Some people really don't like being overtaken do they?

[Kentish]

The Badger said:

Never gets boring. Potty mouth hero.

I love that line....

He tried stopping in tut central fooooking reservation, the thick cuuunt"

[el romeral]

g3org3y said:

Seems to be a phenomenon exclusive to the UK ime. Never had anything like this in France, Italy, Germany tbh.

There's a terrible mentality in the UK of "I'm having to be in the queue, so you have to as well".

Almost certainly the same type of bells who will sit in Lane 3 at 70mph because "that's the limit, if I can't go any quicker, neither can you!".

Not exclusive to UK.
Here in Spain they all think they are Fernando Alonso and if you pass one of them then they take it personally as an affront to their honour.
I passed a newish 1 series BMW a few years ago in my very old plain Vectra V6. The 1 series driver speeded up in an attempt to stop me. At the next roundabout he inside overtook me and stopped on the exit thereby blocking the road. Next thing he is out of the car ranting & raving and banging on my window. Could not believe it.

[Jazzer]

I used to get flashed all the time when overtaking in my Evo a few years back and couldn't really work out what the problem was, until I swapped cars with a friend one day....he flew up behind me in my car, then swoosh/bang/pop.....it was like a sonic boom kind of sound that was quite startling....I knew it was coming and still almost st myself!!

[SystemParanoia]

anti-lag ?

or just glorious overrun flaming

[6fire]

currybum said:

6fire said:

I had some chopper today block a perfectly sensible overtake on a single carriageway road - traffic doing approx 40mph in an NSL. No worries I gave him some space as I knew there was a DC coming up. When the road became a dual carriageway, he first blocked me……....

It’s at this point where I would no longer try an overtake, the situation has gone from a perfectly sensible overtake to having to perform a racing manoeuvre.

He was clearly a loon on the road and I would fall back, drive at a leisurely pase keep well away from him, which according to this..

6fire said:

he swerved into my lane and almost had me in the central reservation. ...

…..would have been the right course of action.
This…

6fire said:

Partially that was why I decided I WAS getting past him, no way was I being forced by him to stop. ...

…doesn’t sound like the right frame of mind to be trying a “perfectly sensible overtake”

6fire said:

There are some seriously deranged individuals out there...

quite

The road in question is DC for a couple of miles, then SC again, then comes to a roundabout in a town where there is always traffic. I was not prepared to risk being boxed in and have someone come at me. They obviously wanted me to stop and were making threatening gestures - there were two of them and one of me. Were they armed? Don't know, but I wasn't prepared to find out. I can handle myself, but I'm not stupid enough to stick around and find out they are as deranged as they appeared to be.

I could have turned off - would they have given chase? I don't know, and as I didn't know the surrounding area well, I didn't want to end up driving down narrow lanes away from other people and having this guy ram me.

The only way home from where I was - without resorting to narrow lanes - was the road I was on. I was faced with three choices then

1) Stick behind him and risk the confrontation turning extremely violent (I can honestly say I thought this was likely)
2) Turn off and risk being followed and attacked - I thought this was also a strong possibility
3) Get past and get the hell out of Dodge.

My car was faster than his. I knew that once past I could easily extend the distance between us and escape from further possible conflict. Was it the right decision? I don't know, but I watched this recently and I'd much rather be the hell away from people like that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0hhoO5Z6pw

[trashbat]

I've never been flashed by the passed car after overtaking someone.

However this morning I was following a big SAAB doing exactly 50 in an NSL. I moved all the way out for a look, decided it was off due to an oncoming car, indicated left and moved back in. No drama.

The second oncoming car was a Volvo estate and went crazy flashing away, I assume at me. Why?

[ant leigh]

Had a classic last week.
Following a red mondeo on a single carriageway 40mph zone in good conditions. He is driving around 35 - 37mph but I keep back until we reach the next T junction where the traffic lights are on red.
Switches to two lanes for the lights and the next hundred metres after the lights. Left lane for left and straight, right lane for straight ahead.

He pulls up on the left and I move alongside on the right, back a yard so I am not in his face. When the lights change I accelerate just enough for a comfortable pass but then he decides to go for it to stop me passing. I gave it a bit of juice to get past but then he starts aggressive flashing, even as he drops back to his 35mph.

