Fools who won't overtake police on the motorway
Discussion
(Not a sweary rant, so no need to mark out of 10)
Seriously - what is wrong with people?
Yesterday stuck behind twerp in some kind of Mazda crossover thing in L3 as he's slamming his brakes at 55mph and panicking - but won't pull into the middle lane. What's the problem? Police BMW is in lane 2 a couple of hundred yards ahead doing about 60. Eventually he decides he doesn't have the courage to pass and pulls over and let me past. As I go past he's looking at me, then frantically jabbing his finger at the police car and alternately tapping the side of his head as if to indicate that I am some kind of speed crazed lunatic. Serious WTF
And this morning on the M62 - another massive queue of panic stricken sales reps and white van drivers, bumper to bumper, slamming on their brakes at 60mph, not daring to pass. The reason? This time a police X5. What made this one even worse was that the 'police' markings were taped over and the roof lights covered.
How can all these people - they're driving nice Audis and BMWs so you have to credit them with enough intelligence to hold down a job that means they can afford nice cars - be so apparently stupid? It wouldn't be so bad if they were so bothered about getting pulled over if they'd slow down and move over to a left hand lane. But no. They sit there and simply block off the overtaking lane.
Serious maximum rageface
Seriously - what is wrong with people?
Yesterday stuck behind twerp in some kind of Mazda crossover thing in L3 as he's slamming his brakes at 55mph and panicking - but won't pull into the middle lane. What's the problem? Police BMW is in lane 2 a couple of hundred yards ahead doing about 60. Eventually he decides he doesn't have the courage to pass and pulls over and let me past. As I go past he's looking at me, then frantically jabbing his finger at the police car and alternately tapping the side of his head as if to indicate that I am some kind of speed crazed lunatic. Serious WTF
And this morning on the M62 - another massive queue of panic stricken sales reps and white van drivers, bumper to bumper, slamming on their brakes at 60mph, not daring to pass. The reason? This time a police X5. What made this one even worse was that the 'police' markings were taped over and the roof lights covered.
How can all these people - they're driving nice Audis and BMWs so you have to credit them with enough intelligence to hold down a job that means they can afford nice cars - be so apparently stupid? It wouldn't be so bad if they were so bothered about getting pulled over if they'd slow down and move over to a left hand lane. But no. They sit there and simply block off the overtaking lane.
Serious maximum rageface
Lozw86 said:
Just drive past. Why let it bother you
That's my point - there's some nob jockey blocking lane 3 with his brake lights going like a disco. You can't get past. See that diagram up there ^^^ That's me, top right, giving it ten-nil with my hair on fire
(Dr Doofens... - no. He was doing 60. They only seem to do 60).
Dog Star said:
(Not a sweary rant, so no need to mark out of 10)
Seriously - what is wrong with people?
Yesterday stuck behind twerp in some kind of Mazda crossover thing in L3 as he's slamming his brakes at 55mph and panicking - but won't pull into the middle lane. What's the problem? Police BMW is in lane 2 a couple of hundred yards ahead doing about 60. Eventually he decides he doesn't have the courage to pass and pulls over and let me past. As I go past he's looking at me, then frantically jabbing his finger at the police car and alternately tapping the side of his head as if to indicate that I am some kind of speed crazed lunatic. Serious WTF
And this morning on the M62 - another massive queue of panic stricken sales reps and white van drivers, bumper to bumper, slamming on their brakes at 60mph, not daring to pass. The reason? This time a police X5. What made this one even worse was that the 'police' markings were taped over and the roof lights covered.
How can all these people - they're driving nice Audis and BMWs so you have to credit them with enough intelligence to hold down a job that means they can afford nice cars - be so apparently stupid? It wouldn't be so bad if they were so bothered about getting pulled over if they'd slow down and move over to a left hand lane. But no. They sit there and simply block off the overtaking lane.
Serious maximum rageface
Constipated much?Seriously - what is wrong with people?
Yesterday stuck behind twerp in some kind of Mazda crossover thing in L3 as he's slamming his brakes at 55mph and panicking - but won't pull into the middle lane. What's the problem? Police BMW is in lane 2 a couple of hundred yards ahead doing about 60. Eventually he decides he doesn't have the courage to pass and pulls over and let me past. As I go past he's looking at me, then frantically jabbing his finger at the police car and alternately tapping the side of his head as if to indicate that I am some kind of speed crazed lunatic. Serious WTF
And this morning on the M62 - another massive queue of panic stricken sales reps and white van drivers, bumper to bumper, slamming on their brakes at 60mph, not daring to pass. The reason? This time a police X5. What made this one even worse was that the 'police' markings were taped over and the roof lights covered.
How can all these people - they're driving nice Audis and BMWs so you have to credit them with enough intelligence to hold down a job that means they can afford nice cars - be so apparently stupid? It wouldn't be so bad if they were so bothered about getting pulled over if they'd slow down and move over to a left hand lane. But no. They sit there and simply block off the overtaking lane.
Serious maximum rageface
DrDoofenshmirtz said:
The Police car was doing 70mph not 60. I suspect you knocked 10mph off their actual speed to make your rant sound better?. So overtaking would mean breaking the speed limit.
It is annoying though. I tend to pass at around 75 and slowly build speed as I get further away
Really? It's awfully common for a plod to be rolling at 60. More so than 70. And it is awfully common for a large number of people to suddenly stop doing 70 and stay behind the plod. It is annoying though. I tend to pass at around 75 and slowly build speed as I get further away
I'd say that what the OP just described is incredibly common to the point of being a norm.
The upside of this effect is that all the tail lights act as a very good warning from a very long distance away that there is a police car (or plumber with an orange decal on his van) up ahead.
But I think it is very relevant to ask why people in seemingly legitimate cars will never overtake a police car cruising well below the speed limit. I'm sure the police even have games that they play to alleviate their boredom based on this.
Edited by DonkeyApple on Tuesday 9th September 08:37
Smegmium said:
Even more fun is when there's an Omega / Volvo which COULD be an unmarked police car doing 65.
Always wary of a relatively modern saloon or estate that is cruising at 60 and without a caravan attached. Or the one that belts up behind but has two adults in the front.
Obviously, that's a bit of a legacy issue as today a lot seem to be more every day cars. This also means the builder in his Skoda with his hi vis deliberately chucked on the parcel shelf will have some fun.
My dad is a retired copper who served a short sentence doing motorway patrol in Sussex years back. He said they used to play a game of seeing how slow they could go in a marked car before someone grew the balls to overtake. I seem to recall the record being under 40mph.
It's bloody annoying and let's be honest plod couldn't give two s
ts if you're doing 75-80 anyway, bigger fish to fry. Dad said subject to conditions etc he wouldnt bother below 90 and up to a ton normally just a warning to stop being a tool or at least not to do it in sight of a copper. I guess times have changed since then with targets but 55 in a 70 is just retarded
It's bloody annoying and let's be honest plod couldn't give two s
ts if you're doing 75-80 anyway, bigger fish to fry. Dad said subject to conditions etc he wouldnt bother below 90 and up to a ton normally just a warning to stop being a tool or at least not to do it in sight of a copper. I guess times have changed since then with targets but 55 in a 70 is just retardedGassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff