Do people in big cars try to boss aboutpeople in small cars?
Discussion
The trouble with small cars,
is that nothing moves out the fast lane for them.
So as quickley as he thinks he'd like to go, he's stuck.
Cos the bloke looks in his mirror
and ignors it.
In fact I think anything under 1.6 litre needs to be banned from the overtaking lane.
Because they rarely can. You have to slow down and wait for them.
(I'm only interested in what happens in the 3rd/outside/fast/overtaking lane.)
is that nothing moves out the fast lane for them.
So as quickley as he thinks he'd like to go, he's stuck.
Cos the bloke looks in his mirror
and ignors it.
In fact I think anything under 1.6 litre needs to be banned from the overtaking lane.
Because they rarely can. You have to slow down and wait for them.
(I'm only interested in what happens in the 3rd/outside/fast/overtaking lane.)
I do not know if this was good of me or bad of me however I was driving the M1 stretch between Dunstable and Milton Keynes in my old Clio 172. I had this van driver bullying people to get of the way, first he was tailgating me and then pulled along side me to undertake. ( I was in a group of cars maintaining good progress overtaking the cars on the two left lanes at 80 however kept a good gap ahead of me ) He then had no regard for me whatsoever and effectively made me break as he swooped in near enough cutting the front of my small car off into the gap I left. This made me very annoyed but I did not flash or horn ( I never do ) I just held back and could not believe that that arse whole had effectively to get one car ahead sent me into the central reservation.
I got my own back the proper way waiting for the traffic to lighten up by just overtaking him
I got my own back the proper way waiting for the traffic to lighten up by just overtaking him
I had a similar problem when teaching my daughter to drive (Merc A-class). We were on a long journey, so switched over. It took me about 5mins of driving, wondering why the drivers behind me were being such prats, before I realised that I had left the L plates on. I hadn't realised that many drivers will take stupid risks to get past a learner...
My fault for leaving them on, but it was a real eye-opener for me to the standard of other drivers.
Steve
My fault for leaving them on, but it was a real eye-opener for me to the standard of other drivers.
Steve
I drive a classic Mini and find people will tend to bully you a little. I find you have to be very positive when driving the car. People do tailgate sometimes, I just wait until a roundabout approaches, seamless change to 2nd and simply don't slow down at all, then watch as they wallow and scrabble to catch up.
ph123 said:
The trouble with small cars,
is that nothing moves out the fast lane for them.
So as quickley as he thinks he'd like to go, he's stuck.
Cos the bloke looks in his mirror
and ignors it.
In fact I think anything under 1.6 litre needs to be banned from the overtaking lane.
Because they rarely can. You have to slow down and wait for them.
(I'm only interested in what happens in the 3rd/outside/fast/overtaking lane.)
Waiting is such a chore... if only everybody travelled at 120mph, life would be so much simpler don't you think? In fact, why not ban all cars in the overtaking lanes... except the ones you drive? Then you'd never have to slow down is that nothing moves out the fast lane for them.
So as quickley as he thinks he'd like to go, he's stuck.
Cos the bloke looks in his mirror
and ignors it.
In fact I think anything under 1.6 litre needs to be banned from the overtaking lane.
Because they rarely can. You have to slow down and wait for them.
(I'm only interested in what happens in the 3rd/outside/fast/overtaking lane.)
A very excellent idea. Well done you.
Not entirely practicable, but you’re halfway there. Like it.
Everybody doing 120 I would suggest ,is not safe though, I’m sure you’ll agree as not many cars actually do 120 competently, and more importantly, most drivers appear overly stressed above 60 in any case. Something to do with education might solve that one.
Certainly ban all cars from the ‘overtaking lane’ unless they are actually ‘overtaking’.
Certainly low-powered cars should be kept out of it, as I suggested.
Certainly ban white vans (or black, or that bluey-grey) from the ‘overtaking’ lane. Fit them with 56-mph-regulators, that’ll cure their jolly overtaking lane japes.
Certainly ban all the above when they pull into the overtaking lane UPHILL. Their stuff simply doesn't accelerate under those circumstances, their drivers oblivious of this completely it seems.
Also ban bikes from the ‘overtaking’ lane because you can’t tailgate them without them getting all uppity and ‘holier-than-thou’. We know don’t we, that they cannot ride at a steady 100 mph for long, chewing their full-face face guards; unless they have a very efficient fairing of course.
