Fantastic complaint about my driving
Discussion
So... driving home last night I caught up a guy who was going at a reasonable speed so I just followed him for about a mile. Then as we approached a village he started slowing down in a rather erratic way, to the extent I assumed he might be looking for somewhere. We both turned right at a T-junction and he suddenly pulled over into a passing place.
As ever if someone lets me by, I thanked him by flashing my hazards and waving. I did notice that he pulled out again in a wierd jerky way but thought no more of it.
Today work get a phonecall from a very angry man saying that I had been following him at "100 mph" (in a diesel van...I may have been doing up to 75 or 80 at the most when I was catching him up) and that when he pulled over to let me by I had flashed my lights at him and made "a gesture" out of the window.
He apparently signed off by saying that he wouldn't stop if he saw me dead by the road in a ditch. For some reason.
This was reported to me by email saying rather unflattering things about him and his telephone manner and the fact that he kept going on about his car being new.
So... should I stop thanking people that let me by in case I cause offence?
As ever if someone lets me by, I thanked him by flashing my hazards and waving. I did notice that he pulled out again in a wierd jerky way but thought no more of it.
Today work get a phonecall from a very angry man saying that I had been following him at "100 mph" (in a diesel van...I may have been doing up to 75 or 80 at the most when I was catching him up) and that when he pulled over to let me by I had flashed my lights at him and made "a gesture" out of the window.
He apparently signed off by saying that he wouldn't stop if he saw me dead by the road in a ditch. For some reason.
This was reported to me by email saying rather unflattering things about him and his telephone manner and the fact that he kept going on about his car being new.
So... should I stop thanking people that let me by in case I cause offence?
Oh no, this was an internal email from the poor woman who had taken his call. He refused to leave any contact details, sadly.
In a longish career I've had some cracking complaints, and if possible always ring the complainant personally as that seems to take the wind out of their sails.
Best ones were:
1. Man who complained that I overtook him after he pulled out in front of me, by the simple expedient of not braking but just steering round him instead without any acceleration. When I rang him back he tried to convince me that if someone pulled out into the road in front over you it was in fact illegal to overtake them for a certain distance, but that he "couldn't remember" what that distance was.
2. Man who said I overtook him on double white lines. When I rang him and asked him to be more precise about where I had overtaken him (on the A36 between Romsey and Wellow) I had to patiently explain that that the long dashes at that point were not double white lines, but he said they were "the same" as double white lines.
3. Man in hospital transport minibus who wanted my parking spot outside the front door of a hospital department, but despite sitting with his engine running watching me unloading for about ten minutes, didn't get out and talk to me, but rang my office. I had the great joy of then taking a call from the office while standing by the van watching the complainant do anything he could to avoid eye contact.
4. One of my colleagues had to do an emergency stop after someone in our car park reversed out abruptly into his path. They then went into our office and complained about the fact that he was openly laughing at them.
In a longish career I've had some cracking complaints, and if possible always ring the complainant personally as that seems to take the wind out of their sails.
Best ones were:
1. Man who complained that I overtook him after he pulled out in front of me, by the simple expedient of not braking but just steering round him instead without any acceleration. When I rang him back he tried to convince me that if someone pulled out into the road in front over you it was in fact illegal to overtake them for a certain distance, but that he "couldn't remember" what that distance was.
2. Man who said I overtook him on double white lines. When I rang him and asked him to be more precise about where I had overtaken him (on the A36 between Romsey and Wellow) I had to patiently explain that that the long dashes at that point were not double white lines, but he said they were "the same" as double white lines.
3. Man in hospital transport minibus who wanted my parking spot outside the front door of a hospital department, but despite sitting with his engine running watching me unloading for about ten minutes, didn't get out and talk to me, but rang my office. I had the great joy of then taking a call from the office while standing by the van watching the complainant do anything he could to avoid eye contact.
4. One of my colleagues had to do an emergency stop after someone in our car park reversed out abruptly into his path. They then went into our office and complained about the fact that he was openly laughing at them.
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