This road is my road!!

[WDB124066]

You should have got 81 Bruce.

 

[Peter103]

Removed

 

[Alex225]

OP that guys sounds like a moron!! People like that create a difficult situation and readily kick off when people get stitched up by their actions.

If he wasn't passing you he would have either sped up and moved left or slowed down and come in behind you.

Some people are staggeringly aggressive and cause issues.

I was on the M4 the other week and in lane 2 passing cars in lane one. I was doing 70 on cruise control whilst lane 3 was empty.

As I passed one car to my left and gaining on the next car, I stayed in lane 2 with the intention of moving left once passed.

Mr Van driving bearing down on me at 80+ but rather than move to lane 3 and pass, the main beams come on as in his eyes I should be out of the way. I wasn't prepared to squeeze into the gap to my left causing cars to brake and he had lane 3 but decided not to.

I'd understand his frustration if the motorway was empty and I was just sat in the middle for no reason but I was passing other cars and moving back to the left as soon as was safe.

Aggressive, clueless drivers who think everyone else is wrong are in high numbers!

 

[brucemillar]

..

 

[anfieldassasin]

When I had a BMW I felt there were more interactions where other drivers were deliberately uncooperative or even provocative.

This! Don't know why though. Monday to Friday I use my e46 coupe and no one lets me pass or get our at junctions. Weekend with the 300ce I get a smile and wave to go through.

Bruce a few years back a man in a van jumped a light slightly too early as my Misus was still turning. In my anger and feeling I was in the right I gof passed off and flipped him off (that was my younger stupider phase) he got so annoyed spent the next 30mins trying to railroad us in our vw lupo (it's the size of a roller skate) he eventually managed to corner us and try and break into the car and grab at my 6 month old child! Luckily he got out of the way as wife forced her way out of that situation with the car.

Having seen a fair few injuries in AE in my time from road rage I'm just glad you resisted the urge to drag him out and react. You never know the kind of nutter in the other car or how far they are willing to go or what if any weapons they have in thier car! Sooner or later karma catches up with them!

 

[mat8n]

The guy was online on his phone, ebay, Facebook etc etc.

He sat in the middle lane so he could drift safely, he used you as a marker for speed but didn't really 'see' you.

He wasn't concentrating and didn't realise what he was doing regarding the lorry and slip road, he'd have thought he was going a constant speed and others were erratically driving.

The abuse would come while he was off his phone.

 

[zoros]

I got distracted approaching a motorway junction and so took the offcut late. I obviously upset some body in a discovery with black windows, so he tailgated me for a few miles at around 70mph. I was in a 328i convertible in those days, went like stink.
So I accelerated to lose him but he stayed with me. When I slowed to a crawl he did the same. I turned off the motorway and he followed. I rejoined the motorway and floored it - lost site of him and when I confirmed he was no-where to be seen, came off again and parked at a layby near the junction for 10 minutes.

I then joined the same motorway and sat there in the inside lane doing around 70.
Looked in the mirror and he was tailgating me again!!! Effing scary, how in the name of faith did he do that? To this day, I can't work it out.
I pulled away from him, lost sight of him and turned off and took the A road home. Never saw him again - phew!
I can only assume he was some kind of professional trained in the art of following someone, or off duty traffic cop. But he was obviously upset.

I feel for you Bruce - know what it's like....Bizarre.

 

[Scott_F]

^^Sounds like Dennis Weaver in "Duel" !

 

[gr1nch]

I'm with the OP. He's trying to drive sensibly, safely and modifying his driving reasonably to get a safe distance from, what turns out, is a driver who is tracking him stupidly.

Behaviour that gets my goat in a similar situation are....