I do think you are on to something. Maybe we should have a rule about ‘if someone is tailgating you, get out of the f
king way’ sort of theme. Certainly, give it some more thought; we do need to get rid of shrapnel, particularly when it clutters the motorway ‘overtaking lane’ up and cannot ‘get on’, even more especially when in front of me.
Well in front of me in particular; but as a general courtesy to the congested, dirty, unkempt, overcrowded motorways and their fellow road users.
(Why can’t they use the congested, dirty, unkempt, overcrowded trains instead; they’d be far happier, with their grubby offspring, and sandwiches and mobile phones and jeans and loud music! Perfect. You should contribute more.)
Not entirely practicable, but you’re halfway there. Like it.
Everybody doing 120 I would suggest ,is not safe though, I’m sure you’ll agree as not many cars actually do 120 competently, and more importantly, most drivers appear overly stressed above 60 in any case. Something to do with education might solve that one.
Certainly ban all cars from the ‘overtaking lane’ unless they are actually ‘overtaking’.
Certainly low-powered cars should be kept out of it, as I suggested.
Certainly ban white vans (or black, or that bluey-grey) from the ‘overtaking’ lane. Fit them with 56-mph-regulators, that’ll cure their jolly overtaking lane japes.
Certainly ban all the above when they pull into the overtaking lane UPHILL. Their stuff simply doesn't accelerate under those circumstances, their drivers oblivious of this completely it seems.
Also ban bikes from the ‘overtaking’ lane because you can’t tailgate them without them getting all uppity and ‘holier-than-thou’. We know don’t we, that they cannot ride at a steady 100 mph for long, chewing their full-face face guards; unless they have a very efficient fairing of course.
I do think you are on to something. Maybe we should have a rule about ‘if someone is tailgating you, get out of the f
king way’ sort of theme. Certainly, give it some more thought; we do need to get rid of shrapnel, particularly when it clutters the motorway ‘overtaking lane’ up and cannot ‘get on’, even more especially when in front of me.Well in front of me in particular; but as a general courtesy to the congested, dirty, unkempt, overcrowded motorways and their fellow road users.
(Why can’t they use the congested, dirty, unkempt, overcrowded trains instead; they’d be far happier, with their grubby offspring, and sandwiches and mobile phones and jeans and loud music! Perfect. You should contribute more.)
It's a sub-conscious response to restore order to the food-chain. I don't think the offenders genuinely want to bully other road users, it just feels abnormal to be higher up the chain, yet sit behind someone lower in the wolf-pack.
The chain is something like: Truck>SUV>car>motorcycle>bike>pedestrian. And then obviously the inter-group rivalry of big car>little car.
Believe it or not, I often get this from guys on motorbikes when I'm riding my C1 scooter.
My way around this is to ride (or drive) in an assertive, confident style, rather than hugging the kerb like a victim. Not always successful, but for 90% of the time, no problems.
The chain is something like: Truck>SUV>car>motorcycle>bike>pedestrian. And then obviously the inter-group rivalry of big car>little car.
Believe it or not, I often get this from guys on motorbikes when I'm riding my C1 scooter.
My way around this is to ride (or drive) in an assertive, confident style, rather than hugging the kerb like a victim. Not always successful, but for 90% of the time, no problems.
sjmmarsh said:
I had a similar problem when teaching my daughter to drive (Merc A-class). We were on a long journey, so switched over. It took me about 5mins of driving, wondering why the drivers behind me were being such prats, before I realised that I had left the L plates on. I hadn't realised that many drivers will take stupid risks to get past a learner...
My fault for leaving them on, but it was a real eye-opener for me to the standard of other drivers.
Steve
Welcome to my world. I work as a driving instructor and about 4 years ago I realised just how damned rude other drivers would be to my pupils. I no longer use a roof box and have almost the minimum amount of signage on the car that I can.My fault for leaving them on, but it was a real eye-opener for me to the standard of other drivers.
Steve
When I'm not instructing I drive a Range Rover Classic, the roads are too full of idiots for me to risk my family in the noddy car, that said my off-roader seems to attract the worst drivers on the road, despite looking like an extra from Mad Max III it's had more minor knocks than any 2 other cars I've owned, but then it's won all of them. I get the tailgaters, the boy racers, the last minute pull-out and the head-on charge. The car is nicknamed "the Spanish Inquisition", because no-one expects it.
