What did I do to annoy you

[bodes-sh]

i think everyone forgot the real reason behind these problems... you were driving on MY road :

in all seriousness, i am sick of it too. although the roads i drive on are generally freeways, but if someone is coming up behind me faster than what i am going, generally i will change lanes when there is room to and let them past...

[XR8GRL]

I've dealt with that kind a few times.

I've also been horned at and flashed for overtaking, wasn't anywhere near them. I don't get these idiots.

[Zero_PSI]

Originally Posted by cjf

You obviously don't know enough if you think 1 car length is enough even at that speed. If I sat up your **** at 1 car length in my truck you might realize why he was upset.

If you sat up my *** in your truck I'd slow right down and watch your angry face as you've lost all your momentum.

Although

I'd rather have some old man shaking his fists and spitting his false teeth across the car than some ******* sitting up my *** and abusing me because I wont let him overtake me in a turn off lane.

[Jeddak]

While I agree with the feelings here,as I have been blocked ,passed and blocked ,raced and blocked ,and not by just "old people" for some strange reason driving a Territory brings out poserpouch BMW/Volvo's/MERC,and for some strange reason Toyota Prado's ,who seem to think that they MUST be in front of one on those "horrible Terri-things...."

I think that some thinking through might be in order...
keep in mind that ,you too ( as I am on the lower edge of ) will be old one day ,and as I have found out your perspective of life changes,

that is ..why drive like your balls are on fire? ..you get to where you are going just as quick by going a tad slower and with less stress (though not 20k under the posted limit)

HOWEVER this does NOT excuse bad or dangerous behavior the road,
I keep an eye on the r.v mirrors and if I see that I am holding someone ( especially road trains) up, I Pull over and let them through ..doesn't hurt me doesn't hurt them,and the working truck drivers appreciate the help.

For the oldies, I drive, allowing for their fears and speed,because I will be as they are now ,and I hope that people will treat me the same then as I do now

THIS LAST BIT IS ALL RATHER MUSHY ...... BUT IT IS A FACT OF LIFE..
WE GET OLD.. WE GET SLOW.

[ebxr8240]

Glad I'm not old Lol...
Hoon maybe ???

[jamesson1980]

The moment you see a driver flapping his/her arms, as if to be asking for an answer to some riddle you haven't actually been asked, I think you can safely assume that it is one of those many drivers with a fuse shorter than their attention span. They will flip at the smallest of things. I know I'v cheesed a few drivers off over the years, normally receiving a horn, lights, abuse and the odd finger.. on those occasions I immediately realised my mistake and gave a friendly, 'my bad' wave.
But the flapping of arms, I'v observed, seems to come with little or no provokation from a driver who doesn't even know what they're upset about, hence the 'questioning' type gesture. So I never read too much into it, as these motorists are either driving extremely fast or extremely slow, either way, ya don't see 'em for long.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Jeddak

I keep an eye on the r.v mirrors and if I see that I am holding someone ( especially road trains) up, I Pull over and let them through ..doesn't hurt me doesn't hurt them,and the working truck drivers appreciate the help.

Whilst it's great that you pull over and let others through [thumbs up from me], if you are holding up Road Trains you are driving too slow and need to pull your finger out. The road is not a ride at the show or a tourist attraction, it is a tool to get from point A to point B. Make efficient use of it.

[ebxr8240]

Ahh too many "private police" on the road...

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by CFOUR

Horsepower is the solution for that problem.

Unfortunately, our most powerful car is my Fiesta, weighing in at 88Kw, we where in Dad's 323 which is about 200Kg heavier and a whole 78Kw. We're lacking in the horsepower department in this family.

[turbo_man]

im on my L's and it totally mystifies me how some people seem to get an aneurysm every time they get overtaken
a few days ago there was this guy going about 60 in an 80 zone so i move to overtake and he suddenly speeds up to 90 until i gave up and got in the left lane again and suddenly goes back to 60 i try to overtake him another 2 times with the same result :evil3:

i guess my driving instructor failed to tell me that to overtake someone is to challenge the other drivers man hood and try to impress their wife/girlfriend so theyll hop out at the next lights and run off with me
:
i wonder why this wasnt in the test lol

[qwiksix]

Originally Posted by left

Was it a Thursday (traditional Pension day)? A seriously good day to avoid driving if you can IME. Some of the stuff you see the oldies get up to beggars belief. I was verbally abused last week by an old fella. He thought there was one turning lane; in reality there was two. I was in the outside lane & he thought I'd cut him off. He almost slammed in to the left side of my car because he was drifting over in to my lane or 'his lane' as he told me. Wouldn't listen to reason I ended up telling him to get effed I am afraid after he told me I was a stupid young woman

So, I'm sure you had your blinker on, which would have made it obvious to him?

I've been in cars too many times when I get told that the reason they don't have their indicator on at an intersection they are turning at is because :
- it wastes the globe, or
- everyone magically knows where you are going

qs

[dsyfer]

Sorry, but if someone tried to swerve at me with my family in the car, he would find me waiting for him at the next stop, for a nice friendly chat!!!!!

[left]

Originally Posted by qwiksix

So, I'm sure you had your blinker on, which would have made it obvious to him?

I've been in cars too many times when I get told that the reason they don't have their indicator on at an intersection they are turning at is because :
- it wastes the globe, or
- everyone magically knows where you are going

qs

Naturally. I think I am one of the few people in Melbourne who actually uses their indicators for the purpose they were designed!

[Silver Ghia]

Hah, indicators....thats the lever you hit while turning the steering wheel to change lanes on the freeway?

[calais]

With reference to the original post, I have to say that I feel as though such behaviour by road users is becoming all the more frequent.

I drive around 45,000km a year in my own car, plus another 20,000km give or take in trucks as part of my second job. In driving these distances on mostly intercity roads and highways, seldom do I finish a journey without some kind of abuse or challenge by another road user, be it a truck, car, motorcyclist, cyclist or pedestrian.

I personally believe its the decline in social standards, and the loss of common courtesy on our roads.

I want to know why advertising propaganda is forced down our throats in regards to seat belts, speeding, drugs and fatigue but never about courtesy to other motorists, or driving etiquette. I can see a gaping shortfall here on the behalf of the nations motoring groups and authorities.

I can only imagine how much more enjoyable driving could possibly become knowing your fellow motorist is a well rested, adjusted and socially aware member of society whose main aim isn't to stroke his own ego about his ability to save the environment and drive slowly for a cause he truly knows nothing about, but to share the responsibility of maximising his fellow motorists ability to get where they are going, unimpeded, and without intimidation for having a different set of priorities.

It means pulling over to the side to let a faster motorist through
It means merging quickly and safely
It means driving appropriately and unselfishly (covers a wide range of points, speed limits;etc, this could go forever!)

Not one of those points listed above can actually be achieved without education, and a willingness to accept that you aren't the only bloke with somewhere to be.

Its a two way street (excuse the pun) to sharing the roads as effectively as possible.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by calais

seldom do I finish a journey without some kind of abuse or challenge by another road user, be it a truck, car, motorcyclist, cyclist or pedestrian.

That statement sort of indicates you might need the tune up?

[kenphelps]

simple solution if they do not have the confidence to sit on the speed limit then dont drive. To those who speed up when we come to overtaking areas what has changed in that feeble mine to think it is ant safer to sit on the speed limit

[left]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

Hah, indicators....thats the lever you hit while turning the steering wheel to change lanes on the freeway?

Speaking of rubbish drivers. I saw an amazing act of stupidity performed yesterday by a learner driver having a lesson with Grade A driving school. The instructor thought it was clever to direct said learner to come to a complete stop in the middle lane of a 3 lane 80kmh zone (Plenty Road for those in Melb) so they could get over to a slip lane to do a U'ey. Good grief
:

[calais]

Originally Posted by GTP006

That statement sort of indicates you might need the tune up?

I dont believe so. No.

Given that I do employ the principles I detailed in my first post in this thread.

I'm not saying i'm perfect by any means, However I am acutely aware of what responsibilities I have as a motorist. Im being aware of what I feel I have to do, makes me aware of what others are not doing.

[Sizey]

Originally Posted by FalconXR6

I too have wondered why people react like you've just stolen their clothes, their boots and their motorcycle when you overtake them.

Many times I've overtaken the inadequate car / driver combo doing 60 or 70 in a 100 zone and many times I've checked my mirrors (for cops) to see a disgruntled moron flashing their lights and waving their banjo at me...

Don't understand it.
No longer try to understand it.
No longer care...

You sir are the definition of intelligence and quite the comic too.

[uranium_death]

I don't think you should even be bothered by it personally.
Perhaps he thought you did wrong. All you can do is think about what you may have done wrong.
Perhaps you sat too close to him, or perhaps he's just a grumpy coot.

As for your earlier post, I hardly call myself a model driver (though I am not unsafe), and I get honked once a year and never get abused...

You speak of courtesy, but the problem is that the people who do the wrong thing only think of receiving courtesy, but not displaying it.

If I do annoy somebody, I generally think about it and then learn from it, whether I feel I am in the wrong or not.

So don't write the old man off. Just use it to help you improve. We're all still learning.

