Drivers taking a short cut by driving the wrong way down one way streets.
On my commute, in the rush hour, along the the busy A308 at Hampton I regularly saw cars deliberately exiting onto the A308.
Worse still I stood watching severals cars deliberately speeding through opposite a school just of the Grays Inn Road near Kings Cross in London. It appeared to me to be a very regular event.
I have a horrible feeling that it is not unique to these places.
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One Growler can appreciate it seems;
I run a Thai restaurant and one of the regulars was telling us about someone who just arrived in back in the UK with a new Thai wife. On the M25, they get pulled over for something, and in the time he got out to talk to the policeman, his new wife had a nice crisp £50 note ready to hand over. Neither males could believe it, but after a quick explanation that she had just arrived from Thailand, policeman let them go! (would that have happend had the policecar not been fitted with camera ;-) )
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50 quid eh? Cost of living in UK my goodness. It's 5 quid for me if I'm on my own (foreigner you see), if Growlette's with me never more than P200, call that 2 quid....
Personally I think it's a much better system, saves all that bureaucracy and time-consuming stuff for the busy motorist and enables the state to pay the police less with resultant benefits to the taxpayer....... ;-)
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Had a true 'I don't believe it' moment today, involving a fool in a Jag X-type.
Just coming off a roundabout onto a dual carraigeway, he's in the left lane, I'm in the right starting to overtake when he pulls across with no warning forcing me to stamp on my brakes to avoid him removing my front quarter.
Now obviously I wasn't best pleased, but these things happen, so I just gave a little toot on the horn to warn him I was ther- got no response though.
About 30 mins later, there was a reasonable amount of traffic so we were divided by quite a few cars, I was ahead, come up to another roundabout which I'm turning right at, and he pulls up alongside me in the middle lane to go straight on. There's a gap in traffic on the roundabout, we both pull out... he goes straight across, once again trying to remove the front corner of my car and forcing me to stamp on the brakes!
It's not something I do, but I must admit there was quite a prolonged beeping accompanied by some shouting along the 'learn to drive' lines - not that he'd have heard that of course.
I can't believe that the same guy could do two frankly idiotic things so similar to each other, so close together. Do these people not learn from their mistakes?
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I can\'t believe that the same guy could do two frankly idiotic things so similar to each other, so close together.
I can - it\'s a pretty safe bet that if they are daft enough to do something once, especially if they haven\'t realised, then they will carry on doing it. It\'s like the pink fluffy dice in the Volvo I occasionally meet on the way to work. He seems to think 20 is perfectly fast enough in rush-hour traffic but his main \'crime\' is that he *always* chops straight across roundabouts. Got to the point now where I know to let him go rather than risk being crushed against some rather nasty concrete blocks that Stockport council seem to feel the need to put in at random locations...
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Last Thursday I was approaching Petersfield, joining the A272/A3 roundabout- a people carrier ahead of me jammed his brakes on as an N reg. Fiesta XR2 pulled in ahead of him at high speed from a slip road. In a few hundred yards the car in front turns left and I'm behind the boy racer(back-to-front baseball cap, all the rear lights with clear glass and orange bulbs, tinted windows, etc.)I stop behind him at a level crossing with three cars ahead of him, warning lights flashing, barrier descending, when he suddenly decides he can't wait,pulls out and overtakes the waiting vehicles,missing the barriers by about a foot..
P.
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Growler - are you SURE you don't live in Spain?
Roger in Spain
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>This has happened to me on two or three occasions over the years, and it's exactly as PhilW describes: You're so dumbfounded that anyone can be so foolish that you don't think to beep:
>Driving along a road and see parked cars at the side of the road narrowing it to one lane, plus vehicles coming the other way. Slow to a halt while flashing the cars in front.... car behind overtakes when I stop!
What did he think I was doing? Parking, 2 feet away from the kerb?
>The overtaker then has to squeeze through a tiny gap, as the oncoming traffic has quite naturally proceeded into the narrow part, since I was signalling them to do so.
In fact, on one occasion they had to reverse to let the fool through.
This happened to me a few weeks back, except the overtaking, tracksuited, baseball capped hoodlum over taking crashed into the oncoming bus. He was really annoyed, he picked his bumper up and starting hitting the car with it...
Also, I was nearly involved in an accident about 6 months ago (first and only time - touch wood!) when I was leaving the M6 to join the M5. There was a BMW behind me, within a few inches, actually. I didn't really care, as I was leaving the motorway in a minute or two. Anyway, 300yd marker and I start signalling. Look in my mirror and see Mr. BMW has gone. I assume he's hurtled off to join the toll road.