BOR said:
My way around this is to ride (or drive) in an assertive, confident style, rather than hugging the kerb like a victim. Not always successful, but for 90% of the time, no problems.
I agree 100%, use psychology to your advantage. Was amazing going from an Impreza WRX to a Smart Roadster.The WRX cleared lane 3 like Moses parting the Red Sea. Nobody will pull over for the Smart, even when they're doing 65mph and I approach at rather high speed.
The only way I can persuade people to let me continue on my way (without tailgaiting) is -
a) right indicator, which is a bit rude
b) pull over to lane 2 and maintain distance. They don't feel so threatened then, and pull over themselves - at which point I accelerate, indicate and get on my way. This seems to work 9 times out of 10 but is a real pain as I'd prefer not to weave about just to wake other people up.
Steve
Edited by millband on Wednesday 12th March 00:46
I think people definitely react in a different way to different vehicles. Smaller cars, particularly those associated with old ladies and learners and possibly the worst, but anything with L-plates or indeed older (pre-bling) 4X4s get the same treatment. People hate you overtaking them.
My current daily driver is a bog standard saxo, complete with the previous (middle aged, female) owners animal charity stickers in the rear window. People's reactions to it can be quite commical, not least because with only one person on board it can actually be driven at a reasonable rate if you're prepared to be enthusiastic. On plenty of occasions I've had people overtake me before a road reverts to NSL (whilst I'm doing the current limit) only to find them holding me up afterwards.
In some respects there may be a reason for this - apparently a lot of the motorcycle-car crashes are caused because the human brain estimates the speed of smaller objects at a lower level than that of larger ones. Scientists have suggested another possibility that in fact the people who feel the need to tailgate anyone out of some sort of raging inferiority complex are just nobs who should get a fecking life.
My current daily driver is a bog standard saxo, complete with the previous (middle aged, female) owners animal charity stickers in the rear window. People's reactions to it can be quite commical, not least because with only one person on board it can actually be driven at a reasonable rate if you're prepared to be enthusiastic. On plenty of occasions I've had people overtake me before a road reverts to NSL (whilst I'm doing the current limit) only to find them holding me up afterwards.
In some respects there may be a reason for this - apparently a lot of the motorcycle-car crashes are caused because the human brain estimates the speed of smaller objects at a lower level than that of larger ones. Scientists have suggested another possibility that in fact the people who feel the need to tailgate anyone out of some sort of raging inferiority complex are just nobs who should get a fecking life.
Oddly, people are more considerate when I'm out in the MX-5, which against modern cars is teeny compared to even a small hatchback, than when I'm out in the Omega.
I think, though, that this could be because when I'm stuck behind another car, or keeping it slow for a hazard, the driver behind me can also see what I can see quite clearly, so realises there's no point bullying me to go faster as there's nothing I can do about it.
I think, though, that this could be because when I'm stuck behind another car, or keeping it slow for a hazard, the driver behind me can also see what I can see quite clearly, so realises there's no point bullying me to go faster as there's nothing I can do about it.
I used to attract young males with zits to the back of my ST, like flies to a bright light. The annoying thing was that they really would take stupid risks to keep up with or try and pass a quicker car, strangely though other normal drivers respected it and moved over or didnt tailgate too often.
Now im driving a fiesta and I get tailgated by bigger and 'quicker' cars regularily. Im pretty sure its an ego thing because even if im going quickly cars will edge closer to me.
Now im driving a fiesta and I get tailgated by bigger and 'quicker' cars regularily. Im pretty sure its an ego thing because even if im going quickly cars will edge closer to me.
Definate difference in other road users attitudes when I'm in the 205, compared to the NSX or the Beemer. Thing is, the Pug goes just fine and I'm no quicker in either of the other cars. I find (appearing to) ignoring them is normally the best approach.
And in town, having a dent or scratch in every panel goes some way towards my not giving a st about the cut-you-up merchants who think folks will always get out their way.
And in town, having a dent or scratch in every panel goes some way towards my not giving a s
t about the cut-you-up merchants who think folks will always get out their way.I've seen a definite change in attitude towards me since changing the Focus for the BMW.
