Since when did it become anti-social to overtake?
vinny1275 - 6/3/08 at 08:39 AM
Driving into work this morning, I overtook a van on a long, straight road. There's a hump-backed bridge that narrows at the end of the road, and
there are traffic lights on it as it's only one lane. So, if you pull out to overtake something while the lights facing you are green, there
won't be anything coming the other way.
Taking everything into account (no oncoming traffic), I overtook the van. He wasn't especially slow, but I don't like sitting behind things
I can't see past. As I pulled back in, I could see him clapping through the windscreen. Bugger off, I thought, I couldn't have done that any
more safely if I tried...
Then, at the lights (which then turned red), he pulls up behind me, and I can see a jack russel, happily sat, on the drivers lap, watching the world
go by!! Tw@t. I can think of few things more dangerous than a live animal between you and the steering wheel on a country A road.
Then when I overtook someone else further up the road, I could see him giving me a w@nker sign. I would have retaliated with a finger in the mirror,
but I was too busy with both hands on the steering wheel, controlling my car properly.
Grrrrrrrrr.
rant over, time for work 
Mr Whippy - 6/3/08 at 08:43 AM
Just ignore him, he's a retarded van driver
probably bored of his lack of power
vinny1275 - 6/3/08 at 08:46 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
Just ignore him, he's a retarded van driver
probably bored of his lack of power
Oh, I ignored him, I just wanted a rant to feel better... 
itiejim - 6/3/08 at 08:46 AM
I couldn't agree more, these days it seems that people have been so brainwashed into simply following the idiot in front that anyone who makes
safe progress is some form of miscreant.
In reality, I find that I am far more alert and aware of my surroundings when looking for opportunities to overtake, checking all the sideroads, other
hazards etc, rather than just bimbling along behind the car in front.
I lived in Italy for a few years, hence the user name, there, although drivers are far less disciplined than in the UK, and always looking to
over/undertake/push the next guy off the road, they are far more aware as they have to be to survive!
Unfortunately, driving has been dumbed down to the lowest common denomenator (much like television)... It seems no one outside of true motoring
enthusiasts takes any pride in driving well (whether quickly or slowly) these days.
saigonij - 6/3/08 at 08:47 AM
some people just dont line being over taken when they are not going particularly slow..
i can see both sides, cause i hate being behind a slow driver ( no patience ) and will overtake, but then , when i am poodling with no rush, i hate
people over taking me and usually give them the w*nker sign too!!!!
dont take it personally, he prob has already forgotten ( unless he had a camera and he has now trained his dog to kill on sight )....
muzchap - 6/3/08 at 09:17 AM
LOL - this is funny - how many times do you observe this behavioural scenario:
Situation: In a car with friends/family, stuck behind a slower moving car in front..
Response: People in car saying - god look at that slow person blah blah - overtake, everybody is happy.
Same CAR 5 minutes later...
Situation: They get overtaken by a faster car
Response:: Look at that MADMAN they're going to kill somebody...
I hope the IRONY of the situation isn't lost.
The gesticulation element is further proof of the continual demise of social ettiquette within this country and a fast passage back to an uncivilized
'heathen' country.
I have indeed swallowed a thesaurus this morning 
[Edited on 6/3/08 by muzchap]
speedyxjs - 6/3/08 at 09:23 AM
I know the feeling. I had a 3 hour drive yesterday morning to trowbridge, then a 6 hour marketing meeting, 2 hours of which we were discussing china
cups, then another 3 and a half hour drive home in which i had plenty of company car drivers constantly trying to overtake in dangerous places
I just slow right down and let them past ASAP to reduce the risk of an accident and still get evil looks from them as they pass. Yet if i had held
them up i would still have got the same look.
speedyxjs - 6/3/08 at 09:28 AM
quote:
Originally posted by muzchap
The gesticulation element is further proof of the continual demise of social ettiquette within this country and a fast passage back to an uncivilized
'heathen' country.
I have indeed swallowed a thesaurus this morning
Really, i couldnt tell 
Jubal - 6/3/08 at 11:14 AM
It is a common rant these days. Time was when people in a queue on a country road would leave a gap for those making progress to slot into, now they
speed up and maroon you on the wrong side of the road if you dare to "jump the queue".
mcerd1 - 6/3/08 at 11:42 AM
quote:
Originally posted by itiejim
I couldn't agree more, these days it seems that people have been so brainwashed into simply following the idiot in front that anyone who makes
safe progress is some form of miscreant.
In reality, I find that I am far more alert and aware of my surroundings when looking for opportunities to overtake, checking all the sideroads, other
hazards etc, rather than just bimbling along behind the car in front.
