UKC

This thought came to me yesterday, as I pulled over slightly to allow a motorbike pass.

Why do I (and indeed most other road users) happily allow motorcyclists to overtake and yet get really pissed off when overtaken by a car/van/milk float?

My biggest bub-bear is when I get overtaken in town, usually in a dangerous manner, only to see the driver waiting at the next lights! Of course that is when I let my feelings known, by letting him (as it is 'him' 99.9% of the time) see that I drink Kenco coffee (made from real coffee beans).

So how do you react?

In reply to Tony the Blade: I ride a motorbike, I dont understand the question?

In reply to Tony the Blade:

Depends what I'm driving. If I'm in my slow car then I let everyone overtake me because I know I'm slow. If I'm in my fast car then someone overtaking me must be in a really big rush, so it makes sense for me to let them get past.

In reply to Tony the Blade: I always let cars overtake. As I live in the country I understand how anoying it is to be slowed down, so if I'm going slow, or the car behind has approached fast I signal them through.

Climbers get very grumpy about me overtaking them in the pass, yet I'm trying to get around and they are swerving all over the road because they are looking at crags driving at 20 mph.

In reply to niggle:

Wow, in total agreement with you, there's a first.

They could be driving their pregnant wife to hospital, ill dog to the vets, anything, so I just let them through.

In reply to Tony the Blade:

I only have a problem with vehicles overtaking, if I consider that they are overtaking in a dangerous manner, regardless of the type of vehicle.

The sort of people who hate you for sticking to the speed limit in built up areas, overtaking you at 50 as they pass a primary school, that sort of thing.

In reply to Tony the Blade: You might drink kenco, in the same way as Leonard Rossiter didn't drink martini, Diane Keen and Gareth Hunt drank Nescafe.

In reply to Tony the Blade:

Usually by continuing as I was or slowing slightly to make space. The exception being if it's some nutjob going for it on a blind crest/bend in which case I hit the brakes so I don't get caught up in what's hopefully not about to happen.

Doesn't always work like that, sometimes if it's a slow car that passes me inside a speed limit I'll just pass him again later when he's holding me up. Sometimes I just follow, depend what mood i'm in and what the traffic's like.

jk

In reply to Nick B not logged on: If I am somewhere were I am happy to pootle along and enjoy the view or am going slow because I am unfamiliar with the road, I pull over regularly to let people pass.

In reply to Nick B not logged on:


Yes, usually but not exclusively, in a white van. I find that I suddenly have to care for my suspension when approachings speed humps!

In reply to Tony the Blade:

It only annoys me when the overtaking manoeuvre endangers me - like on a blind bend or when they pull into the (not huge) gap i have deliberately left between me and the can in front, then anchor up

In reply to Tony the Blade:

Why where are we going?

In reply to Tony the Blade:

I agree with your bug-bear, and have been oertaken a couple of times on our town high street (20mph zone), and reacted by flashing my lights at the tossers as they sped into the distance.

Other than that I agree with most other people here. I'm a newish driver and don't drive that quickly, so I try to let people past. If I'm in a queue on a highland road, or stuck behind someone doing just under 60, but not so slow I'll risk an overtake, then I'll leave plenty of space in front of me so that faster drivers behind can leapfrog me and then get past the cars in front, rather than doing multi-car overtakes.

In reply to es:

You should leave a bigger space for them to get into.

If you don't intend to overtake, it's polite. If you do intend to overtake, it makes it easier to accelerate up to speed before pulling out.

Me? I don't care two hoots if someone overtakes me.

In reply to Tony the Blade:

99% of overtaking isn't really nessecary esp in towns so i tend to put my foot down to stop them getting past. The number of arguments I've had over this, people just don't seem to appreciate when its not safe.

Open country roads are less of an issue - overtaking is safer so I let them past but i always end up getting competitive and see if I can keep up with them after the overtake. Its pretty satisfying to re-overtake to prove the point bu then you have to really floor it alse they'll try and re-overtake later.

In reply to Tony the Blade:


Was overtaken yesterday by a 4x4 as I was going over a speed bump in a 30mph zone.

In reply to es:

Same here. If someone comes up behind me then slows down I'll make way at the nearest opportunity. If they come up behind and try and force me to speed up by driving right up my arse I'll make a point of slowing right down and hindering them as much as possible.

In reply to es:


It annoys me when someone tail gaits you, before undertaking (usually). Braking suddenly gets rid of them but is very dangerous.
I generally try to keep up with the traffic etc, leave good braking distance. I am fine with people flashing me if they want me to move and think they can go faster in heavy traffic. Maybe I need a little sign in my car saying, "Don't drive right up my a**e, please flash instead". That should sort it.

In reply to Northern Alliance Commander:

Oh the irony.

