Middle lane idiot
Discussion
Johnnytheboy said:
Biggus thingus said:
I just undertake anyone cruising along in lane 2/3
I then don't bother getting irate or putting something about it on face book or twittering
Even a police car? I then don't bother getting irate or putting something about it on face book or twittering
I'd defo cruise along side them
Never had the opportunity yet though
A friend of mine used to do it on purpose to relieve the boredom of a long motorway journey, just to wind people up and boy, does It work.
She used to keep looking straight ahead as if oblivious to other road users.
Her attitude was that other drivers shouldn't be allowing themselves to become agitated behind the wheel of a car in a situation where it's no big deal.
Personally, I think the roads are full of people of all driving abilities, some have busy lives and are anxious to get to their destination as quickly as possible, others aren't as confident at driving and like to take it slowly and safely (in their eyes). Then we have competent drivers who make allowances for other drivers shortfalls and will anticipate their actions and won't allow themselves to get wound up.
She used to keep looking straight ahead as if oblivious to other road users.
Her attitude was that other drivers shouldn't be allowing themselves to become agitated behind the wheel of a car in a situation where it's no big deal.
Personally, I think the roads are full of people of all driving abilities, some have busy lives and are anxious to get to their destination as quickly as possible, others aren't as confident at driving and like to take it slowly and safely (in their eyes). Then we have competent drivers who make allowances for other drivers shortfalls and will anticipate their actions and won't allow themselves to get wound up.
VSKeith said:
Axe wound said:
L1OFF said:
I was on the inside lane pulled over to the outside lane and flashed him, he moved to the middle lane and then back to the outside after I had passed. Weird.
I've never understood that either. I see it happen on the A33 quite a lot for some reason.
kall awareness, get scared easily and could brake or change lanes at any minute.I'll stick to asking them to move out the way.
Johnnytheboy said:
Biggus thingus said:
I just undertake anyone cruising along in lane 2/3
I then don't bother getting irate or putting something about it on face book or twittering
Even a police car? I then don't bother getting irate or putting something about it on face book or twittering
If you are doing 70 in the inside lane it is perfectly all right to undertake cars that are going slower, providing you're not weaving in and out making a nuisance of yourself.
I'm probably in a minority of... erm one here but but I have often driven in whatever lane takes my fancy on quiet motorways/autoroute. This started in France to relieve the boredom where I would straight line the long bends while heading south following friends. Comical to see when on cruise how quickly you would catch up with them some distance ahead in the rh lane [ bend going left] with us in the far lh lane.
Have never held anyone up and move over as soon as other vehicles appear in the mirror. Did this relatively recently on the M6/A74 North, outside lane, long swinging right 75/80 ish, headlights fast approaching in the distance, pull in to have a white BMW slow right down next to me. Hello officer! Looked at me with what could only be described as a cross between bored and wtf? No idea how to react so smiled and gave him the thumbs up and off they went.
Not often possible these days because of the volume of traffic even in the middle of the night.
Have never held anyone up and move over as soon as other vehicles appear in the mirror. Did this relatively recently on the M6/A74 North, outside lane, long swinging right 75/80 ish, headlights fast approaching in the distance, pull in to have a white BMW slow right down next to me. Hello officer! Looked at me with what could only be described as a cross between bored and wtf? No idea how to react so smiled and gave him the thumbs up and off they went.
Not often possible these days because of the volume of traffic even in the middle of the night.
Oilchange said:
Johnnytheboy said:
Biggus thingus said:
I just undertake anyone cruising along in lane 2/3
I then don't bother getting irate or putting something about it on face book or twittering
Even a police car? I then don't bother getting irate or putting something about it on face book or twittering
If you are doing 70 in the inside lane it is perfectly all right to undertake cars that are going slower, providing you're not weaving in and out making a nuisance of yourself.
5s Alive]I'm probably in a minority of... erm one here but but I have often driven in whatever lane takes my fancy on quiet motorways/autoroute. This started in France to relieve the boredom where I would straight line the long bends while heading south following friends. Comical to see when on cruise how quickly you would catch up with them some distance ahead in the rh lane [ bend going left said:
with us in the far lh lane.
Have never held anyone up and move over as soon as other vehicles appear in the mirror. Did this relatively recently on the M6/A74 North, outside lane, long swinging right 75/80 ish, headlights fast approaching in the distance, pull in to have a white BMW slow right down next to me. Hello officer! Looked at me with what could only be described as a cross between bored and wtf? No idea how to react so smiled and gave him the thumbs up and off they went.
Not often possible these days because of the volume of traffic even in the middle of the night.
Nothing wrong with that!Have never held anyone up and move over as soon as other vehicles appear in the mirror. Did this relatively recently on the M6/A74 North, outside lane, long swinging right 75/80 ish, headlights fast approaching in the distance, pull in to have a white BMW slow right down next to me. Hello officer! Looked at me with what could only be described as a cross between bored and wtf? No idea how to react so smiled and gave him the thumbs up and off they went.
