Driving Standards

[andy]

Having had a good old rant at The Squirrel tonight during out excellent meal at Peter's about the standards of driving on Scotland's roads, my point was made perfectly en route home.

I'm heading up the A80 and finally after the 50/30/50/30 speed limits it becomes 70. Here's matey in his Volvo V70 doing 60 up the outside lane. Not a car in sight in the inside, but he's sauntering up the outside oblivious to the rules of the road. I saunter up behind him doing somewhere between 70 and 75 - certainly nothing scary and nothing I'd get done for.

Instead of thinking "Hmmm, I should really be in the inside and let this guy pass, matey in his Volvo thinks "This is my lane, how dare he try and pass me" so he brakes to 40mph - in the outside lane of a 70mph stretch of road. Now I'm thinking that I drive that road often and those who stick to the limit are rare. If anybody approaches fast and I'm doing 40 in the outside lane because the twat in front of me won't pull over then I've got a pretty good chance of being rear-ended so I pull in, and without any danger and not exceeding 55 mph, I undertake aforementioned twat - who proceeds to jam his hand on his horn and gesticulate that I may partake of masturbatory pleasures on the odd occasion.

Once safely past said twat, I speed up to national speed limit (or thereabouts) only to have said twat close right up behind me - still in the outside lane, presumably with the intention of noting my reg number.

I fully expect a wasted visit from the old bill over this. The law states I am in the wrong for undertaking. My view is that 40mph in the outside lane of a clear dual carriageway when the speed limit is 70 is driving without due care and attention.

[paddy247]

Absolutly shocking, I have encontered this myself on a few occasion, just as described by yourself, the best thing to do, is to undercut these twats and get yerself out of the danger zone.

[wrxmania]

Agree with you Andy - this is SO annoying. Some really terrible drivers let down the vast bulk who drive reasonably well.

Brian

[sharon_mccall]

LOL at your wee story, but you are right.

These twats need to be shot.

[dougster]

Raging at this.

I know it's not legal but sometimes a squirt up the inside to get away from the delerious masses is safer!!!

[wrxmania]

BBC Poll

[st3ph3n]

People are ignorant. Simple as that. There should be a proper tv advertising campaign for "the outside lane is for overtaking". Of course, I forget, speed kills, not these people.

I went to the pub for a couple of cokes after work last night, so I was later home. Think I hit the M8 at livingston about 7 really. Not deadly quiet, but much better than rush hour. So from junction 3 to me getting off at coatbridge I think my tally was 7 outside lane hogs.

4 cars clearly seen me coming, yet sat in the outside lane and forced me to brake. Once I'd slowed down to their pace they moved over of course. Causing me wear on my brake pads, and harming the environment as I had to get back up to speed again.

The remaining 3 steadfastly sat in the outside lane and forced my hand. It beggars belief sometimes. There's not a car in sight, so what the hell are you doing sitting in the outside lane!

Still can't top my all time favourite. M8 going into glasgow. Road's quite quiet. Just coming up to the junction just after the Bar-L. I'm finishing a passing manouver on a car so I'm in the outside lane and just about to start making my way back to lane 2, then lane 1 as it was clear ahead. COMPLETELY CLEAR, not a car in sight. Then I notice a wee car coming on at the junction, it was a punto I think. Anyway, he'll be going into lane 1 so I decide lane 2 is the one for me so I can pass him as he's dawdling. Next thing I know he's indicating for lane 2. A middle lane surfer. Fair enough, I'll go back to lane 3. Still nothing ahead of him and me as far as the eye can see. So I'm now catching up quite close to him with maybe a +30mph speed difference. HE THEN INDICATES FOR LANE THREE. Faster than I can think "WTF" he pulls across! I slam on the anchors, narrowly avoiding him. We're in the outside lane doing THIRTY! I beeped and flashed at him and after about 1/4 a mile he pulled over. I was dumb struck. Still am to this day actually. He went from the on ramp to lane 3 within maybe 200 yards, without attempting to speed up and without a car in front.

[sharon_mccall]

st3ph3n - i am PMSL at the thought of this.

I have always fancied having a loud speaker to shout at these a$$holes. "geroot the fooking way"

[andy]

I certainly wasn't tail-gating. I came up behind, sat there for a while at 60 at a reasonable distance and then he braked. I did flash his braking as it was obviously antagonistic, but didn't close up to tail-gate. He was obviously a numpty and I didn't want him slamming on the brakes and me being blamed for an accident because an invisible rabbit had crossed his path.

