Do you ever 'self-police' the roads?

[Wills2]

soupdragon1 said:

I do, when the occasion presents itself.

Example

Heavy commute motorway traffic, we've 4 lanes of traffic about 2 miles long. Left 2 lanes go North, right 2 lanes go east. The left lanes move a lot slower, so you get lots of people going right hand lane all the way, 2ish miles and then cut in at the last minute. Quite dangerously at times, nipping into tiny gaps.

It's got to the point the left lanes are driving nose to tail to stop these people, but they still cut in anyway, aggressively at times.

So I self police.

I leave a very attractive gap, inviting them to cut in in a safe manner. But I drop a gear and sit bang in the optimum power band, ready to 'speed match' them. As they are about to pass me and take the big gap, I speed up. They soon realise I'm not letting them in and their plan is foiled.

They end up going down several miles of motorway which ends at a big roundabout which is always log jammed. They have to negotiate that, drive all the way back to the start of the 4 lane motorway and start all over again. Minimum 15 mins extra journey time, in their efforts to save I minute. Nice to serve some justice to others sometimes.

Anyone else self police on the road?

Edit.

After a lot of posts, and in line with popular opinion, this isn't clever at all. I'll not be doing this in future

Edited by soupdragon1 on Tuesday 22 May 18:29

Edited by soupdragon1 on Tuesday 22 May 22:12

Hand your licence in you utter tt.

[soupdragon1]

I've edited my original post at the end to confirm that's it's not very clever, and I won't be doing that anymore.

You probably won't be alarmed to know that this isn't the only bit of self-policing I've been doing though

This example is a bit of policing I learnt from someone else. I was in a queue at the railway station, gates down, train coming. Takes ages, because the train is crawling in and gates come down when train is half a mile away. Always creates long queues both sides.

So gates go up, traffic starts to move from both sides. Guy in front just stops, and starts letting in people turning to their right (our left) and it's not just a car, multiple cars. What the bloody he'll makes you a self appointed mobile traffic light I'm saying to myself. I'm all for letting people in, but once our queue had moved away, they were all getting across no problem at all.

Several months later, same queue. Traffic starts moving and off we all go, both directions free to move off. I get as far as the railway tracks and the traffic comes to a standstill. Great. Same thing in both directions. My queue wants to turn right but the other queue is blocking. The other queue has cars waiting to turn right, but can't get past our queue. Gridlock.

Cars are now trying to reverse to create room, but it's a domino effect...until the back of the queue reverses, nobody else really can. I watch this all playing out for a couple of minutes, but then the track lights start flashing, then the gates come down.....and I'm still on the tracks. Holy st, I'm in diffs here!

I beep the horn and thankfully, because it's a station with an attended barrier, he puts the barrier back up. I still have nowhere to go, I just find a gap in the centre of the road between 2 cars.

Thinking how it all played out, I can now see why that guy decided to self-police the situation. It's not obvious, there is about 100 yards between both right turns either side of the railway and due to the hump at the railway, you can't see that far either. You're just guessing that there is 'potential' to a gridlock like i found myself in.

It would always take 1 person like him, but whos to know which side of the road to do it on? That guy done it anyway, I realised his logic and after my experience, I think he's doing the right thing. But of course, other side of the argument is that he could be holding up traffic unnecessarily and who is he to decide what way the traffic should flow?

Anyways, that's why I created the thread. Sometimes it's maybe best to 'force' other road users to follow you're way of thinking, even if it's not your position to do so? There is bound to be lots of scenarios where you can 'force' others to follow your lead as it's the right thing to do. My 1st example was very bad, yes, not a good start, but maybe this example is better?

[soupdragon1]

Blakewater said:

The problem is, when a queue stretches for miles in one lane up to a junction it can extend beyond the first signs telling you which lane you need. You can't see the road markings for the traffic covering them. People passing a queue and then trying to move in might seem like queue jumpers to those who use the stretch of road everyday and know they need to get in the correct lane a long way back. They might in fact be people unfamiliar with the road and the quirks of where the traffic builds up locally trying to get into the correct lane at the earliest point. If going a different way because they're in the incorrect lane is obviously going to take a long detour they'll be keen to correct their error.

Very good point.

[ecsrobin]

I had some knob in a red Volvo last week try do a similar thing, motorway goes to 4 lanes then back to 3, I’m in the 4th lane with 1/4 mile to go and spot a huge gap in front of him. As soon as I’m alongside he starts closing the gap so I accelerate and slot in to be met with lots of hand gestures and a frustrated Volvo driver.

If he hadn’t of tried to close the gap there would have been no problem.

[soupdragon1]

ecsrobin said:

I had some knob in a red Volvo last week try do a similar thing, motorway goes to 4 lanes then back to 3, I’m in the 4th lane with 1/4 mile to go and spot a huge gap in front of him. As soon as I’m alongside he starts closing the gap so I accelerate and slot in to be met with lots of hand gestures and a frustrated Volvo driver.