In reply to Ridge:

spot on... and can i add a "trick" to your sleeve? if your scoushers have 4 jets, point one of them over your roof. it's amazing how quickly people pull back when they can't see suddenly
it's bad techneque anyway, when you are that lose behind someone you can't see as far down the road and you have no room to accelerate preemptively like another poster already said

In reply to Northern Alliance Commander:

Are you more competitive when a man or a women overtakes you, out of interest?

In reply to rock waif:

The only time I look at the gender of the driver is when I am going to let someone out of a side road. If they are female I rarely bother as giving them a flash of the lights seems to mean to them that I may be someone they know, a man will get out quickly. different brain sets.

In reply to Northern Alliance Commander:

Congratulations on posting the first "I'm a complete penis" reply on this thread. Medal will be dispatched shortly.


...


jkarran has summed up the common sense answer, nothing more to add.

In reply to Tony the Blade:
I drive a white van, please explain these concepts to me,
I be overtaken
I move over
Cheers Beds

In reply to Fiend:
f*ck you then

all this selfrightous "i always let people round me" bollocks was getting a bit tiresome - prahaps I'm just the only person big enough to state how I really respontd to stupid driving.

In reply to Northern Alliance Commander:

Why is overtaking stupid?

Why would they paint lines on the road stating when it is safe to do so if it was stupid?

Most people on here have shown a suprising amount of common sense, I actually expected more comments like yours from bitter people.

In reply to Northern Alliance Commander: You also admitted deliberately endangering the overtaking cars, yours and other car users lives. I'm guessing you may the BestofAckworth?

In reply to IainRUK: No, you're not. Apologies to the Beast for thinking that.

In reply to IainRUK:

if you read my OP you would see that I said i don't like people overtaking in towns where its not safe but thought it was fine on open roads. thats not bitter and its not endangering others. To get the facts straight its not a solid white line so people can get round parked cars, tractors and cyclists.

In reply to Northern Alliance Commander:

So you floor it to stop 'em getting in front..

>To get the facts straight its not a solid white line so people can get round parked cars, tractors and cyclists.

I think you'll find that has nothing to do with it. You can quite legally go round parked vehicles, (which shouldn't be there in the first place on solid lines,) tractors or cyclists on solid lines providng it's safe to do so.

In reply to Tony the Blade:

If I'm in a fast car I put my foot down, especially if someone is coming the other way. If they do get past me I sit millimetres away from their rear bumper for miles and miles, even if it takes me miles out of my way. If I'm in a big vehicle like a 4x4 I drift to the right and block them. If I'm in a big slow vehicle I wait til they're almost past me then I nick their rear wing, usually sending them into a spin and off the road. That shows them, the bastards!

In reply to Eric the Red:

Bigger than the safe stopping distance?

In reply to Tony the Blade:

I don't mind. I'm getting to the grumpy old git age (37) so its usually accompanied by a scornful *tut* and "so 60 isn't fast enough for you then you wanker"

Lorries overtaking each other up a hill does my napper in.

I always pull in a bit to let bikes past.

In reply to Tony the Blade: It worries me how people feel the need to react, to consider reacting or even to ask the question. Sounds like something only people under 25 get concerned about.

My mum used to overtake people back in the 1970's in her headscarf and sunglasses and the other driver, always a man would have to speed up and overtake her again. I was under the illusion people had grown up since then.

In reply to soveda@work:

Big enough for someone to pull into safely or for you to accelerate up to overtaking speed. If that's bigger than the safe stopping distance then yes.

In reply to Eric the Red:

So should one leave space for stopping x2 plus room for a car to pull in? If not then how can anyone do what you are suggesting safely?

In reply to Tony the Blade: motorbikes don't really hold up the traffic.
if someone overtakes me safely, then so be it.
but to be honest, not many people pass me, either in my WHITE VAN or my BMW.
do i sound like a stereotype??
MMM think so

In reply to Tony the Blade:

The only times I've really been annoyed by a driver overtaking me was when I was in the left-hand lane on the approach to a roundabout.

In this case, LH lane was straight ahead, or turn left - I was going straight ahead, and this was obvious as I wasn't indicating left.

So, a car in the RH lane (right turn, round the roundabout) then passed me as I reached the roundabout, and then took the left exit, causing me to do an emergency stop, and swear rather a lot.

Obviously, he was in the wrong lane - but was too moronic, inconsiderate, dangerous, stupid, intellectually challenged, totally knobbish etc to realise that he could actually go round the roundabout, and eventually reach his desired exit anyway (after about 15 seconds)

In reply to Tony the Blade:
Aiways move over for bikes as I use one to commute and feel all self righteous that i do 85 to the gallon. if I'm in a car it depends. If i am at the speed limit i make my self wide and unhelpful but not by breaking any rules, coz if you speed i hope you die. pregant wife thingy does hold water all that much and if that was really the case the I would expect lots of lights and horn.

In reply to Tony the Blade: If I speeding much over the limit then I just carry on and ignore them; otherwise I drop to a smaller rear cog and peddle even harder.

