Ambulance pulls over lane hogger

[gshughes]

I was driving northbound on the A1(M) three lane section around 18.00 on 2nd January following a car doing about 60 mph in lane 3 for several miles with nothing in lane 2. The vehicle behind me (BMW X5) lit up the blue lights, so I pulled into lane 2. It then pulled the lane hogger onto the hard shoulder. To compound things the lane logger also had their rear fog lights on despite good visibility.

What was odd was that the X5 was marked as an ambulance. I wouldn't have thought they are authorised to pull other vehicles to "offer words of advice" which I assume was the intention? I guess the most likely explanation was that it was a police officer driving the ambulance. Good to see in any case, but a little odd.

[Doofus]

gshughes said:

I was driving northbound on the A1(M) three lane section around 18.00 on 2nd January following a car doing about 60 mph in lane 3 for several miles with nothing in lane 2. The vehicle behind me (BMW X5) lit up the blue lights, so I pulled into lane 2. It then pulled the lane hogger onto the hard shoulder. To compound things the lane logger also had their rear fog lights on despite good visibility.

What was odd was that the X5 was marked as an ambulance. I wouldn't have thought they are authorised to pull other vehicles to "offer words of advice" which I assume was the intention? I guess the most likely explanation was that it was a police officer driving the ambulance. Good to see in any case, but a little odd.

You were lane hogging too.

[98elise]

I'm pretty sure I've seen a car in kent maked as an ambulance with one paramedic and one police officer as the crew.

Edited to add...

Found it, it's a "joint response unit" rather than an ambulance, but when I first saw it I thought it was an ambulance due to the NHS logos

https://www.secamb.nhs.uk/new-joint-response-unit-...

Could be something similar

Edited by 98elise on Monday 6th January 10:40

[Drawweight]

Doofus said:

gshughes said:

I was driving northbound on the A1(M) three lane section around 18.00 on 2nd January following a car doing about 60 mph in lane 3 for several miles with nothing in lane 2. The vehicle behind me (BMW X5) lit up the blue lights, so I pulled into lane 2. It then pulled the lane hogger onto the hard shoulder. To compound things the lane logger also had their rear fog lights on despite good visibility.

What was odd was that the X5 was marked as an ambulance. I wouldn't have thought they are authorised to pull other vehicles to "offer words of advice" which I assume was the intention? I guess the most likely explanation was that it was a police officer driving the ambulance. Good to see in any case, but a little odd.

You were lane hogging too.

He was attempting to overtake? Maybe hoping the car in front would eventually look in his mirror and move over.

The alternative being overtake on the left and risk being pulled himself.

[GasEngineer]

gshughes said:

I was driving northbound on the A1(M) three lane section around 18.00 on 2nd January following a car doing about 60 mph in lane 3 for several miles with nothing in lane 2. The vehicle behind me (BMW X5) lit up the blue lights, so I pulled into lane 2. It then pulled the lane hogger onto the hard shoulder. To compound things the lane logger also had their rear fog lights on despite good visibility.

What was odd was that the X5 was marked as an ambulance. I wouldn't have thought they are authorised to pull other vehicles to "offer words of advice" which I assume was the intention? I guess the most likely explanation was that it was a police officer driving the ambulance. Good to see in any case, but a little odd.

Were you both overtaking vehicles in lane 2?
If so - how was the other vehicle 'lane hogging';
If not - how was the other vehicle lane hogging and you were not?

[Muddle238]

If you follow a lane logger in the same lane for "several miles", you become part of the problem IMO.

I'd have returned to L1, watched the lane hogger for a few moments to ensure they were staying in L3, then simply reset my cruise control and remained in L1, but allowed myself to gently come past. I would happily do that in front of a marked police car (and have done) to let plod deal with the lane hogger as they see fit. I'm certainly not going to sit behind it in the silent hope that they'll move left, if the evidence up to that point suggests that they're not thinking about changing lanes.

Last time I did that, I was about quarter of a mile further up the motorway before the lane hogger finally pulled over, with the unmarked 3 Series behind it flashing away.

[gshughes]

Drawweight said:

Doofus said:

gshughes said:

I was driving northbound on the A1(M) three lane section around 18.00 on 2nd January following a car doing about 60 mph in lane 3 for several miles with nothing in lane 2. The vehicle behind me (BMW X5) lit up the blue lights, so I pulled into lane 2. It then pulled the lane hogger onto the hard shoulder. To compound things the lane logger also had their rear fog lights on despite good visibility.

