Strange unprovoked driving reactions from others
06-15-2005, 04:09 AM
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Strange unprovoked driving reactions from others
Is it just me, or do some people drive very strangely when they see you in their rear view mirror.
I was on the way to work this morning, and I have a 20 minute drive through some "twisties" en route every morning. Occassionaly on a sunny morning I will drop the roof and tear through the roads to help wake me up first thing, and I will maybe come up behind another car fairly quickly which will provoke one of 3 reactions:
1) They will panic and pull right onto the grass at the side of the road inviting me past.
2) They will hit the brakes at random intervals despite the fact I have slowed down and left a good distance between myself and them.
3) They will charge off like a maniac. (this happened last week with a WRX whilst I watched them disappear into the distance - my god that was fast)
However this morning I didn't have the roof down, I wasn't driving quickly, hell I didn't even have a cap on !
I came up behind a VW Golf TDI, I was driving sedately, not paying much attention to anything infront of me as my eyes were still stuck closed when all of a sudden a cloud of black smoke appears from this guys exhaust and he "accelerates" away. Now I was in 4th gear at the time and couldn't even be bothered to change down so just gradually accelerated until I was back behind him as he hit a bit of traffic.
As the car infront of him turned off he was off again, only this time he was on a mission. He accelerated up to around 90mph on some pretty narrow roads it has to be said (this was an 05 plate golf so he can't have had it that long, he probably hasn't even broken it in properly, and he was a middle aged guy in a suit, not some boy racer type).
I know these roads pretty well driving them every morning so know whats coming over a hill in the road or round a blind bend. About 400 yards infront of us is a hump in the road which, if you hit it fast enough can lift all 4 wheels off the tarmac. Immediately after this hump is a slight right turn.
This guy hit the hump at about 80mph and the whole car lifted off the ground, presumably whilst he was in mid air he noticed the slight bend in the road and turned the wheels whilst airborne. He hit the floor with wheels turned, and the back end kicked out immediately as he then proceeded to spin in the road and slide sideways into the long grass and heather at the side of the road. He fortunately managed to come to a stand still somehow missing everything in sight and I pulled over to check he was ok.
He sheepishly explained that it was a new car and he hadn't got used to it yet and had just lost control in the wet (it wasn't even wet this morning!). He insisted he was ok, managed to get back on the main road and drove off without saying another word whilst I stood there in wonderment.
Why ?!? I didn't even bother going after him when he took off !
I was on the way to work this morning, and I have a 20 minute drive through some "twisties" en route every morning. Occassionaly on a sunny morning I will drop the roof and tear through the roads to help wake me up first thing, and I will maybe come up behind another car fairly quickly which will provoke one of 3 reactions:
1) They will panic and pull right onto the grass at the side of the road inviting me past.
2) They will hit the brakes at random intervals despite the fact I have slowed down and left a good distance between myself and them.
3) They will charge off like a maniac. (this happened last week with a WRX whilst I watched them disappear into the distance - my god that was fast)
However this morning I didn't have the roof down, I wasn't driving quickly, hell I didn't even have a cap on !
I came up behind a VW Golf TDI, I was driving sedately, not paying much attention to anything infront of me as my eyes were still stuck closed when all of a sudden a cloud of black smoke appears from this guys exhaust and he "accelerates" away. Now I was in 4th gear at the time and couldn't even be bothered to change down so just gradually accelerated until I was back behind him as he hit a bit of traffic.
As the car infront of him turned off he was off again, only this time he was on a mission. He accelerated up to around 90mph on some pretty narrow roads it has to be said (this was an 05 plate golf so he can't have had it that long, he probably hasn't even broken it in properly, and he was a middle aged guy in a suit, not some boy racer type).
I know these roads pretty well driving them every morning so know whats coming over a hill in the road or round a blind bend. About 400 yards infront of us is a hump in the road which, if you hit it fast enough can lift all 4 wheels off the tarmac. Immediately after this hump is a slight right turn.
This guy hit the hump at about 80mph and the whole car lifted off the ground, presumably whilst he was in mid air he noticed the slight bend in the road and turned the wheels whilst airborne. He hit the floor with wheels turned, and the back end kicked out immediately as he then proceeded to spin in the road and slide sideways into the long grass and heather at the side of the road. He fortunately managed to come to a stand still somehow missing everything in sight and I pulled over to check he was ok.
He sheepishly explained that it was a new car and he hadn't got used to it yet and had just lost control in the wet (it wasn't even wet this morning!). He insisted he was ok, managed to get back on the main road and drove off without saying another word whilst I stood there in wonderment.
Why ?!? I didn't even bother going after him when he took off !
06-15-2005, 04:13 AM
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Originally Posted by s2kjames,Jun 15 2005, 04:09 AM
2) They will hit the brakes at random intervals despite the fact I have slowed down and left a good distance between myself and them.
06-15-2005, 04:24 AM
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sound like that guy had a lucky escape - could have been very nasty.
the S and other cars like it can provoke people into driving a bit daft - it's just the way some people are and nothing can be done about it other than some sort of mass culling.
the S and other cars like it can provoke people into driving a bit daft - it's just the way some people are and nothing can be done about it other than some sort of mass culling.
06-15-2005, 04:25 AM
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Originally Posted by StuartL,Jun 15 2005, 04:13 AM
The only thing I can conclude from this is that people you're following are uncomfortable with you being as close as you are. Do the flashing brake lights stop when you back off further?
