Incident with numpty- advice & support required!
Discussion
I'll keep this vague, so as not to say anything incriminating but I've got to get this off my chest!
Earlier today I was following a van through a 40 mph limit, both of us driving sensibly to the conditions at 40 mph.
Behind me is a numptycarrier (the manufacturers call them people carriers, but they're not always used for that are they?), following a hairs breadth from my bumper - a woman driving, and a bloke in the passenger seat.
As we reach the national speed limit, the van safely increases speed and I follow suit. The road widens at this point to nearly two cars width and the numptycarrier is on the right hand side of the carriageway.
But we're on a right-handed bend, with no clear line of sight and to cap it, a road junction on the outside (our left) half way around the bend, so surely the numptycarrier won't chance overtaking, particularly as we're now picking up speed anyway? Wrong!
Eventually, with the missing link widly gesticulating from the passenger-side window at me, then only safe thing I can do (there are oncomming cars involved too) is slow to allow this car in front of me.
Traffic stops at some temporary traffic lights a short way down the road, and the passenger gets out. Knowing what a dim view the law takes of 'road rage' brawls, and seeing the way this blokes knuckles scrape accross the tarmac, I lock my door and wind the window down a touch so he can at least express his opinion. Which was "if someones overtaking you, you're supposed to slow down".
At this point, Mr Van man in front comes to the resuce - in more ways than one - it turns out he's been cut up by this numptycarrier on at least one previous occasion and so I get out of the car (the threat of voilence now receding) and Mr Van happily provides his name and contact 'phone number.
Of course I had to report the incident to the Police - so based on this does anyone have any useful advice or comments?
>>> Edited by Digga on Thursday 10th July 15:57
Earlier today I was following a van through a 40 mph limit, both of us driving sensibly to the conditions at 40 mph.
Behind me is a numptycarrier (the manufacturers call them people carriers, but they're not always used for that are they?), following a hairs breadth from my bumper - a woman driving, and a bloke in the passenger seat.
As we reach the national speed limit, the van safely increases speed and I follow suit. The road widens at this point to nearly two cars width and the numptycarrier is on the right hand side of the carriageway.
But we're on a right-handed bend, with no clear line of sight and to cap it, a road junction on the outside (our left) half way around the bend, so surely the numptycarrier won't chance overtaking, particularly as we're now picking up speed anyway? Wrong!
Eventually, with the missing link widly gesticulating from the passenger-side window at me, then only safe thing I can do (there are oncomming cars involved too) is slow to allow this car in front of me.
Traffic stops at some temporary traffic lights a short way down the road, and the passenger gets out. Knowing what a dim view the law takes of 'road rage' brawls, and seeing the way this blokes knuckles scrape accross the tarmac, I lock my door and wind the window down a touch so he can at least express his opinion. Which was "if someones overtaking you, you're supposed to slow down".
At this point, Mr Van man in front comes to the resuce - in more ways than one - it turns out he's been cut up by this numptycarrier on at least one previous occasion and so I get out of the car (the threat of voilence now receding) and Mr Van happily provides his name and contact 'phone number.
Of course I had to report the incident to the Police - so based on this does anyone have any useful advice or comments?
>>> Edited by Digga on Thursday 10th July 15:57
Good old van driver. If he complains to the police as well as you then they should recive a visit from the BiB 
I hope they will make suitable comments to the neanderthal about getting out and physically threatening another driver.
Hopefully with two complaints the numpty driver might take some notice....but I doubt it.
Chris
I hope they will make suitable comments to the neanderthal about getting out and physically threatening another driver.
Hopefully with two complaints the numpty driver might take some notice....but I doubt it.
Chris
CVP said:
Good old van driver. If he complains to the police as well as you then they should recive a visit from the BiB
I hope they will make suitable comments to the neanderthal about getting out and physically threatening another driver.
Chris
Yeah, Mr Van man saved by bacon in more ways than one - I'm sure the neanderthal complainant simmered down a little when the odds changed (although to be absolutely fair to Mr Numpty) I was never verbally threatened or physically assaulted.
I really didn't want not to report this to the BiB for the simply because IMHO it's fairly serious and also because I'd no idea whether Mr & Mrs numpty mightn't do similar, so having the back-up of Mr Van was rather more reassuring.
Ordinarily, I'd rather have just disregarded the initial incident and not get the Police involved, but since it was escalated (beyond my control), I hope I made the right decision...
Mr E said:
Numpty.
