Have you ever...
Discussion
...Felt responsible for someone else speeding?
The scenario - you're driving down a country lane / B-road (anything which would normally encourage 'enthusiastic' driving) and you catch up with someone driving like Miss Daisy.
Great offence is taken by the driver in front for some unexplainable reason, despite the lack of intimidation / tailgating from you behind. They take off at as much speed as they can carry. You follow from a safe distance, not knowing how talented the driver in front really is, how well they know the road and now having a reduced view of the road ahead.
As you approach a small village the speed limit invariably drops to 30mph - sometimes half of the speed you were just carrying.
But so keen is the other driver to prove a point, they don't slow down. "I'm pulling away" they must be thinking...
Happened to me this morning, caught up with a grey 307 rather quickly and settled down into a cruise behind them. I didn't intimidate, gesticulate or anything of the sort, they take off like a bat out of hell. Straight into Watton at Stone, 30 limit. Weaving between cars at a good 50mph barely having slowed.
I felt almost responsbile for it, since if I had just pootled along they probably would have remained calm and content. I didn't want to pass, didn't expect to be let past etc. I don't even drive anything remotely exotic / sporty. I just wonder if my initial speed differential was seen as aggressive driving by them, even though I slowed to a great distance.
Just curious if anyone has ever come across the same thing? I know it's a bit of a trivial subject!
The scenario - you're driving down a country lane / B-road (anything which would normally encourage 'enthusiastic' driving) and you catch up with someone driving like Miss Daisy.
Great offence is taken by the driver in front for some unexplainable reason, despite the lack of intimidation / tailgating from you behind. They take off at as much speed as they can carry. You follow from a safe distance, not knowing how talented the driver in front really is, how well they know the road and now having a reduced view of the road ahead.
As you approach a small village the speed limit invariably drops to 30mph - sometimes half of the speed you were just carrying.
But so keen is the other driver to prove a point, they don't slow down. "I'm pulling away" they must be thinking...
Happened to me this morning, caught up with a grey 307 rather quickly and settled down into a cruise behind them. I didn't intimidate, gesticulate or anything of the sort, they take off like a bat out of hell. Straight into Watton at Stone, 30 limit. Weaving between cars at a good 50mph barely having slowed.
I felt almost responsbile for it, since if I had just pootled along they probably would have remained calm and content. I didn't want to pass, didn't expect to be let past etc. I don't even drive anything remotely exotic / sporty. I just wonder if my initial speed differential was seen as aggressive driving by them, even though I slowed to a great distance.
Just curious if anyone has ever come across the same thing? I know it's a bit of a trivial subject!
Maybe they felt intimidated by you for some reason and were trying to 'escape', especially if you were matching their speed. Some people do actually get paranoid about being followed, you know.
Maybe they could see you were in a much bigger hurry than they were and didn't want to hold you up?
Maybe he / she was fiddling with something and just accelerated back up to the speed they were travelling at prior to you steaming up to their backside at 80 mph? (reading between the lines there).
I hope you slowed down to 30 at the village?
Why do the majority of driver's think everything is always about them? The road is full of people going about their own lives and unless their behaviour directly affects you, don't give it a second thought. Don't make things personal. It's what causes all the road rage in this country.
Maybe they could see you were in a much bigger hurry than they were and didn't want to hold you up?
Maybe he / she was fiddling with something and just accelerated back up to the speed they were travelling at prior to you steaming up to their backside at 80 mph? (reading between the lines there).
I hope you slowed down to 30 at the village?
Why do the majority of driver's think everything is always about them? The road is full of people going about their own lives and unless their behaviour directly affects you, don't give it a second thought. Don't make things personal. It's what causes all the road rage in this country.
I see "constant 40mph" drivers every day, there's 3 I see so regularly I've named them (Metro t
t, Kia Blue Rinse, Focus Fogey). You know the type 40 in a NSL followed by 40 through a village. The kind of tit that flashes you when you overtake them perfectly safely yet they speed through a 30 limit full of pedestrians. I've only seen one caught doing 40 in a 30 and I'd love to see more of the oblivious self centred tts booked, or shot, I don't really mind.
t, Kia Blue Rinse, Focus Fogey). You know the type 40 in a NSL followed by 40 through a village. The kind of tit that flashes you when you overtake them perfectly safely yet they speed through a 30 limit full of pedestrians. I've only seen one caught doing 40 in a 30 and I'd love to see more of the oblivious self centred tts booked, or shot, I don't really mind.I suppose it's kind of an 'indirectly' responsible feeling. Would the chap have continued on like a lunatic through a 30 limit if I'd have just let him drive off? Instead I matched his pace but at a distance of about 2 bus-lengths - so hardly intimidating!