In reply to Tony the Blade:

When mb's overtake me I usually think (but don't hold them up) "Yet another bike breaking the speed limit"

Why do bikes drivers think they have a separate law?

In reply to mattsccm:

Nice guy!

So someone who does 45 in a 40, and you'd want them dead?

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Perhaps they don't have a speedometer?

I don't have a speedometer. Perhaps i should.

In reply to Tony the Blade:


I know what you mean. I get so pissed off when milk floats overtake me, particularly on motorways.

In reply to Bulls Crack:


OK, the things about motorbikes is that they can very comfortably go round corners on the speed limit that most car drivers will have to slow down to go round - and on other corners that the car driver will slow down, even if they don't need to.

The other thing about motorbikes is that they have acceleration and braking that car drivers do not get unless they are in a £400,000 Ferrari, and that's only the 600cc Supersports Bikes. The 1000cc Supersports bikes will get close to F1 car performance.

I'm not saying it's correct - in fact it is definitely not - but a bike ambling past a car that is doing 57mph, will easily shoot up to 90mph to pass you, and back down to 60mph in a couple of seconds.

Roads are effectively three times wider on a bike that they are in a car.

This is an explanation of the physics of it. I'm quite happy on a bike, sticking to the speed limit, but I will blast past cars that are doing 55 in a 60 zone, and I'll get past them in a safe area, and I will briefly exceed the speed limit when I do it. And that car driver probably thinks I'm mad because he is only used to the acceleration levels of a car, and cars are slow, have crap acceleration, the road is as third as wide, and the driver has massively reduced visibility compared to the biker.

In reply to Tony the Blade:

I don't have any problem with people overtaking me; I'm normally happy to have them off my tail.

Something that people do sometimes when I over take them is flash their lights at me just after I've over taken - what does this mean? They disapprove of the speed I'm going at to overtake them or the place in which I've done it? I'm never very sure, as it often happens in fairly safe places... Anyone care to explain why they might flash in such a situation?

In reply to bigbobbyking:


Maybe they are lorry drivers on their day off? Lorry drivers often flash lights at you if you overtake in a good, clean manner, using good signalling, and pulling in to a space, rather than carrying on down the middle lane in pursuit of the next vehicle some half-a-mile in front of you...

In reply to Bulls Crack:

You mean mb's not mtb's like i thought you did. I'm having a slow day.

Cheers
Tim

In reply to Northern Alliance Commander: doh! so if it is safe to speed up why drive so slow in the first place?

Me, i just let them get on with whayever they're rushing to and hope, if it was me, they'd be as polite....

In reply to Northern Alliance Commander:

lol im glad i didnt post that.

In reply to Northern Alliance Commander:



So the 1% of overtaking that you deem necessary is the tw*ttish, over-competitive and potentially dangerous driving that you indulge in to prove a statistical fact that makes you an arse?

(Sarah sits back and toasts judicious editing...; ))

In reply to Tony the Blade:

if i get overtaken i promptly accelerate and try to outrun the offending vehicle. failing that a good punt in the back wing may produce effects of crashinness.

erm, if anyone overtakes you, hit them with your adj spanner and rob their wheels

In reply to Removed User:I see I’m not alone. I like to try and run them of the road and the more spins I make them do the better.

I also encourage my passengers to throw items out of the car at them, only small objects that don’t weigh more than 50Kg, such as a chest of draws or small bookcase.

i feel this is only fair and if they survive it's improving there driving skills so i'm really only providing a service...

In reply to Tony the Blade:

Stinger missiles.

In reply to soveda:

Yeah, why not leave that much room? Or is it necessary to be able to read the numberplate of the car in front? Or leave less and drop back when someone takes your stopping distance if you feel the need to leave the exact stopping distance and nothing more.

In reply to Jamesclimb: Paintballs. Most effective is if you can hit their windscreen. Reduces the risks of damage to your vehicle.

In reply to Tony the Blade: I couldnt care less abpout being overtaken. If they want to go faster than I do then overtaking is the sensible thing to do. What does bug me is when someone (usually in a van or truck) is pottering slowly along, but speeds up as soon as I pull out to overtake, no doubt muttering that they aint going to be overtaken by a woman in a beat up diesel, which would naturally imply that they had a small penis.

In reply to Psychopathic_Barbie:

ha ha meet Northern thingy Alliance!

In reply to Tony the Blade:



I might get a tad pissed off being 'undertaken' if I get stuck in a slow moving fast lane, but other than that its live and let live, or die by the sword methinks. Whatever your preference.

In reply to Tony the Blade:

You are teasing? Personally if someone wants to go faster than me that's fine and I do my best to let them past. it's no skin of my nose, it doesn't delay me and it's a more relaxing drive without someone trying to pass me.

In reply to Tess of da Burgervilles:

I find pulling into the left hand land when it's clear stops that from happening...