Here's something to be alert for this weekend as town hits the country in the middle of harvest. Driving through Byfield in Northants this pm I came up behind a tatty 3-ton type lorry loaded with two layers of big bale silage bulging over the sides and followed him on a minor lane out of the village. It was a 30mph road with houses on one side so I wasn't bothered about passing although I thought it odd he was in the middle of a road with clear grass verges. A motorcycle behind decided to overtake nevertheless and squeeed by this truck. As soon as we left the limit and entered a long clear stretch I pulled to the right, sounded the horn in a short blast to let the driver know I was there and got a two-finger salute while the truck went right over to the right-hand side blocking my way past.
For the next mile-and-a-half he kept this up pulling over to let oncoming cars through and immediately blocking my way past while slowing to 10 mph several times. Clearly he was hoping for a reaction so I hung back a few car lengths and waited. A Mondeo came up behind saw me hanging back and decided he would overtake this timid driver which promptly did and the truck moved over to let him by and then back immediately to blocking me with another salute.
The next oncoming car happened to be a local police car which as I was hanging back saw in enough time to stop the PC driving and explain what was going on. He turned round and overtook me a minute or so later but the truck driver had obviously seen us talking and disappeared up one of three or four side lanes in the next village although the PC did turn back. Unfortunately, the number plate was broken and hanging off so E or F with GWF was the best I could see.
Most farm drivers moving combines or grain trailers at this time of year are usually just not paying attention rather than being deliberately provocative if traffic builds up behind. This was not a typical farm lorry anyway, from what little could be seen, but more of a traveller's type vehicle. I usually give a short blast on the horn when overtaking farm vehicles with cabs, or no mirrors, but maybe that was what upset this person. However, I suspect the real intention was simply to wind someone up, no matter who, and at worst panic them off the road if they tried overtaking.
As it was I was just ambling home in no particular hurry so it was a bizarre irritation to which I had no desire to respond as I knew I could soon turn off on one of the upcoming side roads anyway. I have put it down at some length as a pre-Bank Holiday warning about country roads and some drivers. As a parting side swipe I will also point out that the foot-and-mouth ban on fox hunting made my local roads a lot safer at weekends. Nothing to do with the horse riders or hounds, who are usually well mannered, but it temporarily removed the rolling road blocks and appalling road behaviour of the hunt supporters in their pickups, Reliant Robins and other cars following the chase.
Now I'll retreat behind bolted doors.
David
|
|
Although this sounds extreme and very irritating, I'd sooner be doing 10 mph in the countryside than down the A4 into London...
|
Sounding a horn makes some people see red. Even when used correctly as in your case. Just console yourself with the knowledge that there is a reason why s*** for brains is driving round in a truck full of poo and earning zilch.
|
there is a reason why s*** for brains is driving round in a truck full of poo and earning zilch.
Yes, it's because he's a wealthy member of the landed gentry. The likes of us must tug forelock and wring caps at them... [1]
[1] Although I suppose technically the considerable estate of Toad Hall makes me rank in the upper social echelons.
--
Parp, Parp!
Note: All Toad posts come with an implied smiley.
|
|
|
|
Perhaps he mistook you for a friend of his!
Tomo
|
|
|
Undoubtedly the horn gave him the hump.
I only ever use it when slowly approaching blind bends on hopelessly narrow lanes. If you use it behind someone - most will see it as a "hurry-up", or a comment on their driving, however well intentioned.
|
Sometimes it is (indirectly) a comment on their driving. A number of times recently I've had to sound the horn on a two lane roundabout if I'm turning right and the car next to me doesn't stick in lane and cuts me up. All the horn says is "I'm here, have you not seen me?" but the angry and animated response seems to suggest I have no right to be on the same roundabout in the first place.
GJD
|
I've found a perfect substitute for a horn when confronted with lane indiscipline is my old, battered, but beautiful, V8 90. If anything does attempt to do silly things with lanes on roundabouts they would end up with large gouges on the side of their vehicles.
Of course, when I'm out in the old girl nobody ever does cut me up. Now the 206 GTi......well that's a different story!!!
|
|
|
|
Unfortunately, nowadays you only dare use the horn in an extreme emergency where that is your only final option left to get out of a dangerous situation. For your own physical safety, you are better off using any means other than the horn to get out of the dangerous situation
Before you use your horn, just think of the reported road-rage incidents where people have been seriously or fatally assaulted by an angry driver.
In virtually every case when you use a horn, the reaction you will get is a degree of "road-rage" from the driver of the other car.
|
I hear what's being said but what happened to me is not going to stop me using the horn to avoid potentially dangerous situations where another driver may be unaware of my presence and we risk the 'Sorry I didn't see you, mate' finale. I mentioned tractor drivers particularly because it is the time of year when they are hauling wide loads of grain, straw or sugar beet and don't sometimes have the ability to see, let alone hear, much behind them.
Really, it is another example of poor driver training. The horn is simply to indicate your presence to someone else but is misunderstood here in the UK. I have lived in a country where it is the custom to sound your horn virtually every time a car overtakes another and I never saw anyone get annoyed because it was an accepted practice. Mind you I always carried ear plugs in case I was given a hotel room fronting a major road.
My system in the UK is a short blast or maybe two to show I am there and move out while still hanging back. If it is a particularly wide load I may sound it once I have moved out of the sound deading area created by a load of straw. A long blast or repeated long blasts does suggest annoyance/anger.
|
|
Sounds reasonable to me. JCB drivers are a real pain as well!
|
Dave,
What car were you driving chap?
TVR or summink?
|
|
|
|
|
Horns on today's cars sound 'angry'. Perhaps there's a retro-fit market for 'friendly' sounding horns - (parp parp?) :0)
|
|
|