In the Focus, people would pull up alongside me at traffic lights to 'race' me, people would tailgate me to get out of the way, both bigger cars and 'boy racers'.
On the motorway, people would never get out of the way for me, maybe they think that smaller cars don't have the right to go faster than them? Or if i was overtaking a slower car in lane 2, and there was someone behind me wanting to go faster, they wouldnt want to wait for me to complete the overtake and move over, they would sit a foot from my bumper egging me on to go faster.
Now i have the BMW (and it's not a fast one, but it is fair to say it has more road presence) people dont bother trying to race me, they move over to let me past, don't get up my arse on the motorway, they leave me alone, its great!
In the Focus, people would pull up alongside me at traffic lights to 'race' me, people would tailgate me to get out of the way, both bigger cars and 'boy racers'.
On the motorway, people would never get out of the way for me, maybe they think that smaller cars don't have the right to go faster than them? Or if i was overtaking a slower car in lane 2, and there was someone behind me wanting to go faster, they wouldnt want to wait for me to complete the overtake and move over, they would sit a foot from my bumper egging me on to go faster.
Now i have the BMW (and it's not a fast one, but it is fair to say it has more road presence) people dont bother trying to race me, they move over to let me past, don't get up my arse on the motorway, they leave me alone, its great!
I've noticed aggressive driving towards me in my Focus lately from such cars as Audi Q7, BMW X5s, Mercedes MLs etc. No disrespect to owners of these vehicles, I'm sure you don't behave the ways these do.
But I looked in my rear view mirror, to see it being filled by the four rings on the grill of a Q7, as I was overtaking a set of slower moving cars, I was travelling at 70 MPH and did not alter my speed for him/her, despite it being uncomfortably close. I pulled in as soon as I was past the final car, the Q7 then flew past me, turn off immediatly down the exit sliproad, where it slammed its brakes on whilst being extremely close to the Astra also on the sliproad! The worse thing is that I don't have enough power to get away from these machines either
Its fun on the bends, where I gain some distance, whilst watching their depressing amount of body roll, but they are all over me again with the tiniest squirt of the throttle!
It was even worse in my Diesel 306, they used to back off as I was going uphill though, because it chucked out an unhealthy amount of black smoke when on boost.
I've not noticed it in the Transit as much, probably because it has no rear windows, but some people do get quite close, as I occasionally see a wing mirror popping in and out of view in my wing mirror! Driving a white van does seem to give people the right to cut me up though.
But I looked in my rear view mirror, to see it being filled by the four rings on the grill of a Q7, as I was overtaking a set of slower moving cars, I was travelling at 70 MPH and did not alter my speed for him/her, despite it being uncomfortably close. I pulled in as soon as I was past the final car, the Q7 then flew past me, turn off immediatly down the exit sliproad, where it slammed its brakes on whilst being extremely close to the Astra also on the sliproad! The worse thing is that I don't have enough power to get away from these machines either
Its fun on the bends, where I gain some distance, whilst watching their depressing amount of body roll, but they are all over me again with the tiniest squirt of the throttle!It was even worse in my Diesel 306, they used to back off as I was going uphill though, because it chucked out an unhealthy amount of black smoke when on boost.
I've not noticed it in the Transit as much, probably because it has no rear windows, but some people do get quite close, as I occasionally see a wing mirror popping in and out of view in my wing mirror! Driving a white van does seem to give people the right to cut me up though.
""Do people in big cars try to boss about people in small cars?""
Of course they do...but treat it as one of the few pleasures of driving life left to us that we can shaft them?
I almost look forward to the nutters who push me when I am driving the Matiz...instead of giving 'respec innit?' to the Jag.
Naughty, but nice...
BOF
Of course they do...but treat it as one of the few pleasures of driving life left to us that we can shaft them?
I almost look forward to the nutters who push me when I am driving the Matiz...instead of giving 'respec innit?' to the Jag.
Naughty, but nice...
BOF
I've noticed this several times, first of all going from a 1.0l Corsa to a 1.6 VW Vento, that although I was still doing the same journey at the same speeds, people used to try and force me to move over.
I then noticed it again, when going from the VW to an Astra 1.6, not because it was a bigger car, because it wasn't, but because it was a newer car. Both cars had similar performance, and my driving style didn't change.