The "get the hell out of my way" driver
* I'm in the outside lane, overtaking lines of traffic at the speed limit
* Car comes up behind me rapidly, tailgates and starts flashing lights. All intimidating.
* I have a choice when I cannot safely insert myself into the line. Speed up (breaking speed limit, risking accident/fine) and I guess up to the tailgater's original speed to keep them happy. Slow down. Or stay my legal speed. I often choose the latter.
* A motorbiking friend of mine got seriously p1ssed off with me when discussing this - he hated people who didn't get out of the way when he flashed them, considering it unsafe if they didn't accelerate out of his way. I couldn't agree with him. End of his friendship! C'est la vie.

The "I'm speeding up so you can't get in" driver
* I'm sure we've all has this a lot. You indicate to move out into a big gap between two cars going the same speed and start to move out, then the genius behind puts their foot down to close the gap, with the express aim of not letting you in. You end up deciding not be intimidated, especially as you are already half way into the lane, so smoothly compete the manoeuvre in a predictable fashion. The genius behind you flashes etc, but will just have to deal with it.

The "overtaking, then slowing so you get boxed into a rapidly approaching vehicle" driver
* I'm convinced when this happens, the majority of drivers that do this are simply unaware, inconsiderate but not driving in a vindictive or dangerous manner. It's annoying though! Just overtake me in good time so I don't have to slam the brakes on to keep a safe distance.
* Depending on the situation, I'll brake let them shoot past, then overtake both vehicles and get well ahead to avoid them doing it again.
* or if there is enough space ahead and oomph in the car I'll accelerate (they are alongside almost same speed, so not really undertaking, right?) and overtake getting usually far ahead.

The "I want to see how close I can get to your rear end" driver
* In France this year on a very well lit road at night, with rear mirror on dip, and me doing 120k, a car was so close I couldn't see his headlights, and was looking right through his windscreens - just had no idea he was there at all and had a real shock. I guess he must have slipped in behind as I'd overtaken him. After I'd accelerated to overtake this lottery and get out of his way (I'd prefer not to, inc breaking the speed limit again, but he was making it too dangerous and I had my wife in the car) the dipstick then pulled in front of me and put on the brakes.
* Double dipstick!
* At that point as I realised it was a boy racer Clio or whatever, I put the afterburners on (blow the speed cameras) and put serious distance between us.

I think those are the main types I've encountered!

 

[Freedom]

I should not have posted and wish now I hadn't.

My point was (perhaps badly made) it is odd behaviour (at the very least) to drive around like this. Were the roles reversed (no pun intended). I would:

a) Not sit on somebody's rear quarter. I assume that the outside lane is for overtaking!! So I use it for overtaking.

b) In the event that I could see that by maintaining my speed I would obviously cause another driver to take avoiding action! I would simply speed up, or slow down and indicate my intention by giving a cursory flash of the lights.

c) I would not set out to then run people off the road by slowing and moving lanes etc.

I just wondered what possible thought could have been in his head here?

No I had not cut him up earlier or jumped out his bedroom window after rogering his wife.

The conclusion I have come too? He simply wanted the argument and was going to have it whatever. On an otherwise empty road!!!

To those that advocate blatting off into the distance!!

I was driving a BMW E39. These have the same speed characteristics as a sloth in a deep sleep. Also that is not wise with Mrs M and my daughters on board. As mentioned!!! I did try slowing. He simply mimicked that effectively running me out of road. THere is no hard shoulder here (it is a SMART motorway)

Dragging him out his car. Yes absolutely. Why not. He seemed perfectly happy to run me off the road. Shaking him warmly by the hand whilst buying him a drink at the bar for doing that, does not really work for me. Only because I have an irrational dislike of being driven off the road with my wife and kids in the car.

In the words of Noddy Holder..... It's Christmas.

Bruce, you are my kind of a guy!!

 

[brucemillar]

Another member on here said I should update this thread. With some reticence I will do so. Please read the post in full before responding.

I was visited by the Police (this was not instigated by me). They came to me having received two calls/complaints about the Golf driver from (a) the HGV Driver and (b) another motorist who was "forced into a near accident" as the Golf driver swerved back across the M25 having attempted to run me of it.

