Angry Passat Man...

[surveyor]

Have tonight been threatened with having my block knocked off by a bug eyed angry Passat man. Went 0 - 100 in about 15 seconds. Let me explain...

I approached this junction https://www.google.com/maps/@53.4927934,-1.8810343... from the B road, turning right onto the Woodhead Pass.



My work vehicle is this:

IMG_2148 by David Powell, on Flickr

Although it has back seat windows, they are smaller than they appear and their are large bits of bodywork restricting over the shoulder view.

My soloution therefore is on these type of junctions to swing right before swinging left, so that I am closer to perpendicular so that I can see traffic from both directions clearly.



Passat man had come from the direction that I was turning, and within 5 seconds was foaming at the mouth shouting and swearing.

So was what I was undoing unnecessary as he claimed? Am I a st driver? Thoughts...

PS The van in front of me had done the exact same thing...

[Brinyan]

The tt in the Passat has probably never driven a van, or vehicle with restricted visibility. No excuse for getting angry, but some people are born angry & it vents out when they’re slightly inconvenienced.
I drive a similar vehicle to yours & have had similar encounters.

[Osinjak]

Can't see that you've done anything unreasonable. If it's any consolation I've just returned to the UK after a couple of years working in one of Trump's sthole countries and the level of intolerance on our roads is almost surreal, I really can't get my head around it.

Today I'm out and about on a well known road near me that merges into one after a set of lights. I'm marginally ahead of the car on my left so accelerate to create some space to merge and the throbber speeds up to stop me from 'pushing in.' He stays with me and in the end I just indicate and pull over regardless with the predictable leaning on the horn and all the rest of it. You created the problem mate, deal with it. Honestly, people are just wkers just like the one you met today.

[ging84]

Not sure I understand the issue

was he trying to turn down the road you were pulling out of but you were blocking his side a bit so he couldn't get through ?

[Flumpo]

I know it’s easier said than done, but just forget about it.

So what if you were in the wrong (not saying you were) then does that in any way justify his actions?

The guy is probably a nutter and has more problems than we could guess.

One day he will meet another nutter who might out nutter him. Best to leave these sort to it.

[andygo]

I do exactly the same thing at any junction configured like that. It's common sense IMHO to do so in a car, never mind a van etc..

I suspect the plonker may just have disliked the colour of your van.

Ignore such idiots, you were 1,000% in the right.

[surveyor]

ging84 said:

Not sure I understand the issue

was he trying to turn down the road you were pulling out of but you were blocking his side a bit so he couldn't get through ?

Correct. Which also did kind of suit, as it fairly quickly slows up that carriageway and increases the chance of getting out onto a very busy road with a st junction.

[ging84]

He'd have been really angry if he saw me today
I was turning right onto a single carriageway that is 2 lanes in both directions, both lanes were queuing the way I wanted to go but there was a big gap the other way, so i pulled out blocking both lanes till someone let me in

[gazza285]

I do that every time I use that junction. Trying to turn right off the Holme Moss road is more fun though.

[OlonMusky]

Were you turning left (so doing a sort of u-turn) or right?

[surveyor]

OlonMusky said:

Were you turning left (so doing a sort of u-turn) or right?

Right. The issue is seeing the traffic from the left. If I don't place myself on the road, it is very hard to get a clear view.

[skip_1]

I do exactly as you did at that very junction. I see others go parallel to use their wing mirror. Either way the other guy is a dick.

[OlonMusky]

surveyor said:

OlonMusky said:

Were you turning left (so doing a sort of u-turn) or right?

Right. The issue is seeing the traffic from the left. If I don't place myself on the road, it is very hard to get a clear view.

I personally tackle junctions like this (if I was turning right) by trying to be as parallel as possible and use mirrors to see the traffic coming from behind, as if I was coming off a slip road. But this junction seems challenging for any imaginable scenario. And judging by street view pictures it has a history of people crashing there.

[Macneil]

Bloke's an idiot, you just haven't behaved according to his rules!

[rambo19]

I have to do this in my lorry quite regular, BUT, I wait until nothing is coming the other way.

[surveyor]

rambo19 said:

I have to do this in my lorry quite regular, BUT, I wait until nothing is coming the other way.

I was in position waiting to turn before he showed up.... In terms of waiting for nothing coming - it's a busy road, and I had traffic behind me.

[Sheepshanks]

My standard response: every year 25% of the adults in the UK suffer some level of mental illness. You're bound to encounter a few of them with the angry sort if you drive around a lot.

[Pesty]

That’s a horrible junction at the best of times I do what you did in a car.

There are also ime and I drive all over the country for work a high proportion of knob heads drive over those passes.

It varies from 20mph under to raging maniac. I’m closer to raging manic but only when empty.

I’ve also had the I’ll drive 20mph under brigade then floor it when I try and overtake.

I love when it splits into two lanes up that big hil and the sit on the middle to stop you going past. Love that.

[OddCat]

....but....but...but...you effectively turned an acute angle junction into a T Junction (so you could better see traffic coming from the left) by positioning your van in a way that blocked his path ?

Ths issue is whether he had a right to be annoyed rather than how annoyed he actually was ? I suspect the answer to the first part is 'yes'. What would have happened were there a constant stream of traffic from the left meaning you couldn't go ? Would he not have been left stranded on the main road ?

[surveyor]

OddCat said:

....but....but...but...you effectively turned an acute angle junction into a T Junction (so you could better see traffic coming from the left) by positioning your van in a way that blocked his path ?

Ths issue is whether he had a right to be annoyed rather than how annoyed he actually was ? I suspect the answer to the first part is 'yes'. What would have happened were there a constant stream of traffic from the left meaning you couldn't go ? Would he not have been left stranded on the main road ?

He was off the road into the turning. I'm not sure what my other option is, without going on blind hope. Eventually yes, that lane will slow or stop to the point that I can edge forward and only deal with the traffic from the left.