I've now gone to a bigger car still (Skoda Octavia Estate), and to some degree, don't get bullied as much as I did in the Astra.
However, on this note, I have noticed that some "Premium Brand" drivers (mentioning no names, but happen to build saloon cars in Germany, and not part of the VW group) have some inflated idea that a Diesel Skoda Estate should not be in their way, or heaven forbid, overtake them!!!! It's sometimes satisfying when conditions allow, to drop it a cog, and get the turbo spinning and leave them in a cloud of diesel smoke!
I then noticed it again, when going from the VW to an Astra 1.6, not because it was a bigger car, because it wasn't, but because it was a newer car. Both cars had similar performance, and my driving style didn't change.
I've now gone to a bigger car still (Skoda Octavia Estate), and to some degree, don't get bullied as much as I did in the Astra.
However, on this note, I have noticed that some "Premium Brand" drivers (mentioning no names, but happen to build saloon cars in Germany, and not part of the VW group) have some inflated idea that a Diesel Skoda Estate should not be in their way, or heaven forbid, overtake them!!!! It's sometimes satisfying when conditions allow, to drop it a cog, and get the turbo spinning and leave them in a cloud of diesel smoke!
I regularly switch between three quite different cars; A 1995 Volvo 850 T5, a 1991 Rover 216 and a 2004 Corsa SXI.
People are definitely the most aggressive towards me in the Corsa - which I borrow off my Dad to save on petrol - and I get (other) young'nes deciding that it'd be a real ego boost if they shoot off into the distance in their Saxo VTR. Around town is bad, where everybody thinks that it is their God given right to push in front of me at junctions, but the motorway is the worst, where people assume that because it's only a 1.2 it can't go above 60mph and so don't let me out when I need to overtake a middle lane hogger doing. All of this can be quite frustrating.
In the Rover it's nowhere near as bad around town and I make sure to never clean it to emphasise that this is a £200 car that doesn't matter to me an awful lot, which works just fine around town. On the motorway, however, I have real trouble getting past people in the outside lane; I'm not particularly forceful about it but people just seem reluctant to let a 17 year old Rover past.
When I'm in my Volvo I really don't have much trouble making swift and stress-free progress. Around town nobody tailgates or, on the double lane sections, sits in the way. On the motorway again people tend to see me coming and change lanes accordingly and BMW/Audi/Merc drivers don't really cause me any jip either. The only time I have trouble is when a kid in a hot hatch sees that I'm quite young and driving a Volvo, at which point they assume their leaning position and look across at me until I acknowledge them, under those circumstances I tend to accelerate a little bit so that they think it's "on" and let them speed away from me to McDonald's where they'll boast about how they "done some prick in one of them fast Volvos innit." I'd use it all the time if it weren't for the shocking fuel economy.
People are definitely the most aggressive towards me in the Corsa - which I borrow off my Dad to save on petrol - and I get (other) young'nes deciding that it'd be a real ego boost if they shoot off into the distance in their Saxo VTR. Around town is bad, where everybody thinks that it is their God given right to push in front of me at junctions, but the motorway is the worst, where people assume that because it's only a 1.2 it can't go above 60mph and so don't let me out when I need to overtake a middle lane hogger doing. All of this can be quite frustrating.
In the Rover it's nowhere near as bad around town and I make sure to never clean it to emphasise that this is a £200 car that doesn't matter to me an awful lot, which works just fine around town. On the motorway, however, I have real trouble getting past people in the outside lane; I'm not particularly forceful about it but people just seem reluctant to let a 17 year old Rover past.
When I'm in my Volvo I really don't have much trouble making swift and stress-free progress. Around town nobody tailgates or, on the double lane sections, sits in the way. On the motorway again people tend to see me coming and change lanes accordingly and BMW/Audi/Merc drivers don't really cause me any jip either. The only time I have trouble is when a kid in a hot hatch sees that I'm quite young and driving a Volvo, at which point they assume their leaning position and look across at me until I acknowledge them, under those circumstances I tend to accelerate a little bit so that they think it's "on" and let them speed away from me to McDonald's where they'll boast about how they "done some prick in one of them fast Volvos innit." I'd use it all the time if it weren't for the shocking fuel economy.
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