The lost art of overtaking

[DaGaffer]

I've noticed a worrying new trend. When I used to live in West London I rarely had the opportunity to overtake, except on dual carriageways/motorways. Now, my route to work takes me along general A and B roads, usually bumper to bumper. However, there's one stretch, about 3/4 of a mile long, dead straight, fields on either side, one junction at one end and you can see traffic approaching it from miles away. Its a 50 limit with dotted lines and near perfect visibility. Usually its busy, but maybe 4-5 times in the last few months, there's been no traffic coming the other way, and I've taken the opportunity to overtake (usually white van man or some muppet in a 4x4 doing 30 in a 50). My God, what a reaction. In nearly every case my overtaking has resulted in flashing lights and/or rude gestures.

What's wrong with these people? I had one guy in a white van last night, with his kid in the passenger seat, who chased me when I overtook. I didn't put him or me in any danger, and before I overtook him he was well below the limit, and yet he was so incensed he floored it to catch up with me. Have we reached the point where overtaking is socially unacceptable, or have I just come across a unique sequence of dickheads?

 

[Guest]

What car are you driving at the moment, would that have any bearing on the responces................

 

[TdC]

you're not driving a Volvo V70 are you? those guys tend to give me the rage, mostly because they tend to be cocks who can't drive properly. you, on the other hand, are not a cock, so if you haven't got a flashing LED hand on your rear window wiper giving people a .V. then I couldn't begin to know

 

[DaGaffer]

Audi S3. Bit of a Q-car tbh.

 

[TdC]

hmm seems normal enough to me mate, but it is in the category of fast young men's cars if you know what I mean, a la the quicker Golfs and such like. I dunno, some people just feel felt up when they get overtaken, so that may well just be the case.

 

[DaGaffer]

hmm seems normal enough to me mate, but it is in the category of fast young men's cars if you know what I mean, a la the quicker Golfs and such like. I dunno, some people just feel felt up when they get overtaken, so that may well just be the case.

Yeah, but its happening so consistently. If I was flying past them in a powerslide whilst giving them the finger with a General Lee style airhorn blaring, I'd understand it, but I'm doing proper mirror, signal, manoevre stuff. And in most cases I've only overtaken because they've been moving like a three-legged arthiritic tortoise in shackles. Of course it could be just that they're all southerners and by definition, poofs.

 

[Frizz]

Oh man, I get undertaken every day on the way to Uni. I just think some people need to plan their time a little better and not take their inability to get up in the morning out on others.

I also don't understand people needing to overtake if you're already doing the speed limit. Though I wouldn't chase you or give you grief about it. 'Sup up to you.

 

[DaGaffer]

Oh man, I get undertaken every day on the way to Uni. I just think some people need to plan their time a little better and not take their inability to get up in the morning out on others.

I also don't understand people needing to overtake if you're already doing the speed limit. Though I wouldn't chase you or give you grief about it. 'Sup up to you.

Read what I said, if someone's doing 30 in a 50 and the road's empty, I'm going to overtake them. And undertaken how? If you're being undertaken on a dual carriageway or motorway, why are you in the outside lane?

 

[TdC]

yeah, I'd overtake them as well. in fact, I'd even overtake them if we were both on the speed limit but I was ever so slowly creeping up on them (purely because this situation tends to irritate me to death).
I think the people on that road are just continually PMSing for some odd reason. You sure it's a 50 road though Mr Gaffer? Only thing I can come up with tbh, I mean, if one of your blinkers or a rear light wasn't working properly you'd have other drivers on other roads trying to tell you about it.

 

[Scouse]

What's wrong with these people?

Simple. We're rapidly turning into a nation of people who expect other people to act exactly how they would - or we hate them for it. Because they wouldn't overtake they think you shouldn't.

Add to that the fact that they feel safe in their cars they feel that they can be as big a wanker as they like. - It's hardly surprising after ten years of New Labour control-freakery tho eh?


I sometimes get strange looks for shouting and singing whilst at football matches! Just because some people are scared by people showing passion nowadays...


Nation full of pussies.

 

[throdgrain]

I overtake everybody, all the time. Not sure if they like it or not though, I dont generally look to find out

 

[Scouse]

I overtake everybody, all the time. Not sure if they like it or not though, I dont generally look to find out

If you do it fast enough, by the time you look to find out you can't see their slow-ass cars anymore anyway

 

[ECA]

Maybe they were trying to alert you that you had a ninja on top of your car waiting to kill you?

 

[throdgrain]

Damn straight

Only trouble is I forget when Im in my car sometimes, and lane-splitting etc is a proper pain in a 2 tonne Jeep

 

[Trem]

I don't overtake as much nowadays due to me being on 9 points

But yeah people seem to be incapable of driving anywhere near the speed limit but I guess we could blame the speed cameras for that. I have always said that slower drivers are more dangerous than drivers who make good time, slower drivers cause people to lose their rag and to overtake, sometimes in bad places.

They need minimum speed limit cameras as well.

 

[Scouse]

They need minimum speed limit cameras as well.

They need to ditch all the speed cameras and most of the road signs and markings...

...but politicians are spineless bastards so they won't.

 

[ECA]

They need "stupid ***** who drive in the middle lanes on empty fucking motorway" cameras.

The penalty should be having your license revoked, and then shot for being a stupid bastard.

 

[Mabs]

personally, i wont let out any driving an Audi, a beemer, or a CLEAN 4x4, cos they are mostly arrogant wankers who wouldnt give you the time of day (note: MOSTLY )
so for me, its the car, dont even look at whose driving it, try it in a different one . that being said, im not that precious that i get upset if people overtake me

as for the white van man, you think he "lost face" to his kid and had to prove how hard he really is ? fuck knows, silly people

 

[Mabs]

They need "stupid ***** who drive in the middle lanes on empty fucking motorway" cameras.