If he hadn’t of tried to close the gap there would have been no problem.

It's a bit similar, but merging etiquette is a lot different than queue jumping. I've always merged with ettiquete, my op was more about people jumping queues, and it's easy to spot a queue jumper hammering along versus someone unfamiliar with the road trying to get it. Not to justify what I was doing, it is stupid, just putting it in context with a simple merge.

[TommyBuoy]

'Self Policing' is a daft term and a daft thing to do. A few posts alluded to the fact that it's just looking for trouble.

On my commutes there are areas where other drivers short cut the traffic and force their way in, some on purpose, others because they don't know the area or too busy texting ha!

My view nowadays is that even if 20 cars 'jump' the imaginary line I've 'lost' no more than 150m - the fact is I leave time to make the journey to where ever I'm going without counting down seconds, I stay calm and relaxed and mainly - unless I have never made a mistake or broken the rules, who the fk am I to judge the impatient tt / lost / clueless driver anyway.

However, if someone tries to 'self police's me filtering on a bike by straddling a lane/ moving across, I will lose my st and go full fking phsyco. Guess I'm a hipocrit

[Plastic chicken]

I regularly use the Glasgow city section of the M8 and with its unique design (lanes merging and de-merging on both nearside and offside) I can't help feeling that the road planners could do a lot to help the late-butting-in problem by replacing dotted lines between lanes by solid lines perhaps 2-3 hundred metres before certain notorious junctions (Charing Cross westbound, anyone?).
This might not stop the really determined queue-jumper because they know they'll never get caught, but it might make most think twice about doing it. It would also help the bunching-up that occurs as people try to prevent others jumping in.

[Toltec]

soupdragon1 said:

Yeah, bit of a facepalm here but to be fair, valid points raised which on hindsight, make better sense than my own.
But it wasn't a troll post, I've been doing this for a while now. Not the smartest thing I've ever done mind!

Now that is an example of self policing.

I find it annoying when people do something like this on clearly marked lanes, leaving it to the last second is ttish, but until the route division is clearly marked I don't see the problem if you can drive well enough not to cause a braking wave as you change lane.

There is a junction I used to use occasionally off a dual carriageway, there are three lanes with the left peeling off to a roundabout. The left splits to two lanes before it is divided from the main carriageway, then further splits to three on the roundabout approach. Almost all of the traffic is using the right two lanes to turn right and take an exit up to another roundabout to join a motorway. Very, very few cars want the first or second turn served by the left hand lane. I want the second exit when I use this roundabout. The thing is that because the left lane splits into two the queue starts to pick speed up and open decent gaps before the slip divides from the main carriageway. If the queues are particularly bad I have taken a late exit into a gap then slide across to the very left as that lane comes into existence. I also pass at least a dozen cars queuing in the right two lanes. Now I hope you will accept it when I say that the merge exit I do is always done smoothly and safely into a well planned gap, the abort just means staying on the main carriageway and doing a loop and return on a later roundabout which is normally quicker than queuing anyway and I have decided to do that a couple of times. The way I see it is that I have absolutely jumped the queue, however over 95% of them are not trying to even get to the same lane on the exit that I am so it isn't a queue I should be in. Being in there would actually add to the journey time of anyone behind me so crossing through it later makes no difference to the people in it that I pass at all.

Granted some of the drivers in the queue might think I am pushing in late, but to me I'm just crossing a completely different traffic stream.

[FiF]

All you can do is do your best to keep everyone safe and traffic moving. Sometimes with the best of intentions folks do utterly dumb things.

I don't call this self policing but my actions this day were thwarted. Traffic queue ahead up to some lights, sectiin with cars parked both sides, the vehicle in front of me brought the queue to the far end of the restriction from the parked cars. If I had moved forward to join the end of the queue the narrow section would have been blocked, so held back about 30 metres.

Driver of a bus coming the other way spots what I've done, thumbs up and drives through. At this point, dopey bloody pensioner in his Hyundai i10 who has pulled up behind me, decides I'm sat there for the good of my health, or as potential candidate for the bad parking thread, drives past and blocks the road. Feck me another pair of pensioners in whatever replaced the Matiz do the same, the road is now well and truly stuffed, queue builds back to lights which are now grid locked.

Lead a horse to water and all that.

[Terzo123]

Plastic chicken said:

I regularly use the Glasgow city section of the M8 and with its unique design (lanes merging and de-merging on both nearside and offside) I can't help feeling that the road planners could do a lot to help the late-butting-in problem by replacing dotted lines between lanes by solid lines perhaps 2-3 hundred metres before certain notorious junctions (Charing Cross westbound, anyone?).
This might not stop the really determined queue-jumper because they know they'll never get caught, but it might make most think twice about doing it. It would also help the bunching-up that occurs as people try to prevent others jumping in.

That section of the M8 is a joke. You have 5 lanes initially adjacent to the Royal Infirmary which quickly goes to 3, then back up to 4 and then down to 2 for the Charing cross underpass. Complete bottle neck.