WTF is wrong with some people.

[ant leigh]

6fire said:

The road in question is DC for a couple of miles, then SC again, then comes to a roundabout in a town where there is always traffic. I was not prepared to risk being boxed in and have someone come at me. They obviously wanted me to stop and were making threatening gestures - there were two of them and one of me. Were they armed? Don't know, but I wasn't prepared to find out. I can handle myself, but I'm not stupid enough to stick around and find out they are as deranged as they appeared to be.

I could have turned off - would they have given chase? I don't know, and as I didn't know the surrounding area well, I didn't want to end up driving down narrow lanes away from other people and having this guy ram me.

The only way home from where I was - without resorting to narrow lanes - was the road I was on. I was faced with three choices then

1) Stick behind him and risk the confrontation turning extremely violent (I can honestly say I thought this was likely)
2) Turn off and risk being followed and attacked - I thought this was also a strong possibility
3) Get past and get the hell out of Dodge.

My car was faster than his. I knew that once past I could easily extend the distance between us and escape from further possible conflict. Was it the right decision? I don't know, but I watched this recently and I'd much rather be the hell away from people like that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0hhoO5Z6pw

FWIW
I would have done the same.
If there are two of them you are on a hiding to nothing.

[dozydavenport]

Was on the M4 the other day doing around 75 in the middle lane, nothing behind, corsa 1.0 or 1.2 I'm guessing slows up to 65 so I overtake in the right hand lane, knob in corsa then speeds up as I pull back in, said corsa then comes flying past at what I would say is about 90, looked at him, could hear the car trying not to blow up, bloke went white when it got windy

[6fire]

GokTweed said:

OP what did you do to annoy him?

As far as I can work out, I wanted to go faster than him and that upset him. Maybe he saw my overtaking as queue jumping or something. Maybe it was an ego thing. I honestly don't know. At no point did I drive close to him (apart from when he pulled out and brake tested me!) and at no point did I flash the lights or gesticulate. Even when he blocked my first overtake on the SC, I just pulled back in, and braked until I was once again at a safe following distance (I was at stage 2 of a 3 stage overtake, so was catching him up rapidly at that point ( 1) Check clear behind and then pull out and be absolutely certain it was clear ahead for the overtake 2)indicate intention (RH indicator) and accelerate 3)Complete overtake and return to LH lane)

Now you've only got my side of the story, but I was driving a reasonably quick car so I don't need to push overtakes - if they're not safe I'll wait for one that is (and actually that's why I tend to use a 3 stage overtake, more space is required, but you don't move up into the 'overtaking position' in the same lane as the vehicle you are passing), I was not aggressive and I've passed the IAM test - not that this means anything at all really, but it does give an indication that I am self critical when driving and I do aim for quick but unobtrusive progress. Seems I wasn't very unobtrusive in this particular case unfortunately.

What learning experiences can I take from it? I'm genuinely not sure. Maybe I should have stopped, or turned off, but really this was the only road to where I was going, and I wanted to get home to the family having been away all week and weekend, not drive around the country lanes for hours getting lost and still potentially run into him later. I might investigate a roadhawk camera though.

[GokTweed]

6fire said:

GokTweed said:

OP what did you do to annoy him?

As far as I can work out, I wanted to go faster than him and that upset him. Maybe he saw my overtaking as queue jumping or something. Maybe it was an ego thing. I honestly don't know. At no point did I drive close to him (apart from when he pulled out and brake tested me!) and at no point did I flash the lights or gesticulate. Even when he blocked my first overtake on the SC, I just pulled back in, and braked until I was once again at a safe following distance (I was at stage 2 of a 3 stage overtake, so was catching him up rapidly at that point ( 1) Check clear behind and then pull out and be absolutely certain it was clear ahead for the overtake 2)indicate intention (RH indicator) and accelerate 3)Complete overtake and return to LH lane)

Now you've only got my side of the story, but I was driving a reasonably quick car so I don't need to push overtakes - if they're not safe I'll wait for one that is (and actually that's why I tend to use a 3 stage overtake, more space is required, but you don't move up into the 'overtaking position' in the same lane as the vehicle you are passing), I was not aggressive and I've passed the IAM test - not that this means anything at all really, but it does give an indication that I am self critical when driving and I do aim for quick but unobtrusive progress. Seems I wasn't very unobtrusive in this particular case unfortunately.