As the slip road starts I pull into it to the sound of an angry horn and lots of screeching tyres. Turns out he'd been undertaking me on the hard shoulder, trying to get into the slip lane ahead of me. We missed by inches, I would guess. Completely my fault, of course, given by the fact that he was leaning on his horn for the next mile or two and flashing his lights while attempting to hold a conversation on his mobile.
My heart was pounding for 20 minutes afterwards, and I had to stop and calm down.
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But why on earth do they do it? So they can get to the roudabout 1 second before you do??
I habitually check my mirrors all the time so if I get caught out and find someone right up my 'arris - I know they must be moving pretty sharpish. Now, I have no problem with people getting a move on but when I am busily overtaking a line of traffic at well over the NSL I do not appreciate someone sucking on my exhaust pipe. I move over to let their little self-destructive bit of world get out of my way, allowing them charge another couple of hundred yards up the road to wait in the queue one car ahead of me.....is it really worth it?
This post dedicated to silver MB driver Thursday morning on A34 - though could equally apply to any number of BMW, Golf, Focus drivers on same road any given day of the week.
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I had one today too!!
Going along the A23, inside lane, coach ahead of me. No traffic near so I pull into second lane and continue with my overtaking manouever. As I'm about half way past the bus, a Pug 206 comes tearing up about an inch from my bumper, and starts flashing me. Remember - big coach to my left!
I thought about keeping level with the coach all the way up Hancross hill, but why should other motorists be disadvantaged so I can annoy this driver! Anyway, ignored him, continued at my steady speed until he could go past.
Best part was that I then overtook him up Hancross Hill as he got himself trapped in the inside lane going up!! What goes around, comes around!
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I had one today too!! Going along the A23, inside lane, coach ahead of me. No traffic near so I pull into second lane and continue with my overtaking manouever. As I'm about half way past the bus, a Pug 206 comes tearing up about an inch from my bumper, and starts flashing me. Remember - big coach to my left! I thought about keeping level with the coach all the way up Hancross hill, but why should other motorists be disadvantaged so I can annoy this driver! Anyway, ignored him, continued at my steady speed until he could go past. Best part was that I then overtook him up Hancross Hill as he got himself trapped in the inside lane going up!! What goes around, comes around!
I don't know what it is about that stretch of highway (on which I travel every day), but it seems to bring out some of the worst driving in the county of Sussex, which is saying something. What you describe sounds about par for a Sunday....
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The antics I see where the M62 meets the M1 south of Leeds never ceases to amaze me. It's very simple, but as there are between five and six lanes people panic and it becomes whacky races for a few hundred yards. The best one is when an M1 south motorist who wants the M62 mistakes the M62 entry slip to be the exit slip and ends up in the solid white area - this happens on a regular basis.
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I don't know if this story is apocryphal, but I remember hearing how a Lada drove for some distance THE WRONG WAY BACK along the hard shoulder to get to an exit they missed .....
turned out the 'occupants' were ex-KGB, who weren't used to being told about boring 'traffic regulations' .... !
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arnold2, I suspect that is apocryphal.
Doing something like that would only draw attention to themselves, which is precisely what a spook is trained to avoid.
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I had a really similar experience to Bazzabear - on my way to Belfast heading down the M2 in fairly heavy traffic, an old Audi suddenly pulled in front of me from the onslip, with just enough room to fit between my car and the next one. Fortunately the volume of traffic meant I was travelling slowly enough to begin with, but I still had to sit hard on the brakes. Half a mile or so later, the traffic started to lighten and there was a chance to get ahead, so mirror, signal, lifesaver, manoeuvre to go past. Just as I'm about to pass his rear left wing, he hauls over right in front of me again. Tramped the brakes a second time within 2 minutes, but still kept my cool. Decided to let the guy get ahead and away from me.
The motorway links with two others once you reach the foreshore just before Belfast, and becomes a five/six laner for a bit, which is where I started to catch up with the same car again as he was doing well under 70. I moved into the very outside lane, one full lane between me and this guy. With about two car lengths to go, he moved into the lane to my left. And with about three feet to go, he pulled exactly the same stunt for the third time. Well, this time I sat on the horn as well as the brakes, and he responded by violently shaking his fist, hitting his own brakes and bringing his car to a complete stop in the outermost of a five lane motorway, before driving off again after I managed to stop with about 20 feet to go (obviously have better brakes!). Frightening stuff, but not the first time I've heard of someone trying to cause a deliberate accident.
--
andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmmm, doughnuts
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This morning driving down the M40 near Oxford, signal to overtake Lorry, overtake, then nutter in Lorry swerves into my lane. I flash lights at him and proceed to overtake in outside lane - he then takes THREE swipes at my car with 38-tonne lorry ! Most frightening driving experience ever - nearly ended in the opposite lane...