I'm afraid it's just typical of the attitudes on the roads here these days. Anywhere in mainland Europe you come up behind someone and they pull in to let you past, but not in Britain. The general opinion is "I've got my space and I'm not giving it up for anybody". In saying that, I've tailed Gummy Bear and Robbo and been the bone shaking passenger of The Squirrel and they all follow the same rules I do - drive on the left except when overtaking. Maybe having real cars makes us appreciate the rules better.

[Gumball]

I find that in these situations, positioning your car towards the right hand side (ie white lines) of the inside lane and not flashing but turning your lights from main to dip to main to dip etc...lets them realise they are silly people without flashing the main beam and noising them up. (he/she/it sees you in their left mirror)

I find that they then move into the inside lane in front of you, allowing you to progress and overtake them before moving on with your journey.

Why they do it i really have no idea. Its just a very oblivious/arrogant/strange past-time that a lot of people like to partake in.

As for the "hand gestures" i used to want to pull them over and introduce them to the "Taylor Made LT" 7 Iron about the head area....but now i just tend to ignore them and give them nothing more than a passing look as if to say "your lucky i am well natured"

but yes your right, theyre facking cants. I have been pulled over on the Edinburgh bypass for undertaking in the past and the real knobbers havent been so much as looked at by the plod for starting their nonsense in the first instance.

[fai17]

Yes these feckers can't drive.Got to amitt alot of people hogg the outside lane but i just undertake them sharpish.

BTW Did you enjoy your meal?

[andy]

<< BTW Did you enjoy your meal? >>

I already gave you a plug or two Great meal and good to see Pete and Imy again and be introduced properly to G. Mac - still finding my way around folk!

[Gumball]

<< still finding my way around folk! >>

in a manner of speaking

[andy]

<< in a manner of speaking >>

And our nosh was great, but not what you military boys expected

[G.T.]

i know its not clever but i dont mind undertaking, half the time the twat you undertake is oblivious to you behind them anyway

[G.Mac]

I had a similar situation today, but on single carriageway

Im heading back home after a wee jaunt down to Largs, get onto the road (not sure about the name but going between the bypass and Beith) and theres a couple of cars in front doing 50 in a 60, so I thaught "Ill just pass these couple of old codgers with the superior power of Subaru" so when it was clear to pass I engage 3rd gear (best gear for these sort of things) and overtake the first and pull back in as theres a couple of cars coming and to my amazement the old git starts flashing me after I get back in. The same happened after I passed the 2nd old git. (both were driving Rover 75's) Im not sure if its just because I startled them as they were not paying any attention to what was going on arround them or the fact that they do not like being overtaken by us young whipersnapers, but why be pissed off about being overtaken when you are not even doing the speed limit??????? its not as if I made their ears blead with the sound of my exhaust as its still standard!

G

[fai17]

<< I had a similar situation today, but on single carriageway

Im heading back home after a wee jaunt down to Largs, get onto the road (not sure about the name but going between the bypass and Beith) and theres a couple of cars in front doing 50 in a 60, so I thaught "Ill just pass these couple of old codgers with the superior power of Subaru" so when it was clear to pass I engage 3rd gear (best gear for these sort of things) and overtake the first and pull back in as theres a couple of cars coming and to my amazement the old git starts flashing me after I get back in. The same happened after I passed the 2nd old git. (both were driving Rover 75's) Im not sure if its just because I startled them as they were not paying any attention to what was going on arround them or the fact that they do not like being overtaken by us young whipersnapers, but why be pissed off about being overtaken when you are not even doing the speed limit??????? its not as if I made their ears blead with the sound of my exhaust as its still standard.

G >>

It won't be long tho

[oletam]

Absolutely agree with all that's been said although I would hesitate to undertake in case the dozv git in front woke up and moved back to lane 1.

I reckon it must be something to do with Subarus.

I only got my currennt Scooby this week and whenever I overtake invariably there is some sort of reaction. For instance yesterday I was coming along the M8 about 70 and there's an Evo 8 in the nearside doing 60, as soon as I passed it was up to 90 to get back in front.

Maybe Joe Public likes to brag that he was quicker than a Scooby!

I've always had sporty cars BMW, Celica,etc, but I get more reaction in the Scoob.

Jealousy is a terrible thing.