Not often possible these days because of the volume of traffic even in the middle of the night.
Oilchange said:
Johnnytheboy said:
Biggus thingus said:
I just undertake anyone cruising along in lane 2/3
I then don't bother getting irate or putting something about it on face book or twittering
Even a police car? I then don't bother getting irate or putting something about it on face book or twittering
If you are doing 70 in the inside lane it is perfectly all right to undertake cars that are going slower, providing you're not weaving in and out making a nuisance of yourself.
It was obvious he was daring someone to 'undertake' him, so he could stop them for reprimand. Minimum penalty would have been lost time and condescending lecture, with the risk of matters being elevated further. Nobody challenged him.
Unless you have dashcam evidence, 'undertaking' the police is foolhardy...
VSKeith said:
Oilchange said:
Johnnytheboy said:
Biggus thingus said:
I just undertake anyone cruising along in lane 2/3
I then don't bother getting irate or putting something about it on face book or twittering
Even a police car? I then don't bother getting irate or putting something about it on face book or twittering
If you are doing 70 in the inside lane it is perfectly all right to undertake cars that are going slower, providing you're not weaving in and out making a nuisance of yourself.
Not 'undertaking' but on the A9 just south of Dalwhinnie, pre av sp cams, slowly caught up to what looked like a rally spec 205 1.9 gti trundling along behind a traffic car at 55/56. Sat there a while then on the next clear stretch eased on by at an indicated 64 until they dropped out of sight in the mirror. No reaction from the traffic car but often wondered why the 205 didn't go past.
Not sure I'd do this nowadays as traffic police must encounter some complete wombats that would try the patience of a saint and may not be in the best mood.
Not sure I'd do this nowadays as traffic police must encounter some complete wombats that would try the patience of a saint and may not be in the best mood.
If you're in lane 1 and moving at 70 mph, there's no reason why you shouldn't continue regardless of vehicles in 2 or 3 that might be doing less than 70.
In fact the highway code says you shouldn't undertake but it also says that you can if cars in other lanes are moving more slowly so where's the issue?
It's when you move from lanes 2 or 3 into 1 for the sole purpose of undertaking that I suspect the cops would get narked.
If a traffic officer wants to comment?
In fact the highway code says you shouldn't undertake but it also says that you can if cars in other lanes are moving more slowly so where's the issue?
It's when you move from lanes 2 or 3 into 1 for the sole purpose of undertaking that I suspect the cops would get narked.
If a traffic officer wants to comment?
Oilchange said:
If you're in lane 1 and moving at 70 mph, there's no reason why you shouldn't continue regardless of vehicles in 2 or 3 that might be doing less than 70.
In fact the highway code says you shouldn't undertake but it also says that you can if cars in other lanes are moving more slowly so where's the issue?
It's when you move from lanes 2 or 3 into 1 for the sole purpose of undertaking that I suspect the cops would get narked.
If a traffic officer wants to comment?
Well technically yes, but the other day I overtook a pair of elephant racers (on a 3 lane section) and caught up a knobhead who had just done the same thing but was blithely plodding along at around 60 in the outside lane. On that basis, am I stuck there behind him until he moves? (He didn't, I gave him half a mile and undertook. Along with half a dozen others behind). In fact the highway code says you shouldn't undertake but it also says that you can if cars in other lanes are moving more slowly so where's the issue?
It's when you move from lanes 2 or 3 into 1 for the sole purpose of undertaking that I suspect the cops would get narked.
If a traffic officer wants to comment?
sim72 said:
Oilchange said:
If you're in lane 1 and moving at 70 mph, there's no reason why you shouldn't continue regardless of vehicles in 2 or 3 that might be doing less than 70.
In fact the highway code says you shouldn't undertake but it also says that you can if cars in other lanes are moving more slowly so where's the issue?
It's when you move from lanes 2 or 3 into 1 for the sole purpose of undertaking that I suspect the cops would get narked.
If a traffic officer wants to comment?
Well technically yes, but the other day I overtook a pair of elephant racers (on a 3 lane section) and caught up a knobhead who had just done the same thing but was blithely plodding along at around 60 in the outside lane. On that basis, am I stuck there behind him until he moves? (He didn't, I gave him half a mile and undertook. Along with half a dozen others behind). In fact the highway code says you shouldn't undertake but it also says that you can if cars in other lanes are moving more slowly so where's the issue?
It's when you move from lanes 2 or 3 into 1 for the sole purpose of undertaking that I suspect the cops would get narked.
If a traffic officer wants to comment?
