Would you report a MLM that you've had to undertake?
Discussion
On the way to work this morning I was doing my usual motorway commute. Came across a numpty in an old Astra van sitting in the middle lane. Half a mile of clear inside lane alongside him.
So as I’m catching him wondering what he’s up to a few more cars appear behind him creating a bit of congestion making it more difficult for me to do two lane changes to pass in lane 3. So I give the high beam a flick to see if he’s awake. No reaction. So I continue to pass him on the left while sounding the horn to make him aware of my position.
All went smoothly and I forgot about him for ten minutes.
Near my exit in front is a lorry. I’d like to pass the lorry and then I find the Astra approach alongside and is just sitting there. He’s going nowhere, deliberately blocking me in. He’s looking at me too which backs up the fact it’s deliberate. I am indicating too so it’s obvious he’s playing games.
I lift off and slot in behind him, we pass the lorry and I return to the left. He stays in lane two. Seems to be a habit of his. He then slows down a lot and this in effect pushes me closer to him and he then decides to move into lane one with about 12 inches between his car and mine. Again this was a deliberately dangerous manoeuvre.
I’m sure this sort of thing happens all the time but playing dangerous games especially on a motorway is wrong. It was his incorrect use of the lanes that created the problem in the first place.
Would you report this sort of thing to the Police? I do have a dash cam but bearing in mind I had to pass on the left it doesn’t leave me squeaky clean although I had very little option to do otherwise.
So as I’m catching him wondering what he’s up to a few more cars appear behind him creating a bit of congestion making it more difficult for me to do two lane changes to pass in lane 3. So I give the high beam a flick to see if he’s awake. No reaction. So I continue to pass him on the left while sounding the horn to make him aware of my position.
All went smoothly and I forgot about him for ten minutes.
Near my exit in front is a lorry. I’d like to pass the lorry and then I find the Astra approach alongside and is just sitting there. He’s going nowhere, deliberately blocking me in. He’s looking at me too which backs up the fact it’s deliberate. I am indicating too so it’s obvious he’s playing games.
I lift off and slot in behind him, we pass the lorry and I return to the left. He stays in lane two. Seems to be a habit of his. He then slows down a lot and this in effect pushes me closer to him and he then decides to move into lane one with about 12 inches between his car and mine. Again this was a deliberately dangerous manoeuvre.
I’m sure this sort of thing happens all the time but playing dangerous games especially on a motorway is wrong. It was his incorrect use of the lanes that created the problem in the first place.
Would you report this sort of thing to the Police? I do have a dash cam but bearing in mind I had to pass on the left it doesn’t leave me squeaky clean although I had very little option to do otherwise.
No I wouldn't, I have better things to do with my day, nothing would get done about it anyway and you would be known as the annoying bloke that has phoned up to complain about someone's driving.
I see MLM driving daily, I just get on with it and stay in lane one and pass on the inside at my steady 65 and forget about the guy I've just passed, it happens all the time, it is the way a lot of people are, they won't change, just move on.
I see MLM driving daily, I just get on with it and stay in lane one and pass on the inside at my steady 65 and forget about the guy I've just passed, it happens all the time, it is the way a lot of people are, they won't change, just move on.
t".Sensibleboy said:
I do wonder about the lights and horn thing. I got that advice from Pistonheads forum! It could be argued that it shows I've taken some care in making sure the other driver is more aware of what's happening although some take this personally.
Maybe to you it does, to most others; rightly or wrongly, it marks you out as a bit of a tit. Sensibleboy said:
It's more the game playing afterwards which was worthy of reporting to the police.
The dash cam is worthwhile in events like this because it proves what really happened if it came to the crunch.
Really? He was a numpty, you were a bit of a tit, he was a big one. Personally I'd have made a note to do things differently in the future and moved on...The dash cam is worthwhile in events like this because it proves what really happened if it came to the crunch.
so lets break this down the OP comes across someone doing something that annoys him and in a act of self righteousness and importance, attempts a bit of "policing" even though he isn't "the law" which annoys said MLM, and in turn MLM decides to "play a game" with the self righteous OP, who has never made a error ever?
move on OP first world problems, the inventors of the internet are proud of you. and me for that matter.
move on OP first world problems, the inventors of the internet are proud of you. and me for that matter.
Sensibleboy said:
On the way to work this morning I was doing my usual motorway commute.
You don't say.SpidieNut said:
next time just continue in lane 1, pass him, forget about the flash of the lights and the horn sounding and then get on with your day.
Pretty much this. Using the horn may well make the mlm aware of your presence but it is just as likely to wake him up & then the first thing they may do is pull into lane 1 without properly looking, plus it will antagonise them.I hate passing on the left & will avoid doing so because the average mlm is too unpredictable so there's always the chance the mlm will suddenly change lanes. They are not expecting someone on the inside as much as they are expecting someone on the outside.
There seems to have been a few threads where people have admitted to aggressive or poor driving and want to use dash camera footage to stir up trouble for the other party.
He was in the wrong, but your description of events makes it sound as though you were needlessly aggressive and provoked his reaction, two wrongs don't make a right. I'd chalk it up to experience and try to be a bit more laid back in future.
It's really not worth getting wound up about little things like lane hoggers, normally waiting to pass them in L3 will only add mere seconds (if that) to your journey, why pass on the left beeping like a madman? What kind of reaction would you honestly expect and what good is it likely to do?
Did you really think it likely that your actions would cause the other driver to have a life changing lane discipline epiphany and forever drive in the leftmost available lane unless overtaking? Or was it more likely from the off that your actions were going to wind him up a bit? Should you really be surprised when he got wound up?
He was in the wrong, but your description of events makes it sound as though you were needlessly aggressive and provoked his reaction, two wrongs don't make a right. I'd chalk it up to experience and try to be a bit more laid back in future.
It's really not worth getting wound up about little things like lane hoggers, normally waiting to pass them in L3 will only add mere seconds (if that) to your journey, why pass on the left beeping like a madman? What kind of reaction would you honestly expect and what good is it likely to do?
Did you really think it likely that your actions would cause the other driver to have a life changing lane discipline epiphany and forever drive in the leftmost available lane unless overtaking? Or was it more likely from the off that your actions were going to wind him up a bit? Should you really be surprised when he got wound up?
Edited by Timfy on Thursday 30th October 08:31
Sensibleboy said:
It's more the game playing afterwards which was worthy of reporting to the police.
The dash cam is worthwhile in events like this because it proves what really happened if it came to the crunch.
Thats a bit like provoking your brother then telling your mum when he hits you in the face.The dash cam is worthwhile in events like this because it proves what really happened if it came to the crunch.
I get this sometimes and for much milder things than undertaking a lane hog (although it is often that). People largely don't understand the highway code and there are plenty of aggressive people out there too. I'd just try and forget about it - happens all the time on every mile of motorway every day.
Sounds like the horn blast was a criticism and he interpreted it correctly.
Anyway, even if the middle laner picks the exact moment of your undertake to randomly change back to lane 1, so long as there is an empty hard shoulder, calmly and smoothly move on to it, foot down and back to lane 1 when you've passed him. No gestures. No eye contact.
If there's no hard shoulder, don't risk the undertake.
Anyway, even if the middle laner picks the exact moment of your undertake to randomly change back to lane 1, so long as there is an empty hard shoulder, calmly and smoothly move on to it, foot down and back to lane 1 when you've passed him. No gestures. No eye contact.
If there's no hard shoulder, don't risk the undertake.
very true.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff