I'm giving up on motorways

NVP · 6 Sep 2019 at 09:49

A roads are simpler. Either I can overtake or I can't.

Motorways are more "that ****head should have moved, this ****head should have moved. The **** is this ****head even doing?"

I should qualify the title with *busy, I guess. I left later today as I was waiting for the tip to open, so when I was actually on route the roads were being used by people who don't know what they're for. Too much stress. Done.

bloodiedathame · 6 Sep 2019 at 09:53

A roads, the lycra wearing lemming peoples playground.

Flack88 · 6 Sep 2019 at 10:07

bloodiedathame said:
A roads, the lycra wearing lemming peoples playground.

Good old 45mph brigade as well.

NVP · 6 Sep 2019 at 10:11

Good point. Might as well just get a Tesla and sleep in the back seat

Howard · 6 Sep 2019 at 10:15

I've never been one to get that bothered by poor lane discipline.

Until now.

My new commute involves J3 > J1 of the M3 (and back again) and oh my GOD how hard is it to stay left unless you're overtaking? Every journey. Every damn journey I will be chilling in lane 1 or 2 (passing something if I'm in lane 2, obvs) and I'll be passing people in lanes 3 and 4 who are just dribbling along completely oblivious. I don't even go that fast. 65-70mph most of the time.

The more lanes you give people, the more room for stupid there is.

Meatball · 6 Sep 2019 at 10:27

My new commute is 95% motorway from M25 J21A to Heathrow and it’s been a real eye opener. People constantly travelling in overtaking lanes and ignoring speed restrictions even when you can see traffic ahead. Well done, you got to the back of the que quicker...

I’m more alarmed by the sheer amount of people who ignore lane closures and red X lanes, It’s quite shocking. I witnessed several people ignore 3/4 Red X signs and then get within a few meters of an accident and then finally want to move over.

NVP · 6 Sep 2019 at 10:28

Howard said:
The more lanes you give people, the more room for stupid there is.

Yes! So true. All these new smart motorway sections are just connect four for idiots it seems.

2004typer · 6 Sep 2019 at 11:54

Agree with the comments about people dribbling along in the overtaking lanes without a care in the world.

A couple of weeks back on a three lane motorway I was in lane two overtaking, doing just under 70mph, but in the third lane was a muppet doing less than 60mph......obviously I was catching up, but not wanting to undertake held back a bit to see what they would do......the idiot slowed down even further and without any signal whatsoever started to move into my lane and nearly ran me off the road.

Note - if I'd have slowed further then there would have been cars in lane 1 then undertaking me - in hindsight I would have been better staying in lane 1 at 60mph until clear of the car in Lane 3, and then move out.

Luckily nothing happened - but when I come across drivers like this I drive more defensively on the assumption they likely have no spatial awareness and will probably act in an unpredictable way.

GravyMonster · 6 Sep 2019 at 12:16

Howard said:
The more lanes you give people, the more room for stupid there is.

If they'd spent a fraction of the motorway expansion budget on better driver education and public campaigns to stay left then we probably wouldn't have needed to upgrade the motorways in the first place.

NVP · 6 Sep 2019 at 12:28

2004typer said:
Note - if I'd have slowed further then there would have been cars in lane 1 then undertaking me - in hindsight I would have been better staying in lane 1 at 60mph until clear of the car in Lane 3, and then move out.

Should have just stayed your speed in lane 2 and "undertook", careful eye on the muppet of course.

Minstadave · 6 Sep 2019 at 12:35

NVP said:
Should have just stayed your speed in lane 2 and "undertook", careful eye on the muppet of course.

Problem is half these morons are so unaware of their surroundings they panic when you pass on the left and are unpredictable.

Terminal_Boy · 6 Sep 2019 at 12:36

It’s only undertaking if you move into a leftward lane to pass a slower vehicle in lane 2 or 3.

Closing up safely to the vehicle in front in your current lane and then overtaking is fine, even if this means that you are now ahead of the “blocking” vehicle in lane 2 or 3.

Conscript · 6 Sep 2019 at 12:37

Had a road rage incident yesterday. A2, coast bound near Cobham - not a motorway, but 4 lanes. Busy, traffic in lanes 1 and 2, lane 3 clear, lane 4 is a continuous procession of cars moving at about 60-70MPH.

I come along in lane 2, move out to lane 3 to pass a lorry, and continue in lane 3, happily passing everyone in lane 4 on the left.
As I pass a Quashqai, he beeps and gives me the "****er" sign. I'm perplexed - I haven't cut anyone up, driven aggressively, not indicated - literally all I did was have the temerity to pass on the left.

I had the windows open (nice day) so as he speeds up and draws level with me again, I give him a big smile, and exaggerated wave. He starts mouthing something. Then opens his window, but as we are both alongside doing ~70MPH I still can't hear him. Something something something "******", something something "flash ****er" something something. Not sure what.

Utterly confused what his problem was, I assume he just took offence to being passed on the left. I just shouted back and said if he's not going to use the lanes properly, then I'll just go round him. Pointless, he couldn't have heard me. Then he zoomed off.

People are idiots.

bloodiedathame · 6 Sep 2019 at 12:39

Man in a Quashqai... Thought they were exclusively mummy cars?

Rroff · 6 Sep 2019 at 12:43

Yeah driving is no fun these days too many stupids on the road - I'm kind of enjoying having a big engine, automatic pickup (aka midlife crisis) as I can just chill and drive defensively or sometimes impose myself if needed.

Howard · 6 Sep 2019 at 12:50

Terminal_Boy said:
It’s only undertaking if you move into a leftward lane to pass a slower vehicle in lane 2 or 3.

I sometimes do this. I regret nothing.

I always make sure I have an escape route, mind you. But to date I've never had it bite me in the arse, and sometimes you just want to make progress and get home for dinner, not sit behind some numpty in lane 3, unable to pass in lane 4 because there's another numpty alongside the first numpty, with lanes 1 and 2 empty.

NVP · 6 Sep 2019 at 12:59

Conscript said:
As I pass a Quashqai, he beeps and gives me the "****er" sign. I'm perplexed

******* Quashqai's! Always them and those 3008 jockeys :mad:

Howard said:
I sometimes do this. I regret nothing.

Always, and tell the muppets to move over when I'm in front of them.

But now you can't, they're like rolling road blocks.

Doobedoo · 6 Sep 2019 at 13:09

I passed a van that was sat in the middle lane on a virtually empty motorway, I could have easily gone into lane 3 and around but decided to stay in lane 1 to make a point, as I’m just about to pass him he puts his indicator on to move into lane 1.

I knew exactly what he was trying to do which was to make me panic. I just carried on and he continued to stay in middle lane. It baffles me.

jigger · 6 Sep 2019 at 13:44

I have to drive a section of motorway then 2 sections of dual carriageway and it just seems to be a meeting point for the clueless and inconsiderate. It makes me want to join the Police, I'd have a field day booking muppets.

NVP · 6 Sep 2019 at 13:55

jigger said:
makes me want to join the Police, I'd have a field day