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
Note "in congested conditions" hardly applies to a single car.
speedking31 said:
sim72 said:
Oilchange said:
If you're in lane 1 and moving at 70 mph, there's no reason why you shouldn't continue regardless of vehicles in 2 or 3 that might be doing less than 70.
In fact the highway code says you shouldn't undertake but it also says that you can if cars in other lanes are moving more slowly so where's the issue?
It's when you move from lanes 2 or 3 into 1 for the sole purpose of undertaking that I suspect the cops would get narked.
If a traffic officer wants to comment?
Well technically yes, but the other day I overtook a pair of elephant racers (on a 3 lane section) and caught up a knobhead who had just done the same thing but was blithely plodding along at around 60 in the outside lane. On that basis, am I stuck there behind him until he moves? (He didn't, I gave him half a mile and undertook. Along with half a dozen others behind). In fact the highway code says you shouldn't undertake but it also says that you can if cars in other lanes are moving more slowly so where's the issue?
It's when you move from lanes 2 or 3 into 1 for the sole purpose of undertaking that I suspect the cops would get narked.
If a traffic officer wants to comment?
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
Note "in congested conditions" hardly applies to a single car.
Driver who hogged the middle lane has their car seized
(sadly it wasn't seized because he was an MLM)
Oilchange said:
he's probably only there because the inside lane's is so rutted it's sending him sideways.
Agreed. There are some local roads, motorway and non motorway where I know the surface is so bad with poor pothole repairs or protruding drains that I move out the LH lane to avoid them. As for the scenario where I'm coming up behind a car hogging the outside lane on a quiet motorway I would just overtake in the nearside lane giving a full lane of warning if he decides to move left.
There is no offence of passing on the nearside. The HC doesn't ban it.
I've got no idea why police officers push it as DWDC. It's not as if there's not enough proper offences to go around.
If the motorway is otherwise empty, and there's a lane gap between you an the chap on the offside, go for it and if you've get a ticket, PM me. What you need is evidence that the person in the other car is aware of what you are doing. You can normally see their eyes in their door mirror, or a glance into their rearview (after dusting it of course). When there's other traffic, if they slow, then not reducing speed because of traffic behind you in your lane can confuse the reporting officer as reducing speed for no apparent reason is DWDC.
The HC mentions a queue of traffic in the lane on the offside. If a car is dawdling then there will be at least on other car behind them. That's a queue.
On the other hand, one of the most dangerous maneuvers you can perform on a motorway is overtaking on the nearside when the driver(s), especially when there's a queue on the offside and a faster moving lane on the nearside, on the offside are unaware of your presence. Take great care out there.
You will struggle with any defence if the car in the offside lane is going at the maximum allowable speed, or even within two or three MPH of it.
With regards to the police officer in the outside lane: they might well have been slowing traffic deliberately. You don't know. If they weren't, then report them. Or, better still, send a letter to their driving school, if your force has one, saying you don't want the officer to get into trouble, but could they have a word. When I was in charge of my force's driving school I had the occasional such report, all but once from other police officers. I always suspended the officer's permit before a retest. Pressure from division made me back down once, but I feel sure his divisional commander had a word with him.
MLMs, on the other hand, should be passed on the offside.
The person whose friend deliberately antagonises other drivers needs advice. Some drivers don't just get upset, they retaliate.
I've got no idea why police officers push it as DWDC. It's not as if there's not enough proper offences to go around.
If the motorway is otherwise empty, and there's a lane gap between you an the chap on the offside, go for it and if you've get a ticket, PM me. What you need is evidence that the person in the other car is aware of what you are doing. You can normally see their eyes in their door mirror, or a glance into their rearview (after dusting it of course). When there's other traffic, if they slow, then not reducing speed because of traffic behind you in your lane can confuse the reporting officer as reducing speed for no apparent reason is DWDC.
The HC mentions a queue of traffic in the lane on the offside. If a car is dawdling then there will be at least on other car behind them. That's a queue.
On the other hand, one of the most dangerous maneuvers you can perform on a motorway is overtaking on the nearside when the driver(s), especially when there's a queue on the offside and a faster moving lane on the nearside, on the offside are unaware of your presence. Take great care out there.
You will struggle with any defence if the car in the offside lane is going at the maximum allowable speed, or even within two or three MPH of it.
With regards to the police officer in the outside lane: they might well have been slowing traffic deliberately. You don't know. If they weren't, then report them. Or, better still, send a letter to their driving school, if your force has one, saying you don't want the officer to get into trouble, but could they have a word. When I was in charge of my force's driving school I had the occasional such report, all but once from other police officers. I always suspended the officer's permit before a retest. Pressure from division made me back down once, but I feel sure his divisional commander had a word with him.
MLMs, on the other hand, should be passed on the offside.
The person whose friend deliberately antagonises other drivers needs advice. Some drivers don't just get upset, they retaliate.
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