Really worrying driving on the motorway....BIZZARE

[bull996]

Very bizzare on the m way on Monday morning.

Twas 1.30 am and I was on my way up from Dover-road totally empty and was just sitting in lane 1 doing 90* on cruise. Up ahead was a car (a Passat) doing approx 85* in lane 3, nothing in any other lane as far as the eye can see. Now, sometimes I would just carry on,. but I thought I would tow the line and so indicated and pulled into lane 3 at a respectful distance. After a few mins he still didnt move so I gave a small flash (not the full on aggressive one, just a quick flash) Nothing. So I indicted into lane 1 again and just cruised past, him still in lane 3.

Next thing he is is a few inches off by rear quarter with full beam on. I accelerated and he kept in the same place, and foolishly I thought if I gave it some welly he might drop back so I went to 120* leptons and he was still doing the same so I dropped back and braked to 70*. He did the same. Then he pulled in front and slammed his brakes on so I had to swerve to the hard shoulder. Getting worried now as this guy is quite unpredictable and there was no one else around. I kept slowing hoping he would carry on and we ended up doing 50* up the m way. Eventually a truck overtook with some other cars and I think he got confused who was me and who wasnt, as when a car went to overtake him he swerved out in front of them causing them so slam on. When he realised it wasnt me he slowed again until he was in front of me and it started all over again.

After 30 minutues a load of cars went past me and this guy shot off into the distance-then he started the process off all over again to someone else........while we watched from behind.

WTF is all that about?

• -all speeds are approximate.....

[heebeegeetee]

I used to lorryist at night. There are some very strange people on the roads at that time. I was certain it was the time that those with no licences came out.

[Fidgits]

yeah i had a similar thing once - i think the answer is, some people are just pricks and quite happy to cause an accident because you dare critise their driving..

[GingerWizard]

Fidgits said:

yeah i had a similar thing once - i think the answer is, some people are just pricks and quite happy to cause an accident because you dare critise their driving..

+1 This.

[Typhon]

His actions were so dangerous, that you had to swerve onto the hard shoulder to avoid him?

I have friends who'd have slowed to about 40, got up beside him, kicked his mirror off and went on their way, safe in the knowledge that a Passat will never catch up anyway.

Edit: on a bike, though!

Edited by Typhon on Tuesday 22 June 08:42

[M400 NBL]

This will probably end up in the speed, plod and law forum so maybe his antics will be picked up.

But change your initial speeds from 71mph to 69 mph

There's never a police officer on the roads when this sort of thing happens

[llewop]

you woke him up! ruined the snooze he was having dreaming of being King of the Road!


seriously though: there do seem to be some dozy sods around that get 'offended' if you manage to draw to their attention that they are driving like a Had one once (I can't remember now exactly why I'd flashed him, but probably not dissimilar...) so then started similar maneuveres to you mentioning, fortunately I was leaving at the next exit: sadly, so was he! He tried (unsuccessfully) to stop next to me on the slip road (and winding down his nearside window!)... then we parted ways turning in different directions off the roundabout

[8400rpm]

I've encountered similarly dangerous people several times, shame I wasn't in my banger at the time, so ramming potential wasn't there.

I think some people just get high on drugs and then go out looking for a fight.

Happened to my mates dad, he got knocked out by a motorbike who was doing similar to your encounter. When he got out the car *wham* with carbon fibre reinforced gloves and knocked him out cold.

He was lucky as it turned out earlier the guy had chucked a bottle of acid in someones face. He was found and arrested, but it goes to show what psychos are out there looking for trouble.

[308mate]

If there was noone else around, noone would have seen you nudge his one of his rear quarter panels and spearing him up the bank or into the armco




Im not saying I would do that. Im not even sure it would work. But I dream of doing it sometimes.

[bull996]

It was an 98 plate Passat with 2 "young" men in (about 25-30).

And yes I would have smashed into him had I not swerved to the hard shoulder. It was such hard braking from him that my ABS was activated.

And I would have out run, but I was in the Volvo and that is very, very slow.

