OK, due to a few other threads showing us in a bad light I felt the need to pop this one up. Don’t worry mods I’m not going to mention tugging, tribbing or any other sensitive topic that falls into your prudeish catch all rule that no one reads.
Anyway yesterday on the A14 I’m tootling along on CC at 51mph (82kph), yes I know this is naughty but for fuel bonus and engine rev optimisation I find this speed perfect. But low and behold a car joining the dual carriageway is only doing 45mph, now due to heavy traffic in the outside lane I deceide to ease off and flash (oh alright its not the proper use of a flash but car drivers see it as gesture of goodwill / invitation to merge) especially as I’m 43 ton and don’t want to muck about expecting the car to dissapear into the distance.
But the car hovers at 45mph so thinking this is a little slow even for me I try and overtake on a flat bit ( yep I have 84kph in reserve), but the car accelerates thus leaving me a little stranded and embarrased (albeit in my own mind), so as not to over-react I indicate early and pull in behind at a safe distance from the car who then slows back down to 45. Now the temptation to have another go is there but i deceide to ease off on the CC (Actros, so I’m flickng it like the clappers to reduce speed, no need to brake as theres loads of room between me and the car).
Now I put my thinking cap on (and pour a cup of tea) and realise that its either a nervous car driver or someone deliberatley mucking about, either way I will not play this game so ease off further so I’m just the right distance away that another overtaking HGV will not try and pull in and if they want to play silly buggers then i have enough space to react.
To cut a long story short they pull off after a few miles and I can accelerate back up to my optimum speed having protected them from stupid truck drivers who are up the arse of anything slower than themselves.
My question is, am I the only one that would do this ?, or should I grow a pair and pull past and at the moment they accelerated lurch over and put the buggers in the gutter (which in my youth i have done on many occasion)…
bobdebouwer:
Every day driving around Aberdeen I need to protect drivers from themselves. Constantly pulling out on me and various other things.
Yep, the funny thing is we know its going to happen yet i have seen other drivers over-react in such a way that I think its the first time they have been behind the wheel.
Suppose we are hardwired to defend out personal space (which is extended by the size of our vehicle) but to read some of the threads on here I wondered if i was alone in seeing the actions of other road users as not so much a deliberate act of aggression but more an accidental act of just maybe wanting to get home.
as bad as you think that low standard of car drivers are in the uk,then come over to ireland where the only thing that takes the bad look of the braindeads in the north are the ones in the south. mind boggling to say the least.the difference in the south is that nobdy cares,
Only some of it isnt accidental. You just know whats gonna happen and doesnt surprise me when it does.
I had an incident the other day. Dual carriage leading to roundabout about a mile long, slip road on left about 2/3’s along. Right hand lane is always chock full on morning for turning right into Ind Est. Im in the left doing 40ish and can see a guy coming down the hill, so ease off a wee bit. See him stop, and look for a gap to get into the right lane. Im almost on top of him and then someone gives him the gap and allows him in. Doesnt look and pulls straight across.
On with the anchors in a half loaded hook loader (so 25/26 ton), stop about 2 foot from the side of his car. As he pulls in, I draw forward so I can see him in his windscreen and mouth “WTF”. Bet you can guess the response. Shrugged shoulders and mouthing “what?”
This is the sort of bellendery we know is going to happen, yet somehow its a always a surprise that they are really that ■■■■■■■ thick.
Dipper_Dave:
But low and behold a car joining the dual carriageway is only doing 45mph, now due to heavy traffic in the outside lane I deceide to ease off and flash
I wasn’t there in that situation but I have been in similar! I wouldn’t have eased off but continued at the same speed (there is traffic behind you). the car on the slip road has to give way and adjust speed accordingly. If a car hasn’t got the acceleration to get in front or the person driving the car doesn’t know give way lines then that is their problem and not yours The slip road is another road joining the one you have priority on, simple!
Move over out of courtesy if safe to do so and you don’t cause anyone else to change lane or brake…simple highway code.
The more you give way licence holders will not learn
dri-diddly-iver:
the car on the slip road has to give way and adjust speed accordingly. If a car hasn’t got the acceleration to get in front or the person driving the car doesn’t know give way lines then that is their problem and not yours The slip road is another road joining the one you have priority on, simple!
Move over out of courtesy if safe to do so and you don’t cause anyone else to change lane or brake…simple highway code.
Too many seem to have forgotten this in a morning or evening traffic. Countless times I’ve had them trying to squeeze in expecting me to either slow right down or move over. Except I’ve nowhere to go as traffic on my right so cant move over even if I wanted to. Then I get the horn/flash as if it’s me in the wrong!
The slip road is another road joining the one you have priority on, simple!