Scared of the 'fast lane'

[hornetrider]

Seriously, what is this all about?

Yesterday afternoon, M4, very light traffic. I'm having a 75mph cruise control eco drive. Doing the usual, wafting along L1 and popping out to go round the heavies. I'm constantly bemused by drivers approaching from my rear in L2 who, despite no traffic in L3, slow down and stay behind me in L2 whilst I complete my manouevre, before accelerating past still in L2 when I return to L1!!

It's bizarre!

Overtake me you bloody numpties!

Oh, and while I'm at it - if I'm indicating to come out it would be nice if they pulled into L3 to allow me to do so - it's the polite thing to do

[Urban Sports]

I notice this, they stay behind for ages, usually too close and when I pull into lane 1 they suddenly have a burst of acceleration to go past. If they wanted to go past why didn't they use the outside lane?

[XJSsometimeSoon]

No doubt they are the people that sit in L2 regardless of what is going on around them.

[tucks]

some people have a fear of L3 in case they get caught in it and miss a turning off of L1 but at the same time dont want to stay in L1 and follow a slow moving lorry on the route of a entire trip.





athough most people are just rubbish on motorways.

[mnkiboy]

Saw this just yesterday. Mondeo in L2 overtakes me in L1. Mondeo comes up behind a caravan overtaking a lorry. Nothing in L3, but Mondeo slows to around 65mph and sits behind caravan.
I'm approaching Mondeo so pull out to L3. Halfway past Mondeo the caravan pulls back in, and Mondeo has a burst of acceleration leaving me doing 75mph in L3.
Why didn't he just overtake?

[Welshbeef]

Had this once before me in L1 va in front doing 60mph I am doing 70mph so catch him up.
L3 is dead.

However in L2 there is a driver who is behind me but its tight so I put on my indicator showing that I want to overtake - they have the option of moving out to L3 accelerating in L2 (up to 70mph) or backing off.
Now I leave the indicator flashing for about 20 seconds and Im looking right at her yet she does nothing.
I therefore assume she's happy to let me out with the gap she is offering. So I pull out (Im well aware its tight but I can easily see her number plate so its fine as far as Im concerned).

Then.... she puts on Main Beam and holds her horn on.
Luckily for me I have polarising rear view mirror so it makes no difference and have music on so the horn isnt that intrusive.
I complete my overtake and then she comes along side of me looking right at me shaking her hand/fist mouthing somthing obscene.

This doesnt really bother me one bit so I carry on but I notice she is a middle lane hogger (L1 was empty as far as I could see).
So I decided to see how many circles round her I could make between J8/9 & J10 M4.... I got to 15. .
I started waving at her as I overtook her then pulled into L1 from L3 slowed she overtook I pulled out to L2 then l3 to overtake her then pulled back into L1....

She didnt like this one bit clearly as on the 15th and last cycle she started to accelerate (I eased up the cruise control...). To a speed she clealy wasn't comfortable with....

very very amusing. I blew her a kiss and waved bye as I pulled off.
Really enjoyed that trip.

[hornetrider]

mnkiboy said:

Saw this just yesterday. Mondeo in L2 overtakes me in L1. Mondeo comes up behind a caravan overtaking a lorry. Nothing in L3, but Mondeo slows to around 65mph and sits behind caravan.
I'm approaching Mondeo so pull out to L3. Halfway past Mondeo the caravan pulls back in, and Mondeo has a burst of acceleration leaving me doing 75mph in L3.
Why didn't he just overtake?

This is exactly the behaviour I'm talking about - I also got left 'high and dry' in L3 as well because of this exact situation. wkERS ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[thinfourth2]

Never try to understand the actions of your fellow man it only send you mad

It is said that once we fully understand the universe it will be immidately replaced by one even sillier and more confusing then this one

There is another train of thought that this has already happened

[GTR Cook]

I place these people in the same category as those that sit in the middle and fast lanes for no apparent reason not overtaking anyone and just sitting in there comfort zones. If people used the most appropriate lane then motorways would generally flow better.

[BritishPetExpo]

I tend to notice this every time I use motorways (one of many reasons I despise the things). Even more annoying are the people who overtake me in Lane 2 and then gradually slow down and just sit alongside, so when I inevitably catch up with a lorry or something I'm stuck. Most annoying when I had my old car with cruise control as I knew I was at a constant speed and would then have to reset it.

[goffahsez]

Welshbeef said:

Had this once before me in L1 va in front doing 60mph I am doing 70mph so catch him up.
L3 is dead.

However in L2 there is a driver who is behind me but its tight so I put on my indicator showing that I want to overtake - they have the option of moving out to L3 accelerating in L2 (up to 70mph) or backing off.
Now I leave the indicator flashing for about 20 seconds and Im looking right at her yet she does nothing.
I therefore assume she's happy to let me out with the gap she is offering. So I pull out (Im well aware its tight but I can easily see her number plate so its fine as far as Im concerned).

