Idiot racers in crap cars

[the t boy]

Just on my way to the supermarket, driving down a straight 30 limit with plenty of other traffic around when a Corsa comes flying up behind me and then sits 2 feet off my bumper. A gap of about 200yards in the oncoming traffic appears and the tt decides to get a run up and overtake. When I realised he wasn't going to make it I braked so that he didn't have a head on with the car coming the other way at which point his mate in the Saxo behind who had been trying to follow him through on the overtake almost went straight into the back of me.

Bad driving usually doesn't get me so wound up but these fg tts were beyond belief. The worst part was that neither of them noticed the car that had started turning left out of one of the driveways on the right and then sensibly decided to stop. Lucky they had checked left before pulling out as so many people just don't bother these days. Obviously these 17 year olds have the necessary skill and experience (not to mention powerful cars) to be able to perform such manouevers in safety. Hopefully when they do crash it will be into a tree or wall and not some innocent person.

I phoned the police to report it but they won't do anything unless someone else makes a complaint. To be honest it's unlikely so there you go. I asked if they would go round and have a quiet word, check insurance etc but apparently no independant witnesses = no action.

End of Rant.

Sorry to go on but these nob jockeys have really got to me. Time to lie down in a darkened room.

[v15ben]

Yep I have a few friends like that who have left cars upside down, in fields and all over the place.

Utterly crap drivers who think they are Michael Schumacher.

One of them only just woke up from a coma before the life support was turned off. Just shows the rewards for driving like such a

[Nickccc]

I had a green winged machine appear behind me two days ago. It was terrible straight up my chuff, dump valve dumping away.
Indicate left pulled over instantly.
Today country lane pretty tight, another one tatty old van up the bumper again, pulled over let him past.
I bet he told his mates in the pub ,"those cerb's are shit I destroyed one today" wa~_+}rs.
Nick.

[Hugh1]

There are loads of modded cars around here (falmouth). I end up pulling over or slowing down to encourage them to overtake (where safe) at least 3 or 4 times a week (I dont do many miles while Im at uni).

At least you can get out of their way though. A couple of times recently (once yesterday) I've had to slam on the anchors to avoid old (sorry, hate to generalise but...) dears who have drifted between lanes without looking or indicating. Yesterday she had her drivers door mirror folded in so I was weary as I was overtaking, thank god 'cos that was the closest I've come to being involved in an accident.

Oh well, I didnt like the front tyres that were on anyway, they were too cheap, I'll get some better ones put on on friday cos theres a nice flat spot on these! (this is something else that annoys me; it wasnt my fault at all but I have to foot the bill )

[Flintstone]

Hugh1 said:

I'll get some better ones put on on friday cos theres a nice flat spot on these! (this is something else that annoys me; it wasnt my fault at all but I have to foot the bill )

(Psssst! Cadence braking.)

[Hugh1]

I haven't mastered it yet. In my last car (a Rover 400) there was enough feel through the pedal to keep the wheels not quite locked, in this (escort) there is absolutely no feel at all and I almost always lock it up (initially anyway) in an emergency stop situation.

I should find an industrial estate round here thats empty one sunday and practise emergency stops and heel/toe which I've never managed before.

[funkyrobot]

The town in which my girlfriend lives is full of these chuffing ts!!

They all love speeding around town at ridiculous speeds with their stupid cars that are quite frankly crap with plastic bolted on. There is an assortment of N reg rovers with dump valves, crap old fiestas and novas with dump valves, old astras etc, an old Fiat Panda with dump valve, old corsas etc all with dump valves. All the cars are about 12 years old and are st!!!

They really really ps you off, mostly when they sit on your rear bumper when you are driving, but also when you walk around in town and they fly past you at about 40 - 50 mph!!! They seem to be developing a habit of overtaking in 30mph's too now.

I think they are scum and they need sorting out. They all have stupid stickers in their back windows too advertising this local garage that is supposed to mod cars. They are all st and none of them are worth half as much as the stupid st plastic wings and bumpers they put on.

I was thinking of going to the local police station and asking them why I never see any police officers around town sorting this very potential hazard out. But like others say on here, nothing will come of it.

Whenever I walk through the town now with my g/f we both give them a sarcastic cheer and shout stuff like 'fastest lap mate???'. Ws.

There is one nice car circulating around though and he doesn't need to speed through town, he would whip them all anyway, the car is question is a Noble. Lovely

[puggit]

Plenty of Chavved up cars in Reading - but most of our aterial roads are dual carriageways with lights. Plenty of opportunity to embarass them from a standing start without breaking the speed limit, even in the 206!

