Absolutely Livid

Tommy B · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:23

I was just driving home, and I got stuck behind some idiot in a 4X4 doing between 30-40mph in a 60. The road ahead then lead towards a steep hill with an overtaking zone. This person still drove slowly, and as the other side of the road was clear I contemplated overtaking them before the official zone. I didn't, and instead waited for the overtaking zone.

The driver initially stuck to the left as you'd expect, I then put my foot down and indicated (even though this isn't a requirement) to go past. The bar***** then pulls their car right over just before I'm level, pushing me out on to the other side of the road and on to a tight bend. Luckily for me, nothing was coming and I managed to get past them and pull back over. I got their number plate and I was wondering if you can report someone for doing something like that?

Needless to say, I was so livid I slowed right down to 15-20mph leaving them stuck behind me for 5 minutes. I wouldn't be annoyed if the driver had initially gone in the overtaking lane, for whatever reason, but the fact they deliberately pulled over to prevent me from overtaking them makes my blood boil. Fortunately I kept my cool and enjoyed getting revenge.

[TW]Fox · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:24

Tommy B said:
Fortunately I kept my cool

Yet drove at 20mph for 5 minutes? Doesn't seem very calm to me?

ben_ · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:30

sounds ultra calm if you look at it the right way.

Lopéz · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:31

Tommy B said:
(even though this isn't a requirement)

It isn't?

139: Overtake only when it is safe to do so. You should

not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake
use your mirrors, signal when it is safe to do so, take a quick sideways glance into the blind spot area and then start to move out
not assume that you can simply follow a vehicle ahead which is overtaking; there may only be enough room for one vehicle
move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in
take extra care at night and in poor visibility when it is harder to judge speed and distance
give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road
only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so
stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left
give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would a car when overtaking (see Rules 188, 189 and 191)

Tommy B · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:34

Despite the fact I was angry, I was the one laughing after I slowed right down, hopefully sliding the frustration off me and onto them. The fact remains that this person could have killed me because there is absolutely no way to tell on the overtaking lane on this particular hill if any traffic is coming the other way.

I'm only driving a 1.4 Golf in 3rd gear, so it was even more terrifying as I didn't have the power to get off the wrong side of the road and blast my way back in front.

Tommy B · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:35

Lopéz said:
It isn't?

139: Overtake only when it is safe to do so. You should

not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake
use your mirrors, signal when it is safe to do so, take a quick sideways glance into the blind spot area and then start to move out
not assume that you can simply follow a vehicle ahead which is overtaking; there may only be enough room for one vehicle
move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in
take extra care at night and in poor visibility when it is harder to judge speed and distance
give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road
only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so
stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left
give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would a car when overtaking (see Rules 188, 189 and 191)

Fair enough if you've done the homework mate, but I was always told by my instructor to only use the indicators when using junctions/roundabouts etc. Please note I've only been driving for just over a year, and only past my test 7 months ago.

JTrickle · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:35

You need a faster car.

JTrickle · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:37

Tommy B said:
I didn't have the power to get off the wrong side of the road and blast my way back in front.

Your right hand side wheels were in the dirt of the far side of the tarmac?

Tommy B · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:38

JTrickle said:
You need a faster car.

Indeed, but I am by no means retarded at driving. In a car like the Golf I start accelerating long before the overtake, I was doing about 60mph (to their approx 40) by the time I started to go past them.

Tommy B · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:40

JTrickle said:
Your right hand side wheels were in the dirt of the far side of the tarmac?

?

When we were level on the left hand side and the overtaking zone, I was already going much faster, but being pushed onto the wrong side of the road was a frightening experience and I spent more time there than I would have with a faster car.

SB118 · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:42

[TW]Fox said:
Yet drove at 20mph for 5 minutes? Doesn't seem very calm to me?

Compaired with slaming on the brakes, jumping out and chucking his wheelbrace through the guys windscreen, yup, pretty calm if you ask me.

al123 · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:43

Lopéz said:
It isn't?

139: Overtake only when it is safe to do so. You should

not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake
use your mirrors, signal when it is safe to do so, take a quick sideways glance into the blind spot area and then start to move out
not assume that you can simply follow a vehicle ahead which is overtaking; there may only be enough room for one vehicle
move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in
take extra care at night and in poor visibility when it is harder to judge speed and distance
give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road
only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so
stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left
give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would a car when overtaking (see Rules 188, 189 and 191)

As far as I am aware it is not a legal requirement that you indicate to overtake. If you are following an idiot or the person behind you is it’s probably a good idea..

JTrickle · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:45

Oops, when you said overtaking zone, I thought you meant a relatively good visibility stretch of road. Keep forgetting these short stretches of uphill dual lanes are for lorries and golfs to overtake and not for me to hit 3 figures on.

All roads have 'overtaking zones' for me

Tommy B · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:47

lol no it was an official one and the road was fairly bendy.

paradigm · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:51

Tommy B said:
lol no it was an official one and the road was fairly bendy.

You mean a "crawler lane". There is no such thing as an "official overtaking zone".

Felix Da Housecat · 14 Dec 2006 at 22:55

Tommy B said:
The bar***** then pulls their car right over just before I'm level, pushing me out on to the other side of the road and on to a tight bend.

I thought you said it was an official "overtaking zone" :confused:

it doesn't sound very safe to me if it has a tight bend on it.

Also was there anyone in front of him or was the road clear?

NickXX · 14 Dec 2006 at 23:38

What the hell is the problem with people - yes there are morons out there on the roads who do stupid things. 'Getting revenge' and winding them up just makes you as bad as them. We don't need anymore tension or animosity on our roads, road manners are bad enough already.

Just grow up and get on with things, there's no need for this kind of crap. No - I'm not sitting up on my high horse, I'm just fed up with this sort of behavior on our roads.

[/rant]

Scania · 15 Dec 2006 at 00:03

SB118 said:
Compaired with slaming on the brakes, jumping out and chucking his wheelbrace through the guys windscreen, yup, pretty calm if you ask me.

Spoken for truth.

Raymond Lin · 15 Dec 2006 at 00:15

1 - Just because the National Speed limit is 60 doesn't mean you have to drive at 60, you drive at what you are comfortable with to be safe. The other drive obviously feels at these bendy roads its best to drive at 30-40.

2 - You should indicated to overtake.

3 - There are no such a thing as overtaking zones, there are road markings such as solid lines indicating you can't over take. You should only overtake when you have good visibilty ahead. And should never overtake when a bend coming up.

What did you mean by pull the car over ? did he went over to incomming traffic or pulled over and stopped?

Bri · 15 Dec 2006 at 00:29

Raymond Lin said:
3 - There are no such a thing as overtaking zones, there are road markings such as solid lines indicating you can't over take. You should only overtake when you have good visibilty ahead. And should never overtake when a bend coming up.

What did you mean by pull the car over ? did he went over to incomming traffic or pulled over and stopped?

My understanding is that as he went up the hill, the side of the road that he was on changed from 1 lane to two, incorporating a crawler lane.

The car pulled in front of the OP in the right hand lane from the crawler lane, forcing the OP onto the opposite side of the road.

I'd have been mightily peed off as well, although I would have zoomed off rather than sitting at 20mph.