What learning experiences can I take from it? I'm genuinely not sure. Maybe I should have stopped, or turned off, but really this was the only road to where I was going, and I wanted to get home to the family having been away all week and weekend, not drive around the country lanes for hours getting lost and still potentially run into him later. I might investigate a roadhawk camera though.

Well in that case it was completely unprovoked by the sounds of it. Maybe they were intending on making you pull over so they could mug you or something?

[Face for Radio]

g3org3y said:

Seems to be a phenomenon exclusive to the UK ime. Never had anything like this in France, Italy, Germany tbh.

There's a terrible mentality in the UK of "I'm having to be in the queue, so you have to as well".

Almost certainly the same type of bells who will sit in Lane 3 at 70mph because "that's the limit, if I can't go any quicker, neither can you!".

Not always. Maybe they're on 9-points. I once had a company pool motor that was a 55bhp diesel Escort van. Flat out on level it'd do 70mph, up a hill it would lose some of that. I forgot that vital fact and went to overtake 2 elephant racing lorries, and mid-way through the pass went uphill, and I got stuck, couldn't brake and pull back in as the guy behind was so far up my arse, couldn't drive any faster, couldn't pull left.

I realise it was my own stupid fault and I learned a valuable lesson, but I wouldn't blanket accuse everyone of forcing everyone behind to stick to the limit.

[SystemParanoia]

Face for Radio said:

Not always. Maybe they're on 9-points. I once had a company pool motor that was a 55bhp diesel Escort van. Flat out on level it'd do 70mph, up a hill it would lose some of that. I forgot that vital fact and went to overtake 2 elephant racing lorries, and mid-way through the pass went uphill, and I got stuck, couldn't brake and pull back in as the guy behind was so far up my arse, couldn't drive any faster, couldn't pull left.

I realise it was my own stupid fault and I learned a valuable lesson, but I wouldn't blanket accuse everyone of forcing everyone behind to stick to the limit.

my 1.0 suzuki swift can do more than 70 uphill on the mway... unlike you old works van

so yeah, any CAR i will happily tar with that brush.

[Sonic]

6fire said:

My car was faster than his. I knew that once past I could easily extend the distance between us and escape from further possible conflict. Was it the right decision? I don't know, but I watched this recently and I'd much rather be the hell away from people like that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0hhoO5Z6pw

That's one of the craziest things i think i've ever seen!

Just for some follow-up

[Great Pretender]

RDMcG said:

...the fist waving/flashing/strict enforcement zealots that appear to be a purely UK species.

I had this happen to me at least four times yesterday on a 200 mile round trip, albeit no-one was overtly aggressive towards me.

It’s nearly always the same scenario; the car in question is at least two-up with the driver invariably not paying attention.

My crime? Making a polite gesture that I’d like to pass in the outside lane when lane 1 is clear, such as a signal of the indicators or perhaps a very brief flash of the headlights. And the reaction is nearly always the same: the driver feels that this is a challenge to his/her competence and all hell breaks loose.

More often than not, he or she will give it all they’ve got in a bid to accelerate away from me; otherwise, should they remain resolute in the outside lane and I pass (safely) on the inside, I’ll be followed dangerously close (assuming traffic ahead has impeded my progress), where the driver in question will go to great lengths to pass me, even if that means swerving through traffic or (as was the case last night), using the hard shoulder to pass.

Otherwise, When it’s one person in the car, the same polite request will invariably result in a manoeuvre into lane 1 once the driver has realised there is someone behind him and nothing more is said/done.

All this in a silver, diesel Golf incidentally. A more ubiquitous car in the UK there surely isn't.

People are strange.

[6fire]

currybum said:

It sounds like there is much more to this story than indicated in your first post, which is all we have to go on.

From your story it sounded like a guy took offence to being overtaken on a DC and started driving erratically, if that was the case I don’t think the safe action was to try and overtake the erratic driver then try and race away from him in your faster car on unfamiliar roads.

