Warning to a Z4 Prat!

On a more serious note and on topic - these days I don't do too many motorway miles for which I am thankful as they are more dangerous than they used to be with the onslaught of foreign HGV drivers who seem to share one brain cell between three drivers and have their steering wheel on the wrong side of the cab. Motorways also have lots of lanes these days compared to yesteryear and I'm not surprised that many drivers find this confusing and intimidating which I'm sure is part of the reason they avoid changing lanes at all once they are in what they believe to be a 'safe' place. Personally I change lanes a lot on motorways often moving back over to the far left of a three or four lane stretch when I am doing 75-80mph of course you have to change lanes a lot if you do this because there will be plenty of cars to your right up ahead that are moving slower than you. I do not like the fact that these people are ignorant of of proper motorway etiquette but I do understand why they do it and I even sympathize with them (have a quick look at some of them as you pass them on the right side - they often look stiff and terrified).

Changing lanes is hazardous if you are not confident and observant and it is even worse when there are HGVs around. My recent motorway experience has shown me that the standard of lorry drivers on our roads is utterly atrocious these days. Just recently I was passing by a long curtain sider (I was in lane 3, he was in lane 1) and he indicated and started to move over at the same time but there was a little Micra or something just past his tail end in lane 2 so I pipped to attract his attention and pointed to the rear of his trailer then to my eyes. He swerved back and didn't hit the other car but then to my amazement started mouthing off at me! Now in my younger days I would have followed him to his next stop and kicked the living s**t out of him to teach him a lesson. Thankfully I am now older, wiser, more placid (as well as fatter slower and less fit of course!)

Being right is all well and good people but please don't put yourselves or others at risk to prove a point. Even if you put the potential for injury aside remember that insurance companies will take months sometimes years to process recovery claims or the smallest of scratches these days!

Unfortunately these days the people who display these poor driving practices generally don't realise they are doing anything wrong so they see anything you do to bring the errors to their attention as an act of uneccessary aggression against them. :headbang:
 
Devilsadvocate said:
I dont see the relevance to undertaking here, as it cant happen with a rolling roadblock in the way, Just why would they flash for you to move over if a lorry is there?....., unless, you are using the above as an excuse to hog the middle lane afterwards!!.
There are already too many excuses used for lane hogging, whilst people who undertake have only one.. "lane hoggers".
Lane hogging is why so many motorways are opening up the hard shoulder, because of the congestion it causes, with a couple of lorries in the inside lane and the two outer lanes snarled up, and the so called 'fast lane' having a queue of traffic trying to get past lane hoggers.
When the hard shoulder is opened the middle lane hoggers only move to the inside lane (if at all), leaving me to go down the hard shoulder unhindered.
then they get annoyed ...:fuelfire:

Because we've added lane discipline and idiots who flash when there's nowhere to go into the conversation.

If I'm travelling at a speed at or above the posted limit with other traffic and we're passing slower moving traffic then anyone flashing me to slow down and move over just so they can move up to the next car and do the same again can swivel. I try and use lane 1 where possible, but the volume of commercial vehicles now frequently makes it difficult. If I'm in lane 2 or 3 I'll use the 20 second rule as to whether I tuck in again and I'll move over when safe to do so. Their flashing may make me consider that it's taking longer than I'd expected to find a safe place to pull in again.

Generally when they do go past with steam coming out of their ears and a vein throbbing on the side of their heads, they put their foot down and go trawling for any traffic police ahead leaving the road clear for the rest of us.

I also find that if I'm travelling faster than the majority of traffic, if I hold back a safe distance and wait most people move over when they've spotted me and when safe and convenient for them to do so.

Edit - shall we add the dickheads who insist on squeezing in at the last minute where there are lane closures that have been posted for two miles into the hate category?
 
GreyZed said:
oli445 said:
So you suggest 4 lane changes instead?

Yes if that is what it takes to remain safe and legal. :wink:

+1. If you are looking as far ahead as you should be you can see the blockage ahead. Move out a lane at a time, pass the traffic and move back a lane at a time. Smooth driving gets you there faster and safer
 
cj10jeeper said:
... Also been pulled for it by an off duty cop in a slow Corsa for undertaking him. Stern warning received about the dangers. I do some stupid things on the road, less as I get older and value my car and life more and more...

Of course, he had no right to stop you and you no need to stop since he was off duty... :P

I undertook a motorcycle travelling at sixty miles an hour and hogging the middle lane of the A3 only to see the word "Police" written on the fuel tank as I did so (I'm sure I didn't miss it on the back of the bike) :headbang: Fortunately, I was working in the local Accident and Emergency Department and it turned out that the traffic cop knew me well 8)
 
Looks like a missed a few pages since this was posted. Has the owner of said Z4 (aka PRAT) been un-masked as anyone on here yet?
 
Stuart Truman said:
...If I'm travelling at a speed at or above the posted limit with other traffic and we're passing slower moving traffic then anyone flashing me to slow down and move over just so they can move up to the next car and do the same again can swivel. I try and use lane 1 where possible, but the volume of commercial vehicles now frequently makes it difficult. If I'm in lane 2 or 3 I'll use the 20 second rule as to whether I tuck in again and I'll move over when safe to do so. Their flashing may make me consider that it's taking longer than I'd expected to find a safe place to pull in again...

If someone is driving on my boot lid in lane 3 when I cannot go faster due to vehicles in front and have slower vehicles to my left, I take great pleasure in pulling into lane 2 as soon as it's empty then dropping down to third and waving goodbye to the irritating fool. A few hundred yards is usually all it takes for me to feel better and return to normal cruising speed :D
 
BMWZ4MC said:
Stuart Truman said:
...If I'm travelling at a speed at or above the posted limit with other traffic and we're passing slower moving traffic then anyone flashing me to slow down and move over just so they can move up to the next car and do the same again can swivel. I try and use lane 1 where possible, but the volume of commercial vehicles now frequently makes it difficult. If I'm in lane 2 or 3 I'll use the 20 second rule as to whether I tuck in again and I'll move over when safe to do so. Their flashing may make me consider that it's taking longer than I'd expected to find a safe place to pull in again...

