Table tennis bat reads “Keep Left “Lane Hig”
Discussion
Hi all.
Just throwing this out there. I am fed up to the gunnels with middle lane hogs. They are absolutely everywhere.
What’s worse is that they don’t know they’re doing wrong. Sat happily in the middle or even third lane with nothing else around.
Just for fun, I’ve taken a tennis table bat (racket?) and written “Keep Left” on one side and “Lame Hog” on the other. When I encounter these numpties I pull alongside, matching their speed and hold the bat up so that they can read both sides. Sometimes it takes a little root of the horn to get their attention but - mostly - it seems to work and they pull back to the left.
Sometimes they will swear or stick their fingers up but I’ve got thick skin lol.
My question is - should I be doing it at all? It makes me feel better and, hopefully, helps to educate bad drivers. But could plod say I’m distracting them or even claim I’m doing something wrong?
Let me know your thoughts.
Just throwing this out there. I am fed up to the gunnels with middle lane hogs. They are absolutely everywhere.
What’s worse is that they don’t know they’re doing wrong. Sat happily in the middle or even third lane with nothing else around.
Just for fun, I’ve taken a tennis table bat (racket?) and written “Keep Left” on one side and “Lame Hog” on the other. When I encounter these numpties I pull alongside, matching their speed and hold the bat up so that they can read both sides. Sometimes it takes a little root of the horn to get their attention but - mostly - it seems to work and they pull back to the left.
Sometimes they will swear or stick their fingers up but I’ve got thick skin lol.
My question is - should I be doing it at all? It makes me feel better and, hopefully, helps to educate bad drivers. But could plod say I’m distracting them or even claim I’m doing something wrong?
Let me know your thoughts.
The best stretch I've found for good lane discipline is the M6 Toll northbound. Southbound is not so good, as the 2 lanes of the M6 which feed into it inexplicably become lanes 2 &3 of the toll road, leaving lane 1 empty or a mile or so before the users eventually realise that lane 1 is deserted. The low number of commercial vehicles on this stretch obviously helps.
I was an observer on a preemptive SAC aimed at new drivers (don't ask).
The 'facilitator' made a good point about models of behaviour on the road:
a) Child-acting irresponsibly or poorly from ignorance;
b) Adult-doing what you need to do and avoiding anything you knew would be a problem; and
c) Parent-feeling the need to point out irresponsibility and ignorance.
He was advocating b) and avoiding the other two, c) being the preserve of Plod especially traffic or whatever they're called this week.
Now I feel the frustration of the OP and am sure the table tennis bat business, whilst amusing falls into the c) category. No attempt at pun intended.
The 'facilitator' made a good point about models of behaviour on the road:
a) Child-acting irresponsibly or poorly from ignorance;
b) Adult-doing what you need to do and avoiding anything you knew would be a problem; and
c) Parent-feeling the need to point out irresponsibility and ignorance.
He was advocating b) and avoiding the other two, c) being the preserve of Plod especially traffic or whatever they're called this week.
Now I feel the frustration of the OP and am sure the table tennis bat business, whilst amusing falls into the c) category. No attempt at pun intended.

Edited by standards on Saturday 13th January 09:41
kaivaksdal said:
Just to add, the bat lives on the passenger seat so I just reach over and hold it up.
Most of the time there is nothing else on the roads so I obviously don’t hold anybody up. I’d it’s too busy, the bat stays put
You aren't the police, it's not your job to enforce traffic rules, throw the bat in the bin and concentrate on your own driving, one day someone will take offence at your bat and run you off the road, you won't be so smug then.Most of the time there is nothing else on the roads so I obviously don’t hold anybody up. I’d it’s too busy, the bat stays put
I know it's irritating and annoying, but I'd leave the morons alone, however tempting it is. There's no need to create another episode of "When Two Idiots Meet" and risk getting involved in a road rage incident, even if it's very small. Depending on the situation, I sometimes don't carry out 4 or 6 lane changes and just carry on in L1 instead of going over to L3 or L4 to overtake a car sitting in L2/L3, but that's about it. That's in addition to the distraction of messing around with table tennis bats and looking sideways for a prolonged period at another car or driver while travelling at motorway speeds and risking losing control of your car.
kaivaksdal said:
Hi all.
Just throwing this out there. I am fed up to the gunnels with middle lane hogs. They are absolutely everywhere.
What’s worse is that they don’t know they’re doing wrong. Sat happily in the middle or even third lane with nothing else around.
Just for fun, I’ve taken a tennis table bat (racket?) and written “Keep Left” on one side and “Lame Hog” on the other. When I encounter these numpties I pull alongside, matching their speed and hold the bat up so that they can read both sides. Sometimes it takes a little root of the horn to get their attention but - mostly - it seems to work and they pull back to the left.
Sometimes they will swear or stick their fingers up but I’ve got thick skin lol.
My question is - should I be doing it at all? It makes me feel better and, hopefully, helps to educate bad drivers. But could plod say I’m distracting them or even claim I’m doing something wrong?
Let me know your thoughts.
Lame?Just throwing this out there. I am fed up to the gunnels with middle lane hogs. They are absolutely everywhere.
What’s worse is that they don’t know they’re doing wrong. Sat happily in the middle or even third lane with nothing else around.
Just for fun, I’ve taken a tennis table bat (racket?) and written “Keep Left” on one side and “Lame Hog” on the other. When I encounter these numpties I pull alongside, matching their speed and hold the bat up so that they can read both sides. Sometimes it takes a little root of the horn to get their attention but - mostly - it seems to work and they pull back to the left.
Sometimes they will swear or stick their fingers up but I’ve got thick skin lol.
My question is - should I be doing it at all? It makes me feel better and, hopefully, helps to educate bad drivers. But could plod say I’m distracting them or even claim I’m doing something wrong?
Let me know your thoughts.
I am waiting for the thread from a new member asking advice:
‘I was driving along the motorway, minding my own business, when a car pulled alongside me and the driver started challenging me to a game of ping pong by waving a bat.
As I looked I could see some writing on the bat, it said something like ‘Lame hog’ or ‘Lane hig’ but I have no idea what this means, presumably the driver's name.
I have a picture of the driver, should I report Lame Hig to the police or just carry on with my life and not get so upset by other road users?’

‘I was driving along the motorway, minding my own business, when a car pulled alongside me and the driver started challenging me to a game of ping pong by waving a bat.
As I looked I could see some writing on the bat, it said something like ‘Lame hog’ or ‘Lane hig’ but I have no idea what this means, presumably the driver's name.
I have a picture of the driver, should I report Lame Hig to the police or just carry on with my life and not get so upset by other road users?’
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