Then.... she puts on Main Beam and holds her horn on.
Luckily for me I have polarising rear view mirror so it makes no difference and have music on so the horn isnt that intrusive.
I complete my overtake and then she comes along side of me looking right at me shaking her hand/fist mouthing somthing obscene.

This doesnt really bother me one bit so I carry on but I notice she is a middle lane hogger (L1 was empty as far as I could see).
So I decided to see how many circles round her I could make between J8/9 & J10 M4.... I got to 15. .
I started waving at her as I overtook her then pulled into L1 from L3 slowed she overtook I pulled out to L2 then l3 to overtake her then pulled back into L1....

She didnt like this one bit clearly as on the 15th and last cycle she started to accelerate (I eased up the cruise control...). To a speed she clealy wasn't comfortable with....

very very amusing. I blew her a kiss and waved bye as I pulled off.
Really enjoyed that trip.

Lol 15, that's a good effort, I don't think I've ever managed to get that many laps completed

[anonymous-user]

You really are expecting a bit too much from your fellow motorists i'm afraid! I'd just assume they haven't even noticed there are ANY other cars or users on the road except them. They just drive along at what ever speed and in whatever lane they see fit, paying no attention to anyone else. Then, if someone does pull out in front of them, their "sheep" instinct cuts in and they just follow said person (usually far too close) for a few miles, having forgoten that actually their car is a seperately controllable entity ;-)

[djfaulkner]

Welshbeef said:

Had this once before me in L1 va in front doing 60mph I am doing 70mph so catch him up.
L3 is dead.

However in L2 there is a driver who is behind me but its tight so I put on my indicator showing that I want to overtake - they have the option of moving out to L3 accelerating in L2 (up to 70mph) or backing off.
Now I leave the indicator flashing for about 20 seconds and Im looking right at her yet she does nothing.
I therefore assume she's happy to let me out with the gap she is offering. So I pull out (Im well aware its tight but I can easily see her number plate so its fine as far as Im concerned).

Then.... she puts on Main Beam and holds her horn on.
Luckily for me I have polarising rear view mirror so it makes no difference and have music on so the horn isnt that intrusive.
I complete my overtake and then she comes along side of me looking right at me shaking her hand/fist mouthing somthing obscene.

This doesnt really bother me one bit so I carry on but I notice she is a middle lane hogger (L1 was empty as far as I could see).
So I decided to see how many circles round her I could make between J8/9 & J10 M4.... I got to 15. .
I started waving at her as I overtook her then pulled into L1 from L3 slowed she overtook I pulled out to L2 then l3 to overtake her then pulled back into L1....

She didnt like this one bit clearly as on the 15th and last cycle she started to accelerate (I eased up the cruise control...). To a speed she clealy wasn't comfortable with....

very very amusing. I blew her a kiss and waved bye as I pulled off.
Really enjoyed that trip.

I have a theories about this - She was too close and therefore couldnt see your indicator...
It's happened to me and that's what I think.

Or - she had no intention of letting your pull out, as she just tooted and flashed. And not braked or pulled into the other lane which is what most people do as a natural instinct.

[Classic Grad 98]

This is supremely irritating. However I tow a lot so I'm not allowed in lane 3, so I may also be a perpetrator of this behaviour at times.

[Welshbeef]

djfaulkner said:

I have a theories about this - She was too close and therefore couldnt see your indicator...
It's happened to me and that's what I think.

Or - she had no intention of letting your pull out, as she just tooted and flashed. And not braked or pulled into the other lane which is what most people do as a natural instinct.

Thing is she had caught up and in essence was blocking me (nothing in front of her and then she adopted at 60mph L2 speed strange.
In hind sight I'd have slowed got behind her then overtook her and be done with it but thats more unnecessary effort.

[Cock Womble 7]

I see this all the time on the lorry. Being a considerate lorry driver, I'll check that I've got plenty of room to pull out into lane 2, but I will also check that lane 3 is clear - so that the car 500 yards or so behind me in lane 2 has somewhere to go to get past.

More often than not, I'll pull out, perform my "elephant race" and then pull back into lane 1 - only to see the same car still sitting patiently behind me in lane 2.

My theory? Lane 1 is for lorries. Lane 3 is for "Boy Racers". Lane 2 is safe.

[Strachan]

Cock Womble 7 said:

I see this all the time on the lorry. Being a in lane 2.

My theory? Lane 1 is for lorries. Lane 3 is for "Boy Racers". Lane 2 is safe.

a bit weird going from lorry to caterham?

[Cock Womble 7]

Strachan said:

A bit weird going from lorry to Caterham?

A bit, but they won't let me take the artic home, so I've got to.

[tescor]

I think a lot of people still think of slow, medium & fast lanes.

They don't consider themselves "slow" or "fast", so they sit in the middle lane.

[davemac250]

Cock Womble 7 said:

A bit, but they won't let me take the artic home, so I've got to.

And it doesn't fit under the security gate?