Ultimately speeding through a village where there were kids at the bus stop and pedestrians walking the paths on their way to work etc. was a hugely stupid thing to do and it made me kind of angry that he just belted straight through like that, while I slowed right down and did the "morally responsible" thing I suppose. Maybe I was enjoying chasing him down the lanes and miffed that he got away by breaking the speed limit and putting other people in danger. Watton at Stone is a tiny village with parked cars on either side, but he didn't slow his pace at all. Nutter!
Ultimately speeding through a village where there were kids at the bus stop and pedestrians walking the paths on their way to work etc. was a hugely stupid thing to do and it made me kind of angry that he just belted straight through like that, while I slowed right down and did the "morally responsible" thing I suppose. Maybe I was enjoying chasing him down the lanes and miffed that he got away by breaking the speed limit and putting other people in danger. Watton at Stone is a tiny village with parked cars on either side, but he didn't slow his pace at all. Nutter!
I have caused someone to speed - but do I feel "responsible"? No.
About ten years ago I was "making progress" along the D1001 leaving Amiens heading toward Calais. I came up behind this bloke (British) in a silver Audi and made a swift, effient job of passong him. Got the full beam treatment etc. I disappeared into the distance.
Later came to a small town and BANG! I'm down at 50kmh on the button (I'm very particular on this one). A minute later Audi man comes streaking past, horn blaring and doing I reckon about 80 mph.
About twenty seconds later out steps a policeman and flags us over. Audi man actually tries to drive round him but is emphatically told to get into the layby and wait. Copper goes back to his van (he's got a desk set up to book people!) and gets on the radio, then comes back and waves me on.
God knows what Audi man got fined because he really was motoring.
Different (and lucky for me!) incident occurred about 1996 - I was near Roye in France and had overtaken some moustachioed old geezer and his wife in their Renault 25 Turbo in my MR2. I was absolutely hammering it and this guy was chasing after me - I was getting some serious speed and leaving him for dead, but then I'd get held up and he'd be back again, horn blaring, lights flashing. It was all getting a bit silly. Then I'd be gone again. This went on for a good while until he turned off left at a roundabout. About a mile later we realised we should have gone left too, so had to do a U turn and got back to the roundabout, now at a more sedate pace. When we got to the r-a-b what did could we see about a mile down the road? About five police cars and the R25 Turbo. They totally ignored us, so I can only think that R25 man had the red mist and had continued to drive at warp 10 straight into the speed trap
Luckiest map-reading-error ever!
About ten years ago I was "making progress" along the D1001 leaving Amiens heading toward Calais. I came up behind this bloke (British) in a silver Audi and made a swift, effient job of passong him. Got the full beam treatment etc. I disappeared into the distance.
Later came to a small town and BANG! I'm down at 50kmh on the button (I'm very particular on this one). A minute later Audi man comes streaking past, horn blaring and doing I reckon about 80 mph.
About twenty seconds later out steps a policeman and flags us over. Audi man actually tries to drive round him but is emphatically told to get into the layby and wait. Copper goes back to his van (he's got a desk set up to book people!) and gets on the radio, then comes back and waves me on.
God knows what Audi man got fined because he really was motoring.Different (and lucky for me!) incident occurred about 1996 - I was near Roye in France and had overtaken some moustachioed old geezer and his wife in their Renault 25 Turbo in my MR2. I was absolutely hammering it and this guy was chasing after me - I was getting some serious speed and leaving him for dead, but then I'd get held up and he'd be back again, horn blaring, lights flashing. It was all getting a bit silly. Then I'd be gone again. This went on for a good while until he turned off left at a roundabout. About a mile later we realised we should have gone left too, so had to do a U turn and got back to the roundabout, now at a more sedate pace. When we got to the r-a-b what did could we see about a mile down the road? About five police cars and the R25 Turbo. They totally ignored us, so I can only think that R25 man had the red mist and had continued to drive at warp 10 straight into the speed trap
Luckiest map-reading-error ever!Yes, but not for long on the road, and I've never caused a problem. If I ever come motoring up to a slower vehicle, and I see their behaviour change quickly (i.e the car's attitude changes within the lane, and it is obvious the driver is looking in the rear-view mirror / feeling intimidated) then I drop right back.
I would never want to be responsible for scaring / worrying / intimidating another motorist into driving above their comfort zone, or worse, casuing them to drive dangerously or have an accident.