Interestingly, nutter is driving a HIRE lorry, and I must say that the majority of UK lorry drivers are better drivers than most car drivers, IMHO .......
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I'm always wary of those hire lorrys you can get some right nutters driving them. People who are a) inexperienced at driving anything bigger than a fiesta and b) driving someone elses car(lorry) and don't give two hoots about gear box, engine, bodywork etc.
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This morning, a bus was parked on the side of the road in a 40 limit, and there were cars coming the other way, so I stopped to let them through as the gap looked too small. The Merc behind must have seen a bigger gap as he screamed past forcing the other cars to brake. Of course, 20 seconds later I was right behind him in a queue.
The funny thing was that he indicated when he pulled out (as if it would make a difference), but didn't bother at the roundabout just up the road when he first appeared behind me.
I have to put up with a similar thing fairly often, as one of the roads on the way to work has highly efficient traffic calming where the lanes going into a village are blocked off, and you have to dodge out when there's a gap in traffic going the other way. Its amazing how many people manage to get through with a few inches to spare, and how many times the signs on the island get knocked down.
They recently stuck some of that grippy surface around the road-block, presumably to help when you're forced to stamp on the brakes to let someone through...
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City centre road. Traffic heavy going one way, quiet going my way. Pelican crossing, lights change to red so I stop etc just sat there, looking around me.
Static traffic queueing the other way with one car half blocking crossing but not enough to cause any problems to people crossing. So I sit there waiting for the lights to change to green.
This car that was half on/half off the crossing and sat in traffic for a good 15 seconds not moving, for some reason which I don't know, just drove into the back of the car in front.
He just put it into 1st and moved into the rear of the car in front.
Made me laugh anyway. Why did he do it? Must have been on another planet.
Oh and the cyclist this morning who peddled as fast as he could to get in front of me in moving traffic then slowed down. Must have been playing a game. Weird really when I am in a large moving vehicle and he is on a bike with no head protection.
Maybe he had already had a bump on his head.
Trouble is, he will do it to some unhinged hooligan motorist who will just run him off the road. Good luck to the twit.
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Talking of nutters driving lorries, we have all witnessed attempts at overtaking on the motorway with a speed advantage of <0.5mph. Some drivers seem to underestimate the effect of losing a slipstream. One go I saw a week or two back lasted for at least 3 miles before the attempt was abandoned - luckily it was a 3-lane motorway.
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I watched a woman in a BMW reading some "papers" on the passenger seat drive into the back of a guy reading his newspaper this morning on the M25...
for some reason they both looked daggers at me when I wet myself laughing at them...
JaB
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This thread goes on....
I PROMISE you this actually happened to me today.
If there is an award for the most stupid driver it surely has to go to this individual
This afternoon in a Tavistock car park after I pulled up into a space, I saw this old lady in a Fiesta reverse towards me into the space in front.
Now... I don't know what it is about some people that drive really small cars but seem to need all the room in the world, this parking space was one and a half times the size of all the others due to the unusual layout of the car park. However she kept reversing and.....
I sounded my horn but she...
kept on coming then....
Bang into the front of the van!
She then pulled forward to leave about half a car length between my van and her car. Her car was now half a car length OUTSIDE the front of the parking space!
This was all in front of an independent witness who had just parked next to her.
I then got out of the van to inspect the damage, luckily there was none on either vehicle. I then waited patiently for the old lady to get out of her car to inspect the damage.
I waited...
A little longer....
She finally got out and seemed totally oblivious to the whole thing. I approached her and pointed out that she had actually reversed into my van.
"No I didn't" she replied.
"Actually you did"
"Surely not" she replied, at which point I looked at the witness who backed me up by saying
"Yes you did actually"
I assured her that there was no damage to the van but that I felt she ought to be aware of it as it could have quite easily have been a person.
"Oh dear" she said "thank you".
"That's OK it's no trouble" I replied, not knowing whether to laugh or be completely astonished.
She locked the car and left it parked/abandoned in the car park.
Never mind the Phillapines Growler, West Devon is where you REALLY take your life in your hands!
H
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These are so funny/amazing i thought id add what happened to me last friday night,
There i am off to my karate lesson, drving along about 55/60mph
on the dual carriage, there is nothing in front of me in either lane, I am in the inside lane, im roughly quarter of a mile from the roundabout i am coming up to, when i see an extremly old mercedes pull out onto the roundabout going to wrong way around it, cars swerving and hooting at her she drives up the
wrong side of the dual carriage way straight towards me, i see this all happening but cannot belive what my eyes are seeing,
i slow right down and shes in my lane, i move into the outside lane, hooting and flashing at her, no reaction from her at all,
I was SOOOO amazed I didnt get her reg or anything, at this time three cars are catching me up as i had to slow right down,
the batty old woman carries on and i watch in amazement in my rearview mirror them all sweve over to avoid her all flashing and hooting!