I have to agree with that, I'm defiantly more alert when I'm not just stuck behind something the whole way
My commute is only about 5 miles each way, mostly on a bit of the old A1. Its basically 2 long, wide straits and not very busy, allot of the traffic
is lorries, tractors and old granny's so there are good, safe overtaking opportunities every day (one day I think I overtook about 15 cars, just
going to work and back 
)
I don't have any problem with the drivers I've mentioned above, for the most part they are just doing there job and are quite easy to pass
when you get the chance (although there is a point at which the old dears should give up driving, but that's another issue) - I should add that I
used to drive tractors for a living, and nothing is more annoying than someone who won't overtake, (it makes the tractor driver look bad)
the ones I still can't work out are the ones this thread it about - who amble along at 40 to 50 in a 60 limit in perfect conditions, or
won't overtake even with every possible opportunity, but should anyone dare to overtake them............
round here I tend to find that these people either drive a van, or a quite quick a new car (more often than not a BMW or Merc), and when you pull out
to overtake they suddenly wake up and accelerate, or hang up the phone thats been attached to the ear the whole time (having sat behind them at
40 for a mile or so waiting for a chance to pass) you sometime even see them giving you evil looks in the mirror
I should also add that my car is only a crapy old pug, with only a 950cc engine, which makes it practically impossible for me to overtake anyone doing
more than 50
Mr Whippy - 6/3/08 at 11:44 AM
very tempting these days to just buy a white car and fit some blue lights
speedyxjs - 6/3/08 at 11:57 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
very tempting these days to just buy a white car and fit some blue lights
i wish
K999NNY - 6/3/08 at 12:09 PM
I have to agree. When driving the traffic car and I overtake then there are no issues (wonder why?). Doing exact same, perfectly safe overtake in my
own car you run risk of being shown a few fingers or having your retinas burned by full beams. Not everybody has time to idle about on the roads and
sometimes it is still safe to drive at the speed limit.
russbost - 6/3/08 at 01:27 PM
OOOOOHHHH!!!!!
Sharp intake of breath!!! Overtaking???
Not Politically correct at all mate, speed kills dontcha know!
(Actually it's not speed that kills it's being stopped from a high speed, or any significant speed really in a very short space of
distamce/time, this is of course caused by d*ckheads that can't drive!)
mookaloid - 6/3/08 at 01:55 PM
I can't understand why but I've never noticed anyone making gestures when I overtake with the caravan on the back
Mind you I can't actually see anything behind me
It's a sad comment on the times tho' but
james h - 6/3/08 at 04:34 PM
My rant in particular is that many many people are like sheep when they drive!
For example, a single road diverges to form two lanes at a set of traffic lights - what do people do? Almost every single one of them goes in the left
hand lane!
Although to be honest I shouldn't really complain, because this allows me to overtake about six or seven dopey drivers safely, as long as they
don't block me out when the lanes converge again.
Mr Whippy - 6/3/08 at 04:55 PM
Wildest thing I can remember is on the two lane A9 at Inverness, over taking a convoy of about 5 army trucks at about 80mph in one go in a fiat 127
whilst getting towed by a Volvo estate
That was scary...
brynhamlet - 6/3/08 at 05:17 PM
I agree about the bit not passing tractors. I was out in the MK yesterday, five cars following a tractor doing about 20 mph on a dead straight piece
of road , so I thought I'd do the the polite thing and let everybody take their turn. I could always pass them later. Quarter of a mile later
when nobody had even made an attempt even though it was perfectly safe I thought s*d it and passed the lot. The joys of 140bhp and 550kg.
mcerd1 - 6/3/08 at 06:11 PM
quote:
Originally posted by brynhamlet
The joys of 140bhp and 550kg.
I can't wait to get my dax on the road
it could weigh nearly the same as the pug [760kg] but 45bhp isn't quite the same as 140 
(or at least the pug was supposed to have 45bhp 15 years ago, and I'm hoping for 140 from the dax)
quote:
Originally posted by james h
My rant in particular is that many many people are like sheep when they drive!
For example, a single road diverges to form two lanes at a set of traffic lights - what do people do? Almost every single one of them goes in the left
hand lane!
Although to be honest I shouldn't really complain, because this allows me to overtake about six or seven dopey drivers safely, as long as they
don't block me out when the lanes converge again.
I couldn't agree more
there is one really good bit near here at bottom of a sliproad off the A1 - all the cars are in the left lane to turn left
but actually you can use the right lane to go left and as long as you want to take the next right where most of the traffic is headed anyway (about
another 100 yards) you won't even get in anyones way
I've passed more than 30 cars in one go sometimes and there are hundreds of bits like this round town
[Edited on 6/3/08 by mcerd1]
soggy 3 - 8/3/08 at 01:03 AM
I was a road rage victim the other day,the road splits in to two lanes halfway down this hill the left ones always full but the right one only had two
cars in it and there was this moron stuck jutting out into the right lane a hundred yards from the two cars,i thought i could see the lights about to
change (which they dont do for long)so i thought sod waiting for him to make up his mind and with the traffic up the hill clear i went around him.Well
the lights didnt change in my favour so i stopped,handbrake on.I could see something moving in my rear view mirror and when i looked the car behind me
was empty!.Next thing theres a bang on my door a this guy shouting "i surpose you think thats clever you w--ker"
then he walks away i opened my door and asked him what he was on about but he carried on and got back in his car.
I personaly thought i was very clever avoiding sitting behind the moron
But when i had time to think about it my car door was unlocked i didnt expect him to do what he did if he realy had a beef about i would have been
pretty defenceless strapped in my car had he a weapon!
A bit of an extreme thought but even though i avoid watching the news or reading newspapers you cant aviod the increase it violent attacks.