Both of these callers had clear dash camera footage (which I have now seen). The Golf driver has accepted a Police Caution for his actions in (a) attempting to run me off the road and (b) almost causing a collision between other motorists on the M25.

 

[brucemillar]

Apologies. I forgot to add. I was asked if I wanted to press charges? I said not, but did ask to meet the driver and and ask why he chose me and my family? That was declined by the Police.

The Police tell me that they did ask him exactly that. He offered no explanation but said that he knew it was "silly". He asked that they conveyed his apologies. The Police assured me that he was left in doubt about the angst he had caused.

This happened in seconds and was totally unexpected. To those who suggest all sorts of escape plans. Think on this!! I was in a family estate and not an F1 car. I was doing nothing wrong, on a quiet stretch of motorway, with no reason to expect that anybody would attempt to run me off the road. When I slowed. He slowed. When I accelerated, he accelerated. Had I turned into him, I would have forced him into traffic and possibly have taken myself and my family off the road. There is no hard shoulder there. I had an HGV behind me and I was looking for the embankment as an escape route, before he pulled right, allowing me to exit the slip road.

In summary. The guy was a nutcase. At that moment in time his sole purpose was to have the collision. That is what I told the Police and that is what the video shows. The Police tell me that he looked visibly ashamed when interviewed. I would suggest that he needs help at the minimum and to understand the potential impact of his actions.

Not a nice experience and in 40 years of driving and (legal) racing, not one that I have ever encountered or wish to again.

I love my wife & daughters. After a few weeks to think this over!! I still want to thump him. To think that you have the right to run people off the road and then say "sorry it was silly" doesn't do it for me. For those who think that over dramatic? I hope you never encounter this or have to protect your family during it.

I didn't chase after him at the time, much as I wanted too. I had my family there in the car.

Every black Golf I see, I am looking for him now. That will fade.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

It was probably a good thing you had your family in the car with you, or you might have done something you later regretted. When offered the opportunity by the police, why did you chose not to press charges? You said yourself that a feeble apology was hardly the right outcome. Without prosecution, don't you wonder whether the numbskull may do the same again to someone else, perhaps with far more serious consequences?

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Another member on here said I should update this thread. With some reticence I will do so. Please read the post in full before responding.

I was visited by the Police (this was not instigated by me). They came to me having received two calls/complaints about the Golf driver from (a) the HGV Driver and (b) another motorist who was "forced into a near accident" as the Golf driver swerved back across the M25 having attempted to run me of it.

Both of these callers had clear dash camera footage (which I have now seen). The Golf driver has accepted a Police Caution for his actions in (a) attempting to run me off the road and (b) almost causing a collision between other motorists on the M25.

Who showed you the video evidence?

 

[renault12ts]

Who showed you the video evidence?

The police.

 

[brucemillar]

It was probably a good thing you had your family in the car with you, or you might have done something you later regretted. When offered the opportunity by the police, why did you chose not to press charges? You said yourself that a feeble apology was hardly the right outcome. Without prosecution, don't you wonder whether the numbskull may do the same again to someone else, perhaps with far more serious consequences?

It was a long conversation with the Police. Pressing charges that would actually make a difference was uppermost in my mind and the Police officers. Their feeling was that the driver was was clearly ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated etc, in front on his own family. Pressing charges was unlikely to add to that fact. Or, to put it anther way, lesson learned. If he is of a mind to repeat? Then he would do so regardless of being charged. Any charge would be unlikely to bring about a ban. A ban could lose him his livelihood (I do not know this) but it would not change what has happened and I suspect not change what will happen.

I know many drink drivers who are serial drink drivers, despite being banned, some on multiple occasions. I was myself hit by a banned driver who was a described in court as a "serial driving offender" the courts banned him to add to his existing ban = pointless. I will bet money he is driving now and probably drove home from court.

No. I wanted to sit down and speak to him. My recent trip to my own mortality has given me a greater (maybe not better) understanding of how punitive some these things are.