I still cant believe it a week later, I couldnt call the police as I couldnt remeber the road number as its only just opened and didnt have the womans reg. Silly old bat!
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I once met someone on the wrong side of a dual carriageway, as well. I had just turned onto it off a roundabout and was overtaking someone in the process. As we rounded the bend, we both saw a pug 405 in the outside lane facing us. He was going really slowly, so obviously knew he was wrong.
We both screeched to a halt and just sat there staring at him. With both lanes ahead blocked he accepted the inevitable and turned round.
I really think he planned to carry on round a blind bend on the wrong side of a dual carriageway and try to get out onto the roundabout!
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At a quiet time, late one evening, I was just approaching my exit of a large roundabout under the A3 at Oxshott. Another car was approaching from my exit road and with nothing else in sight all seemed simple and relaxed. The other car then did a sharp right across my path and exited into a private drive. Too lazy to go all the way round the roundabout and too thick to let me pass first and of course ran the risk of being reported.
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This thread goes on.... I PROMISE you this actually happened to me today. If there is an award for the most stupid driver it surely has to go to this individual This afternoon in a Tavistock car park after I pulled up into a space, I saw this old lady in a Fiesta reverse towards me into the space in front. Now... I don't know what it is about some people that drive really small cars but seem to need all the room in the world, this parking space was one and a half times the size of all the others due to the unusual layout of the car park. However she kept reversing and..... I sounded my horn but she... kept on coming then.... Bang into the front of the van! She then pulled forward to leave about half a car length between my van and her car. Her car was now half a car length OUTSIDE the front of the parking space! This was all in front of an independent witness who had just parked next to her. I then got out of the van to inspect the damage, luckily there was none on either vehicle. I then waited patiently for the old lady to get out of her car to inspect the damage. I waited... A little longer.... She finally got out and seemed totally oblivious to the whole thing. I approached her and pointed out that she had actually reversed into my van. "No I didn't" she replied. "Actually you did" "Surely not" she replied, at which point I looked at the witness who backed me up by saying "Yes you did actually" I assured her that there was no damage to the van but that I felt she ought to be aware of it as it could have quite easily have been a person. "Oh dear" she said "thank you". "That's OK it's no trouble" I replied, not knowing whether to laugh or be completely astonished. She locked the car and left it parked/abandoned in the car park. Never mind the Phillapines Growler, West Devon is where you REALLY take your life in your hands! H
Master van for sale soon, (poss.) No front end damage. Sorry Hugo, couldn't resist. How's it all going? All ok I hope.
VBR........ M.
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HMM!
Fairly busy at the moment Martin
I'm not advertising and am still getting quite a bit of work!
Thanks for asking.
How old's the Master van?
H
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HMM! Fairly busy at the moment Martin I'm not advertising and am still getting quite a bit of work! Thanks for asking. How old's the Master van? H
02 (April) Will change within 12 months if conditions permit. Trade in v. poor so will in reality take a small premium privately. Fully lined, (by us) Air con. mirrors/windows. Major services done by main dealer, but have had oil and (renault) filter changed every 5k by respectable independent. I have had most small vans and I will NEVER go back to a shed on wheels where you can't get in and sort your tools etc. If you experience it you may not go back. This also has deadlocks which cost more than Two Bob. We know where we are so poss stay in touch. Hope you keep busy.
VBR........ M.
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Had a similar one at Nether Alderley Mill. I pulled up behind this Audi, mucked around for a few minutes sorting maps, NT card etc out and was just about to get out of the car when the Audi starts up and reverses in to me! Turns out the chap had assumed that as there was nothing behind him when he got in to the car 5 minutes earlier, there was no need to look behind as he was reversing... No damage luckily as it was a bumper-to-bumper but even still..
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I couldn't really remember any specific incidents - then one happened on the way home yesterday afternoon.
Following a new 04-plate 5-series BMW on a nice, straight local B-road. Parked up on the nearside ahead of us, straddling the pavement, was a van from a double glazing company - complete with glass rack on offside of van. BMW man decided that, despite the oncoming traffic, there was plenty of room to get past. As he starts to move past the van, oncoming traffic doesn't yield as much as Beemer-boy hopes and he twitches slightly back towards the nearside. Result: rear door comes into contact with horizontal base of the glass rack causing a nice tear in the door skin.
Took great effort not to get of car and just point and laugh!!
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