Another two fingers up to courtesy on the roads!

[StevieB]

For the second time in a week, this morning I was travelling to work on a dual carriageway, just crusing along and I came to a slip road where someone was about to join from a much lower speed than I was going. Being a courteous chap, I moved over nice and early to let the GOLF TDI join and for this courtesy I was repaid, as I was about to draw alongside, by said Golf driver, who had given it the big one as soon as he saw the space and left me "beach whaled" in the outside lane...no waved hand of thanks, basically just a two fingered up yours, Im a hurry type of salute, !!

Now I know many Ph'ers are gonna say, "so what serves you right for going too slow" - and call me fashioned - but wouldn't it have been nice for the other driver to have just waited a tinsey winsey second, let me pass, pull back in first before giving it the big one? My old gran used to say "manners dont cost a second".

After all the highway code says, "Driving on the motorway
- Secion 259
Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should

give priority to traffic already on the motorway
check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane"

It doesnt say, "look out for kind driver who has moved over to let you join, hoof it and wave goodbye to him in your rear view mirror before he has had a chance to pass..."

I'm afraid its just another example of rudeness on the roads and sadly its why many drivers now just dont bother pulling over to let cars onto dual carriageways as I find out to my cost every morning when I try and leave my little side road...anyone else find this annoying, or is it just me being too naive (and too slow, I suppose!!)

Edited by StevieB on Wednesday 30th May 07:28

Edited by StevieB on Wednesday 30th May 07:29

[BrewsterBear]

I pulled over to let someone join a dual carriageway and they didn't bow down to my courtesy by allowing me to overtake them.

Really?

[VR46]

If your not doing the speed limit then you are too slow imo (provided conditions allow it).

[Hugo a Gogo]

BrewsterBear said:

I pulled over to let someone join a dual carriageway and they didn't bow down to my courtesy by allowing me to overtake them.

Really?

quite

so he should have slowed down, then overtaken you again immediately? why on earth would he do that?

[Triumph Man]

I was on a busy dual carriageway the other day, with a car coming up the slip road. The traffic was slow moving (thankfully). I was in L1 and unable to move into L2, I decided I would be polite and reduce my speed so that they would be able to merge. I also waved them out (rightly or wrongly). They then STOPPED at the end of the slip road, then dribbled out in front of me. Meanwhile, I was still unable to move into L2, so had to slow right down. Yes, I know a slip way is strictly a give way, but I thought by just easing off they would be able to merge in safely.

Still, my fault in some ways, and I'll accept that I could have improved on the situation.

[Triumph Man]

StevieB said:

For the second time in a week, this morning I was travelling to work on a dual carriageway, just crusing along and I came to a slip road where someone was about to join from a much lower speed than I was going. Being a courteous chap, I moved over nice and early to let the GOLF TDI join and for this courtesy I was repaid, as I was about to draw alongside, by said Golf driver, who had given it the big one as soon as he saw the space and left me "beach whaled" in the outside lane...no waved hand of thanks, basically just a two fingered up yours, Im a hurry type of salute, !!

Now I know many Ph'ers are gonna say, "so what serves you right for going too slow" - and call me fashioned - but wouldn't it have been nice for the other driver to have just waited a tinsey winsey second, let me pass, pull back in first before giving it the big one? My old gran used to say "manners dont cost a second".

After all the highway code says, "Driving on the motorway
- Secion 259
Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should

give priority to traffic already on the motorway
check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane"

It doesnt say, "look out for kind driver who has moved over to let you join, hoof it and wave goodbye to him in your rear view mirror before he has had a chance to pass..."

I'm afraid its just another example of rudeness on the roads and sadly its why many drivers now just dont bother pulling over to let cars onto dual carriageways as I find out to my cost every morning when I try and leave my little side road...anyone else find this annoying, or is it just me being too naive (and too slow, I suppose!!)

Edited by StevieB on Wednesday 30th May 07:28

Edited by StevieB on Wednesday 30th May 07:29

That was pure ery on behalf of the Golf, OP. Sorry to hear that.

[trashbat]

Hugo a Gogo said:

quite

so he should have slowed down, then overtaken you again immediately? why on earth would he do that?

Err, not overtaking on the left?

I suppose if they only got as far as drawing alongside, it's debatable, but still very poor IMO.

I sympathise, OP, although I rarely see this. I've moved from L1 to L2 to allow slower traffic to join, and then found that said traffic (always women in BMW X-somethings) now intend on doing 90mph in L1 so that I can't return. Truly st awful driving that maddens me to think about.

[xRIEx]

I don't see a problem here.

Also, to clear up a bit of confusion: first you say the Golf driver is going slower than you, then you say you're driving slowly - which was it?

[Triumph Man]

I think it's more the fact that he gave the OP two fingers.

[xRIEx]

trashbat said:

Err, not overtaking on the left?

I suppose if they only got as far as drawing alongside, it's debatable, but still very poor IMO.

I sympathise, OP, although I rarely see this. I've moved from L1 to L2 to allow slower traffic to join, and then found that said traffic (always women in BMW X-somethings) now intend on doing 90mph in L1 so that I can't return. Truly st awful driving that maddens me to think about.

Not overtaking on the left is a load of bks, simply because inconsiderate idiots who decide to travel 20mph below the speed limit and refuse to pull back into the nearside lane.

On point 2, if traffic in the nearside lane are doing 90mph preventing you from moving back into it, then you must also being 90mph (otherwise you would be able to change lanes when they had proceeded along the road).

trashbat said:

Pot: you're black!

Kettle

[TheHeretic]

Triumph Man said:

I think it's more the fact that he gave the OP two fingers.