It sounds like this is one side of a full on road rage story.

The road I was on was not unfamiliar. I normally drive it between twice a week and four times a week. The surrounding area is unfamiliar. That sounds odd, but I work 85 miles from home and so I know the road well, but never venture off it into the surrounding countryside.

The guy seemed to take offence at the overtake on the SC, which I didn't complete. The DC shenanigans happened a mile or so later.

Yeah, I agree people rarely react without reason, which would suggest that I provoked him. But if I had initiated a road rage incident I wouldn't be posting about it on a public forum, or thinking seriously about buying a roadhawk camera (which would provide damming evidence of my own bad driving most of all). I genuinely have no desire to involve myself with people who are going to react badly to me. As everyone does, I have enough grief in my daily life with work and all the rest, without going looking for it elsewhere.

But hey - I posted it because it was cathartic, not because I need validation from faceless names.

BTW, context - I'm 36, have been driving since 17, covered on average 30k/annum in that time on bikes and in cars. I've been involved in two other road rage incidents - one when I was a passenger and my mate driving lost the plot, which wasn't pleasant and the second when I was riding a motorbike to work years ago and I did something to upset a car driver on the motorway - on that occasion I probably did initiate it unwittingly as I got a little close waiting for the O/S lane to become clear so that I could move out (although I didn't consider it to be dangerously close at the time, with hindsight and more experience it may have been, and I expect my headlight was at the level where it was shining into his rear view mirror and bumps in the road probably made it look as if I was flashing it - although I am theorising about that). A learning point I took from that is that people don't like overtaking vehicles up their chuff, hence I generally now go for a 3 stage overtake on a SC road to avoid getting close to other cars 'in lane'.

[6fire]

currybum said:

If on the first attempt of an overtake its clear the other driver is going to make the situation dangerous, sit back and make progress at a slightly slower pace than you originally planned...but ultimately get home.

Don’t keep trying to overtake, winding up the clearly upset driver further to the point that he wants to ram you off of the road.

True. I was blocked on the SC, I was then blocked on the DC (although I could have investigated 'undertaking' I didn't. When they moved into the LH lane I assumed that they'd made their point and I was now being allowed to pass. That was when it got a bit silly and that was the point at which I reviewed the options and decided that being behind them wasn't the best of the available options.

I am sure that other people would have behaved differently, and no doubt my decision to continue the overtake was possibly not the best one, but mindful of the video I linked to earlier, I WAS NOT stopping, or going to be in a position when I was near the other car in traffic that I knew was coming up in 5 miles or so (at the roundabout in the town the road led to). That simply was not going to happen.

[sl350z]

ant leigh said:

Had a classic last week.
Following a red mondeo on a single carriageway 40mph zone in good conditions. He is driving around 35 - 37mph but I keep back until we reach the next T junction where the traffic lights are on red.
Switches to two lanes for the lights and the next hundred metres after the lights. Left lane for left and straight, right lane for straight ahead.

He pulls up on the left and I move alongside on the right, back a yard so I am not in his face. When the lights change I accelerate just enough for a comfortable pass but then he decides to go for it to stop me passing. I gave it a bit of juice to get past but then he starts aggressive flashing, even as he drops back to his 35mph.

WTF is wrong with some people.

Some people really don't like being overtaken

[0000]

Great Pretender said:

It’s nearly always the same scenario; the car in question is at least two-up with the driver invariably not paying attention.

My crime? Making a polite gesture that I’d like to pass in the outside lane when lane 1 is clear, such as a signal of the indicators or perhaps a very brief flash of the headlights. And the reaction is nearly always the same: the driver feels that this is a challenge to his/her competence and all hell breaks loose.

I've stopped with the polite gestures and just pass them whichever side is free. By the time they've woken up, if they do at all, you're past them. I used to see this sort of behaviour on a daily basis, now it's once in a blue moon. Giving that sort of person an awareness of the situation they've created and precious seconds to think about how they can exact their revenge on you probably isn't desirable.

[FisiP1]

Was flashed while passing twice yesterday Masses of room and all.

I wish they'd just do a public information campaign on overtaking because I think a lot of people consider it irresponsible or inconsiderate driving to overtake, when in fact it is nothing of the sort.