Must have been tempting to hang the idiot out to dry,
Far from it, that wasn't actually on my mind at the time because:
a). it's a very easy way to get into serious strife with the law.
b). this man was UGLY - looked like he ought to be guarding a scrapyard.
c). prior to this I'd been having relaxing drive listening to Classic FM
(I'm ashamed to admit)edc said:
'Numpty' may have assaulted you.
I see where you're comming from - legally it's an extremely fine line isn't it?
Saying "I'm going to kill you" (which let's be clear ,didn't happen in this case) is assault IIRC, without any physical contact.
What does a wild hand gesticulation - didn't see to clearly so it could have been a fist, or simply the ubiquitous 'Nescafe' - constitute?
You were 'intimidated' enough to remain in your car, lock the doors, wind up the window (but left a small gap to hear his voice). You may have suffered other reactions which may or may not help your case (gripped the steering wheel in fear?), and you have a witness who may be prepared to coroborate your statement and identify the same person.
I would say that anyone getting out of their car to talk to you after such an incident is using "threatening behaviour" and you are quite sensible in reporting it to the Police. In this day and age of road rage and people being stabbed in this situation you were quite right to be worried. If nothing else it will hopefully make them think twice about A. driving like a tw@t, and B. getting out of their car in this situation.
icamm said:
If nothing else it will hopefully make them think twice about A. driving like a tw@t, and B. getting out of their car in this situation.
That's sort of my thoughts on the matter, although sadly the lower reaches of the gene pool are swarming with so many more examples of Sun reading, pavement littering, semi-literate, biggoted, 'Great British' ignorance, it barely seems worth the hassle.
I had a bloke get out of his car and threaten me a few years back, and the police took it VERY seriously - in fact, it was my decision in the end not to press charges, and I got the impression they were disappointed. So go for it if you want to - my guess is you'll find the BiB are supportive.
Oh, and...
Oh, and...
Aggressive Numpty said:...it might be worth mentioning that quote. Someone whose overtaking manoeuvres rely on forcing others to brake is a head-on collision waiting to happen.
"if someones overtaking you, you're supposed to slow down".
kevinday said:
DrSeuss, spot on! In any case he is wrong, you should not speed up whilst being overtaken, but you should not have to slow down.
Agreed on not accellerating deliberately when being overtaken, which is clearly dangerous, and that the overtaking manouvre of one car should not force the overtaken car (or oncomming cars for that matter) to brake and/or swerve.
It's an odd situation when you leave a 40 for an NSL though as you are already accellerating, and the overtaking car ought to have anticipated this - aside from the fact that it was not a safe place to overtake anyway.
>> Edited by Digga on Friday 11th July 07:42
Interesting to compare posts here. Not quite the same situation but some parallels from the other perspective.
Anyway, the overtaking/speeding up/cutting in driving behaviour isn't really the issue is it? BiB would I'm sure be very supportive given the aggressive reaction of the passenger, and a warning is on the cards at the very least. Thank goodness the van drivers intervention cooled the situation, but next time it might get nasty. You have to report it.
Anyway, the overtaking/speeding up/cutting in driving behaviour isn't really the issue is it? BiB would I'm sure be very supportive given the aggressive reaction of the passenger, and a warning is on the cards at the very least. Thank goodness the van drivers intervention cooled the situation, but next time it might get nasty. You have to report it.
victormeldrew said:
Interesting to compare posts here. Not quite the same situation but some parallels from the other perspective.
Yes I've followed this topic with interest, and remember contributing to a very similar discussion a week or so back.
I think the key to this (my) incident was that;
a) all traffic (i.e. me & van in front) were accellerating out of a 40 zone into a NSL.
b) the vision afforded to the vehicle behind me, because of the curve in the road mean it would only be safe to overtake a very slow moving vehicle (i.e. milkfloat or tractor).
and c). we were passing a junction, so oncomming traffic could quite easily be at the middle of the road, waiting to turn right (or have a head on collision with a numptycarrier, as the case may be).
Digga, like I said, doesn't sound like the same situation. Neandertal's quote sounded suspiciously like the Highway Code quote from that other thread though, but context is king. Sounds more like you were being expected to make room that didn't exist for someone with no idea of the capabilities of their vehicle, no comprehension of road conditions, and no sense of self preservation (other than carrying around said neandertal).
Like I said, thats all irrelevant anyway. The aggressive and threatening behaviour is the real issue. P*ss poor driving we can all cope with (to a point), dealing with intimidation and violence is another matter altogether.
Like I said, thats all irrelevant anyway. The aggressive and threatening behaviour is the real issue. P*ss poor driving we can all cope with (to a point), dealing with intimidation and violence is another matter altogether.
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