I suspect that in being confronted on his doorstep by the Police with his family sat indoors was better than a ban or a court case. Restorative justice maybe. A thump from me would make me feel better than a court case for him would. I feel better in knowing that he now has an inkling into the domino effect of his actions and what may have been.

 

[John]

In summary. The guy was a nutcase.

I think this sums up the whole episode perfectly, Bruce.

 

[219]

It was a long conversation with the Police. Pressing charges that would actually make a difference was uppermost in my mind and the Police officers. Their feeling was that the driver was was clearly ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated etc, in front on his own family. Pressing charges was unlikely to add to that fact. Or, to put it anther way, lesson learned. If he is of a mind to repeat? Then he would do so regardless of being charged. Any charge would be unlikely to bring about a ban. A ban could lose him his livelihood (I do not know this) but it would not change what has happened and I suspect not change what will happen.

I know many drink drivers who are serial drink drivers, despite being banned, some on multiple occasions. I was myself hit by a banned driver who was a described in court as a "serial driving offender" the courts banned him to add to his existing ban = pointless. I will bet money he is driving now and probably drove home from court.

No. I wanted to sit down and speak to him. My recent trip to my own mortality has given me a greater (maybe not better) understanding of how punitive some these things are.

I suspect that in being confronted on his doorstep by the Police with his family sat indoors was better than a ban or a court case. Restorative justice maybe. A thump from me would make me feel better than a court case for him would. I feel better in knowing that he now has an inkling into the domino effect of his actions and what may have been.

Assuming he is going to court over this , I wonder if you might be called as a witness , and get your chance to face him directly there , perhaps making a 'victim statement' and highlighting the impact this has had on you and your family .

Perhaps you might get to hear him make some statement of remorse in court ?

 

[french]

In answer to the Title thread....This made me chuckle as it brought back an incident back in 1995! I was taking a friend to see an XJS, at the time I had a Daimler Vandam Plas Double Six & he wanted to compare the engine drive etc. So we were in the outside lane of the M4 going down a fairly steep hill just past the Bridgend exit towards Swansea going a steady 80mph. When I came along side a Montego car, I soon realised that the driver was keeping pace with me to stop me overtaking ? Before I really noticed he was being a berk, said to my friend " He's doing well keeping up with us", as we were now at about 90mph.

We looked across & the driver was gripping the wheel with a steely determination & his girlfriend(?) was looking a bit angry towards us ? So I looked in my mirror & had a car behind me so I could not drop back so I eased on & so did the Montego ..then "Pop" all this thick smoke came out the back of his car & he pulled across the path of some cars ,while his girl friend was doing a dance as she was managing all sorts of coffee beans shakes (actually she was pretty good ...made me jealous) towards us as it was obviously my fault?

Oh we chuckled ,as did the man behind who for some reason started offering the Montego occupants a some coffee beans ...

 

[219]

In answer to the Title thread....This made me chuckle as it brought back an incident back in 1995! I was taking a friend to see an XJS, at the time I had a Daimler Vandam Plas Double Six & he wanted to compare the engine drive etc. So we were in the outside lane of the M4 going down a fairly steep hill just past the Bridgend exit towards Swansea going a steady 80mph. When I came along side a Montego car, I soon realised that the driver was keeping pace with me to stop me overtaking ? Before I really noticed he was being a berk, said to my friend " He's doing well keeping up with us", as we were now at about 90mph.

We looked across & the driver was gripping the wheel with a steely determination & his girlfriend(?) was looking a bit angry towards us ? So I looked in my mirror & had a car behind me so I could not drop back so I eased on & so did the Montego ..then "Pop" all this thick smoke came out the back of his car & he pulled across the path of some cars ,while his girl friend was doing a dance as she was managing all sorts of coffee beans shakes (actually she was pretty good ...made me jealous) towards us as it was obviously my fault?

Oh we chuckled ,as did the man behind who for some reason started offering the Montego occupants a some coffee beans ...

Perhaps it was Mike Gambit giving the beanshake - the various BL models were always the favoured transportation of the New Avengers ...