[Pinch]

Originally Posted by left

Speaking of rubbish drivers. I saw an amazing act of stupidity performed yesterday by a learner driver having a lesson with Grade A driving school. The instructor thought it was clever to direct said learner to come to a complete stop in the middle lane of a 3 lane 80kmh zone (Plenty Road for those in Melb) so they could get over to a slip lane to do a U'ey. Good grief
:

Driving school teachers, meh. They sure do explain a lot though. One was driving a fully marked driving school car the other day (assume it was the teacher as only one guy in the car). He undercut me turning left when I was towing the boat which has clearly marked large Aus standard DO NOT OVERTAKE TURNING VEHICLE signs (13 metre rig LOA). Then undertook me accelerating harshly then and cut into my braking space slamming on the brakes at the next lights only about 100m away. Managed to almost pull up with a fair bit of trailer sway, but only just tapped his bumper. Got out of the car to discuss, but he took off through the red light. All the other people stopped at the lights were just staring thinking 'what the?'

No damage, but locked up the trailer brakes a little (getting a new computer-controlled electric set up this week though).

It certainly explains a lot. Maybe he just had a bad student. Actually, no maybes. Whoever he was teaching was bound to be a bad driver. I pity the fools...

[UNR8D]

I copped the 'pinkie finger' treatment in Vic on the great ocean road by an elderly gentlemen that had 2 feet in the grave, pootleing along at 85 in a 100 zone. Im really hoping he had an issue that caused his finger to look like a crow’s foot after a blender incident because otherwise I was going to permentaly make it that way; WTF is with the Private Police on the roads.

Everyone thinks they are a good driver, however... how many have taken a defensive/advanced or performance driver training course? and how many that have done that have then gone back for a refresher?.. How many update themselves on new/improved/re regulated road rules?... I know plenty of drivers who got their licence by doing a 'lap' of the block with the on look of the local copper, before roundabouts/duel lane carriageways etc etc... That’s what is such a scary thought.

[NC1183]

I coped a good one on the way home from Adelaide on Sat, silly woman decided that it was fine to trundle along at 80, maybe 90 on a 110km section of highway. Then when we hit the overtaking lane, i pulled out to go around her, she speeds up, thankfully i had a heap more balls in the SP then her Camery and i got around her before the end of the lane.

[FPVF6X201]

I may as well jump on this bandwagon.

Cruising along the M2 in Sydney recently, came up behind an old (el version) Fairlane. Speed limit in this section is 90kph, this guy was doing 80 so not too slow. So i sat and waited for him to move left but of course he didnt. Then as the M2 becomes the M7 he moves left and takes a hand of the wheel so he can video me going by using his mobile phone, and gives me the finger for good measure. Sometimes i wish i drove a sh!tbox, then it wouldnt matter if i accidently bumped into him (not that i condone such behaviour)

Gotta love Sydney drivers.

[XR8GRL]

Originally Posted by left

Speaking of rubbish drivers. I saw an amazing act of stupidity performed yesterday by a learner driver having a lesson with Grade A driving school. The instructor thought it was clever to direct said learner to come to a complete stop in the middle lane of a 3 lane 80kmh zone (Plenty Road for those in Melb) so they could get over to a slip lane to do a U'ey. Good grief
:

Plenty Road is a great road for learner drivers, and Child's Rd. :rolleyes:

[mrbaxr6t]

I can tell you what you did you were a young bloke in a nice car so out come the green eyed monster - also because you are young and have a nice car i am assuming polished and in showroom condition that makes you a "hoon" you were "hooning" in your souped up "hoon" mobile and he was doing the community a service by slowing you down before somebody gets killed by you travelling at the speed limit how dare you be young with a nice car and travel at the speed limit! you are supposed to be young and broke on a push bike with no bum in your trousers like he was at your age.

[TUF_302]

Was he driving a Camry with the indicator stuck on lol!

Dont worry about it mate, some people just dont like being followed for some reason, they just get nervous or whatever and start driving stupidly, like people who go really slow then pull over in stupid spots then just pull out again when everyone passes them!

[Jim Goose]

Ok here is one....
While driving to the supermarket on Friday I pull up at the lights and this old white Jackaroo comes up behind me at speed and brakes late, just stopping inches from my bumper bar.

I didnt do or say anything.. so the lights turn green and off we all go.
Next set of lights I have to turn left and im in the left lane with this moron tailgating me.

I indicate left and slow down to turn, all the while watching this clown behind me thinking he will end up hitting me if im not careful.
And what do i see in the mirror? Him giving me a mouthfull as i turn left!!!

WTF?!?!?!!!??

And no i wasnt going slow, infact i was going 65km/h in a 60 zone....
Obviously not fast enough for him....?
Or the fact he was so close up my *** that he didnt see my indicator come on?
I dunno.....

Talk about morons here...

[Franco Cozzo]

Some... Wait make that a lot, of people need to have the sticks surgically removed from their *****.