The penalty should be having your license revoked, and then shot for being a stupid bastard.

QFT x 100 uke:

i must spread rep

 

[Scouse]

personally, i wont let out any driving a.......4x4, cos they are mostly arrogant wankers who wouldnt give you the time of day

Funnily enough - that's what the car industry's own research shows them.

Can't remember which company - but it said that people who own recreational 4x4's do tend to be more selfish and dishonest than most.

They went so far as to say the men and women who drive them like to stick the kids in the back behind the tinted windows so they can look like 'cool' single people and attract attention from others. They also have more affairs, apparently.


Must be true tho - 4x4's are selling like hot cakes and the car industry bases their entire advertising around the above assumptions

 

[DaGaffer]

personally, i wont let out any driving an Audi, a beemer, or a CLEAN 4x4, cos they are mostly arrogant wankers who wouldnt give you the time of day (note: MOSTLY )
so for me, its the car, dont even look at whose driving it, try it in a different one . that being said, im not that precious that i get upset if people overtake me

I do actually know what you mean. I used to have a BMW 330 Coupe and it was the slowest car in the world, because no-one would ever let you out at junctions because you were automatically classed as a wanker in their eyes. Of course, because you were so late all the time, you drove fast to make up time and everyone though you were being a wanker, and so it went on... I got an Audi because head ruled heart for once and I didn't buy that Alfa I've been drooling over...

as for the white van man, you think he "lost face" to his kid and had to prove how hard he really is ? fuck knows, silly people

In that particular case I'm sure you're right.

 

[Sparx]

They need "stupid ***** who drive in the middle lanes on empty fucking motorway" cameras.

The penalty should be having your license revoked, and then shot for being a stupid bastard.

Whats wrong with driving in the middle lane if the motorway is empty?

Your not causing any grief to anyone at all, if its is as you say, empty

 

[DaGaffer]

Whats wrong with driving in the middle lane if the motorway is empty?

Your not causing any grief to anyone at all, if its is as you say, empty

Because its a bad habit. And if you do it when the motorway is empty, you're the type who'll do it when there's traffic.

 

[WPKenny]

I think it depends on how the whole overtaking was done. If you've been driving bumper to bumper with them for the past few minutes while you wait for an overtaking spot and you've got those amazingly annoying lights that are just at the point of dipped/fullbeam and it seems like you're being flashed every time there's a bump in the road then it can be very stressful for the person you're tailing.
It may not be the fact you're over taking them but what you've done in the lead up to overtaking.

I used to work for a guy who like his fast cars. Ferrari's, Porches, Mercedes etc. He used to drive fairly safely but on the motorway, if you were in the outside lane and weren't going fast enough he'd sit behind you flashing his headlights till you got out of the way. Being a passenger in his car was cringworthy. Good driver but terrible road manners.

I get incredibly annoyed with tail-gaters (not saying you are DaGaffer, the above was just an enquiry... this part's a rant ) to the point where I will go even slower if someone's tail gating me and speed up if I see there's a chance for them to overtake. It's childish, I know but it's not like I drive like an old lady. Most of the time I'm the fastest car on the road (even in my little Ford Fiesta ) but if it's unsafe to drive fast, I won't.
I don't think my tactic drives any sense in to these people. While they're sat behind me I flash my brake lights, hoping to give them a wake up call to back off but none of it seems to work. It like they don't know they're doing anything wrong.

Meh rant over.

I know what you mean tho about people's road mannerisms. Your car's an impenetrable bubble and you can do and say whatever you like and the world can't touch you. If someone has the wrong type of car you believe you have every right in the world to hate them for it and give them grief.

It's a lot like forums on the internet....

 

[DaGaffer]

Tailgating is a lousy idea because if you want to be ready when an overtaking opportunity comes along, you're in the wrong place. I have wondered about my headlights because they're Xenon lights, and pretty bright.

 

[Sparx]

Because its a bad habit. And if you do it when the motorway is empty, you're the type who'll do it when there's traffic.

I'm not ashamed to admit i sit in the middle lane, i bet every single driver here has bad habits, but true FH style everyone prefers to preach than admit it.

I will move out the way tho if people do come up behind me. My car is pretty quick mind so i'm not really holding up traffic

 

[Scouse]

Whats wrong with driving in the middle lane if the motorway is empty?

Your not causing any grief to anyone at all, if its is as you say, empty

Do you move over if there's only ONE other car on the motorway?


No? Then I'd curse your arse when I passed you and would wish death on all the people you've ever met. It's an OVERTAKING LANE - not a "middle" lane.

Get over. Even when it's empty. It's what's called "good driving" - but more importantly it's in the highway code...



God. I've been waiting years to find someone on a forum dumb enough to say something like that and I really wanted to be more abusive!

 

[throdgrain]

Whats wrong with driving in the middle lane if the motorway is empty?

Your not causing any grief to anyone at all, if its is as you say, empty

This is England, we drive on the LEFT. The other two lanes on a motorway are for OVERTAKING.

There's not a middle lane for middle speed and a fast lane for fast speed.

 

[Sparx]

Do you move over if there's only ONE other car on the motorway?

Actually yes i do. And its not empty then is it?

 

[Scouse]

This is England, we drive on the LEFT. The other two lanes on a motorway are for OVERTAKING.

There's not a middle lane for middle speed and a fast lane for fast speed.

Yay. Even tho Throddy hates Palestinians he agrees with me that we should send our troops out and wipe "middle lane hoggers" off the face of the earth!