What was the offence?

[jamesTT]

Hi All. Had a bit of an incident this morning and was wondering what the offence was this guy commited if any.

I was in a queue of traffic at traffic lights. Its a road I travel every day on my commute so I knew I was about 3 cycles of the lights from getting the green to go. Consiquently I was putting into practice some advanced techniques such that I arrived at the end of the queue just as it was starting to move off ... just slowly creeping up if you know what I mean.

Anyway the guy behind me got to driving very close and leaning on his horn. The next gap that opened he darted around me, accelerateing as hard as his 1.0L Polo could, via opposite carrageway, to come to a very abrupt halt at the line of traffic in front of me.

I'm pretty sure that if I'd been driving Street Cs company car that this guy would have acted very differently. But did he break the law? What from a legal standpoint did this guy do wrong?


I have his details if anyone thinks it'd be worth me phoning the local BiBs.

[Streetcop]

Hiya James..

Not worth ringing the BiB....

You're right...his driving would have been sooooo much different if he had been behind my work's car...

There is no real offence, as overtaking is possible and legal in the circumstances, if very annoying and childish...

The only thing possibly, could be sect 3, driving without consideration for other road users as your braking distance would have been reduced by his actions pulling in front of you...

I wouldn't worry about it and just forget the phallically challenged member....he will do it to a BiB or Kenny Noye type and really come unstuck...

Take care mate.. and keep posting on here..

Street



>> Edited by Streetcop on Tuesday 21st September 10:55

[jamesTT]

Cheers for the reply SC. Was annoying at the time - it does help to vent the spleen on here tho'.

Couldn't help thinking about how his wife must be a really satisfied woman if he likes to carry on like this in all aspects of his life !!
That thought calmed me down a bit.

[pzero64]

There just has to be law regarding overtaking in a 1.0L Polo.

[jap-car]

I would have over-taken you. There's nothing more frustrating when trying to get to work in a morning than someone who leaves ridiculously large gaps in traffic light / roundabout queues and rolls along at just above stall speed. What gives them the right to form a rolling road-block? What if their first gear ratio is just slighlty less than yours, meaning you are forever on/off the clutch? Do they not realise that most traffic lights have radar which will turn the lights to red when they detect a gap in the traffic?

>> Edited by jap-car on Tuesday 21st September 13:47

[splodge s4]

come to a very abrupt halt at the line of traffic in front of me.

[/quote]

instead of getting angry (which is very easy to do) just point at him, laugh out loud, blow raspberrys & slap your head in a monty python type way, keep pointing & laughing feel sorry for the poor little boy. It really does make him feel a bit silly. Youll also notice everyone else laughing around you. no more road rage.

[JohnL]

jap-car said:

I would have over-taken you. There's nothing more frustrating when trying to get to work in a morning than someone who leaves ridiculously large gaps in traffic light / roundabout queues and rolls along at just above stall speed. What gives them the right to form a rolling road-block? What if their first gear ratio is just slighlty less than yours, meaning you are forever on/off the clutch? Do they not realise that most traffic lights have radar which will turn the lights to red when they detect a gap in the traffic?

When I do this, I usually do it in 2nd gear for this very reason

[jap-car]

JohnL said:

When I do this, I usually do it in 2nd gear for this very reason

But that's not really "creeping" is it?

[TripleS]

jap-car said:

I would have over-taken you. There's nothing more frustrating when trying to get to work in a morning than someone who leaves ridiculously large gaps in traffic light / roundabout queues and rolls along at just above stall speed. What gives them the right to form a rolling road-block? What if their first gear ratio is just slighlty less than yours, meaning you are forever on/off the clutch? Do they not realise that most traffic lights have radar which will turn the lights to red when they detect a gap in the traffic? >> Edited by jap-car on Tuesday 21st September 13:47

Well there's a happy medium to be found somewhere and while I appreciate your sense of urgency in getting to work, may I suggest a calm approach might be found to be better. I have to admit in the situation described I tend to smooth things out a bit and roll along gently to minimise the stopping and starting. I agree (within reason) with JamesTT's approach, and I very much doubt that it causes significant delay.

In view of what you say I wonder if you are one of those drivers that follows very close on the tail of the vehicle in front in a slow moving queue? This is something I often see and it surely increases the risk of a slight shunt if the front driver stalls or has any kind of unexpected delay in getting away, and I expect you'd be late getting to work if that were to happen.

A bit of patience doesn't really cost you that much time does it?

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[wedge girl]

[quote=Streetcop]

I wouldn't worry about it and just forget the phallically challenged member....he will do it to a BiB or Kenny Noye type and really come unstuck...


Street



I don't think there was ever any suggestion that Stephen Cameron was driving in this manner, and even if he was I don't think he deserved to be brutally murdered infront of his girlfriend. I find your comment to be rather offensive.

[splodge s4]

I was putting into practice some advanced techniques such that I arrived at the end of the queue just as it was starting to move off ... just slowly creeping up if you know what I mean.


Good skills mate, nice for the car, no clutch in & out all the time, good for the occupants, feels like your always moving. Also shows good observation skills that you knew the traffic was about to move, the tw#t behind couldnt see over his bonnet.

[jap-car]

TripleS said:

In view of what you say I wonder if you are one of those drivers that follows very close on the tail of the vehicle in front in a slow moving queue?

No I'm not and I have a good driving record. I've never had an accident which was classed as my fault.

I don't see the difference between this and the person trundling along at 40mph in a NSL. Maybe by overtaking, you'll just catch up with someone else doing 40mph but it doesn't mean that you should be forced into following them.