What was odd was that the X5 was marked as an ambulance. I wouldn't have thought they are authorised to pull other vehicles to "offer words of advice" which I assume was the intention? I guess the most likely explanation was that it was a police officer driving the ambulance. Good to see in any case, but a little odd.

You were lane hogging too.

He was attempting to overtake? Maybe hoping the car in front would eventually look in his mirror and move over.

The alternative being overtake on the left and risk being pulled himself.

Correct, I was attempting to overtake and would have pulled back over as soon as I had passed. Technically I was lane hogging too, but what is the alternative?

[Doofus]

gshughes said:

Correct, I was attempting to overtake and would have pulled back over as soon as I had passed. Technically I was lane hogging too, but what is the alternative?

The alternative, as above, is to pass on the inside. If the lane you are travelling in is moving faster than one to your right, you are fine to proceed. Overtaking on the left involves moving left into another lane, passing the car in front and moving back out again.

Otherwise, in slow moving motorway traffic, we'd all have to get into lane 3.

[vonhosen]

Doofus said:

gshughes said:

Correct, I was attempting to overtake and would have pulled back over as soon as I had passed. Technically I was lane hogging too, but what is the alternative?

The alternative, as above, is to pass on the inside. If the lane you are travelling in is moving faster than one to your right, you are fine to proceed. Overtaking on the left involves moving left into another lane, passing the car in front and moving back out again.

Otherwise, in slow moving motorway traffic, we'd all have to get into lane 3.

Some people aren't willing to pass on the left against convention &/or the highway code.
They may not feel that 'congested conditions' requirement in the HC is satisfied by a single vehicle ahead in lane 3.

[98elise]

gshughes said:

Drawweight said:

Doofus said:

gshughes said:

I was driving northbound on the A1(M) three lane section around 18.00 on 2nd January following a car doing about 60 mph in lane 3 for several miles with nothing in lane 2. The vehicle behind me (BMW X5) lit up the blue lights, so I pulled into lane 2. It then pulled the lane hogger onto the hard shoulder. To compound things the lane logger also had their rear fog lights on despite good visibility.

What was odd was that the X5 was marked as an ambulance. I wouldn't have thought they are authorised to pull other vehicles to "offer words of advice" which I assume was the intention? I guess the most likely explanation was that it was a police officer driving the ambulance. Good to see in any case, but a little odd.

You were lane hogging too.

He was attempting to overtake? Maybe hoping the car in front would eventually look in his mirror and move over.

The alternative being overtake on the left and risk being pulled himself.

Correct, I was attempting to overtake and would have pulled back over as soon as I had passed. Technically I was lane hogging too, but what is the alternative?

I don't see how you were lane hogging. If you wanted to overtake the car in front then you are in the correct lane and they are in the wrong lane. Same with the ambulance.

You could have "undertaken" though if they were sitting in L3 at 60 with the other lanes clear.

[The Gauge]

GasEngineer said:

Were you both overtaking vehicles in lane 2?

He said nothing in lane 2

[tinytim123]

Muddle238 said:

If you follow a lane logger in the same lane for "several miles", you become part of the problem IMO.

I'd have returned to L1, watched the lane hogger for a few moments to ensure they were staying in L3, then simply reset my cruise control and remained in L1, but allowed myself to gently come past. I would happily do that in front of a marked police car (and have done) to let plod deal with the lane hogger as they see fit. I'm certainly not going to sit behind it in the silent hope that they'll move left, if the evidence up to that point suggests that they're not thinking about changing lanes.

Last time I did that, I was about quarter of a mile further up the motorway before the lane hogger finally pulled over, with the unmarked 3 Series behind it flashing away.

What about right indicator light on behind them? Have seen this done before (effectively). Probably less aggressive than flashing lights behind them too

[Caddyshack]

tinytim123 said:

Muddle238 said:

If you follow a lane logger in the same lane for "several miles", you become part of the problem IMO.

I'd have returned to L1, watched the lane hogger for a few moments to ensure they were staying in L3, then simply reset my cruise control and remained in L1, but allowed myself to gently come past. I would happily do that in front of a marked police car (and have done) to let plod deal with the lane hogger as they see fit. I'm certainly not going to sit behind it in the silent hope that they'll move left, if the evidence up to that point suggests that they're not thinking about changing lanes.