[timf]

answer to the problem

4x4 with wrap round bull bars, pitt manoeuvre
spun out chav

unfortunately you might get chav car paint on the bull bar

[The Undertaker]

Easy remedy.........slow right down indicate left and stop,thus allowing said chav in posession of 'modded'....(ie. covered in superglue and used to ram raid Halfords).... corsa,saxo, etc etc, to speed off to an early demise

[charltm]

Irresponsible I'm sure some people would think this is, but when drivers sit on my bumper (or rear tyre when I'm on the bike), particularly at an inappropriate speed, I have one solution which has the combined benefits of being safe and, hopefully, making them feel humiliated. It works best (and is safest) in the outside lane of NSL dual carriageways but anywhere is fine, with the proviso that, of course, one doesn't exceed the posted speed limit and one reacts immediately to chav actions so as not to endanger the public.

After detecting the culprit in the rear view mirror (but probably no longer in the door mirrors because of extreme proximity) and just before becoming annoyed, gradually decelerate to a speed about 30-40% of the posted speed limit. Wait for five or six seconds or until the chav starts to move to over- or under-take, whichever occurs first. Immediately accelerate briskly up to the posted speed limit (or a safe speed - your choice) in such a manner as to demonstrate to the chav that he has no hope of keeping up and shouldn't be driving up your erse.

Repeat as necessary unless the chav's car is beaten up enough that he may be tempted to ram you.

To be honest, for safety's sake, only once have I done the above anywhere other than in the outside lane of a dual carriageway when I've been aggressively tailgated while overtaking. It is satisfying. Even better if you proceed at a safe speed and they never catch you up.

>> Edited by charltm on Tuesday 24th May 10:48

[TheExcession]

I normally tap out the theme chune to the Archers with my left foot on the brake peddle whilst maintaing a constant speed.

The flashing brake lights usually seem to get the message across...

best
Ex

[GreenV8S]

I use a variation on this, which is just to drop back by say half the gap. If they're close enough for this to be an issue then that's only a few yards and only needs a gentle momentary lift. When they respond and drop back, briskly accelerate forward to your original position. More often than not they will accelerate forward as well, but not as briskly (slight power-to-weight advantage here). While they are still accelerating towards you, start to drop back again. By keeping out of phase with them, relatively gentle acceleration/decellation by you can make them work quite hard to stay close to you, and the closer they are and the more aggressively they drive the more effective this technique is. I very rarely need to do this, but it has proved very effective at 'shrugging them off' without being aggressive and without putting either of us in danger.

[cooperman]

Just to make you laugh, I had a very similar thing on the A1 the other evening. I was driving my wife's car, a Citroen (yes, really - her choice!) in the wet along the A1 at scam-ridden 50 limit at Sandy, when 'Jack-the-lad' comes close up behind in his Escort . So, I'm indicating about 55 and keeping an eye open for the van when we come to the roundabout. JTL is still up my a**e, but the roundabout is clear so I don't brake, just lift off, set the line nicely and go through with increasing power very smoothly. Jack-the-lad, however, manages to spin his old Escort ending up with most of the car on the centre island.
Hooray!!!

[Killer2005]

On a road near me, where there's at least 2 blind corners,with cars parked in dangerous positions, you can hear them racing up and down on an afternoon/evening. And with young children in the house on one of the corners. Its only a matter of time before another person is killed.

[Don]

cooperman said:

Just to make you laugh, I had a very similar thing on the A1 the other evening. I was driving my wife's car, a Citroen (yes, really - her choice!) in the wet along the A1 at scam-ridden 50 limit at Sandy, when 'Jack-the-lad' comes close up behind in his Escort . So, I'm indicating about 55 and keeping an eye open for the van when we come to the roundabout. JTL is still up my a**e, but the roundabout is clear so I don't brake, just lift off, set the line nicely and go through with increasing power very smoothly. Jack-the-lad, however, manages to spin his old Escort ending up with most of the car on the centre island. Hooray!!!

I shouldn't condone that.




But.

[Don]

For tailgaters I find lighting up the brake lights with my left foot whilst simultaeneously putting gentle power on gets them to drop back.

You have to learn to be gentle with the left foot, mind. I only press hard enough to switch on the lights - not hard enough to actually brake at all.

>> Edited by Don on Thursday 19th May 15:44