The roads are big places - there is plenty of space for everyone - it doesn't take much to back off and get out of people's perceived personal space?
However - this has made me remember, again, an incident on a race track, which I still feel a wee bit guilty for.
Back when I raced bikes about 10 years ago, in my down-time and weekends I wasn't racing, I was an instructor for a motorbike track-day company. I used to try so hard to discuss and advise people about building up speed slowly, lines and technical aspects - and most of all, to avoid crashing their prides and joys.
Myself and the other instructor used to circulate the tracks, and if we weren't directly with a student, would just ride round, spotting general errors, and then catching up with the riders in the pit lane later on.
Occasionally, I would come up behind the odd naturally-talented rider, and follow them for a bit, enjoying their enthusiasm and ability.
On one occasion, I came up behind such a chap, om a Honda SP2 V-twin. He was going well. I made the mistake of getting close enough behind him that he heard my bike, and looked around at me. He recognised who I was, and started to go a bit bananas, I dunno, trying to impress? But pushing things a bit too far.
I used to use my own race-bike for these events, which was built specifically for racing. Obviously I could follow and then swiftly pass anyone on a road bike with road tyres at any point.
I sometimes forgot this, and on this occasion looking back, I was cruising round and matey was absolutely on the limit. With hindsight I should have recognised that and dropped right back. I did not, and within two laps, he stacked his bike in a monstrously spectacular fashion, resulting in a write-off and a busted leg.
I saw that it was really my fault for hooking up so close behind him, causing him to go bananas and outside of his and his bike's ability.
At least this incident reminds me to back off, when I see a similar thing happen on the roads!
I would never want to be responsible for scaring / worrying / intimidating another motorist into driving above their comfort zone, or worse, casuing them to drive dangerously or have an accident.
The roads are big places - there is plenty of space for everyone - it doesn't take much to back off and get out of people's perceived personal space?
However - this has made me remember, again, an incident on a race track, which I still feel a wee bit guilty for.
Back when I raced bikes about 10 years ago, in my down-time and weekends I wasn't racing, I was an instructor for a motorbike track-day company. I used to try so hard to discuss and advise people about building up speed slowly, lines and technical aspects - and most of all, to avoid crashing their prides and joys.
Myself and the other instructor used to circulate the tracks, and if we weren't directly with a student, would just ride round, spotting general errors, and then catching up with the riders in the pit lane later on.
Occasionally, I would come up behind the odd naturally-talented rider, and follow them for a bit, enjoying their enthusiasm and ability.
On one occasion, I came up behind such a chap, om a Honda SP2 V-twin. He was going well. I made the mistake of getting close enough behind him that he heard my bike, and looked around at me. He recognised who I was, and started to go a bit bananas, I dunno, trying to impress? But pushing things a bit too far.
I used to use my own race-bike for these events, which was built specifically for racing. Obviously I could follow and then swiftly pass anyone on a road bike with road tyres at any point.
I sometimes forgot this, and on this occasion looking back, I was cruising round and matey was absolutely on the limit. With hindsight I should have recognised that and dropped right back. I did not, and within two laps, he stacked his bike in a monstrously spectacular fashion, resulting in a write-off and a busted leg.
I saw that it was really my fault for hooking up so close behind him, causing him to go bananas and outside of his and his bike's ability.
At least this incident reminds me to back off, when I see a similar thing happen on the roads!
Yes. A few times.
Quite a few years ago I was "making progress" on the bike down the A456 and overtook a Fireblade which was two up. Seems Mr Fireblade took being overtaken by an old 'slow' bike (1989 VFR750) as a massive insult and took off after me. I was in full bore NSL=GLF mode, knew the road, knew my bike and wasn't paying attention to him but my (now)wife following on her 400 said they came within inches of taking themselves out into a tree before they stopped trying to keep up.
She said they were really getting in her way but she didn't want to overtake for fear they'd do something stupid that she'd feel guilty for.
Quite a few years ago I was "making progress" on the bike down the A456 and overtook a Fireblade which was two up. Seems Mr Fireblade took being overtaken by an old 'slow' bike (1989 VFR750) as a massive insult and took off after me. I was in full bore NSL=GLF mode, knew the road, knew my bike and wasn't paying attention to him but my (now)wife following on her 400 said they came within inches of taking themselves out into a tree before they stopped trying to keep up.
She said they were really getting in her way but she didn't want to overtake for fear they'd do something stupid that she'd feel guilty for.
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