[Jayho]

If he ended up doing to other cars i'm guessing he was just out being a knob! Probably high on drugs and thinking anything passing him was the BiB out to get him! At that situation, him driving so aggressively for no apparent reason i'd probably have taken a different exit, if a service station is around go get a cup of coffee give it 5-10 mins then carry on as if nothing happened. There is no point in chancing a possible confrontation with someone who doesn't even know how to operate a motor vehicle safely.

[bull996]

Oh, and I was really tempted to retaliate, but I had the wife and her daughter in the car, so had to be a bit careful. They were already scared and crying.

[Dominicc01]

That's why:

a) I have a car powerful enough to outrun a Passat;
b) I never bother to move to lane 3 when these dheads want to sit there. I pass. Safely, quickly, and in whichever lane happens to be free. If they see me in their mirrors and choose to stay in lane 3, fine. I will use whichever other lane is free.

[robm3]

"Pass the Dutchie on the left hand side..."

That's what I would have done, and still do to this day..

Edited by robm3 on Tuesday 22 June 09:21

[jon-]

bull996 said:

Oh, and I was really tempted to retaliate, but I had the wife and her daughter in the car, so had to be a bit careful. They were already scared and crying.

No mobiles in the car? I'd have gotten the wife to get on the phone to the BIB. He was probably on crystal meth or something.

[Hedders]

Dominicc01 said:

That's why:

a) I have a car powerful enough to outrun a Passat;
b) I never bother to move to lane 3 when these dheads want to sit there. I pass. Safely, quickly, and in whichever lane happens to be free. If they see me in their mirrors and choose to stay in lane 3, fine. I will use whichever other lane is free.

Agreed, i barely ever go into the 'overtaking lane' anymore. I treat our motorways like US freeways and it is far less stressfull!

[Beefmeister]

I had a similar thing happen to me a few years ago. I was in a 997 Turbo, 2:30am and a similarly bizarre fella in a battered Y-Plate Mondeo was doing 70mph in Lane 3, nothing else on the road.

I didn't even flash him, just sat behind him at 5 or 6 car lengths for a few minutes, then went to Lane 1 and undertook him at +5mph. Well as soon as i was past him he did the same, right up my bumper, flashing, beeping horn, pulled alongside, swearing, threatening behaviour etc. So i did the natural thing and showed him my middle finger.

This wasn't the best thing to do, as he was obviously on something, and he then proceeded to pull out a (small bladed) knife and start waving it at me whilst still swearing.

Given the performance differential, i just accelerated up to 90mph, then back down to 80. He eventually caught up, still swearing etc. Of course in the time i sped off, my O/H had called the BiB telling them about a nutter with a knife threatening us on the motorway.

So the pattern of him catching me up, me speeding off, him catching me up continued, until i saw the flashing blue lights and he was pulled over. Another unmarked 3-Series then pulled me over to check we were okay. Thoroughly nice chaps, very interested in the car (relatively new at that point).

Hopefully the scummer will have tried something on, and got Tazered. In the balls.

Edited by Beefmeister on Tuesday 22 June 09:26

[Snoop Bagg]

robm3 said:

"Pass the Dutchie on the left hand side..."

That's what I would have done, and still do to this day..

Edited by robm3 on Tuesday 22 June 09:21

I prefer the "pass tha numpty, pon da left hand side!" must be the Nigerian scamartist in me!

[ZesPak]

Dominicc01 said:

That's why:

a) I have a car powerful enough to outrun a Passat;
b) I never bother to move to lane 3 when these dheads want to sit there. I pass. Safely, quickly, and in whichever lane happens to be free. If they see me in their mirrors and choose to stay in lane 3, fine. I will use whichever other lane is free.

THIS

jon- said:

...
No mobiles in the car? I'd have gotten the wife to get on the phone to the BIB. He was probably on crystal meth or something.
...

And this.


Also, get in front of him and chuck a can of red bull at him.
It's the appropriate thing to do.

Edited by ZesPak on Tuesday 22 June 09:27

[N Dentressangle]

Experienced almost exactly the same thing with a silver Passat on the M4 about 3 months ago. I thought he was actually trying to kill us. We called the police, but heard nothing more of it.

Wonder if it was the same guy?