[JohnL]

jap-car said:

No I'm not and I have a good driving record. I've never had an accident which was classed as my fault.

Just a f**k of a lot that turned out to be someone else's! (sorry couldn't resist ... )

jap-car said:

I don't see the difference between this and the person trundling along at 40mph in a NSL. Maybe by overtaking, you'll just catch up with someone else doing 40mph but it doesn't mean that you should be forced into following them.

Yeah but it's also fun watching the guy behind get stressed while taking the laid back approach yourself .

The problem - as ever - isn't just doing this at all, but doing it in a way that's inconsiderate to other road users. Ie, if you do it very slowly you're innveniencing other drivers who are then on and off the clutch. If you leave a huge gap that makes the traffic lights change then obviously that's pretty inconvenient for others too. If you use a decent speed - above walking pace - and keep the gaps vaguely sensible, no problem.

What sort of gap is enough to trigger a traffic light change?

[jap-car]

JohnL said:

jap-car said: No I'm not and I have a good driving record. I've never had an accident which was classed as my fault. Just a f**k of a lot that turned out to be someone else's! (sorry couldn't resist ... )

Again, no. Some numpties have hit me though.

JohnL said:

What sort of gap is enough to trigger a traffic light change?

With a radar detector, you soon realise that almost all traffic lights are partly controlled by radar looking for a gap in the traffic before turning red. By leaving a gap of more than I'd say maybe 4 car lengths, alomost invariably you find that the "creeper" just gets through on orange before the lights turn red for the folks behind. Don't mis-undersatnd me, I will only overtake if the gap is extremely big and it is safe to do so but I have been known to rev the engine behind these creepers.

[TripleS]

jap-car said:

TripleS said: In view of what you say I wonder if you are one of those drivers that follows very close on the tail of the vehicle in front in a slow moving queue? No I'm not and I have a good driving record. I've never had an accident which was classed as my fault.

OK fair enough.

jap-car said:

I don't see the difference between this and the person trundling along at 40mph in a NSL. Maybe by overtaking, you'll just catch up with someone else doing 40mph but it doesn't mean that you should be forced into following them.

Well I feel there is a difference between being in a low speed queue in a built up area, and driving at an unnaturally low speed on the open road. Sometimes I travel at below the NSL on the open road, but I watch carefully what's going on behind me. If anyone looks as if they want to overtake I'll help them to do so. If it is not possible for them to overtake safely I'll speed up temporarily so as not to delay them, then when they've got past I can go back to my pottering mode.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[Nightmare]

yeah - think this is 2 different things.

When lights go green, and the eprson at the front decides to crawl away, it REALLY p*sses me off - cos this is just thoughtless.....same with deciding to do a steady 40 in an NSL and not give big gaps for people to overtake.

I assumed (maybe wrongly) here that Splodge is sitting, say, in a long queue approaching roundabout/ traffic lights, where there will be a complete revolution of lights several times before he gets there (I queue in something similar most days).....therefore by dropping back from the car in front and then crawling slowly (instead of rushing up to the next 'stop time') everyone keeps moving a bit. If you watch large trucks in queues it's exactly what they do.

Having someone then cut in front thinking they're 'getting ahead' just shows they dont understand driving!

[kevinday]

wedge girl said:

[quote=Streetcop] I wouldn't worry about it and just forget the phallically challenged member....he will do it to a BiB or Kenny Noye type and really come unstuck... Street I don't think there was ever any suggestion that Stephen Cameron was driving in this manner, and even if he was I don't think he deserved to be brutally murdered infront of his girlfriend. I find your comment to be rather offensive.

Wedge Girl,

I am a bit here, where did Street mention Stephen Cameron?

[splodge s4]

I assumed (maybe wrongly) here that Splodge is sitting, say, in a long queue approaching roundabout/ traffic lights, where there will be a complete revolution of lights several times before he gets there


yup agreed, wouldnt it be great if as the lights turned green EVERYBODY moved at the same time instead of the 1st car shifting the 2nd car then getting into gear & moving the the 3rd....how many times have you watched lights go green then back to red & not even moved AAAHHH, sorry off the thread a bit but..

[Flat in Fifth]

kevinday said:

wedge girl said: [quote=Streetcop] I wouldn't worry about it and just forget the phallically challenged member....he will do it to a BiB or Kenny Noye type and really come unstuck... Street I don't think there was ever any suggestion that Stephen Cameron was driving in this manner, and even if he was I don't think he deserved to be brutally murdered infront of his girlfriend. I find your comment to be rather offensive. Wedge Girl, I am a bit here, where did Street mention Stephen Cameron?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/692329.stm

Motto, unobtrusive progress rules.

If you come across a richard head, chill and let 'em go. If you need to think unkind thoughts, just remember everyone else is thinking they are a richard head too.

[Streetcop]

wedge girl said:

Streetcop said: I wouldn't worry about it and just forget the phallically challenged member....he will do it to a BiB or Kenny Noye type and really come unstuck... Street I don't think there was ever any suggestion that Stephen Cameron was driving in this manner, and even if he was I don't think he deserved to be brutally murdered infront of his girlfriend. I find your comment to be rather offensive.

That is because you wrongly assumed that I was referring to Stephen Cameron's driving and I wasn't. I was pointing out the fact that the driver in THIS case will one day meet either an unmarked BiB or a "Kenneth Noye type"...I wasn't mentioning Stephen Cameron, nor to the other people murdered by Noye...

Sorry if you were offended, but you assumed something that I didn't mean..

Street