Ever been so concerned by someone's driving...
Discussion
... that you've decided to pull off the road and give them some distance?
Not talking a casual, "If I can overtake or nip through a gap to lose them, I will" feeling, but a full-on, "I'm getting out of their way, NOW".
Was musing this as I did a 360 degree round a large roundabout to get some space between me and the couple in the Golf that had, up to that point, been following me.
I'd first felt something was "up" when I noticed said Golf was being driven a bit erratically, braking very late, wandering over the road a bit. Each time I glanced in the mirror, the young girl driving it was looking 90 degrees to the left. Being in traffic that was stopping every so often, this was a bit concerning.
The next time traffic stopped (at which point I left myself a fair "safety gap"!) I watched the mirror and realised what was going on. She was having a conversation with what I assume to be the boyfriend in the passenger seat, turned to him the whole time and relying on him to call the points when she needed to be braking.
"Okay," I thought. "That's not an 'if'. That's a 'when'. Specifically, the next time something ahead stops unexpectedly." Not being comfortable that even a large gap to the car in front of me was enough to allow for the driver behind - or, driving team, as it were - to have a three or four second reaction time, I let them past at the next opportunity. Selfish, I guess, but what can you do if you really are that unhappy about someone else's driving, short of screeching to a halt diagonally across the road and entering into some kind of Falling Down scenario?
Not talking a casual, "If I can overtake or nip through a gap to lose them, I will" feeling, but a full-on, "I'm getting out of their way, NOW".
Was musing this as I did a 360 degree round a large roundabout to get some space between me and the couple in the Golf that had, up to that point, been following me.
I'd first felt something was "up" when I noticed said Golf was being driven a bit erratically, braking very late, wandering over the road a bit. Each time I glanced in the mirror, the young girl driving it was looking 90 degrees to the left. Being in traffic that was stopping every so often, this was a bit concerning.
The next time traffic stopped (at which point I left myself a fair "safety gap"!) I watched the mirror and realised what was going on. She was having a conversation with what I assume to be the boyfriend in the passenger seat, turned to him the whole time and relying on him to call the points when she needed to be braking.
"Okay," I thought. "That's not an 'if'. That's a 'when'. Specifically, the next time something ahead stops unexpectedly." Not being comfortable that even a large gap to the car in front of me was enough to allow for the driver behind - or, driving team, as it were - to have a three or four second reaction time, I let them past at the next opportunity. Selfish, I guess, but what can you do if you really are that unhappy about someone else's driving, short of screeching to a halt diagonally across the road and entering into some kind of Falling Down scenario?
Funny, I came across a tit in a Black Mk5 golf on Thursday afternoon who took exception to the fact I didnt do an emergency stop to let him change lanes - he'd indicated so surely it must have been fine.... He then wanted me to pull over so we could have a fight. I called the police.
Timberwolf said:
... that you've decided to pull off the road and give them some distance?
Not talking a casual, "If I can overtake or nip through a gap to lose them, I will" feeling, but a full-on, "I'm getting out of their way, NOW".
Was musing this as I did a 360 degree round a large roundabout to get some space between me and the couple in the Golf that had, up to that point, been following me.
I'd first felt something was "up" when I noticed said Golf was being driven a bit erratically, braking very late, wandering over the road a bit. Each time I glanced in the mirror, the young girl driving it was looking 90 degrees to the left. Being in traffic that was stopping every so often, this was a bit concerning.
The next time traffic stopped (at which point I left myself a fair "safety gap"!) I watched the mirror and realised what was going on. She was having a conversation with what I assume to be the boyfriend in the passenger seat, turned to him the whole time and relying on him to call the points when she needed to be braking.
"Okay," I thought. "That's not an 'if'. That's a 'when'. Specifically, the next time something ahead stops unexpectedly." Not being comfortable that even a large gap to the car in front of me was enough to allow for the driver behind - or, driving team, as it were - to have a three or four second reaction time, I let them past at the next opportunity. Selfish, I guess, but what can you do if you really are that unhappy about someone else's driving, short of screeching to a halt diagonally across the road and entering into some kind of Falling Down scenario?
I've highlighted the reason for the bad driving Not talking a casual, "If I can overtake or nip through a gap to lose them, I will" feeling, but a full-on, "I'm getting out of their way, NOW".
Was musing this as I did a 360 degree round a large roundabout to get some space between me and the couple in the Golf that had, up to that point, been following me.
I'd first felt something was "up" when I noticed said Golf was being driven a bit erratically, braking very late, wandering over the road a bit. Each time I glanced in the mirror, the young girl driving it was looking 90 degrees to the left. Being in traffic that was stopping every so often, this was a bit concerning.
The next time traffic stopped (at which point I left myself a fair "safety gap"!) I watched the mirror and realised what was going on. She was having a conversation with what I assume to be the boyfriend in the passenger seat, turned to him the whole time and relying on him to call the points when she needed to be braking.
"Okay," I thought. "That's not an 'if'. That's a 'when'. Specifically, the next time something ahead stops unexpectedly." Not being comfortable that even a large gap to the car in front of me was enough to allow for the driver behind - or, driving team, as it were - to have a three or four second reaction time, I let them past at the next opportunity. Selfish, I guess, but what can you do if you really are that unhappy about someone else's driving, short of screeching to a halt diagonally across the road and entering into some kind of Falling Down scenario?
Joking aside, I've had similar before but more from "boy racer" types. I was driving down a road near my house to drop my mother off at the dentist when some turd in a bright green Peugeot 307HDi decides he wants to kiss my back bumper. I just pulled off into a bus stop and let the useless t
t pass. If I was alone in the car I would have probably just hit the loud pedal but I'd imagine that would only encourage said useless tt. ArtVandelay said:
I've highlighted the reason for the bad driving
Actually it was probably my fault for going anywhere near a supermarket on Saturday afternoon...(Which I generally avoid like the plague, but finding out at the eleventh hour you've got more people over for dinner than you thought you had doesn't exactly give you a huge number of options.)
Timberwolf said:
ArtVandelay said:
I've highlighted the reason for the bad driving
Actually it was probably my fault for going anywhere near a supermarket on Saturday afternoon...(Which I generally avoid like the plague, but finding out at the eleventh hour you've got more people over for dinner than you thought you had doesn't exactly give you a huge number of options.)
ds) pull into a nearby space.Speaking of bad driving, coming up to junctions today and everyone single person who turned into the road I was travelling along cut the corner considerably.
ArtVandelay said:
Speaking of bad driving, coming up to junctions today and everyone single person who turned into the road I was travelling along cut the corner considerably.
I noticed a women do that yesterday. As I was driving along a main road, she was at a juntion on the left waiting to turn right. As I got closeer I noticed she was on the right hand side of the road! I was tempted to turn down there so she'd have to reverse and move onto the left hand side of the road - but decided that would be childish!Yes, on a narrow winding country road in Shropshire which had a reputation as being quite a fast commuter road. There was an old guy in front of me who I noticed started driving on the opposite side of the road at around 25mph, anyone coming the other way would be doing anywhere between 40mph and 60mph on seeing him would probably swerve to miss him and plough into me so I dropped right back. I don't think there was a single occasion that I dove on this road without passing another car but this time, luckily, there was no other traffic between when I met this guy and where he pulled off. I can only imagine he was looking for the local tip which was on the right hand side of the road in the direction we were heading and being a winding country road with many blind corners he didn't want to miss the turning, as this is where he eventually turned off. Insane driving.
Unfortunetly i've had this with friends. I'll deliberately leave after them, as they seem to see nothing wrong with sitting about 2 inches from my rear bumper, trying to overtake at the most inopportune moments (Think just after 90 degree bend with a blind summit at the other side)
....I need new friends.
....I need new friends.
Was in the passenger seat of a car on a major dual carruageway A road once that was about to overtake a HGV when it starts weaving all over the road, can't keep in his own lane etc. We decided to abort the overtake and hang back for a bit, lorry regains discipline, then goes wayward again. Decide driving is so bad, due to tiredness/drunk/watching laptop whatever that we should ring the police. Describe the lorry in detail, direction of travel etc, Thanks for call we'll see what we can do type thing... Eventually we decided to make it past the lorry to get on with our journey etc, get away from him incase, do this very carefully and quickly. Noticed as we went past that the country of the number plates of the trailer and tractor unit didn't even match!
We stopped a few miles later at a service station and see the lorry go past. Rejoining the dual carriageway a few minutes later, we eventually spot said lorry in distance, police car then comes past us, cathces up with the lorry and then sits a bit off him for a few minutes, then pulls him over into next service station.
Was quite satisfying to know that the police had responded to my call, and that something had been done.
We stopped a few miles later at a service station and see the lorry go past. Rejoining the dual carriageway a few minutes later, we eventually spot said lorry in distance, police car then comes past us, cathces up with the lorry and then sits a bit off him for a few minutes, then pulls him over into next service station.
Was quite satisfying to know that the police had responded to my call, and that something had been done.
stormrider2 said:
Unfortunetly i've had this with friends. I'll deliberately leave after them, as they seem to see nothing wrong with sitting about 2 inches from my rear bumper, trying to overtake at the most inopportune moments (Think just after 90 degree bend with a blind summit at the other side)
....I need new friends.
Sounds like you'll have no option sooner or later!....I need new friends.
I have seen some extremely crazy driving in my days. In these situations I am more than happy to pull over and let them by, if their driving style is like that and they are willing to take such chances, then I'd rather have them in front of me.
Depending on what car I am in, I am more than happy to just floor it
Depending on what car I am in, I am more than happy to just floor it
T89 Callan said:
They way to deal with this is to stop suddenly and get a nice whiplash claim going against her...
Unfortunately for that option I was in the Ovlov at the time, which among its approximately 15,000 pointless safety features includes a quite effective front passenger anti-whiplash system. All I'd end up with is a broken car and most of the day wasted. 
(Not to mention everybody else who gets caught up in the mess, even if you've got a reasonable, insurance-company-pleasing reason for applying the brakes in the first place.)
Edited by Timberwolf on Saturday 8th May 19:19
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