[nicholas_frame]

Man these idiots make my blood boil!

I had a similar incident joining the motorway at dunfermline. There are two lanes and I accelerated down the hill to join the motorway at 70. Tw*t in a cavalier doing about 30 in the inside lane then swerves into my path - I dive to the inside thinking he hadn't seen me when he deliberately swerves back into the inside lane to block me, forcing me to brake really hard and just pull up behind him. Then to top it off, he blocks me a third time when I move to the outside lane again - W*NKER!!!!

I then followed him up the road and gave him verbal when he turned off at kelty - if the girlfriend hadn't been with me and other witnesses present I dread to think what I'd have done! As far as I was concerned he was trying to kill me and the better half - if I see him again he'll be getting it! I called and reported him to the boys in blue, but I can't imagine they pulled out the proverbial and did anything about it!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm now back on my medication and the therapy is helping - I think?

[neilswrx]

bet the bhoys in blue do hee hawabout it

had 2 similar incidents jag pushed me into hard shoulder as in miltary vehicle wasn,t going fast enough for him pink perky not interseted(would be if we were armed)

other one as first post coffin dodgers in middle lane of m74 at 50 wouldnae move to third to let me overtake truck so had to slow right down then into third land while urine  bag 1&2 decide to show how me to brake at 70 pulls into third lane brakes point,s at dash as if to say 70 see f---ken seen the windy wipers close up  slowed waved he moves back into second lane at 50 me offski at warp speed very close one

[oobster]

I was on the way into work this morning. Traffic tailed back in both lanes approcahing Eurocentral, but both lanes are doing a steady 20-25mph. A black BMW X5 (reg X5* LEO) that was in the outside lane suddenly jumps over into lane 1, right in front of me, then takes the Euro central slip. At the roundabout at the top he continues over onto the slip back down onto the motorway again - just to get maybe 200 yards in front of where he was!!

Heading home about 2 weeks ago on the M8, just got past the Airdrie junction and was in lane 2 - both lanes are chocka in front of me for as far as I can see (approx 5.35pm). Both lanes doing similar speeds. A red Astra (W3* DRU) suddenly appears on my left-side, flys past me and jumps into lane 2 directly in front of me (causing me to brake). Astra then sits in front of me for the next 8-10 miles (can't go anywhere due to the volume of traffic). As we approach the Harthill/Shotts junction he then does the same to a jeep that was in front of him - this time he cut very sharply back into lane 2 to avoid rear-ending a truck in lane 1, the jeep brakes then the astra cuts the truck up to go from lane 2 straight over to take the Harthill junction!

Perhaps people should be made to do a driver refresher course every 10 years or something.

Not that my driving is perfect - it isn't - but I don't drive like an ar*ehole!!!

[dougster]

Auld fella, wee blue micra, yesterday, M8 West bound.

Just came off a slip road about 40mph, no indication and drifted straight onto motorway.

Nearly caused a pile up!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cars breaking and swerving everywhere!!!!!!!!!!

When was the last time he'd have been tested????

[st3ph3n]

"I was on the way into work this morning. Traffic tailed back in both lanes approcahing Eurocentral, but both lanes are doing a steady 20-25mph. A black BMW X5 (reg X5* LEO) that was in the outside lane suddenly jumps over into lane 1, right in front of me, then takes the Euro central slip. At the roundabout at the top he continues over onto the slip back down onto the motorway again - just to get maybe 200 yards in front of where he was!! "

I'll have to raise my hand and admit to this. I'll not cut up traffic to do it, but if the opportunity arises I've seen myself using that junction like that if the traffic is really slow. Not 20-25, that's fine, but start and stop slow. If I know there's trouble I usually just nip through Holytown though.

I might as well admit to using the Harthill services for the same purpose whilst I'm shaming myself.

[oobster]

I suppose my first 'story' doesn't really involve bad driving, it just annoyed me cause I tend to have a 'we are all in this together' attitude when there are tailbacks, and only related the story here because it happened this morning!

[gus the bus]

Shoot the f*ckers! This is my pet hate when people lane hog! There is absolutely no need and no excuse for remaining in the outside lane of a Dual Carriageway when the inside lane is clear! AS IT CLEARLY STATES IN THE HIGHWAY CODE!

mind you most volvo drivers learned to drive before test came in to being

There are plenty of these overhead electronic messages reminding people to return to the left once after overtaking etc...

I bet the bloke was wearing a flat cap