If someone is driving on my boot lid in lane 3 when I cannot go faster due to vehicles in front and have slower vehicles to my left, I take great pleasure in pulling into lane 2 as soon as it's empty then dropping down to third and waving goodbye to the irritating fool. A few hundred yards is usually all it takes for me to feel better and return to normal cruising speed :D

I've done that too :D

One particular driver got right up my nose a few years ago. After passing the traffic I pulled into lane 1 then stayed alongside him. He was so determined to pass and not drop back he missed his exit :D

I'm older and wiser now (it says here on this card I've been told to read)
 
marchantsuk said:
Looks like a missed a few pages since this was posted. Has the owner of said Z4 (aka PRAT) been un-masked as anyone on here yet?

Not that I saw, but I'm not sure they would fess up anyway!

I think the most important part of the story is the location - the road surface of the Hog's Back is just awful with pot holes and scored tarmac that makes fast driving dangerous at the best of times. Either lane will often contain slower moving vehicles wanting to turn left or right in the next half mile or mile, impeding smooth progress for everyone else in that lane, and joining vehicles often do so slowly and without an appropriately sized gap. Furthermore, the central reservation is very wide with a thick hedge that obscures the view of the other carriageway. This hedge is frequently punctuated by gaps to allow approaching vehicles to turn right across the your carriageway in a form of blind suicidal leap. Just to make things worse, the road runs along a ridgeway and often the visibility is poor due to low cloud. Lane hogging in endemic on the Hog's Back, but I wouldn't undertake or speed along there even without the Police scamera vans.
 
Stuart Truman said:
BMWZ4MC said:
Stuart Truman said:
...If I'm travelling at a speed at or above the posted limit with other traffic and we're passing slower moving traffic then anyone flashing me to slow down and move over just so they can move up to the next car and do the same again can swivel. I try and use lane 1 where possible, but the volume of commercial vehicles now frequently makes it difficult. If I'm in lane 2 or 3 I'll use the 20 second rule as to whether I tuck in again and I'll move over when safe to do so. Their flashing may make me consider that it's taking longer than I'd expected to find a safe place to pull in again...

If someone is driving on my boot lid in lane 3 when I cannot go faster due to vehicles in front and have slower vehicles to my left, I take great pleasure in pulling into lane 2 as soon as it's empty then dropping down to third and waving goodbye to the irritating fool. A few hundred yards is usually all it takes for me to feel better and return to normal cruising speed :D

I've done that too :D

Nothing like the scream of an S54 at 8000 rpm to make your point :evil:

Stuart Truman said:
One particular driver got right up my nose a few years ago. After passing the traffic I pulled into lane 1 then stayed alongside him. He was so determined to pass and not drop back he missed his exit :D

I'm older and wiser now (it says here on this card I've been told to read)

:rofl:
 
Stuart Truman said:
GreyZed said:
oli445 said:
So you suggest 4 lane changes instead?

Yes if that is what it takes to remain safe and legal. :wink:

+1. If you are looking as far ahead as you should be you can see the blockage ahead. Move out a lane at a time, pass the traffic and move back a lane at a time. Smooth driving gets you there faster and safer

Looking half a mile ahead in lane 1 with the only 'bockage' being Dorris in lane 2 for no reason? I could easily make 4 lane changes safely but why!
 
oli445 said:
Looking half a mile ahead in lane 1 with the only 'bockage' being Dorris in lane 2 for no reason? I could easily make 4 lane changes safely but why!

The law of the land that's why. Are you French?
 
Stuart Truman said:
Edit - shall we add the dickheads who insist on squeezing in at the last minute where there are lane closures that have been posted for two miles into the hate category?

You mean those that have read the highway code and use all available road :poke:

Otherwise you simply move the traffic jam two miles earlier ...
 
pvr said:
Stuart Truman said:
Edit - shall we add the dickheads who insist on squeezing in at the last minute where there are lane closures that have been posted for two miles into the hate category?

You mean those that have read the highway code and use all available road :poke:

Otherwise you simply move the traffic jam two miles earlier ...

Hehe yeah even when there are signs saying use both lanes then merge in turn people get upset with you at the point of the merging activity.
 
Despite the fact that if you get in lane early you don't need to merge in turn and there is no jam. :poke:

Recent roadworks on the M4 confirmed this. Once people had got used to them people got in lane earlier and traffic flowed. It only takes one arse wanting to be ahead of everyone else for it to snarl up with stop start traffic
 
Sorry, disagree on that one as otherwise it would mean that if you make all roads single lane there would never be a traffic jam.

It does move the jam earlier on the road as basically, you are moving the jamming point earlier.

Police have actually actively stopped people who "block" others from overtaking them before the lane closure.

There are a large amount of studies available where it shows how many extra miles of jam are created by merging in too early.
 
pvr said:
Sorry, disagree on that one as otherwise it would mean that if you make all roads single lane there would never be a traffic jam.

It does move the jam earlier on the road as basically, you are moving the jamming point earlier.

Police have actually actively stopped people who "block" others from overtaking them before the lane closure.

There are a large amount of studies available where it shows how many extra miles of jam are created by merging in too early.
This should be printed out, laminated, and a copy given to every driver. And it should be forcefully tattooed on the foreheads of the twats who insist on blocking the outside lane ahead of the merge point!
 
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