Late 1950s planners have alot to answer for.

The best method for negotiating it during rush hour is keep left until the Royal then keep right until the Charing cross cut off.

[Flumpo]

In terms of self policing, the only thing I ever did I don’t bother with anymore.

I drive a lot in the m1 230+ miles at a time. driving late at night in l1 and catching up to someone in l2 even though we are the only cars for as far as you can see. I used to pull into l2 as I approached and flash them to let them know to pull into the correct lane. I quickly gave up as hardly anyone ever pulled over, used to look at me like a was mad and some then just put their full beam on once I was past.

Now I just pass in l3 and give up on middle lane hogs. Although I have noticed a direct correlation between those who hog l2 and their need to use fog lights regardless of weather condition.

[carlove]

I have better things to do than worry about people jumping queues. The other week though I was at a merge in turn, there was an Audi trying to merge behind and the car behind me nearly hit the back of my car trying to block him, so I stopped and waved the Audi driver to go in front of me, got a wave, thumbs up and hazard flash from the Audi. The car behind, the driver looked like steam was going to come out his ears while gesticulating at me, did a sort of crying gesture in my mirror and got on with my day.

What's the point in getting all worked up about somebody queue jumping? Simply let them in and get on with your day, and if you get worked up about people legally merging in turn, just hand your licence in.

I will admit if at a merge in turn the car in front goes into the merging lane to block traffic, I'm always very tempted to take their spot in the queue and not let them back in, haven't been brave enough to do it yet.

[Speed Badger]

I don't have the requisite stature and presence to successfully dominate the carriageway.

[Mothersruin]

OP, I get what you're saying - I can dig it.

[Potatoes]

pits said:

Love it when this happens, Theresa huge queue and there's people trying to nip in at the end, and people are blocking them, what I love doing is leaving a 2-3 car length gap.
Let people merge safely, and police against the aholes who try to block others.

...

I don't know Theresa Big-Queue but I get the feeling her and I wouldn't be friends.

[ghost83]

Op sounds like a cock! Clearly he thinks he’s an alpha male when he does this or does he have little man syndrome!

Bell end

[Potatoes]

Yes! Get him told Mr. OnlyRead O.P.!!

[Chester draws]

Mothersruin said:

OP, I get what you're saying - I can dig it.

Are you getting mixed up with the mock turtles?

[Mafffew]

This is just sad.

[Lazadude]

soupdragon1 said:

I've edited my original post at the end to confirm that's it's not very clever, and I won't be doing that anymore.

You probably won't be alarmed to know that this isn't the only bit of self-policing I've been doing though

This example is a bit of policing I learnt from someone else. I was in a queue at the railway station, gates down, train coming. Takes ages, because the train is crawling in and gates come down when train is half a mile away. Always creates long queues both sides.

So gates go up, traffic starts to move from both sides. Guy in front just stops, and starts letting in people turning to their right (our left) and it's not just a car, multiple cars. What the bloody he'll makes you a self appointed mobile traffic light I'm saying to myself. I'm all for letting people in, but once our queue had moved away, they were all getting across no problem at all.

Several months later, same queue. Traffic starts moving and off we all go, both directions free to move off. I get as far as the railway tracks and the traffic comes to a standstill. Great. Same thing in both directions. My queue wants to turn right but the other queue is blocking. The other queue has cars waiting to turn right, but can't get past our queue. Gridlock.

Cars are now trying to reverse to create room, but it's a domino effect...until the back of the queue reverses, nobody else really can. I watch this all playing out for a couple of minutes, but then the track lights start flashing, then the gates come down.....and I'm still on the tracks. Holy st, I'm in diffs here!

I beep the horn and thankfully, because it's a station with an attended barrier, he puts the barrier back up. I still have nowhere to go, I just find a gap in the centre of the road between 2 cars.

Thinking how it all played out, I can now see why that guy decided to self-police the situation. It's not obvious, there is about 100 yards between both right turns either side of the railway and due to the hump at the railway, you can't see that far either. You're just guessing that there is 'potential' to a gridlock like i found myself in.

It would always take 1 person like him, but whos to know which side of the road to do it on? That guy done it anyway, I realised his logic and after my experience, I think he's doing the right thing. But of course, other side of the argument is that he could be holding up traffic unnecessarily and who is he to decide what way the traffic should flow?

Anyways, that's why I created the thread. Sometimes it's maybe best to 'force' other road users to follow you're way of thinking, even if it's not your position to do so? There is bound to be lots of scenarios where you can 'force' others to follow your lead as it's the right thing to do. My 1st example was very bad, yes, not a good start, but maybe this example is better?

Sorry, so there's a traffic jam at a railway crossing, and instead of waiting for a gap which would enable you to make it across - you decided to queue sitting on the middle of the train tracks?!

You really need to rethink how you use the road / relax / grow up.