I may be guilty of approaching from behind a little too quickly (oo-er) sometimes.
Some drivers are just that way out. They are usually the same drivers that think you are never allowed to overtake them, no matter how safe it may be.
06-15-2005, 04:30 AM
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Bizarre - i'm glad the guy in the golf was okay, but it sounds like he invited trouble onto himself!
I'm not sure if it's cos I'm a girl, but I don't really get many people trying it on.
Mind you, I did have some old geezer get out of his car, knock on my window, and tell me i was driving too fast once..... this was after he had pulled out in front of me on a 70mph dual carriageway, and after I had flashed and taken avoiding action (moving to the inside lane and maintaining my speed - probably about 78mph as there are sometimes speed camera's there and we weren't a long way from a roundabout)!!
I'm not sure if it's cos I'm a girl, but I don't really get many people trying it on.
Mind you, I did have some old geezer get out of his car, knock on my window, and tell me i was driving too fast once..... this was after he had pulled out in front of me on a 70mph dual carriageway, and after I had flashed and taken avoiding action (moving to the inside lane and maintaining my speed - probably about 78mph as there are sometimes speed camera's there and we weren't a long way from a roundabout)!!
06-15-2005, 04:44 AM
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Yes, if you charge up behind some drivers they can react adversley.
Some men feel that you are impugning their manhood.
Usually the ones who are least secure in that department.
I try to be gentle with their fragile ego's (remember there's a tiny proportion who are loonies).
Just back off a little before you close.
Give them a little time to see that you are there and are possibly slightly faster.
"Dear sir - could it be conceivable that I may be allowed to overtake?".
"Thank you so much - you are indeed a gentleman".
Then f*ck off into the distance.
06-15-2005, 04:54 AM
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Yep happens all the time.
You either get the type of driver who pulls to the left a bit and indicates that its safe for you to pull over which results in a friendly thank-you wave from me or someone who wants to show how big their manhood is even if they have got a people carrier!
I once had a couple of kids in a Nova SR Overtake me coming off and island on a single track over the brow of a blind hill/rise in a 30 mph limit risking his life and others. It shook me up a bit because I know the road well and if I had of been comming the other way where there are 2 lanes I definately would have been in the outside lane!! ............head on nice!
Next set of traffic lights I completely ignored him and his bating/waving and just left him as a spot in my rear view mirror to get away from the idiot. For many people their ego takes over their self preservation and they do something very stupid.
The bloke in the golf knew he was an idiot and you came out morally on top in both ways by not rising to it and stopping to see if he was ok. Next time suggest a driving course to him!!!
Edd
You either get the type of driver who pulls to the left a bit and indicates that its safe for you to pull over which results in a friendly thank-you wave from me or someone who wants to show how big their manhood is even if they have got a people carrier!
I once had a couple of kids in a Nova SR Overtake me coming off and island on a single track over the brow of a blind hill/rise in a 30 mph limit risking his life and others. It shook me up a bit because I know the road well and if I had of been comming the other way where there are 2 lanes I definately would have been in the outside lane!! ............head on nice!
Next set of traffic lights I completely ignored him and his bating/waving and just left him as a spot in my rear view mirror to get away from the idiot. For many people their ego takes over their self preservation and they do something very stupid.
The bloke in the golf knew he was an idiot and you came out morally on top in both ways by not rising to it and stopping to see if he was ok. Next time suggest a driving course to him!!!
Edd
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06-15-2005, 05:06 AM
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I bet it was a repmobile and he didn`t give a shit.
It sounded like typical fooked up, annoying, tdi behaviour.
They are pretty rapid though, not S rapid by any stretch. A bunch more low down torque on a rev level though.
Doesn`t remove the fact that anyone that buys a tdi is a prize weapon.
I`ve got a Tdi 130 estate that drags the carp gear about and sits alongside the unused S.
It sounded like typical fooked up, annoying, tdi behaviour.
They are pretty rapid though, not S rapid by any stretch. A bunch more low down torque on a rev level though.
Doesn`t remove the fact that anyone that buys a tdi is a prize weapon.
I`ve got a Tdi 130 estate that drags the carp gear about and sits alongside the unused S.
06-15-2005, 05:07 AM
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I don't think most drivers round here look in their rear view mirrors at all...
There are some nice-ish roads on my way to work in the morning but with a fairly limited number of (safe) overtaking places. Most mornings it's no fun because I come up to a convoy of cars with not enough space between them to overtake.
There are some nice-ish roads on my way to work in the morning but with a fairly limited number of (safe) overtaking places. Most mornings it's no fun because I come up to a convoy of cars with not enough space between them to overtake.
06-15-2005, 05:52 AM
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lot more reaction in the vx220 than i ever had in the S2K, had both the reactions mentioned in the S but now i get the dive to the left and even the canceled overtake move to let me past 
they don't even flash and toot disaprovingly when i overtake in what they percieve to be a small space. Maybe they just assume anyone driving that type of car is a bit of a nutter and want to get out of my way 
Think the S must be seen by the uneducated as a mx5 type car that they can stand a chance with wich might lead to more of the "see if i can outrun it in my rep mobile" type responces.
they don't even flash and toot disaprovingly when i overtake in what they percieve to be a small space. Maybe they just assume anyone driving that type of car is a bit of a nutter and want to get out of my way Think the S must be seen by the uneducated as a mx5 type car that they can stand a chance with wich might lead to more of the "see if i can outrun it in my rep mobile" type responces.