Why would the golf driver do that? I don't really get why he would, unless the OP booted it to get past as was being an arse himself.

Sounds like one of those feigned disgust stories.

[Smiler.]

Manners. People have them but they're usually bad.

I pulled up at a roundabout last light & the guy in front was a foot over the nearside lane markers for a left turn, preventing me entering the roundabout for a right turn.

I also noted he had a phone clamped to his right ear, elbow on the door. A quick toot on the horn to alert him to his oversight so I could continue with my journey resulted in the middle finger & an animated face.

So rude.

I hope he rang off before letting all that out.

[trashbat]

xRIEx said:

Not overtaking on the left is a load of bks, simply because inconsiderate idiots who decide to travel 20mph below the speed limit and refuse to pull back into the nearside lane.

Rubbish. Sometimes there's good reason to do it, but only after someone demonstrates that they're not going to move to the correct lane. Otherwise you are talking about doing it as a routine matter of course, in which case you might want to urgently reconsider your driving.

xRIEx said:

On point 2, if traffic in the nearside lane are doing 90mph preventing you from moving back into it, then you must also being 90mph (otherwise you would be able to change lanes when they had proceeded along the road).

I move into L2 when they are on the sliproad doing (say) 50mph and I am doing 70mph. By the time I draw alongside, we are both doing about 70mph. By the time I expect to see them in my mirrors and return to L1, they are doing 80mph - fair enough, so I speed up a little to get ahead. So then they do 80mph too. Eventually I give up and let them pass on the left. fking stty y fking stupid fking idiot driving.

[xRIEx]

trashbat said:

I move into L2 when they are on the sliproad doing (say) 50mph and I am doing 70mph. By the time I draw alongside, we are both doing about 70mph. By the time I expect to see them in my mirrors and return to L1, they are doing 80mph - fair enough, so I speed up a little to get ahead. So then they do 80mph too. Eventually I give up and let them pass on the left. fking stty y fking stupid fking idiot driving.

Yes they are aholes if they're doing it on purpose, but are they doing 80mph because you accelerated, or because they wanted to do 80mph anyway? If you want to stay st 70 do that and let them go; if they stay at 70 drop back a touch. If you maintain the correct 2 second gap then it's only cost you 2 seconds on your total journey.

[trashbat]

xRIEx said:

Are they doing 80mph because you accelerated, or because they wanted to do 80mph anyway? If you want to stay st 70 do that and let them go; if they stay at 70 drop back a touch. If you maintain the correct 2 second gap then it's only cost you 2 seconds on your total journey.

Because they want to - no question of it being a race; far more that they don't acknowledge anyone's presence. I don't care about time - I just care about st lane discipline, unexpected driving and having to check my blind spot for total morons before completing even the most basic manoeuvre.

[moreflaps]

I think this captures the situation perfectly:

OP: "It doesnt say, "look out for kind driver who has moved over to let you join, hoof it and wave goodbye to him in your rear view mirror before he has had a chance to pass...""

As a driving god I would say:

+1 for moving over
-1 for driving too slowly
-1 for not appreciating the demonstration on how to make PH style progress
-1 for posting/whining on PH about such a cost neutral incident.

HTH

I have also entered a slip road, assessed the traffic pattern and then booted it to leave dawdlers in the outer lane behind. After all, we know that many will not pull right to allow you to overtake...

[simer553]

I think all this revolves around the fked up British obsession with 'letting people out' and being a 'jolly decent chap'.

If the dimwit joining the road matches your speed then he's a dick if it means he will enter the carriageway level with you. It pisses me off when people speed up to try and 'get ahead' or slow down excessively to 'let you in' before you join the carriageway. Why can't they just concentrate on what they are doing and let me worry about me finding the appropriate speed to join the road?

Otherwise it ends up in scenario's like those described above caused by people trying to second guess each other.

fking stupidity and quite dangerous IMHO.

[xRIEx]

trashbat said:

...unexpected driving and having to check my blind spot...

That's how all drivers should be driving anyway - don't complain about poor driving standards and then whinge about correct and diligent observation is a chore.

st drivers are a fact of driving - the whole point of driving defensively is to protect against those situations.

[Alan Kee]

simer553 said:

I think all this revolves around the fked up British obsession with 'letting people out' and being a 'jolly decent chap'.

If the dimwit joining the road matches your speed then he's a dick if it means he will enter the carriageway level with you. It pisses me off when people speed up to try and 'get ahead' or slow down excessively to 'let you in' before you join the carriageway. Why can't they just concentrate on what they are doing and let me worry about me finding the appropriate speed to join the road?

Otherwise it ends up in scenario's like those described above caused by people trying to second guess each other.

fking stupidity and quite dangerous IMHO.

Yep the HC is quite clear .. it's when people make up their own rules that problems occur.

[Hugo a Gogo]

moreflaps said:

I have also entered a slip road, assessed the traffic pattern and then booted it to leave dawdlers in the outer lane behind. After all, we know that many will not pull right to allow you to overtake...

quite, many times I've accelerated up a slip road, and I'm going faster than MLM who's almost alongside me before I've even pulled into lane 1

so do I:

a. slow down, leave a safe gap, accelerate, pull into lane 2, pull into lane 3, overtake, then back into lane 2 then lane 1?
or b. accelerate and remain in lane 1?

not suggesting OP is a MLM, but golf driver doesn't know that

oh and the Golf was a TDI!!! even worse, how dare he accelerate, trying to prove he's a driving god, etc etc

Edited by Hugo a Gogo on Wednesday 30th May 09:05