Last time I did that, I was about quarter of a mile further up the motorway before the lane hogger finally pulled over, with the unmarked 3 Series behind it flashing away.

What about right indicator light on behind them? Have seen this done before (effectively). Probably less aggressive than flashing lights behind them too

Common in Europe but suspect the MLM would not even notice you.

[interstellar]

tinytim123 said:

What about right indicator light on behind them? Have seen this done before (effectively). Probably less aggressive than flashing lights behind them too

Have always wondered why the indicator signal of intent is so popular in Europe but doesn’t happen in the uk much.

[milesgiles]

GasEngineer said:

gshughes said:

I was driving northbound on the A1(M) three lane section around 18.00 on 2nd January following a car doing about 60 mph in lane 3 for several miles with nothing in lane 2. The vehicle behind me (BMW X5) lit up the blue lights, so I pulled into lane 2. It then pulled the lane hogger onto the hard shoulder. To compound things the lane logger also had their rear fog lights on despite good visibility.

What was odd was that the X5 was marked as an ambulance. I wouldn't have thought they are authorised to pull other vehicles to "offer words of advice" which I assume was the intention? I guess the most likely explanation was that it was a police officer driving the ambulance. Good to see in any case, but a little odd.

Were you both overtaking vehicles in lane 2?
If so - how was the other vehicle 'lane hogging';
If not - how was the other vehicle lane hogging and you were not?

And they say there’s no men left in Britain

[reggie747]

Was it an Audi driver ??

[GasEngineer]

milesgiles said:

GasEngineer said:

gshughes said:

I was driving northbound on the A1(M) three lane section around 18.00 on 2nd January following a car doing about 60 mph in lane 3 for several miles with nothing in lane 2. The vehicle behind me (BMW X5) lit up the blue lights, so I pulled into lane 2. It then pulled the lane hogger onto the hard shoulder. To compound things the lane logger also had their rear fog lights on despite good visibility.

What was odd was that the X5 was marked as an ambulance. I wouldn't have thought they are authorised to pull other vehicles to "offer words of advice" which I assume was the intention? I guess the most likely explanation was that it was a police officer driving the ambulance. Good to see in any case, but a little odd.

Were you both overtaking vehicles in lane 2?
If so - how was the other vehicle 'lane hogging';
If not - how was the other vehicle lane hogging and you were not?

And they say there’s no men left in Britain

I think you've missed the point. As mentioned above; as there was nothing in lane 2, the OP became part of the problem.

[M4cruiser]

GasEngineer said:

milesgiles said:

GasEngineer said:

gshughes said:

I was driving northbound on the A1(M) three lane section around 18.00 on 2nd January following a car doing about 60 mph in lane 3 for several miles with nothing in lane 2. The vehicle behind me (BMW X5) lit up the blue lights, so I pulled into lane 2. It then pulled the lane hogger onto the hard shoulder. To compound things the lane logger also had their rear fog lights on despite good visibility.

What was odd was that the X5 was marked as an ambulance. I wouldn't have thought they are authorised to pull other vehicles to "offer words of advice" which I assume was the intention? I guess the most likely explanation was that it was a police officer driving the ambulance. Good to see in any case, but a little odd.

Were you both overtaking vehicles in lane 2?
If so - how was the other vehicle 'lane hogging';
If not - how was the other vehicle lane hogging and you were not?

And they say there’s no men left in Britain

I think you've missed the point. As mentioned above; as there was nothing in lane 2, the OP became part of the problem.

Here we go again. OP wasn't lane hogging because there was something in front of him.
The question (which hasn't been answered) is: was there something in front of the one in front of him? If so then they weren't hogging either.

[Blue62]

M4cruiser said:

Here we go again. OP wasn't lane hogging because there was something in front of him.
The question (which hasn't been answered) is: was there something in front of the one in front of him? If so then they weren't hogging either.

I think it’s safe to assume that there was nothing in front of the lane hog, as that was the car that was pulled over. If it’s safe I undertake, otherwise I use my indicator and when that fails I flash, some people occasionally take exception, but to most it’s just a gentle nudge to wake them from their slumber.

What I do find irritating is how often they move straight back into the outside lane once they’ve let you past, I’ve never fully understood the thinking behind that.

[Latifisnc]

Blue62 said:

What I do find irritating is how often they move straight back into the outside lane once they’ve let you past, I’ve never fully understood the thinking behind that.

I've seen this so many times - don't understand it.