This to me seems to be a large problem for this country. We say 'people are tRemember the M40 biker shot dead.
Just get out of their way as quick as possible, as no point in winding people up even more than they already are!
ts' are do all to sort it. Like spitting in the street, calling old women slags etc. When really, a ing good kicking would do.I agree with your sentiment but the law no longer allows people to attempt to make others aware of their mistakes by way of force/loud voice. There is only one thing I have ever found makes people back off every time and that is repeated slowing to < 1/2 the speed limit every time they get close. blipping the brakes tends to get 50% more irate and dangerous, the other 50% are clueless as to why you have done it and just keep coming back.
If you are going to get out and shout make sure you do it properly, scare the other person so much they wind their windows up and hide behind the gear stick, if you come out trying to be half-decent they'll use it against you.
If you are going to get out and shout make sure you do it properly, scare the other person so much they wind their windows up and hide behind the gear stick, if you come out trying to be half-decent they'll use it against you.
minimac said:
shuvitupya said:
The tailgater could have a gun.
Remember the M40 biker shot dead.
Just get out of their way as quick as possible, as no point in winding people up even more than they already are!
This to me seems to be a large problem for this country. We say 'people are tRemember the M40 biker shot dead.
Just get out of their way as quick as possible, as no point in winding people up even more than they already are!
ts' are do all to sort it. Like spitting in the street, calling old women slags etc. When really, a ing good kicking would do.I would recommend it to anyone really.
If you are driving a rough old car and someone pulls in front of you position yourself about 8 to 10 feet behind him, put it in first gear, unlock your door, keep your seat belt on, and drop your window about 5 inches with your finger on the winder.
Verbally abuse him as long as no one else can hear you not forgetting to make sure your body language looks apologetic, the object is to get him to attempt to hit you through the open window, as he reaches in up goes the window (trapping his arm) you lean to your left and lift off the clutch with the right foot on the gas pedal.
Then say to him, "go on talk your way out of that"
Verbally abuse him as long as no one else can hear you not forgetting to make sure your body language looks apologetic, the object is to get him to attempt to hit you through the open window, as he reaches in up goes the window (trapping his arm) you lean to your left and lift off the clutch with the right foot on the gas pedal.
Then say to him, "go on talk your way out of that"
fatboy - interesting one, I had a friend with a similar tactic - he had a strobe fitted pointing rearward on the parcel shelf. Unfortunately the police took a disliking to it when they saw him use it. I suspect they would take equal disliking if you caused an accident because of it, even without witnessing it.
I was driving home from a pleasant day out with the family, keeping up to the speed limit in a queue of 5 cars - all of us generally behaving like human beings.
Being the last car in the queue, unfamiliar with the road and extra-sensible with the family in the car I was quite happy at the back of the queue (plus the fact it was a twisty road and we were all driving near the limit). From a side road a fiesta pulled out and proceeded to follow so closely I was thinking I should charge him petrol money! Plonker was on his mobile to boot.
Now I'm not a particularly tolerant person, I know that I anger quickly but I try to keep a lid on it. In this case I just slowed - I didn't brake just slowed down. The road was twisty to the point where it was impossible to pass. I dropped from 60ish to 50 and he stayed right up my backside. 50 to 40 still just as close. We got down to about 30 mph before he finally dropped back - I could see this guy getting redder and redder and I could see him shouting. Once he got the message I wasn't happy with him so close I sped back up (gradually) and returned to the limit. A few minutes later it happened again and again. Each time I just repeated the same thing.
Eventually the road seemed to straighten out and he passed at the first chance he could - happily he missed the marked police car coming the other way, but only just. Their lights and sirens were on immediately they turned around flew past our car and promptly pulled him over. I went past both police car and fiesta the pulled up. I spoke to the female officer (the other officer was having a good look at the fiesta) and asked if I could make a complaint about his driving and the fact he was so close up my a** before the incident they had witnessed. They were more than happy taking down my details and said they'd be in touch.
Dunno what will come of it.
Being the last car in the queue, unfamiliar with the road and extra-sensible with the family in the car I was quite happy at the back of the queue (plus the fact it was a twisty road and we were all driving near the limit). From a side road a fiesta pulled out and proceeded to follow so closely I was thinking I should charge him petrol money! Plonker was on his mobile to boot.
Now I'm not a particularly tolerant person, I know that I anger quickly but I try to keep a lid on it. In this case I just slowed - I didn't brake just slowed down. The road was twisty to the point where it was impossible to pass. I dropped from 60ish to 50 and he stayed right up my backside. 50 to 40 still just as close. We got down to about 30 mph before he finally dropped back - I could see this guy getting redder and redder and I could see him shouting. Once he got the message I wasn't happy with him so close I sped back up (gradually) and returned to the limit. A few minutes later it happened again and again. Each time I just repeated the same thing.
Eventually the road seemed to straighten out and he passed at the first chance he could - happily he missed the marked police car coming the other way, but only just. Their lights and sirens were on immediately they turned around flew past our car and promptly pulled him over. I went past both police car and fiesta the pulled up. I spoke to the female officer (the other officer was having a good look at the fiesta) and asked if I could make a complaint about his driving and the fact he was so close up my a** before the incident they had witnessed. They were more than happy taking down my details and said they'd be in touch.
Dunno what will come of it.
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